^1^^%. ^„%K -i^ *4--^( >^^'~ " Tv i^ .1 Xi i \ "¦ \ 7> / YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY From the estate of MRS. FRANCES B. GRIFFIN Gift of MRS. ROBERT JAFFR AY DISCOURSE ON THE RELIGIOlSr ANCIENTLY PROFESSED BY THE 3(ris!) ant) 3Sriti6lj. BY THE MOST REVEREND DR. JAMES USHER, l.ATE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH, AND PRIMATE OF ALL IRELAND. Reprinted from the Edition of 1687. To which is prefixed, an ample oeiograpljical @)feetcfi OF THE MOST REV. AUTHOR. Dublin t PRINTED AND SOLD BY JOHN JONES, 40, SOUTH CttEAT CEOUGe'S-SC ALSO BY ARCHER, DUGDALE, KEENE AND J^UNSTON; AND BY J. IIATCHARD, AND L. B. SEELY, LONDON, 1815. TJiE Editor of this work has taken the liberty of making some verbal alierfitions in that part of it, which consists of translated passages ont of Ancient Irish Writers, in such a manner, as, without affecting the sense, will render it, lie hopes, more pleasing to the modem ear. In his Ufe of the illustrious Prelate, he has carefully noted every circumstance, which, though omitted by one Biographer, lias been recorded by another ; and he trusts it will be found the most correct and satisfactory hitherto published. No notice, however, has been taken of his Grace's posthumous writings, because, he feared, the necessary remarks concerning them, would have swelled the Memoir so centider^ly, as to have rendered it too large io pnfix to any other j/uork. LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH. " .WHEN first," says Plutarch, " I applied myself to the writing of these lives, it was for the sake of others ; bnt I pursue that study for my own advantage, availing myself of History, as of a mirror, frora which I learn to adjust, and reg^jlate my own conduct; for it is like living and conversing with these illustrious men, wheu I invite and receive them, as it were, one after anotlier, under my own roof; when I consider how great and illustri ous they were, and select from their lives the most glorious and memorable circumstances ; a greater pleasure than which," continues he, " the Gods can scarce grant us, or a more eflFectual method for the regulation of our morals." — If a Heathen could find such powerful incentives to morality in the lives of fUustrious Pagans, how much stronger inducements must the examples of departed Christians afford to their surviving brethren, to walk worthy of their high vocation. The dangers they escaped, the oppos;tiou they met with, the diflicnlties they encountered, the numbers, if ministers, they were the means of rescuing from eternal woe, the city of habitation, whither, free from all care and toil, and trouble, they ^liave been at , length safely conducted by the Spirit of the Most High, and the witnesses they thence are to the truth, and faithfiilness- of Jehovah, are so raany motives to make uS lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us, and to induce ns to run with patience the race set before us, looking unto Jesus who is the author and thefni^her of our faith. Tis only he who has planted it in so unkind a soil, vjljo can canse that faith_ to flonrisli. The followers It of the Lamb have so many principles in common, that those of one ag* appear closely connected, and intimately acquainted with those of each pre ceding, whose biography they have leaiued. They seem, while eating the same spiritual food at the hanc|uet of everlasting love, and drawing the waters- of refreshing grace, from the inexhaustible fountain of eternal life, to be* livuig and conversing with one ahother though rfparated by ceuturies, and tongues, aud nations. They will always find something lo interest, to animate, to sympathize witli ; nay, to iiistruct, to edify, to encourage theja in the lives of those esprcially who were eminent in the Church of God. The Poet finds every thing to interest him, in Homer, Virgil, and Milton ; the Limner in Apelles, Raphael, and Reynolds; the Statesman in Pericles, Maecenas, and Chatham: the Warrior iij -ilexander, Caesar, dnd \\'eUington ; and will it be too much to add that (tie Christian shonld be animated, en. i ¦ couraged, and improved by forming himself njjoa the model of the dis- flngnished Prelate vAo is the subject ot tliese memoirs; of the Doctors of the Eeform.-\t!or, aiffl of the noble army of martyrs, none of whom " counted tiieii lives dear ante themselves, ihat they inight finish their course with joy, and the ministry which tliey received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the Grace of God." * To select then the most memorable eircurfisiances of his life, we com mence according to custom, with the birth of Archbishop Usher, which took place in the Parish of Saint Nicholas, in the City of Dublin, on the fourth day of January, A. D. 1.580— a day iiiuch to be prized, sis on it. Heaven gave to earth, one of the most valnaMe and useful characters ihat ever gracc.l our- orb, a day more worthy of grateful, and religious ebser- vanc&thau many which have liceu appoiuted in onr Calendars, to be kept holy.— His fathet; Arnold Usher, who was descended fibirl an English family of the name cf Neville, which had loiVig since emigrated to Ireland, was one of the six cierks in th6 Irish Clfaiiceiy, a mim.- of talent also, and of leaniiiig. Oiie of his ancestors had been Usher to King John, from whicli sitnalion, as was cnjtoniaiy then, he derived timt name, which afterwards continued as the disthictive appellatiou of the family. His iiiotiicr's father, James Stanihiliat, was three times Speaker ofthe House of Commons in Ireland, IJecurder of Dubhn, arid Master hi Chancery ; ho was also the first wli6 had the honor of moving in Parliament for the foundation of aa University in Dublin. To tliis Bill Queen Elizabeth readily assented, and gave her royal patent to effect the- execution of t^e design. From this Uuiversity, while yet in its infancy, fountieLj by the exertions of his Uncle, our Author shone forth as a sfer of ' tlie first magnitude, a brilliant omen of its subsequent renown in the aiinaU. of litfratiirp. He learned the rudiments of his native tongue, and how to- read it, frora two maiden aunts, who were blind from their yoiitli. While- theV were thus eng-iged iu instiuciing their nephew, in the pruici- piesof langria^e, they did not omit to brjng before Sis infant raind, tliose Ill subjects which were of the most momentous consequence, to his imperishable soul. Being themselves, enabled by the grace of Ood, to behold wonderful things out of his law, they felt exceedingly desirous that he also should perceive tiieni. Dr. Parr has recorded of these women, that they possessed .such " incomparable readiness in the divine oracles, that they were either ef them able on a sudden to repeat any part of the Bible"— so great was their love of that inestimable voiume, altho' deprived of sight! Usher re mained under the tuition of tliese excellent instructresses until he arrived at the age of eight 3'ears, at which period he was sent by his father to a school then opened by Mr. James FuUerton, aud Mr. James Hamilton — These gentlemen having been «ent over by King James, to secure his interest here araong the Protestant Gentry, thought it necessary to assume the profession ef School Blasters, to conceal their real purposes. They were both in time knighted fof their services, and Hamilton created Viscount Clandebois. From these extraordinary teachcis he obtained a much better education than what bis countrymen were then accustomed to receive, as learning was so much neglected from the convulsed state ofthe country, during so long d period. He hence esteemed the arrival of these persons in Ireland as a eircumstance most provi,dential for him, and often referred to it as a signal in- stance of the loving kindness of the Lord. To them he truly owed all that extensive learning, which he afterwards found so etFectual and powerful a weapon in his polemical contests. He made now a very rapid and uncom mon progress in Latin, Rhetorick and Poetry, and was considered by his masters the best and most promising pupilunder their care. So exceedingly captivated was he by the poetic muse in his youth, that it was then imagined he would haye remained her constant votary. But he soon found it impractica- Ue to remain in her service, and attain that proficiency in useful learning, which he deemed it necessary to acquire. Altliough he thus repressed his pro- pensity for the refined flights of Poetry, " as not suitable to the great end of his more resolved, serious, and profitable studies, yet", continues Dr. Parr, " he always loved a good Poem that was well and chastly writ." In ad miring those poems only, which were recommended by their chastity as well as by their talent, his example ought surely to be imitated It is a sad reflectiou that so much talent has been perverted, so much time sacri ficed, and so much wit' exerted to adorn obscenity, lascivipusness, and im morality with all the bewitching graces of abused Poetry, While we thus trace, in the intellectual firmament, the incipient dawuings ef one, who afterwards completed his course with such splendor, we should not forget to mark the first promise of his no less brilliant appearance in the moral heavens. We are informed by Dr. Bernard, that his conversion to God took place at the age often years through the instrumentality of a Sermon, which he heai-d preached from the first verse of the twelfth chapter of the Komans ; " I beseech yon therefore bretliren by the mercies of God, (hat A 2 ly you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, accef. table uuto God, whioji i.s your reasonable service." It may appear strange to those, who are them selves strangers to the covenant of promise, to hear the conversion of a child spoken of ; when, accordini; to their apprclicnsicn, he was innocent ; but when, according to Revelation, he In common with evriy other son. of the fall " was shapen in iniquity, and conceived in sin." They doubtless are ignorant of this important truth of revealed religion, that " uoltss a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven ;" unless a new creation of the whole man take place within him, removing the natural enmity of his heart against the divine Being, correcting the evil propensities of his nature, and enabling him to accept the free, inimeriud saKation propounded in the Gospel. Some manuscript notes of Master Perkiis, which have smce been printed, on the sanctifying ofthe Lord's Dny, made so powerful an impression on his mind, that during the remaindef of his life it was his constant care to observe it as he ought. About this time he read in Latin Saint Augmtine's meditations (those rather which are attributed to him,) which so exceedingly affected liun that he often wept as he perused them. So great a loss as Satan had sustained iu him, could not long be brooked without some attempt at rescue — he accordingly exerted every nerve to effect this diabolical pur pose — every mcaus was resofted to, to bring him back to his allegiance to the " Prince ofthe power ofthe aii-" — and eveiy attempt made to suppress the growth of this tender plant, as well when the shades of night caused its head to droop, as when tlie returning sun again invigorated its suspended charms. Not only were various modes of terror invented to affright him iii the course of his daily avocations," they were suggested even in dreams by night. The ardor, with Which he had embraced the pursuit of godliness, Jt was thus hoped, would be early checked, and his timid mind be dissuaded from a course, which however pleasurabl ;¦., appeared to them to be only- encompassed with danger. Notwithstanding all these wiles, he remained stedfast and immoveable. Persuaded, that he was unable of himself to overcome the advei-sary, he apphefl, by prayer, to that glorious being, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift ; and he found grace, proportion ed to his need. He who is mighty to save, delivered him"in his distress— the attacl s of lis enemy were violent and frequent ; but they were op posed by invincible power — tliey soon ceased — the storm subsided— a wel come calm succeeded, and an unusual degree of comfort aud support was administered from on high. This circumstance continued indelibly impressed vpon h;s mind, as might well be supposed, during his whole life. When the Evil One fouml his machinations were unsuccessful, and that the >rur,g christian warrior could not he intimidated by the sudden terror which cometh by nijjtt, as the Alraighty One was his delence, his shield aud liii stio^ig tuver round abcut him ; h« endeavoured once more to allure him into his service, with the bait of pleasure. Sorae of hia compauiouii taught him to play cards, wiUi which he found himself »o delighted al first, that they interfered very considerably with his studies'. But the spirit of Jehovah, whn-li ever keepeth,his own from falling, .'.he-.vcd him the sinful tendency of such a practice, and it was immediately discontinued,* In 1593, having arrived at (lie age of thirteen years, he commenced hii academical studies, being still under the direction of his former preceptor, Ha'iiilton, who had since been elected a Fellow of the University. Under the coition of this^Gentleman he continued to make a remarkable proficiency in the various branches of academical learning, " In a survey ofthe human * It may not be uninteresting to add here an anecdote of a celebrated Me taphysician, extracted from Mr C. Bnck's anecdotes ¦.< — " Mr. Locke having been introduced by Lord Shaftsbury to the Duke of Buckingham and Lord IlaUfax, these three Noblemen, instead of conversing with the Philosopher, as might naturally have been expected, on literary subjects, iu a very short time sat down to cards. Mr. Lock, after looking on for some time, pulled out his pocket-book, and began to write with great attention. One ofthe company oljsi-rving this, took the liberty of asking him what he was writing " My Lord," said Locke, " I am endeavouring as far as possible to piofit by my present situation; for having waited with impatience for the honor of being in company with one of tlie greatest geniuses of the age, I thought I could do nothing betier than to write down your conversation ; and indeed I have set down what you ¦ have said for this hour or two." This well timed ridicule had the desired effect, and these Noblemen fully sensible of its force, imraediaccly quittid tlieir play, , and entered into a conversation more rational, and better suited to the dignity ot their eharacter." To tliis qaotation we may add the 75th Canon of the Church of England, as it refers to this mat|ef, and as some of our Ministers are not very scrupulous in obejiiig its injuctions: — "No Ecclesiastical Person shall at any time, other than for their horiest necessities, resort to any taverns, or alehouses, neither shall Ihey board or lodge in any such places. Furthermore, they shall not give themselves to any base or servile labour, or to drmk or not, spending their time idly by day or by night, playing at dice, CARDS, or tables, or any other uuiouful games: but at all times convenient they shall hear or read somewhat ofthe holy Scriptures, or .shall occupy themselves with some other honest study or exerci.se, always doing the things which shall appertain to honesty, and endeavouring to profit the Church of God; having always, in mini, tliat t'.tj oi.