her markets and shops for merchandise than
solemn places of prayer, whereunto they were first erected. Moreover,
in the said cathedral churches upon Sundays and festival days the
canons do make certain ordinary sermons by course, whereunto great
numbers of all estates do orderly resort; and upon the working days,
thrice in the week, one of the said canons (or some other in his
stead) doth read and expound some piece of holy Scripture, whereunto
the people do very reverently repair. The bishops themselves in like
sort are not idle in their callings; for, being now exempt from court
and council, which is one (and a no small) piece of their felicity
(although Richard Archbishop of Canterbury thought otherwise, as yet
appeareth by his letters to Pope Alexander, Epistola 44, Petri
Blesensis, where he saith, because the clergy of his time were
somewhat narrowly looked unto, _"Supra dorsum ecclesiae fabricant
peccatores," etc._),[4] they so apply their minds to the setting forth
of the Word that there are very few of them which do not every Sunday
or oftener resort to some place or other within their jurisdictions
where they expound the Scriptures with much gravity and skill, and yet
not without the great misliking and contempt of such as hate the Word.
Of their manifold translations from one see to another I will say
nothing, which is not now done for the benefit of the flock as the
preferment of the party favoured and advantage unto the prince, a
matter in time past much doubted of--to wit, whether a bishop or
pastor might be translated from one see to another, and left undecided
till prescription by royal authority made it good. For, among princes,
a thing once done is well done, and to be done oftentimes, though no
warrant be to be found therefore.

[4] "Sinners build on the back of the church."

They have under them also their archdeacons, some one, divers two, and
many four or more, as their circuits are in quantity, which
archdeacons are termed in law the bishops' eyes; and these (beside
their ordinary courts, which are holden within so many or more of
their several deaneries by themselves or their officials once in a
month at the least) do keep yearly two visitations or synods (as the
bishop doth in every third year, wherein he confirmeth some children,
though most care but a little for that ceremony), in which they make
diligent inquisition and search, as well for the doctrine and
behaviour of the ministers as