Nuncio Scarampi announced, on his arrival in the country, that the Pope, his master, was resolved not to grant any provisions at Rome, for benefices or ecclesiastical dignities in Ireland, but to such as were nominated by the Supreme Council.1 We may thus, to some extent, account for the comparative moderation of the clergy before the arrival of Rinuccini. They knew that, by offending the distinguished laymen at the head of the Confederacy, they would forfeit their prospects of ecclesiastical preferment. But the Nuncio Extraordinary dispensed the patronage according to his own pleasure; and thus secured the support of all who were anxious to obtain benefices or bishoprics. The Supreme Council felt annoyed by what they deemed a usurpation of their privilege: and, in the General Assembly now sitting, the introduction of this topic led to some warm debates. The lawyers insisted that the right of presentation belonged properly to the Crown ; and that, in the peculiar circumstances of the country, it should be exercised by the Supreme Council. The Nuncio professed to be astonished at this claim; 2 though, as a canonist, he must have known well that it had no pretensions whatever to novelty. With great difficulty he contrived to stifle the discussion, by moving its adjournment until he should have an opportunity of consulting the Court of Rome. But meanwhile he continued, as before, to appropriate the disputed patronage.

If the prelates who sat in the Assembly at Kilkenny in January, 1647, had possessed an ordinary share of prudence and honourable feeling, they would have refused to place themselves in the very invidious position which they now occupied. The war was protracted chiefly to gratify their ambition. All were willing to contend to the last for the free exercise of religion: but the more intelligent minority did not think it necessary to require, as a condition of peace, that the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland must be restored to the state of absolute supremacy which it enjoyed before the Reformation. Nothing less would satisfy the lords.

1 Belling, Desid. Cur. Hibernica, ii. 219.

2 Carte, i. 597.

the treaty with Ormonde, was formally disowned; and hostilities continued.

When the Confederation was first formed, its executive government was entrusted with the Church patronage. The

Association (see before, p. 59, note (2)) adopted at Kilkenny in May, 1642: "Moreover I do further swear that I will not accept of, or submit to, any peace made, or to be made, with the said Confederate Catholics, without the consent and approbation of the General Assembly of the said Confederate Catholics. And for the preservation and strengthening of the association and union of the kingdom, that upon any peace or accommodation to be made or concluded with the said Confederate Catholics as aforesaid, I will, to the utmost of my power, insist upon and maintain the ensuing propositions until a peace as aforesaid be made, and the matters to be agreed upon in the articles of peace be established and secured by Parliament." Meehan (Confed. of Kilkenny, p. 29) and others have made this addition a part of the oath of 1642. But this is obviously a mistake. See the oath in full, as adopted by the General Assembly in January, 1647, in Burke's Hib. Dominicana, supplement, pp. 882, 883. The propositions mentioned in this addition, which were four in number, and which were now insisted on by the clergy, were the following :—

"I. That the R.C. clergy and laity, in their respective stations, have the free and public exercise of the R.C. religion and rites throughout the whole kingdom, in the same dignity and splendour as enjoyed in Ireland and England in the reign of Henry VII., or any of the other Catholic Kings, his predecessors.

"II. That the secular clergy of Ireland, viz., primates, archbishops, bishops, ordinaries, deans, &c., &c.-vicars and other pastors, and their respective successors, shall all have and enjoy all jurisdiction, privileges, and immunities, in as full and ample a manner as the R.C. clergy had or enjoyed within this realm at any time during the reign of the late King Henry VII., King of England and Lord of Ireland, any laws, statutes, power, or authority to the contrary notwithstanding.

"III. That all laws and statutes made since the twentieth year of King Henry VIII. (A.D. 1529) whereby any restraint, penalty, or other incapacity is laid upon any Roman Catholics, whether clergy or laity, for the free exercise of the R. C. religion, and of their several functions, jurisdictions, and privileges, may be abrogated, and declared null and void in the next Parliament, by one or more Acts of Parliament to be passed therein.

"IV. That primates, archbishops, bishops, ordinaries, deans, &c., &c., shall have, hold, and enjoy the churches and church-livings in as full and ample a manner as the Protestant clergy respectively enjoyed the same on the 1st day of October, 1641, with all their fruits, emoluments, perquisites, liberties, and other rights belonging to the respective dioceses and churches, as well in the places now in the possession of the Confederate Catholics as also in all other places within the kingdom that shall be recovered by them from the adverse party, saving to the R.C. laity their respective rights according to the laws of this realm." See Burke, Hib. Dominicana, supplement, p. 883; Meehan, pp. 181-2; Brenan, p. 460. These propositions were, it appears, submitted by the clergy to the General Assembly on the very first day of its meeting in January, 1647. Cox, ii. 185.

Nuncio Scarampi announced, on his arrival in the country, that the Pope, his master, was resolved not to grant any provisions at Rome, for benefices or ecclesiastical dignities in Ireland, but to such as were nominated by the Supreme Council.1 We may thus, to some extent, account for the comparative moderation of the clergy before the arrival of Rinuccini. They knew that, by offending the distinguished laymen at the head of the Confederacy, they would forfeit their prospects of ecclesiastical preferment. But the Nuncio Extraordinary dispensed the patronage according to his own pleasure; and thus secured the support of all who were anxious to obtain benefices or bishoprics. The Supreme Council felt annoyed by what they deemed a usurpation of their privilege: and, in the General Assembly now sitting, the introduction of this topic led to some warm debates. The lawyers insisted that the right of presentation belonged properly to the Crown; and that, in the peculiar circumstances of the country, it should be exercised by the Supreme Council. The Nuncio professed to be astonished at this claim; though, as a canonist, he must have known well that it had no pretensions whatever to novelty. With great difficulty he contrived to stifle the discussion, by moving its adjournment until he should have an opportunity of consulting the Court of Rome. But meanwhile he continued, as before, to appropriate the disputed patronage.

