Irish Rebels or conclude any Peace or Cessation with them without the consent and express Command of the King and Parliament of England 4. He will engage himself to the true performance of all these things by Oath or any other means that can be propos'd to a Man of Honour and Conscience Septemb. 26 1646. Ormond Which he frequently insisted on in his Treaty with the Parliaments Commissioners who seem'd not before to be acquainted therewith or thought it expedient upon the Treaty to receive the same from him which however as most important He insisted upon as also to have Directions from His Majestie ere he would deliver up the Hoord or render up the Garrisons in his Power to their hands waving notwithstanding the first Proposition rather than that should be any leâ—t to the Treaty which in conclusion ended in delivering up all to the Parliament Fol. 169. l. 29. in the Irish concluding thereby that there would not be only a loss of the Kingdom but of thousands of Protestants and together with them the Protestant Religion also Fol. 177. l. 41. other Considerations As that the English Interest in Ireland must be preserv'd by the English and not by the Irish. Fol. 184. l. 21. and Eloquence as follows in these words To the Honourable Commissioners from the Parliament of ENGLAND The humble Answer and Petition of the Protestant Clergy of the City of Dublin Humbly shewing THAT whereas we having received from your Honours by Anthony Dopping Esquire a Message consisting of two branches one of Demand Whether the Ministers will officiate in their several Churches not using the Book of Common Prayer The other a Concession to this effect That such as will officiate may use the Directory or such Service as is agreeable to the Word of God but not use the Book of Common Prayer VVe hereto with all meekness and lowliness of minds return this our joint Answer 1. That forasmuch as we see and know that the Protestants of this City for the most part are much grieved in heart for the want of the daily accustomed Service of God in the two Cathedrals and the Parish Churches of this City and for their late being deprived of us and our Ministery which they have long enjoyed VVe are very much troubled and are very sorrowful in our selves for their grief We acknowledg our selves bound to preach the Gospel of Christ unto the People and are so far from a voluntary desertion of our Churches People Ministery and the exercise thereof as that we shall rejoyce in nothing more than that we may finish our course with joy and the Ministry which we have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the grace of God 2. That we have been and still are effectually debarred from our Churches and the exercise of our Ministry by your Honours Injunction and Command bearing date the 24. of June 1647. wherein you require the discontinuance of the Book of Common-Prayer and the receiving of the Directory c. which Injunction lies still upon us with the danger of non-protection in case we disobey the same 3. That we cannot consent with a good conscience to the discontinuance of the Book of Common-Prayer and receiving the Directory in lieu thereof or any other private form of publick Service for the reasons exhibited and alledged in our Answer the 22. of June last whereto we humbly annex these Reasons following amongst others which we debated upon in our mutual conference the 25. of June and on the same day touched some of the Heads of them before your Honours I. VVe all at our Ordination or being made Presbyters have among other things made this solemn Promise before God which we account the same with or little different from an Oath that we would so minister the Doctrine and Sacraments and Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and as this Realm hath received the same II. VVe have often taken the Oath of Supremacy and sworn that the King's Highness is the only supreme Governour of this Realm as well in all spiritual and Ecclesiastical things or causes as temporal and that we shall assist and defend all Jurisdictions c. granted or belonging to the King's Highness his Heirs and Successors or united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Kingdom Now should we receive a Directory printed or any other form without Royal Authority we do not conceive how this can stand with this our Oath III. As the Act of Parliament 2 Eliz. still in force in this Kingdom expresly commands the use of this Book of Common-Prayer so it forbids Common-Prayer or Administration of the Sacraments otherwise or after any other manner or form with any private dispensation whereof we cannot comply we being bound to the obedience thereof not only for fear of penalty but for conscience sake Rom. 13. 