although less was effected in this respect in Ireland than in England, which was naturally the first object of the anxieties and efforts of the authorities. One improvement effected was the substitution of the English Liturgy for the Latin Mass. This alteration had been made in England in the year 1548, and about three years afterwards the King addressed a letter to the Lord Deputy, Sir Anthony St. Leger, desiring him to take measures to have it brought about in Ireland also. Accordingly, an assembly of the archbishops, bishops, and others of the clergy having been convened on the 1st of March, 1551, the King's order, together with the opinions of the bishops and clergy in England who adhered to the same was laid before them. The proposal was indeed strongly opposed by Dowdall, Cromer's successor in the primacy, who subsequently, together with his party, withdrew from the assembly, but the Archbishop of Dublin, and the more moderate of the bishops and clergy, received and sanctioned it; and

r The accounts which we possess concerning this Synod are but meagre. It is not stated how many bishops or clergy attended it, how many withdrew, or how many remained. R. Ware only mentions the departure of Dowdall and his suffragans (with the exception of Meath), who could not have been more than seven or eight in all, from which we may fairly conclude that all the rest remained. Respecting these he says, "Several of the moderate of the bishops and clergy adhered to Archbishop Browne, among whom was Staples, Bishop of Meath, Lancaster of Kildare, Travers of Leighlin, and Coyn of Limerick." (Life of Browne.) It is a singular coincidence that while Dowdall in dissenting, with his suffragans, from the rest of the hierarchy, and refusing to take part in their proceedings, followed the example of his immediate predecessor Cromer, he imitated likewise that of his earlier predecessor Gelasius, who, with his suffragans, absented himself from the Synod of Cashel, in which the Romish system was

accordingly, after proclamation publicly made, the English Liturgy was brought into use on Easter-day in Christ Church Cathedral. It was shortly afterwards published in Dublin, being the first book ever printed in that city, and instructions were sent over for its translation into Irish, with a view to its introduction into those parts of the country where the English language was unknown-a wise and beneficial measure, which the premature death of Edward prevented from being carried into effect, and the neglect of which for many years afterwards proved one of the greatest hindrances to the spread of the Reformation.

32. On the events in the succeeding reign it is unnecessary to dwell at any length. As far as the Church of Ireland was concerned, they consisted chiefly in the repeal of the Acts previously passed against the Papal Supremacy, in the deprivation (on the ground of their being married) of several of the bishops and clergy who were considered favourable to the principles of the Reformation, and the appointment of others in their place. Preparations were indeed being made for the extension to Ireland of the same system of persecution which had been for some time carried on in England, but these sanguinary designs were interrupted by the sudden death of the Queen, before they were ripe for execution.

33. One of the first measures adopted on the accession of Elizabeth was the restoration of the English service, which had of course been discontinuedthough by no legal enactment in the preceding reign; and very soon afterwards, in a parliament held in Dublin (A.D. 1560), the Papal Supremacy was adopted. The atmosphere of the north seems to have been uncongenial to changes of any sort. See also above, p. 72.

once more abolished, and the ancient jurisdiction of the Crown over all estates in the realm restored: all ecclesiastics and other official persons being required to take an oath acknowledging the same, under penalty of forfeiture. An Act of Uniformity was likewise passed, by which all ministers were enjoined to use the Book of Common Prayer, and all persons to resort to their parish churches on Sundays and holydays on pain of spiritual censure and of a fine. The parliament which passed these enactments was attended by three archbishops and seventeen bishops; and of these two only were dissentient, and refused to take the Oath of Supremacy or to adopt the other changes proposed. Both these prelates (Walsh of Meath and Leverous of Kildare) had been intruded into their sees by Queen Mary on the deprivation of their former lawful bishops; and, as they continued contumacious-the former especially preaching openly against the Book of Common Prayer-they were, after some time, in their turn displaced, and their sees filled by divines more favourable to the existing state of affairs. With these two exceptions, the entire Irish episcopate remained in their offices and accepted the Reformation; and this not only by their votes in parliament, but likewise in a regular synod convened by the Lord Deputy Sussex in the year 1560.

s Ware states that in this year letters came from the Queen to the Lord Deputy "signifying her pleasure for a general meeting of the clergy of Ireland, and the establishing of the Protestant religion through the several dioceses of this kingdom." (Ware, "Arnals,” Eliz., cap. 3.) No records of the transactions are extant; but that such a meeting did actually take place, and the nature and results of its proceedings, appear from the following entry in the Loftus MS. preserved in Marsh's Library, Dublin (ad an. 1560): "This yeare was held a convocation of Bishops at

Н

34. A further step was taken about six years afterwards by the publication, under the authority of the Lord Deputy, the archbishops, bishops, and others, of a Book of Articles of Religion, which was ordered to be taught by all parsons and vicars, and to be publicly read by them twice a-year. In these articles, (which were substantially the same as had been put forth some years before by Archbishop Parker and other bishops in England,) the Holy Scriptures were acknowledged as the sole rule of faith; the three Creeds were received as briefly containing its chief articles; while private masses, half-communion, the adoration of relics, feigned miracles, as well as the Papal Supremacy, were all renounced and rejected, as contrary to Scripture and to the teaching of the primitive Church .

35. The Reformation of the Church of Ireland may be said to have been now completed-so far at least as the acts of the lawful authorities in Church and State could effect it. It is true indeed, that it was not, in its several steps, formally accepted (as in England) by Convocation, and for the very sufficient reason, that such a body was at this period, and for many years afterwards, unknown to the constitution

the Queen's command for establishing the Protestant religion; but Wm. Walsh, Bishop of Meath, would not conform thereunto, but for practising against it, was committed to custody, afterwards imprisoned, and at length deprived of his Bishoprick." Ware also speaks of this having occurred "after the assembly had dispersed themselves."

It is a remarkable circumstance, as shewing the fallacy of reasoning from the silence of Irish records, that no contemporary historian mentions this publication, which was altogether unknown until accidentally discovered, a few years since, in the library of Trinity College, Dublin.

of the Irish Church; but it was sanctioned and approved by the only bodies which had ever, from the earliest period of her history, legislated for her in spiritual matters, namely, the Sovereign or chief temporal ruler, the parliament or mixed council of the nation, and the ancient and primitive synod of the bishops and clergy. No other mode of proceeding, in fact, could have been adopted without calling into existence a legislative body hitherto unheard of in her annals.

Notwithstanding, therefore, the cavils of a few objectors, the general verdict of impartial writers attests the regularity and canonical authority of the Irish Reformation: while as regards the unbroken and legitimate succession of her ministry, even cavil itself is silent. The prelates who had derived their authority and succession from the primitive bishops of the Church of Ireland, were themselves the agents and instruments of her reformation. Of the entire hierarchy, consisting of four archbishops and twenty-two bishops, two only refused their consent, while all the rest continued in their sees, and from time to time, as vacancies occurred, consecrated others to fill them; so that every Irish bishop and clergyman in our own day can clearly trace his spiritual authority and ecclesiastical descent from the ancient Church of St. Patrick.

36. But however satisfactorily the Irish Reformation may be vindicated as regards orthodoxy of doctrine, canonicity of proceeding, and apostolicity of ministerial succession, it must be admitted that its progress and results were, and indeed still are, much less encouraging than might have been expected from the soundness of its principles and the certainty of