The triall of truth wherein are discouered three greate enemies vnto mankinde, as pride, priuate grudge, and priuate gaine, ...

To the Christian Reader.

REuerend Reader, after it had pleased God to touch me diuers waies, to what intent I know not (to re∣forme I hope) I cōmitted me vnto the same our e∣ternal God, who pronoū∣ceth himselfe to bee the way, the truth, & the life, & vnder his protection and fauourable assistance, I determined as tyme would giue me leaue to proceed & try by my trauel & ob¦seruance a straighter course of life, & for my better proceeding therin for mine own instru∣ctiōs, I beganne to cōpare & make difference betwixt the spirit of truth & the spirit of er∣rour, & hauing collected sundry notes to the intent aforesaid, as I passed by & iudged thē ought worth, I set thē down to helpe memory with intētiō to haue brought thē into fourme to the absoluing of the matter which I had in hand. Whervpō a friend of myne viziting one at my chamber, and finding me so solitary exercised and perusing my notes conceaued so good liking of myne indeuour & the discourse

therof, as hee did not onely intreat me to per∣seuer therin, but afterwards at sundry times very earnestly required me to put the same in print: insomuch as after my often denial has importunacy was such, that vnlesse I coulde haue bene content to hazard his frieudship & beare the greate reproche of ingratitude, I might not auoid him, and so oppressed yelded & graunted. Whervnto I did the rather in∣cline, considering myne imminent danger sur∣prised with deadly sicknesse, ioyned with dispo∣sitiōto do some thing plausible to the good. In which my meaning by deferring thereof I might haue beene preuented, seing the lyfe of man is so vncertaine, & thus by that neces∣sity ioyned with good wil like the poore farmer who plucketh the frute before it bee seasona∣ble or ripe, because he wold bee saide to haue presented of the first frute of the yōg sapling, I was forced to publish this myne abortiue yō∣gling ful of faults & blemishes, in parte wher∣of as I cannot excuse my selfe, so muste I needes impute some fault too the Printer notwithstanding howsoeuer it fal out, the gi∣uers mind, and not the thing is that which is presented: which construction of this my sim∣ple labour, if I shal receaue at your friendly hāds in this work, that might haue required

a workman of greatest skil to haue treated, I shal think my self happy: & ymagining I haue already so done, I wil vse no further intreaty heerin, then I thinke standeth with good manners, which consisteth in fewest woordes vttered with best meaning, the frute hereof shal be that al in general may receaue the vse of that which I had written for myne owne obseruance and priuate instruction, wherby e∣uery one may be moued to the consider atiō of their faultes to the dismasquing of theyr yll colloured actions, and bee appointed to dewe regarde of the heanenly mansion prepared vnto the rightuouse for their euerlasting cō∣fort. In which respect I called this little booke the Tryal of Trueth, leauing the whole con∣tents therof to the worlde, and the censure to the good. Beseeching the Almighty that it may please him in his mercy to giue vnto eue∣ry one that professe his name, an vnderstan∣ding hart, to the attainment of a true iudge∣ment: As that after this our pilgrimage and this life ended, we may together be made par∣takers of the life eternal.

Edw. Knight.