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Spiritual Publications of English Jesuits, 1615–1640

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2015

Thomas H. Clancy S.J.
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Extract

In assemblies of scholars the remark is often heard, ‘what we need is an English Bremond.’ The reference is to Henri Bremond's Histoire de Sentiment Religieux en France which issued forth in eleven stout volumes from 1916 to 1933 and has since achieved a well-deserved reputation as a classic. There is no question here even of a beginning of an English Bremond. He limited himself to Catholic writers, but even so he was able to touch most of the high points of the French spiritual tradition. Our goal is to trace but one stream in the Recusant/ Catholic tradition, namely, the literature of the English Jesuits. By this we mean spiritual books in English written or translated by members of the English province of the Society of Jesus and published under Catholic auspices in the twenty-six years from 1615 to 1640.

Type
Research Article
Information
British Catholic History , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , October 1989 , pp. 426 - 446
Copyright
Copyright © Catholic Record Society 1988

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References

Notes

1 Numbers based on entries in A&R.

2 See Antony, Allison ‘John Heigham’ R. H. 4, 234.Google Scholar

3 1 count 288 editions of spiritual books, including rituals, liturgical books, etc. Of these 80 (28%) were written or translated by English Jesuits. About a third of all the spiritual books in A&R which were published from 1615-1640 are of Jesuit origin.

4 See DeGuibert pp. 215-217; T., H. Clancy An Introduction to Jesuit Life [St. Louis, 1976] p. 123 ff.Google Scholar Southwell advises the reading of ‘some pleasant yet profitable booke, as Catholic histories or such like’ in his Short Rule (1597, A&R 787] p. 56.

5 This version is about one fifth as long as the classic biography by Ribadeneira which has been critically edited as Vol. 93 of Monumento Historica Societatis Iesu.

6 On Michael, also known as Nicolas, Lancicius see DS. Note that the latter half of The Theater of Iapponias Constancy [1624] is devoted to miracles worked in Munebrega [Spain] through the intercession of Ignatius in 1623.

7 See the comments on Tursellinus, which is the latinized form of the name, in George, Schurhammer Francis Xavier [ET in 4 vols. Rome, 1973–1982] II, 643 f.Google Scholar

8 There are two paginations: 1-352 & 169-383.

9 Boxer, C. R. The Christian Century in Japan [Berkeley, 1967] p. 285 ff.Google Scholar On Moreion (Morejon) see Schurhammer (supra n. 7) IV, 178.

10 Clancy, T. H. Papist Pamphleteers (Chicago, 1964] p. 215 Google Scholar n. 20. Persons himself started a book on Japan in 1585. Letters and Memorials of Fr. Robert Persons, ed. Leo Hicks. C.R.S. 39, p. 275.

11 Bremond I, 20. This and the subsequent translations from Bremond are taken from the ET of K. L. Montgomery [New York, 1928] p. 17.

12 Bremond I, 11 [ET p. 11]

13 Bremond, I, 17 [ET p. 15]

14 See DS art. ‘Humanisme’ Section VII, L'Humanisme Dévot by Jacques Le Brun.

15 Francis de Sales admired many of our authors. See his recommendation of a work by Ribadeneirato Jeanne de Chantai in Gilmont, p. 272.

16 Male, pp. 110, 230. Martz on the composition of place in Ignatian meditation pp. 27-32, 37-38.

17 SPEXX 230-237. See De Guibert p. 536. More detail in chapters 5&6 of Ignatius of Loyola ed. Friedrich Wulf [St. Louis, 1976].

18 Etienne Binet wrote a source-book of natural phenomena to aid preachers, Essai des Merveilles de Nature et de plus Nobles Artifices [1621]. See Bremond I, Part II, ch. 4, ‘Les Encyclopédistes Devots’ devoted to this and similar books. ET 205-217.

19 Francis, Edwards The Jesuits in England (Tunbridge Wells, 1985) p. 44.Google Scholar

20 Fasciculus Myrrhae [1633] & Life of S. Catherine [1634].

21 Raoul, de Scorraille François Suarez [Paris, 1912] II, 174.Google Scholar

22 Bremond I, 383 [ET p. 300] See also Martz pp. 109-203; Male, pp. 67-71.

23 A&R 808, 809, 810

24 See Josephine, Evetts-Secker ‘Henry Hawkings S. J.’ R. H. 11, pp. 237–252 Google Scholar & 'Fuga Saeculi' R. H.14, pp. 40-52.

