Constable (alias Lacey), John, controversialist pen-name Clerophilus Alethes), b. in Lincolnshire, 10 November, 1676 or 1678; d. 28 March, 1743. In 1695 he entered the Society of Jesus. For many years he served the Fitzherbert family at Swinnerton, where he is buried. Constable’s chief controversial opponents were: the Abbé Courayer (1681-1776; Dict. Nat. Biog., XII, 328), who championed Anglican orders, came over to England in 1728, was lionized, and eventually buried in the cloisters of Westminster; and Charles Dodd vere Hugh Tootell, who wrote with a prejudice against Jesuits. The chief writings of Constable are: “Remarks upon Courayer’s Book in Defence of English Ordinations, wherein their invalidity is fully proved”, an answer to Courayer’s “ Dissertations” of 1723; “The Stratagem Discovered to show that Courayer writes ‘ Booty’, and is only a sham defender of these ordinations”, by “Clerophilus Alethes”, an answer to Courayer’s “Defense”; “The Convocation Controvertist”, by “Clerophilus Alethes” (Svo, 1729), against Rev. Joseph Trapp’s “ Defence of the Church of England”; “Doctrine of Antiquity concerning the Eucharist”, by “Clerophilus Alethes” (8vo, 1736); “Specimen of Amendments proposed to the Compiler of ‘The Church History of England”, by “Clerophilus Alethes” (12mo, 1741); “ Advice to the Author of ‘The Church History of England”, MS. at Stonyhurst. Gillow enumerates a few other writings by Constable.
Oliver, Collectanea S. J., 73; Foley, Records S. J., III, 207; VII (i), 159; Sommervogel, sich oh la C. de J., II, col. 1374; Gillow, Dict. of Eng. Cath., 1, 552 sqq.; Cooper in Diet. Nat. Biog., XII, 36.
Patrick Ryan.