people an inward worship of soul in spirit and in truth before God but withal I enjoyn outward worship of the body which is but a reasonable service to God that made the body exemplary and significant before men in such habits and gestures as may most conduce by the advice of the whole Church for the private spirit of the prophets in those things ought to be subject to the publick spirit of the Prophets to reverence devotion and edification in knowing humble meek and quiet spirits rightly discerning the innocent nature of such things not prohibited and so indifferent and the Christian liberty allowed to them to use those things indifferent when commanded and to lay them aside when not commanded However let the many Obligations to unity by the true Faith you joyntly professe give you more satisfaction then the occasions of dividing the Ceremonies in which you differ give you offence so that you may not upon so small occasions in such small matters sacrifice to your private passion and perswasion the publick Peace and Prosperity of the Church especially since I never heard of any sober Christian or truly godly Minister who being in other things prudent unblameable and sincere did ever suffer any check of conscience meerly upon the account of having been conformable to and keeping communion with me nor did they ever complain of Ceremonies Liturgy and Episcopacy as any damps to their real graces or to their holy communion with Gods blessed spirit but admired them as the united influence the joynt consent the combined devotion of all good Christians in this Nation who publickly agreed with one mind and in one manner to serve the Lord in a way allowed by the most pious of Princes practised by the best Nobility owned by the wisest Gentry maintained by the most learned Clergy and embraced by the best sort of Commons I allow only such Ceremonies as make religious Duties not more pious but more conspicuous not more sacred but more solemn not more spiritual and holy but more visible imitable and exemplary to quicken my children to allure others to instruct and edifie all 5. Are ye offended with my Canons and Injunctions Is it fit that a few men whom order and Policy hath made inferiour to others as the Rulers and Representatives of the whole society should prefer their own private Opinions and Judgements before the well-advised Results the learned Connsels the pious Endeavours and solemn Sanctions of so many eminent for piety prudence integrity publick influence and just Authority 6. Are my solemn Fasts and Feasts your grievances those solemn remembrances of Gods Mercy to men in Christ celebrated with prayer praises preaching and communicating to Gods glory and all sober Christians improvement according to the known president of the Jews and the general practice of the Christian Church What harm is there if some good men observing a day observe it to the Lord and others not observing a day observe it not to the Lord 7. Do you resent my Endeavours for Unity and uniformity Alas I desire only that men sincerely worship one true God and profess the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ that they may be partakers of the gifts and graces of the blessed Spirit and may have an holy communion with that adorable Trinity and with one another in love and charity as Christians enjoying the noblest life the sweetest society and most heavenly fraternity imitating God emulating Angels Children and expectants of happiness Partakers of grace and daily preparing for eternal Glory that all men who have been called baptized and instructed by lawful Ministers here in the mysteries and duties of the Gospel may make a joynt and publick profession of the Christian Faith and Reformed Religion in the name and as the sense of the whole Nation grounded upon the holy Scripture guided also and administred by that uniforme order due authority and holy Ministry for Worship and Government which according to the mind of Christ the pattern of the Apostles and the practice of all primitive Churches hath been lawfully established by the wisdom and consent of all Estates in this Kingdom for Gods honour the Churches safety the publick peace and the common good of souls 8. Do I not allow you a just liberty to do such things constantly and chearfully which are most proper and advantagious to the nature and excellency of men to think what is true to do what is fit and enjoy what is just in reference to God others and your selves I have taken from you no liberty but that of doing evil you are at liberty to enjoy all the comforts priviledges and Ordinances which Christ hath instituted in an holy order and regular way for private or publick good and to hope for that reward and crown which God the righteous judge hath promised those that persevere in well doing My highest aim is that you may have liberty to exercise a good conscience void of offence towards God and towards man that they may willingly in all things live honestly 9. Are ye displeased with my Members Alas innocent men they pursue after the knowledge of and communion with God in order to a rational religious spiritual gracious perfect and unchangeable life enjoying themselves in the blessed enjoyment of God the enjoyment of whom satisfieth all their desires rewards all their duties requites all their sufferings compleats all their happiness crowns and perfects true Religion They endeavour that on earth which they hope for in heaven viz. a right knowledge and a willing performance which as reasonable they owe for ever to God their Maker Preserver