5. IV. VVhereas the Book of Common-Prayer is one main part of the Reformation established in the Churches of England and Ireland the laying aside thereof and the receiving of the Directory or any other form would be we conceive considering the present state and circumstances of things a departing in this from the Communion of the Church of England and Ireland V. It is evident that as the Constitution of a Law in any matter Ecclesiastical the order ever observed in the Church since Kings became nursing Fathers thereto was is and ought to be this That it first pass the consultation and determination of a lawful Ecclesiastical Council and then that it receive the sanction and confirmation of the civil Supreme Magistrate for this gives it the formal strength and vigour of a Law outwardly obliging and that gives it materiality and substance and supplies ground sufficient to make it a Law inwardly obliging Christian People to receive it So in the promulgation and execution of that Law concerning a matter Ecclesiastical there was and is this order observed First the supreme civil Magistrate remands and recommends it to the Ecclesiastical Governours and they deliver it to the rest of the Pastors and they to the People So that the immediate actual reception of an Order Ecclesiastical by the Ministers is from the hand of the Bishop or Ordinary And upon this is founded that solemn Promise made before God by every Minister at his Ordination That he will reverently obey his Ordinary and other chief Ministers unto whom the Government and Charge over him is committed following with a glad mind their godly admonitions and submitting himself to their godly judgments Since then in this matter concerning the Book of Common-Prayer all the required premisses were fulfilled and that any other form that for the present we can use wants all of them we cannot without breach of our Promise forementioned and disordered anticipation or neglect of the judgment of our Ordinances receive any such or other form considering the King's Command concerning the only use of the Book of Common-Prayer expressed in the Act of Parliament is still in
July 1642. to Philip Mac-Hugh Mac-Shane O Relie and others on honourable Conditions Sir Francis Hamilton the Lady Craig Sir Arthur Forbes Baronet and others march'd thence with credible Articles faithfully set down by Dr. Jones in his Relation of the Rebellion in Cavan worthy perusal Those with others that came from these Castles were 1340 in number who being convey'd towards Tredath were all received by Sir Henry Tichbourn eight miles from Tredath and afterwards dispos'd of as was most convenient One of the Places most considerable in this County first surpriz'd was Cloughouter whereof Arthur Culme Esq was his Majesties Captain a Fort certainly of great strength environ'd with a deep Water and distant from shore more than Musket-shot in which the Lord Bishop of Kilmore Dr. Bedel was imprison'd though afterwards Exchang'd by Sir James Craigh and contrary to Articles seiz'd on again who died near Kilmore about the midst of March 1641 and was buried in the Cathedral Church-yard a worthy Person as formerly we had occasion to take notice of One of the brightest Lights of that Church both for Learning and a shining Conversation and in his constant diligence in the Work of the Ministery a Pattern to others In the beginning of the Troubles in this County Captain Richard Rives Commander in Chief of Sir John Borlase Lord Justice his Troop Garrison'd at Belturbet acted very close and gallantly attending the English with much faithfulness till by the command of the State who suspected his surprizal he was recall'd to Dublin marching thither through the Enemy over many dead Bodies that with Famine had perish'd in the way performing afterwards being Sir Borlase's Junior's Lieutenant Colonel very many honourable services as at Athboy near Trim with the Lord Lisle where they notoriously beat up the Rebels Quarters as else-where viz. Kells Carickmacros the Earl of Essex's Castle in Monaghan which they took from the Rebels with a considerable advantage in October 1642. highly deserving the publick notice though since he was unfortunately put away heading Colonel Penruddock's and Sir Wagstaff's Party in the West of England about the 14th of March 1654. And now by reason that more People flock'd to the City and that the Lords Justices and Council had frequent intelligence from several parts of the insolent proceedings of the Rebels against the British and Protestants in the Borders of the Pale as well as the adjacent Counties they the xi of November prohibited the access of unnecessary Persons not any way restraining such as by their Quality or Business gave no grounds of Exceptions as by the Act it self is evident which you will find in the Appendix However there were some venom'd with the vigilancy of the State who endeavour'd to cast a blemish on this Proclamation though afterwards it appear'd to be his Majesties sense in his Letters to the Lords Justices in December following Yet the 16th of November the Parliament freely met according to the Adjournment Mr. Darcy Mr. Burk and other active Members of the House of Commons having exceedingly importun'd the same the deferring thereof being as they urg'd it