shop to be led by human affection, in bestowing the things of God. A fault no where so hurtful, as in bestowing places of jurisdiction, and in furnishing cathedral churches, the prebendaries and other dignities whereof are the very true successors of those ancient presbyters which were at the first as counsellors unto bishops. A foul abuse it is, that any one man should be loaded as some are with livings in this kind, yea, some even of them who condemn utterly the granting of any two benefices unto the same man, whereas the other is in truth a matter of far greater sequel, as experience would soon shew, if churches cathedral being furnished with the residence of a competent number of virtuous, grave, wise, and learned divines, the rest of the prebends of every such church were given within the diocess unto men of worthiest desert for their better encouragement unto industry and travel; unless it seem also convenient to extend the benefit of them unto the learned in universities, and men of special employment otherwise in the affairs of the church of God. But howsoever, surely with the public good of the church it will hardly stand, that in any one person such favours be more multiplied than law permitteth in those livings which are with cure.

Touching bishops' visitations, the first institution of them was profitable, to the end that the state and condition of churches being known, there might be for evils growing convenient remedies provided in due time. The observation of church laws, the correction of faults in the service of God, and manners of men, these are things that visitors should seek. When these things are inquired of formally, and but for custom's sake, fees and pensions being the only thing which is sought, and little else done by visitations; we are not to marvel if the baseness of the end doth make the action itself loathsome. The good which bishops may do not only by these visitations belonging ordinarily to their office, but also in respect of that power which the founders of colleges have given them of special trust, charging even fearfully their consciences therewith: the good, I say, which they might do by this their authority, both within their own diocess, and in the wellsprings themselves, the universities, is plainly such as cannot choose but add weight to their heavy accounts in that dreadful day, if they do it not.

In their courts, where nothing but singular integrity and

justice should prevail, if palpable and gross corruptions be found, by reason of offices so often granted unto men who seek nothing but their own gain, and make no account what disgrace doth grow by their unjust dealings unto them under whom they deal, the evil hereof shall work more than they which procure it do perhaps imagine.

At the hands of a bishop, the first thing looked for is a care of the clergy under him, a care, that in doing good they may have whatsoever comforts and encouragements his countenance, authority, and place, may yield. Otherwise what heart shall they have to proceed in their painful course, all sorts of men besides being so ready to malign, despise, and every way oppress them? Let them find nothing but disdain in bishops; in the enemies of present government, if that way they list to betake themselves, all kind of favourable and friendly help; unto which part think we it likely that men having wit, courage, and stomach, will incline?

As great a fault is the want of severity when need requireth, as of kindness and courtesy in bishops. But touching this, what with ill usage of their power among the meaner, and what with disusage amongst the higher sort, they are in the eyes of both sorts as bees having lost their sting. It is a long time sithence any great one hath felt, or almost any one much feared, the edge of that ecclesiastical severity, which sometime held lords and dukes in a more religious awe than now the meanest are able to be kept.

A bishop, in whom there did plainly appear the marks and tokens of a fatherly affection towards them that are under his charge, what good might he do ten thousand ways more than any man knows how to set down? But the souls of men are not loved; that which Christ shed his blood for is not esteemed precious. This is the very root, the fountain of all negligence in church-government.

Most wretched are the terms of men's estate when once they are at a point of wretchlessness so extreme, that they bend not their wits any farther than only to shift out the present time, never regarding what shall become of their successors after them. Had our predecessors so loosely cast off from them all care and respect to posterity, a church Christian there had not been, about the regiment whereof we should need at this day to strive. It was the barbarous affection of Nero, that the ruin of his own imperial seat he

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could have been well enough contented to see, in case he might also have seen it accompanied with the fall of the whole world: an affection not more intolerable than theirs, who care not to overthrow all posterity, so they may purchase'a few days of ignominious safety unto themselves and their present estates; if it may be termed a safety which tendeth so fast unto their very overthrow that are the purchasers of it in so vile and base manner.