^lu tc excel aU uthera in pnrity of life, and should be exsm, its to Ihe people to live \\t-u and •hristiauly, under pain of Ecclesiastical censures, to be inflicted with seve- Vity, according to the quahties of their offtnces," VI wind," !a)s Doctor Aikin, "there is nothing more curious and inslructive, than to trace the circumstances, vrhich may have given the primary turn to those pursuits, by which an individual has rendered himself distinguished." We find the first incentive to Usher's future fame, as an Historian in that celebrated passage of Cicero, nescire quid antea natus sis acciderit, id est, semper esse puerufn, (to be unacquainted .with the occurrences of , the worl(J previous to your birth is to remain always a child.) His mind was so lex- , treinely impressed with the importance of this sentiment, that he immediately commenced Sleidan's vpork, de fuaiy,nr iipperiis, on the four great monarchies ofthe world, and from that time he became continually etig3ge,d in histori cal and antiquarian researches. At fourteen years of age he began to cot- lect materials, from the various historical books he was in the habit of con sulting, for his celebrated work of annals. When he was but fifteen, hfl had drawn up a Chronicle of the Bible, as far as the Book of Kings, differing; "•nly from that he afterwards pubhslied, by oome additions, find a parallel Chronicle of the Heathen World. When he was in his fifteenth year he became a communicant at tbe tabl« of the Lord. From this period to the close of his benevolent and active life, it was his usual habit to exercise himself in private meditation, strict examir nation, and penitential humiliation of soul before God for sin. " I have," jaj'S Dr. Bernard, " heard him speak of a certain place near the waterside, where he often resorted to recount his sins, and with floods of tears te pour them ont in the confession of them; the first of which he found sa pleasant to his soul, that he thirsted for all occasions for such a sequestration, and so usually on Saturdays in the afternoon it was his cnstom." — It is much to be desired, that even older christians, than he then was, im.itated him in this useful practise, and were at devoted to the service of their master. " It co«t him," adds the same writer, " many a tear, that he could not be more heavenly minded at that age." While yet an under graduate in College, he niet, among ttje Bomaiiists with " Stapelton's Fortress of Faith," in which antiquity is confidently claim ed for the Roman tenets, and the Protestant sentiments on the contrary, charged with novelty. He was so persuaded of the/treth of Tertulltan's sentiment, verumqnod cunque jnimum, adulterum quodcunque posterius, tha,t what'is first is true'; and.that what is subsequently introduced is needs impure • lie resolved to peruse the works of the ancient fathers hiraself, conceiving as was indeed the case, that Stapleton and his party had' misquoted those venerable writers— not indeed that he regarded their opinions as decisive when those opinions were incompatible with scripture, the only fpuiilain of truth— but he considered them of importance in ascertaining the received notions, and uniform practise of elder times, when apostolic precept and apostolic example were yet fresh in the memory of many. Respecting the fathers we may reasonably adopt the sentiments of Mr. Middleton • " it j« ¦Vll lew l)ecome,'',he observes, " a fashion to treat the fathers with contempt^ ana to cry out npon all tests in religion. But it may be said with Dr. Cave, in his life of Clemens Alexandrinus, that though tlie good and pious men of aucient times were continually engaged in fierce disputes, with Heathens on the one «ide, and Jews on the other, they did not alway ofSoro^Etv, divide ihc word (/ truth aright, in some nicer lines and strokes of it ; yet ' their piety as much transcended the profession of this age, as this age can possibly go beyond them in learning. They did not consider religion as a set of notiotis, nor live upon it to feed their speculations ; but they " put on Christ," lived Christ, walked with him, and for his sake, " loved not their lives unto death." They- knew nmch of the power of godliness, and dwelt less upon the form : and in this way, they understood religion much better than those, who considered it; only as a machine for splitting of hairs, without having any real enjoj- inent of its Ufe and sweetness.' Whrai however he was seventeen years of age, he hadreadmany oftbe fethers, and many writers upon practical and political divinity. He deter mined, if his health and life were spared, to read all the writings ofthe fathers ; which task he commenced when he was twenty years old, and compleated it at thirty-eight, allotting to himself a daily portion : with which he permitted no avocation te interfere. In 1596 he took the degree of Batchelor of Arts, and ia two years after he distinguished himself as respondent iu a philosophy act which was given by the CoHege in honor of the Earl of Essex, on his arrival in Ireland as Lord Lientenant. In the perfomance of this office he is reported to have manifested a remarkable degree of talent and genius. While he was thus arduously engaged in theologies studies, and devout preparation for the important calling of the Christian Ministry, his father very anxiously urged bun to embrace the study of the common law, and pursue it as his professional employment ; to this advice he appeared ex tremely averse, but he would notwithstanding have complied -with it, from his sense of parental duty, had not the immediate death of his father rendered him his own master. Being eldest son, the family estate, which was of no inconsiderable value, descended to him. In the disposal of this property, that noble magnanimity, for Which he was distinguished, and that zeal in his master's cause, which never left him, were very remarkably mauitfested. As his estate was involved in much litigation, burdened with the fortunes of seven sisters-; and as so much care, he tiiought, would interfere with his literary labours and theological studies, he resigned it lo his brother, reserving for himself only so much, as was necessary for liis mainte- aance in College, and the purchase of books. Being thus divested of all worldly cares, he entirely devoted himself to the acquirement of learning, and of such general knowledge as would render him most useful to the Chiuch Viii ivf God, in promoting the salvation of men, and putting to flight the a!rnries of aliens. When only eighteen or nineteen years of age he was considered the most proper person to contend with Henry. Pitz-Symmonds, alearncd and daring Jesuit, who was at that time a prisoner in the Castle of Dublin, and who had challeuged the p'eafest and mo$t learned clmmpion in the controversies between the Romish and Reformed Churches, to contend with him This challenge Usher alone was found competent to accept. He accordingly came forward to oppose this mighty boaster. A public disputation ensued between them on the subject of Bellermine's controversies, which was to be continued one day in every week ; but the wily Jusuit soon found Usher's wit too strong, his arguments too forcible, his skill in disputation greater than he imagined; and therefore after the second conference he declined the combat, left tho field of battle to the vanquisher, and fled' ingloriously. When Mr Usher fom:d Fitz-Symmoiids resolved to renew the contest he wrote him the follow ing letter : " I was not purposed, Mr. Fitz-Symmonds, to write unto you, before you had first written unto ine concerning the chief points of your religion, as at our last meeting you promised. But seeing you have deferred the ».rmc (for reasons best known to yourself,) I thought it not amiss to enqm'ie further of your mind concerning the continuation of the confei-rence, betwixt ns, and to this lam the rather moved, because I am credibly informed 6f certain reports, which 1 could hardly be persuaded should proceed from one, who pretended so great love and affection for me. If I am a boy (as it hath pleased you very contemptuously to name me) I give thanks to the Ijtrd, that my caniage towards you hath been such, as could minister no just occasion to despise my youth. V our spear belike is, in your oivn con ceit, a weaver's beam ; and your abihties such; that you desire to encounter with the stoutest champion in the host of Israel ; and therefore, like the Philistine, you contemn me as being a boy.^ Yet this I would fain have you know, that I neither came then, nor do come now unto you, in any confi dence of any learning that is in me (in which respect notwithstanding, I thank God, I am what I am) bnt I come in the name ofthe Lord of Hosts,. whose companies yoa have reproached, being certainly persuaded, that even out ofthe mouths of Babes and Sucklings he was able to show forth his own praises ; for the further manifestation whereof, I do. again earnestly reqnest you, that setting aside all vain comparison of persons, we may go plainly forward in examinmg the matters, thit rest in controversy between us. Otherwise I hope you -(vill not be displeased if, as for jcur part you have begun, so, I also, for my own part, may be bold, for the clearing of myself, and the truth which I profess freely to make known what hath already passed concerning this'malter. Thus intreating you in a few lines to make known unto me your purpose iu this behalf, I end , praying the Lord that IX both this and all other entcrprizcs, that we take in hand, may be so ordered, es may most make for the advancement of his own glory, aud the kingdom o( •f his sou Jgsos CitnisT. TViHS ad aras usque, JAMES USHER. The hnmility so apparent in this letter; and at the same time the strong. confidence manifested toward God, that he would a.ssist him in defence of the truth against Jesuitical subtiUty, is a noble testiraony of his character, tis of one zealous toward God, and experimentally acquainted with that knowledge of God, which is eternal life, and without the possession of which, zeal is vara. No answer has been found to this letter, no subsequent conference took place ; nor is there any mention made of it, unless we ex cept a vain, false, and pompous description by Fitz-Symmonds in the preface to his Britanomachia. " '' No one' says he, " would behold me standing boldly above them, neither would any regard me challenging them, with a voice loud as Stentor's, in their very entrenchments and strongest bolds. Ouce indeed a lad of eighteen yeai-s of age came to me, with a trembUng voice and timid aspect — a youth of wisdom riper than his years, but of a disposition not yet corrupted, as his appearance indicated. lam uncertain whether he was very desirous of popular applause or not, he certainly evidenced a great avidity to dispute on the most abstruse subjects of divraity, although he had not yet completed his course of philosophy, or arrived at manhood, however I bade him bring me an appointment fi oin his own party, whereby he would be declared a fit and proper combatant, and that then I would commence a disputation with him. But as they by no means considered him worthy of so great an honor ; so, in like manner, he did not again deem me worthy of his presence." — Dr. Parr observes that Fitz-Symmonds living to know onr author better, , terms him acatholicorttm doctissimui, the most learned, not of Heretics, but of Non-Catholics, " a tender expression truly he adds from a Jesuit," A. D. 1600, he was appointed Proctor, was chosen Catechatical Lec turer in the University, took the degree of Master of Arts, on the Ash- Wednesday ofthe sarae year, and answered the Philosophy Act with much credit to hiraself. It was on this memorable day the Earl of Essex was be headed ; the Reader will remember that only two years had now elapsed sine* tliat ill.faced Nobleman was present at the performance of a Philosophy Act, on his arrival in Ireland as Lord Lieutenant, in which Usher sustained the part of Respondent, Sic transit gloiia mundi ! Such is die transitory nature of wordly honor! aiid such the iraccrtain t*nure by whit h prosperity is gHaran- teed to man ! B About this time he, and two other young men were sdected timm among- the Students of the University, to deliver weekly Lectures on Divinity M Christ Church, which was then regularly attended by the Viceroy and hi* Household. The reason why this measure was resorted to was, that Preachers were then very few in number, aud the famine^ of the word wa» very great. Mr. Richardson a tiative of Cheshire, and of the same year with Usher, who was afterwards D.D. and was consecrated Bishop of Ardagh, A. D. 1633, on the preferment of Bedell to Kilmore, was appointed to expolmd the prophecies of Isaiah on Friday: Mr. Walsh, afterwards- D. D.- was to go through aBodyof Divihity oil the morning of Sunday ; and! it was allotted ti> 'Mr. Usher on tlie evening ofthe Sarae day, to explain the nature cf the controversy existing between the Protestants and Papists, foi' the satisfaction of the lattet- more especially. He performed this task " so perspicudHsIy," observes Dr. Bernard, "always concluding with matter of exhortation, that it was itiuch -for the edification of Protestants, which the- cider sort of persons, living in my time, I have hcaid often acknowledging,''^ He was not long however engaged in this mariner, for' eonsidering himself enly a Probationer he refused to continue these prelections any longer, as te was yet unordained. But the remarkable ability with which he dis charged tliis duty, made his fiiends and superiors extremely anxious that he should enter into the ministry immediately, for they all hence thought the Loi'd hdd need of him. He was accordingly ordained, althongh nndaf sanonical age, atco/diiig to former precedents, by his Uncle Henry Usher, then Archbishop of Armagh, on Ihe Sunday befort; Christmasr,- A . D, 1601. On the following Friday, which was a day particularly appointed to implore the blessing of heaven on the operation of our forces' against the Spaniard.s, and happeiied also to be the day on which we wereso signally victorious, he preached publicly for the first time after his ordination, before the Court, from Rev. iii. " Tlio» hast a' name that thou livest, and art dead." He was soon afterward* appointed afternoon preacher to^ the State, at Christ Church, Dublin. At this time the Lord Lieutenarit and Council of Ireland, g-ave directionrte? the Protestant Ministers of Dublin, to disperse themselves through the-- difiirent Churches, and by their Sermons to endeavour to communicate aU necessary information upon the subject of Reliaion to the Papists, who had begun since the defeat ofthe Spaniards at Kinsale, to conform to the statute which required their attendance at Chuich during, divine service. Saint Catlierine's-Church was allotted to Usher, as the scene of his first labouis among the Romanists. It was his custom to draw up the Sermon which he- preachcd on one Sunday in the form of questions, and answers for the succeed:^ ing Sabbath, when many persons of respectability used voluntarily to repeat the jesponses, before the whole Congregation. This plan was found to he verr bencficial, its useful results in this instance caused i.^ t6 be universally' adopted throughout the countiy, and the Papists flocked every wliere ia KI jfreat nuHnbersfo attend te this novel medium of uistniction, which was re sorted to for their benefit. But suddenly the operations of the .Statute wer» , suspended, the power of the High Commission was no longer exerted to en force its observance, and Popery with all its evils, was again permitted to return and destroy the fair hopes, which were entei tained of an early and abundantharvesc in the Lord's Vineyard. This circumstance could not fail to excite the atten^on of Usher, and accordingly, in the course of his duty at Chris; Chui;ch, he preached a Sermon against toleration to Fapisti ftom the fourth chapter of Ezekiel, and the sixth verse, " Thou shalt bear the iniqiii^ of the hoiise of Judali forty days, I have appointed thee each day for a year." He made a particular application of this denunciation of the prophet to Ireland 5 '' from this year, said he, will I reckon the sin of Ireland, that those whom you now embrace shall be your ruin, aud you shall bear their iniquity." After tlic lapse of f irty years, the Rebellion .af 1641 broke out, the country was deluged with civil war, and many .thousand Protestants were murdered. Several people, who had heard him preach the serraon above raentioned, and were alive at this me- Biorable time, when Ireland was thus convulsed by internal struggles, regarded him as no mean prophet.* This circumstance and others of a fimilar nature, vjrhich merely indicated the discernment of a wise and * It is a reujarkaWe circumstance, that George Browne, who was conse- •rated Archbishop of Dublin in 1535, and was the first of the Irish Clergy, who renounced the errors of Popery, preached a sermon also in Christ Church, Dubhn, before the then Lord Deputy, in which he made someobsor- -vations respecting tiie Jesuits of a similar prophetic, nature with that nentioned above, wliich Usher made respecting the Papists. On the first Sunday after Easter 1551, when the Litiirgy of tlie Church of England was ^_st publicly read in Ireland, Browne preached from Psl cxix. 18. *' Open t^u mjne eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." In the eourje of this serraon he observed that the order of Jesuits which had lately sprung up, would deceive many — rwoulil assume the various forms of Heathen, Atheist, and Jew to ascertain, and thus overturn the intentions, and mind* of each, — would spread over the whole world, — would be admitted to the councils of Princes, and gain-their confidence — but that God in the end to justify liis law, would cast them off suddenly, — by raeans of those who most succoured them, and raade most use of them, would cause them to ha odious to all nations, — and would m.ike them a greater by-word than tlia Jews, beiug raore slighted and having no resting place. The Sermon will be found at fiiU length in the Harleian Miscellany, Vol 5, Page 566, and 9IS0 in Sir James Ware's Annals, vid. p. 159, of English translation, printed Publin, A. D. 1705. B 2 xu judicious niud, soon gave rise to a work containing a collection oi l.u. prophecies and entitled de predictionibus Usserii, Dr. Smith has censured these surmises of our author ; but Middleton in his Bioeraphia Evangelica has well observed, " that snch kind of predictions beiug only a judicious con- "jecture and foresight, it seems more to fh^ purpose of his character, that in " this passage of his Sermon, he put the non toleration of Popery upon the "intolerant persecuting spirit of that religion, dissuading a toleration thereof '( upon reasons of danger to the State, and not solely upon its idolatry." Great cause iudeed would Ireland have had to rejoice, if the Government then, and since, had adopted the Ihie of conduct, which Usher re^ commended. A circumstance wliich occurred at tWf period, and |p vrhich perhaps we can find no precedent in the annals of military transactions, furnished him with a species of employment raost suitable to his feelings, studies, and taste. The English array, which defeated thp Spaniards at Kinsale, anxious to render the country a literary, as well as military service, generously subscribed the sum of Eighteen Hundred Pound^ to purchase a library for the University in Dublin. Dr. Challoner and Mr. Usher were ^^Ipcted to effect the worthy purposes of these literary warriors. This appointment afforded hira an opportunity of visiting the sister Island, of consulting many books, and manuscripts, which in Ireland were beyond his reach, and which were requisite for the prosecution of those researches, in which he was so industriously engaged. On his way to the metropolis of the British Empire he Stopped at Chester, and visited Mr. C;hristopher Goodman, who was Professor of Divinity at Oxford, in the reign of Edward VI. who had rendered some useful services to .'iir Henry Sidney,' when he was Lord Deputy of Ireland, against the Papists,* and was at tliis time lying on his death-bed. Bernaid says he often heard Usher repeating the g-rat'e wise sayings, which this venerablesage used on this occasion, and Wood, that he was much delighted with his entertaining stories. On their arrival iu London they became acquaint ed with the indefatigable Sir Thomas Bodley ; this gentleman having laid aside his deplomatic character, was now assiduously engaged in procuring for the Uuivei-sity of Oxford, that magnificent Library, which has since so deserved- ly perpetuated his name. Usher, Challoner, aud he, being engaged in the same pursuit, were mutually useful to each other ; and the libraries res- pectively collected by each indisputably attest their uncommon knowledge of general hterature, and tiieir remarkable zeal and mdustry in effectjna the purposes for which they were deputed. S !