he church were also hearers and examiners of their
doctrine; and, being in process of time found meet workmen for the Lord's
harvest, they were forthwith sent abroad (after imposition of hands and
prayer generally made for their good proceeding) to some place or other
then destitute of her pastor, and other taken from the school also placed
in their rooms. What number of such clerks belonged now and then to some
one see, the Chronology following shall easily declare; and, in like sort,
what officers, widows, and other persons were daily maintained in those
seasons by the offerings and oblations of the faithful it is incredible to
be reported, if we compare the same with the decays and oblations seen and
practised at this present. But what is that in all the world which avarice
and negligence will not corrupt and impair? And, as this is a pattern of
the estate of the cathedral churches in those times, so I wish that the
like order of government might once again be restored unto the same, which
may be done with ease, sith the schools are already builded in every
diocese, the universities, places of their preferment unto further
knowledge, and the cathedral churches great enough to receive so many as
shall come from thence to be instructed unto doctrine. But one hindrance
of this is already and more and more to be looked for (beside the plucking
and snatching commonly seen from such houses and the church), and that is,
the general contempt of the ministry, and small consideration of their
former pains taken, whereby less and less hope of competent maintenance by
preaching the word is likely to ensue. Wherefore the greatest part of the
more excellent wits choose rather to employ their studies unto physic and
the laws, utterly giving over the study of the Scriptures, for fear lest
they should in time not get their bread by the same. By this means also
the stalls in their choirs would be better filled, which now (for the most
part) are empty, and prebends should be prebends indeed, there to live
till they were preferred to some ecclesiastical function, and then other
men chosen to succeed them in their rooms, whereas now prebends are but
superfluous additiments unto former excesses, and perpetual commodities
unto the owners, which before time were but temporal (as I have said
before). But as I have good leisure to wish for these things, so it shall
be a longer time before it will be brought to pass. Nevertheless, as I
will pray