and Redeemer in Christ With this religious frame and temper of which themselves only are conscientious they prepare for a glorious and blessed immortality with a sincerity of heart and uprightness of conversation which hath no other Rule but Gods Word no other End but Gods Glory no other Comfort but the Constancy of this Disposition to their Lives end Innocent men they look for one common Salvation they use one common Sacrament they professe one Faith and Rule of Holiness they have one Gracious Temper the same inward sense of Duty and Devotion they walk in the same order with the Catholick Church over the face of the earth 10. Do you envy me my Patrimony and Maintenance what the Law of God allows me what the Gospel hath provided me what the Piety of Elder times hath bestowed upon me what good Kings Peers and people of their own endowed me with freely honouring the Lord with their substance that they that served the Altar might live by the Altar O why may not my children who attend the Gospel live by the Gospel since they attend a Ministry as venerable in its Mysteries as clear in its Doctrine as glorious in its chief Minister Jesus as painful to it's Ministers and as comfortable to pious and devout souls as the Ministry of the Law Why are you offended that they of my children that are taught should
whole Christian World which either is or would be governed by Bishops as the most Apostolick Primitive and Universal Way Would you have me disown the right succession of the power Ministerial conferred by Episcopal hands unto this day Shall the Jewish Church have the Heads of their Tribes as Bishops and Rulers over their Brethren the Priests and Levites and the Christian Church in imitation of them as in other particulars so in this have their Apostles Evangelists their Pastors and Teachers without reproach and may not I O it is certain that what is once well done in a regular publick way is ever after done as to the permanency of that vertue that is always in a great and good example Shall I lay aside Primitive and right Episcopacy which hath such grounds from Scripture both as to the divine wisdom so ordering his Church among the Jews as also by the example Precept and Direction evident from our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy Apostles in the New Testament who preferred worthy persons for their Piety Zeal and holy Gravity to exercise a Christian authority over Ministers and people for their souls good which might consist with charity and humility for the preservation of the Churches peace and purity in the best and primitive times such grave persons as for their Age were Fathers for their innocency Saints for their industry Labourers for constancy Confessors for zeal Martyrs for charity Brethren for their light Angels and venerable for all Excellencies And I own no other Bishops but such in whom are remarkable the vertues of the most ancient and imitable Bishops the Industry of St. Austin the Courage of St. Ambrose the Devotion of St. Gregory the Learning of Nazianzen the Eloquence of St. Chrysostome the Mildness of St. Cyprian the Love of St. Ignatius the Constancy of St. Polycarp the Nobleness of St. Basil and those come nearest the Apostolical pattern and resemble the most of any Christians or Ministers the Grace and Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ I endeavour that my Bishops may be among Christians the most faithful among Men the most civil among Preachers the most painful among Orators the most perswasive among Governours the most moderate among pious Men the most fervent among Professors the most forward among severe Men the most exact among Sufferers the most patient among Perseverants the most constant the most compleat every way and perfect unto every good work These I take care should be duely chosen should be esteemed with honour and reverenced with love My Rule to them is That they should over-rule with vigilance should rule with joynt counsel neither levelled with younger Preachers and Novices nor exalted too much above the grave and Elder I allow these men an honourable competencie with eminency wherewith they may exercise a large heart and liberal hand which may conciliate a general respect and deserve the common Love. My direction to them is that their vertue and piety may preserve the Authority of their places and this is the order peace and dignity of the Church that they may be the Touchstone of Truth the Loadstone of Love the Standard of Faith the Pattern of Holiness the Pillars of Stability and the Centres of Vnity such as the Erroneous may hate the Factious envy good men may love and bad men may Fear 2. Can ye blame my Doctrine approved by the Reformed and agreeable with the Primitive Church a doctrine according to godliness teaching all men that denying all ungodliness and worldly lust they should live righteously soberly and godly in this present world 3. Do you find fault with my Devotion in the publick worship of God by Confession prayers praises Psalms and other holy Oblations of a Rational and Evangelical service offered up to our God by the joint piety of all my children the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Communi Oratio where nothing is expressed as my mind which I thought not agreeable with the mind of Gods spirit in the Scripture nor do I know any part of it to which a judicious Christian might not in Faith say Amen taking the expressions of it in that pious and benign sense which the Church intended and the words may well bear Indeed the whole composure of my Liturgy is in my