• Vid. Wood's Athenise OjenieUMi, XIU A. D. 1696, ArchbisUnp Loftus,* who was Chiiiceilorof IreUud, aail who was tlie first Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, prob!>bly from a real -value for his character, aud esteem fur his worth, as Usher having been the first Student, he was from this circumstance able to appreciate his value, presented him with the Cliaucelloisliip of St. Patrick^* Catliedral, Dublin". This was the only benefice conferred on him, iinUl he was advanced to the dignity of Bishop. We may take this opportunity of rcinaikiug that the manner in which he filled the one situation was, no< diiferent from the conduct he pursued after he had been promoted to the other. His clerical duties were commenced by dihgence in preachiag, and activity in his other ministerial functions, they were conti nued also, aud ended in a sunilar manner. His situation did not obligb him to preach, but a sense oftiic high obligation he was under, as, by appointment, the osten sible spiritual guide of so many souls, constrained him constantly to direct the flock, over which Christ had made hira overseer, to the great Shepherd of the sheep, the Saviour of sinners, the only refuge frora impending ruin, or the wrath to come. It was his uniform practise to preach every Sunday at Finglass, -the living from which he received his profits, as Chancellor of St. Patrick's, unless sickness, or some extraordinary occasion occurred t9 prevent him. He also endowed that Church with a Vicarage. In the same year also, he again visited the metropolis ofthe British Empire^ for the purpose of examining, and purchasing such raanuscripts, and works as were necessary for him to consult in reference to English History, in tha investigation of which he was then engaged. During his stay in England at this time he formed a very intimate friendship with Sir Robert Cotton and INIr. Camden, ihe two celebrated antiquarians of that age. The latter was at this time employed in puhUshing a new edition of his *' Brittania^" to which he was enabled to make many important additions from the infor mation he ' received from Usher respecting the ancient state of Ireland, and the histoiy of bubUn in particular. The assistance he thus obtamed from the venerable subject of this nai-rative he respectfully acknowledged, accom panied with this tribute of esteem for his many useful acquirements, that '• in variety of judgment and learning he far surpassed his years," He proceeded Batchelor of Divinity in 1607, and was chosen professor of "Theology the same year to the University where he reeeived his education. Ho continued to fill the chair of divinity, to which he was now appointed, thirteeii years, and delivered there many courses of polemical lectures, which were aflei* -wards collected into three manuscript volunies, but which are now unfortunMely * Isabella, daughter of Archbishop Loftus, was married to Sir Williaii^ VSher^ third couahi t« ths enbjeet of tSits qiem.eh-. ' ' lost. They chiefly had reference to the Roraish controversy, toward which, i* fliat age, the eyes of the religious world were almost wholly directed. Tlip intensity of their attention to this object was too great to be of long duriir tion. Too caloiis a disposition began to- prevail respecting the evil, and Vopery thongh decidedly hostile to tlie dearest interests of Christianity, au(l ¦the State, has since been permitted, with tlie countenance of raany wha hear the name of Protestants, to acquire strength for, and direct that strength when acquired in offensive operations against tiie vital energies of our Church, and Constitution. Its enmity indeed to the latter has never eeased to attract observation. But as iiien are uniformly disposed to be •lore tenacious of what appears valuable on earth, than of those raatter* which being inseperably combined with our future destiny, are of most importance, the exertions ofthe Romanists ag^nst the State have much more jealously been, regarded, than their exertipns., against religion. Occasional atterapts were indeed raade to deprive the Hydra of its heads, but the strong hand of power always deem^ed it too Herculean a labour to suppress the growth of others in their room. In the intrepid Usher this dread had BO place. It was accordingly his unwearied endeavour to induce the power^ tliat be to exercise the authority with which they are invested for.the execii- ¦tioE of wrath upon evil doers. In 1609 he wrote his treatise on Hercnagh apd Termou or Chnrch lands, ¦which were formeriy appropriated to the Chorepiscopi, (Ecclesiastical Officers who were subordinate to Deacons) which tliough free from se^ ' eular imposts were yet subject to Episcopal levies, and were then 4 matter of much litigation. This was considered a very learned dis quisition, and was fraught with much critical research. As it refer!-e4 to the Corban lands of England, as well as Ireland, it was sent by him hi manuscript, lo Bancroft then Archbishop of Canterbury, and was by hira presented to King James. Sir Henry Spelman was indebted for hi? information on this subject, to what he extracted from this treatise, he pub lished it in the first part of his glossary, and mentions the source from whence he derived it in the following words, '^ ' thus copiously," says he, f '.have I ebscured a fight, which that renowned Pharus of the learned world James Bishop of Meath, kindled for me " In his preface also he makes a general acknowledgment to Usher, Cotton, Selden, and Dr. John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln, aud Lord Keeper, for fhe communications he received from them and stiles tliem " the eminent luminaries and patrons of literature." General Vallancey published this tract of Usher's in A"ol. J. of his Collectanea Hiber- nica, A.D. 1787, from Usher's own MSS. which isstillprescrvedinthe Collegei Ijibrary, Dublin. He again visited England in 1609, was considerably noticed at Court, an4 «nce preached before the household. He also at this time for(ncd many literary friendships, especially with Sir Henry Bourgphier, 'afterwards Eail •f Bath, Sir Meary SaviBe, -Henry Briggs, the first whe waa appointed yrofeiser of Geometry at Gresham College, and who afterwards was ths first Savilian Professor of the same science at Oxford, John Selden the celebrated Barrister, John Davenant, afterwards Bishop ot Salisbury, Samuel Ward, his most constant and intimate correspondent, and who was afterward* President of Sidney College, 'and Thomas Lydiat tiie Chronologer on whoior he prevailed to reside in Dublin, who was afterwards married to his Grace's sister, aud for whom he procnred apartments in the University. From this time it became his constant practise to pay a triennial visit to England in order to prosecute his literary pursuits with the greater facility.' H« generally divided his time between Cambridge, Oxford, and London ; •ccnpying himself chiefly at the principal libraries of those places, aiidf mostly remaining a month at each. Tlie Fellows of Dublin University -unanimously elected him their Provost. Iu 1610, when he had attained the thirtieth year of his age. I^iis arduous hut highly honourable oifice he thought proper to decline, as the arrangement ofCollegiate property, then involved in much difBculty, and the undivided attention which other collegiate duties demanded, would have considerably interfered with the diligent prosecution of personal learning, by engaging him almost exclusively in directing the studies ef others. He was principallj- employed, at this time in collecting from the Fathers, Councils, and Church History, such extracts as were requisite for the completion of his Theologic* BibUotheca, a work which the Irish Rebellion at first, his annals next, and. death afterwards prevented him from finishrag. This work was to have con tained an exact account of the various writers on Theology in former times, tlie precise periods at which they severally , flourished, the character their- -works deserved, what works attributed to them were genuine, what spurious, as also an ample statement of the doctrines and rites of th« ancient Church. The collections he had made for tiiis purpose, he committed. on his death bed to Dr. Langbame, Provost of Queen's College, Oxford', " bis dear friend," as he then called him, " and the only man," he thc« declared," on whose learning as well as friendship he could rely to cast then* into such a form as might render them fit for the press." But while Dr. Langbaine was engaged in fulfilling these last injuctions of his revered friend, lie was himself summoned by " the High and Lofty One who in habiteth eternity," to appear in an eternal world. He had transcribed the Primate's manuscript, in order to complete the marginal quotations, which liad suffered considerably by the inroads of muscipular foes, whom we may consider as confederate with his popish adversaries. Tlie mice endeavoured to destroy what the Romanists would, with equal willingness, were it in their , power, have annihilated too. Truth was never friendly to their cause, and it has ever been their study to conceal it. In the performance of this arduous task. Dr. Langbaine was employed, during a very severe season, in the public Library at Oxford, and thus contracted a cold, which ultimately proved the occasion of his death in February A, D. 16i7, " to the XVI t*hsf,» say* Dr. Parr «' Sf all good men." Dr. Fell, afterwards Bishop of Oxford, endeavoured to complete those breaches, which Langbaine had s* mrforlunately beeii prevented from accotnplisliing ; but tliey still remaiir falperfect, and the unpublished' transcript is yet in the Bodleian Libraiy. The original manustript in Usher's' own Writing was, when Pai'r wrote, in the possession of Dr. Stillingfleet, Deart of St. Paul's Cathedral, London. When he was in the thirty-second year of his age, he was admitted to the de.gree of D. D. by Dr. Hampton, then Archbishop of Armagh and Chan cellor of the University of Dublin. He selected for the subjects of tiie sermons he preached on this occasion Dan. ix 24, on the seventy weeks, and Rev. xx. 4, " I saw thrones, and they sat npon them, and judgment' was given unto thein : and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the w'itriess of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worship ped the beast, neither his image, neither had received liis mark upon their fbrehcads, or in their hands : and they lived and reigned wiUi. Christ a tiiousand years." In 1613, beingm London he pilblished his first treatise at the royal press, entitled Graiissimce Qualiunis de Chrislianarum Ecdisiarum, in Oceidentia prceserthn purtihus, ab Apostolicis temporibus ad nostrum usque cctatem, eotdinuai auccessione tt ftatu, IHstonca Explicatio. This work was dedicated to King James, by whom it was regarded as a vei-y excellent peiformance. The design of it vvas' to prove, that Christ always had a Church on earth un* corrupted with Popish errors, and that the reformed and primitive Churches' exacUy con-'Cspouded with each other in their sentiments respeethig diviner truth, and their opposition to the unscriptural dogmas of the Romish ffier.ircliy. The first part of this work comprised all the intervening period hetwecn the sixth century, and_the accession of Gregory VII. to the Pontificate in the tenth century. The second part was brooght down t» the year ia70. He also had resolved to publish anotiier part embracing the ages between tlii* jEra and the Reformation, but his papers relating toi* were unfortunately lost, at the time he was pillaged of his books and manuscripts in Wales, as will hereafter be related. It was Ushers intention: to have published the whole in a perfect form, after tiie publication of his Uncle Stanihurst's* answer to the first part. This he mentions in the * Richard StanihuTst after the death of his wife setUed in the Low Countries, and was ordained Uiere. He was appointed domestic Chaplain- to the Arch-Duke Albert, and the Infanta Clara Isabella Eugenia, After tlie appearance of his nephew's work he published an epistolary premonitioB at Paris, announcing a future eontrovcr^y with Usher. His death, which hap pened it BruLsetsin lalS^ prevented the contest, Ushcrin a letter, whieh he xvir following passage extracted from a letter of his io hi?JBi'other in-law Lydiat, wliich maybe found in tho 6Sth page of Parr's collection," There is wantiii; for the accomplishment of tiie second part, an hundred years story : which defect in the continuation of the work is by me supplied. I purpose to publish the whole work together much augmented : but do fir-^t expect the publication of my Uncle Stanihurst's answer to the former, which I hear ii since his deatii sent to Paris to be printed. I am advertised also, that even now there is come ont at .^ntwerp, a treatise of ray couutryman Christopher de Sacro-Bosco, De rcra Ecclesia: Inveatigatione, wherein he hath some plain dealing with me. Both these I would willingly see before I sot out my Book anew -. tiiat if they have justly (bund fiuilt with any thing, I may amend it; if unjustly, I raay defend it;" an excellent rule, says Dr, Aikin, for a contr^>refsialist, but one, it jnay be added, which is seldom adopted ; for men mostly defend themselves, as well when their positions are proved to be erroneous, as when candor must admit them to be correct. In this year too he entered into a matrimonial alliance with Phoebe, the daughter of his early and valued friend Dr. Lnke Challoner. This Lady was an heiress of considerable fortune, and her father on his dying bed, implored her, never to connect herself with any otiier person, if Dr. Usher should propose for her. This last parental injunction was not disregarded. She and Usher enjoyed a visry considerable portion of conjugal felicity during the protracted period of forty years, at tii6 conclusioirof which she left the aged champion of religion, and literature, to finish his course alone, without tiie comfort or ' Support of his long loved companion. He soon followed her however to the blissfid abodes of the blessed. Only eighteen months elapsed between the deatli of each. They had only one child, and that child a daughter, Elizabeth, who was afterwards married to Sir Timothy Tyrrel, Kt."* wrote him when he wasat Lonvaln, and which is the first inPari's collection, expresses much affection toward him, and intreats him to procure se veral rare MSS. and Books for him, and to send him some writings, which Stanihurst himself wrote, and published. * Dr. John Milner in his tour through Ireland, asserts that an " im mediate dccendant" of Archbishop Usher's, the Rev. James Usher, " be taking himself to the controversy, carried on between his ancestor, and Fitz-Symmonds, was so overpowered and convinced by the arguments of the latter, that he abandoned the religion in which he had been educated, and embraced that of the ancient Church." He cannot have been Usher's im- medialt descendant, as Usher had no son, neither is it possible he could have siHdied the eeatrsversycarriedonbetweenhisancestorand Fitz.Symmonds as -C XVIII A, D, lSli5, a convocation of the Clergy was assembled to arrange niaftei-*' relative to the Irish Church. At this convention the Irish articles of Re ligion were drawn up by Usher, aceoi-'^irtg to an order of tfie iSyn'od, df which he was a member; It has been asserted that tiiese articles did not accord with those which, were adopted by ine English Ciiuich ; but it is by no raeans probable, th;it the then Lord Deputy Chichester wbnld have been ordered by King James to sign Uiein in his name, if tliey i-eall'y -were con sidered heterodox, or contrary to the sentiments of the English Reformers. .James was too good a theologian to be thus imposed, oil. Tiieir a'greement- may appear fully from ajustaud impartial comparison of each With eacb,^ and from t-his circumstance that the Synod of 16J5, at the saw e time 'tiiat they adopt-ed the articles qf the Church of England to prove their coiii ftrmity with them, still p;il>lic.ly retained the articles, lO-l in numberj whicli' wefe promulgated by t)ic Synod of 1615. As these articles decidedly inculcated those doctrines, which are usually called, calvinistical, but which Were in fact embraced by all the rclormed Chiirches,* his cnen-fies^- for enemies heliaJ in common wi,th all those, who living godly in Clirist Jesus, ptdfess the truth in; its unadulterated simplicity, represented him as a Puritan to King Jauies,-f But the blc,s.sed God, vvlio causeth "all it is nowhere extant. This account, if true, -would only prove the ' decided ^ninity of'thehuinan heart against God, whichyasih this i!istance,-so obstinately rejects truth, and e!nbrace.s falsehood, although .theione'is pourtr^yed in. all Its loveliness, and the otlfti- depicted in its native and rtpnlsive ¦ deformity. * In jiioof of this assertion consult aiathias's " Inquii-y into the Dotitrinejf ef the Reformation; &'c." ' ' t Dr. Parr has published a letter dated .24th October, 1620, addressed to Dr. Usher, frora Emanuel Downing, an Irish Clergyman, to prove that tbe term Puritan wlas at tiiat time indifferenUy appliefl to all pious and orthor dox ministers, to injore them in the estimation of Jiing James, by whom ?he Puritans were not regarded with any eraoJiofls- of love. In Wiis letter we are informed, t5at the Priests finding they could ",np longfir lirevail with their juggling tricks" adopted a neW device : " Tliey h'ave now," says he, '^'stirred , up some crafty I^ries!s,"who '4ery 'boldly ''rail , ^oth at ministers, and p'sopia, saying, tiiey seek to sow YWi 'aaiVUfflMe he:eS/ of Puritanism among them; which wbiti' though nbt nnderstfJod but only known to (>e most .odious to his Wajesfy makes-many afSiiM- to"' join Ihetp'selyes unto. the Gospel'."' 