C AP. 3. ,fl evelation of the Apocalypfe. where a man muft needs be twice fomuch the more blindfold. Luke- Call tominde therefore withme thy Taft Conflitutions and Canons, warm, which are wont tobe wife4t,difcuffed in a Synod at London, and let iouLa- Anno 1597,And fee I pray theewhata kinde ofMedicine thou odice,. makeft for a lickChurch? Firit thou decreeft,thatfit menJhould be ad- mitted to holy Orders , and to Church livings andBenefices,' they call them. The very Title tritely ofthis Canon did refrefh many mens hearts, andmade moft men judge,that at fall thou hadit gotten eyes to fee with. It is this kinde ofvermine,that hath peftered the Church this many a day. There was now tome hope of remedy , when firff thou didft begin to fee andacknowledge the difeafe. For good !awes are wont to fpring out of bad manners. But how wifely thou haft prevented this mifcnief, and how thou haft therein fatisíied the ex- peFtationof good men, do thou. upon ferious conlideration give judgement tl°i Pelf. Thou kneweft it was ordered by the ftatuteof the land, that no man Jhouldbeadmittedly holy Orders, tinkle-he Were 24. yeers old at lea ft, and hadfaro brought With him to his Diocefan, aYeftimoniall ofmen Well known to the BiJhop, to be offound ,Religion, bothfor his honellieof life, andelfo for his fincérity in profeffing the Toilrine ofour Church; Withall, vnlefe hecouldgive a reafon of his Faith, in the Latine tongue, or at lead valeffe hehaveTomefi ular gift ofpreaching. Notwithftanding that this was byftatute fo longface ena led, the Church neverthelelle (warmed with a new heap ofmoft bafe,vile,unworthymen in the lvliniífery. Now then,what Cautions didft thou adde tohelp the weakreffeof the law ? For it is thepra- tice ofprudentmen, that have their eyes in their head,when as duce they have found out the invalidity oflawes, to ftrengthen them with moreftriaprovifaons, on that fide, where they fee the boldner e of men to break through. Thou haft indeed provided many things;But I pray thee what do they avail ? What avayleth it to the worthineffe ofMinifters,That no manJhouldbe received into holy Orders, vale;; he canJbew at thefame timeaprefentationfor himfelf,tofont benefice that is then void ? Or, valef fehe can bring a Certificate offame Church Wherein he may tae: charge of Souls, that is, Where he may be a Cu- rateundertome man tofay prayers ? Or, unieife he havebeen of feme Colledge ?Or at leafl;, eandef e hebe to be admittedby the fame BiJhop, tofame Benefice, orCurate-/hip ? What'ftark fool, or errand knave is there, that may not fulfill all thefe conditions ? But thou procede eft and puteit to other ftufl?e of the fame fi'amp : !Moreover, ifhe be (faift thou )of another mane Diosefe, vnlefo he ogre bring letters di. rnil, fory 145
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