knowledge and love of the truth were preserved among multitudes, who might otherwise have conformed to prelacy; so that when a favourable opportunity was at length presented for making an effort to regain their religious freedom, it was eagerly embraced by a large majority of the protestant population of Ulster. Encouraged by the overthrow of Strafford and the countenance of the English commons, they drew up a Petition, which was most numerously signed, detailing their grievances, both civil and religious, and praying for the enjoyment of liberty of conscience. In particular, they apply for the restoration of their banished pastors, and the endowment of an adequate ministry, as essential to the welfare and security of the kingdom. This petition, the first which emanated from the Irish presbyterians, was presented to the long parliament by their steady friend, Sir John Clotworthy, (25) who had himself experienced the evils may be seen in Baillie's Letters, i. 196-202, 301, 2. The laird of Leckie, or as he was styled in Scotland, Leckie of that ilk, was originally from Stirlingshire, and had suffered much in Ireland for his attachment to presbytery. He was settled somewhere in the neighbourhood of Derry, as we learn from the following observation of Vesey in his life of Bramhall. Speaking of the bishop's assiduity, he says, "Nor was his labour wanting among the lay gentry, reducing some that had strayed, and confirming some that staggered, their blood being apt to take infection from the neighbour kingdom, as the laird of Lacquey and others brought to his lordship by Dr. Walker, to whom he gave full satisfaction in their scruples." Either the bishop or his biographer miscalculated the success of these efforts, for Leckie's scruples were far from being removed, as subsequent events soon evinced. Several highly respectable families of the same name with this staunch presbyterian, and probably descended from him, still exist in the vicinity of Derry.

25 I cannot ascertain the date of this petition being presented to parliament. It could not have been before the end of April, 1641, as appears from the following letter, written on the 26th of that month, by Bramhall to Ussher then in London, misrepresenting, in the spirit of party still displayed on similar occasions, the method of obtaining the numerous signatures attached to it. "I send your grace the copy of a petition enclosed as was sent me. The solicitor who gets the hands is one Gray, censured in the star-chamber in one Steward's case. I hear he has got L.300 by it, and that the most of the subscribers did not know what they subscribed,

therein deplored, and who had now become one of the most popular and influential members in that assembly. It breathes the same attachment to gospel truth and civil liberty, and the same spirit of firm and inflexible resistance to tyranny, by which, as a body of people, they have been uniformly distinguished. It proves how numerous they continued to be, and how decided they were in their non-conformity, in despite of all the persecutions they had endured on that account; and together with the list of grievances which, according to the custom of those days, was annexed, it presents so instructive and authentic a picture of the religious condition of Ulster, while under the uncontrolled influence of prelacy, that its insertion is indispensable to corroborate the statements already submitted to the reader.

"The humble Petition of some Protestant Inhabitants of the Counties of Antrim, Downe, Derry, Tyrone, &c., part of the Province of Ulster, in the Kingdom of Ireland,

"Humbly representeth unto your grave wisdomes and judicious considerations, that your petitioners, having translated themselves out of the several parts of his majestie's kingdoms of England and Scotland, to promote the infant plantation of Ireland; wherein your petitioners, by their great labour and industry, so much contributed to the settlement of that kingdom, as they were in a most hopeful way of a comforta

but in general that it was for the purity of religion, and the honour of their nation. They say he has gathered a rabble of 1500 hands, all obscure persons. It were no difficult task, if that were thought the way, to get half of those hands to a contrary petition, and 5000 more of a better rank." Life of Vesey. Bramhall attempted to get up such a petition as he bere alludes to; but from the following reply of Ussher to him it seems he was far from meeting with the success he anticipated. "Sir John Clotworthy hath presented a far larger petition to the house of commons here, for the abolishing of episcopacy in Ireland, than that which you sent unto me, and signed with a huge number of hands." Rawdon Papers,

p. 82.

ble abode, and when they expected to reape the fruit of their great and long labour, partly by the cruel severity and arbitrary proceedings of the civil magistrate; but principally through the unblest way of the prelacy with their faction, our souls are starved, our estates undone, our families impoverished, and many lives among us cut off and destroyed.

