Richard Smyth

the greatest pillar for the Roman man Catholick cause in his time, was born in Worcestershire, admitted Probationer-Fellow of Merton Coll. in the beginning of the Year 1527, Master of Arts 1530, and the Year after was (on the resignation of Rob. Taylor Fellow of the said Coll) unanimously chosen the publick Scribe or Registrary of the University. Afterwards he became Rector of Cuxham in Oxfordshire for a time, Principal of St. Albans hall, Divinity Reader of Magd. College, the Kings Professor of Divinity in the said University and Doctor of that faculty. But being forced to leave his Professorship in the Reign of K. Edw. 6. to make room for P. Martyr, he went to Lovaine in Brabant, where being received (c)(c) Vale [•] . Andreas in Fastis Academicis [〈…〉] edit. 1650. p. 85. with solemnity, became publick Professor of Divinity there for a time, and read openly on the Apocalips of St. John. When Qu. Mary was advanced to the Crown, he was not only restored to his Professorship in the University of Oxon, but also was made one of the Chaplains to that Queen, and Canon of Christ Church. In 1559, Qu. Elizabeth being then in the Throne, he lost those, with other, preferments, (of which the Rectory or Headship of Whittingdon Coll. in Lond. was one) and was committed to custody with Matthew Archbishop of Canterbury; by whose perswasions he recanted what he had written in defence of the celebacy of Priests. See more of this matter in a Book intit. De antiquitate Britannicae Ecclesiae &c. in Mathaeo.—Printed about 1572-3. being the first impression of that Book. Afterwards our Author R. Smyth giving Matthew the slip, he went to Doway in Flanders, and was constituted Dean of S. Peters Church at that place by Philip K. of Spain, who erecting an Academy there about that time, made him the first Kings Professor thereof. He was by those of his perswation accounted the best Schoolman of his time, a subtile disputant, and admirably well read in the Fathers and Councils, which did evidently appear in his disputations in the Divinity School with Pet. Martyr, whom, as the R. Cath. Writers of his time say (d)(d) Joh. Whyte ep [〈…〉] in initio libri sui cui tit. est Diacosio-Marryier. edit. [〈…〉] he did in a most egregious manner baffle several times. The wholy story of it you may see elsewhere (e)(e) [〈◊〉] Hist. & Antiq. Vniv. Ox. Lib. 1. p. 267. and therefore I shall not make a recital of it now, only say that the Protestant (f)(f) [〈…〉] Vica Jo. Juelli, edit. 1573. p. 42. & alii. Writers report, that he was more a Sophister than Divine, that he was non-plus’d several times by Martyr, and that he was a goggle-ey’d fellow and very inconstant in his Opinion. As for his Writings they are these.

Assertion and defence of the Sacrament of the Altar. Lond. 1546. oct.

Defence of the sacrifice of the Mass. Lond. 1546. oct.

An answer to all Martyn Luthers, and his Scholar’s reasons made against the sacrifice of the Masse, &c.— Printed with the Defence before-mention’d.

Brief treatise setting forth divers truths necessary both to be believed of all Chrysten People and kept also, which [〈◊〉] are not expressed in the Scripture, but left to the Church by the Apostles tradition, Lond. 1547. oct.

Declaration upon his retractation made at Pauls cross 15. May 1547. Lond. 1547. oct. This retraction was for certain articles contained in two Books of his making, viz. one in Defence of the sacrifice of the Masse, and that called, as it seems, A brief treatise &c. wherein he endeavoured to prove, that unwritten verities ought to be believed under paine of damnation.

Diatriba de hominis justificatione contra Pet. Martyrem Lovain 1550. oct.

Defensio caelibatûs sacerdotum contra P. Mart. Lov. 1550. oct. Printed also as it seems at Paris the same year.

Confutatio quorundam articularum de votis monasticis Pet. Martyris Itali. These two last, being printed at Lovaine in one Vol. are very full of faults by the negligence of the Printer, and absence of the Author, who pretended they were printed against his Will, and wished afterwards that he had never made them, because he was then perswaded with himself, that the Priests of England made a vow (a religious vow) when they were made Priests; which he perceived afterwards was not true. This he told Dr. Cranmer Archb. of Canterbury in a certain (g)(g) See in the Hist. of the reformation of the Church of England, part. 2. pag. 208. numb. 54. letter, when he heard that he the said Cranmer had made a Collection of (or answer to) the aforesaid Books De caelibatu & votis monasticis.

Disputation with Bish. Rydley in the Div. School at Oxon; his Sermon at his and Latimers burning, with Speeches, Orations, &c.—See in Joh. Fox his Book of the Acts and Mon. of the Church.

A bucklar of Cath. Faith of Christ’s Church, containing divers matters, now of late called into controversie by the new Gospellers. Lond. 1555. in two books or parts. The things controverted were (1) Whether a man may keep Gods commandements. (2) Concerning works of superarrogation. (3) Concerning purgatory. (4) The signe of the cross and crucifex, &c.

Refutatio luculenta crassae & exitiosae haeresis Johannis Calvini & Christop. Carlili Angli, qua astruunt Christum non discendisse ad inferos alios, quam ad infernum infimum. Printed 1562. The said tenet that Christ descended into hell was maintained in a Commencement held at Cambridge, in 1552. by the said Carlile, and opposed then in disputations by Sir Joh. Cheek: Whereupon Smyth wrot the Refutation before-mention’d. Afterwards Christoph. Carlile came out with a book entit. Concerning the immediat going to Heaven of the souls of the faithful Fathers before Christ, and concerning his descent into hell, &c. Lond. 1582. oct. (sec. edit) I find one Christopher Carlile to have lived for some time at Barham in Kent, whence removing to the Parish of St. Botolph near Billingsgate in London, died there in the beginning of the Year 1596, leaving then behind him a Relict called Marie. Whether this Chr. Carlile be the same with the former, I cannot tell. Another also of both his names lived in his time, whose warlike skill was sufficiently tried in the Low Countries, France and Ireland, and in America at Carthage and Santo Dominico, an. 1585: Which worthy Soldier died (*)(*) Camden in Annal. Regin. Elizab. an. 1593. about the Year 1593. R. Smyth hath also written,

De missae sacrificio contra Melanctonum, Calvinum & alios. Lov. 1562. oct.

De Infantium baptismo, contra Calvinum. Printed there the same Year.

Defensio externi & visibilis sacerdotii, & propugnatio altarium, cum confutatione communionis Calvinianae. Ibid.

Confutatio earum quae Philip. Melancthon objecit contra propitiatorium missae sacrificium. Ibid.

De libero hominis arbitrio contra Calvinum. Lov. 1563. oct. and other things, which you may see in Pitseus. This learned Doctor gave way to fate on the seventh of the ides of July (according to the accompt followed at Doway) in Fifteen hundred sixty and three, 1563 aged 63. Whereupon his body was buried in the Chappel of our Lady joyning to the Church of St. Peter at Doway before-mentioned. Several of both his names have been Writers, but they being after him in time, I shall mention them in their respective places.