![Portrait of P](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Portrait_of_P._Robertus_Personius_%284671756%29.jpg)
Robert Persons (24 June 1546 – 15 April 1610),
later known as Robert Parsons, was an English
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
priest. He was a major figure in establishing the 16th-century "English Mission" of the
Society of Jesus
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
.
Early life
Robert Persons was born at
Nether Stowey
Nether Stowey is a large village in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, South West England. It sits in the foothills of the Quantock Hills (England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), just below Over Stowey. The parish of Nether Stowey ...
,
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
, to
yeoman
Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century also witn ...
parents. Through the favour of local parson named John Hayward, a former monk, he was educated in 1562 at
St. Mary's Hall, Oxford
St Mary Hall was a medieval academic hall of the University of Oxford. It was associated with Oriel College from 1326 to 1545, but functioned independently from 1545 until it was incorporated into Oriel College in 1902.
History
In 1320, ...
. After completing his degrees with distinction, he became a fellow and tutor at
Balliol in 1568.
[Pollen, John Hungerford. "Robert Persons." The Catholic Encyclopedia]
Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 25 March 2016
College fellow and priest
As a Fellow of Balliol College, Persons clashed with the Master there,
Adam Squire
Adam Squire or Squier (died 1588) was an English churchman and academic, Master of Balliol College, Oxford, from 1571 to 1580, and Archdeacon of Middlesex from 1577.
Life
Squire graduated B.A. at Balliol College in 1560, and became a Fellow that y ...
, and also the academic and Roman Catholic priest
Christopher Bagshaw
Christopher Bagshaw (1552 – 1625?) was an English academic and Roman Catholic priest.
Life
He came from a Derbyshire family. He graduated B.A. on 12 July 1572, at Balliol College, Oxford and, in the same year, was elected probationer fellow of ...
.
On 13 February 1574, he was subsequently forced to resign. Through discussion and encouraged by pupillage with
Father William Good, SJ, he travelled overseas to become a Jesuit priest at St Paul's, Rome on 3 July 1575.
English mission: 1580–1581
Persons accompanied
Edmund Campion
Edmund Campion, SJ (25 January 15401 December 1581) was an English Jesuit priest and martyr. While conducting an underground ministry in officially Anglican England, Campion was arrested by priest hunters. Convicted of high treason, he was ...
on his mission to fellow English Catholics in 1580. The Jesuit General,
Everard Mercurian
Everard Mercurian (1514 – 1 August 1580) was the fourth Superior General of the Society of Jesus.
Early life
Born 'Lardinois' into a humble family in Marcourt, near La Roche-en-Ardenne in what is now the province of Luxembourg in 1514, in ...
, had been reluctant to involve the Society directly in English ecumenical affairs. He was persuaded by an Italian Jesuit provincial, and later by Superior General
Claudio Acquaviva
Claudio Acquaviva, SJ (14 September 1543 – 31 January 1615) was an Italian Jesuit priest. Elected in 1581 as the fifth Superior General of the Society of Jesus, he has been referred to as the second founder of the Jesuit order.
Early life an ...
, after
William Cardinal Allen had found Mercurian resistant to change in October 1579.
Persons fast tracked English recruits to the Jesuits, and planned to set up cooperation with the remaining English
secular clergy
In Christianity, the term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or otherwise members of religious life. A secular priest (sometimes known as a diocesan priest) is a priest who commits themselves to a certain geogra ...
. He became impatient with Father Good's approach to the situation. Campion was much less of an enthusiast than he was.
The mission was immediately compromised as
the pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
had sent a separate group to the Jesuit mission, to support the Irish rebel,
James FitzMaurice FitzGerald
James fitz Maurice FitzGerald (died 1579), called "fitz Maurice", was captain-general of Desmond while Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond, was detained in England by Queen Elizabeth after the Battle of Affane in 1565. He led the first Des ...
. Persons and Campion only learned of this event in
Reims
Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne.
