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King James I Meets John Percy, S.J. (25 May, 1622.)

An unpublished manuscript from the religious controversies surrounding the Countess of Buckingham's conversion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2015

Timothy H. Wadkins
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Extract

IN May 1622 a series of private discussions on religion was held in London between representatives of the Anglican Church and the Jesuit, John Percy, alias Fisher. The occasion was the announcement by the Countess of Buckingham, mother of King James I’s favourite, George Villiers, Marquess (later Duke) of Buckingham, of her intention to become a Catholic. The King and the Marquess arranged the discussions which occupied three successive days, the 24th, 25th and 26th of May. Two eminent Anglican divines were enlisted to debate with Percy. On the first day the Anglican case was argued by Francis White, at this time a royal chaplain and later a bishop. He was opposed by Percy, in the presence of the Countess, the Marquess and Marchioness (Lady Catherine, who had also influenced her husband's decision to hold these discussions by declaring her intention to return to the Catholic faith in which she had been brought up), Bishop John Williams, (the Lord Keeper), and—possibly—the King. On the second day the King himself took the leading part in putting the Anglican case. On the third day the chief Anglican protagonist was William Laud, at this period Bishop of St. David's, who took the place of Francis White.

Type
Research Article
Information
British Catholic History , Volume 19 , Issue 2 , October 1988 , pp. 146 - 154
Copyright
Copyright © Catholic Record Society 1988

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References

Notes

1 For Percy, see Henry, Foley, Records of the English Province of the Society of Jesus, London, 1875, etc., vol. 1, pp. 521 Google Scholar et seq.; Joseph, Gillow, Bibliographical Dictionary of the English Catholics, London 1885,Google Scholar etc., vol. 5, pp. 261, et seq.; Dictionary of National Biography under Percy, John. A more recent study is that by Sister Joseph Damien Hanlon, C.S.J.: in The Effects of the Counter Reformation upon English Catholics, 1603–1630 (Unpublished doctoral book, Columbia University, 1959),Google Scholar chapter 5.

2 Peter, Milward, The Religious Controversies of the Jacobean Age, London, Scolar Press, 1978, pp. 143-147, 216–227.Google Scholar

3 Milward, op. cit. (note 2), p. 226, no. 753.

4 MS no. 1372, ff. 51-62. For Brudenell, see Joan, Wake, The Brudenells of Deene, London, 1954 ed., ch. 6.Google Scholar

5 The identification of the initials, thus punctuated, is speculative at best. L.M.B, probably stands for Lord Marquess of Buckingham; L.B. Lady Buckingham [the Countess]; L.M.B. Lady Marchioness of Buckingham; J.L.V. possibly John Lord Viscount [Buckingham's elder brother). The sixth initial from the left, a single J., I cannot identify. We only know for certain that the Countess, the Marquess, Dr. White and King James I were present.

6 Henry Garnet S. J., Edward Oldcorne S. J., Oswald Tesimond S. J., alias Greenway, John Gerard S. J., Anne Vaux, Robert Catesby, were all accused by the government of complicity in the Gunpowder Plot. Garnet and Oldcorne were condemned and executed, Catesby was mortally wounded when apprehended, Gerard and Tesimond fled the country, Vaux was imprisoned in the Tower and eventually released.

7 Reference here is to the Jesuit, Juan de Mariana's De rege et regis institutione, 1559, in which tyrannicide is justified in certain circumstances.

8 See note 13.

9 The reference is to Bellarmine's ‘Liber secundus de reliquiis et imaginibus sanctorum’ which included ‘Appendix ad tractatum de cultu imaginum’ in Disputationes … de controversiis Christianae fidei, Paris, 1608, tom.2, cols. 741-826; 826-900.

10 The Jesuit theologian Gabriel Vazquez (1549-1604).

11 Gregory I (540-604). Pope from 590 onwards.

12 Epistola 20. Ad Mauricium Augustum. ‘Cunctis enim Evangelium scientibus liquet quod voce dominica sancto et omnium apostolorum Petro principi apostolo totius Ecclesia cura commissa est’. J. P. Migne, Patrologiae cursus completus. Series Latina. torn.77. col. 745.

13 The English Jesuits followed Bellarmine in upholding the theory of the indirect power of the Pope in temporals. See John, Courtny Murray, S. J., ‘St. Robert Bellarmine on the Indirect Power’, in Theological Studies, vol. 9, 1948, pp. 491–535.Google Scholar For James I's views on the Pope's spiritual power, see ‘A Premonition to all most Mightie Monarches … ’ in The Political Works of James I, ed. Mcliwain, C. H., Cambridge, Mass, 1918, pp. 125–128.Google Scholar

14 James fulfilled his promise with ‘Some of the Principal Points which withhold my joining unto the Church of Rome, except she reforme herself. See Milward, op. cit. (note 2), p. 226.

15 Percy is paraphrasing Tertullian, Ad Uxorem, lib. 2, c. 5: ‘Non seiet maritus, quid secreto ante omnem eibum gustes; et si sciverit panem, non illam credit esse qui dicitur?’. J. P. Migne, Patrologiae cursus completus. Series Latina. tom.1. col. 1296.

16 Matthew 26: 27.

17 Lord Marquess of Buckingham.