requested. The ill consequences of this

metropolitical visitation, and the care of the bishops, had settled these particulars in so good a way, that men's passions began to calm, and their thoughts to come to some repose, when the commands had been more seriously considered of, than at first they were1.”

And in order to establish the hierarchy in its then form, and prevent all attempts for an alteration, in the convocation held in the year 1640, the following, among other canons, was enacted. Canon VI. "The synod decrees, that all archbishops, bishops, priests, and deacons, shall, before the 2d of November next, take the following oath; which shall be tendered by the bishop in person, or some grave divine deputed by him, and shall be taken in presence of a public notary.

" THE OATH.

'I A. B. do swear that I do approve the doctrine, discipline, or government established in the church of England, as containing all things necessary to salvation; and that I will not endeavour by myself, or any other, directly or indirectly, to bring in any popish doctrine, contrary to that which is so established; nor will I ever give my consent to alter the government of this church, by archbishops, bishops, deans, and archdeacons, &c. as it stands now established, and as by right it ought to stand, nor yet ever to subject it to the usurpations and superstitions of the see of Rome.'

"This oath was appointed to be taken by all that were incorporated in either of the universities, or take any degree, whether lawyers, divines, or physicians; all governors of halls or colledges in the universities; all schoolmasters, and all that enter into holy orders,

Heylin's Life of Laud, p. 356.

or have licence to preach."--This was the famous et cætera oath, the subject of ridicule, contempt, and

censure.

Laud, not content with what was done in England, determined to bring Scotland and Ireland to join in the same profession of faith, and in the same modes and forms. Of Scotland I shall hereafter speak. Of Ireland I will relate some facts, which are in themselves curious, and little known.-Usher formed articles of religion for the church of Ireland in the year 1615. These were approved in the convocation there, and confirmed by king James. Like those of the church of England, they were Calvinistical; but being drawn up by a man of sense, they opposed vehemently the popish doctrines, and priestly claimsa. Laud liked not this, and therefore was not easy till he had got a canon passed in the Irish convocation in the year 1634, whereby the English articles were received, and the Irish thereby abolished. This was matter of triumph to Laud, and mortification to Usher, whose sentiments and temper were different from the English metropolitans. But the manner in which this canon. was obtained, does little honour to Charles's government, or to ecclesiastical assemblies. The particulars are contained in a letter from the lord-deputy Wentworth to Laud, dated Dublin, Dec. 16, 1634. " I found," says his lordship, " that the lower house of convocation had appointed a select committee to consider the canons of the church of England; that they did proceed in the examination without conferring at all with their bishops; that they had gone through the book of canons, and noted in the margin such as they

a See Heylin's Life of Laud, p. 271. allow this, though I think him mistaken.

b Id. p. 272. Parr will not See his Life of Usher, p. 42.

no way heeded or regarded by Charles or

allowed with an A, and on others they had entered a D. which stood for Del berandum; that into the fifth article they had brought the articles of Ireland to be allowed and received, under the pain of excommunication; and that they had drawn up their canons into a body, and were ready that afternoon to make report in the convocation. I instantly sent for dean Andrews, the reverend clerk, who sat, forsooth, in the chair at this committee, requiring him to bring along the foresaid book of canons so noted on the margin, together with the draught he was to present that afternoon to the house: this he obeyed, and herewith I send your grace both the one and the other. But when I came to open the book, and run over their Deliberandums in the margin, I confess I was not so much moved since I came into Ireland. I told him certainly, not a dean of Limerick, but an Ananias had sate in the chair of that committee; however sure I was, Ananias had been there in spirit, if not in body, with all the fraternities and conventicles of Amsterdam: that I was ashamed and scandalized with it above measure; I therefore said he should leave the book and draught with me, and that I did command him, upon his alle giance, he should report nothing to the house from that committee, till he heard again from me. Being thus nettled, I gave present direction for a meeting, and warned the primate, the bishops of Meath, Kilmore, Rapho, and Derry, together with dean Leisly the prolocutor, and all those who had been of the committee, to be with me the next morning. Then I publickly told them, how unlike clergymen, that owed canonical obedience to their superiors, they had proceeded in their committee; how unheard a part it was for a few petty clerks to presume to make articles

his ministers, who zealously pursued this

of faith, without the privity or consent of state of bishop; what a spirit of Brownism and contradiction I observed in their Deliberandums, as if indeed they purposed at once to take away all government and order forth of the church, and leave every man to chuse his own high place, where liked him best. But these heady and arrogant courses, they must know, I was not to endure; nor if they were disposed to be frantick in this dead and cold season of the year, would I suffer them either to be mad in the convocation, or in their pulpits. First then, I required dean Andrews, as formerly, that he should report nothing from the committee to the house. Secondly, I injoined dean Leisly, their prolocutor, that in case any of the committee should propound any question herein, yet that he should not put it, but break up the sitting for that time, and acquaint me with all. Thirdly, that he should put no question at all, touching the receiving or not of the articles of the church of Ireland. Fourthly, that he should put the question for allowing and receiving the articles of England, wherein he was by name and in writing to take their votes, barely, content or not content, without admitting any other discourse at all; for I would not endure that the articles of the church of England should be disputed. And finally, because there should be no question in the canon that was thus to be voted, I did desire my lord primate would be pleased to frame it; and after I had perused it, I would send the prolocutor a draught of the canon to be propounded, inclosed in a letter of my own. This meeting thus broke off, there were some hot spirits, sons of thunder, amongst them, who moved that they should petition me for a free synod; but, in fine, they could not agree amongst themselves who

darling plan in England; and even in Ire

should put the bell about the cat's neck, and so this likewise vanished. It is very true, that, for all the primate's silence, it was not possible but he knew how near they were to have brought in all those articles of Ireland, to the infinite disturbance and scandal of the church, as I conceive; and certainly would have been content I had been surprised. But he is so learned a prelate, and so good a man, as I do beseech your grace it may never be imputed unto him.—The primate accordingly framed a canon, a copy whereof you have here, which I not so well approving, drew up one myself, more after the words of the canon in England, which I held best for me to keep as close to as I could, and then sent it to my lord. His grace came instantly to me, and told me, he feared the canon would never pass in such form as I had made it; but he was hopeful, as he had drawn it, it might; he besought me therefore to think a little better of it. But I confess, having taken a little jealousy that his proceedings were not open and free to those ends I had my eye upon, it was too late now either to persuade or affright me. I told his lordship I was resolved to put it to them in those very words, and was most confident there were not six in the houses that would refuse them, telling him, by the sequel, we should see whether his lordship or myself better understood their minds in that point, and by that I would be content to be judged. Only for order sake, I desired his lordship would vote this canon first in the upper house of convocation; and so voted, then to pass the question beneath also, without any delay. Then I writ a letter to dean Leisly (the copy whereof I likewise send), with the canon inclosed, which accordingly that afternoon was unanimously voted, first with the bishops,