THE EPISTLE to the Reader.

GEntle Reader, seeing my little
Sermon of Repentance,
some fewe yeares since published,
hath bene so well accepted
of: I haue for thy further
good, published this Dialogue,
being the third fruite
of my labour: wishing to it
the like successe, that God thereby may haue the
glory, & thou who art the reader comfort. I haue
in one part of this Dialogue produced some of the
ancient writers, & some of the wise Heathen also,
to testifie vpon their oath in their own language, &
to beare witnes of the vglines of some vices, which
we in this age make light of: which I wish may not
be offensiue to any. In other parts of this worke, I
do in a manner relinquish them. But in this case I
haue in my weake iudgement, thought them to be
of some good vse, to shew forth thus much; that if
we doo not in time repent, forsake our sinnes, and
seeke after God, both the auncient Christian Fathers
whose eyes sawe not that we see, nor their
eares heard that we heare yea the very Heathen
also shall rise vp in iudgement against vs. Let none
therefore stumble at it. But if any do, let them remember
I am in a Dialogue, not in a Sermon. I
write to all of all sorts: I speake not to some fewe
of one sort. But that which is done heerein, is not
much more then that of the Apostle. As some of
your owne Poets haue said. Act.17. Which is
warrantable. One thing deare Christian, I pray
thee let me beg of thee, to wit, that thou woldest
not reade two or three leaues of this booke, and so
cast it from thee: but that thou wouldest reade it
throughout euen to the end. For I do assure thee, if
there be any thing in it worth the reading, it is bestowed
in the latter part thereof, and most of all towards
the conclusion. Be not descouraged therfore
at the harshnesse of the beginning, but looke for
smoother matter in the middest: and most smooth
in the perclose & wind vp of al. For this Dialogue
hath in it, not the nature of a tragedie, which is begunne
with ioy, and ended with sorrow: but of a
comedie, which is begunne with sorrow, and ended
with ioy. This booke medleth not at all with any
controuersies in the Church, or any thing in the
state Ecclesiasticall, but onely entreth into a controuersie
with Sathan and sinne. It is contriued into
sixe principall heads. First it sheweth mans misery
in nature, with the meanes of recouery. Secondly,
it sharpely inueigheth against the iniquitie of the
time, and common corruptions of the world. Thirdly,
it sheweth the markes of the children of God,
and of the reprobates: together with the apparant
signes of saluation, and damnation. Fourthly, it declareth
how hard a thing it is to enter into life:
and how fewe shall enter. Fiftly, it laieth open the
ignorance of the world, with the obiections of the
same. Last of all, it publisheth and proclaimeth
the sweete promises of the Gospell, with the abundant
mercy of God, to all that repent, beleeue, and
truly turne vnto him. The Authour of all blessing
giue a blessing vnto it. The God of peace which
brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus, the
great shepheard of the sheepe, through the bloud
of the euerlasting couenant, make vs perfect in all
good workes, sanctifie vs throughout, amend all
our imperfections, and keepe vs blamelesse vntill
the day of his most glorious appearing. Amen.
Thine in the Lord.
A.D.