CERTAIN ACTS AND DECLARATIONS made by the Ecclesiastical Congregation of the Archbishops, Bishops, and other Prelates. Met at Clonmacnoise the fourth day of December 1649. And since Concluded. printer's or publisher's device KILKENNY Printed in the year of our Lord. 1649. And Reprinted at London by Robert Ibbitson. By the Ecclesiastical Congregation of the Archbishops, Bishops, and other Prelates. WHereas heretofore many of the Clergy and Laity did in their actions and proceed express much discontents and divisions of mind, grounding the same on the late difference of Opinion happened amongst the Prelates and the Laity, by which the Nation was not so well united, as was necessary in this time of great Danger, wherein all, as with one heart and hand ought to oppose the Common Enemy. We the Archbishops, Bishops, and Prelates of this Kingdom met motu proprie, at Clonmacknose 4 Decembris 1649, having removed all differences among us (not entering into the merits of diversities of former opinions) thought good for removing of all jealousies from our own thoughts, hearts and resolutions, and from others, who had relation, or were adherent to the former diversity of opinions, to manifest hereby to all the world that the said divisions, and jealousies grounded thereupon, are now forgotten, and forgiven among us on all sides as aforesaid. And that all and every of us, of the above Archbishops, Bishops, and Prelates are now, by the blessing of God, as one body united. And that we will, as becometh charity and our pastoral charge stand all of us as one entire body, for the interest and immunities of the Church and of every the Prelates and Bishops thereof, and for the honour, dignity, estate, right, and possession, of all and every the said Archbishops, Bishops and other Prelates. And we will as one entire and united body forward by our counsels, actions and devises the advancement of his Majesty's Rights, and the good of this Nation in general and in particular occasions, to our power, and that none of us in any occasion whatsoever concerning the Catholic Religion, or the good of this Kingd. of Ireland, will in any respect single himself, or be, or seem opposite to the rest of us, but will hold firm and entire in one sense as aforesaid; hereby detesting the actions, thoughts and discourses of any that shall renew the least memory of the differences past, or give any ground of future difference among us, And do in the name of jesus Christ exhort all our flock to the like brotherly affection and union, and to the like detestation of all past differences or jealousies as aforesaid, arising hitherto among them. And we desire that this our declaration be printed and published in each Parish by command of the respective Ordinaries. ut videant opera vestra bona & glorificent Patrem vestrum qui in Caelis est. Datum apud Clonmacnose 13 Decemb. 1649. Signed by, Hugo Ardmachanus. Fr. Thomas Dublin. Thomas Casshel. Joan Archiep. Tuam. Fr. Boetius Elphyn. Fr. Edmundus Laghlinensis & Procurator Waterfordiensis, Emerus Clogher, Robertus Corcagiensis & Cluanensis. Nicholaus Fernensis. Edmundus Limericensis. & Procurator Episcopi. Ossoriensis. Franciscus. Aladensis. Andraeus Finiborensis. Joan. Laonensis. Fr. Oliverus Dromorensis, Fr. Antonius Clonmacnosensis. Fr. Hugo Duacensis. Fr. Arthur Duneusis, & Connerensis. Fr. Terentius Imolacensis, Fr. Patr. Arsdagh. Oliverius. This Procurator Episco. Medensis. Dr. Joa. Hussey Procurator Episco. Ardfertensis. Fr. Joannes Cantwell Abbas. S. Crucis. Dr. Thadeus Clery Episcop. Rapo. Procurator, Fr. Gregorius o Ferraile Provin. Ordinis Praedicatorum Provin. Hiber. Fr. Thomas Mackeyernane Provin. Fratrum Minorum Provin. Hiber. Walterus Clonfertensis Congregationis Secretary. By the Ecclesiastical Congregation the Kingdom of IRELAND. WE the Archbishops, Bishops, and other Ordianries, and Prelates of the Kingdom of Ireland, having met at Clonemacnose proprio Motu the fourth day of December in the year of our Lord God 1649. to consider of the best means to unite our flocks, for averting God's wrath fallen on this nation, now bleeding under the evils, that famine, plague and war bring after them, for effecting a present union, decreed th' ensuing Acts. 1 We order and decree as an Act of this Congregation, that all Archbishops, Bishops, and other Ordinaries within their respective Dioceses, shall enjoin public prayers, fasting, General Confession, and Receiving, and other works of piety toties quoties to withdraw from this Nation God's anger, and to render them Capable of his mercies. 2 We order and decree as an act of this Congregation, that a Declaration issue from us letting the people know how vain it is for them to expect from the Common Enemy commanded by Cromwell by authority from the Rebels of England, any assurance of their Religion, Lives, or Fortunes. 3 We Order and decree as an Act of this Congregation, that all Pastors and Preachers be enjoined to preach amity. And for inducing the people thereunto to declare unto them the absolute necessity that is for the same, and as the chief means to preserve the Nation against the extirpation & destruction of their Religion and Fortunes resolved on by the Enemy. And we hereby do manifest our detestation against all such divisions between either Provinces or Families: or between old English and old Irish, or any the English or Scots adhering to his Majesty. And we decree and order that all Ecclesiastical persons fomenting such dissensions, or unnatural divisions, be punished by their respective Prelates, and Superiors, Juxta gravitatem excessus, & (si opus fuerit) suspendantur beneficiali & pastors a beneficio & officio ad certum tempus, Religiosi autem a Divinis juxto circumstantias delicti. Leaving the Laity offending in this kind, to be corrected by the Civil Magistrate, by Imprisonment, Fine, Banishment, or otherwise, as to them shall seem best, for plucking by the root, so odious a crime; the execution whereof we most earnestly recommend to all those having power, and that are concerned therein, as they will answer to God for the evils that thereout may ensue. 