The Anatomy of Melancholy

And as Alessandro d’Alessandro answered Girolamo Massaini in his Genial Days, book 6, chapter 16: Massaini wondered, “since he saw many idle and obscure men promoted daily to honours and church offices”, why Alessandro remained in the same position while others rose—“in the same condition and circumstances, although he thought a reward was owed to him for his labours and studies”—for he thought Alessandro deserved as much as the rest.

He answered that he was content with his present circumstances and had no ambition. Although Massaini “reproached him, accusing him of laziness, when men of obscure condition had been raised to church offices and bishoprics, and so on”—scolding him for hanging back—he remained unchanged. For my part, though I may not be worthy to carry Alessandro’s books, some friends who think too highly of me and wish me well have spoken to me in the same way. But I always answered with Alessandro that I had enough, and perhaps more than I deserved.

And I agreed with Libanius the sophist, who, when the emperor offered him honours and offices, preferred to be “a sophist of this standing rather than a magistrate of that standing”. I would just as soon remain Democritus Junior, “a wholly private man, if I were now given the choice, rather than perhaps such a Doctor, such a Lord”. But where is all this leading? For the rest, it is “a detestable crime” on both sides to buy and sell church livings, or to withhold from the Church what divine and human laws have bestowed on it. But the patrons are chiefly to blame, through the greed and ignorance of those involved in this business.

I name greed first, as the root of all these evils. Like Achan, it drives them to commit sacrilege and make simoniacal bargains—and what else will they not do?—to serve their own ends. This kindles God’s wrath, bringing plague, vengeance and grievous punishment upon themselves and others.

Some, in their insatiable desire for filthy gain and riches, do not care how they obtain it, “by right or wrong”, by hook or by crook, so long as they have it. Others, having squandered their estates in riotous extravagance, try to recover themselves by making the Church their prey. They rob it, as Julian the Apostate did, stripping parsons of their revenues by keeping back half, as a great man among us observes, and taking the support on which they should live. As a result, ignorance increases and there is a great decline among those who profess Christianity.

For who will devote himself, his son or his friend to these theological studies if, after immense labour, they will have nothing to live on? But what comes of these actions?

You hunt for wealth with all your strength, But the harvest that comes of it is most wretched.

They toil and drudge, but what do they reap? The families that practise this are commonly unfortunate, cursed in their offspring and, as ordinary experience shows, themselves cursed in all their undertakings. “How can they have the face to expect a blessing or inheritance from Christ in heaven when they defraud Christ of his inheritance here on earth?”—as he quotes from Augustine.