Although these blottes in the common prayer be such, as may easily enough appeare vnto any, which is not wedded to a preiudicate opinion, and that there is no great difficultie in this matter,(*) 1.1 yet I knowe that thys treatise of prayer will be subiect to many reprehensions, and that there will not be wanting some probable colours also whereby these things may be defended, if men will set themselues to striue and to contende: yet for the desyre that I haue that these things should be amended) and for the instruction of the symple, which are studious of the truth, I haue beene bolde to vtter that whiche I thinke, not doubting also but that the lyght of the truth shall be able to scatter all those mystes of reasons, which shall go about to darken the clearnesse thereof.
Surely if the blottes be so manifest as you woulde séeme to make them, it is not wisely done of you so slenderly to passe them ouer.
You do well to thinke that this treatise of yours touching prayer will be subiect to* 1.2 many reprehensions: and why shoulde it not? What is there in it worthie of com∣mendation? What learning? what reason? what truth? what godlinesse? ex∣cept vaine wordes be learning: fancies reason: lyes truth: contempt of good lawes and orders, with vnséemely iestes, bée godlynesse: for what is there else in thys treatise? Truely if you had not settled your selfe to striue and to contende, and had not béene desyrous to peruert the simple, rather than to instruct them, you would neuer vpon so weake a ground & with so féeble reasons, or rather vaine fansyes haue gone about to depraue so worthie a Booke: In the whiche as I haue sayde before, you are not able to shewe any thing, especially touching the order, maner, and mat∣ter of prayer, that is not consonant to the worde of God. Neyther haue you for all that is spoken against the forme of prayer, alledged one text of Scripture, or one sen∣tence of any auncient or late wryter: and doe you thinke that men will beléeue you vpon your bare wordes, agaynst so many Martyrs and learned men, as haue al∣lowed and doe allowe that booke? Your credite is not so greate as you thinke it is: and that which you haue, when you are accordingly detected, will vtterly vanishe and fade away.