I can name a number of them that are able, and would be glad, I dare say, to minister the function, if they be called to it. I move it of conscience to your grace, let them be called to it orderly, let them have institution, and give them the name of the clergy. I mean not the name only, but let them do the function of a bishop, and live of the same: not as it is in many places, that one should have the name, and eight other the profit. For what an enormity is this in a christian realm, to serve in a civility, having the profit of a provostship, and a deanery, and a parsonage? But I will tell you what is like to come of it; it will bring the clergy shortly into a very slavery. I may not forget here my "scala cœli," that I spake of in my last sermon. I will repeat it now again, desiring your grace in God's behalf, that ye will remember it. The bishop of Rome had a "scala cœli," but his was a mass matter. This "scali cœli," that I now speak of, is the true ladder that bringeth a man to heaven. The top of the ladder, or first greese, is this : Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. The second step: How shall they call upon him, in whom they have not believed? The third stair is this: How shall they believe in him, of whom they never heard? The fourth step: How shall they

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put in

But I

hear without a preacher? Now the nether end of the ladder is: How shall they preach except they be sent ? This is the foot of the ladder, so that we may go backward now, and use the school argument, "a primo ad ultimum;" Take away preaching, take away sal- < vation. But I fear one thing; and it is, lest for a safety of a little money, you will chantry priests to save their pensions. will tell you, Christ bought souls with his blood, and will ye sell them for gold or silver? I would not that ye should do with chantry priests,* as ye did with the abbots, when abbeys were put down. For when their enormities were first read in the parliament-house, they were so great and abominable, that there was nothing but "Down with them." But within a while after, the same abbots were made bishops, as there be some of them yet alive, to save and redeem their pensions. O Lord, think ye that God is a fool, and seeth it not? And if he see it, will he not punish it? And so now for safety of money, I would not that ye should put in chantry priests. I speak not now against such chantry priests as are able to preach, but those that are not able. I will not

* Chantry priests were, in the time of popery, those who had a settled income, on condition of singing constantly at particular altars, for the souls of the founders.

have them put in; for if ye do this, ye shall answer for it.

One word note here for God's sake, and I will trouble you no longer. Would Solomon, being so noble a king, hear two poor women? They were poor, for as the Scripture saith, They were together alone in a house; they had not so much as one servant between them both. Would king Solomon, I say, hear them in his own person? Yea, forsooth. And yet I hear of many matters before my lord protector, and my lord chancellor, that cannot be heard. I must desire my lord protector's grace to hear me in this matter, that your grace would hear poor men's suits yourself. Put them to none other to hear; let them not be delayed. The saying is now, that money is heard every where; if he be rich he shall soon have an end of his matter.

Others are fain to go home with weeping tears, for any help they can obtain at any judge's hand. Hear men's suits yourself, I require you in God's behalf, and put it not to the hearing of these velvet coats, these upskips. Now a man can scarce know them from an ancient knight of the country. I cannot go to my book, for poor folks come unto me, desiring me that I will speak that their matters may be heard. I trouble my lord of Canterbury, and being at

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his house, now and then I walk in the garden, looking in my book, as I can do but little good at it. But something I must needs do to satisfy this place. I am no sooner in the garden and have read awhile, but by and by cometh there some one or other knocking at the gate. Anon cometh my man, and saith, Sir, there is one at the gate would speak with you. When I

come there, then is it some one or other that desireth me I will speak that his matter might he heard, and that he hath lain this long at great costs and charges, and cannot once have his matter come to the hearing. But among all other, one specially moved me at this time to speak. This it is, Sir.

A gentlewoman came to me and told me, that a great man keepeth certain lands of hers from her, and will be her tenant in the spite of her teeth; and that in a whole twelvemonth, she could not get but one day for the hearing of her matter; and the same day when the matter should be heard, the great man brought on his side a great sight of lawyers for his counsel; the gentlewoman had but one man of law; and the great man shakes him so, that he cannot tell what to do; so that when the matter came to the point, the judge was a mean to the gentlewoman, that she would let the great man have a quietness in her land.

I beseech your grace that ye will look to these matters. Hear them yourself. View your judges, and hear poor men's causes. And you, proud judges, hearken what God saith in his holy book: "Audite illos, ita parvum ut magnum;" Hear them, saith he, the small as well as the great, the poor as well as the rich. Regard no person; fear no man. Why? "Quia Domini judicium est," The judgment is God's. Mark this saying, thou proud judge. The devil will bring this sentence at the day of doom. Hell will be full of these judges, if they repent not and amend. They are worse than the wicked judge that Christ speaketh of, that neither feared God, nor the world.

There was a certain widow that was a suitor to a judge, and she met him in every corner of the street, crying, “I pray you hear me, I beseech you hear me, I ask nothing but right." When the judge saw her so importunate, "Though I fear neither God, saith he, nor the world, yet because of her importunateness, I will grant her request." (Luke xviii.) But our judges are worse than this judge was, for they will neither hear men for God's sake, nor fear of the world, nor importunateness, nor any thing else. Yea, some of them will command them to ward, if they be importunate.

I heard say, that when a suitor came to one