answered by one of the party, that "seeing he had done them that favour to offer them an hearing, they were ready to lay open their doubts; and, that there might be no confusion, the company had intrusted to one of their number to lay open their minds, to whom they prayed the bishop to give audience with patience." account of it. And this he accordingly did, with patience most No authentick admirable. But of the conference which ensued there is no authentick account, and such as is altogether worthy to be relied on. There appears, indeed, to have been one by Mr. Patrick Adair, circulated in manuscript by the Presbyterian party, and since printed; but the bishop impeached its accuracy at the time, and contradicted its statements, and described it as a "libel," and as "falsely traducing all his proceedings." Such a document therefore is not of historical authority, and is calculated to deceive and mislead rather than to instruct and inform. by the Presby formity. So far, indeed, as it sets forth the opinions of objections made the party which it was intended to favour, it may, terians to conperhaps, be admitted: and thus it makes us acquainted with the objections of these non-conformists, being indeed the usual objections of the sectarists of the time; such as alleged corruptions in the authorized translation of the Holy Scriptures, the untruths contained in the Apocrypha, the publick reading of the Apocrypha in the Church service, the omission of reading much of the canonical Scripture, the avouching of the day of Christ's nativity, the avouching that Christ was born seven days together, the kneeling at the sacrament of the Lord's supper, which was the chief stumbling-block, and most fully and strongly urged. The Bishop of Derry, who is said to have been Result of the meeting. Painfulness of the sentence. Necessity of the act of deposition. not present during the greater part of the debate, but to have come into the church when the six first topicks had been discussed, is reported to have expostulated with his brother of Down, commending his charity, but not his wisdom, in suffering such open objections against the orders of the Church; and assuring him that he could not answer it, that he had given the objectors such liberty that day. The result was an adjournment of the meeting, first to the afternoon, and then to the following morning; when the non-conformists still continuing to refuse subscription to the canons, the bishop pronounced upon them the sentence of deposition. This sentence, distressing as it may have been and doubtless was, not to the deposed ministers only, but to their friends and partisans, was, it may be safely affirmed, to no one more painful than to the bishop whose office called upon him to pronounce it. His conduct throughout the discussion was marked by patience, moderation, and forbearance, and by a spirit of good will and conciliation, which prompted him to make concessions to the prejudices of the dissentients, exceeding the strict line of his duty. As to the act itself of deposition, it was rendered necessary by the circumstances. For to have permitted these ministers to persist in their nonconformity, still professing themselves nevertheless ministers of the Church, would have been to abandon all pretence to ecclesiastical authority and discipline. At the same time his language in answer to one of the deposed delinquents, who appealed to the consciences of all present concerning his life and Exemplary con- doctrine during his ministry, was kind and respectful to the individual, at the same time that it intimated the proper ground on which the whole question duct of the bishop. "Mr. Cunningham, I con should be made to rest. SECTION VII. Scotch Covenant introduced into Ireland. Precautions of the Government. Case of a Clergyman named Galbrath. Northern counties infected. Correspondence of Bishop of Down and Connor with Lord Deputy. High character of the Bishop. His Speech, or Visitation Charge, at Lisnegarrey, 1638. Its important contents in connexion with the History of the Church. His continued intercourse with the Government. THE tumultuary and rebellious spirit which had for some time taken possession of Scotland, and desolated her Church, was now spreading itself into Ireland. The Scotch, who had acquired property in • Part II, chap. i. p. 225, Scotch Covenant introduced into Ireland. Precautions of the government. Case of Mr. Gal brath. 1638. His nomination to a benefice in Raphoe. that kingdom, or become inhabitants there, had originally brought with them their national prejudices in favour of non-conformity, anti-liturgical worship, anti-episcopal polity and jurisdiction in the Church, and resistance to legitimate authority: and they were now endeavouring to introduce into that country their. National Covenant, which they had recently framed for the maintenance of their own discipline and worship; the precursor, at the distance of five years, of the notorious Solemn League and Covenant. Under these circumstances it was a very commendable, as well as a very natural, proceeding on the part of the Lord Deputy, to design that "the clergy of the Church of England and Ireland be instructed to preach to the people against the disorders and rebellions of the disaffected, as they do most impudently inveigh against the Common Prayer Book and ceremonies of our Church'." And it was equally natural and becoming in the government, to take all possible precautions against the bestowal of ecclesiastical benefices on persons who were pledged to measures hostile to the Church's constitution and laws, as was the case with all those who had taken the Scotch Covenant. An example of this prudent precaution occurred in the summer of 1638. From the Armagh Book of 1622, of which some account has been given under the former reign, it appears that at that time the Archdeacon of Raphoe was Mr. Thomas Bruce, who "possessed no living belonging to that archdeaconry, but held the parsonage and vicarage of the parish of Teaghboyne, presentative by the Duke of Lennox." On a vacancy of these preferments in 1638, a Scotchman, of the Strafford Letters, ii. 192. 1 name of Galbrath, was brought forward to supply it. But how the disposal of the vacant preferment fell into the hands of the government, or in what way Galbrath was recommended to the vacancy, is not explained. His eligibility, however, for the appoint- His eligibility ment is thus represented as questionable in a letter of the 7th of August, from the Lord Deputy to Archbishop Laud. "Your grace may not only undertake for Taboine, but for all that is in my disposal, as often as you shall be pleased to call for it. All that I heard from Dr. Bruce these three months, is very lately: and that was no more, but that a messenger employed by him into Scotland for that purpose brought certain knowledge, that Galbrath had signed and sworn the Covenant; so that we are like to have a brave archdeacon of him. Nevertheless if himself may be trusted, all will be well no doubt; or else there is more ingenuity to confess truth in this gentleman, than I ever yet observed in a Puritan. But it makes no matter; so soon as I come back, if Dr. Bruce stay upon the business, and like not his change so well as he did, I will send for and quicken him, to the intent his majesty may be sooner obeyed"." The king's pleasure on this subject is thus communicated to the Lord Deputy by a letter from the archbishop. questioned. Letter from Lord bishop Laud. Deputy to Arch bishop Laud's letter to Lord Deputy. Sept. 10, 1638. "If Dr. Bruce will justify that Galbreth hath either King's pleasure sworn or subscribed the Covenant, your lordship is to make signified by Archstay, and not to put him into possession of Taboine. And in the mean time I have, by his majesty's command, spoken with my Lord Marquis Hamilton, who is suddenly and unexpectedly come hither, to inform himself and send up present word of the truth of it; and if he have subscribed, his majesty is resolved he shall not have the benefice. In the mean time I would know his Christian name, and the place in Scotland where he subscribed"." * Strafford Letters, ii. 195. As above, ii. 213. |