"The prelates have by their canons of late, their fines, fees, and imprisonments at their pleasure; their silencing, suspending, banishing and excommunicating of our learned and conscionable ministers; their obtruding upon us ignorant, erroneous and profane persons to be our teachers; their censuring of many hundreds, even to excommunication, for matters acknowledged by all to be indifferent and not necessary; their favouring popery, in this kingdom a double fault; their persecuting of purity, and endeavouring to bring all to a lifeless formality; divers of them being notorious incendiaries of the unquietness and unsettled estate between these kingdoms with many the like too tedious to relate, as more fully in our ensuing grievances doth appear. These our cruel task-masters have made of us who were once a people, to become, as it were, no people, an astonishment to ourselves, the object of pity and amazement to others, and hopeless of remedy, unless He with whom are bowels of compassion,' work in you an heart to interpose for your petitioners' relief. They therefore most humbly pray that such a course may be laid down, as to your great wisdoms shall seem meet, for reparation, in some measure, of our unutterable damages; your petitioners settled in a way whereby their persecuted ministers may have leave to return from exile, and be freed from the unjust censure imposed upon them, and an open door continued unto us, for provision of a powerful and able ministry, the only best way to promote plantation, and settle the kingdom in the possession and practice of true religion. Which, as it is the earnest expectation, so it shall be the dayly prayer of many thousands besides your petitioners, who will ever entreat the Lord for your direction herein, and in

66

all other your weighty and important affairs; as becometh your poor petitioners, &c.

"A particular of manifold evils and heavy pressures, caused and occasioned by the prelacie and their dependants.

"1. Before they had so much as a pretended canon for their warrant, the prelates urged their ceremonies with such vehemency, that divers of our most learned and painfull ministers, for not obeying them, were silenced, and many of us for the like oppressed in their courts.

"2. In the year 1634, they made such canons and constitutions ecclesiastical' as enjoined many corruptions in the worship of God, and government of the church, which exceedingly retarded the work of reformation, animated papists, and made way for many popish superstitions.

"3. Our most painfull, godly and learned ministers, were by the bishops and their commissaries, silenced and deprived for not conforming and subscribing to the said unlawful canon; yea, through the hotness of their persecution, forced to flee the land, and afterward excommunicated, to the danger of all, and loss of some of their lives.

4. In their places others were obtruded, not only igno rant, lazy and lukewarm, but many of them unsound in doctrine, profane in life, and cruel in persecution.

"5. Many, though sufficiently furnished, were not admitted to the ministry, only for not swallowing down their groundless innovations: yea, some though conforme, yet for appearing strict in life, were likewise kept out.

"6. Good and painful ministers are not suffered to exercise the function which God hath raised them unto, nor suffered to enjoy any living; whereas the bishops do hold by commendam, besides those proper to their bishoprics, many livings; and do conferr livings upon their children and retainers, studendi gratia,' as is pretended, and divers benefices, as four, five, six, or more, upon their favourites.

6

"7. Hence the care of souls is committed to hirelings, who receive five, six, eight, ten pounds by year for their cures, divers of which are put together, to the charge of some illiterate curate; by which means the people perish for want of food, though the parson or vicar, through connivance of the bishop, is utterly non-resident, and by each one of the many benefices he enjoyeth, hath a competent allowance for a moderate minded man, to maintain himself and family

upon.

"8. Whereas the bishops should give all good example by painfull preaching and holy conversation, they preach very rarely themselves; and like those in the gospel who will neither enter themselves, nor suffer others to enter, they have supprest divers others from preaching, both on the afternoon, on the Lord's day, and in many places where weekly lectures were maintained, either by the free-will of the minister, or cost of the people, they have utterly forbidden the same, and thrown all manner of discountenance to those who were forward therein; so that a lecturing minister appeared before them, under more prejudice than a popish priest, or undermining Jesuit.

"9. Lest those who could not be admitted into the ministry, undertaking to teach school, should there lay impressions of piety and good learning; they urge on the very school-masters a subscription beyond what is enjoyned by their own canon, and punish by excommunication and otherwise the refusers thereof: so as the schools formerly much frequented, are now utterly desolate to the spoyle of youth, and promoting of prophaneness and ignorance.

10. Thus whiles they proceed so severely and unjustly in punishing the refusers of their unlawful commands, though otherwise never so honest and able men, they favour popery to the continuance and great increase thereof. Hence,

"11. Titular bishops are by them winked at in the exercise of jurisdiction from foreign power, mass-priests are frequent, and pretend a title to every parish in the kingdom,