sion to popery meditated by the state. In the fervour of their zeal, these prelates unanimously subscribed a protestation,"* drawn up by primate Usher, which they styled,

"The judgement of the archbishops and bishops of Ireland, concerning toleration of religion.

"The religion of the papists is superstitious and idolatrous; their faith and doctrine, erroneous and heretical, their church, in respect of both, apostatical. To give them therefore a toleration, or to consent that they may freely exercise their religion, and professe their faith and doctrine, is a grievous sinne, and that in two respects.

"For 1. It is to make ourselves accessary not onely to their superstitions, idolatries, heresies, and in a word, to all the abominations of popery; but also (which is a consequent of the former) to the perdition of the seduced people, which perish in the deluge of the catholick apostasie.

"2. To grant them toleration, in respect of any money to be given, or contribution to be made by them, is to set religion to sale, and with it, the soules of the people whom Christ our Saviour hath redeemed with his most precious blood. And as it is a great sinne, so also a matter of most dangerous consequence. The consideration whereof, we commend to the wise and judicious. Beseeching the zealous God of truth

* Leland.

to make them who are in authority, zealous of God's glory, and of the advancement of true religion; zealous, resolute and courageous against all popery, superstition, and idolatry. Amen. "Ja. Armachanus, Mal. Caschellen, Anth. Medensis, Tho. Hernes. & Laghlin. Ro. Dunensis, &c. Georg Derens. Richard, Corke, Cloyne, Rosses. Andr. Alachadens. Tho. Kilmore & Ardagh. Theo. Dromore. Michael Waterford and Lysmore. Fran. Lymerick.

"Conferred and agreed upon Novemb. 26, 1626.”

"This judgement of the bishops Dr. George Downham, bishop of Derry, at the next meeting of the assembly, April 23, 1627, published at Christ-church, before the lord deputy and council, in the midst of his sermon. The preamble he made to it (which I had from his own notes) was thus: Are not many among us, for gain and outward respects, willing and ready to consent to a toleration of false religion, and thereby making themselves guilty of a great offence, in putting to sale not only their own souls, but also the souls of others. But what is to be thought of toleration of religion, I will not deliver my own private opinion, but the judgment of the archbishops and bishops of this kingdom, which I think good to publish unto you, that whatsoever shall happen, the world may know, that we were far from consenting to those favours which the papists expect.'....The lord primate (Usher) the next lord's day preached before the same

auditory; the text was, Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world;' when he made the like application with the bishop, rebuking such, who for worldly ends, like Judas, sell Christ for thirty pieces of silver.... The judgment of the bishops prevailed so much with the protestants, that the proposals were drove on very heavily; and after much agitation of things, the lord deputy, finding the discontents between both parties encreasing, desired this lord primate to sum up the state of things, and to move them to an absolute grant of some competency to the complying with the king's necessities, without any such conditions; with which, upon their answer, he would cease moving any further.'

In a vehement, artful and pathetic, but unsuccessful address, to the grand assembly, before the deputy, in the castle of Dublin, April 30, 1627, Usher bears ample testimony to the ravages of Elizabeth, and the firm loyalty of the popish pale, so unrelentingly persecuted.

My lord, the resolution of these gentlemen in denying to contribute unto the supplying of the army, sent hither for their defence, doth put me in mind of the philosopher's observation, That such as have respect to a few things, are easily misled;' the present pressure which they sustain, by the imposition of the soldiers, and the desire they have to be eased of that burden, doth so wholly possess their minds, that they have only an eye to the freeing themselves from

*Bernard's Life of Dr. James Usher.

that incumbrance, without looking at all to the desolations that are like to come upon them by a long and a heavy war, which the having of an army in readiness might be a means to have prevented. The lamentable effects of our last wars in this kingdom doth yet freshly stick in our memories: neither can we so soon forget the depopulation of our land, when besides the combustions of war, the extremity of famine grew so great, that the very women in some places by the wayside, have surprised the men that rode by, to feed themselves with the flesh of the horse of the rider: and that now again here is a storm towards, wheresoever it will light, every wise man will easily foresee, which if we be not careful to meet with in time, our state may prove irrecoverable, when it will be too late to think of, Had I wist.

"The dangers that now threaten us, are partly from abroad, and partly from home; abroad, we are now at odds with two of the most potent princes in Christendom, and to both which, in former times, the discontented persons in this country have had recourse heretofore, proffering the kingdom itself unto them, if they would undertake the conquest of it: for it is not unknown unto them that look into the search of those things, that in the days of king Henry the eighth, the earl of Desmond made such an offer of this kingdom to the French king, (the instrument whereof yet remains upon record in the court at Paris) and the bishop of Rome afterwards transferred the title of all our kingdoms

unto Charles the fifth, which by new grantswas confirmed unto his son Philip, in the time of queen Elizabeth, with a resolution to settle this crown upon the Spanish infanta: which donations of the popes, howsoever in themselves they are of no value, yet will they serve for a fair colour to a potent pretender, who is able to supply by the power of the sword, whatsoever therein may be thought defective. Hereunto may we add that of late in Spain, at the very same time when the treaty of the match was in hand, there was a book published with great approbation there, by one of this country birth, Philip O'Sullivan, wherein the Spaniard is taught, that the ready way to establish his monarchy, (for that is the only thing he mainly aimeth at, and is plainly there confessed) is, first to set upon Ireland, which being quickly obtained, the conquest of Scotland first, of England next, then of the Low countries, is foretold with great facility will follow after:

"Neither have we more cause in this regard to be afraid of a foreign invasion, than to be jealous of a domestic rebellion. Where, lest I be mistaken, as your lordships have been lately, I must of necessity put a difference betwixt the inhabitants of this nation; some of them are descended of the race of the antient English, or otherwise hold their estates from the crown, and have possessions of their own to stick unto, who easily may be trusted against a foreign invader, although they differ from the state in matter of religion: for proof of which fidelity in this kind,