William Allen - An Admonition to the Nobility

What is the Admonition?

It is a short treatise written to justify resistance to a heretical monarch and, specifically, the Spanish invasion of England. It holds the Church above all worldly kingdoms and asserts the papal deposing power and excommunication.

Who wrote An Admonition to the Nobility and People of England and when?

• William Allen: English Catholic cardinal writing in exile on the Continent.

• 1588—Composed in the lead-up to the Spanish Armada and in alignment with Pope Sixtus V’s support for a Catholic invasion of England (he renewed Elizabeth’s excommunication).

What was Allen’s purpose behind writing the text?

• Encourage resistance:

  • Urged English Catholics to reject allegiance to Elizabeth I.

• Support foreign intervention:

  • Justified the Spanish Armada as a holy war to restore true religion.

• Undermine Elizabeth’s sovereignty:

  • Sought to delegitimize her authority over Catholics.

• Reinforce papal leadership:

  • Framed the Pope as the rightful head of Christendom, with power over monarchs.

• Offer an alternative identity:

  • Promoted Rome as the spiritual and national homeland for English Catholic exiles.

What core arguments does Allen make to support his purposes in the Admonition?

• A monarch must care for and protect the true religion, otherwise, the kingdom shall perish: The monarch must be like a “fosterfather and nurse” to the Church, otherwise the kingdom shall “perish.”

• Spiritual over civil authority: Argues all people, including monarchs, are subject to Church pastors/the Papacy.

• Religious war as just: Declares wars for religion—foreign or civil—the most righteous and necessary.

• Transnational Christian identity: Frames true belonging as faith-based, not national, and rooted in Rome.

What is Allen’s argument about spiritual over civil authority, how does he substantiate it, and how does it serve his purposes?

The Argument:

• The authority of the Church—rooted in Christ’s priesthood and embodied in the papacy—stands above all secular power, including kings and queens. Monarchs are spiritually subordinate to Church leaders and are accountable to them.

How Allen Substantiates It:

What does William Allen argue about the authority of the Church over kings?

Allen asserts that the Church, as the earthly embodiment of “Christ’s priesthood,” holds “rights over all kingdoms—to plant and pluck up, to build and destroy.” He defends the supremacy of papal power, stating that kings must “obey, love, and cherish the Church,” and that ultimate authority lies with the Pope, not secular rulers like the “monstrous governess” Elizabeth. Drawing on apostolic precedent, Allen argues that both the souls and goods of all Christians, including monarchs, are subject to the spiritual oversight of “prelates and pastors.”

How does William Allen justify the Church’s authority over kings?

Allen justifies the Church’s supremacy using biblical and theological precedent. He cites the “supereminent power of Christ’s priesthood,” claiming that this authority was handed down to the Pope, the “chief priest and pastor of our souls.” Drawing on the example of the Apostles, he argues that both body and soul are subject to the Church “so far as is expedient to our souls and the Church’s utility.” He also references the power of Peter’s keys—symbolising the Pope’s divine right to pardon, punish, include, and exclude—to affirm that even kings are spiritually subordinate to the papacy.

How does William Allen use historical examples to justify the Church’s authority over monarchs?

Allen cites figures like Babylas, bishop of Antioch, who excommunicated Emperor Numerius for wrongdoing, to demonstrate the Church’s right to excommunicate tyrants. He nostalgically praises a time when there was “courage and zeal for God’s cause in priests” and “humility and obedience in princes,” implicitly contrasting this ideal with Elizabeth’s rule and reinforcing the Church’s moral and disciplinary authority over secular rulers.

What does Allen’s account of the excommunication of Arcadius reveal about his view of papal authority?

Allen recounts how Innocentius I excommunicated Emperor Arcadius for persecuting Bishop Chrysostom, equating the bishop’s mistreatment with an attack on Christ: “Thou have cast out of his chair, the great Doctor of the whole world; and in him…persecuted Christ.” This identification of Chrysostom with Christ underscores Allen’s belief in the supreme spiritual authority of the Church, portraying papal figures as defenders of divine justice with the right to judge and punish kings.

