Page images
PDF
EPUB

"is from our gracious king, and from the fathers and "clergy of England; who have compared the holy Scrip"tures with what they have done; unto whom I submit, "as Jesus did to Cæsar, in all things just and lawful, mak"ing no question why or wherefore, as we own him our "true and lawful king." Several of the more moderate of the bishops and clergy adhered to our archbishop; among whom were Staples, bishop of Meath; Lancaster, bishop of Kildare; Travers, bishop of Leighlin, and Coyn, bishop of Limerick; which concurrence was severely remembered to most of them in the following reign.

Archbishop Browne preached a sermon on this occasion against keeping the scriptures in the Latin tongue, and the worship of images; and as this sermon is the only piece extant of so great a man, and at so singular a period, besides his letters set down above, we have subjoined it, being short, presuming it may prove agreeable to the curious Reader *. Archbishop Dowdal, by reason of his violent and unseasonable opposition to the king's order, was deprived of the title of primate of all Ireland; which by letters patent, bearing date the twentieth of October, 1551, was conferred on archbishop Browne, and his successors in the see of Dublin for ever. However he did not long enjoy this dignity; for he was deprived, both of it, and his archbishopric, in 1554, the first of Q. Mary I. under

* Sir Anthony St Leger signified, in this affembly, that it was his majefty's order, as alfo the opinion of the bishops and clergy in England, that the liturgy of the church should be read or fung, and the Bible be read in English in the feveral cathedrals and churches in Ireland the fame as in England; primate Dowdal shon ftanding up with much zeal faid, Then fhall every illiterate fellow read fervice, or mafs, as he in thofe days termed the word fervice. To which Sir Anthony replied; No, your Grace is mistaken, for we have too many illiterate priests amongst us already, who neither can pronounce the Latin, nor know what it means, no more than the common people that hear them; but, when the people hear the Liturgy in English, they and the priest will then understand what they pray for. Upon this reply, Dowdal bade Sir Anthony beware of the clergy's curfe. Sir Anthony made an anfwer, I fear no ftrange curfe, fo long as I have the blefling of that church which I believe to be the true one. archbishop again faid, Can there be a truer church, than the church of St Peter, the mother church of Rome? Sir Anthony returned this anfwer; I thought we had been all of the church of Chrift; for he calls all true believers in him his church, and himself the head thereof. The archbishop replied, And is not St Peter the church of Chrift? Sir Anthony returned this anfwer: St Peter was a member of Chrift's church, but the church was not St Peter's; neither was St Peter, but Chrift, the head thereof. Upon this the archbishop rose up, and with him feveral bihops and clergy, under his jurisdiction, went away.

The

under pretence that he was married; but in truth, because he had zealously promoted the Reformation. then archbishop Dowdal, who had lived in exile during part of the reign of K. Edward VI. recovered the title of primate, and also the archbishopric of Armagh, which had been given to Hugh Goodacre *. While archbishop Browne enjoyed the see of Dublin, the cathedral of St Patrick's was suppressed, for about the space of eight years; but Q. Mary restored it to its ancient dignity, towards the end of the year 1554. The exact time of archbishop Browne's death is not recorded; only we are told, that he died about the year 1556. The learned and excellent Usher, late primate of Armagh, amongst his memorials of Ireland, gives this description of him; George Browne < was a man of a chearful countenance, meek and peaceable, in his acts and deeds plain downright, of good parts, and very stirring in what he judged to be for the ⚫ interest of religion, or the service of his king; to the poor, merciful, and compassionate, pitying the state and condition of the souls of the people, &c. and was adorned with every good and valuable qualification.'

[ocr errors]

The

Q. Mary's letter to the dean and chapter of Christ church in Dublin, to receive the archbishop of Dublin honourably, and with due refpcct. Copia vera, ex Libro nigro Sanctæ Trinitatis Dublinii.

To our trufty and well beloved the dean and chapter, &c.

[ocr errors]

Mary the Queen.

TRUSTY and well-beloved, we greet you well; and for as much as the right reverend father in GOD, our right trufty and well-beloved counsellor the archbishop of Dublin, being lately chofen for that fee, repaireth fpeedily to that our realm of Ireland, as well to refide upon the cure of his bishopric, which now of long time hath been deftitute of a catholic bishop, as alfo to occupy the office of our high chancellor of that our realm; albeit we have good hopes ye will, in all things of yourfelves, carry yourselves towards him as < becometh you; yet, to the intent he might the better govern the charge committed unto him, to the honour of almighty GOD, and for the remain of our fervice, we have thought fit to require and charge you, that for your part ye do reverently receive him, honour, and humbly obey him in all things, as appertaineth to your duties tending to GOD's glory, our honour, and the common weal of that our realm; whereby ye fhall please GOD, and do us acceptable · fervice.

Given under our fignet at the manor of Greenwich, the twentyfifth of September, in the fecond and third years of our reign.'

We have here inferted this letter on two accounts: first, as being a record remaining in the cathedral: Secondly, because there hath been fome difcourfe of late, whether the archbishop of Dublin had power herein, or whether it was upon K. Henry's mutation made a deanery, as Whitehall chapel is, and no cathedral; but, by this letter, it fhews it is both ftill a cathedral, and fubject to the archbishop of Dublin,

[ocr errors]

The following remarkable providence, as it stands, in some measure, connected with our Author's life, as to time and place, and tends to shew that God is a God of Providence, preserving his people in times of danger from the hands of the wicked, as well as a God of Grace, saving their souls and bringing them to glory, we shall lay before our Readers, as we find it in the Harleian Miscellany, vol. v. p. 568.

