John Rastell (Jesuit) facts for kids

John Rastell (born 1532, died 1577) was an important English Jesuit priest. He lived during a time of big religious changes in England. Rastell was known for his strong beliefs and for writing books that shared his ideas.

John Rastell's Early Life and Education

Rastell was born in Gloucester in 1532. When he was 11, in 1543, he started studying at Winchester School. Later, he went to New College, Oxford. He became a permanent member of the college in 1549. He earned his Master of Arts degree on July 29, 1555. Around that time, he also became a priest.

Religious Changes and Moving Abroad

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, England saw many changes in its official religion. John Rastell found it difficult to agree with these changes. Because of this, he left his college and moved to Leuven in Belgium.

In 1564, he moved again to Antwerp. Later, he traveled to Rome. On April 6, 1568, he joined the Jesuit order. This meant he began his training to become a Jesuit priest. For a short time, he trained alongside St. Stanislas Kostka.

Serving as a Jesuit Priest

After finishing his training, Rastell worked at St Peter's in Rome. He served as an English confessor, meaning he heard confessions from English people. Later, he was sent to a Jesuit house in Hall. There, he worked as a confessor and an advisor.

Rastell then moved to Augsburg and finally to Ingolstadt. In Ingolstadt, he became the vice-rector of the Jesuit college. This meant he was a leader at the school. He passed away at this college on June 15 or 17, 1577.

John Rastell's Writings and Debates

John Rastell was a strong opponent of Bishop John Jewel. He wrote several books arguing against Jewel's ideas. These books were published in places like Antwerp and Louvain.

• A Confutation of a Sermon pronounced by M. Iuell: This book argued against a sermon given by Bishop Jewel. It was published in 1564. Part of the book was called 'A Challenge against the Protestants.' Another writer, William Fulke, later wrote a response to Rastell's 'Confutation.'
• A Replie against an Answer: This book was Rastell's response to a book that claimed to defend the truth. It was published in 1565.
• A Copie of a Challenge: This was a copy of a challenge taken from his earlier 'Confutation' book. It was published in 1565.
• A Treatise intitled, Beware of M. Iewell: This was a three-part book published in 1566. The last part warned people to "beware of M. Jewel."
• A Briefe Shew of the false Wares packt together in the named Apology of the Church of England: This book, published in 1567, looked at what Rastell believed were false ideas in a book called 'Apology of the Church of England.'

A list of "English Popish Books" created by John Strype also mentions Rastell's 'Return of Untruths.' Bishop Jewel himself wrote a response to this particular work.