The history of Orzechowski, with probably a less fortunate result, is no doubt that of innumerable others, whose obscurity has prevented their sufferings from being known beyond their own narrow circle.
Strype (Annals, I. 485-6) asserts that after the accession of Queen Elizabeth the Catholic emissaries in England had a general dispensation to marry, in order to assist their concealment and to further the design of creating schism in the Anglican church. He gives as his authority one Malachi Malone, a converted Irish friar.
[1401] Le Plat, Monument. Concil. Trident. VI. 331.
[1402] This was not his first attempt of this kind. In 1540 he had called upon John Cochlæus to examine the Confession of Augsburg and report as to what points were reconcilable with Catholicism and what were not. Cochlæus responded in an elaborate dissertation, wherein he took strong ground against abandoning celibacy, but admitted that he was utterly unable to suggest any remedy for the evils resulting from it,—especially the “scandalosus presbyterorum in seculo concubinatus, præsertim apud plebanos in pagis, qui communiter cum ancillis rem domesticam gubernare necessitate quadam coguntur.”—Le Plat, II. 667.
[1403] G. Cassandri Consult, XXIII., XXV. (Le Plat, VI. 761-2, 783-4).
[1404] Wicelii Via Regia, De Conjug. Sacerd.
Both these tracts were printed with other controversial matter, by Hermann Conring, 4to. Helmstadt, 1569.
[1405] Goldast. II. 381.
[1406] Le Plat, VI. 335.
[1407] De Thou, Lib. xxxvii.