To All Christians Troubled and Disquieted, Title page – To the reader
¶ A ſhort Treatiſe, very comfortable for all thoſe Chriſtians that be troubled and diſquieted in theyr conſciences with the ſight of their owne infirmities:
Wherein is ſhevved hovv ſuch may in their owne ſelues finde whereby to aſſure them of their free election, effectuall vocation, and iustification.
Math. 7. verſe 17.
EueryEvery good tree bringeth foorth good fruite, and a corrupt tree bringeth foorth euill fruite.
Math. 4. verſe 18.
A good tree can not bring foorth euill fruite, neither can a corrupt tree bring foorth good fruite.
Printed at London by Ralph Newbery. Anno Domini. 1580.
To the Chriſtian Reader, ſaluation in Chriſt IESVS.
WHen theſe few leaues were writ at the firſt (Chriſtian Reader) it was not my meaning thus by print to hauehave made them common, for they were writte vpō the requeſt of a perticular man, for the comfort and conſolation of his troubled ſoule, but ſince one written coppy hath begot ſo many, and made me hauehave ſo many ſuters for moe, the number of afflicted cōſciences being in theſe dayes ſo many as I know they be, and they that hauehave had the reading heereof already, reporting and confeſsing vntounto me that thereby they hauehave bin much comforted, though I know that it was not nor is not penned ſo exactly, nor yet the matter dealt in ſo ſubſtātially as things in theſe dayes to be publiſhed had neede to be, yet I hauehave ſuffered my ſelfe by the importunitie of the godly that hauehave requeſted euen this at my hands to be ouerread, and ſo to publiſh it I hope for the benefite of all thoſe that ſhall reade it: for this I am ſure of. I hauehave ſo layd downe comforts for the healing of the broken hearted Chriſtian, that withall I hauehave I hope taken all occaſion from the prophane and godleſſe, of taking cauſe to be ſure by any thing heere ſet downe, which I take to bee very neceſſary to be regarded in ſuch preatiſes and diſcourſes: wherefore be the Reader hereof a right and true Chriſtian, or a carnall and counterfeyte Goſpeller, he may in this ſhort and briefe tracte find that which may be profitable for him: if he be of the later ſort, then here ſhal he learne that where true iuſtification in deede is, there is alſo ſanctification, and that therefore he deceyues himſelfe in preſuming of the former, hauing neuer had any aquayntance with the later: and if he be of the firſt ſort, be he weake, or ſtrong in faith, heere ſhall he find both matter to leade him on in his ſtrēgth, and to rayſe him vp in his weakeneſſe, and therefore take it vntounto thee Chriſtian Reader, and learne to make thy profite of it according to thy hearte, and a ſalue of it according to thy ſore. That thou mayeſt thus do, I beſeech the Lord to direct thee in reading of it with his ſpirit, and hauing done I pray thee recompence my good will in commending me vntounto God in thy heartie Prayers agayne. Farewell.
Thine in Christ Ieſus Thomas Sparke Archdeacon.