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 had been granted to the king, conceived themselves in a capacity to do the like, by taking into their hands the yearly profits of those benefices of which by law they were only intrusted with the presentations. Of which abuse complaint is made by Bishop Latimer in his printed sermons; in which we find, that 'the gentry at that time invaded the profits of the Church, leaving the title only to the incumbent; and that chantry priests were put by them into several cures to save their pensions' (page 38); that 'many benefices were laid out in fee farms (page 71), or given unto servants for keeping of hounds, hawks, and horses, and for making of gardens' (pages 91—114); and finally, that 'the poor clergy being kept to some sorry pittance, were forced to put themselves into gentlemen's houses, and there to serve as clerks of the kitchen, surveyors, receivers,' &c. (page 241). All which enormities, though tending so apparently to the dishonour of God, the disservice of the Church, and the disgrace of religion, were generally connived at by the lords and others, who only had the power to reform the same, because they could not question those who had so miserably invaded the Church's patrimony, without condemning of themselves." The result o f the whole he describes in page 134: "Insomuch that many private men's parlours were hung with altar cloths, their tables and beds covered with copes instead of carpets and coverlids, and many carousing cups of the sacred chalices, as once Belshazzar celebrated his drunken feast in the sanctified vessels of the temple. It was a sorry house, and not worth the naming, which had not somewhat of this furniture in it; though it were only a fair cushion made of a cope or altar-cloth to adorn their windows, or make their chairs appear to have somewhat in them of a chair of state. Yet how contemptible were these trappings in comparison of those vast sums of money which were made of jewels, plate, and cloth of tissue, either conveyed beyond the seas or sold at home, and Surely we do but mock God, and make ourselves partakers in the sin which we justify, if