John Constable

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(Alias Lacey).

Controversialist (pen-name Clerophilus Alethes), b. in Lincolnshire, 10 November, 1676 or 1678; d. 28 March, 1743. In 1695 he entered the Society of Jesus. For many years he served the Fitzherbert family at Swinnerton, where he is buried. Constable's chief controversial opponents were:

the Abbé Courayer (1681-1776; Dict. Nat. Biog. XII, 328) who championed Anglican orders, came over to England in 1728, was lionized, and eventually buried in the cloisters of Westminster; and
Charles Dodd vere Hugh Tootell, who wrote with a prejudice against Jesuits.

The chief writings of Constable are:

"Remarks on Courayer's Book in Defense of English Ordinations, wherein their invalidity is fully proved", an answer to Courayer's "Dissertations" of 1723;
"The Stratagem Discovered to show that Courayer writes 'Booty', and is only a sham defender of these ordinations", by "Clerophilus Alethes" (8vo, 1729), against Rev. Trapp's "Defense of the Church of England";
"Doctrine of Antiquity concerning the Eucharist" by "Clerophilus Alethes" (8vo, 1736);
"Specimen of Amendments proposed to the Compiler of 'The Church History of England'", by "Clerophilus Alethes" (12mo, 1741);
"Advice to the Author of 'The Church History of England'", manuscript at Stonyhurst.

Gillow enumerates a few other writings by Constable.

Sources

Oliver, Collectanea S.J., 73; Foley, Records S.J., III, 207; VII (i), 159; Sommervogel, Bibliothèque de la C. de J., II col. 1374; Gillow, Dict. of Eng. Cath., I, 552, sqq.; Cooper in Dict. Nat. Biog., XII, 36.

About this page

APA citation. Ryan, P.W.F. (1908). John Constable. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04286b.htm

MLA citation. Ryan, Patrick W.F. "John Constable." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04286b.htm>.

Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.

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