an injury to the whole Nation as hindring them from expressing their Loyal affections to his Majesty and shewing their desires to quell this dangerous Rebellion withall engaging that there should be on their meeting a clear Protestation against the Rebels else for fear there should have been some prejudice to the State by the concourse of People at that time the State was once resolved having power from his Majesty so to do by a Proclamation of the 27th of October to have deferr'd the Parliament to the 24th of February next ensuing for several causes therein mention'd but especially for that his Majesty desir'd the Lord Lieutenant should be there As by another Proclamation the same 27th of October the Lords Justices and Council had adjourn'd Michaelmass-Term To avoid in that exigency those great and manifold perils and dangers that might have ensu'd to the State by such concourse of People out of all the parts of the Kingdom unto the City of Dublin as the holding of the Term would necessarily require by reason of the late most disloyal and detestable Conspiracy plotted by a multitude of evil-affected meer Irish Papists But however the Parliament met And here it was visible that more were tainted with the Infection than appear'd in Rebellion Lord what artifice what cunning what varnish was put upon all the Rebels actions and cruelties Those who seem'd to be most affected with the Insurrection cover'd it with such a vail treated of it so nicely with such tenderness as if they themselves being all indeed of the Conspiracy had been to participate immediately of the Punishment as well as they were clandestinely involved in the Plot By always contesting that they might not be called Traitors and Rebels being privy to what themselves had formerly with these Rebels contrived to be done And fearing it might move the Rebels to recriminate writes a most judicious Instrument of State That the Appellation of discontented Gentlemen was the worst that could be wrung from them till One heartily detesting the Fig-leaves thrown over this nakedness told the Speaker That though he had not arriv'd at that consistency of years as that his words might challenge there an audience Days should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom yet he could not but observe many passages in that Assembly too like Catilines in the Senate and therefore moved that it might not be told in that House or publish'd at Askelon that so general a Revolt accompani'd with such horrid and barbarous circumstances should be took notice of with a more favourable expression than Treason and Rebellion He added further That he did not know but that that was the season wherein they were cast on their trial whether Allegiance or Rebellion God or the Pope were to be own'd And that as to any thing that might soften the Rebels he conceiv'd they were harden'd with so much villany that they esteem'd all things justifiable that were attainable Iram atque animos à crimine sumunt And therefore it was fit that that House should act as sensible of the Rebels cruelties and trust God to vindicate his and his Peoples Cause Upon which and other Arguments too shameful for them to palliate the Parliament discovered their Resentment in these words The Protestation and Declaration of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament assembled WHereas the happy and Peaceable Estate of this Realm hath been of late and is still interrupted by sundry Persons ill affected to the Peace and Tranquility thereof who contrary to their Duty and Loyalty to his Majesty and against the Laws of God and the fundamental Laws of this Realm have traiterously and rebelliously rais'd Arms seiz'd upon his Majesties Forts and Castles and dispossess'd many of his faithful Subjects of their Houses Lands and Goods and have slain many of them and committed other
Orders and Injunctions continued still their desire to observe the Peace The titular Bishop of Ossory publisht this extraordinary Writing WHereas we have in publick and private meetings at several times declared to the Supream Council and others whom it might concern That it was and is unlawful and against conscience the implying Perjury as it hath been defined by the special Act of the Convocation at Waterford to both Common-Wealths Spiritual and Temporal to do or concur to any Act tending to the approbation or countenancing the Publication of this unlawful and mischievous Peace so dangerous as it is now Articled to both Common-Wealths Spiritual and Temporal And whereas notwithstanding our Declaration yea the Declaration of the whole Clergy of the Kingdom to the contrary the Supream Council and the Commissioners have actually proceeded to the Publication yea and forcing it upon the City by terror and threats rather then by any free consent or desire of the People We having duly considered and taken it to heart as it becometh us how enormous this Fact is and appears in Catholicks even against God himself and what a Publick Contempt of the