learning.
Therefore for the love of God appoint teachers and schoolmasters, you
that have charge of youth; and give the teachers stipends worthy their
pains, that they may bring them up in grammar, in logic, in rhetoric, in
philosophy, in the civil law, and in that which I cannot leave unspoken
of, the word of God. Thanks be unto God, the nobility otherwise is very
well brought up in learning and godliness, to the great joy and comfort
of England; so that there is now good hope in the youth, that we shall
another day have a flourishing commonweal, considering their godly
education. Yea, and there be already noblemen enough, though not so many
as I could wish, able to be lord presidents, and wise men enough for the
mint. And as unmeet a thing it is for bishops to be lord presidents, or
priests to be minters, as it was for the Corinthians to plead matters of
variance before heathen judges. It is also a slander to the noblemen, as
though they lacked wisdom and learning to be able for such offices, or
else were no men of conscience, or else were not meet to be trusted, and
able for such offices. And a prelate hath a charge and cure otherwise;
and therefore he cannot discharge his duty and be a lord president too.
For a presidentship requireth a whole man; and a bishop cannot be two
men. A bishop hath his office, a flock to teach, to look unto; and
therefore he cannot meddle with another office, which alone requireth a
whole man: he should therefore give it over to whom it is meet, and
labour in his own business; as Paul writeth to the Thessalonians, "Let
every man do his own business, and follow his calling." Let the priest
preach, and the noblemen handle the temporal matters. Moses was a
marvellous man, a good man: Moses was a wonderful fellow, and did his
duty, being a married man: we lack such as Moses was. Well, I would all
men would look to their duty, as God hath called them, and then we should
have a flourishing christian commonweal.
And now I would ask a strange question: who is the most diligentest
bishop and prelate in all England, that passeth all the rest in doing his
office? I can tell, for I know him who it is; I know him well. But now
I think I see you listening and hearkening that I should name him. There
is one that passeth all the other, and is the most diligent prelate and
preacher in all England. And will ye know who it is? I will tell you:
it is the devil. He is the most diligent preac
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