judgement so wholesome so holy so compleat so discreet so devout so useful so savoury so well-advised that I find nothing in the eighteen Liturgies composed in the Eastern and Western Church that is excellent but is in this of mine and many things which are less clear or necessary in them are better expressed or wisely omitted here the whole being so ordered as might best inform all peoples understandings stir up their affections and quicken their devotions in a wholesome form of sound words such as Moses David the Prophets and the Lord Jesus left behind them solemnly recorded in the Scriptures So that according to the primitive care I first laid down Scripture grounds in the Creeds and Confessions and then I enlarged and fixed my Liturgies and devotions as near as I could to the majesty solemnity and exactness unanimity and fulness of publick Prayers upon all holy publick occasions so plainly that the devout soul knows well what it should desire of God and so affectionately that it earnestly desires in it what it knoweth God alloweth and so uniformly that it peaceably goeth along with the Congregation with one mind and one heart in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace 4. Is it the Rites and Ceremonies I impose that displease you Alas I find the God of Heaven which we worship in England enjoyning more Ceremonies on his own people and forbidding no holy custom to any Christians in order to advance the decency and order of his service or Christians mutual edification and joint devotion under the Gospel Our blessed Saviour hath by his spirit guiding the pens and practises of the Apostles sufficiently manifested the Power and Liberty given the Church and the Governours of it for the choice and use of such decent customs Rites and Ceremonies not as divine institutions upon the consciences butashumane injunctions upon the practises as agree with godly manners and the truth of the Gospel and may best serve for order decency peace solemnity and mutual edification of Christians agreed upon by publick consent in which every ones vote is personally or vertually included It 's true as the Liturgy so the Ceremonies have something of Rome in them for to deal plainly I did freely and justly assert to my own use and Gods glory whatever upon due tryal I found to have the stamp of Gods truth and grace or the Churches wisdom and charity upon it I would not refuse any good I found amongst them because it was mixed with some evil but trying all things I held fast that which was good being intent upon the great ends of piety devotion and charity It 's true I enjoyn my
to it I am ashamed that my Authority should consecrate their Extravagancies and that what I looked upon as the misery of late times should be allowed in this that I should countenance vain men that run from that Calling wherein they are called and usurp the Office Honour and Authority of that sacred Priesthood and Evangelical Ministry instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ as sent of God the Father a mischief that greatly threatneth the Church and State Faith and good Manners all things Civil as well as Sacred O what wise and honest-hearted Protestant that hath any care of Posterity or prospect for the future finds not a sad dispondency with an holy impatience arising in his soul while he seeth so many weak shoulders such unwashen hands such unprepared feet such rash heads such empty souls publickly intruding themselves upon all holy Duties all sacred Offices all solemn Mysteries all divine Ministrations with equal insolency and insufficiency being for the most part so much the more impudent by how much they are grosly ignorant in whom you cannot discern any either rational or religious orderly or honest expressions in any degree proportionable to what was observable in my most solid Ministers my most acute Schollars and most profound Divines who have been hitherto my support and Ornament Certainly Reverend Fathers you will not so debase and undervalue the Evangelical Offices of Christ as to admit every self flatterer and Obtruder presently to officiate without any due examination or approbation from those with whom that commission and power hath been ever deposited in a regular and visible succession from Christ the great Examplar or Original although duly considering the diversities of gifts from the same Spirit you are not to exclude any modest person though of meaner parts and less improved education if he be of ingenious education of pious affections and an orderly life from a place in Christs Ministry where one may sow another may reap according to the several dispensations and gifts of the same God who worketh all in all SECT 4. The Church of England's resentment of the thirteen hundred forty and two factious Ministers that have been lately ordained YEt I will justifie you O ye my reverend Sons in this that though you were surprized to ordain young men yet you hoped that years might improve them and debauched yet you may hope that Discipline may reform them and unlearned men yet you may hope that time with Gods blessing upon their private industry and studious piety may instruct them but I cannot with patience see your hands laid upon their heads so suddenly for their Ordination who laid their hands lately upon you for your ruine O that mine head were waters that mine eyes were a fountain of Tears to weep for the unhappiness of the daughter of my people that must needs unadvisedly authorize men principled against its Government prejudiced against its Order prepossessed against its