Benjamin Carier
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Carier was an English clergyman, a fellow of Chelsea College
who was a well-publicised convert to Catholicism.
, 28 February 1582, proceeded B.A. in 1586, was elected a fellow of his college 8 March 1589, and commenced M.A. in 1590. Soon afterwards he became tutor and studied divinity, especially the works of Augustine of Hippo
. He proceeded B.D. in 1597, and was appointed one of the university preachers, and incorporated at Oxford the same year.
Soon after this he was presented by the Wotton familv to the rectory of Paddlesworth
in Kent, which he resigned in 1599. He was presented to the vicarage of Thurnham
in the same county, with the church of Aldington
annexed, on 27 March 1600, and that benefice till 1613. In 1602 he was presented, by Archbishop John Whitgift
, whose domestic chaplain he then was, to the sinecure rectory of West Tarring in Sussex. In the same year he was created D.D. at Cambridge, and his fellowship was declared vacant.
He was appointed one of the chaplains in ordinary to James I. On 29 April 1603 he was collated by the Archbishop of Canterbury to the living of Old Romney
in Kent. In 1608 he was nominated one of the first fellows of Chelsea College, projected by Matthew Sutcliffe
as a seminary for defenders of Protestantism
.
He obtained the king's leave to go to Spa
for the benefit of his health, actually intending to study the workings of Catholicism. He went from Spa to Cologne, where he placed himself in the hands of Father Johannes Copperus, rector of the Jesuit College. King James ordered Isaac Casaubon
and others to write to him (August 1613), with an injunction to return to England. Carier’s printed Missive addressed to the king from Liège, 13 December 1613, made his conversion public. Cardinal du Perron then invited him to France, for his assistance in a work which he was publishing against King James. Carier accepted the invitation, but died before mid-summer 1614.
George Hakewill
published an elaborate answer to Carier in 1616. Carier’s polemical works continued to be reprinted late into the century. The Carier case had repercussions, in particular for John Howson
who had been on good terms with him, and came under the suspicion of George Abbot in 1615; like Humphrey Leech, another convert, Carier moved in the Durham House circle with Howson, around Richard Neile
.
Chelsea College (17th century)
Chelsea College was a polemical college founded in London in 1609. This establishment was intended to centralize controversial writing against Catholicism, and was the idea of Matthew Sutcliffe, Dean of Exeter, who was the first Provost...
who was a well-publicised convert to Catholicism.
Life
He was born in Kent, in 1566, son of Anthony Carier, a minister of the Church of England. He was admitted to Corpus Christi College, CambridgeCorpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, 28 February 1582, proceeded B.A. in 1586, was elected a fellow of his college 8 March 1589, and commenced M.A. in 1590. Soon afterwards he became tutor and studied divinity, especially the works of Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
. He proceeded B.D. in 1597, and was appointed one of the university preachers, and incorporated at Oxford the same year.
Soon after this he was presented by the Wotton familv to the rectory of Paddlesworth
Paddlesworth
Paddlesworth is a village located about 3 miles NNW of Folkestone in Kent, England, near Hawkinge.The Early Norman Anglican parish church is dedicated to St Oswald. It was built in the 11th century or earlier but underwent alteration in the 13th and restoration in the 19th century...
in Kent, which he resigned in 1599. He was presented to the vicarage of Thurnham
Thurnham
- Places :*Thurnham, Kent, a village and parish in Kent, England*Thurnham, Lancashire*Thurnham Castle...
in the same county, with the church of Aldington
Aldington, Kent
Aldington is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village centre is eight miles south-east of the town of Ashford...
annexed, on 27 March 1600, and that benefice till 1613. In 1602 he was presented, by Archbishop John Whitgift
John Whitgift
John Whitgift was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to his death. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 800 horsemen...
, whose domestic chaplain he then was, to the sinecure rectory of West Tarring in Sussex. In the same year he was created D.D. at Cambridge, and his fellowship was declared vacant.
He was appointed one of the chaplains in ordinary to James I. On 29 April 1603 he was collated by the Archbishop of Canterbury to the living of Old Romney
Old Romney
Old Romney is a village and civil parish in the Shepway District of Kent, England.The village, as its name suggests, is the original site of the settlement, and is situated two miles inland from New Romney...
in Kent. In 1608 he was nominated one of the first fellows of Chelsea College, projected by Matthew Sutcliffe
Matthew Sutcliffe
Matthew Sutcliffe was an English clergyman, academic and lawyer. He became Dean of Exeter, and wrote extensively on religious matters as a controversialist. He served as chaplain to His Majesty King James I of England. He was the founder of Chelsea College, a royal centre for the writing of...
as a seminary for defenders of Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
.
He obtained the king's leave to go to Spa
Spa, Belgium
Spa is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liège. It is situated in a valley in the Ardennes mountain chain, some southeast of Liège, and southwest of Aachen. As of 1 January 2006, Spa had a total population of 10,543...
for the benefit of his health, actually intending to study the workings of Catholicism. He went from Spa to Cologne, where he placed himself in the hands of Father Johannes Copperus, rector of the Jesuit College. King James ordered Isaac Casaubon
Isaac Casaubon
Isaac Casaubon was a classical scholar and philologist, first in France and then later in England, regarded by many of his time as the most learned in Europe.-Early life:...
and others to write to him (August 1613), with an injunction to return to England. Carier’s printed Missive addressed to the king from Liège, 13 December 1613, made his conversion public. Cardinal du Perron then invited him to France, for his assistance in a work which he was publishing against King James. Carier accepted the invitation, but died before mid-summer 1614.
George Hakewill
George Hakewill
George Hakewill was an English clergyman and author.-Early life:Born in Exeter, he studied at Alban Hall, Oxford, where he was a noted disputant and orator and in June 1596, only a year after his matriculation and at the unusually early age of 18, he was elected a fellow of Exeter College. There...
published an elaborate answer to Carier in 1616. Carier’s polemical works continued to be reprinted late into the century. The Carier case had repercussions, in particular for John Howson
John Howson
John Howson was an English academic and bishop.-Life:He was born in the London parish of St Bride's Church, and educated at St Paul's School....
who had been on good terms with him, and came under the suspicion of George Abbot in 1615; like Humphrey Leech, another convert, Carier moved in the Durham House circle with Howson, around Richard Neile
Richard Neile
Richard Neile was an English churchman, bishop of several English dioceses and Archbishop of York from 1631 until his death.-Early life:...
.
Further reading
- Michael Questier, Crypto-Catholicism, anti-Calvinism and conversion at the Jacobean court: The enigma of Benjamin Carier, The Journal of Ecclesiastical History, January 1996