Founded by ...
while they were en route to England. After the initial invasion force under the mercenary
Thomas Stukley
Thomas Stucley (c. 15254 August 1578), also written Stukeley or Stukley and known as the Lusty Stucley,Vivian 1895, p. 721, pedigree of Stucley was an English mercenary who fought in France, Ireland, and at the Battle of Lepanto (1571) and ...
had achieved nothing successful in 1578, the intervention under FitzGerald caused the English authorities to monitor the
recusants
Recusancy (from la, recusare, translation=to refuse) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation.
The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign ...
closely, and try to finance the campaign against the papal forces with exactions from them. Campion and Persons crossed separately into England.
In June 1580
Thomas Pounde
Thomas Pounde (29 May 1539 – 5 March 1614) was an English Jesuit lay brother.
Life
Pounde was born at Belmont (Beaumond), Farlington, Hampshire. He was the eldest son of William Pounde and Helen/Anne, the sister or half-sister to Thomas Wrio ...
, then in the
Marshalsea Prison
The Marshalsea (1373–1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners, including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition, it became known, in ...
, went to speak to Persons. This action then resulted in a petition from Pounde to the Privy Council to allow a disputation where the Jesuits would take on
Robert Crowley and
Henry Tripp
Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
*Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
, who used to preach to the
Marshalsea
The Marshalsea (1373–1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners, including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition, it became known, in ...
inmates. Campion and Persons also prepared their own personal statements, to be kept in reserve. The immediate consequence was that Pounde was then transferred to
Bishop's Stortford Castle
Waytemore Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. (). The remains are a Grade I listed structure.
This began as a motte and bailey castle in the time of William the Conqueror. A rectangular ...
; but the prepared statement by Campion was later circulated soon after his capture.
Much of the time Persons spent in England was taken up with covert printing, and pamphleteering. He made his negative view on church
papism
The words Popery (adjective Popish) and Papism (adjective Papist, also used to refer to an individual) are mainly historical pejorative words in the English language for Roman Catholicism, once frequently used by Protestants and Eastern Orthodo ...
clear to the local Catholic clergy, before a synod in
Southwark
Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...
. The secret printing press needed to be relocated, moving it in early 1581 to
Stonor Park
Stonor Park is a historic country house and private deer park situated in a valley in the Chiltern Hills at Stonor, about north of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, England, close to the county boundary with Buckinghamshire. The house has a 12th ...
. Campion was captured in July of that year; and then
Stephen Brinkley Stephen Brinkley (c. 1550 – missing since 1585) was an English printer, covertly producing Roman Catholic literature under Elizabeth I of England. He was imprisoned and tortured as manager of a secret press for the publication of devotional an ...
, who ran the printing press, was taken captive in August. Quite soon after that date Persons left for France.
His underlying strategy of trying to embarrass the English government by demanding a forum for his ideals was consistent with the general approach of Allen and Persons, but met with much criticism from the Catholic members. Allen and Parsons persisted with their demand for another two years, but Jesuit opinion was against further confrontation. Campion was forced into disputation in the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
under adverse conditions. When Persons left England, he was never to return.
To the Armada
Persons spent the winter of 1581–82 at
Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...
, and embarked on writing projects. He was in close contact with
Henry I, Duke of Guise
Henry I, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Count of Eu (31 December 1550 – 23 December 1588), sometimes called ('Scarface'), was the eldest son of Francis, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este. His maternal grandparents were Ercole II d'Este, Du ...
, and through the Duke founded a school for English boys at
Eu, on the coast to the north-east.
Father William Creighton, SJ, was on the way to Scotland. He arrived in January 1582 and was briefed by Persons and the duke. In April Creighton returned with word from
Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox
Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, 1st Earl of Lennox, 6th Seigneur d'Aubigny, (26 May 1583) of the Château d'Aubigny at Aubigny-sur-Nère in the ancient province of Berry, France, was a Roman Catholic French nobleman of Scottish ancestry ...
