perform any divine offices, or converse with them, and which hold many of them two or three, four, or more vicarages a-piece; even the clerkships themselves are in like manner conferred upon the English; and sometimes two or three, or more, upon one man, and ordinarily bought and sold or let to farm. His Majesty is now with the greatest part of this country, as to their hearts and consciences, King, but at the Pope's discretion.

"WILLIAM KILMORE AND Ardagh."

If the state of the whole Protestant Church of Ireland at this time accorded in character with that of the portion committed to Bishop Bedell's care, it is not at all surprising that Popery still maintained its ground against the truth. He found the revenues of his Church alienated and spoiled by the Bishop, his predecessor. Pluralities abounded, most of the Pluralists minding all their parishes alike, that is, neglecting all equally-the Churches were dilapidated-the ecclesiastical courts full of oppression-and the Clergy generally ignorant of the language of the people.

The Protestants were about a tenth of the whole population. The Popish Clergy more numerous than the Protestant-there being sixtysix priests, and but thirty-two clergymen in the two dioceses, three of whose wives came not to Church: and of these not more than seven or eight, as above stated, in each diocese, were men of any ability, and they acquainted with the English language alone. The glebe lands were frequently at a great distance from the Church, and even from the parish, so that the houses of the Clergy were often not amongst the people attached to them.

On the fifth of November, 1633, Bishop Bedell thus wrote to Laud, defending himself against some false charges, and describes the progress then making by the Popish priesthood.

"Right Honourable my very good Lord,-In the midst of these thoughts, I have been advertized from an honourable friend in England, that I am accused to his Majesty to have opposed his service, and that my hand, with two other Bishops only, was to a writing touching the money to be levied on the Papists for maintenance of the men of war. Indeed, if I should have had such an intention, this had been not only to oppose the service of his Majesty, but to expose with the public peace mine own neck, to the skeans of the Romish cut-throats. I that knew that in this kingdom of his Majesty's, the Pope hath another kingdom far greater in number, and as I have heretofore signified to the Lord Justices and Council (which is also since justified by themselves in print) constantly guided and directed by the order of the new congregation, De propaganda Fide, lately erected at Rome, transmitted by the means of the Pope's Nuncio residing at Brussels or Paris, that the Pope hath here a Clergy, if I may guess by my own diocese, double in number to us, the heads whereof are by corporal oath bound to him, to maintain him and his regalities contra omnem hominem, and to execute his mandates to the uttermost of their forces, which accordingly they do, styling themselves in print, Ego N. Dei et Apostolicae Sedis gratia Episcopus Fernien et Ossorien: I that knew there is in the kingdom for the moulding of the people to the Pope's obedience,

a rabble of irregular regulars, commonly younger brothers of good houses, who are grown to that insolency, as to advance themselves to be members of the ecclesiastical hierarchy in better ranks than priests, insomuch that the censure of the Sorbonne is fain to be implored to curb them, which yet is called in again; so tender is the Pope of his own creatures: I that knew that his Holiness hath erected a new University in Dublin, to confront his Majesty's College there, and to breed the youth of the kingdom to his devotion, of which University one Paul Harris, the author of that infamous libel which was put forth in print against my Lord Armach's Wansted sermon, styleth himself in print to be Dean: I that knew and have given advertisement to the State, that these regulars dare erect new friaries in the country, since the dissolving of these in the city, that they have brought the people to such a sottish senselessness, as they care not to learn the commandments as God himself spake, and writ them; but they flock in great numbers to the preaching of new superstitious and detestable doctrines, such as their own priests are ashamed of; and at all those they levy collections, three, four, five, or six pounds at a sermon. Shortly, I that knew that those regulars and this Clergy have, at a general meeting like to a Synod, as themselves style it, decreed, that it is not lawful to take an oath of allegiance; and if they be constant to their own doctrine, do account his Majesty in their hearts to be king but at the Pope's discretion: in this state of this kingdom, to think the bridle of the army may be taken away, should be the thought not of a brainsick, but of a brainless man.

"Your Lordship's in all duty,

"WILLIAM KILMORE."

