Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

ISHOP OF LINCOLN.
2'27
sin. He could not bide his time, nor imitate the long-
suffering of the Heavenly Father, Who lets His sunshine
and rainfall profit both the good and the
wicked. His impetuosity, however, sprang from his
intense love of souls. The slackening of discipline
which he found in his diocese may have been partially
due to the three years' vacancy preceding his
"own election. The graver evil of unworthy labourers
in the vineyard was provided for in the divine counsels
by the advent of the friars. Grossetete looked
upon them in this light, and spoke of them to the
Pope as the men ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^i whose example was to leaven the
secular clergy. The minor sins of his priests were
the scotale-s or compotations in which they indulged
at synods and meetings. The laity on their side had
contracted the habit of violating Sundays and feast
days with boisterous rioting. Vigils and wakes
were turned into drinking bouts.
In a letter to the Archdeacon of Lincoln, Bishop
Orossetete speaks of the graver state of things with
which he had to contend (1244). Some priests did
not say their breviary, or said it badly ; others
prevented the people from confessing to the friars,
and chose preachers who would best know how to
extract money. These were not the worst.1 He
had to deal largely with a want of chastity in the
clergy ; and there were cases of the same falling
1 His words are : "liabnit saeerdotf.s suns 1'ocarins : hums c;i-
n ant non ilii-nnt, ;int corrupts dicunt,* etc.-Epistote,
p. 317.