priests must be hunted out and taken from them, which now do sodder so fast and so close together."- Guthrie, vol. iii.. p 541. Extract after extract to the same purpose might be given to shew the object of the nobles. That of the hierarchy was different. They were content to be nominally subjects to England, but by playing off the nobles against the crown, and the crown against the nobles, they hoped to maintain and strengthen their own power. Rebellion followed rebellion under the character of religious wars, in which the chiefs were perpetually misled, and then deserted by the prelates. John O'Neil's rebellion was ended by his being excommunicated by the titular primate, on shewing that he disregarded the rights of the priesthood. Saunders and Allen were subsequently sent to stir up rebellion, and then followed Pope Gregory's letters to the Irish (in 1575 and 1580), appointing generals to the rebels, and giving them indulgences. Allen, the jesuit, was killed in battle. The whole house of Desmond perished in the contest to which the priesthood led them. Then came the O'Neil's again, openly assisted by the priesthood, whose primate fell in battle. It really seemed as if the fond hopes of the Irish were on the point of being fulfilled, when internal dissensions arose and destroyed them. The English settlers who had joined, and the priests of that class, became alarmed for themselves should the Irish succeed. The pope, again, had given Ireland to Spain, and even the rebellious hierarchy were jealous of the opinions of Hugh O'Neil, and apparently supported the Spanish pretensions and Spanish arms. It was a sense of this danger which induced O'Neil and several of the other rebel lords to submit to the easy terms which the then feeble government offered. When, by degrees, the fall of the lords had removed all rivals, and the introduction of English laws led the Irish to seek for some advisers and guides, the prelates were naturally the persons called on; and they called in to their aid such lawyers as they could trust. That, indeed, has been their regular policy since James the First's time, and the continuous plan which they have carried on ever since, with admirable dexterity, stirring up the embers of hatred to the government, submitting to it readily, and even calling on their people to submit, when it was too strong for them at the moment, winning over to their cause discontented protestants of consequence, whose rapacity the government would not satisfy, demands serious attention. Walsh, a Franciscan, tells us, that in all the schools for the Irish priesthood, it was regularly taught that the first duty was to promote the papal power, and that actions otherwise criminal-murder, perjury, treason-if done for this object, changed their character; that the pope is the supreme head both in temporals and spirituals. One of these bishops, Routh, states that as Henry II. received the kingdom from the pope only on condition of supporting the church, the shameful oppressions of the church by his successors have clearly destroyed their claim; that, in fact, there always has been open strife between the English governors and the prelates, or, as he says, between the two powers; and he insinuates that this must continue till the "anarchy of lay supremacy," which was introduced in VOL. VIII-Oct. 1835. 3 0 order to beat down the papal power, is done away. This was Routh's language even in addressing Charles I. before his marriage. When the hopes from that marriage died away, the intrigues of the prelates begun afresh. They brought the English of the pale and the Irish into a better understanding, sent their sons abroad to be educated together, and thus learn to forget their animosities, and then admitted them on their return to a secret seditious society. Their hopes waned or grew, as foreign politics were favourable or not; and it was, on one occasion, their policy, when an insurrection had failed, to court the government by revealing the circumstances.* It is needless to pursue the subject much later. Every one knows the history of the power of secret excommunication obtained from Rome to assist in stirring up the bloody rebellion and massacre of 1641, the numbers of Irish priests who were sent from the continent to aid the good work, and the character of the rebellion itself. For a considerable time after James the Second's ineffectual struggle,† the spirit and hopes of all the anti-English party were crushed, and had England then maintained a vigorous government, and caused law to be respected (by force if necessary) instead of managing to keep Ireland at peace by intrigues and jobbing, by giving every thing to Englishmen who undertook to save the English cabinet all trouble, who performed their task by means which demoralized Ireland, and who, by giving grounds for just discontent, opened a door for the renewal of the hopes and plans of the Irish and Roman party, that unhappy country would now have been in a different condition. But this opportunity was lost, and the last fifty years again exhibit the Irish hierarchy, with unchanged spirit, holding on towards their old objects. As Dr. Phelan justly says, they have intrigued with all parties, have cajoled and vilified, used and abused them, as suited their purposes, yet never gave their confidence to any. They have again had to struggle against the danger to themselves of the upper laymen of their own religion gaining any power, and this they effected by the bill of 1793, which "crushed the rising spirit of their gentry beneath a mass of nominally enfranchised paupers." Since that, we see how little influence the few Roman peers have had; and for the last eight or ten years, as the strength and insolence of the prelates have increased, they, and they The person who made the discovery was shortly