is case cannot lose your religion
nor disturb your government, which otherwise it would most certainly do;
and the universities with their emoluments, as also the benefices of
the whole nation, are to be improved by such augmentations as may make
a very decent and comfortable subsistence for the ministry, which is
neither to be allowed synods nor assemblies, except upon the occasion
shown in the universities, when they are consulted by the Council
of State, and suffered to meddle with affairs of religion, nor to be
capable of any other public preferment whatsoever; by which means the
interest of the learned can never come to corrupt your religion, nor
disturb your government, which otherwise it would most certainly do.
Venice, though she does not see, or cannot help the corruption of her
religion, is yet so circumspect to avoid disturbance of her government
in this kind, that her Council proceeds not to election of magistrates
till it be proclaimed fora papalini, by which words such as have
consanguinity with red hats, or relation to the Court of Rome, are
warned to withdraw.

"If a minister in Holland meddles with matter of state, the magistrate
sends him a pair of shoes; whereupon, if he does not go, he is driven
away from his charge. I wonder why ministers, of all men, should be
perpetually tampering with government; first because they, as well as
others, have it in express charge to submit themselves to the ordinances
of men; and secondly because these ordinances of men must go upon such
political principles as they of all others, by anything that can be
found in their writings or actions, least understand: whence you have
the suffrage of all nations to this sense, that an ounce of wisdom is
worth a pound of clergy. Your greatest clerks are not your wisest men:
and when some foul absurdity in state is committed, it is common
with the French, and even the Italians, to call it 'pas de clerc,'
or 'governo de prete.' They may bear with men that will be preaching
without study, while they will be governing without prudence. My lords,
if you know not how to rule your clergy, you will most certainly, like
a man that cannot rule his wife, have neither quiet at home nor honor
abroad. Their honest vocation is to teach your children at the schools
and the universities, and the people in the parishes, and yours is
concerned to see that they do not play the shrews, of which parts
does consist the education of your commonwealth,