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Taaffe," the venom of the forgery had wrought very near a deadly effect, before the remedy came." Thus we see, that before midsummer, 1650, the king's agreement with the Scots, and its ruinous consequences, were not only generally known in Ireland, but also had wrought an almost deadly effect upon the affections of that people towards him. And that their belief of it was founded, not on forgery or malicious reports, but on real matter of fact.

And so groundless is the pretence, that the marquis of Ormond was surprised and puzzled at these proceedings of the bishops at James-town, as at an event, of which he was at a loss to divine the cause, that it is manifest, from a letter of his to secretary Long, that he was fully apprised of them, and the motives that produced them, at least fourteen days before they were made public. For having mentioned, in that letter, an answer he had sent to a request of theirs, which he judged would be ill taken, he adds,3 « which answer, whether it will produce a direct declaration against me, and an excommunication of all those that shall adhere to me or not, is more than I am certain of, though I be told it will." This letter is dated the 2d of September; and the clergy's declaration and excommunication, were not published till the 15th of that month.

CHAP. XXXIII.

The clergy's proceedings at James-town, disapproved of by the generality of the Irish catholics.

THESE violent proceedings of the Irish clergy, though, it must be confessed, not unprovoked, were far from being approved of by the generality of the catholics of Ireland. "All the sober professors of the catholic religion," says Cla. rendon," abhorred them; and most of the commissioners of trust, and the principal nobility, and most considerable gentry remained firm in their particular affection and duty to the king; and in their submission to the authority of his lieutenant, not

3 Cart. Collect. Orig. Pap. vol. ii. p. 443.

Hist. of the Irish Rebel.

See lords justices orders concerning Roman catholic priests. vol. i. p. 248.

withstanding the excommunication. And not only the whole nobility and gentry of fortune and interest, some very few of the latter excepted, but also many pious and learned men of the secular and regular clergy, and even some of the bishops, did abhor and abominate the proceedings of that congregation, and the doctrine they infused into the people; the same being disowned by some of those bishops, as being obtruded upon them by the major vote; or done by their procurators, without their assent or knowledge. And even others of them, who were present at the congregation, and subscribed the excommunication, disclaimed their having consented to it, though they were obliged to sign it for conformity."

It hath been mentioned above, that this congregation had annexed to their censure a restriction, by which the next general assembly was empowered to dispose of it in what manner they thought proper. That assembly met, by the marquis of Or mond's appointment at Loughrea, on the 15th of November, 1650; "it was very full, and (besides the clergy), consiste of the principal nobility and gentry of fortune and interest in the kingdom." "The bishops there present, for the removing of those jealousies, which were occasioned by their proceedings at James-town,3 declared and protested, of their own accord, that by their excommunication and declaration, they had no other aim but the preservation of their religion and people; and that they did not purpose to make any encroachment upon his majesty's authority, or the liberty of their fellow subjects; confessing that it did not belong to their jurisdiction so to do."

When this assembly understood the marquis of Ormond's resolution to leave the kingdom, they sent four of their mem bers, viz. the lords Dillon and Clanrickard, and two others, to his lordship at Kilcolgan, with an instrument bearing date the 7th of December; in which, after reciting what the bishops had protested in the assembly, concerning their excommunication and declaration, they added, "that they, the lords spiritual and temporal, and the gentry met in that assembly, conceived, that there was no better foundation or ground for 3 Id. ib. fol. 139, Clarend Carte.

Cart. Orm. vol. ii. Clarend.
Borl. Hist. Irish Rebel, fol. 339.
5 Id. ib.

their union, than the holding to, and obeying his majesty's authority, to which they owed and ought to pay all dutiful obedience. And they did thereby declare and protest, that there was not any power in the lords spiritual or temporal, gentry or people, clergy or laity of the kingdom, to alter or take away his majesty's authority; they holding that to be the chief flower of the crown, and the support of the people's liberty; and they unanimously beseeched his excellency, in his hearty desire of the nation's preservation, to leave that authority with them in some person, faithful to his majesty, and acceptable to the nation; to which person, when he should be made known to them, they would not only afford due obedience, but would also offer, and purpose the best ways and means they could devise for the conservation of his majesty's rights, and the people's liberties and interests; and for the begetting a ready obedience in all places and persons, to his majesty's authority."

In answer to this request, his excellency told them," "that he was resolved to make use speedily of the liberty the king had given him as to his own person; which he found was unacceptable to the people. Yet that, if they could propose to him any way how he could deposit the king's authority, in such a manner as that it might not be exposed to the same affronts it had received in him, and might be applied to the preserving of the people, and the recovery of the kingdom, he should readily agree to it; and he heartily wished they might receive that happiness by his absence, which they could not receive by his presence."

