142 THE LIFE OF 



CHAP, breach of the Sabbath, and that lie used to play at bowls 

 _ on those days. And that he was a swearer, because he used 

 to say sometimes, By my faith. As to these two last im 

 putations, the Bishop thus either justified or excused him 

 self; That he never withdrew himself from service or sermon 

 on the Lord s days. That Christ, the best expositor of the 

 Sabbath, said, that the Sabbath was made for man, and 

 not man for the Sabbath. That man might have his meat 

 dressed for his health upon the Sabbath ; and why might 

 he not have some convenient exercise of his body for the 

 health thereof on that day ? Indeed it was the general cus 

 tom in those days, both at Geneva, and in all other places 

 where Protestants inhabited, after the service of the Lord s 

 day was over, to refresh themselves with bowling, walking 

 abroad, or other innocent recreations. And the Bishop fol 

 lowed that which in his travels abroad he had seen ordina 

 rily practised among them. As for his using the word, By 

 his faith, sometimes in his asseverations, the Bishop pleaded, 

 that if it were an oath, he would amend it ; but he was ap 

 prehensive of no more in that phrase of speech, By my faith, 

 than In very truth, Bona Jide, Assuredly, or as Amen im- 

 porteth. 



Beside the book of Martin Marprelate, wherein most of 

 these calumnies are cast upon him, there was another book 

 came forth in these times, written with as much spite against 

 the Bishops, and Aylmer among the rest, entitled, A Dia 

 logue concerning the Tyrannical Dealings of the Lord Bi 

 shops. Where the author spake of his making the porter 

 of his gate Minister of Paddington, being blind, when he 

 could do him no further service. But that was known to 

 be false, that honest man losing his sight divers years after. 

 And in another place, that this Bishop when he was at best 

 was but a corrupt man : and that the best thing in his book 

 [of the Harborough of Faithful Subjects] savoured but of 

 earth, and many things handled in it very immodestly and 

 unchristianly. 



And, that I may not conceal any thing that his slander 

 ous enemies belched out against him, the very mention 