Holy Church it appeareth beside the evil it is like to draw upon this poor Kingdom after a mature Deliberation and Consent of our Clergy in Detestation of this hainous and scandalous Disobedience of the Supream Council and others who adhered to them in matter of conscience to the Holy Church and in hatred of so sinful and abominable an Act do by these Presents according to the Prescription of the Sacred Cannons pronounce and command henceforth a general Cessation of Divine Offices throughout all the City and Suburbs of Kilkenny in all Churches Monasteries and houses in them whatsoever Given at our Palace of Nova Curia the 18th of August 1646. Signed David Ossoriensis This extravagant Proceeding did not yet terrifie those of the Confederate Catholicks who understood as they pretended how necessary the observation of the Peace was for the preservation of the Nation But as they desired the Lord Lieutenant to forbear all acts of Hostility upon how unreasonable a Provocation soever So they sent two Persons of the Supream Council Sir Lucas Dillon and Dr. Fennel to the Congregation at Waterford to dispose them to a better temper and to find out some Expedient which might compose the minds of the People and prevent those Calamities that would unavoidably fall upon the Nation upon their declining and renouncing the Peace which you must understand in them to be very real But after they had attended several days and offered many Reasons and Considerations to them The Congregation put a Period to all the Hopes and Consultations of that nature by issuing out a Decree of Excommunication which they caused to be Printed in this Form and in these Words and with these Marginal Notes By John Baptist Rinuccini Archbishop and Prince of Firmo and by the Ecclesiastical Congregation of both Clergies of the Kingdom of Ireland A Decree of Excommunication against such as adhere to the late Peace and do bear Arms for the Hereticks of Ireland and do aid or assist them NOt without Cause saith the Oracles of Truth doth the Minister of God carry the Sword for he is to punish him that doth Evil and remunerate him that doth Good hence it is that we have by our former Decrees declared to the World our sence and just Indignation against the late Peace Concluded and Published at Dublin not onely in its nature bringing prejudice and destruction of Religion and Kingdom but also contrary to the Oath of Association and withall against the Contrivers of and Adherers to the said Peace In pursuance of which Decrees being forced to unsheath the Spiritual Sword We to whom God hath given power to bind and loose on Earth assembled together in the Holy Ghost tracing herein and imitating the Examples of many Venerable and holy Prelates who have gone before us and taking for our Authority the Sacred Canons of Holy Church grounded on Holy Writ Ut tollantur èmedio nostrum qui hoc opus faciunt Domini nostri Jesu deliver over such Persons to Satan that is to say We Excommunicate Execrate Anathematize all such as after the Publication of this our Decree and notice either Privately or Publickly given to them hereof shall defend adhere to or approve the Justice of the said Peace and chiefly those who bear Arms or make or joyn in War with for or in behalf of the Puritans or other Hereticks of Dublin cork Youghall of other places within this Kingdom or shall either by themselves or by their appointment bring send or give any Aid Succour or Relief Victuals Ammunition or other Provision to them or by advice or otherwise advance the said Peace or the War made against us Those and every of them by this present Decree We do declare and pronounce Excommunicated ipso facto ut non circumveniamini à Satana non enim ignoramus Cogitationes ejus Dated at Kilkenny in our Palace of Residence the 5th day of October 1646. Signed Johannes Baptista Archiepiscopus Firmanus Nuncius Apostolicus de Mandato Illustrissimi Domini Nuncij Congregationis Ecclesiasticae utriusque Cleri Regni Hiberniae Nicholas Firmence Congregationis Cancellarius The Nuncio having thus fortifi'd himself made great preparations to march with two Armies to Dublin which consisting of 16000 Foot and as many hundred Horse he believ'd or seem'd to believe would take the Town by Assault as soon as he should appear before it and in this confidence that we may not interrupt the series of this Discourse by any intervening action when the Armies were within a days march of the City the two Generals sent this Letter with the Propositions annexed to the Lord Lieutenant May it please your Excellency BY the Command of the Confederate Catholicks of this Kingdom who offer the inclosed Propositions we have under our Leading two Armies our thoughts are best to our Religion King and Countrey our ends to establish the first and make the two following secure and happy It is the great part of our care and desires to purchase your Excellency to the effecting of so blessed a work We do not desire the effusion of blood and to that purpose the inclosed Propositions are sent from us we pray to God your consideration of them may prove fruitful We are commanded to pray your Excellency to render an Answer to them by two of the Clock in the afternoon on Thursday next be it War or Peace We shall endeavour in our Ways to exercise Faith and Honour and upon this thought we rest From the Camp 2. March 1646. Your Excellencies most humble Servants J. Preston Owen O Neile 1. That the exercise of the Romish Religion be in Dublin Tredagh and in all the Kingdom of Ireland as free and as publick as it is now in Paris in France or Bruxels in the Low-Countreys 2. That the Council of State
