The accession of James I to the throne of England in 1603 brought about a change in the political thought of the English Catholics. As was pointed out at the end of the previous part of this study, the battle for a Catholic prince was over and the battle for toleration under a Protestant prince was about to begin. In this new struggle the doctrine of the deposing power was, as far as practical politics went, merely an embarrassment. The doctrine was, however, implied by the current Catholic teaching concerning the nature and government of the church, and no champion of the Holy See could then imagine how it could be denied without seriously impairing the Catholic case for the Roman primacy. But since it was plain to all that the last chance for invoking the deposing power in England had passed and that it was now useless as a political weapon, the temptation was naturally very strong to renounce it altogether as a doctrine.

Nobody will pretend that Henry Constable was more than a minor poet and an indifferent theologian; he is nonetheless a crucial figure in the history of English Catholicism, and it is most important that we should have a clear idea of his motives and opinions. Dr. Rogers has done us a great service by sorting out the bibliographical history of his Examen pacifique de la Doctrine des Huguenots, and dispelling a number of confusions which had accumulated around it. I propose to supplement his article by producing evidence which, except on a few points, will support and amplify his conclusions and suggest a more concrete biographical background to them.

The following discoveries in MS sources in Yorkshire cast a little light on the More family circle and their connections.

In July 1614 the York High Commission issued a warrant to bring before them William Reyner and John Leminge, then in Ripon gaol, charged with printing Papist literature. With them were to be brought their printing press and tools and Papist books and ‘cartulae’ found in their possession at Ripon or elsewhere. On July 29th they appeared at Bishopthorpe Palace before Toby Mathew, Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Bristol, Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby, Sir John Jackson, William Ellis Esq., all of the king's Council in the North Parts, and William Ingram LL.D., Phineas Hodson S.T.P. and iour others, oi the York Ecclesiastical Commissioners.