246 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. livings, put in just who will allow them to take out most profit ? It would be good, if your grace would send out surveyors, to see how benefices are bestowed. it is no wonder that your people are continually rising up in rebel- lion, when they have no instructors to teach them their duty. If some remedies be not applied to these evils,we are in danger of falling into more ignorance, superstition, and idolatry, than w'e ever were in while under- the Bishop of Rome. This niust, indeed, be the-case, if some proper methods be not taken- to prevent it ; for benefice s are every where so plundered and robbed by patrons, that in a little time no one will bringup his children to the church. It is amazing to see how the universities are diminished within these few years. And I- must tell your grace, that all these evils will be laid to your charge, if you do not exert your- self to prevent them. For my part, I will do my duty : I will tell your grace -what corruptions and abuses prevail, and pray to God that he will direct your heart to amend them. ' He next addressed the nobility and magistrates. He told them, that they all received their honours, their powers, and their authority, from God, who expected they would make a proper use of such gifts ; and would certainly call them to an account for the abuse of them. But he saw so much ambitious striving for these things at court, that he was afraid they did not all consider them in their true light. He observed, that the spirit of avaricewas crept in among them ; that the country cried out against their extortions; and that when the poor came to seek for justice in London, the great men would not see them ; but their servants must ' first be bribed. Oh said he, with what glad hearts and clear consciences might noblemen go to rest, after having spent the day in hearing the complaints of the poor, and redressing - their wrong's. For want of this, he said, they were obliged to seek their right amonglawyers, whoquickly devoured every thing they had, and thousands every term were obliged to return worse than they came.-" Then," saidhe, "let me call upon you magistrates, and put you in mind, that if the people are debtors to you for obedience, you are debtors to them for protection. If you deny this, they must suffer ; but God will assuredly espousetheir cause against you. And now, if we search- for the root of all these evils, what is it but avarice ? This it is that maketh the bad nobleman, the bad magistrate,-the bad pastor, the bad lawyer."-Having thus freely addressed his audience,
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