25 Bremond, I. 131. ET p. 103.’ … He has plenty of sense and spirit, a gorgeous imagination and a persuasive trick of style …” See also DS on Binet.

26 The History of S. Elizabeth [A&R 387] p. 6f.

27 Martz, pp. 135-144, John X. Evans surveys some of the earlier literature in ‘The Art of Rhetoric and the Art of Dying’ R. H. 10, pp. 247-272. For death in religious art see Male ch. 5.

28 See Evetts-Secker, Fuga Saeculi [n. 24 supra]

29 Luzvic was a French Jesuit who spent his life as a preacher. See DS. This book is augmented by Binet, an early propagator of devotion to the Sacred Heart. See Mario, Praz Studies in Seventeenth Century Imagery [Rome, 1964] p. 154 f.Google Scholar The two preludes + points of meditation follow the usualform of Ignatian meditations.

30 I, 34, ET, p. 28. See Evetts-Secker, ‘Henry Hawkins’ [n. 24 supra] pp. 246-7.

31 SPEXX #11. The point was that the Exercises were not a book to be read, but to be practised. See DeGuibert p. 111. It goes without saying that other books of meditations by Jesuits such as those of Villecastin and Puente claimed to be nothing more than elaborations and adaptions of the Spiritual Exercises.

32 DS I, 1940-1942

33 ‘English Translations of the Imitatio Christi’ R. H. 13, p. 86, Crane points out that Hoskins might have had access to Kempis's autograph manuscript of the Imitatio [p. 85].

34 Allison, A. F. ‘An Early Seventeenth Century Translator’ in B.S. 2, 188–215.Google Scholar

35 A&R 68, p. 127 ff. See Allison [preceding note] p. 209. There are two lists of spiritual books in Drexelius's Nicetas [1633] on pp. 32f & 190f. Drexelius was a very popular German preacher and writer. Almost all his books are full of anecdotes and engravings and were popular among Protestants as well as Catholics. Of the 32 editions of his works published in ET during the seventeenth century only four were under Catholic auspices.

36 The original edition was in Latin [Rome, 1589]. There were eight Latin editions besides multiple editions in German, Italian, Dutch, French, Czech, and Polish. Henry More was the translator. We know that Platus was read in England much earlier than 1632. See Caraman (ed.) John Gerard (London, 1956] pp. 29, 56, 174 Google ScholarPubMed

37 A&R 98, 99 and The Mourning of the Dove [1641. ECB 89]

38 Brodrick II, 303, 392f., 399.

39 Brodrick II, 374-406.

40 Lawrence Anderton recommends this book as a proof for the existence of God in Miscellania [1640. A&R 21] p. 365.

41 See n. 37 supra.

42 Martz pp. 199-203. St. Ignatius had the gift of tears. There is an abundant literature on the subject. See Ignacio de Loyola. Obras Completas [3rd ed. Madrid, 1977] index s.v. ‘lagrimas’ fordozens of references.

43 A&R 50(1631].

44 A&R 200, pp. 485-687.

45 Philip, Caraman Henry Garnet [London, 1964] pp. 258, 271, 318f;Google Scholar John, Bossy The English Catholic Community [London, 1975], pp. 204-9, 229–234.Google Scholar

46 Robert, Southwell. Two Letters [ed. Nancy Brown, Charlottesville, 19753] p. 81.Google Scholar

47 Margaret Waugh p. xv of the introduction to her edition of Southwell's Epistle of Comfort [Chicago, 1966].

48 An Epistle of Comfort [1587-8] p. 142.

49 In the SPEXX the First Principle and Foundation is at #23, the Contemplatio # 230-237, the Examination of Conscience # 24-43, the Rules for Discernment #313-336. Detailed references can be found in Nancy Brown's edition referred to above n. 46.

50 Short Rule [1596-7, A&R 787] p. 74 f. In the first line and subsequently ‘use’ is employed in theold sense of ‘accustom.’

