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Francis ROUS (1579-1659, Protestant and Parliamentarian). [ANTI-CATHOLIC:] Catholick Charitie: Complaining and Maintaining, that Rome is uncharitable to sundry eminent parts of the Catholick Church, and especially to Protestants, and is therefore Uncatholick : And so, a Romish book, called Charitie mistaken, though undertaken by a second, is it selfe a mistaking. London: printed by R.Ypung for John Bartlett, 1641.Small octavo (6 5/8 x 4 3/8in; 168 x 111mm). Pp. [i-viii], 1-390. (Title detached and a little tattered, four other leaves loosely inserted, toning). Old sheep (worn, spine defective, covers detached). Provenance: early inscription to title, noting purchase, extensive underlings and occasional marginal notes.

Rare on the market: none for sale and none listed as having sold. ESTC R14076; Wing R2017.

‘As it stands today, there is no full biography of Mr. Francis Rous (1579–1659). What we know of him comes from fragments in Cornwall, Eton and documents surrounding the House of Commons. He was a puritan, the son of Sir Anthony Rous of Halton St. Dominick, Cornwall, by his first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Southcote. He was born at Dittisham, Devonshire, in 1579. He attended Broadgates Hall, Oxford, and graduated with a B.A. on January 31, 1596-7. While little is ever spoken about concerning the next college he attended, Rous also graduated at the University of Leyden on February 10, 1598-9. In 1601 he went to Landrake, Cornwall, to occupy himself with intense theological study. He wrote three works of note that stemmed from this time of spiritual study. First, “Meditations of Instruction, of Exhortation, of Reprofe: endeavouring the Edification and Reparation of the House of God,” London, 1616. Next came, “The Art of Happiness, consisting of three Parts, whereof the first searcheth out the Happinesse of Man, the second particularly discovers and approves it, the third sheweth the Meanes to attayne and increase it,” London, 1619 (also edited in 1631). Then two works followed: “Diseases of the Time attended by their Remedies,” 1622, and “Oil of Scorpions,” in 1623. With these works he was established among the puritans with a reputation of being a sound puritan divine.

In 1626 he wrote a reply to Richard Montagu’s work, “Appello Caesarem,” titled “Testis Veritatis. The Doctrine of King James, our late Soveraigne of Famous Memory, of the Church of England, of the Catholicke Church plainly shewed to be one in the points of Predestination, Freewill, Certaintie of Salvation. With a Discovery of the Grounds both Natural and Politicke of Arminianisme,” London. (See the quote above.) He then wrote an exhortation to the nation at large, called, “The only Remedy that can Cure a People when all other Remedies Faile,” London. Later he further distinguished himself by his passionate writings on Dr. Roger Manwaring’s Arminianism, and popery. In the Long parliament Rous opened the debate on the legality of Laud’s new canons as the practical Calvinist on December 9, 1640, and presented the articles of impeachment against Dr. Cosin on March 15, 1640-1. When the Westminster Assembly convened on June 12, 1643, he was nominated as one of its lay assessors, and on September 23rd he took the covenant (RUSHWORTH, Historical Collections, pt. iii. vol. ii. pp. 337-480). On Feb. 10, 1644 he was appointed provost of Eton College. He was also chairman of the committee for ordination of ministers constituted on October 2nd.  At the outset, Rous had been a staunch adherent to Presbyterianism (at least most considered him as such), but in 1649 he changed his view to Independency and went to that party. In Ballie’s Letters (2:97), Ballie himself states that by 1645 Rous had defected to the “sectaries.” But there is still some debate that Rous remained a “tolerant Presbyterian,” which would have placed him at odds with the rigid Presbyterians (such as Samuel Rutherford, Thomas Edwards and Ephraim Pagitt). In February to March 1651-1652 he served on the committee for propagation of the gospel, and framed a polity for a state church on with congregationalism in mind, though it failed politically. It was again resuscitated by the Little parliament, of which he was speaker (July 5 to December 12 1653). Yet again, it did not meet with success. At that assembly, Rous was sworn as the Protector’s council of state. On March 20th 1653-4 he was placed on the committee for approval of public preachers. He was also appointed to a committee on April 9, 1656 to discuss the question of the kingship with Oliver Cromwell, by whom he was created a lord of parliament in December 1657. Rous died at Acton and was buried on January 24, 1659, at Eton College chapel. Portraits of him are at Pembroke College, Oxford, and Eton College (cf. Catalogue First Loan Exhibition at South Kensington, p. 132). An engraving by Faithorne is prefixed to the 1657 edition of his “Treatises and Meditations.” By his will, dated March 18, 1657-8, he founded three scholarships at Pembroke College. A point of some contention with Rous’ experimental piety was of his subjectivism in his works, “Mystical Marriage: or Experimental Discourses of the Heavenly Marriage betweene a Soule and her Saviour,” London, 1635 and his, “Heavenly Academic,” London, 1638. These works were published in a collected edition of his, “Treatises and Meditations,” London, 1657.’ (https://www.apuritansmind.com/puritan-favorites/francis-rous-1579-1659/ )