\ A Whether a uucftory, oroncofthcir Legends, 1 enquire not: lam furc, that fen· tencc did not fo much difcomcnt them, as it joycd me. Let me tell you yet,<re 1 take oil'my pen twowonders more, which Haw inthat wonder ofCities, Antrrurp;oet,a folemne Matfe in a1hambles,and that on Godsday;while thehoufe was full ofmeat, ofburchers ofbuyers; fome kneeling, others bargaining, moft talking, all bufic. le was ftrang~ tofee one houfe fa~d to god, and the belly\ and how thole two Cervices agreed: The Pricft did cat lle1h, the burchers fold fle1h, in one roofc, at one inftam. Thebutcher killed and fold it by peeccs; the Prieft did f.1crifice, and orally dcvoure itwhole: whether :Vas themore butcher~ The like we might have fecnc at Malines, The other an Engli(h-man,lo madly devoute, that he had wilfully mm'd up himfelfe as an ...A,;"hmt; the worft ofall prifoners. There fJte he pem up, for his further B merit,halfc hungcr-ftarved fonhe charirie ofthe citizens. lt was worth fccing, how manly he could bite in his fecret want,.and dilfemble his over-late repentance, I cannot commendhismonification, if hewi1h to be in heaven~yea in purgatory,to be deli•ered from thence: I durft not piety him ; bccaufe his ducance was willing, and (as hehoped) mcrirorious: but, fuch incouragemeats as he had from me, fuch thanke 1ball he have from God 1 who in !lead of an E•ge, which he looks for, 1hall angerly challenge him, with Wh• rtquirtdthis? I leave him now, in his owne fetters; you, to your wonhy and honourabk employments. c Pardonme this length. Loqu•Gitieis rhenaturall fault of TrA'IJtUtrs: while I profit any, I may well be forgiven, ToSir D A v 1 o M u R s. A v. EP I s T. V r. C•narning thl tMirMles •four timu. I Ndeed the world abounds with miracles. Thcfc whilt the fill the mouthes of many fway the faith offome, and make all men wonder. Our nature isgreedyof new<S; which it ,~m rather faine then want. Certainly, <re long,miraclcs will be no wonders, for their frcqucnce. I had thought, our age had had too many ~ray haircs, and with time experience, and with experience craft, to have dcfcried a Jug. gler : but now I fee by the limplicitic, it d<elines to it\ fecond childhood. The rwo D Lip!ian Ladies, the charmes of Blsntfl•nes boy, and Garnets ftraw,what a noile have they made! I onely wonder how F••x and Cattshy efcaped the honour ofSaints, and priviledgeofmiracles. Herein you askemy fen tencc; more feafonably then you hoped : Fori meant to have wrote a juft volume of this fubjcct, and furnifht my fdfe accordingly in that Region of wonders; but that I feared to furcharge-tlte nice ftomachof our time,with two much.Ncith~r would my_ lengthhave ought availed you; whofe thoughts arc fo taken upwnh fohtgh and femceable cares, that they can give no lcifurc to an over-long difcourfe. May it pleafc you ther<fore to receive in 1hort, what I have ddihcmely refolvcd in my felfe,and think lean make good to others. I have noted,foure ranks of commonly-named mimcles : from which,ifyou make a jull fubduaion,how fewofour wonders 1hall remainc either tobeler f" or admiration ~The lirft meerly reported,nor fcen to be done; the next fceming to be done, bur E counterfeited; the third, truly done, butnot true miracles; the laft,truly miraculous, but by Satan. The firft ofthefe arc bred oflies, and nouri1hed by credulity: The m0uth ofLme isfull offuch blafts. Forthefe,ifl lifted a while tQrake in the Legt»ds and book of Conformities, an ingenuous Papift could norbut blul11,an indifferent Rea. der could nor bur lay his hand on his fplccn, and wonder as much that any man could be lo impudent to broach fuch reports, or any fo !imple tobcl<eve them; as the ere. dulous multitude wonders that any1hould be fo powerfull to effeCl them. But I fceke neither their 1hame, nor others lau~htcr. I dare fay, not the T •lmrt!,not the A/cor•n, bath more impoffible tales, more ndiculous lies. Yea·; ro this head, c A11114 himfelfe (a famous Papifr) dares referre many ofthofe ancient miracles reported and(by all like· lihood) beleeved of lltd• and Grtt"J· The next arc bred of fraud and cozenage, nouri1hed 159 Mcchlini::i . OncG,.dwin • KCRtiflHnan,
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