'I'o; prevent ai gf-l^ater mi^hfef- " he recom mends a petiiiori t() be peseiited' to his Majesty, te'define a Puritan, whereby the irioiiths of those scoffing encCTcs woitld be stopped, and if his Majfstv-' "be not at leisure, that he would appoint some cd-Vd men fo do it for liim." Definition of terras has been mich rscommended , by Mr, Locke to cok- trevertialis.ts. XIX ¦things to work together for good to them who love him," caused cnii^ liderable advantages to accrue to him (iom the impotent iu;ilic-f of his accusers. For Usljer having occasion to visit England -about Ihc 1 illor end of the year 1619, the Lord Deputy and Cciuiuil nl' Ii hiiui, being lully sensible cf the scandal, tavc him tie lolluwiug lecoirmmdaloiy letter to the Privy Council of EiigUnd : May it please your Lordships, The extraordinary merit of this bciier, Mr. Dr. UsLcr, prcvaileth with us, to offer him that favour, which we diiiy to many that move u.s, to be lecommended to your Ijordshlps: aud wt- do it die ralher, because wa are desirous to set kini right in his Majestv's opinion, who it sccins hjtli been informed, that he Lssomew'.iat transported With si.i;.;iilarities, and uiuptncss to be conforraable to die nilej and or, lets of the Ciiiircli. V,'e are so fu- frora suspecting him iu that kind, that we may biildly leconmend him to your Lordships, as a ram orthodox, aid worthy to ^nvein in the Church, whc:i occasion shall be presented. An! his Majesty mjy be pleaded to ad vance hira; he bsin:; oue that hath preaciied before tli ; St.ite lure for eighteen years : and has been his .'Majesty's Fi liessor of Diviuity in the University these thirteen years, and a man who !iu-> given himself over to his profession : an exc<:-llent and painful preacher, a modest man, aboiindiii;; in goodness: and liis life and doctrine so agreeable, as those who agree not with him, are yet constrained to love and admire them. And for .luch an one we beseech your Lordsiiipi to undcrstanu him ; and accordingly to speak to hi< Majesty; and thus with Uie remeinhr.mck; of our humble duties we take leave, Yonr Lordships most humble at command, AD.' LOFTUS, CIriilC. JOII.V KING, OLIVEll ST. JOtlX, IIKNRV DOCWRA, WILLI.VS! TUAJ.IE-V-3I3, -tTILLIAM WKTIIVTOLB, BCD, .-vOl-.TOif, r;i,l. AU.v;;iERs. F'om Dublin, the fast of ;<,'pt. 1619. Wlun this c!ni-:!ct'-.r of Usher liad been read, King James sent for him, and after a long iuler-viciv, in which he conversed v.ith him on .several learned and religious subject, he w.liip : this blessed .AposUe assures us, t!i-.it~siicli ouly as do walk iu the light, have fellowship one with another ; even as th' y have fellovvship with God, and his Son Jesus Christ, whose blood', shall cleanse them from all sin, and to ¦what better company can a man comr, than " to the general assembly and Chiircliof the first born, .^c Heb. xii. -23, z4." No fellowship, doubtless, is comparable to this Communion of Saints. After tliese observations he enlarges on believers partaking of one Bread, as a proof of their being one pody in Christ, and every one members one of another, and declares the use which we are to raake of this v.onderfiil conjunction, to be iwo fold; 1, " That there shonld be no seism iij tiie body, i, That tiie members should have the same care one for another." Having considered the union of the Members of tiie Body with eacli other, he next considers their union " with theHead, even Christ, who is tiie raain foundation of this heavenly union. Out of him," says he, '' there is nothing but confusion; without him we ai-e notiiing but disordered heaps of rubbisli, by liim it is that we being many are one Bread and one Body, beingall partakers of that bread spoken of i n the preceding verse ; the Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ?" He next examines the iheanrag of the word Bread, as comprehending not only the Bread af the Lord, but also the Lord himself, the hvuag Bread whicli came down from Heaven ; and then regards the Saci-anientin the fii'stplace,a$ symbofical and relative. Under wiiich head he considers it as having a twofold relation to the thing signified, the one of a sign, the other of aseal. Wiien speaking of it as a seal he makes tiie fallowing admirable obseiv-ations: " He that hath in his chamber the picture of the F rencli King, hath but a bare sign, which may possibly make him think of Ukt King when he looketh on it; but showeth not that he hath any manner of interest in him. It is otherwbe with him, that hath the King's great seal for the confirmation of the title, that he hath unto all the lands and fiveUhood, which he doth crijoy^ And as here the wax that is affixed to those letters patent, however for sub stance it be the very same with that wliich is to be lound every where, yet being applied to thisnse, is of more worti to the Patentee, tiian all the wax in the covmtiy beside : so standeth it with flie outward element in tiie {natter of die Sacrament. He proceeds next to consider the inward thing signified: first, what it is we receive; not only the benefits w i.u'h flow from Christ, but Christ himself; we ar partakers of Christ, -and members of his body ; secondly how, and in what mamier we receive it, it is spiritually. XXU ¥ the quicketmg spirit deiceudiag downward from the Head, to, b« in us a fcnntain of supei-natuml lifis ; and a Ikely faith wrought hy the same spirit, ascending from us npward, to lay fast hold upon him, who having hy himself pnrged onr sins, sitteth on the right hand of tbe Majesty.on high." Having insisted on the union ofthe MeraJjers in the Body and to the Head, he next very copiously enlarges on the naembers being disunited from those who vrere not of the same body, the Eccessity of their beiBgdissevered, especially from IdoUtoi-s, which he proves the Papists to be, and enters minutely into the idolatiy of the Roraish Church ; a.^'ter which he concludes. The Lord Bishop Elect returning the succeeding year into Ireland, waj &en consecrated there, by the Lord Primate Hampton ; and entert-d on tiie execution vof the episcopal oifice, with the justcst conception of its importance, a conscientious resolve to fulfil its duties, and a determination never fo rclinqalsh that constancy of preaching, with which the course of his mraistry had previously been ciarked. He knew no reason why a plant, which grew, flourished, and exhaled its odours in fhe gardens of humble life, shoidd wither, witiihold its fragrancy, and die, when trans planted to the parteres of tiie^great. He saw no cause why a person, who endeavoured to be faithful in a situation of minor (rust, should consider himself absolved from all obligation, w hen advanced to. one of more respon sibility. Accordingly being conscious that his,duty as a Bishop did not merely conust in the appointment of Pastors over the 'several congregations within his jurisdiction, or the decision of- ecclesiastical causes, he still bound himself, to die faithful discharge of his ministeiial functions, by the motto tp his Episcopal seal, " Kff mild, si non etangelizero " vioc be nnto me if I preach net the Gospel. " Being thus advanced," says Dr. Parr, " his province and employment mi^t be altered, but not his mind, nor humble tem per of spirit; neither did he ce^sc to turn as many as he could from darkness to light ;. from sin, and Satan to Christ ; by his preaching, writing, and exemplary lifie." Would to God that sudi characters more abonnded, and that more were to be fonnd, w'.io with Utlif-r adopted for their model that character, which Augustine gave of the admirable Ambrose, " that he heard him erery Lord's Day rightly dividing ihe ward of truth nnto the people," Et eum ^uidtm in populo terburo veritatis recte tractantem omni die Dominim aud'evam ! Man may preach Sunday after Sunday, but if the word of truth be not faithfully tau^t, and rightiy divided, snch preach iag will not only be in vain, bnt wUl redonnd to the eternal confusion of each preachers. It may truly he observed by Ministers, with him, in the vrords he osed at Wanstead when preaching before tbe Kmg, " let ns preach never so many Sermons auto the people, our labour is lost, as long as the fooBdadoB is unlaid, and the first principles ontanght, tipon -vrhich all ether doctrines mnst be bailded.'' In October, 1 622, onr Prelate -preached^ sermon before Lord Falkland, nn Sis arrival in Ireland, as Lord Deputy, which excited considerable offimce xii a smarig the Romanisfs, as tfiey represented it to be an exhortation to the nevf Governor, to draw tiie sword againstjthe enemies ol'the established Church, It ntiist be granted he was "too good and peaceable a man" todesirc" sanguinary measures," but he was also too wise not taUiiow, rtiat a free and mlguaided tolera tion of Popery would be ahke dangerous to religion, and the state. While he ab- lion'cd persecution, he knew restraint to be imperative. He w^as persuaded of what Dean Milner has since observed, that " * the Government has a right to restrain men, and obfige thera to keep their idolatry to themselves, the same right as to oblige vessels to peiform quarantine, when there is reason ta suspect the plague." Had this mode been ever since continued, the Idols, and pernicious superstitions of Papal invention would have long since ex- pired ia Ireland, as they did in England,' and the fends of this poor dis tracted Country, would with them, have long since been buried in their common grave. The account of this matter is tiius related by himself iu a letter to Lord Grandison : My very good Lord, I had purposed with m j-self long ere now to have seen yon* tlonor in England ; which was one reason, among others, why I did forbear to trouble you hitherto with any letters. Bnt seeing I think it -will now fall out, that I shall reraain here this winter, I thought it my duty, both to tender my thankfulness unto your Lordship for all the honourable favours which I have received at yonr hands, and withal to acquaint you with a certain particular, which partly doth concern rayself, and in some sort also the state of tiic Church iu tiiis poor nation. The day that my Lord of F-alkland received the sword, I preached at Christ Church: and fitting myself to the present occasion, took for my Text those words in tii» 13th of Romans, "He bearelh not the sword in vain." It here showed, 1. wliat was meant by this sword. 2. The subject wherein that power rested. 3. The matters wherein it was exercised, 4. Thereupon what it was fo bear the sword in vain. Whereupon falling upon the duty of the Magistrate in'seelng those laws executed that were made for the furtherance of God's service, I first declared,} that no more was to be expected herein for the subordinate Magistrate than he had received in commission from the supreme ; in whose power it lay to limit the other at his pleasure. Secondly, I wished, that if his Majesty (who is, under God, onr Supreme Governor) were pleased to extend his clemency toward his subjects that were recusants, some order notwithstanding might be taken with them, that they should not * Milner's Historj- ofthe Church of Christ, 2 Edition, Vol. J, p,Jl.5, XXIV give us public affronts,- and take posscs.sion of our Churches before oHi' faces. And that it might appear, that it was not without cause that I made this motion, I instanced in two particulars that Irad lately fallijn out iu mine own Diocese ; The one certified unto me by IMr, John Atikers, Preacher of Athlonc, (a man well known uuto your Lordship) who wrote unto me, that going to read prayers at Kilkenny, in Westmcath, lie found an old Pricsi, (and about forty witii him,) in tho Chnrch; who was so bold as to require him (tiie said Ankers) to depart, until he had done his business. Trie oUier concerning the Friais, was not content to possess the house of Multiferna alone (whence your Lordship had dislodged them) but went about to make collections for the re-edifying of anolher Abbey Molengarre, for the cntertainingof another swarm of Locusts. These things I touched only in general, ijot mentioning any circumsfanccs of persons or places, Thirdly, I Hill entreat, that whatsoever connivanor- were used unto olliers, the laws might be strictly executed against such a.s revolted from us , that we might at leastwise keep our own, and not suffer them without all fear to fall away from us Lastly I made a public protestation, th.it it was far from my mind, to excite the Magistrates unto any violent courses ayainst them, as one that that did naturally abhor all cruel dealings, and wisiied that effusion of blood might be held raUiei the badge of the Whore of Babylon, tiian (f the Church of God. These [loints, however they were delivered by iiic wifli such limita tions, as in moderate men's judgments raight seem rather to intimate an alfovvanceof a Toleration iti re.spect of the general, than to exasperate the state unto any extraordinary severity : yet did the Popish Priests persuade their followers, that I had said, tiie sword had ru.stcd too long iu the sheath whereas in my whole Scrmou, I never made mention either of i-ust or Sheath ; yea some also did not stick to ^'ive out, that I did thereby closely tax yourself for being too remise in prosecuting of the Papisls in the time of jour Government. I have not such diffidence in your Lordrhip's good •pinion of me, neither will I wrong myself so much, as to spend time- in rcfeUing 80 lewd a calumniation. Only I thonght good to mention these things nnto your Lordship, that if auy occasion should be offered hereafter to speak of them, you might be informed in the truth of matters : Wherein if I have been too troublesome unto yon, I humbly crave pardon, and rest, "Vour honor's in ail duly, Ever ready to be commanded, „ ,,. „ JAC. MIDENSIS. Dublin, Oct. 16, 1622. About this time some Magistrates wiio.were violent Eomanists, obstinately refused to take Uie oatlis of supremacy and allegiance. It was resolved t.» pass the sentence of prmitJiire against Ihc-.ii,- but btfoie this dernier resort xxv •houldbe resorted to, tiie Privy douncil determined, fully fo apprize thent of the dangers to which they were exposed, and the' legality of Ihc oath which thoy were called upon to take. The Bishop of Meath was accordingly appointed to convey, to tiiese misguided P.ipists, the mercifid resolves of Government. In the fulfilment of this duty, his Lordship delivered a dis course, in which he established the supremacy of all Princes witiiin their own dominions, and proved that the Bishop of Rome had no lawful claim to any Ecclesiastical or Spiritual Supremacy within these Realms. This speech had the desired effect, the scruples of several offenders were removed, the oath was taken, and all the consequences of disobedience avoided. So well pleased was his Majesty with Usher's defence of his authority, that he appointed him a Privy Counsellor not long afler, and wrote him the follow ing letter expressive of his approbation : JAMES REX. Right Reverend Father in Cod, and Right Trusty and Wel- beloved Counsellor, We greet you well. You have not deceived our c*- pectation, nor the giacious opinion We ever conceived botii of your abilities in learning, and your fiiitiifulncss td Us and our Service. Whereof, as we have received sundry testimonies botti from our precedent Deputies, as likewise from Our Right Trusty and Welbeloved Cousin, and Counsellor, the Visconnt Falkland, our p^esent Deputy of Uiat Realm ; so have we now of late, in one particular, had a further evidence of your Duty and Afl'ection, well expressed by your late carriage in Our Castle Chamber there, at the eensure of tiiose disobedient Magistrates, who refiised to take the oath of supremacy. Wherein your zeal for the maintenance of our Just and Lawful Power, defended wiUi so much Learning and Reason deserves our Princely -and gracions thanks ; which We do by this our letter nnto you, aud so bid you farewel, — Given nnder out Signet, at our Court at Wiiitehall, the eleventh of January, 1622. In the TwenUetii Year of Our Reign, of Great Britain, France, and Irelaitd. To tht Right Reverend Father in God, and Our Right Trusty and Welbc- Utcd Counsellor, tlie Bishop of Rlealh, This year he published his treatise on the Religion anciently professed ly IKe Irish and Britons. This work chiefly consists of extracts from the various writings of our ancient Saints, and Monks, at that prdud'period of Erin's and of Albion's glory, when Religion and Learning sought their shores, and took re fuge in their venerable woods; at what time tiiey fled from the intolerant and {tcrsecuting reign. of Superstition and Ignorance. The passages adduced in tliis wgrk, indisputably prove that Uie Clergy then not only permitted, bnt stre- nnsHsly enjoined the reading ofthe HoIySaiptures : That the Doctrines they J} XXTl |fTea*hcd, agreed with fhose the Reformers taught, r*specling Preitstinalieu/ Grace, Free-will, Faith, and Works, Justification, and SanctijicatieH ; That the notions of Purgatory and prayers for the dead, were not entertained by fhem ; and that in fact none ofthe distinguishing seirtinients of Popery wcr# embraced by them. In this view of national divinity he cvidenCetl consi derable research, and deprived the Romanists of one of their favonrit* appeals, in defence of their ungodly enperstitions, the supposed antiquity of their tenets, He dedicated it to his esteemed friend Sir Cliristophn- .Sibtliorpe, .Tnstice of the Common Plea.? in Ireland, and afterwards ro])rinted if i«' London, A. D. 1631. Two years after his appointment to the Bishopric of Meath, the Privy Council of Ireland received a letter from King James fo give him permission to repair to England, to complete his work on the antitiuitics of the British Churches. The cominencenient of this letter is thus quoted by Parr: JAMES REX, Right Trusty and Welbeloved Cousin, &c. We greet yo* ¦well. Whereas We have heretofore in our Princely judgment made choic'e *f the Riaht Rev. Father in God, Dr. James Usher, Ldrd Bishop of Meath, to employ him in collecting tho antiquities ot the British Church, befo/e, and since the Christian Faith was received by the English nation, and whereas We are also given to understand, that the said Bishop hath already taken pains in divers thmgs in that kind, which being published, mii-ht tend to the furtherance of Religion, and good Learning; Onr pleasiiie therefore !