To illustrate this by some instances. Where many stand for an office either in Church or Commonweal, whereof some are fit, some are altogether unfit for it, or some fitter, some less fit with very manifest difference, in this case for those persons in whose power it is to call and admit thereunto, ⟨p. 98⟩ato put it to Lot amongst them all, which of them shall have it, were utterly unlawful: For it were to hazard the binding of themselves to do that which they ought not to do, as it may fall out, to accept of one either wholly unfit, as it fell out when the High-priesthood was once so put to Lot, bthe Lot lighting on a silly rude Clown, that for simpleness scarce knew what the High-priesthood meant, and became therefore a scorn to all sorts; or not so fit as were fit where better choice may be had; as cin some offices at Rome it came sometime to pass: Since dthe Lot maketh no difference of good or bad; nor taketh any notice of the fitness or unfitness, *of the worth or unworthiness of those that be put together upon it. In which regard though emany worthily condemn such promiscuous Lotteries, and prefer for the most part, and that justly, other courses of election before that by Lot: ⟨p. 99⟩and fit is generally accounted a greater credit for a man to be elected then to be allotted to any place of employment: yet gwhere divers Competitors are judged alike fit, or are all fit in some good competency though with some small inequality, so that hhowsoever the Lot fall, it cannot light amiss, that as he said sometime, ithough a man should cast blindfold at them, he could not miss but hit a good man, there were it not unlawful to dispose a place or office, were it civill or sacred, by Lot among such; especially when there shall be much labouring and contending for divers by sundry persons on either side engaged, who may all by that means be quieted, and some one picked out and pitched upon without disgrace to any of his Competitors, or discontentment to their friends.
To illustrate this by some instances. Where many stand for an office either in Church or Commonweale, whereof some are fit, some are altogether vnfit for it, or some fitter, some lesse fit with very manifest difference, in this case for those persons in whose power it is to call and admit thereunto, ⟨p. 98⟩ato put it to Lot amongst thē al, which of them shal haue it, were vtterly vnlawfull: For it were to hazard the binding of themselues to doe that which they ought not to doe, as it may fall out, to accept of one either wholy vnfit, as it fell out when the High-preisthood was once so put to Lot, bthe Lot lighting on a sily rude Clowne, that for simplenesse scarce knew what the High-preisthood meant, and became therefore a scorne to all sorts; or not so fit as were fit where better choise may be had; as cin some offices at Rome it came sometime to passe: Since dthe Lot maketh no difference of good or bad; nor taketh any notice of the fitnesse or vnfitnesse, *of the worth or vnworthinesse of those that bee put together vpon it. In which regard though emany worthily condemne such promiscuous Loteries, and prefer for the most part, and that justly, other courses of election before that by Lot: ⟨p. 99⟩and fit is generally accounted a greater credit for a man to be elected then to be allotted to any place of imploiment: yet gwhere diuers Competitors are judged alike fit, or are all fit in some good competency though with some small inequalitie, so that hhowsoeuer the Lot fall, it cannot light amisse, that as he said sometime, ithough a man should cast blindfold at them, he could not misse but hit a good man, there were it not vnlawfull to dispose a place or office, were it ciuill or sacred, by Lot among such; especially when there shall be much labouring and contending for diuers by sundrie persons on either side engaged, who may all by that meanes be quieted, and some one picked out and pitched vpon without disgrace to any of his Competitors, or discontentment to their friends.
- aPeccat, qui sortesiacit ad electionem beneficij Eccles. nullo prius habito id•neorum delectu. Martin. Navarre. manual. c. 11. §. 38. Iniqua est sortitio, ubi de officijs public•s digni cum indignis sortes mitterent: poss•t enim sors indigno favere, cum damno publico, & digniorum iniuria. Delrio. disquis. mag. l. 4. c. 4. q. 1.Peccat, qui sortesiacit ad electionem beneficij Eccles. nullo prius habito id•neorum delectu. Martin. Nauar. manual. c. 11. §. 38. Iniqua est sortitio, vbi de officijs public•s digni cum indignis sortes mitterent: poss•t enim sors indigno fauere, cum damno publico, & digniorum iniuria. Delrio. disquis. mag. l. 4. c. 4. q. 1.
- b[Greek or Hebrew]. Joseph. captiu. l. 4 c. 12.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Ioseph. captiu. l. 4 c. 12.
- cSors ad parum idon•es deerrabat. Tacit annal. l. 13.
- d[Greek or Hebrew]. Arist•t. Rhetoric. lib. 2. cap. 20. [Greek or Hebrew]. Philo. de constit. princip. [Greek or Hebrew]. Ibid. [Greek or Hebrew]. Isocr. in Areop. [Greek or Hebrew]. Chrysost. ad Ephes. homil. 2. In sort• non est electio: ubi merita considerantur, electio est, non sors. August. in Psalm. 30. Sort & urna mores non discerni. Heluidius apud Ta•it. hist. lib. 4. In sorte eventus est, non judicium, & saepe irrationabili casu sort melioribus ultimus quisque prafertur. Ambros. hexam. lib. 5. cap. 21. [Greek or Hebrew]. Philo de constit. princip.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Arist•t. Rhetoric. lib. 2. cap. 20. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Philo. de constit. princip. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Ibid. . Isocr. in Areop. . Chrysost. ad Ephes. homil. 2. In sort non est electio: vbi merita considerantur, electio est, non sors. August. in
