trine; 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 for a reformation in this behold, so will I here con