; and they went to Paris to confer with
William Allen William Allen may refer to:
Politicians
United States
*William Allen (congressman) (1827–1881), United States Representative from Ohio
*William Allen (governor) (1803–1879), U.S. Representative, Senator, and 31st Governor of Ohio
*William ...
,
James Beaton
James Beaton (or Bethune) (1473–1539) was a Roman Catholic Scottish church leader, the uncle of David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland.
Life
James Beaton was the sixth and youngest son of John Beaton of Balfour, ...
and Claude Mathieu, Jesuit provincial in France, on his military plans and the imprisoned
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
. The scheme, which Persons supported confidently, advanced further, but was stopped after the
raid of Ruthven
The Raid of Ruthven was a political conspiracy in Scotland which took place on 22 August 1582. It was composed of several Presbyterian nobles, led by William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, who abducted King James VI of Scotland. The nobles intended ...
of August 1582. One consequence was that Allen was made Cardinal, as Persons had recommended.
A new enterprise was projected for September 1583, this time through England. Persons was sent by the Duke of Guise with written instructions to Rome. He returned to
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
, and stayed for some time at the court of the
Duke of Parma
The Duke of Parma and Piacenza () was the ruler of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, a historical state of Northern Italy, which existed between 1545 and 1802, and again from 1814 to 1859.
The Duke of Parma was also Duke of Piacenza, except ...
. The discovery of the
Throckmorton Plot disrupted the plan, and the Duke of Guise became absorbed in French domestic affairs.
Philip II of Spain
Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...
took over the lead, placed the Duke of Parma in charge, and limited involvement to Persons, Allen, and Hew Owen.
It was during this period that Persons was involved in the work later known as ''
Leicester's Commonwealth
''Leicester's Commonwealth'' (originally titled ') (1584) is a scurrilous book that circulated in Elizabethan England and attacked Queen Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. The work was read as Roman Catholic propaganda agai ...
''. Distributed covertly, it came to light in 1584. Persons is now generally thought not to be the author.
The British historian John Bossy, from the University of York, is inclined to disagree.
There is a scholarly consensus that the intention was to affect French domestic politics, strengthening the Guise faction against Anglophiles. Correspondingly his own standing suffered in some quarters.
Claudio Acquaviva by the end of the year was concerned that the Jesuit strategies for France and the English mission would turn out to be inconsistent in the longer term, and consulted Pope Gregory XIII on the matter. Persons as his subordinate had been told to drop plans to assassinate Elizabeth.
In September 1585,
Pope Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus V ( it, Sisto V; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order ...
succeeded Pope Gregory XIII, and Persons and Allen went to Rome; Persons was still there when the
Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...
sailed in 1588. At this period Allen and Persons made a close study of the
succession to Elizabeth I of England
The succession to the childless Elizabeth I was an open question from her accession in 1558 to her death in 1603, when the crown passed to James VI of Scotland. While the accession of James went smoothly, the succession had been the subject of mu ...
, working with noted genealogist Robert Heighinton.
Persons took his vows of final profession in the Jesuits in Rome on 7 May 1587.
Later life
Persons was sent to Spain at the close of 1588 to conciliate
Philip II of Spain
Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...
, who was offended with
Claudio Acquaviva
Claudio Acquaviva, SJ (14 September 1543 – 31 January 1615) was an Italian Jesuit priest. Elected in 1581 as the fifth Superior General of the Society of Jesus, he has been referred to as the second founder of the Jesuit order.
Early life an ...
. Persons was successful, and then made use of the royal favour to found the seminaries of
Valladolid
Valladolid () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province o ...
,
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
, and
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
(1589, 1592, 1598) and the residences of
San-Lucar and of
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
(which became a college in 1622). He then succeeded in establishing at
St Omer (1594) a larger institution to which the boys from Eu were transferred. It is the institutional ancestor of
Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College is a co-educational Catholic Church, Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Society of Jesus, Jesuit tradition, on the Stonyhurst, Stonyhurst Estate, Lancashire, England. It occupies a Grade I listed building. Th ...
