On two occasions, in 1580–1 and 1587, the Worcestershire gentleman Ralph Sheldon of Beoley and Weston (1537–1613) undertook to attend services in his parish church. This article seeks to make sense of these occasions of ‘conformity’, in the context of the situation and choices facing Catholics in Protestant England. It argues that Ralph consciously rejected the Jesuit message about non-attendance at the state church, a view he never abandoned. Never described by his contemporaries as ‘papistically affected’, let alone as an ‘obstinate recusant’, his later reputation as such is mistaken. By exploring the evidence relating to these occasions of official conformity, it is possible to see how he managed the challenge of being a Catholic living within the law. He could be regarded, and treated, as an obedient subject. He might thus be viewed as a church papist. However, since occasional conformity must itself also suggest recusancy, a more nuanced understanding of his position requires a reconsideration of some of the evidence.

中文翻译：

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Beoley 和 Weston 的 Ralph Sheldon (1537–1613)：穿着合身？

在 1580-1 和 1587 年两次，伍斯特郡绅士 Beoley and Weston（1537-1613）承诺在他的教区教堂参加服务。本文试图在英格兰新教天主教徒面临的情况和选择的背景下理解这些“从众”场合。它认为拉尔夫有意识地拒绝了耶稣会关于不参加国教的信息，这是他从未放弃的观点。他的同时代人从未将其描述为“受教养的影响”，更不用说“顽固的拒绝者”，他后来的名声是错误的。通过探索与这些官方合规场合相关的证据，可以看出他是如何应对成为一名在法律范围内生活的天主教徒的挑战。他可以被视为和对待，作为一个听话的臣民。因此，他可能被视为教会教皇。然而，由于偶尔的从众本身也必然暗示着回避，因此对他的立场更细致入微的理解需要重新考虑一些证据。