If the prelates who sat in the Assembly at Kilkenny in January, 1647, had possessed an ordinary share of prudence and honourable feeling, they would have refused to place themselves in the very invidious position which they now occupied. The war was protracted chiefly to gratify their ambition. All were willing to contend to the last for the free exercise of religion: but the more intelligent minority did not think it necessary to require, as a condition of peace, that the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland must be restored to the state of absolute supremacy which it enjoyed before the Reformation. Nothing less would satisfy the lords

1 Belling, Desid. Cur. Hibernica, ii. 219.

2 Carte, i. 597.

the treaty with Ormonde, was formally disowned; and hostilities continued.

When the Confederation was first formed, its executive government was entrusted with the Church patronage. The

Association (see before, p. 59, note (2)) adopted at Kilkenny in May, 1642 : "Moreover I do further swear that I will not accept of, or submit to, any peace made, or to be made, with the said Confederate Catholics, without the consent and approbation of the General Assembly of the said Confederate Catholics. And for the preservation and strengthening of the association and union of the kingdom, that upon any peace or accommodation to be made or concluded with the said Confederate Catholics as aforesaid, I will, to the utmost of my power, insist upon and maintain the ensuing propositions until a peace as aforesaid be made, and the matters to be agreed upon in the articles of peace be established and secured by Parliament." Meehan (Confed. of Kilkenny, p. 29) and others have made this addition a part of the oath of 1642. But this is obviously a mistake. See the oath in full, as adopted by the General Assembly in January, 1647, in Burke's Hib. Dominicana, supplement, pp. 882, 883. The propositions mentioned in this addition, which were four in number, and which were now insisted on by the clergy, were the following:

"I. That the R.C. clergy and laity, in their respective stations, have the free and public exercise of the R.C. religion and rites throughout the whole kingdom, in the same dignity and splendour as enjoyed in Ireland and England in the reign of Henry VII., or any of the other Catholic Kings, his predecessors.

"II. That the secular clergy of Ireland, viz., primates, archbishops, bishops, ordinaries, deans, &c., &c.-vicars and other pastors, and their respective successors, shall all have and enjoy all jurisdiction, privileges, and immunities, in as full and ample a manner as the R. C. clergy had or enjoyed within this realm at any time during the reign of the late King Henry VII., King of England and Lord of Ireland, any laws, statutes, power, or authority to the contrary notwithstanding.

"III. That all laws and statutes made since the twentieth year of King Henry VIII. (A.D. 1529) whereby any restraint, penalty, or other incapacity is laid upon any Roman Catholics, whether clergy or laity, for the free exercise of the R. C. religion, and of their several functions, jurisdictions, and privileges, may be abrogated, and declared null and void in the next Parliament, by one or more Acts of Parliament to be passed therein.

"IV. That primates, archbishops, bishops, ordinaries, deans, &c., &c., shall have, hold, and enjoy the churches and church-livings in as full and ample a manner as the Protestant clergy respectively enjoyed the same on the 1st day of October, 1641, with all their fruits, emoluments, perquisites, liberties, and other rights belonging to the respective dioceses and churches, as well in the places now in the possession of the Confederate Catholics as also in all other places within the kingdom that shall be recovered by them from the adverse party, saving to the R.C. laity their respective rights according to the laws of this realm." See Burke, Hib. Dominicana, supplement, p. 883; Meehan, pp. 181-2; Brenan, p. 460. These propositions were, it appears, submitted by the clergy to the General Assembly on the very first day of its meeting in January, 1647. Cox, ii. 185.

Nuncio Scarampi announced, on his arrival in the country, that the Pope, his master, was resolved not to grant any provisions at Rome, for benefices or ecclesiastical dignities in Ireland, but to such as were nominated by the Supreme Council.1 We may thus, to some extent, account for the comparative moderation of the clergy before the arrival of Rinuccini. They knew that, by offending the distinguished laymen at the head of the Confederacy, they would forfeit their prospects of ecclesiastical preferment. But the Nuncio Extraordinary dispensed the patronage according to his own pleasure; and thus secured the support of all who were anxious to obtain benefices or bishoprics. The Supreme Council felt annoyed by what they deemed a usurpation of their privilege: and, in the General Assembly now sitting, the introduction of this topic led to some warm debates. The lawyers insisted that the right of presentation belonged properly to the Crown; and that, in the peculiar circumstances of the country, it should be exercised by the Supreme Council. The Nuncio professed to be astonished at this claim; though, as a canonist, he must have known well that it had no pretensions whatever to novelty. With great difficulty he contrived to stifle the discussion, by moving its adjournment until he should have an opportunity of consulting the Court of Rome. But meanwhile he continued, as before, to appropriate the disputed patronage.

If the prelates who sat in the Assembly at Kilkenny in January, 1647, had possessed an ordinary share of prudence and honourable feeling, they would have refused to place themselves in the very invidious position which they now occupied. The war was protracted chiefly to gratify their ambition. All were willing to contend to the last for the free exercise of religion: but the more intelligent minority did not think it necessary to require, as a condition of peace, that the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland must be restored to the state of absolute supremacy which it enjoyed before the Reformation. Nothing less would satisfy the lords.

1 Belling, Desid. Cur. Hibernica, ii. 219.

2 Carte, i. 597.