.
[
In 1596, in ]Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
, he wrote ''Memorial for the Reformation of England'', which gave in some detail a blueprint for the kind of society England was to become after its return to the faith. He had hoped to succeed Allen Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to:
Buildings
* Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee
* Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in downtown Houston, Texas
* Allen Fieldhouse, an indoor sports arena on the Univer ...
as Cardinal on the latter's death. Unsuccessful, he was rewarded with the rectorship of the English College in Rome, where he died at the age of 63. John Donne
John Donne ( ; 22 January 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a clergy, cleric in the Church of England. Under royal patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul's ...
's ''Pseudo Martyr'' (1610) engages critically with Persons' views.
Works
Persons's published works were:
* ''A brief discovrs contayning certayne reasons why Catholiques refuse to goe to Church . . . dedicated by I. H. to the queenes most excellent Maiestie. Doway, John Lyon'' ondon 1580. This work was published through a clandestine printing press
A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in wh ...
in London, printed as a consequence of decisions at a synod at Southwark
Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...
held not long after Frs. Persons and Campion landed. It was aimed at implementing a 1563 declaration of Pope Pius IV
Pope Pius IV ( it, Pio IV; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death in December 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered ...
that Catholics should not mix with heretics.
* ''A Discouerie of I. Nicols, minister, misreported a Jesuite, latelye recanted in the Tower of London. Doway'' ondon 1580. Printed by Persons at Stonor Park
Stonor Park is a historic country house and private deer park situated in a valley in the Chiltern Hills at Stonor, about north of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, England, close to the county boundary with Buckinghamshire. The house has a 12th ...
, it concerned a renegade Catholic priest. In a poem which begins, ''Gwrandewch ddatcan, meddwl maith'' ("Hear a song, a great thought,"), St. Richard Gwyn
Richard Gwyn (ca. 1537 – 15 October 1584), also known by his anglicised name, Richard White, was a Welsh teacher at illegal and underground schools and a Bard who wrote both Christian and satirical poetry in the Welsh language. A Roman ...
, who was Canonized in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, both summarized Fr. Persons' work and rendered it into a work of Welsh poetry
Welsh poetry refers to poetry of the Welsh people or nation. This includes poetry written in Welsh, poetry written in English by Welsh or Wales based poets, poetry written in Wales in other languages or poetry by Welsh poets around the world.
H ...
in strict meter. All of the reasons given by Fr. Persons for Catholics to refuse to attend Anglican services were listed by St. Richard Gwyn in the poem, "but of course only in brief poetic way."
* ''A briefe censure upon two bookes written in answer to M. Edmund Campians offer of disputation. Doway, John Lyon'' eally at Mr. Brooke's house near London 1581. Against William Charke
William Charke (died 1617) was an English Puritan cleric and controversialist, known as one of those brought into the Tower of London to debate with the imprisoned Jesuit, Edmund Campion.
Life
Charke was a fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge. He wa ...
and Meredith Hanmer
Meredith Hanmer (1543–1604) was a Welsh clergyman, known as a controversialist, historian, and translator. He was considered embittered, by the Lord-Deputy William Russell, 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh; but he appears now as a shrewd observer ...
, who had engaged in controversy with Campion.
* ''De persecvtione Anglicana commentariolus a collegio Anglicano Romano hoc anno 1582 in vrbe editus et iam denuo Ingolstadii excusus . . . anno eodem.'' Also, ''De persecutione Angl. libellus, Romæ, ex typogr. G. Ferrarii, 1582.''
* ''A Defence of the censvre gyven vpon tvvo bookes of William Charke and Meredith Hanmer, mynysters'', 1582.
* ''The first booke of the Christian exercise, appertayning to Resolution'' ouen
Audoin (AD 609 – on 24 August 684; also spelled ''Audoen'', ''Ouen'', ''Owen''; la, Audoenus; known as Dado to contemporaries) was a Frankish bishop, courtier, hagiographer and saint.