<, that so soon as the .said Bishop hath settled the necessary affairs of his Bishopric there, he she. Id repair into England, and to one of the Univer sities here, to enable himself, by the helps to be had there, to pioceed the better to the finishing of the said work. Requiring you hereby to ciiiise onr licence to be passed unto hira the said Lord Bishop of Meath, under our Great Seal, or otherwise, as he shall desire it ; and nnto you as shall be thought fit for his repairing unto this kingdom for Our Service, and fur his eontinuance here, so long time as he shall have occasion to stay about the perfecting of Ihose works undertaken' by him, by Our Commandment ; ani for the good of the Church, &c." Such and so great was the estimation in which he was deservedly held ! such and so great was the opinion then en tertained of his extensive rescaiches I It is to tiiis work I pirsiime that Sir Robert Cotton refers, in a leiter which he wrote to Usher, dated March 26, 1622, and of which the following is an extract: — " My honour able t-ord, the opportunity I had by ti.e going over of tiiis honourable gentleman. Sir Henry Bourthier, I could not pass over without doing my service to your Lordship in tiira'; few lines We are all glad here you ate so well settled to your own Content dn<\ merit, yet sorry that you must Wve (0 important a cause of stay ; that ail hopes we had to have seen ywar XXVII Lordship in these pirts is aim ist taken away; yet I deubt. not bnt tiia itorthy work you gave in England the fii-st life to, and have so far happily procc-'ded in, will be again a just motive to draw you over into England to see it perfected, for without your direction in the sequel I am afraid it will be liopeless and impossible. Let nie, I pray you, intreat from your Honor, the copy of as much as you have finished, to show his Majesty, that he may be the more earnest to urge on other labourers to work up, with your Lordship's advice the rest." Othir Labourers we may hence conclude were not considered competent, and therefore Usher, as we have already seen, received the Royal Commaiid to perfect the work in England, in the execution of which he had so fur happily proceeded. He accordingly abeyed the mandate, remained a year in England, procured all the information, and consulted all tiie manuscripts, whether in pubhc or private libraries, which he deemed necessary for the completion of his design. During the tirae he now abode in England, he was invited by the Kiug to his royal hunting seat at Wanstead in Essex, where he preached a sermon before his Majesty, from Ephes. iv. 13, " Till we all corae in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ," In this sermon he observed, " as well the matter of this Bnilding, We all as the structure of H; and further also considered in the structure, first, the laying of the foundation^ Jn f Ae unity of the Faith, and of the Knowledge pf tlie Son of God : secondly, the bringing of the work to perfection, and the raising of it to its just height, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the slatitre of the fulness of Christ." Under the first head, he particularly combated the presuming arrogance of Rome, and Rome's Bishop in assuming to themselves the title of Universal Church, and Universal Bishop ; and shows that " the Church reformed in our days is none other Church than that which was aefotmei in tiie days of onr Forefathers ; though it hath no agreement, for all that, with Popery, which is the pestilence that walked in tiiose tiraes of Darkness, and the destruction that walked at noon-day." This sermon he publi>hed afterwards by Ihe royal command, and entitled it, A brief declara tion of the Unites sdlily of the Church of Christ, and the Unity of tlie Catholic Faith professed therein. On his return to Ireland in 16?4, he was occupied for some time, in answering the challenge of Malone an Irish Jesuit, of the College of Lon- vain. In collecting materials for which purpose, we find he was engaged iutbe March of 1622, as he mentions in a letter of that date to Dr. Ward. The matters which he discussed in this book, relate to the opinions enter tained by the Fathers concerning Tradition, Real Piesenee, Auricular Confession, Priest's power to forgive sins. Purgatory, Prayer for the Dead, limbus Patrum, Prayer to Saints, Images, Free-will, and Merits. About D 2 XXVIII three years after the publication of this treatise, Maieac wrote a tcdiens, scnrrilons, and abusive answer to it, of which Parr thus speaks : " It was full of quotations, enher falsely cited out of the Fathers, or else out of divers supposititious authors; as also forged miracles, and lymg Legends, made use of merely to bfind the eyes of ordinary readers, who are not able to dislmguish gold from dross : all which," he confiijues, " gave tiie Bislicjv so great a disgust, that he disdamed to answer a fool according fo his foily, and made no reply to him." But some of Usher's friends. Dr. HoyI, Dr. Sine, and Mr. Pnttock, were too jca'fuis of his honor to permit him thns to be, maligned, they therefore undertook the task of discovering Ihe subtilty of the Jesuit, and the emptiness of Ids boasting— and they accordingly very amply and learnedly effected tiieir design. In the same year he again rclnmed to England, and concluded his work, on the Antiquities ofthe British Chnrches, already raentioned. While he was detained in completing this treatise, fhe Primacy of Ireland became \-acant, and King James again took this opportunity of expressing his regard for him, and the opinion he entertained of his worth by appointing him Archbishop of Armagh, althougli many persons of di.»$ die i^MTMwnttl «aik « illrijMrr t« (ke SK«t C^ftMW of SnivatMa, awl sAMawnis the Meimmb of Us 4eHd^ • tkattk xvV.dh Has. ¦w«teit!*aBe that lie wa^ht be the alw» Savmr «f k';s Vefcv»)y |><«f>^ t« ')>« exTtasiea «f all tu^- r^t ia tken, as i&e raK« af dMsr ."^xtsacatiMt. B«^dK: ^s care- Ar the Retcmaneaaftlw Ctert^.ke vme*. 5S»«4 aii* v«ry riro— w»% «* eMrrrai^ the exartsocs, ab«xs aad e^s, mfeirfcevi$ic«iia Aee charts; iKwaaths*, that aaeafte first act* ^ CishtfK ms ibcctasan-, «n caciws* is by an s.l,'..:;-.^iil smty af ¦*a.«Ftet, aaal.WHars^. Tite P«piik {tI)l^|r befl< a«Gn(s% to das a«cs»«rr, « |k^ iasafiaed it -wj^ a paSlkal 5«ni&.e 9» ^taq: iheaaiaM pvatrr sM!))«i»«i^ Inr Aa ¦iMT>tfTiiaKe af a staail^ f«(v^ ia lii* KagdMa, T» W Bsxol ."^ u «i^«B.--«iaB as tt-rrtrifn >piia:t dKoa. Iji*4 Fk&iaad ia «r^ to rKftflt Heat to rs emctiea, anuaaaed a i;»eial Bee-ta^ ef Piatestaa^ aad Ft^«st!> :.'>Uk»iB!a(«a!aJisMi«e li»f*«prierr af simrta^ ta Ok l«t«T a ¦>{««¦ £v;;^j«i imlnaiHa. T^ |vra{xs^ at the L.j-J Diyatj v£^ Rjsanied hy mk- es»fieat ftante as aar. ansa rstsl^.v ii.ailiife t* the sabvtssaaa af die mtiMd r«&f»B, sad iill^ !¦.,' the safety af Ae Rotet. T« s<«« the tamat af erO, -ateeih he- tffttehe^ijkd the TJeptiwi tS mA a ^tsltaa n«cH Twshi^ fnailace, he «5eth>erf Ae Urihifii at his ewa haas^ aiad Ac; aawlaiiw'jy |5t«ear«iAe £irj«K«iis aad HeMOcal-. IVi' C^Mich, ia ics^ect af haA. Ap*s.»>k'al: T. fivr riHai thatfete aX^inenaiMk, j^. 1. I: i> to naS^e ftr-«; v-s aocessarr, aat aaly A Aar ^iq^ev^tiaai^ I4t>^ HcRSsesi. aa^ia aaand, ta si-. :£^- Bh«Tiia»tM«s ef INyeiy; ? : .<-».- , ^ihwh ~:s a c.^ssp-aisit af the feiraaer) ta Ae {KtAaea af Ae stjiKot foeefiew -sAacit fcnA ia the £ela^ af the CaAaftt Afi^ssary. 3. r.- £i«it Ona T jSeialijia, a ~^. -^.-t af nrr aaasiry la he- 1 nranih^sain ia be anie >>T then, i> ta >;; Kf-iu^.-.:) t«-sa3e, salw^it ihe SMss#f Ae F^cap^, -KlMak CJ-.i>t «c> Israar h^A i« a srsat s..r. s* «fc»» a BalteT af aaast *»»ays«rs csBe«v9a(«r« : «h-o o,- ~.to.5««»a -¦I^e^:lU ". a« miMii ' T ARDAGIf, TH09. FEKNES, ET LEGIILIN, THOS. DROMORE, KO. DUNENSIS, &C. MtCIIAKL, WATERFORD, ETJuTSMORB, flEO. DEREN8, I'llAN. LYMERICK. At the time when the assembly was convcied. Dr. Dovt'iih.im, I'.i.'.liop a( IJerry, teok occasion, in a sermon, whichhe preached before the Lord Deputy and Council, April 23, 1627, to give publicity to the protestation of tiie Ri- ihops, which we have just cited, and also to rijpiobiln veiy strenuously the' conduct of Uiose who subordinated religion from worldly mbtivcs, and sit their •ouls to sale for the gain of earthly matters. We arc informed by Prjnne in his trial of Laud, that after he had recited the protestation, *' he boldfy ¦aid,{cii- larged mifilaiy force, as it was threiiti-ned from without by a foreign enemy, and from witiiin was exposed to the danger pf domestic insiirgti.ts.^ he warned the Noblemen and Gently, who differed wiUi linn in point of Reli:;ion, tliat tiiey had no mercy to e.fpe.ct either, from Invn.h-ra, or from Uebeis, for Uie la!r.riMg'i of Ih'.; one noiild doubtless be similar lo that ofthe Duke of .'\Iedina Sidoni,* on a foiuier uccassion, hii sword,' he s^id, knew no diifi;r«iicebelwc--i;ii a C,itholic and ii llijretick, he came only to mal<« way for his Master; a-.id tl:c langu.ige ;in,I intentioii-i of the other evidently Mollified tii-dt liny tinv^hl only tiieir own aggrandisement, and even the i.l;itt8 of Uieir feU?)w i;oinanist,i, \->l.nr,i ihey icgiirilerl as enemies, because descended Irom I^nglish settleis : he neles, but pubUcly avovved them in two confessions of faith, which are published in the work before us, and which were obtained ip iMSS. from Corbey Abbey, ^y the Kev. Fiiographcr of Gottescalc. Usher had originally intended to have introduced the account of this^ excellent, but persecuted Monk, and of the predestinarian controveisy whichhe excited, in a detailed view ofthe sentiments enter tained on that subject in tiie early ages. He began to collect materials foe Ihis purpose, -when he was only twelve years old, but he afterwards gave up the design, when he found his friend "Vossius was preparing a work of a similar natuie for tiie press. The Primate derived most of liis iuforniatioii respeethig Gottescalc from Flodoardus, and other writers of that age ;, he dedicated Uio treatise to Vossius, offered it to lum to incorporate in a jFaturc edition of his work, and entitled it Gottescalci et prcedestinationa Controeersia ab e* mofo, Histtriu, Tlij* was the fust Latin woik ev«v gristed is Irehi'mfi XXXIX About si-s nioBths prior in the j>ublicatioD of Gottssealc, Dr. <3ee^ Sownhani, Bishop of Derry, sent into the world a treatise on the final j^crseverance of believers in their content against sin, and tiieir progress ia the way of holiness. Usher furnished him with seme materials which were introduced into the thirteenth chapter of the Work, according to Bownham's acknowledgment to him in a letter, dated April 'H, 1630. As •ur Primate had contributed some of the matter he was no doubt favourable to the contents of the book, and anxious for its circulation, it must there- •fbre have been very grating to his feelings to have received the Royal Mandate to suppress it. Land had previous to tiiis obtained the King's •Signatiue to insti-uctions which he himself had drawn up, and which were addressed to the Arch-Bishops and Bishops of England and Ireland, in ¦which orders were given for the suppression of all writings wherein any reference was made to the controverted theological subjects of tlie day, and the silencing of tiiose Minbters who recurred to them in tiieir discourses. Laud always alive to the advancement of Ins own party, rigorouily enforced the execution of these mandates against every Preacher who even slightly hinted against, aud every wiiting that even obscurely, and iu an isolated passage, appeared unfavourable to his own sentiments ; while on the con trary he not enly permitted, but even sanctioned every person, who in his preaching inveighed against the principles to which he himself was hostile, on- in his writings defended the opinions whichhe himself espoused. Such was Land in the plenitude of his arbitrary power, such the tyranny he exer cised over the Church. The Bishop of Derry's work was too skillfully directed against tiiis bigot's views to be allowed free course. He therefnro induced the King to write tothe Arch-Bishops of Canterbury and Armagh, to issue their warrants for the suppression of every copy which remained of it. They of course obeyed. Usher however informed him that the greater part of the edition had been sold, and expressed his assent in a letter quoted by Prynne in his Canterbury's Doom, to an observation of Laud's remarking, " in the H'Utory of Gottesqalcns, your Lordship may see your own observation fully verified, that after Prelates had wiitten against Pre lates, and Synods against Synods, these things would have no end until box's sides became weary of contending." In endeavouring to extenuate his own procedure, it is probable that Laud thus excused himself by representing it as his wish to prevent the rise oi controversy, -as never being productive of good, and as being then only concluded when tho oombaia-ats were fatigued by protracted h 'stilities. Had this been hi? leal object it might perhaps have been well to have efTected it, but Uiis vvas not his parpbsc, for if it were, no controversial writing whatever, either a-aiust ¦ r in favour of the predestinarian doctrinei, er any oti-.er sairject^ iToali have been snffcred to tssraefrom fhe Press-. xiii then without doubt tbe receiving of the Articles of tha Church of Englanit was no abrogation of those of Ireland." — It appears strange that after so satisfactory a statement ofthe matter, the old misrepresentations of a higotted and calumniating individual should l)e revived. Are we to imagine, adrait it as we must, that (' Weutworth's fundamental priuciple in his Goverijment of Ireland was to render it in every respect a dependency on the Crown of England,'" and that Laud " from his personal love of power," "his notions of the necessity of uniformity in ReUgion," and " his attachment to the Armenian tenets iu opposition to the Calvinistic," might have wished "for the abrogation ofthe Irish Articles of Faith," as in them " Usljer had given a decided bent towards the latter system," are we to imagine that he Could blindly have been drawn into a magic circle either by Laud's or Went- worth's wand, and thus have been induced to destroy the foundation, which he himself had laid for purity of Doctrme in the Irish Church, abjure his ewn creed, and embrace one which he knew to be erroneous.' Such tergiversation was never chargeable on hira. He never would hare pro posed the adoption of the English Articles, if their adoption would have cancelled those he wrote, or in any respect have introduced sentiment* which he Uiought repugnant to the Scriptures. Nor, unless persuaded that the two systems of faith were gencrically identical, would he ever li^ve drawn up the following preamble to the Irisli Canons, " for the manifesta-f " tion of our agreement with the English Church in the confession of the " same Cln-istian Faith, and in the doctrines of Uie Sacrament, -\ye rcceiye " and approve the BooH of Articles of Religion agreed upon, between the •' ArchbLsIiops, Bishops, and body of Clergy in the .Synod of London, 1562J •' for the removal of differences in opinion, and the establistiment of consent' "in true Religion. If therefore any one shall hereafter affirm, that any of " the said articles are in any respect superstitious or erroneous, or such as " cannot be subscribed with a good conscience let him be excomninnicated, " and uot absolved till he shall publicly have retracted his errors."