Compare 1587 edition: 1 For he tooke from the crowne (as Iohn Ma|ior wryteth in his Chronicles) lx. thouſand poũd Scottiſh of yearely reuenues,Io. Maior. Lx.M. pounds in lands giuen to the church. which he endowed thoſe Abbayes with. But if king Dauid had conſidered the maner how to nouriſh true religi|on, he had neyther endowed Churches with ſuch riches, nor buylt them with ſuch royall magni|ficence:Superfluous poſſeſsions of the Church. for the ſuperfluous poſſeſſions of the Church (as they are now vſed) are not only oc|caſion to euill Prelates to liue in moſte inſolent pompe and corruption of life, but alſo an aſſured net to drawe all maner of gold and ſiluer out of EEBO page image 265 the realme: howbeit leſſe domage would follow if the Abbays were at the prouiſion of their ordi|naries without any diſpenſation from theyr ha|bite and religion, and the ordinaries to be placed and admitted by their prymate without exemp|tion, and the prymate by the councel prouincial: For within theſe .lxx. yeares ſayth the tranſlator of Hector Boetius his Chronacles (meaning from the time that he wrote, [...]. whiche was aboute the yeare of our redemption .1530.) no benefices at all were fetched from Rome, [...]fices fet|ched from Rome. ſaue onely Bi|ſhoprickes.

Sithe whiche time it is knowen wel inough (ſayth he) what golde and ſiluer hath gone foorth of the realme for the purchaſing of ſpirituall pro|motions.

And therfore it is (as he alſo ſaith) to be doub|ted, leaſt the realme ſhal be brought to irrecoue|rable pouertie by continuall promotion of Pre|lates within theſe fewe yeares,Promotion of prelates. ſo as it ſhal be an eaſie pray to the enimies, ſithe it may not ſu|ſtayne ſo great charges, nowe (by reaſon hereof) in time of warres as it hath done in the dayes of our elders. Thus muche haue I taken foorth of the ſaide tranſlators wordes, and of Iohn Ma|ior his booke, touching the abuſe of ſpirituall mẽs poſſeſſions, the which both of them do earneſtly lament with many moe woordes in the place be|fore alledged, where they make mencion of king Dauid his great munificẽce towards the church.