An evident display of Popish practises, or patched Pelagianism Wherein is mightily cleared the…An euident display of Popish practises, or patched Pelagianisme Wherein is mightelie cleared the…

ALBEIT we have ever endeavoured to set forth that doctrine which is not ours, but Jesus Christs, in such sort that we might win many to the delight and love thereof, yet art thou Sycophant much deceived, if thou thinkest that we ⟨p. 2⟩stand upon the multitude either of foes or favourers. For neither are we so much unskilful of the state of men, or unmindful of the very words of Christ, that we should forget that there have been ever moe found who have withstood the truth, than defended it. Thou truly, as I perceive, bethinking thy self of some wise preface, haste chosen that one, which did most accord with thy nature and inclination: for so almost it falleth amongst men, especially of guilty consciences, that they deem others by their own disposition. Therefore because thou (shrouding thy self as it were under the shadow of thy pretended modesty) dost of old aim at this mark, that the most may think thee some body, haste in deed deemed that we are grieved with the same infirmity, and therefore that thou couldst not work us a greater despite, than if with a certain sottish kind of chattering thou mightest pretend to have done this as bewailing our misery, & careful for the defence of our cause, thou shouldest friendly & familiarly write unto us. But in deed we marvel that any man so practised in deceit, could so forget him self, as not to think that men would straight enquire how it could be, that in so weighty a matter writing so familiarly to thy friends, thou shouldst suppress thy name. But what if they also should know that which is manifest to us, that thou hast not letted but that these broached Slanders might have bin bruited in all the world, before we should hear any whit of them; truly they would not doubt to report thee, as mostly all other divine things, so also to have lewdly & wickedly abused the sacred name of amity. But we, if thou knowest it not, do leave for thee to regard the multitude of favourers: thine (I say) it shall be for us. For neither do we defend that cause, wherein thou art worth one rush. And thou art the very man (albeit this time hath others) whose protection if the truth require it,