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The author to the reader.
I Am humbly to craue at thy hand (gentill reader) that thou wouldest vouch∣safe dyligently and carefully to compare M. Doctors answer / and my reply / both that thou mayst the better vnderstand the truth of the cause / and that the vntempered speches (of hym especially that whyppeth other so sharply for them) which I haue in a maner altogether passed by / and hys lose conclusions / which I haue (to auoyde tedyousnes) not so fully pursued may the better appeare. Which thing as I craue to be done through the whole booke / so chefely / I de∣sire it may be done in the beginning / where the reader shall not be able so well to vnderstand what is sayde of me / vnlesse he haue M. D. booke before hym. The cause of which diuersitie / rose of that / that I first purposed to set downe his answer before my reply / as he dyd the admonition before hys answer. But after∣ward considering that (hys booke being already in the handes of men) it would be double charges to bye it agayne: and especially weighing with my selfe / that through the slownes of the prynt / for want of helpe / the reply by that meanes should come forth later / then was conuenient (for although he myght commody∣ously bryng in the admonition / being short / yet the same coulde not be done in his booke / swellyng in that sort which it doth.) I say / these thinges consydered / I changed my mynde / and haue therfore set downe the causes / which moued me so to doe / because I know / that those (if any be) which haue determyned to conty∣nue theyr foreiudged opynions agaynst the cause / whatsoeuer be alledged / wyll hereupon take occasion to surmyse / that I haue left out hys answere / to the end / that it myght the lesse appeare / wherein I haue passed ouer any weyght of hys reasons: where as / had it not bene for these causes which I haue before aledged / my earnest desire was / to haue set hys answere before my reply: whereof I call the Lord to wytnesse / whom I know to be a sharpe iudge agaynst those / which shall abuse hys holy name to any vntruth.