Nicholas Sander [a.k.a. Robert Parsons] about 1530-1581 so this title PUBLISHED POSTHUMOUSLY & edited by
Rishton, Parsons & Allen. Became Church of Rome agent, Jesuit, historian, polemicist.
Born Charlwood, Surrey [father once Sheriff of Surrey]. Educated Winchester
& New Colege Oxford -elected Fellow 1548, graduated B.C.L. 1551.
Family devout members of Church of Rome - 2 elder sisters nuns at Sion
convent before its dissolution. 1557 on the occasion of Cardinal Pole's
visitors being welcomed to the University, NS selected to deliver the oration.
After the modest religious changes under Henry VIII & the more 'Protestant'
oriented changes in the reign of Edward VI people like Sander welcomed the
succession of Queen Mary I whose devout papalism enforced an attempt to restore Romanism
[even at the price of instituting a religious reign of terror, re-enacting the
statute for burning 'heretics', so that over 300 died at the stake in flames & many
more perished due to the effects of torture & harsh prison conditions.]
After Mary's
death in 1558, NS refused to take the Oath of Supremacy [recognising Queen
Elizabeth I as "supreme head of the Church in England"] & so had to leave
(flee?) England for Catholic Europe. In Rome he was befriended by the 1558
deceased Cardinal Pole's close associate Cardinal Morone, & he also owed
much to Sir Francis
Englefield. In Rome, NS was ordained a priest [Jesuit] & was considered on
the "fast track" for promotion. Over the next few years he was
employed by Cardinal Hosius, the learned Polish prelate who was Prince-Bishop
of Ermeland, & also 1 of the 5 papal legates to the renewed sessions of the
Council of Trent [until it closed in the early 1560s.] Hosius was
especially concerned to counter the spread of "Protestantism's heresies"
[Lutherism, Calvinism, Anabaptism....] in Poland, Lithuania & Prussia.