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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    right honourable/ and the like, or not ? For, me thinke, thele titles and names are rather peculiar to the temporalitie than to them, & do fauour of vainglori^ and worldly pompe, rather than of any thing elfe. And which is more, me thinke they are againft the exprefle word of God. Wherefore I couet greatly to heare your iudgemenr thereof? Ainphil. Thefe names and titles may feeme to fauour of vaine- glorie indeed, if they fhould arrogate to themfelues Iwre diuino, as they doe not. But if you wil confider by whom they were giuen them, and how they doe require them, you will not thinke it much amilTe, nor farre difcrepant from the linceritie of the Gofpell. Firft therefore note that they were giuen them by chriftian princes to dignifie, to innoble, to decore, and to fet foorth the dignitie, the excellencie, and worthines of their callings. Secondly let them note that they require them as due vnto them by the donation and gifture of men, and not lure diuino, and therefore being giuen them for the caufes aforefaid by chriftian kings and princes, they may in that refpeft hold them ftill without any offence to the diuine goodnefle, or his faithfull fpoufe vpon the earth. But if they fliuld claime them as due vnto them by the lawe of God, as they doe not, then fliould they offend. For our fauiour Chrift, feeing his difciples and apoftles ambicioufly to affedl the fame vaineglorious titles and names, fet before them the example of the heathen kings, thereby the rather to withdrawe them from their vaine humour, faieng: Reges gentium dominantur eis, &c. The kings of the gentils beare rule ouer them, and thofe that exercife authoritie ouer them, be called gratious Lords, but Fbs autem nonjlc, You fhall not be fo. In the which words he vtterly denieth them (and in them, all others to the worlds end, that in the Tame office and fundfion of life ftiould fucceed them) the titles of Lords, graces, or the like. The apoftle alfo biddeth them to beware that they challenge not thofe vaine titles to themfelues by the lawe of God, when he faith (fpeaking to bifhops and paftors) Be not Lords ouer your flocks, &c. By ^thefeand manie other the like places of holie writt, it is cleare that they cannot arrogate thefe names or titles to themfelues by y' word of God; neyther doe they, but (as I haue faid) by the donation, the beneuolence, and gifture of chriftian Princes, for the reuerent eftimation they bare and ought to beare to Yes, tho* these titles look vainglorious. God doesn’t give *em, but the Prince does. V leaf Os] If Bishops claim these titles by God’s law, they do wrong. Christ ’ud have none of this. Sig. O 5, back] These titles of ‘ Bishop,’ &c., are not given by God’s Word, but only by Christian Princes,