vol. 1, p. 14

Most Loving and deare Sir as I would have you warily take heede of such venome as this spider
gathered oute of the sweete flowers of holly Scripture, soe doe I exhorte you in Christe Jesus to
imitate the gentill nature of the bee, that oute of evry hearbe thoe soure soevere gathereth
sweete honny, and from among those thornes, without pinching, you collecte such roses as may
yeilde yr soule sweete savore, and wringing oute the poyson, you take the sugred wine, which
may comfort you in our Lorde. And first note what the Author contrary to his oune doctrine
says pag. 93. that he whoe never complained of weaknesse of fayth, never had any sound
saving fayth, nor he that never doupted of salvation, never beleeved rightly, nor had any
good assurance of salvation, whince you may rightly doupt whether you be in the right way
of salvation, specially seeing you are by many resons thereunto moved, and consequently that
you are bounde diligently to search after the truith, and not to adheare to yr oune opinione
as the Author disswades pag. 163. where he says that many are bleinded through the dar-
knesse of there oune understanding, soe as they cannot iudge of no colours, even as holy
Paul before his conversion, whoe thought he performed acceptable service to god, when
he was a cruell persecutor of Christe. Soe may you thinke that you are throwe yr oune opinion
blinded, thoe you suppouse yrselfe to be in yr oune religione most acceptable to God. What
then must you doe? That which the same Author writs pag. 78. oute of the 58 chap. of Esay
Let the wicked forsake his wayes, 'and the unrighteous his oune imaginations' (mark this)
and return unto the Lord, and he will have mercie uppon him: and to our God, for he is
very readie to forgive. And how will you doe this? As the same author teaches
imediatly after, to witt be confessing humbly yr sinne and error, as holy David did, when the
Prophite Nathan reprehended him. But unto whom will you confesse? Unto those, whoe by
Christes authoritie can absolve you to witt the Pristes, unto whome our Savior sayd in the
Apostles persones Joan. 20. And when he sayde these wordes, he breathed on them, and say[d]
unto them, receave ye the holy Ghost, whosoevers sinnes ye remitte thy are remitted
unto them: and whosoevers sinnes ye retaine, they are retayned. You see plainly what authority
Christ gave to the Pristes, unto them therefore you must confesse yr sinnes, that they may a[bsolve]
you from them. But how will you prepare yrselfe unto this [confession ]
[teaches] you .pag. [20?]. [ ] you sinne at yr [hearte], more then [ ] any [ ]
thing in the whole world, and that [because] you have so [unnaturally], soe good [gracious and]
mercifull a benefactor, as yr sweete god and redimer is. Secondly that you purpose [to the]
uttermost of yr power by Gods grace never to offende him any more, and to resolwe to
walk in holinesse and righteousnesse all the days of yr life. Thirdly (which the [Author]
leaves out to make full and sufficient satisfaction the best you may to all those, whome you
have uniustly wronged.

Deare frinde you see how in one garding are founde fragrant flowers and pinching
thornes, sweete roses, and burning nettells, killing hearbes, and wholsome Balsame, ple-
sant [aliues], and drowning diches. Among those therfore chouse the flowers and [shun]
the briers, take the rose and tread the netells, take heede of deadly hearbes, and gather
wisly the healing balsame, runne noe further headlong unto the drowning diches
of error and wretched herisy, but come and walke the plesant [aliues] of Christ
[ ] fayth in the garding of the holy, catholique and Apostolique church
[will] lead you [ ] the [ ] to the gates of eternall salvation. And this
wisseth he with all his hearte, whoe wisseth yr Honor all health and happiness.