That faith the mother of all good works justifieth us before we ca[n] bring…That fayth the mother of all good workes iustifieth us before we ca[n] bringe…

Grace and peace with all manner spiritual feeling and living worthy of the kindness of Christ / be with the reader and with all that thirst the will of God Amen. The cause why I set my name before this little treatise and have not rather done it in the new testament is that then I followed the counsel of Christ which exhorteth men Matth. vj. to do their good deeds secretly and to be content with the conscience of well doing / and that God seeth us / and patiently to abide the reward of the last day which Christ hath purchased for us and now would fain have done like wise / but am compelled other wise to do.

GRace and peace with all maner spirituall fealinge and livinge worthy of the kyndnes of Christ / be with the reader and with all that thurst the will of God Amē. The cause why I sett my name before this litle treatyse ād have not rather done it in the new testament is that then I folowed the cownself of Christ which exhorteth men Matth. vj. to doo theyr good deades secretly ād to be contēt with the cōscience of well doynge / and that God seeth vs / and paciently to abyde the rewarde of the last daye which Christ hath purchased for vs ād now wold fayne have done lyke wyse / but am compelled other wise to doo.

While I abode a faithful companion which now hath taken another voyage upon him / to preach Christ where (I suppose) he was never yet preached (God which putt in his heart thither to goo send his sprite with him / con forte him and bring his purpose to good effect) one William Roy a man somewhat crafty when he cometh unto new acquaintance and before he be thorow known and namely when all is spent / came unto me and offered his help. As long as he had no money / somewhat I could rule him. but as soon as he had gotten him money / he became like him self ⟨image 3⟩again. Nevertheless I suffered all things fill y• was ended which I could nor do alone without one both to write & to help me to con pare y• texts together. When that was ended I toke my leave and bode him farewell for our two lives / and as men say a day longer. After we were departed he went / and gate him new friends which thing to do he passeth all that ever I yet knew. And there when he had stored him of money he got him to Argentine where he professeth wonderful faculties and maketh boast of no small things. A year after that and now .xij. months before the printing of this work / came one Jerome a brother of Greenwich also / through worms to Argentine / saying that he intended to be Christs disciple another while and to keep (as nigh as God would give him grace) the profession of his baptism / and to get his living with his hands / and to live no longer idly and of the sweet and labour of those captives which they had taught / not to believe in Christ: but in cut shows and russet coats. Which Jerome with all diligence I warned of Roy's boldness and exhorted him to beware of him and to walk quietly and with all patience and long suffering according as we have Christ & his Apostles for an ensample / which thing he also promised me. Nevertheless