— It' was impossible to frarae a more explicit adherence to the rule of faith adopted in the Sister Island, but how could it be deemed « submissive!"' Such a censure was not merited by hira. The fact is, the English Articles were adopted solely with a view of certifying fhe agreeraent of the two Churches ill the sarae faith, and uniting them in every particular. Both sets of articles were therefore signed at all ordinations, until tiie imfortnnate con tests between the regal and republican parties involved all things in their own confusion, When these contests ceased however, the Irish Articles were not again required to be signed. Tlie independence of the Irish Church had already been asseited, her agreement with the Church of England had already been admitted, and tiierefbre the practise was n. longer considered necessary. • Aikin's Life of Usher, p. 426, xliii Always actively engaged in endeavouring to extend the knowledge of 4ivine trnth, he published at Dublin, .A. D. 1638, an invaluable treatise, en- titied Immanuel, or the Mystery of tlie Incarnation of the Son of God. This ti-act contained the substance of several Sermons he had previously preached on the leading doctrines of the Gospel ;' and derives its subject from tha text fie prefixed to it, John i. 14, " Tho Word was made flesh." Having .first mentioned Ihe raai-vellous circumstance that the Father of Eternity was horn m time, and the iMighty God became a child, he next adverts io the manner in which tlie union ef the Divine Person, and tha Hiiinan Nature was accomplished, ^Ulates on the necessity of the human Nature, being assumed that satisfaction might be made in tl:e nature of tiie offending party, and tiiaf it should be combined with the Divine Person in order to give merit to his atonement, aud efficacy to his intercession. These important matters being fully established, ha niext ehlaiges on the manner in which tlie Redemption of the purchased possession is conveyed to tho sons of men. As it could be of no value to ona who was not related to the purchaser, he proves Christ to have been tho nearest of kin to his believing people, uot only as being the imraediatei agent oif their birth, and the universal principle by which their nature i« sustained, hut also as the actual Creator of their new nature whereby they are begotten to a spu'itual and everlasting life, and by which their resem blance to tiie first raan vVdara being removed, the likeness of the second man tlie Lord from Heaven is impressed upon Uieir minds, thus rcccivhig tiioso two things, which every creature receives fiom him who begets it, life and iikaiess. He enlarges separately on those two subjects, and aflei wards proves that the bond of union between Christ and Believer.-i, is on his part the quickening spirit, which from him as the Head is diffused to their spiritual animation as his membei-s, and on tlieu- part Faith the prime act of lifa wrought ill tliem by tiie sarae Spirit. Mo then enlarges on his character a» Prophet, Priest, aud King, makes some admirable remarks on the ministe rial ofhce, tiiroiijrhnut sliews tiic ucceisity of his being iioth Cod and man, in several passages refers with iiui-jli judgment to the Jewish ceremonies as types of Christ, and suras up all witii the noble resolve of the Apostle,' " I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Loid.' The jear following he pKhlishcd his long expected and learned work entitled BrilaTmicarum >?c.-;<;.'.iri;/« Antiquitates, which contains a most ample and salistuctory uceount of the British Churches, from their first establishment, twenty yeai-s after tiie death of CI. list, to the end ot" ths •f venth century. He inti-oduced iiiio this work au account of the succession of English and Irish Bishops as far as it c.iuld be ascertained, and hat feiven in it a detailed view of Pelagiiis, and his Heresy, a matter intimately goi>> ¦acted with his subject. * Phil. iii. 8. F 9 XllV Having tpcr,t sixteen years in the vigorous and faitiiful discharge cf hi* ArchcpiscoprJ Functions he was obliged to visit England, for the arraugCr ment of some domestic concerns, early in A. D. 1640. He was accompanied by his wife and family, and intended only to be abs^t from bis See a year. But Ut whose thotights are not as our thoughts, intended otherwise. HU departure on this oocasion was a signal mark, says one of his Chaplains, '* of God's special providence, as if, according to the Angel's speech to Lot notliir.g couH be done till he escaped to Zoar." The holy man expected shortly to have vi-ited his native country a);ain, to have dwelt in his own land, and under his own fig tree ; bnt the Irish Rebellion prevented the accoirrplishnicni of his purpose, and many weic the afflicting circumstances with which his "ojourn in England was attended. Many were the fore bodings which he had for several years of unusual disasters occurring to tbe State and to the Country. He had ample opportunity of tracing the prin ciples and feelings of poperj-, he knew the monster under every disguise it assumed, he perceived its hatred to every thing Which was not of its own kind ; he was convinced that, though fettered, it yet had power, that its energies unless wholly restrained, possessed too great a resilience, and he dreaded the consequences. Juch were some of the last observations he made to his Chaplain Bernard ; " I cannot forget," said that Clergyman, " Uic serious preparation he gave me, at my taking leave of hun, for the many sorrows and miseries I should see before I saw him again, and with tliat confidence as if it had hern .- iliin view;" and many were the sorrows and miseries J^eniard was called npon to witness. He was entrusted with the care ofthe Prim-itos Library, an 1 during four months he was besieged inDrorheda, ,\. D. 1G41, the Priests aid Friars wilhont exulted in 'Ihe idea of obtaining so v-aluable a colii-rUon, while the barbarous multitude ardently desired to satiate their fiiry by burning him, and his frien^^s books together I « Dread was the day, and more dreadful the omen." These desires however were frustrated and the Primate's Library was forwarded to him early in the next spring to Chester, Ont!iePri-.natr's arrival in London, whither he went immedi.telj on leaving Ireland, he was appoin'ed Preacher at Covent-Garden being de privedci ,-e u mporahties of his See ; but finding the heat of faction too great to be endured, he quitted the tumults of the Metropolis for the fiterary re'ir.meut of Oxford.. Dr. Monis, Canon, and Hebrew Professor at Ci.nsf Church, accommodated him with lodtings, in the same bnilding witii Ur. Parr, wiih whom 'nis Grace became extremely inthnate, and whom he appointed his CI a^ioin. On the Stil of November this year he nrenched a sermon at St. Blary's Church, Oxford, respecting which, Wood ha, related the following curious circnmstance.-Hc mcntioncdin it thathehad obtaine* xlv two pamphlets, written by R-.dph Buckland, a Papist, the ene entiUed Stven sparks of an enkindled soul ; the oUier Four Latnentationi drawn out of the Holy Saiptures, both printed at Rome in 1603, two yeai's previous ta the discovery of the Gun-powder Treason in Eiialaud, which he proved from many passages in fliose tracts, was known at Uie time of their publica tion at the place where the Whore of Babylon reigneth, and that prayers were there sent up Tor liie prosperous snccess of it. Wood says however, that he could find no notice of when or where this Book was printed in any part of the volume; but though Wood was unable to do so, yet Usher might have received the mtelhgence from another quarter, and he assuredly would not have raade the observation unless he had sulficient authority to warrant it. After he had resided some months at 0.-cford, where he enjoyed some very agreeable intercourse with many learned and wise men, ha i-etumed for a time to the Metropolis, endeavoured as much as possible to eoociliate the King, tiie Cliurdi, and Parliament, aud for this purpose even submitted to the Legislature, ou one of tiieir debates respecting Church Government, a proposal fur reconciling the Puritan and EpiscopaUan parties. In this proposal he suggested the propriety of having occasional meetings of the Clergy of each fitiiral Deanery, with their Suffragan as Moderator, to take cognizance of all matters vrithin their respective cures, whose acts might be all referable to monthly Diocesan Synods, with a Bisliop or President at tiieir head, or in his absence one of the Suffragans; he suggested likewise that their acts might be subject to the revision of a National Synod, composed of the Archbishops and Bishops, with certain of the Clergy chosen out of each Diocese, that, the Archtiishop or some Bishop appointed by hira might preside, and that these National Synods might ag-din form themselves into National Couucils where appeals might be received from inferior Synods, and where ecclesiastical constitutions might be established. This expc-.iient was signed also by Richard Holswortb, and was readily acquiesced in by tiie Pr,ritans, but rejected by the Klhg, and to his rejection of it his downfall may in a great measure be ascribed. Finding himself therefore unable to mediate successfully between two ¦ parties, whose contentions liad arisen to such a fearful magnitude, he agaia returned to the seat ofthe Muses in 1611, where he took up his abode at hi* friend Dr. Prideanx's, and published a discourse on the Origin of Bishops and Metropolitans ; ami ;.i«o another tract entitled, a Geographical and Historical. Disquisition on the I. ydian and Proconsular Asia, in the former he proves that the Episcopal OlHce owed its rise to the AposUes, existed in the purest ages, was represented by the stars in the righthand of Christ, mentioned iu Revelations ; and also that the angels ofthe seven Churches there spoken of; were the Bishops of Uiose cities ; and in the latter he defends these opinions by proving I hat the seven cities were all metropolital seats of civil'and sacerdo- pd Government, His opinion in fact respecting Episcopacy, may very fair,^ xlvi bfc summed np in his own words to Bernard, " that lipiseopus et PcMJjfs^' fradu tantum differunt, non ordine, and consequently that in jilaces where Bishops cannot be had, the ordination of Presbyters standeth valid ; yet on the other side," said he, " holding as I do that a Bishop hath suiJeriority in degree above a Presbyter, yOu may easily judge that the ordination inade by such Presbyters as have severed themselves from those JBishops, unto whom they had sworn canonical obedience, cannot possibly by me be excused from being schismatical." An answer was attempted to his work on the origin of Bishops, by John Milton, whose controversial writings were very far from equaling, either in beauty, force, or truth, that unpremeditated verse which raised hun to the loftiest pinnacle of poetic greatness, and rendered him the undisputed Prince of Poets. He had now returned from his Continental tour, embraced the profession of Sfchool-Master, become the defender of Regicides, the calumniator of Loyalists, and the advocate of social disorder. In fact he had now, as Johnson observes, " adopted the Puritanical savageness of manners" 'and of course, *' that igenerOu» loyalty to rank and sex, that fond submission, that dignifled obedience, that subordination of the heart, which kept alive, even in servitude it.sBli',*' according to the dbservation of Burke, " the spirit of an exalted freedom"' had fled from the breast of our immortal BaTd.-rNetrio mortaliujli omnit/uf koris sapit. We must not forget to relate the very interesting part he was called upon to take previous to his return from London, fat the conclusion of one pf tbe most execrable, and barbarous tragedies that ever was exhibited before a ci vilized audience. He was selected by the unfortunate Earl of Strafford: to direct his, devotions, confirm his faith, and attend him to the fsitgl block, vjhere he terminated his earthly course — unfortunate did Isayf as far as concerned time, Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, vfas certainly un fortunate : faction, tyranny, and disloyalty conspired, against his life, and were successfiil, but as f'uage addressed to him by Uie Parliament then, was indemnity for tha past, and security for the future, the condemnation of bis innocent Minister was visited on his own head. A. D. 1611, the Irish Rebels plundered his Country Houses, seized o* las rents, destroyed his Tenements, and drove away all his cattie, wliidt were very numerous, and very valuable, nodiing having escaped tiieir fury except his Library, as lias been already related. So great was the exigencai to wliich he was thus reduced, tiiat he was compelled to sell his Plate, aud Jewels, the only valuables remaining, to supply his present need. Bat these great trials. Parr says, wei-e unable to make " any change in hii natiH-al temper, aud heavenly disposition, still submitting to God's provi dence, with Christian patience, and magnanimity, having long learned before to use the things of tiiis world as if he used tiiem not ; and ih what soever condition he was, therewith to be contented." In the midst of thesa •afflictions, tiie City and University of Leyden enti-eated him to become their Honorary Professor, and offered him a salary considerably more ample than wliat had formerly been annexed to that situation. Cardinal Kichlicn also invited him to France, promising him a considerable pension, and liberty of conscience. He also wrote to him a lelter on the publication of his work De Primofdiis Ecclesiaruui Britannicarum, full of kiudnesS and. nispeci, enclosing Ifim at the same time, a gold medal of great value, which was cnstampcd wiUi his own likeness. Usher in return sent hira a present «if Irish grey-hounds " and other rarities," says Parr, " which Uiat country ajfordcd." — King Charles howcvor thoajht it wiser to dclsiu him i» xlviii England, and gave him to hold in Commendam tha Bishoprick of Carlisle, Tacated by the death of Dr. Potter. This however he did not enjoy long, for it was seized on by the long Parliament with all other Bishop's lands. Tliey nominally granted him indeed in consideration of his losses in Ireland/ and personal merits, compensation of £400 per annum, but mostly with held the payment of their gratuity, thinking perhaps, like raany others, that charity began at horae. ' At Oxford he still maintained the same habihial course of administering tht Balm of Gilead in the narae ofthe heavenly Piiysician to the diseased soUls of his fellow-men. He preached mostly every Sunday, either at St. Olives, or All-Hallows, where he had very large auditories. The first Sunday too after King Charles had retired to Oxford with his shattered army from the dubious battle of Edge-Hill, the first he fought, and where he wa« nomi nally victor, U.sher was called on to preach before him as also on many solemn occasions, which subsequently "occnrred . There is much reason te hope that the instruction which this well-intentioned, hut weak and ill-advised Monarch, received from the Primate of Ireland was attended with very pleasing and useful consequences. In Uie Suraraer of 1643, the Parliaraent, who had now assumed to thera selves the exercise of the Royal Prerogative, outraged all the principles of the Constitution, and openly proclaimed war against tiieir Monarch, called a meeting of Divines at Westminster to new model the service of the Chnrch •fEnglaid, and to reduce its discipline to their own notions of Churcb Governraent. The King previous to the meeting of Uieir assembly, by Proclamation forbad the convocation, and threatened with severe punishment any person who would disobey his commands. But half his sceptre was now wrested from his hands, and London no longer snbmittcd to his sway. Usher was appointed a meraber of the asserably, bnt he had too high a.nd eonscientious a regard for the religious establishment with which he was connected, to acquiesce in any measures wliich would subvert it, too firm an attachment for his King to persist in a measure affecting his Government, to which he refused his sanction, and too great a respect for his coram-dnds, knowing frora whom he derived his authority, to persevere in an act of disobedience. He therefore never attended any of the deUberations of that august body, and they were too sensible of tiie affront, to permit him any longer to retain the privilege of being reckoned of their number, they eomplained of lum to the Commons, and the Commons snp'plied his place with some candidate for republican honors, who betier merited their favours. Not satisfied however with depriving him (f his honorarv situation, Uie Committee whom Uiey appointed to deprive the. Delinquents •r MaUgnauts, (die names indiscriminately applied to all Royalists,) of tbeir s»tates, ordered his Library, which was deposited at Ch»l ea Collet. xih Vttti was taly pretenteoi by the interference of Dt Fealty aud Mi. Seldea. both of them Members of the Assembly, the latter of the Cumnions, and both of them friends of Usher, who obttiined tiiem as a favour for their •wn Hse. Many of his papers, mauuseripts, and all the letters whirJi he had left behind him were however stpled, and souie of his books were lost. Having now obtained much celebrity at Oxford, as a public iustmctor, M the vigorous defender of pure undefiled .and piiiuitive CniisUauity, as the SBpporter of his Monarclrs rights, and the Nation's real interest, aud the determined foe of Rebellion, Innovation, and .Anarchy, the Uuiversity, who had already incorporated him among their Doctors of Divinity ; wheii they were assembled ui Convocation, lUcli March, 16 t4v ordered a certain number of their body to have " his Effigies engraven on a copper-plats with an enloginm under it to be prefixed" to his work then at press, on the F.pistiet of Ignatius.* The inscription agreed on for the copper-plate was, " James Uslier, Archbishop nf Armagh, Primate of all Irelaod, the most skilful of priraativeautiqaity) the unanswerable defender of the Orthodox Rdigion, the maul of errors, in preaching frequent, eloquent^ very powerful, the rare example of an nnblihneable lift." The work for which tlus. engraving was intended, was a new edition of tlie Epistles of Ignatina eoUected, and revited, as also a version of them from tvso old MSS, he had. recently found in England ; prefixed to the whole was a learned dissertation' en the -writings cf Ignatius and Polycarp, and on the Constitutions and Canons attributed td Clement of Rome. This work was regarded as a con siderable augmentation to his literary renown. It was his purpose to have. annexed the Episties of Barnabas to those of Ignatius, bnt his design was finatTated, as the great fire at Oxford cuwumed his copy, with die excep-t tion of his initiatory remarks on the ^e^ -writer, and design of the episUe, whicli Bisliop Fdl, having pioeured from Dr. Bernard, his Grace's:Chaplaioy introdnced, although the conclusion of it was destroyed, into his edition ef that Epistie printed at Oxford, 1685. He published also A. D. 1644, his work Dt Gr praying at the same time that the gracious concessions of his Majesty might be accepted by the Rebel Foe. His prayer however, iu the inscrutable wisdont of Heaven, was rejected, the concessions were slighted, demands too enormous and extravagant to grant were niade ; hostilities were renewed, and '! the vessel of the state" was now expeijted to " fly forward in her course toward regeneration with more speed than ever,"' wafted prospe rously on vvith the propitious gale of aggravated treason, and unprovoked disloyalty. .'