John Barnes

, or Barnesius, as he writes himself, was descended from those of his name in Lancashire, but whether born in that County, I know not, was educated for a time in this University, but being always in animo Catholicus, he left it and his Country, and going into Spain, was instructed in Philosophy and Divinity by the famous Doctor J. Alph. Curiel, who was wont to call Barnes by the name of John Huss, because of a spirit of contradiction which was always observed in him. After he had finished his course of studies, he took upon him the habit of S. Benedict, with a resolution then to live and dye in it; and about that time, was sent into the Mission of England to strengthen the Brethren, but being taken and imprisoned was sent into Normandy with certain Priests and Jesuits. Soon after he was by his Superior sent into Lorain, where he taught Divinity in the English Monastery of Benedictines called Dieuward or Dieuleward, and was there by the fraternity, and others too, esteemed profound in that great faculty, tho he cared not to make shew of it, much less to have any thing of his composition published. After he had left Dieuleward he became a Professor either of Div. or Philosophy in Marchein college in Doway, where also he gained to himself the name of an eminent Divine and Philosopher: Thence he crossed the Seas, and setled for a time in England, where he fell out with his Superiors for refusing to submit to the Union of the Spanish and Italian Monks into one Congregation. While he continued there he wrote,

Dissertatio contra Aequivocationes. Par. 1625. oct. &c. dedicated to P. Vrban 8. at which time the author was the prime person of the English Mission for assisting the Spanish Congregation. In 1627. I find him in Oxon again in the condition of a Gentleman and a Sojournor, to the end that he might obtain materials from the Bodleian Library towards the composition of a work by him then in hand, and about that time published a book against the Apostolatus Benedictinorum in Anglia, published by Clem. Reyner D. D. and Secretary to the Congregation of the Benedictines, an. 1626. fol. Which being esteemed a piece savouring of too much impudence, and contradiction, if not Heresie, it was prohibited the reading by the Brethren, and thrown aside among unlicensed and heretical books, and soon after had a reply published against it, which in some copies of the Apostolatus is put at the end, without a name to it, or any naming of Barnes. It must be now known that this learned person, being a very moderate man in his opinion, and deeply sensible by his great reading and observation of several corruptions of the Romish Church and doctrine, which partly were expressed in his discourse, but mostly in a book which he wrote, called,

Catholico-Romanus Pacificus. became for that, (tho not printed) and his answer to Apostol. so much hated by those of his Order, that endeavours were made to seize upon, and make, him an example. Whereupon Barnes perceiving a storm approaching, he fled to Paris, and was there protected by the English Embassador. But so it was, that by the endeavours of Clem. Reyner before-mentioned, and his interest made with Albert of Austria, he was (a)(a) I [•] aac Basire D. D. in his Ancient liberty of the Britannick Church, &c. Posit. 4. p. 40. carried out from the midst of that City by force, was divested of his habit, and like a four-footed (b)(b) Ibid. Brute was in a barbarous manner tyed to a Horse, and violently hurried away into Flanders. Where continuing for some time, was thence soon after carried to Rome, where by command of the Pope, he was, as a contriver of new doctrine, thrust into the dungeon of the Inquisition. Soon after being distracted in mind, as a certain Jesuit (c)(c) Theop. Ranaudus in Theologia antiqua de veri Martyris ad [•] quate suniti notione. Lugd. 1656. p. 7. saith, was removed to a place for the reception of Mad-men behind the Church of S. Paul the less, there to continue till he came to his senses. Afterwards several copies in MS. of Cath. Rom. Pacificus, flying abroad, a true copy of it was made up by comparing it with others, and printed at the Theatre in Oxon, an. 1680. oct. Several years before that, some of the sections therein were made use of by another (d)(d) Is Baf [••] e in Diatrib. [〈◊〉] antiquae Eccles. [〈◊〉] libertate, &c. Brugis 1676. person, as that (1) Of Councils, Popes, Schism. (2) Of the priviledges of the Isle of Great Britain. (3) Of the Pope’s Supremacy, and the Supreme Power of Kings, both in Temporals, as also in Spirituals, &c. Our author Barnesius hath written also a Tract of the Supremacy of Councils, which I have not yet seen, and other things; and also hath translated from the Spanish, into the Latin, tongue, Pugna Spiritualis, &c. written by Joh. Castiniza a Benedictine Monk. It was also afterwards translated into the same tongue by Jodochus Lorichius D. D. of Friburg.—Duac. 1625. in sixt. By those of the reformed party he, the said Barnes, (who was living in sixteen hundred and thirty,)Clar. 1630. is stiled, the good Irenaeus, a learned, peaceable and moderate man, but by the R. Catholicks, especially by those of his Order, a person of a turbulent and contradictory Spirit, occasioned by too much confidence and presumption of his own parts and wit, which was greater than his humility, and so consequently did expose him to great danger, (as they say,) of Apostacy, and disobedience to his Superiours, as also unworthy gratitude towards some who had deserved better returns from him. The time of his death, or place of burial, I cannot yet obtain, nor any thing else of him, only this, that certain fierce People at Rome, being not contented with his death, have endeavoured to extinguish his fame, boldly publishing that he died distracted.