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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    It wouldn’t abuse it as pri- vate Patrons do. [* Sig. L. 4. back] Private Patrons often cheat their Pastors of half their income. And they move their cattle and sheep so as to avoid paying tithes on em. [ Sig. L 5] 80 II. 2. Every Congregation should own its Patronage. Amphil. Bicaufe one man may eafily be corrupted, and drawne to beftowe hys benefice eyther for fauour, affedlion, or monie, vppon luch as bee vnworthie; the whole Church will not fo. Agaiue, the whole lining is nothing elfe but pure almes, or deuocion, or both, the Gentelman or other that preteiideth the gifture thereof, ^giueth not the whole lining himfelfe, ergo hee ought not to haue in his owne power, the only gifture of the fame. Thirdly, the whole church will not giue the fame for fimonie j one priuate man may be induced to doe it. Fourthlie, the church will keepe no part of the lining backe from the paftor, if he doe his dutie, nor imploie it to ther owne vfe 5 the fingularitie of one man may eafilie be abufed : nay, the moft patrones keepe the fatteft morfels to themfelues, and giue fcarcely the cm ms to their pallors. But if the benefice be woorth two hundred pound, they will fcarcely giue their paftor foure fcore. If it be woorth an hundred pound, they will hardly giue fortie pound. If woorth forty pound, it is well if they giue ten pound, :mploieng the better halfe to their owne priuate gaine. Now if this be not facri- lege, and a robbing of the poore churches of their fubftance, as alfo defrauding of the Lords minifter of his dutie and right, then I knowe not what facrilege, and fraude meaneth. Yea there are fome, that hauing ground in another parifli than where they dwell, againft the time that their flieepe, kine, and other cattell fliould bring foorth increafe, will driue them thither, fo that the fruit falling in the other parilh, he fhall not need to pay tithes for the fame to his owne paftor 2where he dwelleth. And againft the time that the other paftor of that parifh where his cattell fell, fliall demand his tithes thereof, they will haue fetched home their cattell, so that by thefe finifter kinde of meanes, they will neither pay in the one parifli, nor in the other. But if the one commence fute againft him, he anfwereth, they tell not in his parifli: if the other doe the fame, he pleadeth that he is not of his parifli, nor oweth him ought. But indeed they wil pay for their ground in the other parifli a little herbage (as they call it), a thing of nothing, to flop his mouth withall. So that hereby the poore pallors are deteined from their right, and aliiioft beggered in moft places that I haue come in. Theod. How came temporall men by the right of their patronages, and how fell they into their dowdies, can you tell ?