Nov. 28, 1853.
P.S.--Not having the fear of Sir Roger Twisden or MR. THOMAS COLLIS
before my eyes, I advisedly made what the latter gentleman is pleased to
term a "loose statement" (Vol. viii., p. 631.), when I spoke of the
Church of England separating from Rome. As to the Romanists "conforming"
for the first twelve (or as some have it nineteen) years of Elizabeth's
reign, the less said about that the better for both parties, and
especially for the dominant party.[3]
MR. COLLIS'S dogmatic assertions, that the Roman Catholics "conformed"
for the twelve years, and that Popes Paul IV. and Pius IV. offered to
confirm the Book of Common Prayer if Elizabeth would acknowledge the
papal supremacy, are evidently borrowed, word for word, from Dr.
Wordsworth's[4] _Theophilus Anglicanus_, cap. vii. p. 219. A careful
examination of the evidence adduced in support of the latter assertion,
shows it to be of the most flimsy description, and refers it to its true
basis, viz. _hearsay_: the reasoning and inferences which prop the
evidence are equally flimsy.
Fuller, speaking of this report, says that it originated with "some who
love to feign what they cannot find, that they may never appear to be at
a loss." (_Ch. Hist._, b. IX. 69.)
As the question at issue is one of great historical importance, I am
prepared, if called on, to give a summary of the case in all its
bearings; for the present I content myself with giving the following
references:
"Sir Roger Twisden's Historical Vindication of the Church of
England in point of Schism, as it stands separated from the
Roman. Lond. 1675."--P. 175.
"Bp. Andrewes' Tortura Torti. Lond. 1609."--P. 142.
"Parallel Torti et Tortoris."--P. 241.
"Abp. Bramhall ag. Bp. Chal."--Ch. ii. (vol. ii. p. 85., Oxf.
ed.)
"Sir E. Cook's Speech and Charge at Norwich Assizes. 1607."
"Babington upon Numbers. Lond. 1615."--Ch. vii. § 2. p. 35.
"Servi Fidelis subdito infideli Responsis, apud Johannem Dayum.
Lond. 1573." (In reply to Saunders' _De Visibili Monarchia_.)
"Camd. Annal. an. 1560. Lond. 1639."--Pt. I. pp. 47. 49.
(See also Heylin, 303.; Burnet, ii. 387.; Strype, _Annal._ ch. xix.;
Tierney's _Dodd_, ii. 147.)
The letter which the pontiff _did_ address to Elizabeth is given in
Fuller, ix. 68., and Dodd, ii. app. xlvii. p. cccxxi.
N.B.--In the P.S. to my last note, "N. & Q.," Vol. _viii._, p. 156., was
a misprint for Vol. V.
[Footnote 1: The titles of these books remind one of "a merry disport,"
which formerly took place in the hall of the Inner Temple. "At the
conclusion of the ceremony, a huntsman came into the hall bearing a fox,
a pursenet, and a cat, both bound at the end of a staff, attended by
nine or ten couples of hounds with the blowing of hunting-horns. Then
were the fox and cat set upon and killed by the dogs beneath the fire,
to the no small pleasure of the spectators." One of the masque-names in
this ceremony was "Sir Morgan Mumchance, of Much Monkery, in the county
of Mad Popery."
In _Ane Compendious Boke of Godly and Spiritual Songs_, Edinburgh, 1621,
printed from an old copy, are the following lines, seemingly referring
to some such pageant:
"The Hunter is Christ that hunts in haist,
The Hunds are Peter and Pawle,
The Paip is the Fox, Rome is the Rox
That rubbis us on the gall."
See Hone's _Year-Book_, p. 1513.
The symbolism of the brute creation is copiously employed in Holy
Scripture and in ancient writings, and furnishes a magazine of arms in
all disputes and party controversies. Thus, the strange sculptures on
_misereres_, &c. are ascribed to contests between the secular and
regular clergy: and thus Dryden, in his polemical poem of _The Hind and
the Panther_, made these two animals symbolise respectively the Church
of Rome and the Church of England, while the Independents, Calvinists,
Quakers, Anabaptists, and other sects are characterised as wolves,
bears, boars, foxes--all that is odious and horrible in the brute
creation.
"A Jesuit has collected _An Alphabetical Catalogue of the Names of
Beasts by which the Fathers characterised the Heretics_. It may be found
in _Erotemata de malis ac bonis Libris_, p. 93., 4to., 1653, of Father
Raynaud. This list of brutes and insects, among which are a variety of
serpents, is accompanied by the names of the heretics designated." (See
the chapter in D'Israeli's _Curios. Lit._ on "Literary Controversy,"
where many other instances of this kind of complimentary epithets are
given, especially from the writings of Luther, Calvin, and Beza.)]
[Footnote 2: [We are enabled to give the remainder of the title and the
date:--"Together with the Lord Falkland's Speech in Parliament, 1640,
relating to that subject: London, printed for Ben. Bragg, at the Black
Raven in Paternoster Row. 1710."--ED.]]
[Footnote 3: See the authorities given by Mr. Palmer, _Church of
Christ_, 3rd ed., Lond. 1842, pp. 347-349.; and Mr. Percival _On the
Roman Schism_: see also Tierney's _Dodd_, vols. ii. and iii.
A full and impartial history of the "conformity" of Roman Catholics and
Puritans duping the penal laws is much wanting, especially of the former
during the first twelve years of Elizabeth. With the Editor's permission
I shall probably send in a few notes on the latter subject, with a list
of the works for and against outward conformity, which was published
during that period. (See Bp. Earle's character of "A Church Papist,"
_Microcosmography_, Bliss's edition, p. 29.)]
[Footnote 4: It is painful to see party spirit lead aside so learned and
estimable a man as Dr. Wordsworth, and induce him to convert a
ridiculous report into a grave and indisputable matter of fact. The more
we know, the greater is our reverence for accuracy, truthfulness, and
candour; and the older we grow in years and wisdom, the more we estimate
that glorious motto--_Audi alteram partem_.
What are our ordinary histories of the Reformation from Burnet to
Cobbett but so many caricatures? Would that there were more Maitlands in
the English Church, and more Pascals and Pugins in the Roman!
Let me take this occasion to recommend to the particular attention of
all candid inquirers a little brochure, by the noble-minded writer last
named, entitled _An Earnest Address on the Establishment of the
Hierarchy_, by A. Welby Pugin: Lond. Dolman, 1851. And let me here
inquire whether this lamented writer completed his _New View of an Old
Subject; or, the English Schism impartially Considered_, which he
advertised as in preparation?
I should mention, perhaps, that Sir Roger Twisden's book was reprinted
in 1847: I have, however, met with the original edition only.]
* * * * *