Liturgy and privately practising against its peace and happiness In vain doth Authority silence your old adversaries if you consecrate new ones in vain do they suppress the former race of Non conformists if you raise up a new Generation a seed of evil doers children that are corrupters Shall we perpetuate our miseries and keep up our unhappiness Must a sad race of Dissenters run paralel with the Orthodox succession to the end of the world whereby I must languish and die my reformed Religion must decay my piety and charity must be weakned and my Authority and discipline languish What eye will pity me when I have raised those men that shall ruine me when I have commissioned those men that shall oppose me and given them an opportunity for popular applause who shall use it against me without my leave no Ordination no Ordination no pretence to preach no preaching no publick opportunity to seduce whole multitudes against Doctrine and Discipline against Order and Government My safety is now in mine own hands If I take care whom I prefer I need not care whom I may fear If I carefully chuse my Ministers I need not offensively suspend them If I took care whom I ordained I might without any noise put an end to all my trouble Mortality would silence those Ministers that now disturb my peace and my care may prevent any more How ominously do some men discourse how popularly do they endeavour to preach what dangerous intimations do they make how untowardly do they confirm how auckwardly do they use my Ceremonies and read my Liturgy when I consider the general approbation and submission to my Government and Discipline before the Wars by all the Clergy Layty of these Kingdoms and withal remember how contrary to true Learning and honest Integrity as if they understood not what they did or that they did conform contrary to their conscience contrary to their former oaths and practises against their obedience to the Laws in being before the points in controversie had any free and impartial debate these men cryed down the established Government and Religion and approved and encouraged the violent and most illegal Extravagancies tending to the utter ruine of Religion and Government Indeed I must confesse that most of all sides who have thought or done amisse have done so not out of malice or wilfulness but out of mis-information or mis apprehension of things and therefore I charitably think none will be more faithful then those persons who upon mature deliberation being made sensible of their errours do feel in their hearts most vehement motives of repentance and earnest desires to make some reparations for former defects Yet such sincere Converts are they who are not so much frighted with the sudden miscarriages as convinced of the continued errour of their ways who are rather perswaded by the truth and reason I always urged then awed by the authority and power I now enjoy and so are not blindly carried on by that Providence that advanceth me now as it did and may again overturn me but are rationally wrought upon by the pregnant evidence of the Word the clear practice of the Catholick Church the best Comment upon that Word and the irresistable strength of Reason for Order and obedience upon which I was alwayes Established which they have not rashly complyed with untill they had examined all Allegations impartially surveyed the merit of the Cause leasurely waited upon God by prayer humbly searched the will of God and the constant practise of good men diligently and sincerely conversed with good and knowing men profitably and satisfactorily and denyed themselves in all worldly respects most Christianly The Lapsed were not formerly admitted to the communion of Christians much less to the honour of Ministers without that discreet delay wherein they might have time to satisfie themselves in the reason and others in the sincerity of their repentance and conversion With that caution was the Jewish Proselyte received to the synagogue with what care ought a Christian be brought to the
wayes please God as you hope God will bless your wayes If not for your own yet for other mens souls sake take heed to your selves speak from your hearts to their hearts be not intangled by sin that you may be able to speak against sin Oh do as you preach that the world may see you mean as you preach Oh reverend Fathers enjoyn my wholesome Canons severelie visit mens lives and carriges exactly oversee the flocks over which the holy Ghost have made you overseers carefullie Pittie Religion that is a dying pittie me that am decaying pittie your selves that are again falling Reform my Clergy and you are safe neglect them and you perish keep up the â—â—â—e and practise of Religion and that will keep you if the power of Religion be lost the profession of it will your Calling will fail your Order will fail and God knows what will be the end thereof I fear nothing but sin I want nothing but true grace eminent in all my Ministers whereby they may please God adorn the Gospel convince Gainsayers and reform the world Have you not enjoined That no Ecclesiastical persons shall at any time other then for their honest necessities resort to any Taverns or Ale-houses neither shall they Bord or Lodge in any such place Furthermore they shall not give themselves to any base or servile labour or to Drinking or Riotting spending their time idly by day or night playing at Dice Cards or Tables or any other unlawful Game but at all times convenient they shall hear or read somewhat of the holy Scriptures or shall occupy themselves with some