How does Allen view excommunication and the role of Christendom in enforcing it?

Allen argues that excommunication, once purely spiritual, must now be accompanied by physical force due to declining obedience. Since the "spiritual rod" no longer chastises effectively, offenders must be “driven down…by external force” administered by Christian princes and the Popes of Rome. This reflects Allen’s vision of Christendom as a unified political and spiritual body, capable of punishing religious disorder collectively under papal authority.

What does William Allen say about Queen Elizabeth’s authority?

Allen wholly rejects Elizabeth’s authority, describing her as a “monstrous governess” and not a legitimate Christian ruler. He denies her any spiritual or temporal jurisdiction over faithful Catholics, asserting that true authority lies with the “chief priest and pastor of our souls”—the Pope. In contrast to papal supremacy, Allen portrays Elizabeth as a usurper lacking divine sanction, especially after the papal bull excommunicating her was renewed by Pope Sixtus. Her rule, in Allen’s eyes, is heretical and illegitimate.

How does Allen justify war against Elizabeth I in An Admonition to the Nobility and People of England?

Allen frames the conflict as a holy war, declaring that “there is no war in the world so just or honourable, as that which is waged for religion.” He argues that apostasy—“falling from the faith to strange religions”—is the gravest of crimes, meriting “extreme revenge.” Written just after Pope Sixtus V endorsed the Spanish Armada as a crusade, Allen presents this war as a religious duty for all Christians, transcending national boundaries.

How does William Allen present the Catholic Church in relation to secular society?

Allen asserts that the commonwealth of the Catholic Church, founded by Christ, is “more excellent than any secular society ordained by man.” This positions the Church as a transnational authority, superior to national identity and sovereignty. For Allen, spiritual allegiance to the universal Catholic Church outweighs loyalty to any individual nation or secular ruler.

How does William Allen describe the relationship between civil and spiritual authority, and how does this shape his view of Elizabeth’s rule?

Allen argues that spiritual authority must be superior to civil authority, and that acknowledging Elizabeth as head of the Church through the oath of supremacy violates this order. He calls the oath “the torment of all English consciences”, as it erases the distinction between Church and state, equating Christian and heathen rulers. By subordinating the Church to the crown, English Catholics become “foreigners” to the true Church, revealing how the universal Catholic conscience made heretical rule intolerable.

How does William Allen, in his Apologie and True Declaration of the Institution and Endevours of the Two English Colleges, redefine national identity for English Catholic exiles?

Allen argues that Elizabeth’s claim as head of the Church renders faithful Catholics “foreigners…in respect to the church”, transforming England into “our lost country”. In contrast, he presents the papal seat in Rome as the “native of all true belevers”, offering exiled Catholics a new spiritual homeland. For Allen, true nativeness lies not in England but in the universal Catholic Church, where conscience and faith unite all believers beyond national boundaries.

Similarities:

• Like Boucher, Allen argues that heretical monarchs can be deposed and that rulers are subject to the Church.

• Like the VCT, Allen believes tyranny nullifies obedience, and resistance is justified.

• Like Heyndrix, Allen sees rulers as accountable to God, and draws on biblical precedent.

• Like the Edict of Abjuration, Allen claims that a ruler who breaks the law of God and country forfeits authority.

Differences:

• Unlike Hotman’s Francogallia, Allen rejects nationalism, calling instead for loyalty to the universal Catholic Church.

• Allen sees excommunication as both a spiritual and temporal weapon, justifying deposition and war; Belloy insists excommunication is purely spiritual and does not affect a monarch’s temporal authority.

• Unlike the Dutch Edict, Allen does not frame resistance in terms of civil liberties or ancient customs, but as a religious obligation.