His excellency was resolved to trust the royal authority in no body but the earl of Clanrickard, the only person in the kingdom fit for so high a trust; and on the 7th of December aforesaid, after he had embarked, he wrote to the assembly, "that he had left authority with his lordship, to govern the kingdom, provided their declaration were so far explained, as to give the marquis of Clanrickard full satisfaction, with regard to the expressions they made use of to declare their duty of obedience."

An instrument was hereupon drawn up, wherein the assem bly declared, that neither the lords spiritual or temporal, gentry

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or people, clergy or laity, had power to discharge the people from that due and perfect obedience to his majesty's authority vested in the marquis of Clanrickard; and that, in case of any such act or endeavor, no persons should, or ought to be led thereby; but that, for their disobedience, on any such grounds, they were subject to the heavy censures and penalties of the laws of the land. But to this proviso was added, that this obedience was not intended to be paid to any person, that should be appointed chief governor, who had joined in the covenant, or should violate the articles of the peace,* Upon this declaration, lord Clanrickard was prevailed upon to accept the government; and Ormond departed for France.

CHAP. XXXIV.

The presbytery of Bangor's proceedings on the peace. NONE censured the congregation at James-town more severely than the presbyterians in Ulster; yet none had so little. right to censure it. For that congregation only followed the example that was set them the year before, by the presbytery of Bangor; with this difference, that the former, as we have

"And inasmuch as his

That proviso was expressed in these words. majesty is at present in the hands of a presbyterian party of the Scots, who have declared themselves enemies to this nation, and vowed the extirpation of our religion, we declare, it is not hereby intended, to oblige ourselves to receive, obey, or observe any governor, that shall come unduly nominated by, or procured from his majesty, by reason of, or during his being in an unfree condition, that may raise a disturbance in the present government, established by his majesty's authority, or cause the violation of the articles of peace."-Borl. Hist. of the Irish Rebel. fol. 839.

"The bishop of Ferns, (says Borlase) hitherto averse to the king's authority, more particularly importuned him (Clanrickard) in the name of the clergy, not to decline a charge, which could only preserve the king's power in that kingdom, and the nation from destruction, promising so entire a submission and co-operation from the whole clergy, that his authority should not be disputed."-Irish Rebel. fol. 338.

The 10,000 Scots that were sent, about the year 1642 into Ulster by the English parliament, "were possessed of Carrickfergus as their head quarters, brought over their ministers along with them, who being of the presbyterian persuasion (says my author) did associate for the exercise of

seen, had some provocation given them, which the latter could not pretend.

For on the conclusion of the peace in 1648, the king having sent a commission to Hugh viscount Montgomery, of Ards, to command all the forces within that province, his lordship thought it necessary to signify to his majesty's subjects of Ulster his investiture with that commission, and accordingly published a declaration, July 4th, 1649, for that purpose.

A presbytery was thereupon convened at Bangor, July 7th, in which a declaration was drawn up, containing several viru. lent reflections on his lordship. He is therein charged, among other things," with lifting up his hand against them; with betraying the covenant; with owning king Charles the second; with cloathing himself with a commission from him; with receiving commands from the marquis of Ormond, and joining with malignants, who blasphemed the covenant. For this cause," said they," as ambassadors of Christ, we beseech the people," in his stead," not to join hands to such a course; not to join in executing such a commission, by serving either as officers or soldiers, or they shall wring the dregs of the cup, which the malignants have been drinking these many years past. We do also, in the name of Jesus Christ, warn the people of our charge from all compliance with their ungodly course, either by speaking favorably of them, acknowledging the authority of the present command under the marquis of Ormond and the lord of Ards; by imposing cess for the main tenance of their unlawful power; or by obeying their orders, or paying cess to their army, or supplying them with that which is the sinews of war, money and victuals.”*

1 See Presbyterian Loyalty, p. 256.

discipline; and such ministers of the same persuasion as then resided in the kingdom joined with them, and founded a presbytery, which was that very presbytery who framed the declaration at Bangor in 1649. The lord viscount of Ards and the lord viscount of Claneboy, shewed an early zeal for the interest of the presbytery; for on the 19th of July, 1642, (which was but nine days after their first meeting) my lord of Ards sent captain Magill to the presbytery then met at Carrickfergus, with a message to them, promising that he would join with them in discipline, and my lord Claneboy writ them a letter, delivered the very same day, and giving the same assurance for himself, as my lord of Ards had done by his message," -Presbyter. Loyalty, p. 253.

In February 1649, "the general assembly of the church of Scotland

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