the fatal foundation for the horrible explosion of 1641. The battle was no longer to be fought for the rights and privileges, and ancient lordships of the Irish chiefs; the feudal fabric of Ireland, the influence of the ancient Milesians, the pride of ancestry, all had been undermined and nearly annihilated by the policy of James I. A plebeian war, now for the first time, disgraced the land of our fathers."*

Since the first foundations of the Romish Church in this country were laid in the manner above described, its bishops and priests have been doing all that lay in their power to extend its influence, and if possible to pass it off for the old Church of Ireland. The perusal of the preceding pages will however, it is hoped, assist the inquiring reader in judging how little their statements of this sort are to be depended upon.

King James I. was the author of many works on religious controversy and other subjects. He composed an able defence of the oath of allegiance, which attracted much attention, and drew forth answers from the most celebrated Jesuits of that time.

* Columbanus ad Hib. No. 4, pp. 114, 115, 116.

i wo Tui Tren hat

amo prishes with teal wo be liyainy 16 metara, he wad e ing as marwhole Zath.*

APP & sonyeation of the Romish clergy m Toblin on the sier enth of Jane; when 21h bergpbial that they would ask pardon for the A WAY, and give King Charles II. new path of their anagiance by taking an oath which was fexned by their procurator, Peter Walsh, and rated the Irish Remonstrance" or "Loyal Formulary?" This remonstrance comprised an acI misledgment of the king as supreme lord and

phtful reign of Ireland; and of the necessity ad adoxing him in all civil and temporal affairs, notwithstanding any pretended power, sentence, or declaration of the pope or see of Rome; with other jaht stime romlirming these professions of loyalty. For through the prevalence of foreign influence

this formulary was rejected by the Romish clergy, who even persuaded many that had signed it to withdraw their names.

Having glanced thus rapidly over some of the most striking features in our Church History from the age of St. Patrick to the Reformation, it is not my design here to continue the subject through any of the succeeding reigns; for the annals of later times, though deeply interesting, are comparatively less important, and also better known among us. They consist in a great measure of a recital of injuries inflicted on the Church by Romanists and other enemies, in their endeavours to raise themselves by her destruction. Even now prospects are dark around her and enemies powerful; even now she sees the great majority of her children seduced to follow the misleadings of an Italian bishop, and to receive his superstitions in place of her own holy and Scriptural doctrines. But she knows that she is still in the hands of Him who has been with her for fourteen hundred years, in whom she trusts that He will yet be with her, even though her temporal comforts be reduced much lower, and the injuries which infidel and antichristian influence in the state

Many of the Romanist party became convinced of the lawfulness of the oath, but the pope would not allow them to act according to their consciences, but commanded them to refuse it, whatever they might think of its legality: he also told them that if they were punished with death for the disloyalty which he inculcated, they would be dying as martyrs for the Catholic faith.*

In A.D. 1666 a convocation of the Romish clergy was held in Dublin on the eleventh of June; when it was expected that they would ask pardon for the rebellion of 1641, and give King Charles II. new assurance of their allegiance by taking an oath which was framed by their procurator, Peter Walsh, and called the "Irish Remonstrance" or "Loyal Formulary." This remonstrance comprised an acknowledgment of the king as supreme lord and rightful sovereign of Ireland; and of the necessity of obeying him in all civil and temporal affairs, notwithstanding any pretended power, sentence, or declaration of the pope or see of Rome; with other protestations confirming these professions of loyalty. But through the prevalence of foreign influence,

i

* See Columbanus No. 6, p. 108, given in the Appendix.

this formulary was rejected by the Romish clergy, who even persuaded many that had signed it to withdraw their names.

Having glanced thus rapidly over some of the most striking features in our Church History from the age of St. Patrick to the Reformation, it is not my design here to continue the subject through any of the succeeding reigns; for the annals of later times, though deeply interesting, are comparatively less important, and also better known among us. They consist in a great measure of a recital of injuries inflicted on the Church by Romanists and other enemies, in their endeavours to raise themselves by her destruction. Even now prospects are dark around her and enemies powerful; even now she sees the great majority of her children seduced to follow the misleadings of an Italian bishop, and to receive his superstitions in place of her own holy and Scriptural doctrines. But she knows that she is still in the hands of Him who has been with her for fourteen hundred years, in whom she trusts that He will yet be with her, even though her temporal comforts be reduced much lower, and the injuries which infidel and antichristian influence in the state