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LXIII. 2.

Blackloism.

THE generous contributions of the English catholics, to enable Charles I. to answer the exigencies of his government have been mentioned: such a contribution was particularly solicited by the queen in 1639, when the monarch advanced with his army to reduce the Scottish invaders. By a letter, generally circulated among the catholics, she observed, that "it became her, who had so often soli"cited benefits from them, to be furnished with "proof of their gratitude: under this impression, "she recommended to them her earnest desire, that they should assist and serve his majesty by a con"siderable sum of money; she informs them that "she should be sensible of it, as a particular respect "to herself; and assures them, that she should "exert herself to improve the merit of it, in his "eyes." In consequence of this representation, a meeting of several ecclesiastic and lay catholics of distinction was held at London: the contribution was there resolved on and recommended, and the carrying of it into execution was entrusted to sir Kenelme Digby and Mr. Mountague. The parliament having expressed displeasure at it, the queen excused it by a letter written with address, dignity and delicacy*.

See the particulars in Rushworth, Hist. Coll. part ii. p. 820, 821, 822, 823, 824.-The letter from the pope to his nuncio, a translation of which is inserted by Rushworth, must be spurious Rushworth himself appears to question its authenticity.

Sir Kenelme Digby, whom this circumstance brought into public notice, was the son of sir Everard Digby, one of the persons executed for the gunpowder conspiracy. Though he was born of catholic parents, he was educated a protestant, but, soon after he attained the years of manhood, embraced the catholic religion. This produced a correspondence between him and archbishop Laud, and another between him and lord Digby: they were published, and much read and admired,—the partisans on each side extolling their champion and pronouncing him victorious. Sir Kenelme was eminently learned, and spoke fluently six languages. He was singularly graceful in his person and elegant in his manners. During the civil wars, he was distinguished by his loyalty, and obliged to quit England; he then resided for some time in France; after the death of Charles, Henrietta-Maria the queen relict, appointed him her chancellor.

In the mean time, he had formed an intimacy with Mr. Thomas White, a secular priest of the church of Rome, of irreproachable manners and great learning, and a profound philosopher, but an obscure, and at least, on some occasions, an inaccurate writer. Their friendship was cemented by their common admiration of the Aristotelian philosophy, of its occult qualities, and its accidents existing independently of substance; and by their common rejection of the Cartesian philosophy and the principles of Hobbes. But each was esteemed by Descartes, and Hobbes admired White;

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"though," says Wood*,

Wood*, "they seldom parted in "cool blood. For they would wrangle, squabble, "and scold about philosophical matters, like young "sophisters, though both of them were eighty

years of age."-White was also esteemed by the celebrated Chillingworth.

One of the controversies, in which White was engaged, respected the state of souls between death and the general judgment. The late archdeacon Blackburne, in his "Historical View of the Contro

versy concerning an intermediate state," mentions, with great praise, the abilities and precision of two treatises written by White on this subject; but seems to admit that the consequences, deducible from his system, are not reconcileable with the catholic doctrine of purgatory. In 1666, one of them attracted the notice of the house of commons t, as "a book "tending to atheism, blasphemy and profaneness, "and impugning the essence and attributes of a "God." It does not appear that the house proceeded to further measures against White. Το conceal his real name, which catholic priests often did in those times, White assumed, in some of his publications, that of Blackloe; by this, he was generally known, and from this circumstance, his adherents received the appellation of Blackloists.

After the king's affairs were totally ruined, sir Kenelme Digby returned to England to compound for his estate. This he was allowed to do, but on * Ath. Oxon. vol. ii. p. 225.

+ See Journal, 17 Oct. 18 Car. II.

very hard terms; and, by an order of parliament, he was expelled from the kingdom, with an injunction not to return to it, without the permission of the parliament, under the penalty of forfeiting both his life and his estate. Upon this, he returned to France, and was kindly received by HenriettaMaria, and afterwards sent by her, in the quality of an ambassador, to Rome. The secular clergy of England availed themselves of his residence in that city, to negotiate with his holiness for their favourite object, the appointment of a bishop. This, sir Kenelme, in their name earnestly solicited. In the printed correspondence, intituled "Blackloe's "Cabal," several letters from him, from White and from doctor Holden, a celebrated English theologian residing at Paris, are inserted; they shew how ardently the appointment of a bishop was desired by the clergy, and how strongly they felt the reluctance of the Roman see to grant it. They were advised to apply to the prelates of the neighbouring kingdom, and to prevail on these to ordain bishops for them. This design was represented by the opponents to the prelatic scheme as criminal; they made it a matter of severe reproach to the Blackloists, and particularly to sir Kenelme, White and Holden, as their leaders. But were they really censurable on this account? The measure was never adopted; it was scarcely discussed by them seriously; besides, —it was never their intention that the bishop, so to be ordained, should exercise his functions until he was accepted and confirmed by the see of Rome,which, in all their writings the Blackloists allow in

to be the centre of catholic unity, and supreme in ecclesiastical authority. On this ground it may be contended that, though the proposal was indiscreet, and probably would have been found impracticable, it was not, strictly speaking, opposite to the discipline of the church. Sir Kenelme entered warmly into the views and feelings of the clergy, and expressed himself in strong terms of the justice of their claim, and the propriety of acceding to it. This offended the pope, and sir Kenelme quitted Rome: some of his letters discover that he was sensibly hurt at the little regard, which was shewn to the object of his mission and the solicitations of his respectable instituents.

The

He appears to have returned to London about 1655. Cromwell had assumed the sovereign power, and sir Kenelme made his peace with him. attempt to effect an accommodation between the catholics and the long parliament, has been mentioned; the negotiation between them and Cromwell has also been noticed; the latter had been preceded by a negotiation between the catholics and the independents. Into this the Blackloists, for sir Kenelme, White and Holden were then known by that name, warmly entered.

To further their success, White published a work then generally read, intituled-" The Grounds "of Obedience and Government." The object of it was to prove," that the people, by the evil management or insufficiency of their governor, are "remitted to the force of nature to provide for themselves, and not bound by any promise made " to their governor ;-that the magistrate, by his