Phillip Stubbes's Anatomy of the abuses in England in Shakspere's youth, A.D. 1583 / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

  • Stubbs, Philip, active 1581-1593.
Date:
1877-1882
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Phillip Stubbes's Anatomy of the abuses in England in Shakspere's youth, A.D. 1583 / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    (as I fay) becaufe a man can not haue daintie farcj therefore it is good to haue none at all. But to be plaine, as I will not defende a dumbe reading minifterie only, fo I will not condemne it for neceffi- ties fake, when otherwife euery place cannot be fufficiently furnilhed at the firft with good and fufBcient men as it ought. Theod. But it is thought that there are inow able men in the vni- uerfities and elfewhere to furnifh euery particular church with a preaching minifter? AmfihiL Truely I thinke there are fo, if they were fought for & preferred : but alas thofe that are learned indeed, they are not fought for nor promoted, but the vnlearned for the moft part, fomtimes by frendfliip, fomtime by mony ^(for they pay wel for their orders, I heare fay) and fomtimes by gifts, (I dare not fay bribes) are intruded. This maketh many a good fchoolar to languilh, and difcourageth not a fewe from goyng to their bookes.' Whereby learning greatlie decaieth, and barbarifme, I feare me, will ouerflow the realme, if Ipeedie remedie be not had herein. Theod. As farre as I can gather by your fpeeches, there is both a reading and a preaching minifterie : whether doe you prefer before the other ? Amphil. I preferre the preaching minifterie before a reading minifterie only: and yet the reading minifterie, if the other can not be had, is not therefore euill, or not neceflarie. Theod. But tell me this. If there might a preaching minifterie be gotten, ought not the reading minifterie to giue place to the fame ? Amphil. Yea, doubtlefte. And therefore the biftiops ought to feeke for the learned fort, and as it were to fue and make inftance to them, and finding them worthy, as well for their life as dodtrine, to call them lawfully according to the prefcript of Gods word, & fo to fende them forth into the Lords harueft. And where the forefaide dumbe minifterie is, to difplace the fame, and place the other. By this meanes ^the word of God Ihould flourilh, ignorance (mauger the head of fatan) be abandoned, the church edified, and manie a one incouraged to go to their bookes, whereas now they pradtife nothing lefle, and all by reafon that by their learning they haue no promotion nor preferment at all. Keep your Read- ing Ministers till you can get Preaching ones. We’ve enough learned men, but, alas they don’t get Pre- ferment. * Sig. K 6] Bishops ought to seek out learned Ministers. Sig. K 6, back]