Q. Mary, having dealt severely with the Protestants in England, about the latter end of her reign, signed a commission for to take the same course with them in Ireland; and, to execute the same with greater force, she nominates Dr Cole one of the commissioners, sending the commission by this doctor, who in his journey coming to Chester, the mayor of that city, hearing that her majesty was sending a messenger into Ireland, and he being a churchman, waited on the doctor, who in discourse with the mayor, taketh out of a clock-bag a leather box, saying unto him, Here is a commission that shall lash the heretics of Ireland,' calling the Protestants by that title. The good woman of the house being well affected to the Protestant religion, and also having a brother named John Edmonds of the same, then a citizen in Dublin, was much troubled at the doctor's words; but watching her convenient time, whilst the mayor took his leave, and the doctor complimented him down stairs, she opens the box and takes the commission out, placing in lieu of it a sheet of paper with a pack of cards, the knave of clubs faced uppermost, wrapped up. The doctor coming up to his chamber suspecting nothing of what had been done, put up the box as formerly. The next day, going to the waterside, wind and weather serving him, he sails towards Ireland, and landed on the seventh of October, 1558, at Dublin; then coming to the castle, the lord Fitz-Walters, being lord deputy, sent for him to come before him and the privy council; who coming in, after he had made a speech relating upon what account he came over, he presents the box unto the lord deputy, who causing it to be opened, that the secretary might read the commission, there was nothing save a pack of cards with the knave of clubs uppermost; which not only startled the lord deputy and council, but the doctor, who assured them he had a commission, but knew not how it was gone; then the lord deputy made answer, Let us have another commission, and we will shuffle the cards in the mean while: The doctor being troubled in his mind went away, and returned

[ocr errors]

into England; and coming to the court obtained another commission; but, staying for a wind at the waterside, news came to him, that the queen was dead; and thus GOD preserved the Protestants in Ireland.

This being a copy of Richard earl of Corke's memorials, as also of Usher, sometime lord primate of Armagh, being also entered amongst Sir James Ware's manuscripts, who hath often heard the late James Usher, nephew to the said Henry, and also primate of Armagh, aver the same, and wondered that Mr Fox had not inserted it in his Acts

and Monuments;' there is yet living a reverend father of the church, Henry now lord bishop of Meath, who can affirm this relation from the said James Usher, late lord primate of all Ireland.

Upon the recalling of the lord Fitz-Walters into England, Q. Elizabeth, who succeeded her sister, discoursing with the said lord, concerning several passages in Ireland, amongst other subjects he related the above passage that had happened in Ireland; which so delighted the queen, that her majesty sent for the good woman, named Elizabeth Edmonds, but by her husband called Mattershad, and her a pension of forty pounds durante vitâ, (so long as she lived) for saving her Protestant subjects of Ireland.

[ocr errors]

gave

The following is a very remarkable sermon, preached by our archbishop in the year 1551 at Christ-Church, Dublin. The copy of it was given to Sir James Ware, (see his history of Ireland, p. 152. edit. 1705.) and is inserted in the Harleian Miscellany, vol. v. p. 566 *.

PSAL. cxix. 18.

Open mine eyes, that I may see the wonders of thy law.

<< THE wonders of the Lord GOD have for a long "time been hid from the children of men, which hath "happened by Rome's not permitting the common peo"ple to read the holy Scriptures; for to prevent you, "that you might not know the comfort of your salva"tion, but to depend wholly on the church of Rome, they will no permit it to be in any tongue but the "Latin,

66

It has been obferved in Maclaine's tranflation of Mofheim's EcclefafticalHiftory, that the character and spirit of the JESUITS were admir• ably described, and their transactions and fate foretold, with a fagacity almoft prophetic' in this fermon. The paffage alluded to, is near the clofe, beginning with the words, "But there is a new fraternity, &c.” The memory of almost every Reader can confirm the juftness of the archbishop's præfentiment or prediction.

Latin, saying that Latin was the Roman tongue : But "the wonderful GOD inspired the holy apostles with "the knowledge of all languages, that they might teach "all people in their proper tongue and language; which "caused our wise K. Henry, before his death, to have "the holy scriptures transcribed into the English tongue, "for the good of his subjects, that their eyes may be opened "to behold the wondrous things out of the law of the Lord. "But there are false prophets at this instant, and will be "to the end of the world, that shall deceive you with "false doctrines, expounding this text, or that, purposely "to confound your understandings, and to lead you cap

tive into a wilderness of confusion, whom you shall "take as your friends, but they shall be your greatest "enemies, speaking against the tenets of Rome, and yet "be set on by Rome; these shall be a rigid people, full of fury and envy.

[ocr errors]

"But, to prevent these things that are to come, ob"serve Christ and his apostles: Let all things be done with decency, with mildness, and in order: fervently crying "unto GOD, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold the "wondrous things out of thy law; then should you rightly "keep the law and the prophets. It is the part of a "prince to be wise, for he hath a great charge to rule and govern a nation. Your late king, foreseeing Rome "and her pope's intentions, how that he intended to en

66

slave his subjects, and to keep them in a state of ig"norance, consulted with the learned of his realm, know❝ing that youth might quickly be wrought on; there"fore he prepared, before his death, a wise and learn❝ed sort of counsellors for his son's overseers; not "trusting to one or two, but to several, that he might "the better rule his people; whose eyes the Lord GOD Almighty had opened betimes, to behold his wondrous "works.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"Though the words of my text be plainly thus (Open "thou mine eyes) the meanest of you that hear me have eyes; but the true meaning of the words is, Endue us "with understanding; for a fool hath eyes, and sees men, "women, beasts, birds, and other things, but yet wants "understanding: So, when we say, Open thou our eyes, "we desire the Lord GOD to instruct and teach us the "knowledge of his laws.

"When you were lately led in blindness, your eyes "beheld the images that then stood in several of the mo"nastries and churches, until they were removed; yet

"all

« PreviousContinue »