Thomas Stapleton

, the most learned R. Catholick of all his time, Son of Will. Stapleton, was born of a gentile Family at Henfield in Sussex, obtained the first rudiments of Grammar at Canterbury, under John Twyne a noted Master there, compleated them at Wyk [•] ham’s School near Winchester, admitted perpetual Fellow of New coll. in 1554. made Prebendary or Canon of Chichester a little before Q. Mary dyed, being then but Bach. of Arts. But when Q. Elizabeth came to the Crown, and Religion thereupon began to put on another Face, our author not only, but his Father and Family, left the Nation, and went to Lovain; where being settled, our author (the Son) applyed himself with great zeal to the study of Theology, and in short time making great proficiency therein, he went to Paris to compleat his knowledge in the sacred Tongues. Afterwards for devotion sake he journeyed to Rome, and in short time after returning to Lovain he settled himself there for a time, to answer Bishop Jewel, and to translate Bede’s Ch. History into English, to the end that Q. Elizabeth (to whom he dedicated it) might see and understand the ancient Faith and Religion of our Ancestors, with other things. A little before that time an University being erected at Doway, he hastned thither at the desire of Dr. Will. Allen; and for a time performed the Office of Catechist Reader at Anchine near to that place. Afterwards taking the degrees in Divinity, as Bachelaur, Licentiat, and Doctor, under Matthew Gallen Provost of the Church of St. Amoure, and Chancellor of the University at Doway, had a Canonry bestowed on him in the said Church by Gallen, and was made the King’s Professor of Divinity of the said University. Afterwards being minded to put himself into a Religious Order, he renounced his Canonry and Professorship, and entred into the Society of Jesus at Doway. But after a long and diligent probation, finding that Order not to agree with his genie and course of Life, he left it and returned to his former way of teaching, to the great joy of many, and became a Canon once more of the said Church of St. Amoure. At length being called to Lovain, he was made the King’s Professor of Divinity, and wrote there several matters against Dr. W. Whittaker of Cambridge: so that his Fame in short time being over all those parts, and he in great esteem with the King of Spain, had the Deanry of the Church of Hilverbeck in Kampenland in Brabant bestowed on him, little enough, God wot, for such a rare and most learned Clerk as he was. In all kind of literature he obtained such perfection that he was numbred among the most learned men of that age. And it was generally thought that he deserved a Cardinals cap before Allen; but so it was that his ability being ecclipsed by the activity of the other, he did not rise higher than a Dean. Pope Clement 8. was so much delighted with his learned Works, that he commanded them to be read dayly at times of his refection, and invited him to Rome with a design to conser on him the place of Apostolical Protonotary, and, as some say, to make him a Cardinal. Cardinal Perron also, who was very knowing in the controversies of his time, was wont to postpone all Writers of controversies in comparison of those of Stapleton, which he took to be the best of his time, and before. To pass by all commendations given of him by men of his persuasion, I shall conclude with those of his Antagonist Whittaker, who (h)(h) In cont. 1. q. 3. cap. 3. saith, Stapletonus hanc cansum (de traditionibus) omnium acutissimè ac accuratissimè tractavit, &c. And elsewhere (*)(*) In epist. ded. lib. De Scriptura. speaking of the opinion as well of Papists as Protestants in divers matters, saith modestly that he (Whittaker) differed as much from Stapleton in many things as to knowledge, as Troilus from Achilles. He hath written and translated many things, most of which were printed in four large volumes in fol. at Paris 1620. The Titles of them are these.

De principiis fidei doctrinalibus, lib. 12. Par. 1579. and 82. &c.

Defensio successionis Ecclesiasticae. lib. 1.

Relectio principiorum fidei doctrinalium. Antw. 1592.

Defensio anthoritatis Ecclesiasticae contra Gul. Whittakerum Anglo-Calvinistam.

Triplicatio pro Ecclesiae authotitate adversus eundem Whittakerum.

These five Treatises before-mentioned are printed in the first vol. of his Works.

De universae justificationis doctrinà hodie controvers. lib. 12.

Speculum pravitatis haeriticae per orationes quasi ad oculus demonstratae. Duac. 1580.

Orationes funebres. Antw. 1577.

Orationes Academicae Miscellaneae. Some of which were published 1602.

Orationes Catecheticae sive manuale peccatorum de septem peccatis capitalibus. Antw. 1598.

De magnitudine Romanae Ecclesiae, lib. 2. Antw. 1599. qu.

Fortress of Faith first planted amongst us Englishmen, &c. Antw. 1565. qu. Which learned Treatise the author wrote upon occasion of his translating of Bede’s Ch. History into English, wherein he endeavours to shew that the same Faith was professed in the primitive times as in his. When the learned Vsher of Ireland was Bach. of Arts, he read over this book several times, and mistrusting the quotations of ancient authors therein, did put (†)(†) Nic. Benard in his Life and Death of Dr. Jam. Usher, printed 1656. p. 28. him upon reading the Fathers.

The horn-blast: or, a reply to the answer of Rob. Horne the false B. of Winchester: In 4 Books. Lov. 1567.

Discourse of Protestancy, and the first authors of it.

These 9 Treatises immediately going before, are in the second vol. of his Works.

Antidota Apostolica in Act. Apost. Tom. 1. Antw. 1595.

In Epist. Pauli ad Romanos. Tom. 2. Ibid. 1595.

In duas Epistolas ad Corinthios. Tom. 3. Ib. 1598. & 1600.

These before-going are in the third vol. of his Works.

Prompt. Cath. super Evang. ferialia totius Quadrages.

Prompt. Cath. sup. Evang in festis SS. totius anni.

Tres Thomae, seu res gestae S. Thomae Apost. S. Tho. Archiep. Cant. & Tho. Mori Angliae Cancellarii. Duac. 1588. &c.

These five last are in the fourth vol. of his Works.

De justificatione. Par. 1582.

Return of untruths against Mr. Jewel. (Antw. 1566.) He also translated from Lat. into English, The History of the Church of England. Antw. 1565. qu. written by Ven. Bede. Which translation (with some notes added in the margin by Stapleton) is (l)(l) See in Seldens Pref. to the Decem Scriptores, printed at Lond. 1652. p. 9, 10. censured by the learned Selden as not altogether true. He translated also Fred. Staphyles large vol. De desidiis Haereticorum. Antw. 1565. but this I have not yet seen. At length after our author Stapleton had arrived to the sixty third year of his age, did end his days at Lovain, to the great grief of all learned Catholicks, on the 12. Oct. (according to the accompt there followed) in fifteen hundred ninety and eight, 1598 and was buried in the Church of St. Peter there. Soon after was put over his grave a monument, with a large inscription thereon, containing in brief the succession of his Employments in the Universities and Church, here and beyond the Seas; a copy of which you may see (m)(m) In Jo. Pits. De illustr. Angl. Script. Aet. 16. nu. 1046. elsewhere. The next, according to time, that is to crave a place among these Writers, was a learned Sage of the Law.