Holden, Henry

, an English Roman catholic divine, was born in Lancashire in 1596, and in 1618 was admitted a student in the English college at Doway, where he took the name of Johnson. Here he improved himself in the classics, and studied philosophy and divinity, and going to Paris in 1623, took the degree of D. D. in that university, to which he continued attached during the remainder of his life, having no other preferment but that of penitentiary or confessor in the parish church of St. Nicholas du Chardonet. He died about 1665, esteemed one of the ablest controversial divines of his time, and in this respect has been highly praised by Dupin. Some suspected him of Jansenism, but his biographers wish to repell this charge, as they think it. Among his works are three, which chiefly contributed to his fame, 1. “Analysis Fidei,” Paris, 1652, 8vo, translated into English by W. G. 4to, 1658. Of this Dupin has given a long analysis. It was reprinted by Barbou in 1766, and contains a brief summary of the whole ceconomy of faith, its principles and motives, with their application to controversial questions. | It is considered as argumentative and sound. 2. “Marginal Notes on the New Testament,” Paris, 1660, 2 vols. 12mo. 3. “A Letter concerning Mr. White’s Treatise De Medio Animarum statu,” Paris, 1661, 4to. ¹