4 We Decree and Declare excommunicated, those high way robbers commonly called the Idle Boys, that take away the goods of honest men or force men to pay them Contribution, and we likewise declare Excommunicated all such as secure or harbour them, or bestow or sell them any victualling, or buy Cattle or any other thing else from them wittingly, Likewise all Ecclesiastical persons ministering sacraments to such robbers, or Idle boys; or burying them in holy grave, to be suspended ab officio & beneficio, si quod habent, by their respective superiors juxta gravitatem delicti. This our decree is to oblige within fifteen days after the publication thereof in the respective Dioceses. Signed by, Hugo Ardmachanus. Fr. Thomas Dublin. Thomas Casshel. Joan. Archiep. Tuam. Fr. Boetius Elphyn. Fr. Edmundus Laghlinensis & Procurator Waterfordiensis. Emerus Clogher, Robertus Corcagiensis & Cluanensis. Nicolaus Fernensis. Edmundus Limericensis, & Procurator Episcopi Ossoriensis. Franciscus Aladensis. Andrea's Finiborensis. Joan. Laonensis. Fr. Oliverus Dromorensis, Fr. Antonius Clonmacnosensis. Fr. Hugo Duacensis. Fr. Arthurus Dunensis, & Connerensis. Fr. Terentius Imolacensis. Fr. Patric. Ardagh. Oliverius This Procurator Episco. Medensis. Dr. Joannes Hussey Procurator Episcop. Ardfertensis. Fr. Joannes Cantwell Abbas. S, Crucis Dr. Thadeus Clery Episcop. Rapo. Procurator. Walterus Clonfertensis Congregationis Secretary. By the Ecclesiastical Congregation of the Kingdom of Ireland. WE the Archbishops, Bishops, and other Ordinaries and Prelates of this Kingdom of Ireland, having met at Clonmacnose proprio motu, on the fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord God 1649. taking into our consideration among other the affairs then agitated and determinated for the preservation of the kingdom, that many of our flock are misled by a vain opinion of hopes, that the Commander in chief of the Rebels Forces, commonly called the Parliamentaries, would afford them good conditions, and that relying thereon they suffer utter destruction of Religion, lives, and fortunes, if not prevented. To undeceive them in that their ungrounded expectation, we do hereby declare as a most certain truth, that the Enemy's resolution is, to extirpate the Catholic religion, out of all his Majesty's Dominions, as by their several Covenants doth appear, and the practice wherever their power doth extend, as is manifested by Cromwel's Letter of the 19 of Octob. 1649 to the then Governor of Rosse. His words are: For that which you mention concerning liberty of Religion, I meddle not with any man's Conscience, but if by liberty of Conscience, you mean a liberty to exercise the mass, I judge it best to use plain dealing, and to let you know, where the Parliament of England have power, that will not be allowed of. This tyrannical resolution they have put in execution in Wexford, Drogheda, Rosse and elsewhere. And it is notoriously known, that by Acts of Parliament, called The Acts of Subscription, the Estates of the Inhabitants of this kingdom are sold, so as there remaineth now no more, but to put the purchasers in possession, by the power of Forces drawn out of England. And for the common sort of people, towards whom if they show any more moderate usage at the present, it is to no other end but for their private advantage, and for the better support of their Army, intending at the close of their conquest (if they can effect the same as God forbidden) to root out the Commons also, and plant this land with Colonies to be brought hither out of England, as witness the number they have already sent hence for the Tobacco Islands, and put enemies in their places. And in effect this banishment or other destructions of the c●●mon people, must follow the resolution of extirpating the Catholic Religion, which is not to be effected without the massacring or banishment of the Catholic Inhabitants. We cannot therefore in our duty to God, and in discharge of the care we are obliged to have for the preservation of our flocks, but admonish them, not to delude and lose themselves with the vain expectation of conditions to be had from that merciless Enemy. And consequently we beseech the Gentry, and Inhabitants, for God's glory, and their own safety, to the uttermost of their power, to contribute with patience, to the support of the War against that Enemy, in hope that by the blessing of God, they may be rescued from the threatened evils, and in time be permitted to serve God in their Native Country, and enjoy their Estates, and fruits of their labours, free from such heavy levies, or any other such taxes as they bear at present: Admonishing also those that are inlisted of the Army, to prosecute constantly according to each man's charge the trust reposed in them, the opposition of the Common Enemy, in so just a War, as is that they have undertaken for their Religion, King, and Country, as they expect the blessing of God to fall on their actions. And that to avoid Gods heavy judgement, and the indignation of their Native Country, they neither plunder nor oppress the people, nor suffer any under their charge, to commit any extortion or oppression, so far as shall lie in their power to prevent. Signed by Hugo Ardmachanus. Fr. Thomas Dublin. Thomas Casshel. Joan Archiep. Tuam. Fr. Boetius Elphyn. Fr. Edmundus Laghlinensis & Procurator Waterfordiensis, Emerus Clogher, Robertus Corcagiensis & Cluanensis. Nicelaus Fernensis. Edmundus Limericensis, & Procurator Episcopi O▪ Joriensis. Franciscus Aladensis. Andrea's Finiborensis. Joan. Laonensis. Fr. Oliverus Dromorensis, Fr. Antonius Clonmacnosensis. Fr. Hugo Duacensis. Fr. Arthurus Dunensis, & Connerensis. Fr. Terentius Imolacensis, Fr. Patric. Ardagh. Oliverus This procurator Episco. Medensis. Dr. Joannes Hussey procurator Episco. Ardfertensis. Fr. Joannes Cantwell Abbas. S. Crucis. Dr. Thadeus Clery Episcop. Rapo. Procurator, Walterus Clonfertensis Congregationis Secretary. Imprimatur, Henry Scobel. Cler. Parliamenti. FINIS.