their superiors, they had proceeded in their committee; how unheard-of a part it was, for a few petty clerks to make articles of faith, without the privity, or consent of the state, or the bishops; and what a spirit of Brownism, and contradiction, I observed in their deliberandums; but these heady and arrogant courses, they must know, I was not to endure, nor if they were disposed to be frantic, in this dead and cold season of the year, would suffer them either to be mad in their convocations or pulpits."

After this his lordship declared to them all, "that no other question should be proposed at their meeting, but that for allowing, and receiving, the articles of England, without admitting any other discourse at all; for that he would not endure that the articles of the church of England should be disputed. And finally," proceeds his lordship, "because there should be no question in the canon that should be voted, I desired the lord primate would be pleased to frame it, and send it to me for my perusal; after

* Yet in the petition of the clergy of Dublin, in 1647, to the parliament commissioners for leave to use the liturgy and common prayer in their churches, we find these words, "hence it was, that till the convocation held in Dublin, anno 1634, the articles of the church of England were not held or reputed the articles of the church of Ireland, and when they were received, they were not received in any acknowledged subordination to the church of England. Hence it is, besides, that our canons were not imposed by the church of England; nay, when somewhat highly the clergy were invited to submit to the book of English canons, the convocation utterly refused to submit to the same, and framed a new book of canons for the church of Ireland."-Borlase. Currie.

which I would send the prolocutor a draught of the canon to be propounded in a letter of his

own.

"This meeting thus broke, there were some hot spirits, sons of thunder, amongst them, who moved, they should petition for a free synod; but in fine, they could not agree among themselves, who should put the bell about the cat's neck; so this likewise vanished."

"The primate accordingly framed the canon, which I, not so well approving, drew up one myself, more after the words of the canon in England, and then sent it to him. His grace came instantly to me, and told me he feared the canon would not pass in that form, as I had made it, but he was hopeful, as he had drawn it up, it might. He besought me, therefore, to think a little better of it: but I confess, having taken a little jealousy, that his proceedings were not open and free to those ends I had my eye upon, it was too late either to persuade or affright me. I told his lordship I was resolved to put it to them in these very words: only for order's sake, I desired his lordship would vote this canon first, in the upper house of convocation, without any delay: then I wrote a letter to dean Lesly, with the canon enclosed; which accordingly, that afternoon, was unanimously voted; first with the bishops, and then with the rest of the clergy, excepting one man, who singly did deliberate upon receiving the articles of England." This statement he concludes with this boast, "so now

I can say that the king is as absolute here as any prince can be."

"This was perhaps, the highest exertion of layecclesiastical authority that was ever known in this or any other kingdom. For, as by this canon, excommunication is expressly denounced against all those who should affirm, that, "the articles of the church of England were such as they might not, with a good conscience, subscribe unto;" and as the members of this convocation seem to have thought them to be really such, (for otherwise, they would have more readily acquiesced in them), it appears that these bishops and clergy were then obliged to subscribe to a canon, denouncing excommunication against themselves, in case they should ever after venture to publish their real opinion of these articles."*

To support this measure, to determine as the dernier resort, to punish ecclesiastical offences, and, at the same time, "to raise perhaps a good revenue to the crown,' an establishment, too odious, and therefore too dangerous, to be attempted during the sessions of parliament, that of a high commission court, was erected in Dublin, after the English model, with the same tremendous powers.

The further proceedings of this deputy are thus judiciously collected by Dr. Currie, from grave cotemporary authorities.

"These canons were confirmed and published by his majesty's authority under the great seal of Ireland." "And are the canons and constitutions (says Nicholson, bishop of Derry) which are still observed in the established church of Ireland."

"Wentworth was well informed what ample rewards two of his predecessors in the government of Ireland had obtained, by their activity and success in carrying on the enquiry into defective titles; "one of them having lands bestowed upon him, which in the year 1633, were of no less than ten thousand pounds, yearly value; and the other ten thousand pounds in one gift." Hoping therefore, for the like, or greater retribution, his lordship exerted himself in that business with uncommon resolution and vigor; "having procured inquisitions, upon feigned titles to estates, against many hundred years possession, whilst jurors refusing to find such offices, as being against their consciences, and the evidence, were censured to public infamy, and the ruin of their estates."

The deputy had chosen Connaught, and Ormond to make his first essay upon, in this enquiry. His lordship owns, that he had often labored to find a title in the crown to these countries, but that he was always foiled in the attempt." And, in several of his letters into England, he laments, that he could gather no light from thence into these matters. An accident, however, removed soon after, his per

"On opening of parliament, the deputy issued a procla mation, that neither the peers or commoners should come into parliament with swords." "Pursuant to orders, the usher of the black rod was planted at the door of the house of lords, to take the swords of the peers; and as the earl of Ormond was coming in, he demanded his, but was refused. That officer hereupon shewed the proclamation, and repeated his demand in a rough manner. The earl told him, that if he

plexity with regard to Ormond; but the nobility and gentry in some parts of Connaught, gave him great opposition. Wherefore, "old records of state and the memorials of antient monasteries, were ransacked to ascertain the king's original title to that province; and the ingenuity of court lawyers was employed to invalidate all patents granted to the possessors of lands there, from the reign of queen Elizabeth." The deputy even seemed to entertain thoughts of calling to his assistance the authority of his packed parliament, on that occasion. This house," says he, in a letter to the secretary," is very well composed, so as the protestants are the majority; and this may be of great use to confirm and settle his majesty's title to the plantations of Connaught and Ormond; for this you may be sure of, all the protestants are for plantations, all the others against them; so as these being the greater number, you can want no help they can give you therein. Nay, in case there would be no title

must have his sword, he should have it in his guts; and so marched on to his seat, and was the only peer who sat that day with a sword in the house. Upon the earl's being sent for by the deputy that very night, to appear before the council, and answer for his disobedience to the proclamation, he owned he had seen it, and added, "that he disobeyed both that and his lordship's order, out of deference to an higher authority; and then produced the king's writ, which summoned him to come to parliament, cum gladio cinctus. This altercation was the beginning and cause of that great friendship, which subsisted between these two noblemen during lord Wentworth's life."

*This shews the falsity of what is generally asserted, that the protestants suffered as much as the catholics by these