other honest Study or exercise alwayes doing the things which shall appertain to honesty and endeavouring to profit the Church of God having alwayes in mind that they ought to excel all others in purity of life and should be examples of the people to live well and Christianly under pain of Ecclesiastical censures to be inflicted with severity according to the qualities of their offences CHAP. IV. The Church of England's Complaint against Vnconscionable Simony IN your other courses O ye my Sons fear of Authoritie may deter you Conscience may check you strict Laws may restrain you a severe over-sight may reform you in this strange in this sad miscarriage of Symony I have made Laws yet you transgresse them I have enacted 31 of Q. E. 6. That if any persons bodies Politick or Corporate shall or do at any time for any sum of money reward gift profit or benefit directlie or indirectlie or for or by reason of any Promise Grant Bond Covenant or other assurance of or for any sum of monie reward gift profit or benefit whatsoever directlie or indirectlie present or collate any person to any Benefice with cure of souls Dignitie Prebend or Living Ecclesiastical or give or bestow the same for or in respect of any such corrupt cause or consideration that then every such Presentation Collation Gift c. should be utterly void and of none effect in Law and that any person accepting of any Ecclesiastical promotion upon such sordid accounts shall be judged a disabled person in Law to have or enjoy any Benefice Dignity Prebend or Living Ecclesiastical Yet still you truck for Livings you market for Benefices still you buy and sell in the Temple this abomination is still forbidden and yet still allowed my Cannons tie from it by an Oath yet you venture You swear thus I N. N. do swear that I have made no Simonical payment contract or promise directly or indirectly by my self or by any other to my knowledge or with my consent to any person or persons whatsoever for or concerning the procuring and obtaining of this Ecclesiastical Dignity place preferment Office or Living nor will at any time hereafter perform or satisfie any such kind of payment contract or promise made by any other without my knowledge or consent So help me God through Jesus Christ Yet you do it Oh you men of God can you forswear this abominable sin and yet commit it Will you publickly disown it before God and the Church and yet own it between your selves and your Patrons Shall not God search out this These things you do and God keeps silence you think he is altogether such a one as your selves Ah he will reprove you he will set your sins in order before you Oh consider this ye that in this forget God! Oh be sure your sins shall find you out Shall a man take the name of God in vain and be guiltless Shall a man break his solemn Oath and be delivered Shall he escape that doth such things Shall he prosper How will you look that God in the face in Prayer whom you have blasphemed in your Oath How can you behold that Congregation that knows you are forsworn What Preach the Word of God and regard not the Oath of God! What gain a Parsonage and loose thy soul to attain to a Preferment shall you hazard more then the whole world 1. Have you never read that in Acts 8. 18 19 20 21 22 23. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostles hands the holy Ghost was given he offered them MONEY saying Give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the holy Ghost But Peter said unto him Thy money perish with thee because that thou hast thought that the gift of God may he purchased with money Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity You will say Object You buy not any gift of grace as Simon would have done but some encouragement to exercise your gifts and your graces Sol. Alas is it not the gift of God you buy are Tythes of God or are they not if they are not why do you challenge them If they are of God why do ye buy them of men Shall a man rob God yet ye have robbed me even this whole Nation They say wherein have we robbed God in Tyths and Offerings The Lay-patron takes from God and you take from him he steals from God you receive from him Is it his why do you say Tythe belong only to Ministers Is it the Ministers why do you pay him for it why do you justifie his encroachment betray Gods right wrong me and undoe your selves Who goeth to warfare at his own charge You do it Doe ye not know that they who minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and that so the Lord hath ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel Object I deal not with the Patron himself you will say Sol. Oh be not deceived God is not mocked what you do by others you do your selves Simon himself went not to God
