The Saints feast is kept vpon the dedication day, by euery housholder
of the parish, within his owne dores, each entertayning such forrayne
acquaintance, as will not fayle when their like turne cometh about,
to requite him with the like kindnes.
Of late times, many Ministers haue by their ernest inuectiues,
both condemned these Saints feasts as superstitious, and suppressed
the Church-ales, as licencious: concerning which, let it breed none
offence, for me to report a conference that I had not long since,
with a neere friend, who (as I conceiue) looked hereinto with an
indifferent and vnpreiudicating eye. I do reuerence (sayd he) the
calling and iudgement of the Ministers, especially when most of them
concurre in one opinion, and that the matter controuersed, holdeth
some affinity with their profession. Howbeit, I doubt, least in
their exclayming or declayming against Church-ales and Saints feasts,
their ringleaders did onely regard the rinde, and not perce into
the pith, and that the rest were chiefly swayed by their example:
euen as the vulgar, rather stouped to the wayght of their authoritie,
then became perswaded by the force of their reasons.
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