Life
Audoin came from a wealthy aristocratic Frankish fami ...
1582. Preface signed R. P. Afterwards much enlarged, under the title of ''A Christian Directorie, guiding men to their saluation, devided into three books, anno 1585'', and often reprinted (40 editions by 1640). This was a major devotional work in English, and was soon adapted by Edmund Bunny
Edmund Bunny (1540–1619) was an Anglican churchman of Calvinist views.
Life
He was born in 1540 at the Vache, the seat of Edward Restwold, his mother's father, near Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. He was the eldest son of Richard Bunny (died ...
to Protestant needs.
* ''Relacion de algunos martyres ... en Inglaterra, traduzida en Castellano'', 1590. William Thomas Lowndes
William Thomas Lowndes (c. 1798 – 31 July 1843), English bibliographer, was born about 1798, the son of a London bookseller.
His principal work, ''The Bibliographer’s Manual of English Literature''—the first systematic work of the kind—w ...
considered that Persons was the probable author of this work on the English martyrs, as well as its translator into Spanish.
* ''Elizabethæ Angliæ reginæ hæresim Calvinianam propvgnantis sævissimvm in Catholicos sui regni Edictvm . . . promulgatum Londini 29 Nouembris 1591. Cum responsione ad singula capita . . . per D. Andream Philopatrum, presb. ac theol. Romanum, Lvgduni'', 1592. This Latin work was a detailed rebuttal of a proclamation of Elizabeth I of October 1591, against seminary priests and Jesuits.
* '' A Conference abovt the next svccession to the crowne of Ingland, divided into tvvo partes. . . . Where vnto is added a new & perfect arbor or genealogie.... Published by R. Doleman. Imprinted at N. t. Omerwith licence'', 1594. The book suggests Isabella Clara Eugenia
Isabella Clara Eugenia ( es, link=no, Isabel Clara Eugenia; 12 August 1566 – 1 December 1633), sometimes referred to as Clara Isabella Eugenia, was sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands in the Low Countries and the north of modern France with ...
of Spain as the proper successor.
* ''A Memoriall for the Reformation of England conteyning certayne notes and advertisements which seeme might be proposed in the first parliament and nationall councell of our country after God of his mercie shall restore it to the catholique faith .. gathered and set downe by R. P.,'' 1596. Left in manuscript, the circulation having included Isabella Clara Eugenia. It was first published in 1690 by Edward Gee, as ''Jesuits Memorial for the intended Reformation of England''.
* ''A Temperate Ward-word to the turbulent and seditious Wach-word of Sir Francis Hastinges, knight, who indevoreth to slander the whole Catholique cause.... By N. D.'' 1599. Controversy with Sir Francis Hastings
Sir Francis Hastings (c. 1546–1610) was an English Puritan politician.
Hastings was a skilful parliamentarian, and excellent committee man, and schooled in the importance of religion in political discourse. A published author, highly ...
.
* ''The Copie of a letter written by F. Rob. Persons, the jesuite, 9 Oct 1599, to M. D. Bis pand M. Chanock
Nock may refer to:
Archery
* In a bow and arrow, two notches near the bow's respective ends, for attaching the bowstring
* Nock (arrow), in an arrow, the notch in the fletched (feathered) end of the arrow, for engaging the bowstring
People
*H ...
two banished and consigned priests... for presuming to goe to Rome in the affaires of the Catholicke church''. This was printed in ''Copies of certain Discourses'', Roane, 1601, pp. 49–67, edited by William Bishop, one of the appellants in the Archpriest controversy; the other appellant named is Robert Charnock.
* ''A Briefe Apologie or Defence of the Catholike ecclesiastical hierarchie & subordination in England, erected these later yeares by our holy Father ... and impugned by certayne libels printed ... by some vnquiet persons under the name of priests of the seminaries. Written ... by priests vnited in due subordination to the right rev. Archpriest'' arly in 1602
The Arly () is a 32.1 km long river in the Departments of France, departments of Savoie and Haute-Savoie, France. It is a tributary of the Isère (river), Isère, which it joins at Albertville.