whose the holy Ghost was but to Peter one of the Stewards of the manifold gifts of God. Object I am civil to the Steward Answ How read you 2 King 5. 20. c. Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God said Behold my Master hath spared Naaman the Syrian in not receiving at his hands that which he brought but as the Lord liveth I will run after him and take somewhat of him So Gehazi followed after him and when Naaman saw him running after him he lighted down from the Chariot to meet him and said Is all well and he said all is well my master hath sent me saying Behold even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the Sons of the Prophets give them I pray thee a talent of silver and two changes of garments And Naaman said Be content take two talents and he urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of Garments and laid them upon two of his servants and they bare them before him And when he came to the tower he took them from their hand and bestowed them in the house and he let the men go and they departed But he went in and stood before his Master and Elisha said unto him Whence comest thou Gehazi And he said Thy servant went no whither And he said unto him Went not my heart with thee when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee is it a time to receive money and to receive garments and Olive-yards and vineyards and Sheep and Oxen and men-servants and maid-servants the Leprosie therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy seed for ever And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow Object Yes let Gehazi look to that Sol. Is it a sin in him to receive a gift and is it not a sin in you to give it Object I only laid a wager bought a horse married my Patrons daughter or gave bond to refigne Sol. Fie fie Are you called to be Ministers Do your duty you may look for your due and make no terms with men for what God freely gives you Will you add a cheat to your Sacriledge rob God and put a trick upon the Law is this is this to obey for conscience sake Object I only bought an Advowson Sol. If you cannot buy a living when it is void how can you buy it over another mans head when it is not What do you aim at in the Advowson Do you aim at the good of souls those souls are provided for already Do you aim at the benefit of the place O unworthy man What embrace the present world is the Tythe a Ministers what need you buy it aforehand Is it the peoples why do you take it at all 2. And is the Church grown so contemptible that it may be bought and sold for money Is Preferment rather a prize for the Richest then a reward for the Worthiest who will spend their dayes in serious studie and their life in wearisome retirement and their estates in a chargeable education and at last must either buy their preferment or live neglected and die unobserved what ingenious man can endure tedious allowance unsupportable fees intollerable baffles and not retire to his Closet and there give himself to dispondency and dispair cursing the day wherein he was born and the years wherein he was bred up saying as Elijah secretly to his soul Lord it is enough take away my life since I have out-lived the glory of the Church the honour of my Calling the encouragements of Parts and Worth I cannot live usefully O that I might die comfortably 3. Have I no true Ministers but a Generation of Demasses that embrace the present world Have I no Ministers called of God that will live upon God none that can trust God with their maintenance Will you all crouch for the Priests office only that you may eat a Morsel of bread will you all degrade your selves and buy and sell your sacred persons and employments Justly would the Catholick Church have degraded you Can. ap 10. Conc. Chalc. 2. Conc. Aurias 14. And will you go on making merchandize of the Word and will you go on in the Ministry out of filthie lucre and not out of a ready mind Thus thus are my worthy Sons laid aside the unworthy are promoted my people perish my Religion decaies my enemies break in upon me and I have only here and there one to stand by me The weak the scandalous that came in by Simonie betray me Oh sacred Majesty O ye the honourable Nobility O ye worthy Gentlemen let it be your honour that you can dispose of Livings to the glory of God the honour of the Church and your own comfort let it be your shame that you make any advantage of your Livings to the dishonour of God the danger of the Church and the ruine of souls O ye ingenious Ministers content your selves rather that you deserve Preferment then endeavour to enjoy them in this vile unworthy and dangerous way never stoop to these low terms be rather buried in an honest privacie then appear with a publick infamy Non si nunc olim sic erit Oh sacred and august Authority of King and Parliament own your former Laws vindicate your Authority meet meet this threatning mischief set a watch upon Patrons and their Stewards frown upon the reaching Clergy find out the Panders of Symonie that lie about town and set up as it were an Office for abomination Take heed O ye Patrons how you lay the Childs portion in a Parsonage and devour that which is holie and after make an enquirie forcing the hopeful Youth to begin with Perjury and commence with Sacriledge Oh! words fail me I must leave with you the excellent Jewel's words to Queen Elizabeth 1561. The Livings of such as are in the Ministry are not in their hands to whom they are due they seldom pass now adayes from the Patron if he be no better then a Gentleman but either for the Lease or present money Such Merchants are broken into the Church of God a great deal more intolerable then were they whom Christ whipt out of the Temple Thus they who should be careful for Gods Church that should be Patrons to provide for the consciences of the people and to place among them a learned Minister who might be able to preach the Word to them in season and out of season and to fulfill his Ministry seek their own and not that which is Iesus Christs they serve not Iesus Christ but their belly and this is done not in one County in one place but throughout all England Oh mercifull God whither will this grow at the last If the misery which this Plague worketh would reach but to one Age it were intolerable it will be a Plague to Posterity it will be the decay and desolation of Gods Church Young men see this and they are weary and