Edward Dalton, The Jesuits Their Principles and Acts, page 87
EXCERPT: Chapter 2: Disguises of the Jesuits
“Sometimes they pass for merchants, tradesmen, stewards, publicans, farmers, and of every kind of trade. They affect ignorance to mask their designs. Sometimes Dumont brought a female with him into company, whom he (a Jesuit) made to pass for his wife. Many of the Jesuits did the same: they made a convenience of them to disguise their affairs, and to prevent their place of meeting from being suspected." There were disguised Jesuits in the days of queen Elizabeth, who pretended to be Protestant ministers, in order to sow divisions and discord among Protestants ; to excite Churchmen against Dissenters ; and Dissenters against the Church. We have little doubt in our own mind that the same work has been carried on by Jesuits in disguise in the reign of Queen Victoria.
A Domini can friar, of the name of Faithful Commine, pretended to be a most zealous Protestant, and preached most furiously against the Pope, railing at a great rate against Popery, as he called it, in the Church of England. His purity, however, was suspected, and eventually discovered. John Clarkson, Nicholas Draper, and Mary Dean, made oath before the Queen and Privy Council, and deposed, " that the said Commine was no true Protestant, but a false impostor, and sower of sedition among her Majesty s loyal subjects."
He was in consequently arrested, and examined by Archbishop Parker, in presence of the Queen and Privy Council. In his replies he alleged that he was " a preacher of the Gospel," that he en deavoured to make the church purer—and that " he had both given and taken the body of Christ to those of tender consciences." He gave bail for his re-appearance, but found it convenient to leave the kingdom, and went to Rome, where he was imprisoned as an impostor ; but, intimating that he had something of importance to communicate, the Pope sent for him. He was charged with having reviled the Pope, and railed at the Church of Rome among the English heretics. Commine admitted the truth of the accusation;
"I confess," said he, "my lips have uttered that which my heart never thought, but your Holiness little thinks that I have done you a most considerable service, notwithstanding I have spoke so much against you." To whom the Pope returned, " How, in the name of Jesus, Mary, and all the saints, hast thou done so ?" " Sir," said Commine, " I preached against set forms of prayer, and I called the English prayers English mass, and this has so much taken with the people, that the Church of England is become as odious to that sort of people whom I instructed as mass is to the Church of England, and this will be a stumbling-block to that church, while it is a church ;" upon which the Pope commended him, and gave him a reward of two thousand ducats for his good service. Edward Dalton, The Jesuits Their Principles and Acts, page 87.
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