And as Alexander ab Alexandro Genial. dier. l. 6. c. 16. made answer to Hieronymus Massainus, that wondred, quum plures ignavos & ignobiles ad dignitates & sacerdotia promotos quotidie videret, when other men rose, still he was in the same state, eodem tenore & fortuna cui mercedem laborum studiorumque deberi putaret, whom he thought to deserve as well as the rest.

He made answer, that he was content with his present estate, was not ambitious, and although objurgabundus suam segnitiem accusaret, cum obscuræ sortis homines ad sacerdotia & pontificatus evectos &c. he chid him for his backwardness, yet he was still the same: and for my part (though I be not worthy perhaps to carry Alexanders books) yet by some overweening and wellwishing friends, the like speeches have been used to me; but I replied still with Alexander, that I had enough, and more peradventure than I deserved;

and with Libanius Sophista, that rather chose (when honours and offices by the Emperor were offered unto him) to be talis Sophista, quam talis Magistratus. I had as live be still Democritus junior, and privus privatus, si mihi jam daretur optio, quam talis fortasse Doctor, talis Dominus. — Sed quorsum hæc? For the rest ’tis on both sides facinus detestandum, to buy and sell livings, to detain from the Church, that which Gods and mens Laws have bestowed on it; but in them most, and that from the covetousness and ignorance of such as are interested in this business;

I name covetousnes in the first place, as the root of all these mischiefes, which Achan like, compels them to commit sacriledge, and to make Simoniacal compacts, (and what not) to their own ends, that kindles Gods wrath, brings a plague, vengeance, and an heavy visitation upon themselves and others.

Some out of that insatiable desire of filthy lucre, to be enriched, care not how they come by it per fas & nefas, hooke or crook, so they have it. And others when they have with riot and prodigality, imbezelled their estates, to recover themselves, make a prey of the Church, robbing it, as Iulian the Apostate did, spoile Parsons of their revenews (in keeping halfe back) as a great man amongst us observes: and that maintenance on which they should live: by meanes whereof, Barbarism is increased, and a great decay of Christian Professors:

for who will apply himselfe to these divine studies, his son, or friend, when after great pains taken, they shall have nothing whereupon to live? But with what event do they these things?

Opesque totis viribus venamini, At inde messis accidit miserrima.

They toyle and moyle, but what reap they? They are commonly unfortunate families that use it, accursed in their progenie, & as common experience evinceth, accursed themselves in all their proceedings. With what face (as he quotes out of Aust.) can they expect a blessing or inheritance from Christ in Heaven, that defraud Christ of his inheritance here on earth?

I would all our Symoniacal Patrons, and such as detain Tithes, would read those judicious Tracts of Sr Henry Spelman, and Sr Iames Sempill Knights; those late elaborate and learned Treatises of Dr Tillslye, and Mr Montague, which they have written of that subject. But though they should read, it would be to small purpose, clames licet & mare cælo Confundas: thunder, lighten, preach hell and damnation, tell them ’tis a sin, they will not believe it:

denounce and terrifie, they have cauterized consciences, they do not attend, as the inchanted Adder, they stop their ears. Call them base, irreligious, prophane, barbarous, Pagans, Atheists, Epicures, (as some of them surely are) with the Bawd in Plautus, Euge, optime, they cry and applaud themselves with that Miser, simulac nummos contemplor in arcâ: say what you will, quocunque modo rem: as a dog barks at the Moon, to no purpose are your sayings: Take your Heaven, let them have money.

A base prophane Epicurean, Hypocritical rout; for my part, let them pretend what zeal they will, counterfeit Religion, blear the worlds eyes, bumbast themselves, and stuffe out their greatness with Church spoiles, shine like so many Peacocks; so cold is my charity, so defective in this behalf, that I shall never think better of them, then that they are rotten at core, their bones are full of Epicurean hypocrisie, and Atheistical marrow, they are worse then Heathens.

For as Dionysius Halicarnasseus observes antiq. Rom. lib. 7. Primum locum &c. Greeks and Barbarians observe all religious rites, and dare not break them for fear of offending their Gods; but our Simoniacal contractors, our senseless Achans, our stupified Patrons, fear neither God nor divel, they have evasions for it, it is no sin, or not due jure divino, or if a sin, no great sin, &c.

And though they be daily punished for it, and they do manifestly perceive, that as he said, Frost and Fraud come to foul ends; yet as Chrysostome followes it Nulla ex pœnâ sit correctio, & quasi adversis malitia hominum provocetur, crescit quotidie quod puniatur: they are rather worse than better, —— iram atque animos à crimine sumunt, and the more they are corrected, the more they offend:

but let them take their course, Rode caper vites, go on still as they begin, ’tis no sin, let them rejoyce secure, Gods vengeance will overtake them in the end, and these ill gotten goods as an Eagles feathers, will consume the rest of their substance: It is aurum Tholosanum, and will produce no better effects.

Let them lay it up safe, and make their conveyances never so close, lock and shut door, saith Chrysostome, yet fraud and Covetousness, two most violent theeves, are still included, and a little gain evill gotten, will subvert the rest of their goods.

The Eagle in Æsop, seeing a piece of flesh, now ready to be sacrificed, swept it away with her clawes, and carried it to her nest; but there was a burning coal stuck to it by chance, which unawares consumed her, young ones, nest and altogether. Let our Symoniacal Church-chopping Patrons, and sacrilegious Harpyes, look for no better success.

A second cause is Ignorance, and from thence contempt, successit odium in literas ab ignorantiâ vulgi; which Iunius well perceived: this hatred and contempt of learning, proceeds out of Ignorance, as they are themselves barbarous, idiots, dull, illiterate, and proud, so they esteem of others.

Sint Mæcenates, non deerunt Flacce Marones:

Let there be bountiful Patrons, and there will be painful Schollers in all Sciences. But when they contemn Learning, and think themselves sufficiently qualified, if they can write and read, scamble at a piece of Evidence, or have so much Latine as that Emperor had, qui nescit dissimulare, nescit vivere, they are unfit to do their country service, to performe or undertake any action or imployment, which may tend to the good of a Common-wealth, except it be to fight, or to do country Justice, with common sense, which every Yeoman can likewise do.

And so they bring up their children, rude as they are themselves, unqualified, untaught, uncivil most part. Quis e nostrâ juventute legitimè instituitur literis? Quis oratores aut Philosophos tangit? quis historiam legit, illam rerum agendarum quasi animam? præcipitant parentes vota sua, &c. ’twas Lipsius complaint to his illiterate country-men, it may be ours.

Now shall these men judge of a Schollers worth, that have no worth, that know not what belongs to a students labors, that cannot distinguish between a true scholler and a drone? or him that by reason of a voluble tongue, a strong voice, a pleasing tone, and some trivantly Polyanthean helps, steales and gleanes a few notes from other mens Harvests, and so makes a fairer shew, than he that is truly learned indeed: that thinks it no more to preach, that to speak, or to run away with an empty Cart; as a grave man said; and thereupon vilifies us, and our paines; scorne us, and all learning.

Because they are rich, and have other meanes to live, they think it concernes them not to know, or to trouble themselves with it; a fitter taske for younger brothers, or poor mens sons, to be pen and Inkhorne men, pedantical slaves, and no whit beseeming the calling of a Gentleman, as Frenchmen and Germans commonly do, neglect therefore all humane learning, what have they to do with it?