ting hath bin employ'd about a frothy, immeritous and undeserving discours. Who could have beleevd so much insolence durst vent it self from out the hide of a varlet, as thus to censure that which men of mature judgement have applauded to bee writ with good reason. But this contents him not, hee falls now to rave in his barbarous abusivenes; and why? a reason befitting such an Artificer, because he saith the Book is contrary to all human lerning; When as the World knows that all, both human and divine lerning, till the Canon Law, allow'd divorce by consent, and for many causes without consent. Next, he dooms it, as contrary to Truth; when as it hath bin disputable among lerned men, ever since it was prohibited: and is by Peter Martyr thought an opinion not impious, but hard to bee refuted; and by Erasmus deem'd a Doctrin so charitable and pious, as, if it cannot bee us'd, were to be wisht it could; but is by Martin Bucer, a Man of dearest and most religious memory in the Church, taught and maintain'd to bee either most lawfully us'd, or most lawfully permitted. And for this, for I affirm no more then Bucer, what censure doe you think, Readers, he hath condemn'd the Book to? To a death no less infamous then to be burnt by the hangman. Mr. Licencer, for I deal not now with this caitif, never worth my earnest, & now not seasonable for my jest, you are reputed a man discreet anough, religious anough, honest anough, that is, to an ordinary competence in all these. But now your turn is, to hear what your own hand hath earn'd ye, that when you suffer'd this nameles hangman to cast into public such a despightfull contumely upon a name and person deserving of the Church and State equally to your self, and one who hath don more to the present advancement of your own Tribe, then you or many of them have don for themselvs; you forgot to bee either honest, Religious, or discreet. What ever the State might doe concerning it, suppos'd a matter to expect evill from, I should not doubt to meet among them with wise, and honourable, and knowing men. But as to this brute Libel, so much the more impudent and lawless for the abus'd autority which it bears, I say again, that I abominat the censure of Rascalls and their Licencers.
With difficulty I return to what remains of this ignoble task, for the disdain I have to change a period more with the filth and venom of this gourmand, swell'd into a confuter. Yet, for the satisfaction of others, I endure all this.
