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Four sorts of Men undertaking the work of the Ministery. [ 1590]
MArcus Antonius de Dominis that shufling Archbishop of Spalato, then Dean of Windsor,* 1.1 and furnished with a fair Mastership besides, would needs put on for a good fat Parsonage, in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of that Church; Dr. Thomas White (the same that founded Sion Colledg London) being one of the Prebends, opposed the motion, hinting to the greedy Bishop the une∣vennesse of his desires, by telling him that there were four sorts of Men that un∣dertook the work of the Ministery, quorum pascere quidam nec volunt-nec valent; quidam valent sed non volunt,* 1.2 quidam volunt sed non valent; quidam et valent et volunt, some that neither would nor could discharge it, some that could but would not, some that would but could not, some that both would and could And thus it is that some are to be found in the midst of us,* 1.3 who (such is their igno∣rance) that they neither will nor can divide the word aright, such as leaping from the shopboard, leave sowing of garments to make a rent in the Church; or if by chance they looked upon the university, they think themselves as su••∣ficiently inspired with the gift of Prophecy as he did with the gift of Poetry tha•• dream't upon the top of Parnassus; Others there are (such is their unworthinesse) that can but will not;* 1.4 that are able but sloathful in the work of the Lord, and look more after the Fleece then the Flock committed to their charge; some also (such is their unhappinesse) that would but cannot, as hindred by some natural imperfecti∣on, in the want of Utterance, weaknesse of Memory or the like; Other some again (such is their glory) that both can and will deliver the whole truth of God, preach in season and out of season to the great comfort of themselves and those tha•• hear them.