^ „ ^ In thisjuBSture of affairs, the siege- of Oxford being meditated by the Parliament forces, and the immediate departure of the Kin" bein" * For a full account of the Septuagint, consult Hamilton's Introduction te the study ofthe Hebrew Scriptures, Chap. 6, resolved on, the Lord Primate detei-mined to leave the Academic Oroves, whitiier he had resorted with so nmch pleasure to himself and profit to otiiers, and to visit his !!onin-law. Sir Timothy Tyrrel, then Governor of (aerdifFe, and General of Oidiunceiu SouUi Wales. Accurduigly having taken leave of his Majesty, he proceeded in company with the Prince of Wales, to Bristol, and f[um thence conCniued his route to the place of his destinatibn. Here he was received with the utraost joy and affection by his Son and Danghter, from whom he had been separated during a long interval of time. It is much to be lamented however, that we are not more fully informed respecting the endearing attentions, whicli they paid their venerable parent, or those interesting scenes of social intercourse in which he mnst here have found snch pleasing relaxation from the severe labours of his study. In tins secluded fortress, secure from the dangers and disasters of .v^nu', ^^ yearly completed the first part of his annals, pursued with unabated otigor his Jearned undertakings, had once raore the gratification of seeing his respected Monarch, and again had an opportunity of preaching before him, when he retreated to Caerdiffe, in hopes of levying an army in the exhausted regions of Wales, after he had been vanquished in the fatal plains pf Naseby, through tiie imprudent conduct of Prince Rupert. Charles no longer able to garrison so many towps, was compelled to remove Sir T. Tyrrel, and the troops he commanded ; and Usher, po longer settled, wag yet doubting whether he shonld return to Oxford, and brave the dangers of tiie embattled plains which intervened, or retreat to the Continent, when the Dowager Lady Stradling kindly inviting him to St. Donates, he resolved to comply with her request. On his way thither, accompanied by his Daughter, they were furiously attacked by a party of Welslimen, who were up in arms in that neighbourhood, to the number of ten,thousand men, professing great attachment to the royal cause. He had with him several chests of Books and MSS. which were immediately opened, as also all his other luggage, pillaged without scruple, and distributed into a thousand ' hand.s. They next proceeded totirag the Primate and Uiose tiiat were with him from their horses, but some officers, gentlemen of the country, coming np caused the horses and many articles of luggage to be resto.ied, kindly sought, but in vain, to recover the books, which were now very widely dispersed, and brought him to Sir John Aiiberry's house, where he wag very civilly received and entertained that night. " When he had retired himself," says Dr. Parr, " I never saw him so much troubled iu my life : and those Ihat were with him before myself, said that he seemed not more coucerned for all hia losses in Ireland than for this, saying to his Daughter and those who-endeavoured to comfort him ; I know that il is God's hand ; and I endeavour to bear it patiently, though I have too much human frailty, net F 2 Iii t« be extremely eoneemed, fbr I ara troubled .in a very tender place, and He has thonght fit to take from me ^11 that I have been gathering together, above these twenty years, and which I intended fo publish for the advance ment of learning, and the good ofthe Church." But next morning he was visited by several of the Clergy and, Gentiemen of the Country, wh« kindly condoled with him on the loss he had sustained, and comforted bin with ihe assurance that they would be able to recever for him 4u'ch booke •hd papers as had not snffcred from fire or other accidents. They accordingly aotifi.ed in all the Chnrches, Uiat tiiose who had any of tiiera in their possession mnst inimediately restore tiiem to their respective Ministers and Landlords. The notice was obeyed, the books and mann- eripts sent ui parcels to St. Donaie's, and in the course of two or three months the major part were again recovered by the rightful owner. The testoration of wb^t be valued so highly itinst doubtless h^ye afforded hini the utraost delight — $it bonft librorum \ias his constant desire, and if pro vided with plenty of literary food, he was very far from being solicitous about Horace's second wish, protism fiiigis in amium eopia, he permitted tjp morrow to take care of the thjngs of the morrow, thought very little of tirae, and having his loins girt, was ever mindfid of anotlier scene. 'Would to iGod that all other literary characters gave the same heavenly tendency tf then- studies, that this holy patriarchal character gave his ! At St, Donates be spent much time in consulting the books and mannscripts deposited in the Library of the Castle, which had been collected by Sir Bdward Stradling, the antiquary, where he procured many valuable matters relative to the antlqniticg of Wales and Britain. 3ho|-tIy after big arrival be was affhcted with a very dangerops and severe illness, v;rhich ended in a tery violent bleeding, at the nose that continued for Jorty hours. The Physicians entertained no hopes pf his recovery, he was apparently at tiie point of death, but suddenly the bleeding abated, and he became gradually restored to his accustomed health and vigour. In the course of his illness he evidenced much patience and submission to the divine will, solemnly warned all who were about him of tiie danger of deferring the consideration of their eternal interests to the hour of their last sickness, and declared his apprehension that " a death-bed repentance will avail ns little if we have lived vainly and viciously, and neglected onr conversion, till we can sin no longer" He exhorted ' them to believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to live in holiness of life, " and then," saidhe, "you will find the comfort ofit at your death: and your change will be happy." While he wasyetbleeding, a member of tiie then Heuse of Commons came to visit him, whom he tiius solemnly warned, " Sir, you see I am weak, and cannot- eipect te live many hours, yon are returning to fhe Parliament I am going to God, my blood and my life is almost spent j I charge yon te tell ill them freni nie, that I know they are in the wrong, and have ilealt verj- injuriously with the King, and I am not mistaken in this mattir.' 8* seriously concerned was he at the vile conduct cf tho-e rbpubliean Dnsmons! He also assured Dr. Parr on this occasion, in answer to an intciTOgatory from him, that he bad most wrongfully been accused Of consenting to the death of his friend Strafford. The King, too hearing it very currently reported that the Archbishop had terminated his mortal life, assured Colonel William Legge, and Mr. Kirk, Gentlemen t)f his Bedchamber, " that he was very sorry for his deatlt, together with high expressions of his piety and mecits : but one there present replied, tiiat he believed he might be so, were it not for his persuading your Majes^ to consent to the Earl of Strafford's execution : To which the King in a great passion retarned, that it was false : For, said the King, after the Bill was past, the Archbishop came to rae saying, with tears in his eyes'. Oh I Sir, what have yon done ? I fear this act may prove a great trouble to your conscience ; and pray God Uiat your Majesty may never suffer by tiie signing of this Bill." Hotv 'fully does Uiis circumstance prove the amiable natuie of the Primate's eharapter, and tbe sensibility of his tender spirit. During our Prelate's residence in Wales a surreptitious copy of his Bodjf ^Divinity, or the Sum and Substance of the Chrlttian Religion, wait pub lished in London by Mr. Downhame. He had drawn up this work, in the form of question and answer, for his own private nse when a young man, without any view toward; its publication. He lent copies of it to some importunate friends, by which means it found its way to Uie press ; aui A. it. 1653, he published his Principles of the Christian Religion, an abridge ment of the former, which he had originally extracted for tiie benefit of ins family. A. D. 164C, being fiilly re-established in health, fearing to visit Londoa, and ignorant of aiiy place of safety in the kingdAm where he could retire, lie resolved to visit the Cohtiheut, obtained a pass for that purpose from the Earl of Warwick, had prfepiared a vessel for his voyage, but Molton, the Parliamentary Vice-Admiral, entering the road of Caerdiffe witii bissquadrnn, he was obliged to apply fbr i new pass from him, which was roughly refiised, accbthpanied with a threaf that he would take him into custody. Shortly after tiiis disappbinffne(it he received a very friendly invitation from tbe excellent Coniitess of Petprborongh, entreating him to reside with her, promising to secure him from molestation, and warmly expressing her affection and her gratitude to him as having been the means of hei hnsband's conversion, who had novv ^ptired from a troublous world to enjoy the blissful visions of his Savioni-'s glory, and reahze the excellence of (hose divine principles he had inibibed' here, through the iiistrumentaUty of our holy Prelate. To nndertake thil journey it became uecesury t« repleniiL bif {Hirse, now entirely exhausted. Unable to provide Uie means himself, maity «jf his benevolent neighbours, who sympathised with his misfortunes, were induced to remit him several suras of money to a considerable amount, without the privity of each other. He was thus enabled to supply his present need, and to repair, the June following to London, where Lady,. Peterborough then resided, and frora this period he was usually an inmate in one or other of her houses. As he passed tbrough'Gloucester, his zeal for the canse of his Divine Master induced him to visit Biddle, tiie celebrated Socinian, who was then dangerously ilh Kipple has thns quoted the cir- cmnstance from T. Edwards, that " learned and Godly Diviiie," Usher " spoke with him and used him with all fairness and pity, as well as strength of arguments to convince him of his dangerous error ; a Minister of the city of Gloucester told rae the Bishop laboured to convince him that either he was in a damnable error, or else the whole Church of Christ, who had in all ages worshipped Uie Holy Ghost, had been guilty of Idolatry ; bat " the man was no wliit moved by the learning, gravity, piety, or zeal of the good Bishop, but continued obstinate." On his arrival in the Metropolis he gave tbe necessary information of it to the Parliamentary Committee, at Goldsmith's Hall ; who immediately summoned him before them, enquired by whose authority he left London, where he had remained during his abisence, and whether Sir Charles Coote or any other person ever asked him to nse his influence with the King to grant a toleration of Religion in Irehmd. He replied that he had a Parliamentary pass to Oxford, and declared that neither Sir C. Coote or any other person ever sought to make him exercise snch a power over the King, and also thit qn the arrival 6f tl^c Irish Agents at Oxford, he entreated his Majesty not to enter into any fcgnlation respecting refigion in Ireland without consulting him, that thi* request was needed to, that the King and Council declared against a. tcderation, and tliat he hiraself always regarded such a measure as involving the danger of .the Protestant Religion. The Chairman of the Committee then offered him the negative oath, which had purposely been formed for the adJiercnts ofthe King, bat he requested them to allow liim time to consider , it, whicli bemg granted he retired, and was never summoned to appear again, for which he was indebted to the kind interference of Selden, and Ins other friends m ParUaracnt. He soon afterwards attended Lady Peter- borongh to ber residence at Rygate in Surry, where he usually preached either in the Parish Church, or in her Chap?l, and where he was visited by the most respectable Gentiemen and Clergy, that they might enjoy fhe advantage of his improving conversation, and derive benefit from hit in&trnctions in religion. Early in the Year 16ir, he was appointed Preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincohi's-Inn, and was allowed very commodious, well furnishei Mv Kpatftnents by the Benchers, one of whom was his friend Hales, aftcrwarib l«ord Chief Justice. He was here treated \Vith evei-y respect and honour by t>is new congregation, and preached regularly every term for eight years. At the expiration of that period, having lost many of his teeth, and being nearly deprived of his sight, he was compelled to retire from Iris charge, by whom his removal frora among them was regarded as a very afflictive providence. , i Unabated in his literary ardour he, published in 1647 his jippeniix Ignatiana, containing the genuine uninterpolated Episties of Ignatius, with a new Latin version i an authentic History of the martyrdom of that Saint ; the epistles of Tiberianus, Pliny, and Trajan respeeting the constaucyof themartyi-s; and tlie Epistle of the Cliurch of, Smyrna concei-ning the martyrdom of Polycarp. This year also he published his Diatriba dt Romante Ecclesice Symbolo Apostolica vetere, tt aliisfidei formulis. In this work he gave a learned account of the various copies of the Apostles Creed formerly used in the Roman Church, published several'ahcieutformolaries of faith, and some dther similar moniimeuts of antiquity. In tite beginning of the following year hsif published; his very emthte fhroDological work on the introduction , of the Macedonian Solar year into Greece^ In this dissertation he instituted' a comparison «f -the lunar and selar montlc with the Julian, and the^e of other nations; fixed itiie-.tim«' cf the Msu-tyrdom of Polycarp;. laid , tlie circumstances of whose life we have been recording. He was at thi'i time with Lady Peterborough at Charing-Cross, and some of the family, who had previously gone out on the leads of tiie house, from whence they had a full vievv of Whitehall, came down, when the King appeared upon the scaffold, to entreat hiin to return with them, and once more behold his vene rated and tmfortunate master. At first unwilling to comply, he at length con sented; bnt when he saw the hereditary Governor of Britain engaged in the last mournfid vindication of his conduct, he sighed deeply, and with hands and eyes upraised to heaven, suffused with fears, he prayed with per ceptible eamestnesis; and when he saw the masked Executioners preparing to fulfil their dreadful ofiice, no longer able to witness a scene so horrible and tremendous, or endure a spectacle so atrocious and diabolical, in v/hich such foul undignities were ofttered to royalty, he swooned into the arms of his at tendants, and was at length relieved, when laid upon bis couch, by ah abun dant effusion of tears, and the most ardent supplications to the Uiroue of mercy. During the disasters, which followed, aud the tyranny, which succeeded, onr worthy Primate devoted himself to the labours of his stndy, and the exercise of his ministerial duty, openly reprobated the nsurpation of Cromwell and his proceedings, and constantly endeavoured to administer consolation to the suf fering adherents of the_ murdered King. Often did he observe, that the pre sent order of things would be reversed, kingly government restored, and he hiraself retire from the troublous scene, before the hoped for consnmraation. He even remarked, not long before his death, that the disposition of Crom well, resembled that ofthe Grecian Tyrants, which as if originated in a pre ponderance of military power, so did it usually terminate with the death of the Usurper. A. D. 1650, he published his profound and erudite perform ance, the Annals ofthe Old Testament ; a work begun, as already has been recorded, at a very early age. It commences with the eailiest notices of mundane transactions; conchides wiUi the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, A. M. 3828, contains the succession of the Babylonish, Persian, and Macedo nian Monarchs ; the concurrent Olympiads, the Syncronisras of sacred and profane History, and an account of the most remarkable Eclipses of ihe Sun, with reference to his Chronological statements. The second part of tWa work, which is carried on to the destruction of Jerusalem, by 'Vespasian, issued from tiie Press in 1654. He very fiilly detailed ui this volume, the state ofthe Macedonian Empire, under the Asiatick and Egyptian Kings; IVlll gave an exact account of t'ae affairs of the Roman Empire m the East ; and iilso added a narration of tiie New Testament History, as far as the year 73, and the parallel circumstances noticed by Uie Greek and Roman writers of thai period. On the fourteenth of December this "Vear, iilthongh he had discontinued his practise of preaching to large auditories, he pleached the funeral sermon, on the death of his fi ieud Selden, in compliance with Ihe particular request of the ExCctitors of that learned and celebrated Banister, whom he had visited during his illness, and for whora he entertained the highest regard. He pronounced a very high and deserved