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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    I yo'i %. mere indifferent, may any man I aw u y refufe y= wearing of them againft the co7«mandement of his prince, whom, next vnder God, he ought to obey > _ ^mphil. Euery man is bound in confcience before God to obey us prince m all things, yea in things direftly contrary to true god- ines hee is bou«d to fliew his obedience (but not to coinmit y' euil) I uT/ I«ds, linings or els whatfoeuer he I ^ ° 7 of his 1 Princes, rather than to difobeie. If this obedi- ence an be due to Princes in matters contrarie to true godlinefle, w a o edience than is due to them in matters of fmall waight, of ma raportaunce, and meere triffles as thefe garments be, iudge you . e that difobeieth the commaundement of his Prince, difobeieth t e commaundement of Godj and therfore, would God all Ecclefi- afticaP perfons that ftande fo muche vpon thefe fmall pointes, that they breake the common vnitie, & band of charitie in the church of God, would nowe at the laft quallifie themfelues, Ihewe obedience to rinces lawes, and fall to preaching of Chrift lefus truelie, that his mg ome might dailie bee increafed, their confciences difcharged and the Church edefied, which Chrifte lefus hath bought with the ihedding of his precious hart bloud. I T/ieod. Maie a paftor, or a Minifter of the Gofpell, forfake his flocke, and refufe his charge, for the wearing of a furpleffe, a cappe, 'ppet, or the like, as manie haue done of late daies, who being in- orced to weare thefe garmentes, haue giuen up their linings, and forfaken all ? r s, , ^mpkil. Thofe that for the wearing of thefe garments, being but t e inuentions, the traditions, the rites, the ceremonies, the ordinances & conftitutions of man, will leaue their flocks, 2and giue ouer their charges, not caring what become of the fame, doe fliew themfelues to be no true fliepheards, but fuch as Chrift fpeaketh of, that when they I fee the Wolfe comming, will flie away, leaning their flocke to the naughter of the greedie wolfe. They giue euident demonftration alfo, that they are not fuch as the holie Ghoft hath made ouerfeers ouer their flocke, but rather fuch, as being poflefled with the fpirite of pride and ambition, haue intruded themfelues, to the deftrudtion of their flocke. If they were fuch good fliepheards as they ought to be, and fo louing to their flocke, they would rather giue their life for SHAKSPERE’s ENGLAND : ST0BEES, II. Sig. P. 4. back] And if your Prince orders them, of course obey him in such a Trifle. Any Pastor who leaves his Flock because he won't wear a Surplice, &c., ^ig- P 5] shows that he’s no good Shepherd.