Towns crossed by the river
* Megève
* Praz-sur ...
Anti-appellant work in the Archpriest controversy.
* ''An Appendix to the Apologie lately set forth for the defence of the hierarchie'' 602
__NOTOC__
Year 602 ( DCII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 602 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era b ...
A Latin translation of the 'Appendix' was also published in the same year.
* ''A Manifestation of the great folly and bad spirit of certayne in England calling themselves secular priestes, who set forth dayly most infamous and contumelious libels against worthy men of their own religion. By priests liuing in obedience,'' 1602. Anti-appellant work in the Archpriest controversy.
* ''The Warn-word to Sir F. Hastings Wastword: conteyning the issue of three former treatises, the Watchword, the Ward-word, and the Wastword . . . Whereunto is adjoyned a brief rejection of an insolent . . . minister masked with the letters O. E.'' (i.e. Matthew Sutcliffe
Matthew Sutcliffe (1550? – 1629) was an English clergyman, academic and lawyer. He became Dean of Exeter, and wrote extensively on religious matters as a controversialist. He served as chaplain to His Majesty King James I of England. He ...
). ''By N. D.'', 1602.
* ''A Treatise of Three Conversions of England ... divided into three parts. The former two whereof are handled in this book. . . . By N. D., author of the Ward-word'', 1603. Polemical work against John Foxe
John Foxe (1516/1517 – 18 April 1587), an English historian and martyrologist, was the author of '' Actes and Monuments'' (otherwise ''Foxe's Book of Martyrs''), telling of Christian martyrs throughout Western history, but particularly the su ...
's anti-Catholic reading of history.
* ''The Third part of a treatise intituled of the Three Conversions of England. Conteyning an examen of the Calendar or Catalogue of Protestant saints . . . devised by Fox. By N. D.'' (preface dated November 1603).
* ''A Review of ten pvblike dispvtations or conferences held within the compasse of foure yeares vnder K. Edward and Qu. Mary. By N.D.'', 1604 (separately paged but issued with third part of Three Conversions'').
* ''A Relation of the triall made before the king of France upon the yeare 1600 betweene the bishop of Évreux and the L. Plessis Mornay. Newly reviewed . . . with a defence thereof against the impugnations both of the L. Plessis in France and O. E. in England. By N. D.,'' 1604. On the debate at Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau (; ) is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the ''arrondissement ...
on 4 May 1600 between Jacques-Davy Duperron
Jacques Davy Duperron (15 November 1556 – 6 December 1618) was a French politician and Roman Catholic cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal.
Family and Education
Jacques Davy du Perron was born in Saint-Lô in Normandy, into the Davy family, of the ...
and Philippe de Mornay
Philippe de Mornay (5 November 1549 – 11 November 1623), seigneur du Plessis Marly, usually known as Du-Plessis-Mornay or Mornay Du Plessis, was a French Protestant writer and member of the anti-monarchist '' Monarchomaques''.
Biography
H ...
.
* ''An Ansvvere to the fifth part of Reportes lately set forth by Syr Edward Cooke knight, the King's attorney generall, concerning the ancient and moderne municipal lawes of England, which do appertayne to spiritual power and jurisdiction. By a Catholick Deuyne t. Omer'' 1606. Polemical work against Sir Edward Coke
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as p ...
's anti-Catholic reading of the common law
In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omnipresen ...
.
* ''Quæstiones duæ: quarum 1a est, an liceat Catholicis Anglicanis . . . Protestantium ecclesias vel preces adire: 2da utrum non si precibus ut concionibus saltem hæreticis . . . licite possint interesse easque audire'' t. Omer 1607. Pope Paul V
Pope Paul V ( la, Paulus V; it, Paolo V) (17 September 1550 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death in January 1621. In 1611, he honored ...
had repeated the declaration against Catholics attending Protestant churches.
