G. Rebellion. Earnest and affectionate con clusion of the speech. byter, and that all set fasts are unlawful, Jewish, and superstitious. And is not this the doctrine of these men? "But lastly, their disobedience, schism, and heresy, have now drawn them into open rebellion, and I wonder whither they will go next. For I am deceived if they have not yet a further journey to go, and that they cannot subsist until they arrive at pure anabaptism. From which they now differ but a little. And surely if any of you will read the history of the anabaptists, you will find that their proceedings were a great deal more moderate and Christianlike than these men's are. This is the just judgment of God, that they who run out of the communion of the Church should likewise run out of their own wits." To attempt in this place an abstract of a learned and extensive treatise, as is the sequel of the charge, would be beside our more immediate purpose. But the reader will not dislike to peruse the concluding paragraph, marked as it is by those symptoms of sincerity and impressive carnestness of language, which accompany a deep conviction of the truth in the mind of the speaker. "And now I have wearied both you and myself with a long speech. I know there are many here who think I have spoke too much. But I could not have said less, and manifest my fidelity to God and the king. And if it be true, which is grown unto a proverb, that 'Leves loquuntur curæ, ingentes stupent,' no man can expect that my speech should be eloquent; for I protest before God, that I have spoken out of the grief of my heart, and the very anguish of my soul. soul. When I consider the fearful after-claps that are likely to ensue, it fears me that our sins are come unto a full maturity, and that we are now ripe for God's sickle to reap us. I dare not say with St. Paul, that I could wish myself anathema, or separated from Christ for my countrymen; but I can say with a sincere heart, that I could be content my life were given in a sacrifice, so that could procure the peace of the Church, redeem his majesty's honour, which is so deeply wounded, and preserve my native country from destruction. And therefore I beseech all you, who bear good will unto Sion, that you would apply all your endeavours for quenching of this fire, especially labouring to reclaim them who are committed to your charge: ‘And of some have compassion, making a difference; and others, save with fear, pulling them out of the fire.' Jude, ver. 22, 23. And let all of us be instant with God in prayer, lifting up our hearts and our hands to the heavens, and beseeching him, who is the author of peace and lover of concord, that He would be pleased to open the eyes of that people, and turn their hearts, that they may acknowledge their duty to God and to his vice-gerent. Amen." It is in pursuance of the same subject, which had occupied the Bishop of Down's thoughts, and prompted his address to the people of his charge at his visitation, that we now proceed to his continued intercourse with the Lord Deputy on the subject of their former communications. : Continued corre spondence with the Lord Deputy. October, 1638. Scotch conspi racy. "I know," affirms the bishop, in a letter dated October Many Irish 8, 1638, “ there are many in my diocese, and other parts of deinch in the the kingdom, who have joined in this conspiracy; but I am not able to make proof against them, if they should deny it for of late I have had no intelligence out of Scotland; all letters that come unto me are intercepted. Besides, my friends, from whom I had wont to receive my information, live at Edinburgh and Aberdeen; and know not what is done in the west parts of that country, whither only our people do resort, yet I will use all means to discover them. And, in the mean time, I dare say that these persons, whom I present to your lordship, are guilty : because they are notable nonconformists, and have been lately in Scotland. churchwardens. "As for those who contemn my process, and oppose my wilfulness of the jurisdiction, they are more in number than would fill all the gaols in Ireland; but the churchwardens are the deepest in that guilt, who will present none that are disobedient to the Government; and to that purpose they are chosen. Petition of the rians. I in Scotland they are entered into a bond to defend one another by arms, so it seems that in my diocese they have joined in a bond, to defend one another by their oaths. have, therefore, in obedience to your lordship's commands, sent a list of these churchwardens, extracted out of my registry. If it may please your good lordship to make all or some of them examples, it will strike a terror in the rest of that faction. "Since his majesty has been pleased to condescend so far unto them in Scotland by his last proclamation, against which, notwithstanding, they have protested; there is such insulting amongst them here, that they make me weary of my life. And, as I am informed, they are now drawing a petition to his majesty, that they may