t doth suffice: And if it be of vrgent necessite
to confes ony thinge openly / yet that the confession sufficith
which is made amonge the brithern which are well known and
companions in Religion: Neither that the confession amonge the
aduersaires is straitly required / which shall put them in
daunger of lyfe. And therfore thou shalt finde sum men of
exercise which can conningly dispute of papisticall ceremonies
and make meruailus interpretacions of theim / laboring by all
meanes to proue that the godly by the partaking of them neither
are defiled / nor yet that the religion of the gospell is denied.
Thus wittye and subtill doth that trembling feare / and gret
desire of this world make them. Truly when the tyme serued that
they might lyue without daunger in rest and quiet at ease / they
then wold neuer haue thought / no not so mutch as dreamed ony of
this matier / Yea of theis thinges they wold haue ben loth but
euen to haue spoken / as thinges playne contrary to simplicitie /
and true religion. But now when the lord hath sent amonge them
the fire of persequution or rather of probation / and they do se
that either they must flye out of their countrie / or that they
must put ther lyfe in extreme ieoperdie / and yet haue no will
to leaue either ease or their riches / or to committ themselues
to daungers / they turn themselues into all formes / and craftyly
creping backe by clokinge and dissemblinge they do seeke wayes /
by which they may slypp awaie out of the conflict. Which when it
happenith as they wold haue it / then without all doubt / ther
lyues / their substaunce / and goode estimacion do vtterly
perishe. For this cause I thincke that I can not entreate a more
profitable mater and more meete and necessarie for this our
world /

[[The argument and matter.]]

then of the true confessing of Christe and the truithe of the
gospell / and of the foule denyinge of the same. This matier
truly is copius / and most ample / wherthrough I doubt nothing at
all but sum of you be all redy made afraide with the largenes of
it / which do consider the end of the sermon by the begynning /
and of the mater it self: But I will at this present touche but
certayn pointes of this matier hauing consideracion of the tyme /
and especially of you / reuerend fathers and beloued Brethern in
Christ. The lord gyue me grace bomitting thinges not necessarie /
to prosequute only all thos thinges which be necessarie. Thos
shameles men / which af