Report of a religious debate in a private house in
Paris
, at which
Jonson
was present, together with
Daniel Featley
(1582-1645, divine)
, Mr Knevet
,
John Ford
, Mr Smith,
Dr Rainer
,
John Pory (?1570-1635, traveller and writer)
,
Thomas Rant
, and
Henry Constable
, Viscount Dunbar (d. 1645, peer and
recusant)
, on 4 Sept. 1612 , by
L. I. B., ( 1635 ).
Eugene Giddens
[p. 4]
IN the yeere 1612. Master Daniel
Featlie being in
France
, Chaplaine to the Embassadour of our Late Soueraigne, there came to P aris one M. Kneuet, halfe-brother to M. Iohn Foord, an honest & vertuous Gentleman the[sic] liuing in that Cittie. This M. Kneuet, being, vpon
his arriuale there, put in mind, that he was mistaken in the matter of Religion,
which is the thing a man should principallie attend vnto; and that before Luther all
knowne Churches did beleeue that
which he saw there in Fraunce openlie professed; tould his brother (M. Foord) he would
see one of ours defend it before M. Featlie, whom he did esteeme a greate
[p. 5]
Scholler. Withall he acquainted. M. Featlie
with the busines, & with the point he meant should be discussed. M. Featlie thinking
himselfe alone hard enough for the whole
Church of Rome, vndertooke it: and to performe it with the more applause, did
prouide himselfe diligentlie for encounter. At leingth, vpon the third of September
, word was sent to M. D. Smith (who being then in towne was
entreated to vndertake the cause,) that he should prouide himselfe for the morrow.
On the 4. of September there met at M. Kneuets chamber,
M. D. Smith, and M. Featly . With M. D.
Smith came his cozen M. * ⎡Since Doctour of Diuinitie.⎤
[This addition is printed in the
margin.] Rainer ; & with M.
Featly came one M. Iohn Porie , who had
beene a burgeois (as it was said) in the firste Parlament, in King
Iames
his time. There were also present M. Iohn Foord, M. Thomas Rant, M. Ben: Iohnson, M. Henrie Constable, & others; not
English onelie, but also, French: for M
Featly presuming the victory, had made the matter
[p.
6]
knowne. The conference began at noone: and by agreement,
M. D. Smith was this time to defend, M. Featly to dispute. Afterwards vpon another
daie, M. D. Smith was to dispute, and M. Featly to defend: the rest, not to entermedle.
Bibliography
Briggs (1913), 279-82
H&S, 1.65
From 1610-1612 Featley was in Paris as chaplain to Sir Thomas Edmondes, 'and was noticed for his fearless attacks upon the Roman catholic doctrines and his disputations with the jesuits' ( DNB ). He had been Wat Ralegh 's tutor at Oxford, and was subsequently domestic chaplain to Abbot, archbishop of Canterbury. He became BD in 1613, and DD in 1617.
Pory graduated MA (Cantab.) in 1595, and then became 'a sort of pupil of Richard Hakluyt' ( DNB ), publishing A Geographical History of Africa in 1600. He became MP for Bridgwater, Somerset in Nov. 1605, at which time he settled in London and became part of Cotton's circle. In 1612 he had travelled to Paris to deliver to Cardinal Perron 'a treatise written by Isaac Casaubon and the bishop of Ely' ( DNB ).
Constable succeeded to the family estates in Yorkshire in 1608, and was knighted in 1614. He was created Baron Constable, Viscount Dunbar in 1620. He was charged with recusancy in 1629.