have the like favour in Ireland as is granted to their fellows in Scotland; which I hope your lordship, in your deep wisdom, will prevent. Maltreatment of My officers have been lately beaten in open court. I have sent a warrant for apprehending the parties, by virtue of a writ of assistance from your lordship, whereof I never made use before; and, if I apprehend them, I will keep them in restraint till your lordship's pleasure be known. They do threaten me for my life; but, by the grace of God, all their brags shall never make me faint in doing service to God and the king." the bishop's officers. Bishop Leslie's letter submitted to the king. King's directions to the Lord Deputy. Nov. 2, 1638. This letter from the Bishop of Down was, according to the Lord Deputy's desire, submitted by the Archbishop of Canterbury to the king. The general directions, concerning the lawless proceedings of the Scotch in Ireland, were comprised in the king's resolute answer to the Lord Deputy, "that you take what order you in your wisdom may think fittest, with your refractory Scottishmen there, so you do it in time, and suppress them before they get the bit between their teeth." 66 With respect to their prayer for special indulWhereas, gence, the answer is more specifick. says Archbishop Laud to Lord Wentworth, Nov. 2, 1638, "the bishop writes, he is informed, that some gence not granted in Ireland, and Scots in Ireland are drawing a petition to his majesty, that they may have the like favour in Ireland which is granted to them in Scotland; to this his majesty says that you may make this answer: That, Special indulwhatsoever he hath indulged to Scotland, is because to Presbyterians they have there had sometime a church-government, why. such as it was, confused enough, without bishops. But for Ireland, it hath ever been reformed by, and to, the Church of England. And your lordship, his majesty hopes, will keep the people steady to that; and the Scottishmen, who will live there, your lordship must see that they conform themselves to it; or, if they will, they may return into Scotland, and leave honester men to fill the plantations."" SECTION VIII. Renunciation of the Covenant, and Petition from divers Inhabitants of the North of Ireland. An Oath framed in consequence. Ireland an Asylum for Scottish Episcopal Refugees. Case of Archibald Adair, Bishop of Killalla. Irregular Conduct of a Clergyman of Raphoe. Correspondence of the Bishop with the Government. Loyalty of the Irish Clergy. Earl of Strafford's Withdrawal from the Viceroyalty. Petition to the English Parliament against Prelates and Prelacy. Petitions to the Irish Parliament against the Bishops of Raphoe, Down, and Derry. Persecution of Bishop of Derry, and his Deliverance. the Covenant. 1639. CONSIDERING the distempers of the time, and the Renunciation of lawless and portentous conduct of the Covenanters, it was judged fit for the Government to receive from the Scottish on the Irish side of the Channel, a renunciation of the frantick Covenant contracted by some of their countrymen on the other side. This Petition from divers Scottish inhabitants of Ireland. Their dislike of the Covenant. Prayer to be per mitted to vindi cate themselves. Petition received with commenda was prepared in the form of a humble petition, addressed to the Lord Deputy and Council, by "divers lords spiritual and temporal, knights, gentlemen, and others of the Scottish nation, inhabiting in the kingdom of Ireland." The petitioners "declared their inward sorrow, with which they had observed the disorders in Scotland, occasioned by a late Covenant, entered into by some of their countrymen there, without his majesty's authority; they avowed their utter dislike of such courses, and their apprehension that, perhaps, those inconsiderate proceedings of that faction might be understood as reflecting upon them, though innocent thereof: they, therefore, craved leave to be admitted to vindicate themselves from so great a blemish, as the contagion and malignity of the lewd and desperate transgressions of that faction; and begged their lordships to prescribe some way, whereby they might not only declare themselves free from any imputation or suspicion of consent to those proceedings, but also testify their bounden duty, faith, and allegiance to the king, and their dislike of that Covenant, and of all other covenants entered into without his majesty's authority, in vindication of which they offer their lives and fortunes against all persons whatsoever they signify their confidence, that no man of charitable disposition will impute to the whole nation the disloyalty of that faction, and their hope that the Covenant will appear to have been by force imposed on very great numbers, who, when occasion shall enable them, will express their loyalty to the king, as becometh all Christian and faithful subjects." This petition was signed by above forty of the tions by the Lord most respectable names in that part of Ireland; including the Viscounts Montgomery and Claneboy, Deputy. |