Um advogado e escritor inglês, nascido em 1613 em Walpole, Norfolk; falecido em Londres, 1669. Foi estudante do St. John's College, Cambridge, e do Lincoln's Inn, e por volta de 1640 abraçou a Fé Católica. Era altamente estimado em sua profissão e considerado um mestre do estilo inglês. Seu tempo era inteiramente dedicado aos livros e às atividades literárias. Desfrutou da amizade de estudiosos como o antiquário Blount, Christopher Davenport (Franciscus a Santa Clara), John Sergeant, entre outros. Entre seus escritos estão: "The Christian Moderator; or Persecution for Religion condemned by the Light of Nature, by the Law of God, the Evidence of our Principles, but not by the Practice of our Commissioners for Sequestrations—In Four Parts" (Londres, 1652, 4.º). Foi publicado sob o pseudônimo de William Birchley, e nele ele frequentemente renuncia ao poder deposto do papa. "Em sua obra, Austin, assumindo o disfarce de um independente, mostra que os católicos realmente não sustentavam as doutrinas odiosas vulgarmente atribuídas a eles, e faz um apelo energético aos independentes para que estendam aos adeptos da igreja perseguida os mesmos direitos e privilégios concedidos a outros corpos religiosos" (Dict. of Nat. Biogr., II, 264). "The Catholique's Plea; or an Explanation of the Roman Catholik Belief, concerning their Church, Manner of Worship, Justification, Civil Government, Together with a Catalogue of all the Poenal Statutes against popish Recusants, all which is humbly submitted to serious consideration, By a Catholick Gentleman" (Londres, 1659, 18.º), também sob o pseudônimo de William Birchley; "Reflections upon the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance; or the Christian Moderator, The Fourth Part, By a Catholick Gentleman, an obedient son of the Church and loyal subject of his Majesty" (Londres, 1661); "A Punctual Answer to Doctor John Tillotson's book called 'The Rule of Faith'" (inacabada); "Devotions, First Part: In the Ancient Way of Offices, With Psalms, Hymns, and Prayers for every Day in the Week, and every Holiday in the Year". Não se sabe quando e onde a primeira edição apareceu; a segunda, em duodécimo, é datada de 1672. Uma edição impressa em Edimburgo, 1789, contém uma vida do autor, presumivelmente por Dodd. Esta obra foi adaptada para os usos da Igreja Anglicana na "Harmony of the Gospels" de Hick, etc., (Londres, 1701), e foi frequentemente reimpressa como um livro de estoque sob o título Hick's Devotions. "Devotions, Second Part, The Four Gospels in one, broken into Lessons, with Responsories, To be used with the Offices, Printed Anno Domini 1675" (2 vols., Paris, 12.º), uma obra póstuma, dividida em capítulos curtos com um versículo e uma oração no final de cada um. As orações, diz Gillow, "deram origem a ofensas sob a impressão de que favoreciam a doutrina de Blackloe sobre o estado intermediário das almas, e por causa disso a obra não foi republicada". Uma terceira parte das "Devotions" nunca foi impressa; continha, de acordo com a própria declaração do autor, "Orações para todas as ocasiões elaboradas por um amigo íntimo de acordo com suas (de Austin) direções, e revisadas por ele mesmo". Ele também escreveu vários panfletos anônimos contra os teólogos que sentaram na Assembleia de Westminster.
An English lawyer and writer, born 1613 at Walpole, in Norfolk; died London, 1669. He was a student of St. John's College, Cambridge, and of Lincoln's Inn, and about 1640 embraced the Catholic Faith. He was highly esteemed in his profession and was looked on as a master of English style. His time was entirely devoted to books and literary pursuits. He enjoyed the friendship of such scholars as the antiquary Blount, Christopher Davenport (Franciscus a Santa Clara), John Sergeant, and others. Among his writings are: "The Christian Moderator; or Persecution for Religion condemned by the Light of Nature, by the Law of God, the Evidence of our Principles, but not by the Practice of our Commissioners for Sequestrations--In Four Parts" (London, 1652, 4to.) . It was published under the pseudonym of William Birchley, and in it he frequently disclaims the pope's deposing power. "In his work, Austin assuming the disguise of an independent, shows that Catholics did not really holds the odious doctrines vulgarly attributed to them, and makes an energetic appeal to the independents to extend to the adherents of the persecuted church such rights and privileges as were granted to other religious bodies" (Dict. of Nat. Biogr., II, 264). "The Catholique's Plea; or an Explanation of the Roman Catholik Belief, concerning their Church, Manner of Worship, Justification, Civil Government, Together with a Catalogue of all the Poenal Statutes against popish Recusants, all which is humbly submitted to serious consideration, By a Catholick Gentleman" (London, 1659, 18mo.), also under the pseudonym of William Birchley; "Reflections upon the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance; or the Christian Moderator, The Fourth Part, By a Catholick Gentleman, an obedient son of the Church and loyal subject of his Majesty" (London, 1661); "A Punctual Answer to Doctor John Tillotson's book called 'The Rule of Faith'" (unfinished), "Devotions, First Part: In the Ancient Way of Offices, With Psalms, Hymns, and Prayers for every Day in the Week, and every Holiday in the Year". It is not known when and where the first edition appeared; the second, a duodecimo, is dated 1672. An edition printed at Edinburgh, 1789, contains a life of the author, presumably by Dodd. This work was adapted to the uses of the Anglican Church in Hick's "Harmony of the Gospels", etc., (London, 1701), and has been often reprinted as a stock book under the Hick's Devotions. "Devotions, Second Part, The Four Gospels in one, broken into Lessons, with Responsories, To be used with the Offices, Printed Anno Domini 1675" (2 vols., Paris, 12mo), a posthumous work, divided into short chapters with a verse and prayer at the end of each. The prayers, says Gillow, "gave rise to offense under the impression that they favoured Blackloe's doctrine concerning the middle state of souls, and on account of this the work was not republished". A third part of the "Devotions" was never printed; it contained, according to the author's own statement "Prayers for all occasions framed by an intimate friend according to his (Austin's) directions, and overlooked by himself". He also wrote several anonymous pamphlets against the divines who sat in the Westminster Assembly.