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.

    619/682 (page 81)
    Amphil. I will-tell you, as farre as euer I could coniefture, how they fel into their hands. In the beginning, when Antichrift the pope exercifed his vfurped authoritie, and challenged the title of fupreme head ouer the vniuerfall church of Chrift vpon the face of the earth, to whomfoeuer would either eredt churches, temples, and oratories (as the then world was giuen to blinde fuperftition, as to inftaurate ab^beies, prieries, nunries, with other fumptuous edefices, and houfes of religion, thinking the fame a worke meritorious, and to gilte, croffes, images, and the like fooleries) or elfe giue ground for the fame to be built vpon, his vnholie holines did giue the patronage and pretenfed right of the fame church, and benefice belonging to the fame. Otherfome thinke (to whome I willinglie fubfcribe) that the Churches (confifting of fimple and ignorant men for the moft part) abufing the fame benefices, and bellowing them vpon vnmeete perfons, the princes haue taken them out of their handes, and giuen the right patronage and poflelfion of the fame to the temporalitie, to the ende they might beftowe them better. But as they were taken from the churches for fome caufes,fo ought they to be reinooued and giuen againe to the Churches for greater caufes. P'or nowe are they bought and loulde for fimonie, euen as an oxe or a cow is bought and fold for mony. Theod. Are there no lawes for the rellrainte of fimonie, being for horrible and deteflable vice in the church of God ? Amphil. Yes, that there are. As he that is patrone taking monie for his benefice, to loofe the patronage of the fame, and the ^ecclefi- afticall perfon, that giueth it, to loofe the fame benefice, the monie giuen or promifed to be giuen, and to remaine incapable of anie other ecclefiafticall promotion afterwarde for euer. But doe you thinke they are fooles ? Haue they no flrift to defeate the lawe ? Yes, I warrant you. For though they giue two hundred, or three hundred pound for a benefice, yet it fliall be done fo cloofely, as no dogges lhall barke at it. But bicaufe at the time of their initiation, inftitution, indudtion and admiflion, they are fworne whether they came by it by fimonie or no, whether they gaue anie monie for it or no, therefore, to auoide the guilte of periurie, they, the pallors themfelues, will not giue anie monie, but their friendes fhall doe it for them j and than may they fweare (with as good a confcience as euer ludas betraied Chrill) that they gaue not a penny, but came SHAKSPERE’s ENGLAND : 8TDBBK3, II. O Laymen get their Church Patronage hy the Pope having given it to all men who’d build churches or give ground for em; [' Sig. L 5, back] and by the King having taken th^ patronage from congregations, and given it to individuals. We have laws against Simony, ? Sig. L 6] but they’re easily evaded. Simony is avoided by pastors getting friends to pay money for them.