Bishop Bedell opposed himself to the system of pluralities, and set a noble example, by resigning one of the Bishoprics, that of Ardagh, which he had at first received together with Kilmore. This conduct gained him many enemies, and was the cause of his behaviour being so misrepresented at Court, as to occasion his writing the sort of exculpatory letter just quoted. The vacancies which arose from the dissolution of pluralities, he filled up with the greatest care, not venturing to bestow holy orders without the strictest examination of the candidates. In this he was as impartial as strict, not relaxing his system with regard to any person, however recommended to him-a remarkable instance of which occurred when Mr. Price, who subsequently became his Archdeacon, and had been senior Fellow of the College at Dublin, when the Bishop was Provost, came to be examined for admission into holy orders; his examination lasted nearly two hours, and was as strict as if he had been a perfect stranger. These examinations were held in the presence of the Clergy, who were desired to supply any questions that might appear to them to have been omitted; and at the conclusion the Bishop required the Clergy to testify their approval before he proceeded to ordination. It must not be omitted that he was not less exact in his inquiries into the moral and religious character of the candidates than into their learned qualifications. At his ordinations many of the Clergy assisted, the Bishop himself preachD d

VOL. VII. NO. IV.

ing the sermon and administering the holy sacrament. Of the Deacons he required a year's trial in the work of the ministry, before he would admit them to the higher order of priesthood, and always enforced the formal residence of incumbents on their benefices. He was diligent to observe the moral behaviour of his Clergy, as knowing that the lives of the Clergy are more powerful than their sermons; and he took much to heart the scandal given by the immoral lives of some of the Clergy, the existence of which he too well learnt, when an Irishman declared to him in open court, that the King's priests were as bad as the Pope's priests; and yet he did not reform narrowly or widely, but considered well what correction the times would bear.

No prelate could be more sensible of the value of ecclesiastical discipline than Bishop Bedell-he visited his diocese every year, and took care to relieve his Clergy from the excessive charges which visitations had heretofore laid upon them, exacting nothing but what was by law and custom established, and employing it in hospitably entertaining the Clergy-if any surplus remained, the poor prisoners enjoyed the blessing. The Bishop's ideas upon discipline were perhaps formed a little too strictly upon the model of primitive episcopacy, and resting upon that principle of ancient times, the independent authority of Bishops in their own dioceses, he ventured to hold a Synod of his Clergy, and to lay down canons for their government, which included the establishment of rural Deans, regulations for the exercise of excommunication, and some other points of less importance. The news of this Synod, which the Bishop intended should be continued annually, created a great sensation at Dublin, and many persons thought the Bishop had at least incurred the guilt of a Præmunire. The Bishop found it necessary to prepare a vindication of his conduct; but his Archdeacon's account of the transaction set the mind of the Court at rest, and the opposition of others ceased upon Archbishop Usher advising them to desist, lest they should give him opportunity to say more for himself than they could possibly say against him.

Upon many points he frequently expressed his opinion to the Primate Usher, and urged him to set about the reformation of them, but Usher was a man too gentle for the work of correcting abuses-he had all the simplicity of a Christian-he won to himself the hearts of all→ he passed much of his time in private devotion, and in doing good by his discourse; and his learning rendered him one of the greatest men of his age. But no man is perfect-and Usher was not made to govern. He saw the necessity of reformation, and hoped it would be effected, but was unequal to the task. It was said of him, "if the Primate were as exact a disciplinarian as he is eminent in searching antiquity, defending the truth, and preaching the Gospel, he had deserved to be made the chief Churchman of Christendom." But though Usher did not exert himself, he set the highest value upon all that was done by Bishop Bedell. Our Bishop strove hard to rescue the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical courts out of the hands of the lay chancellors and registrars, and to restore the spiritual power to the Bishop, but was defeated in his attempts, though his opponents found him so awkward an

antagonist to deal with, and one so skilled in the canon and ecclesiastical law, that they suffered him in a great measure to follow his own way nearly undisturbed.

He thought wisely that it was the truest interest of England to gain the Irish to the knowledge of the true religion, believing that the profession of one common faith would soon unite them in attachment to the English nation. He was successful in converting to the Reformed Religion several priests, and upon them he bestowed preferment in his diocese, not indeed without incurring the censures of many, who believed that every one of these converts remained in heart a Papist: but the event proved how groundless was the prejudice, for of several that he placed in benefices, only one fell back, when the Rebellion of 1641 broke out; but no wonder if there was one apostate among the Bishop's converts, when there was a traitor amongst the twelve whom our Saviour had chosen. He bestowed much pains upon a convent of Friars near him with good success: and that he might furnish his converts with the means of instructing others, he printed a short Catechism* in one sheet, in English and Irish, containing the elementary doctrines of the Gospel, together with some short prayers and passages of Scripture. This Catechism he circulated all over his diocese, and it was received with great joy by many of the Irish, who seemed to be hungring and thirsting after righteousness, and received this beginning of knowledge so well, that it gave the good Bishop reason to hope greater

success.