Men, whom it standeth upon to uphold a reverend estimation of themselves in the minds of others, without which the very best things they do are hardly able to escape disgrace, must, before it be over-late, remember how much easier it is to retain credit once gotten, than to recover it being lost. The executors of bishops are sued, if their mansion-house be suffered to go to decay: but whom shall their successors sue for the dilapidations which they make of that credit, the unrepaired diminutions whereof will in time bring to pass that they which would most do good in that calling, shall not be able, by reason of prejudice generally settled in the minds of all sorts against them? By what means their estimation Egisip. hath hitherto decayed, it is no hard thing to discern. Herod and Archelaus are noted to have sought not purposely the dullest and most ignoble that could be found amongst the people, preferring such to the high-priest's office, thereby to abate the great opinion which the multitude had of that order, and to procure a more expedite course for their own wicked counsels, whereunto they saw the high-priests were no small impediment, as long as the common sort did much depend upon them. It may be there hath been partly some show and just suspicion of like practice in some, in procuring the undeserved preferments of some unworthy persons, the very cause of whose advancement hath been principally their unworthiness to be advanced. But neither could this be done altogether without the inexcusable fault of some preferred before, and so oft we cannot imagine it to have been done, that either only or chiefly from thence this decay of their estimation may be thought to grow. Somewhat it is that the malice of their cunning adversaries, but much more which themselves have effected against themselves. A bishop's estimation doth grow from the excellency of virtues suitable unto his place. Unto the place of a bishop those high Divine virtues are judged suitable, which vir

tues being not easily found in other sorts of great men, do make him appear so much the greater in whom they are found.

Devotion, and the feeling sense of religion, are not usual in the noblest, wisest, and chiefest personages of state, by reason their wits are so much employed another way, and their minds so seldom conversant in heavenly things. If therefore wherein themselves are defective they see that bishops do blessedly excel, it frameth secretly their hearts to a stooping kind of disposition, clean opposite to contempt: the very countenance of Moses was glorious, after that God had conferred with him. And where bishops are, the powers and faculties of whose souls God hath possessed, those very actions, the kind whereof is common unto them with other men, have notwithstanding in them a more high and heavenly form, which draweth correspondent estimation unto it, by virtue of that celestial impression which deep meditation of holy things, and as it were conversation with God, doth leave in their minds. So that bishops which will be esteemed of as they ought, must frame themselves to that very pattern from whence those Asian bishops unto whom St. John writeth, were denominated, even so far forth as this our frailty will permit; shine they must, as angels of God in the midst of perverse men. They are not to look that the world should always carry the affection of Constantine, to bury that which might derogate from them, and to cover their imbecilities. More than high time it is, that they bethink themselves of the apostle's admonition, Attende tibi, Have a vigilant eye to thyself. They err if they do not persuade themselves, that wheresoever they walk or sit, be it in their churches or in their consistories, abroad or at home, at their tables or in their closets, they are in the midst of snares laid for them. Wherefore as they are with the prophet every one of them to make it their hourly prayer unto God, "Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness, because of enemies;" so it is not safe for them, no, not for a moment, to slacken their industry in seeking every way that estimation which may further their labours unto the church's good. Absurdity, though but in words, must needs be this way a maim, where nothing but wisdom, gravity, and judgment, are looked for. That which the son of Sirach hath concerning the writings of the old sages, "Wise

sentences are found in them," should be the proper mark and character of bishops' speeches, whose lips, as doors, are not to be opened, but for egress of instruction and sound knowledge. If base servility and dejection of mind be ever espied in them, how should men esteem them as worthy the rooms of the great ambassadors of God? A wretched desire to gain by bad and unseemly means, standeth not with a mean man's credit, much less with that reputation which fathers of the church should be in. But if besides all this there be also coldness in works of piety and charity, utter contempt even of learning itself, no care to further it by any such helps as they easily might and ought to afford, no, not as much as that due respect unto their very families about them, which all men that are of account do order, as near as they can, in such sort that no grievous offensive deformity be therein noted; if there still continue in that most reverend order such as by so many engines work day and night to pull down the whole frame of their own estimation amongst men, some of the rest secretly also permitting others their industrious opposites every day more to seduce the multitude, how should the church of God hope for great good at their hands?

What we have spoken concerning these things, let not malicious accusers think themselves therewith justified, no more than Shimei was by his sovereign's most humble and meek acknowledgment even of that very crime which so infamous a caitiff's tongue upbraided him withal; the one in the virulent rancour of a cankered affection took that delight for the present which in the end did turn to his own more tormenting woe, the other in the contrite patience even of deserved malediction, had yet this comfort, "It may be the xvi. 12. Lord will look on mine affliction, and do me good for his

2 Sam.

cursing this day." As for us, over whom Christ hath placed them to be the chiefest guides and pastors of our souls, our common fault is, that we look for much more in our governors than a tolerable sufficiency can yield, and bear much less than humanity and reason do require we should. Too much perfection over-rigorously exacted in them, cannot but breed in us perpetual discontentment, and on both parts cause all things to be unpleasant. It is exceedingly worth the noting, which Plato hath about the means whereby men fall into an utter dislike of all men with whom they converse :