51 See Brown [n. 46 supra.] p. xxviii.

52 Woodhouse, A.S.P. The Poet and his Faith [Chicago, 1965] p. 41.Google Scholar In the New Oxford Book of Christian Verse [1981] fewer pages are devoted to seventeenth century poets.

53 Martz, pp. 179&184. See also Christopher, Devlin Robert Southwell [New York, 1956] p. 257 & ff.Google Scholar

54 Martz, p. 183.

55 1595. A&R 784. pp. 8, 11, 70, 72.

56 Driscoll, J. P.. ‘The Supposed Sources of Persons’ Christian Directory,’ R. H. 5236–245.Google Scholar Driscoll also treats the matter of Persons’ dependence on Luis de Granada. Note that Pedro Leturia calls Loarte's Essercitio ‘the first spiritual treatise published in the Society.’ [Estudios Ignacianos (Rome, 1957) II, 306]. The first edition was published at Genoa in 1557. See Gilmont, p. 261.

57 J. H. Pollen, p. 12 of his introduction to Edmund, Campion Ten Reasons [London, 1914].Google Scholar

58 Epistle of Comfort [1587-8, A&R 781] p. 171.

59 1607 ed. A&R 623, pp. 663 ff. On the senses of the term ‘atheist’ see my Papist Pamphleteers [Chicago, 1964] pp. 173–6.Google Scholar

60 These two chapters, the second and the fourth, appeared first in the 1585 edition [A&R 621] and then in the 1598 and 1622 editions. I have not examined the 1620 ed. [STC 219354.6] which is not in A&R. See Ernest, Strathman ‘Robert Persons’ Essay on Atheism’ in Jos. Quincy Adams Memorial Studies [Washington, 1948] pp. 665–681.Google Scholar

61 Iparraguirre cites Persons book as an example of a work influenced by the SPEXX of St. Ignatius. Historia de los Ejercicios de San Ignacio II p. 371 [Roma, 1955].

62 DeGuibert p. 124. See also Giuliani, M. ‘Qu'attendait Ignace des Exercises?’ in Christus no. 10 [1956] p. 179 ff.Google Scholar

63 Preface of Loarte's Exercise [1579, A&R 462]

64 1607 ed. p. 60.

65 1607 ed. pp. 681-2. He is detailing the method he and Campion used during their time in England. See George Gilbert's Memorial in C.R.S. 93, 321 ff.

66 In the 1650 ed. [ECB 766], which in many ways is the best seventeenth century edition, I count besides Scriptural sources 654 references to 128 sources in the Directory. Among the most quoted sources are Augustine [117 references], Josephus [34], Eusebius [34], and Jerome [28].

67 This and the following page references are to the 1607 edition.

68 Reliquiae Baxterianae (London, 1696] p. 3.Google Scholar Many illustrious figures were converted by Persons ‘Book of Resolution’ as it was often called. John Gerard said that it had converted more souls than it had pages [John Gerard (see n. 36 supra) p. 2], For an account of some of them see Strathman's article [n. 60 above] and Herbert, Thurston ‘Catholic Writers and Elizabethan Readers,’ Month 82 [O.S.] p. 457 ff.Google Scholar

69 Anthony, Kenny (ed.) Responsa Scholarum, C.R.S. 54 & 55, p. xi.Google Scholar See pp. 11, 139f, 149f., 193, 207, 234, ff. 399, 435 f., 556. 70. A&R 763. Quoted in Southern: Elizabethan Recusant Prose [London, 1950] p. 429.Google Scholar

71 Jesuits Memorial I. 4. See my ‘Notes on Persons’ Memorial,’ R. H. 5, 29 f. Books of theological controversy would only be published in Latin.

72 Male, Religious Art [London, 1949] p. 168. See also Fernard, Braudel The Mediterranean [New York, 1973] p. 832.Google Scholar

73 Short Rule [1597, A&R 787] p. 62. See also Male p. 67 ff.

74 Male, pp. 10 ff.

75 Male, pp. 9, 511.

76 See Praz, M. Seventeenth Century Imagery [n. 29 above] pp. 170 ff.Google Scholar

77 Practice of Faith [New York, 1983] p. 22.