been a bad one, and their removal from the dignities which they had enjoyed a necessary step, that they might be able no longer to inculcate into the minds of the people from the seat of authority, their unsound, antiscriptural, anticonstitutional, antinational principles. We cannot however forget that both these bishops were only served as they themselves had served others; that they had been irregularly intruded into their respective sees during the reign of Queen Mary, while the rightful occupants were still living; and that Walsh and Leverous had assisted in depriving other bishops of their sees for the grievous offence they had been guilty of in being married men. (See page 289.) With the exception of these two individuals, all the Irish bishops of that time remained in their respective sees, and from them the present orthodox or Protestant bishops have derived their orders, being the true and unquestionable successors of the ancient Irish Church. The persons who occupied the sees at Queen Elizabeth's succession are for the most part known, from historical records, (as also the manner in which the sees became vacant afterwards, whether by death, translation,

or otherwise.) An enumeration of the several cases may be seen in Bishop Mant's History of the Irish Church, Vol. 1, Appendix ii.

Thus it appears that the Romish prelates, (that is, the persons who were the bishops of the Church of Ireland during the prevalence of Romanism in Ireland,) at the period of the Reformation did not think it unlawful or unsafe to transmit their episcopal office to Protestant successors, or to bequeath the government and charge over the Church which had been entrusted to them, to persons who like the ancient bishops and saints of Ireland, considered themselves independent of the bishop of Rome, and at liberty to act in opposition to his authority, where it enjoined or sanctioned what they esteemed contrary to the Word of God.

And accordingly we see that Archbishop Browne, himself a supporter of the Reformation, was consecrated by Romish bishops in England: and in the consecration of Archbishop Goodacre and Bishop Bale, (see page 281,) he was assisted by Eugene Magennis, the Romish bishop of Down and Connor. And in like manner Curwen, archbishop of Dublin, a Romish prelate, who had been

appointed in Queen Mary's time, did much to promote the Reformation in the reign of her successor; and by him Adam Loftus, who was advanced to the archbishopric of Armagh in Queen Elizabeth's reign, was consecrated to his episcopal office, on the second of March, 1563. The name of Archbishop Loftus is well known for his exertions in procuring the establishment of the Dublin University; for which he obtained a royal charter from Queen Elizabeth, dated March 3, 1592.

$29. OF THE ATTEMPTS MADE IN ELIZABETH'S

REIGN TO THROW OFF THE ENGLISH YOKE, AND TO CRUSH THE REFORMATION IN IRELAND-THE EARL OF DESMOND'S REBELLION.

So far as we have yet considered the transactions in Ireland connected with religion during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, we have seen the work of reformation advancing in an orderly manner in the, Church, under the sanction of its chief governors, and circumstances seemed to promise fairly for

the general establishment of the reformed religion among the people of this country. It was not to be supposed however that the bishop of Rome could submit quietly and without a struggle to the alternative of thus losing all his influence and usurped authority, in our land, or that he was at all so ceremonious a guest as to rise and take his departure when told that his company could be dispensed with.

Nor was he at a loss for active and influential agents here, ready to promote his objects and enter into his plans. For first, many of the great lords of the soil, whose restless disposition was impatient of the restraints imposed on their despotic authority by the English sovereignty, were ready to engage in any design, that might hold out to them the hope of regaining their barbarous freedom, and living as independent princes, lording it over their wretched vassals as they might please, and avenging their quarrels with each other by plunder and war, while their unhappy dependents were forced to yield implicit obedience to their arbitrary authority, take the field at their bidding, and live consequently in continual jeopardy of life and property. These chieftains

found religion to be an useful handmaid to their political purposes, and although (as was said of one of them long since*) they for the most part cared as little about it as did their horses, yet was it found a plausible name with which to connect their selfish designs, and a convenient bond of union between them and those other powerful allies of their cause, the ecclesiastical and foreign party, who entirely sympathised with them in their hatred of the reformed religion, and the English nation.

It appears to have been the case that while the great body of the bishops of our Church embraced and supported the Reformation in this country, many of the clergy refrained from following their example, and showed their attachment for the Romish religion by refusing to concur in the decision of their Church. Thus many Irish priests were led to join the bishop of Rome in his endeavours to unsettle the peace of this country, and the establishment of the reformed faith. Then also, there were to be found here other intrusive missionaries sent by the pope himself, who came to oppose the sovereign, the laws, and the Church of * This was said of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, by the Earl of Essex.