enc'oraiura on the deceased ; and with much humility, but very little truth, declared him to be " so great a scholar, that himself was scarce worthy to carry his books af'tevhim." Cromwell, who evidenced great anxiety not to be considered as a persecutor of those, who disagreed with hira in religious opinions, sent about this time for Usher. The Primate, at first unwilling to obey the mandate^ resolved, upon consideraiion, to comply, fearing that his refusal would only enrage ihe Protector against him, and at the same tirae, hoping that he might be able to effect sorae good, or prevent some evil. The Despot received him with rauch civility, conversed with him, it is reported, on the most probable means of advancing the Protestant interests, and with some canting expres sions dismissed him. A. D. 1655, Usher was entreated by some of the Orthodox Divines, to wait again on Cromwell, and request hira to allow the Episcopal Clergy the fi-ee exercise of their.religious services, as he had previously forbade thera to instruct youth, or perform ry part of their ministerial functions, under the severest penalties. Usl.er found a Snrs-eou engaged in dressing a large boil on the Prptectoi's breast, who said to him, " if the core were once out, I .shoidd be quickly well." " I doubt," replied the Primate, " the core lies deeper ; Ihere is a core at Uic heart, that must be taken out, or else it will not be well. " Ah," said Oliver, with seem ing nnconcfrn, " eo Ihcie is indeed," and sighed. He soon told the Primate, that his Council advised lira not to grant any toleration to n;cn so implacable to his govenimerit and person; and his Grace, finding persuasion iiesidless, returned lioihe, disappointed, chagrined, and smpiised at the perfidy ofthe imm, who liad promised, at a previous interview, to yield to his entreaties, and ncv refused to ratify tiie concessions he had before made. " This false man," said he to Parr, " hath broken his word with me, and refuses to per.fbrm what he promised ; well he will have iitilc cause to glory in his wickedness, for he will not continue long; tiie King will retarn, and though I shall not live to see it, you nmv.,' In the Fehriiary following, he left London for Kyegate, and took leave •f his relations for tlie last tirae. His earthly coarse was nearly run, aai lix yet his mind and body were as vigorous as could be expected for Ins advanced period of life ; but his sight had become so weak from au un wearied application to study, that he was only able to w rite, in a strong light, and was, therefore, compelled to follow the sun from one window to anoUier. Had his life been spared until the succeeding winter, it was his intention to have employed an amanuensis. He was now constantly engaged in the consideration of anolher world, aud in the contemplation of his own dis solution, which was fast approaching. It had been his habit to make some remark in his almanack, opposite the day of his birth ; his observation this year, 1655, was " now aged 75 years, mi/ dai/s arc /uf J;" and immediately after in large letters, RESIGNATION; so fully was he aware, that the hour of his departure was at hand, and so entirely was he resigned to the will of his Divine Master, Not long before his death he heard Dr. Porr preach, and said afterwards, " I thank you lor your sermon ; I ara going out ofthe world, and I now desire, according to your text, to seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth ut the right hand of God, and to be with lum in heaven ; of which said he, we ought not to doubt, if we can evidence to ourselves our own conversion, true faith, and love, and live in the exercise of those chiislian graces, and virtues, with perseverance ; mortifying daily our inbred corruptions, renonncing all ungodliness, and worldly lusts; and he, who is arrived at this habitual frame and holy course of life, is the blessed, and happy man, and may rejoice in hope nf a glorioas eternity in the kingdom of heaven, to receive that inheritance given by God, to those that are sanctified." Parr mentions, that his conversation at this period re. serabled more that of one freed from all the incumbrances of the flesh, Uian of one, who was yet a pilgrim and a sojourner here. " But sijice," says that Biographer, it had been usual with hira to insist on things of this nature, when we were together, and he was at this time in health, I did not believe, that his change was so near, as he presaged : yet he himself had other thoughts, and it proved he was not mistaken," On March 20, in the evening, he first complained of a pain in his hip. That day he had remained in his study, as long as it. was light, and then went to visit a lady in the same house, who was dangerously ill. He spent an hour in endeavouring to lead her to fbrra conceptions of her situation, and seemed to explain the mysteries of the heavenly Canaan, a.^if, hke Moses ftom Mount Pisgah, he had a full view ofthe glorious inheritance, whiph awaited him. He had now been fifty -five years an Herald of God's will to man, an ambassador of the glorious Gospel of Christ ; and he concluded his embassy with the emphatic declaration of his important message. The next morning the pain in his h;;>, which he at first thought was the sciatica, was accompanied with a great pain iu his side. A Physician was sent for, and tiie medicines tupposed to be requisite were ordered; but so far from abating, they H 2 Ix only increased the violence of his complaint, which, after his decease, was ascertained to be a ph-urisy. He now applied himself wholly to his devotions, and the Countess of Peterborough's Chaplain prayed with hira. Receiving so.iie intermission from pain, he addressed a solemn warning to all, who were around him, to prepare for death and judgment. He next look au affectionate farewell of her Ladyship, from whom he had received such repeated kindness, and gave her some raost excellent advice; and then requested to be left alone. The last words he was heard to utier were, O Lord forgive me, especially my sins of omission. He had frequently expre.ss- cd his desire, that he might die like M r. Perkins, praying for mercy and forgiveness, confident that such language was most befitting the fallen sons of Adara. Even when redeemed from their lost estate, he knew them to he sinners still; and though grace might enable those, who were ransomed from the fdll, to live consistentiy with their profession ; he well knew that imper fection was stamped upon their best performances, and that their holiest services demanded the application of atoning blood. It was surely most ungenerous in Bishop Burnet to imagine, and still raore ungenerous to publish his conjecture, without any document to warrant it, that, according to his opinion. Usher " did not bestir himself suitable to the obligations, that lay on liim in carrying on" " the rough work of reforming abuses ;" it " sat heavy oil his thoughts, when he came to die ;" and drew forth the humble and contrite expressions, which we have already noticed, as liaviiig tiien escaped him. This accusation rests entirely on the supposed culpability of the Primate's conduct with respect to Bedell, which we have already discussed, aud, concerning which, we shall add but oije or two observations. Usher kiiew-, that Bedell had acted illegally iu his eagerness to reforra ecclesiastical abuses. It whs therefore i.-r.possible for him to defend him. He would have been delighted to have effected the reforra; but he was not possessed of the power. Bedell, to remedy the evil, sat'as Judge in his own Court; but ¦ Usher, ignorant of Ihe laws, pleaded mtcum habile, yuam sit ttihi carta supdlex ; and declared, " ray Chancellor is better skilled in tiie laws, than I ani, and far better able to manage affairs of that kind." Besides he judged, that if the Bishops generally exercised such a jurisdiction, the evil, so far from baling diminished, '.vould be increased; and appealed to an insl-ance of a liiahop, Vila sat in his own Courts, and in whom there wa? to be found " moie injustice and oppression, than in all the Chancellors ia the whole Kingdom put co.i.'Pthcv." It must be obvious, from this statement, that his conduct was in no wise reprehensible ; and therefore could never have em bittered his dying moments. The only reluctance he evidenced to assist Bedell m the reiormation of Ihe ecclesiastical courts, was a reluctance in tlie first instance, to countenance any illegal measure ; and; in the next, to permit a precedent to be foiined, which, he tiiought, would be injurious in its consequences, and intsaduce still greater corruption. Of tliis charge he Ixi therefore stands acquitted ; aud his dying words are solely to bo regsrdefl as a confession of his just knowledge ofthe human heart, his own in particu lar, and of the forgiveness, which all need. Thus died, full of faith, in the fifty-sixth year of his ministrj-, and the seventy-sixth year of his age, on thft 17th of March, 1C56, the venerable Ushei; a name, which, as it has hitherto, so should it for ever, be embalmed and enshrined in the grateful remembrance of Uie virtuous, the learned, and the wise. His translation from the Prelacy of Meath, to the Primacy of Armagh, preceded his translation to the royal priesthood ia heaven, thirty-ons years. Here he appeared for a liltie while, like sorae vast luminary, which, moving in an eccentric orbit, approached our sphere, and again returned to his perihelion station to enjoy the glories of the celestial world. The hundreth Bishop of Armagh, he nobly and illustriously closed the first cen- tennary of Irish Primates, Patrick, who was the first, introduced the light ofthe glorious Gospel of Christ into Ireland; while our distinguished Prelate restored it in its purity ; taught it in its simplicity; maintained it in its excellence against Uie efforts of all, who would either have deteriorated its doctrines, enervated its precepts, or weakened its authority; exemplified its holy chai;acter in liis life and conversation ; aud proved its efficacy to admi nister consolation and support, in the days of his affiiction, and at the honr of his death. Wlien his relations became acquainted with the melancholy tidings of hi* decease, they gave the necessary orders for his funeral ; but the fall of so mighty a man in Israel, was too sensibly deplored thronghout the nation to permit his burial f o be private ; and Cromwell, desirous of obtaining a character for liberality of sentiment, ordered his remains to be pubUcly interred, with all the honours due to so great a personage, at Westminster Abbey. His interment took place, April 17, 1656, according to tbe rites of the Church of England ; and Dr, Bernard, his Grace's Chaplain, preached a sermon on the occasion frora 1 Sam xxv. 1, And Samuel died, and all the Israelites were gathereil together, and lamented him, and buried him, Thia sermon was afterwards published, and has frequently been referred to in this narrative. Usher was, in his person, of moderate stature, sanguine complexion, brown hair, and of a grave countenance, expressive of good nature, and command ing reverence and respect. Surely no man ever deserved to receive both more, than he did. Courteous, affable, and forgiving, he never committed, or returned an injury. Elevated in his situation in life, and endowed with the most capacious understanding, eminent in learning, and no less eminent in piety, humility was the most prominent feature in his character. Bene volent in his disposition, he was active in charity, and even when distressed. Ixii himself, his beneficence was very widely felt by his fellow suffering country- raen. On one occasion, when deeply engaged in study, a poor Irishwoman came to him at Lady Peterborough's, and demanded alms : he simply told her he was unable to comply with so many requests of that kind, and she ¦without any importunity retired, imploring divine blessings upon him. — Reflecting afterwards, that she might perhaps have been a fit object fur his bounty, he sent some of the domestics after her, who returned without finding her. Being much distressed, that this search was ineffectual, he sent his own servant; who was not within at the time of the occurrence, to inquire for the woman the next morning, at those places where the Irish usually resorted to in London. The servant was unable to effect his errand, and the Primate was considerably concerned at being so hasty in his refusal. In preaching he was eloquent and frequent, as lias already been related. 'We have yet to mention, that his sermons were, so far, extemporaneous, that the heads only were committed to papei ; and it is evident, from what we have before recorded, that they were always declaratory of the grand scheme of redemption through a crucified Saviour. He was very careful not to adrait any persons into the ministerial office, who were unqualified to exercise its holy functions. " Lay hands suddenly on no man" wqs a precept, which he most conscientiously regarded. He only ordained one person, who was not acquainted with the learned languages, an English mechanic in his own Diocese, a pious man, who read and knew much of tiie Bible, was well acquainted with works of practical divinity, and was extremely anxious to be actively engaged in the sacred calling. This person, when he applied lo the Primate for ordination, was ignorant of Irish ; but his Grace, remarking that his preaching would be of Uttle use, unless it was understood by tiie people, the man promised to acquire the language ofthe natives, which being enabled to effect in a year, he was ordained, and was the means, of convei ting many papists, and was a very eminent Minister, We have now brought to a conclusion the life of this venerable Patriarch who was alike distinguished (or his piety, and his learning, his loyalty, and his pacrioiic virtues. It would be needless to dilate further on his character, it has aheady been described with sufficient accuracy. It is only necessary to add further, what was before remarked of Augustine, O viram ad tfiti^ teolesi^ pubiicam uti'.ititcm, natum, factum, datumque divinitus/ TO jur rEttr much hoj^oured friejvDj SIR CHRISTOPHER SIBTHORP, Knight, ONS OF HIS majesty's JUSTICBS OF UIS COVItT OV CHIEF PLACE, IRELAND. »¦«« WORTBY SIM, I CONFESS, I somewhat incline to be of yonr raind, that if imto the aathoriries drawn out of Scriptures anil Fathers, (which are common to as with others) a true discovery were added of that religion which ancientiy was professed in this Kingdom ; it might prove a ^pecial motive to indnce my poor Countrymen, to consider a little better of the old and trne way from whence they have hitherto heen misled. Yet on the one side, that saying in the Gospel runeth much in my mind ; " If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded, thongh one rose from the dead ;¦" and on the other, that heavy judgment mentioned by the Apostle j " because th.;y received not tiie love ofthe Truth, that they might besave^t God shall send them strong delusion, that they .shonld believe a lye." The woeful expeiience w-hereof, we may see daily before our eyes in this pooi nation : where, such as are slow of heart to believe the savinz Truth of God, d( livered by tiie Prophets and Apostles, do with all ereediness em- lirace, and with a most strange kind of credulity entertain those !yi"g Legends, wliercwiih their Monks aud Friars in these latter days have polloted the Religion and Lives of onr ancient Saints. I do not deny but that in this Coantry, as well as in others, corniptioie ' did creep in by little and little, before the Devil was let loose to procuie that sednction, which prevailed so generally m Uiese last times ; but as far as I can collect by- such records of the former ages as have come unto my hands (eiti.er manuscript or printed) the Religion professed hy the ancient Bishops, Priests, Mouks, and other Christian) ii this laad, was "for »nh- [ THE, EPISTLE. stance the very same with that, which now by public authority is maintained thereui, against the foreign doctrine brought in thither in latter times by the Bishop of Rome's followers. I speak of the raore substantial points of Doctrme, that are in controversy between the Church of Rome and us at this day ; by which only we must judge, whether of both sides hath departed from the Religion of our Ancestors : not of matters of inferior note, mach less of ceremonies, and such oUier things as appertain to the discipline, rather than to the Doctrine of the Church, And whereas it is known unto the learned, that the name of Scoti in those elder times (whereof we treat) was common to the inhabitants of the greater and lesser Scotland, fer so lieretofiire they have been distinguished, that is to say, of Ireland, and the famous Colony deduced from thence into Albenia : I will not follow the example of Hiose, that have of late laboured to make dissention between the danglrter and the mother, but account ef thera both, as uf the same people, Tros Rutulusvefuit, nulla discrimine hahebo. The Religion doubtless received by both, was the self-sarae ; and differed little er notiiing frora that, which was maintained by their neighbours the Britons : as by comparing the evidences that reraain, both Of the one nation and of the other, in the ensuing disconrse racre fully shall appear. TO THE READER. IN judging of the ReUgion of our Ancestors, we are not to build em ennclnsion upon every single proposition, wherein they eitiier agree with, •r differ from us ; but upon Uie main bulk of the substantial points of doctrine, which are conjroverted between us at this day. Therefore the Adversary must not imagine, that I intend here to make such simple collections as these. SmcA a man held such a point with us; therefore he was a Protestant. No more than I will allow him to frarae the like. &uch