We come now to the most glorious transaction of Bishop Bedell's life, his translation of the Bible into the Irish language. To use the words of Burnett: "he had observed with much regret, that the English had neglected the Irish as a nation conquered, but unable to be civilized. The Protestant Clergy scarcely considered them as part of their charge, but left them solely to the care of their priests, who taught the people nothing but to say Paters and Aves in Latin. The state of the Popish Clergy, as well as the Laity, moved his compassion, and he determined to commence the work of converting the natives with all the zeal and care which so great an undertaking required."

Bishop Bedell, though now advanced in years, commenced learning the Irish language, and became so complete a master of it, as to compose the first grammar of that tongue ever published. In his cathedral church the common prayer was read in Irish every Sunday, for the benefit of the converts whom he had made; but perceiving that the great hindrance to conversion was the gross ignorance of the people, he engaged all his Clergy to set up schools in their parishes. The New Testament and the book of Common Prayer were already translated, but Bishop Bedell was resolved to have the whole Bible to put into the hands of the Irish, and therefore he earnestly sought for one competent to undertake so great a work. By the advice of the Primate, and some other eminent persons, he selected one King, who was a convert, and believed to be the most elegant writer of the Irish language then alive. He was then about 70, but notwithstanding his

* We should be glad to see a copy of this little work.

age, the Bishop thought him not only qualified for this work, but for a higher station; he therefore ordained him, and giving him a benefice, set him on the work of translating the English Bible into Irish. The Bishop revised the work, after supper or dinner always reading a chapter; both comparing the Irish version with the English, and that again with the Hebrew and the Septuagint and Diodati's Italian translation, which he much valued. It was his opinion that the use of the Scriptures, as it had prepared the way for the Reformation in Europe, was the only way to let in the knowledge of religion among the Irish. He had observed, that in the primitive times the most barbarous nations no sooner began to receive the Christian religion, than they had the Scriptures translated into their native tongues, and that all people were exhorted to study them. In a few years the Irish version was finished, and the Bishop had resolved to print it, and take the whole expense upon himself, when a stop was put to his purpose by the trouble designedly brought upon himself and Mr. King, his assistant in the translation. It is not surprising that the priests of the Church of Rome should oppose themselves to the printing such a work, but it is wonderful that the reformed divines should have so easily been prejudiced against it. The Papists took care to circulate reports that the translator was a weak and contemptible man, and the work such as would be the scorn of the nation, when the name of the translator should be known. Both the Earl of Strafford and the Archbishop of Canterbury were carried away by these insinuations; but the blow was given to Bishop Bedell's design, by a bold attempt to deprive King of his benefice, on the ground that the benefice given him by the Bishop had lapsed to the Crown, and from the Crown a grant of the benefice was easily procured for a young man who was prepared to fight the battle against the Bishop; though, in fact, the presentation, if any lapse had taken place, belonged to the Bishop himself. It was a common abuse for a man in that time to pretend either that an incumbent was dead, or that he had no good right to his benefice, or that he had forfeited it, and upon that to procure a grant from the King, and then either to turn the incumbent out of possession, or to vex him with a suit, and force him to compound for peace. Such was the course pursued in this case; and so corrupt was the administration of justice in the Ecclesiastical Court, that all the ability of Bishop Bedell was unable to protect King in the possession of his benefice. The Primate upon this occasion might have interfered, but it would appear that for some reason or other, probably on account of the favours shewn by Bedell to the converted Irish, he was in some degree alienated from him. It is evident that Bedell's views were not consonant with those of his Protestant brethren.

By these practices a stop was put to the printing of the Irish Bible at that time, and it was further impeded by the rebellion which broke out. The Bishop had purposed printing it in his own house, and to prepare the minds of the people for the reception of it, he translated into Irish some of the Homilies of Chrysostom and of Leo, in which the study of the Scriptures was commended. These he printed and added to it his catechism; and the work was well received by the priests and friars themselves; but Bishop Bedell lived not to finish his great design. In