ít, go up in a Body to the Houfe of Commons, and present their Petition, with a Lift of those worthy Gentlemen who are thus laden with thick Clay. Who knows but the Justice of the Nation might take this Affair into Confideration? Might they not resume fome former Grants from the Crown, and increafe poor Livings with the Superfluities of Pluralifts, and Non-Residents? Or, might they not lay a Tax upon fuch, which may be applied towards the Maintenance of fuch a Number of poor, married, beggar'd Priefts, as this Nation abounds with? Or, towards building an Hofpital for the Reception of ancient founder'd Curates, who are worn down to the Stumps in the Service of a worthlefs Rector, and an ungrateful Parish? altho' they are generally as good Men, Chriftians, Scholars, and Subjects.

And now, if you please to take the laft Step, to rife from being a Tyrant over a few Curatés and Prebends, to be one over a whole Diocefe you fhall now, like thofe who lived in the laft Age, and thofe who will poffefs the fame Dignity in the next (for I can't think there are any -fuch in being at present) be rarely found in your Diocese, or at Church-but at the Houfes of our Chief Minifters, and in Senates--where it fhall be more your Bufinefs to fpeech it in Defence of their Meafures, than the Advancement

of Religion: To be conftant at the Levee of great Men, than attend the Affairs of your Clergy To be taking Rules for your Conduct in the House, than studying to give Charges to others out of it.-All fhall be fwallowed up in Politicks; Fathers and Councils fhall now be forgotten, the Church guarded by the Sword, and Christ's Kingdom be of this World.

You fhall now hold as much Preferment as you please-a Bishoprick-a Mastership; a fpecial good Living in Commendam; with Thousands in your Pockets-fhall be too little for you.Should your Diocese be fome Hundreds of Miles off the Capital, there will be no great Neceffity that you fhould repair to it: Your Agent fhall receive your Money, and you fhall have it punctually paid in London, without the leaft Trouble, or Fatigue to your Epifcopal Dignity.Though I have met of a Writ full of odd Cone tents, directed to a Bishop of this kind, which I fhall take the Trouble of transcribing-merely to fhew the Nation the Difference between those of ancient Days, and thefe of modern. Times.It is Entitled, A Writ to the Bishop of H to attend his Flock; and if he does not, to feize his Temporalities:-it runs thus in Latin..

*REX Epifcopo Hereford' (haud venerabili
Patri, &c.) Salutem. Paftores Gregibus præ-
ponuntur, ut diei noctifque vigilias exercendo oves
famelicas in fertilitatis Pafcua introducant ; Er-
rantes vero per verbum falutis, & verber correc-
tionis in unius ovilis indissolubilem unitatem confer-
vare ftudeant. Sed funt nonnulli (Epi') qui
hanc Doctrinam dampnabiliter contemnentes, &
fua ab aliis Pecora diftinguere nefcientes Lac, &
Lanam tollunt, qualiter Dominicus Grex alatur
non curantes, temporalia rapiunt, & quis in Paro-
chia fua Fame pereat, aut periclitetur in moribus,
non attendunt. Qui non Paftores fed mercenarii
potius dici promerentur; hoc fiquidem dum hiis die-
bus ad difponendum de Regni noftri Præfidiis in
partes Marchia nos transferremus. In Ecclefia
veftra Herefordenfi (dolenter referimus nos inve-
niffe) quam adeo invenimus Paftoris folatio defti
tutam, ut ne dum Epifcopum, fed nec officialem
baberet Vicarium aut Decanum qui quicquam fpiri-
tualitatis exercere poffit in eadem.-Sed Ecclefta
ipfa quæ olim fpiritualiter) deliciis fluere confue-
vit, & Canonicis qui ibidem nocturnis ac diurnis
Officiis intendere, & opera charitatis exercere de-
bent, eam deferentibus & longe negligentibus in Re-
motis ftola jucunditatis exuta cecidit in terram vi-
See Bebun's English Lawyer, Page 311.

duitatis

duitatis fuæ detrimenta deplorans, nec eft qui confoletur ex omnibus caufis (filiis) ejus, fane dum hac vidimus & confideramus diligenter pietatis aculeus vifcera noftra commovit, & compaffionis gladius intima cordis noftri acrius vulneravit, ut tantam Ecclefia Matris noftræ injuriam, ulterius diffimu·lare non poffumus, nec pertranfire incorrectam quapropter vobis mandamus firmiter injungentes quatenus ad Ecclefiam veftram prædi&tam occafio nibus quibufcunque poftpofitis cum ea qua poteritis celeritate vos transferre curetis, commissum vobis in eadem cura paftorali Officium perfonaliter Execu tur, &c. Alioqui fcire vos volumus pro conftanti, quod fi iftuc facere non curaveritis, bona temporalia & omnia quæ ad Baroniam ipfius Ecclefiæ pertinent, quæ donatione conftat eidem fuiffe collata, & quæ hactenus colligi & faluo cuftodiri præcipimus in commodum & utilitatem ipfius Ecclefiæ convertenda ceffante jam caufa, in manu noftra totaliter capiamus, nec ulterius fuftinebimus quod Temporalia metat, qui Spiritualia, ad que ex Officii fui debito tenetur, irreverenter fubtrabere non formidat, aut quod emolumenta percipiat qui incumbentia ejufdem onera fubire recufat. Tefte Rege apud Heref. primo die Junii Anno Regni fui quadragefimo octave,

Which is thus render'd in English..

"The King to the Bishop of Hereford, (he "feems no venerable Father in Chrift) Greet"ing Shepherds are fet over their Flocks, "that by watching over them Night and Day, "they may take Care the hungry Sheep have "Plenty of Pafture, and by the Word of "Truth, and the Rod (Staff) of Correction, "endeavour to keep fuch as ftray under one

Fold, &c.-But there are many Bishops,

"who, damnably contemning this Doctrine, and "not knowing their own from other Men's "Cattle, rob them of their Milk and Wool, they

plunder them of their Temporals, not caring "how the Lord's Flock are fupply'd with Spi' rituals; nor do they regard who in their "Diocese may be corrupted in their Morals, or "perish through Want (Infidelity) --- These do

not deferve the Name of Paftors (Shepherds) "but rather of Mercenary Hirelings, as in the "prefent Cafe, viz. When we lately came hi"ther to order the Forts of our Kingdom in "these Borders, we found ('tis with Grief we

can fay, to have found?) your Church of "Hereford fo deftitute of all Paftoral Comforts, "that not only her Bishop was eloped, but fhe "had neither Official, Vicar, or Dean, who "could exercife any Spiritual Function in her.

« Nay,