The General Biographical Dictionary (Volume 9); Containing an Historical and Critical Account of the Lives and Writings of the Most Eminent Persons in Every Nation. Particulary the British and Irish from the Earliest Accounts to the Present Time (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: sir John Suckling has mentioned him in his Session of the Poets: " There was Selden, and he set hard by the chair; Wainman not far off, which was very fair. Sands with Townshend, for they kept no order, Digby and Chillingsworth a little further." The conversation and study of the university scholars, in bis time, turned chiefly upon the controversies between the church of England and the church of Rome, occasioned by the uncommon liberty allowed the Romish priests by James I. and Charles I. Several of them lived at or near Oxford, and made frequent attempts upon the young scholars; some of whom they deluded to the Romish religion, and afterwards conveyed to the English seminaries beyond sea. Among these there was the famous Jesuit, John Fisher, alias John Perse, for that was his true name, who was then much at Oxford; and Chillingworth being accounted a very ingenious man, Fisher used all possible means of being acquainted with him. Their conversation soon turned upon the points controverted between the two churches, but particularly on the necessity of an infallible living judge in matters of faith. Chillingworth found himself unable to answer the arguments of the Jesuit on this head; and being convinced of the necessity of such a judge, he was easily brought to believe that this judge was to be found in the church of Rome; that therefore the church of Rome must be the true church, and the only church in which men could be saved. Upon this he forsook the communion of the church of England, and cordially embraced the Romish religion. In order to secure his conquest, Fisher persuaded him to go over to the college of the Jesuits at Doway; and he was desired to set down in writing the motives or reasons which had engaged him to embrace the Romish religion. But his godfath...