made a bishop by the pope, which shews clearly the character of the transaction. + The struggle of James II. in Ireland deserves to be studied on every account. It need not be argued here that the Roman religion was to be re-established, for no one can doubt that. But with reference to the paper in the last number, and the constant and unchanged view of the Irish as to a resumption of property in Ireland by the ancient race, the proceedings of the friends of James should be carefully looked to. What was the case in 1689 in Ireland? What was the first business done by the Irish parliament under James II.? Why, to resume the old lands, and turn out the actual proprietors fixed there under the Act of Settlement, after a solemn adjudication of their claims of five years' standing. This bill was brought in on the very third day of the session, and received with an huzza, "which, if true," says an historian, "more resembled the behaviour of a crew of Rapparees over a rich booty, than that of a senate assembled to rectify abuses and restore the rights of their fellow subjects." Any one who should attempt to stop the measure, was to be voted an enemy to his king and country. only, and openly, with the lawyers whom they use to assist them, have been the leaders and guides of Irish sedition and agitation. The best hope of Ireland, indeed, if its best hope is in continued connexion with England, is, that as has uniformly been the case, the insolence of the prelates, when flushed with the hopes of victory, will lead them to language and conduct (witness Bishop Abraham and Archbishop Machale) which will disgust and alarm everybody. But although this hope may be entertained on the strength of former experience, the danger is not the less calculated to excite alarm and exertion. Some persons may laugh at the notion of papal power, and of Romanists not being equally loyal with protestants now. But if such persons can read history, or can appreciate human nature, let them weigh these things carefully: (1.) The undeviating spirit of the Roman hierarchy in Ireland. Their uniform resolution to get rid of all lay rivals of their own persuasion, and, as a commentary on this, the power openly exercised over the Irish at present by the hierarchy through their lawyers. (3.) The great opening, the brilliant prospect, now afforded of gratifying all hopes-the hopes of the more sincere as to reestablishing their religion; of the more worldly and ambitious, as to consolidating their power. (4.) The admirable use which may be made by them of the religious feeling of the ignorant multitude (though not of better informed men), and of the cloudy and obscure notions, purposely kept up, of the extent of the allegiance due to Rome, and of its power to free subjects from allegiance to a government which opposes the faith.* ECCLESIASTICAL INTELLIGENCE. ORDINATION. THE under-mentioned gentlemen were ordained by the LORD BISHOP OF LINCOLN, at Buckden, on Sunday, the 20th of September : DEACONS. R. P. Allen, B.A., Magdalen Hall, Oxford; J. Brereton, B.A., New College, Oxford; E. Elmhirst, B. A., Trinity, Camb.; R. Gardner, B. A., St. Edmund Hall, Oxford; R. Garvey, B. A., Emmanuel, Camb.; J. Moore, B.A., St. John's, Camb.; A. Nelson, B.A., St. Peter's, Camb.; H. H. Rose, B. A., Clare Hall, Camb.; W. H. Simpson, B.A., St. John's, Camb.; É. W. Vaughan, B.A., New Inn Hall, Oxford; W. Wilson, B.A., St. Peter's, Camb. By Let. Dim. from the Archbishop of York-W. Radcliffe, B. A., St. John's, Camb.; J. Waites, B.A., By Let. Dim. from the Bishop of Winchester – Oxford. Marston; J. M. Maxfield; T. For much of the historical statement in the last part of this paper, the writer is indebted to Dr. Phelan's second volume, a work which should be read and maturely weighed by every senator just now. By Let. Dim. from the Bishop of Chichester · J. Peat, B. A., St. Peter's, Camb.; W. R. Tomlinson, B. A., St. John's, Camb. By Let. Dim, from the Bishop of Ely-S. Pemberton, B. A., Christ Church, Oxford. By Let. Dim. from the Bishop of Norwich.-W. Bailey, B. A., Trinity, Camb.; T. Heathcote, B. A., Catharine Hall, Camb.; J. King, B. A., St. Alban Hall, Oxford; D. Packard, B.A., Caius, Camb.; T. P. Platten, B. A., Emmanuel, Camb.; C. Raw. lins, B. A., Trinity, Camb.; F. Sims, B. A., Pembroke Hall, Camb.; J. M. Theobald, B. A., Jesus, Camb. PRIESTS. J. Cautley, B.A., Jesus, Camb.; G. Coltman, B. A., Brasennose, Oxford; W. Gale, B. A., St. Peter's, Camb.; E. Hanson, B. A., Emmanuel, Camb.; H. Low, B.A., St. John's, Camb.; T. Ludlam, M. A., St. Peter's, Camb. ; F. Myers, B.A., Fellow of Clare Hall, Camb.; I. G. Overton, M. A., Corpus Christi, Oxford; C. L. Reay, B.A., Queen's, Oxford; J. Storer, B.A., Trinity Hall, Camb.; J. B. Stuart, M.B., Queen's, Camb; W. S. Ward, B. A., Corpus Christi, Camb.; J. H. Willan, B.A., St. John's, Camb.; J. P. T. Wyche, M. A., Queen's, Camb. By Let. Dim. from the Bishop Norwich-H. M. Barlow, B. A., Wadham, Oxford; S. T. Mosse, B. A., Trinity, Dublin; W. G. Tuck, B.A., Jesus, Camb. The Bishop of Lincoln's next Ordination will be held at Buckden, on Sunday, the 20th of December. Candidates are required to send their papers to his Lordship before the 8th of November. CLERICAL APPOINTMENTS. Boraston, G. B., Curate of New Alresford, a Surrogate for the Diocese of Winton. Domestic Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Northumberland. Punnett, J., Vicar of St. Erth, a Surrogate for the Diocese of Exeter. Rees, S.. Head Master of the Grammar School at North Walsham, Norfolk. Shadwell, J. E., Rector of All Saints, Southampton, a Surrogate for the Diocese of Winton. Armstrong, Wm. Jones, Little Chelsea Armstrong, John, Minister of St. James's Chapel, Hampstead Road R. Bush, Esq., and Stafford L. & Cov. { Foley Somerset Bath & W. Henry Coles, Esq. D.& C. of Rochest. |