A c TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD, AND MYMOSTHONOR ED Lord, G Eo R a E, Lord Archbiiliop of Canterbury, Primate of all England and Merropoliraine, oneof hisMaje!liesmofr Honorable Privy Councell. MosT REVEII.~CND FATHEII., 4~i noltf!i /Joneml Lord, T was my dcfire and hopt>, to fpend the refidue ofmy Time :md thoughts in fwe~t and facred Contemplation.Satan envying me this happindfe,interrupts me by the malice ofan importunateAdverfary. Twelve yeares agoe I wrote a little Apologeticall Letter for the Mariage ofperfons Ecclefiall:icall; and now thus late , when I had almoll: forgot that I had written it , a moody D Malfe-priell: drops out a tedious and virulent Refutation ; thorow my fides ll:riking at the moll: Honorable and flourifhing Clergie ofthe whole Chrill:ian world , laboring not fo much for my difgrace (what would that availc him?) as the difhonor and fcorne ofour holy Profeffion, in the eyes ofour peopl<;. I could contemn it in filence; ifthe Qyarrell were ondy mine; Nowmy wrong cannot be difiingui01ed from thoufands: God and hisChurchare engaged in this caufe,which in my foile could not but full:aine lolfe; neither m~ y I be now filent with E fafety , without mifconll:ruchon. Let this hand and tongue bee no longer mine, then they may ferve my Mafier in Heavcn,andhi;; Spou{e on Earth. That which I wrote in fome three houres,he hath anfweredl in thce.e quaternions ofyearcs;and what I wrote in three leaves, bee bath anfwered in no fewer Pages then 38o.Should Ifollow him in this' proportion, he might after tome Centuriesofyeeres expetl: an anfwer in Toftatw-hydeJ; whofe firll: word !boulp be, 0!}1 legit h.ec? Or ifmy patience would delay my reply to.the jufi pace>o(his anfwer, this Volumeofhiswould perhaps be vanifhcd into GrocersChops for wa!l:d Paper in tbJ~ri1 piperifve cxcullo.r; and woUld no more need anllvcr the!) noW
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