* ''A treatise tending to mitigation tovvards Catholicke-subiectes in England. . . . Against the seditious wrytings of Thomas Morton, minister. By P. R.'', 1607 (the first part is on rebellion
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
, the second concerns the doctrine of equivocation
In logic, equivocation ("calling two different things by the same name") is an informal fallacy resulting from the use of a particular word/expression in multiple senses within an argument.
It is a type of ambiguity that stems from a phrase havin ...
). Written in the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby who sought ...
, the work argues for religious toleration
Religious toleration may signify "no more than forbearance and the permission given by the adherents of a dominant religion for other religions to exist, even though the latter are looked on with disapproval as inferior, mistaken, or harmful". ...
in England.
* ''The Judgment of a Catholicke Englishman liuing in banishment for his religion . . . concerning a late booke y K. Jamesentituled: Triplici nodo triplex cuneus, or an apologie for the oath of allegiance. . . . wherin the said oath is shewn to be vnlawful. . . .'' 1608. Contribution to the allegiance oath controversy
The Oath of Allegiance of 1606 was an oath requiring English Catholics to swear allegiance to James I over the Pope. It was adopted by Parliament the year after the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 (see Popish Recusants Act 1605). The oath was proclaimed l ...
.
* ''Dutifull and respective considerations upon foure severall heads . . . proposed by the high and mighty Prince James ... in his late book of Premonition to all Christian princes. . . . By a late minister and preacher in England'', St. Omer, 1609 (written by Persons for Humphrey Leech
Humphrey Leech (1571 – 18 July 1629) was an English priest of the Church of England and Catholic convert, known as a Jesuit author.
Life
Leech was born at Drayton in Hales, Shropshire. He was educated at Shrewsbury School, and matriculated at B ...
, under whose name it appeared). Argues for tolerance for Catholicism in its integrity.
* ''A quiet and sober reckoning with M. Thomas Morton, somewhat set in choler by his advesary P. R. ... There is also adioyned a peece of reckoning with Syr Edward Cooke, now LL. Chief Justice'', 1609. Against Thomas Morton, who had argued that recusant Catholics were necessarily disloyal, Persons argued that Catholicism could co-exist peacefully with the Church of England.
* ''A Discussion of the answer of M. William Barlow, Doctor of Diuinity, to the book intituled, The Judgment of a Catholic Englishman, St. Omers'', 1612 (published after Persons's death, with a supplement by Thomas Fitzherbert
Thomas Fitzherbert (155217 August 1640) was an English Jesuit.
Early life
Fitzherbert was born at Swynnerton, Staffordshire. He was the eldest son and heir of William Fitzherbert and grandson of Sir Anthony Fitzherbert, a Justice of the Common ...
). Reply to William Barlow William Barlow may refer to:
Religious figures
*William Barlow (bishop of Chichester) (c. 1498–1568), English cleric
* William Barlow (bishop of Lincoln) (died 1613), Anglican priest and courtier, served as Bishop of Rochester and Bishop of Linco ...
in the allegiance oath controversy.
* ''Epitome controversiarum hujus temporis'' was a manuscript preserved in Balliol College.
Misattributed
''An Apologicall Epistle: directed to the right honourable lords and others of her majesties privie counsell. Serving as well for a preface to a Booke entituled A Resolution of Religion'' igned R. B. Antwerp, 1601, is by Richard Broughton rather than Persons (as the ''Dictionary of National Biography'' says). Some works against Thomas Bell were thought to be by Persons (as in the DNB), but were in fact by Philip Woodward.
See also
References
Sources
*
*
;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Persons, Robert
1546 births
1610 deaths
16th-century English Jesuits
17th-century English Jesuits
Alumni of St Mary Hall, Oxford
Early modern Christian devotional writers
English expatriates in Italy
English expatriates in Spain
People from Sedgemoor (district)
Rectors of the English College, Rome
Recusants
English Roman Catholics