Answers they had Humbly offered pretending not to be Judges but submissive Petitioners for what was committed to their Charge APPENDIX XIII Fol. 144. The Humble Propositions of your Majesties Protestant Agents of Ireland in pursuance of the humble Petition of your Majesties Protestant Subjects as well Commanders of your Majesties Army there as others presented to your Majesty the 18th day of April 1644. and answered by your Majesty the 25 of the same 1. WE most humbly desire the Establishment of the true Protestant Religion in Ireland according to the Laws and Statutes in the said Kingdom now in force 2. That the Popish Titular Arch-Bishops Bishops Jesuits Friers and Priests and all others of the Roman Clergy be banished out of Ireland because they have been the stirrers up of all Rebellion and while they continue there there can be no hope of safety for your Majesties Protestant Subjects And that all the Laws and Statutes established in that Kingdom against Popery and Popish Recusants may continue of force and be put in due Execution 3. That Restitution may be made of all our Churches and Church Rights and Revenues and all our Churches and Chappels re-edified and put in as good Estate as they were at the breaking out of the Rebellion and as they ought to be at the Charge of the Confederate Roman Catholicks as they call themselves who have been the occasion of the Destruction of the said Churches and possessed themselves of the Profits and Revenues thereof 4. That the Parliament now sitting in Ireland may be continued there for the better settlement of the Kingdom and that all Persons duly indicted in the said Kingdom of Treason Felonie or other heinous Crimes may be duly and legally proceeded against outlaw'd tried and adjudged according to Law And that all Persons lawfully convicted and attainted or to be convicted and attainted for the same may receive due punishment accordingly 5. That no Man may take upon him or execute the Office of a Major or Magistrate in any Corporation or the Office of a Sheriff or Justice of Peace in any City or County in the said Kingdom until he have first taken the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance 6. That all Popish Lawyers who refuse to take the Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance may be suppress'd and restrain'd from practice in that Kingdom the rather because the Lawyers in England do not here practice until they take the Oath of Supremacy And it hath been found by woful Experience that the Advice of Popish Lawyers to the people of Ireland hath been a great cause of their continued Disobedience 7. That there may be a present absolute Suppression and Dissolution of all the assumed Arbitrary and Tyrannical Power which the said Confederates exercise over Your Majesties Subjects both in Causes Ecclesiastical and Temporal 8. That all the Arms and Ammunition of the said Confederates be speedily brought into Your Majesties Stores 9. That Your Majesties Protestant Subjects ruin'd and destroy'd by the said Confederates may be repair'd for their great losses out of the Estates of the said Confederates not formerly by any Acts of this present Parliament in England otherwise dispos'd of whereby they may the better be enabl'd to re-inhabit and defend the said Kingdom of Ireland 10. That the said Confederates may rebuild the several Plantation-Houses and Castles destroy'd by them in Ireland in as good state as they were at the breaking out of the Rebellion which Your Majesties Protestant Subjects have been bound by their several Patents to build and maintain for Your Majesties Service 11. That the great Arrears of Rent due to Your Majestie out of the Estates of Your Majesties Protestant Subjects at and since Michaelmas 1641. may be paid unto Your Majestie by such of the said Confederates who have either receiv'd the said Rents to the uses of the said Confederates or destroy'd the same by disabling Your Majesties Protestant Subjects to pay the same And have also destroy'd all or the most part of all other Rents or means of support belonging to Your said Protestant Subjects And that Your said Protestant Subjects may be discharg'd of all such Arrears of Rents to Your Majestie 12. That the said Confederates may give satisfaction to the Army for the great Arrears due unto them since the Rebellion and that such Commanders as have rais'd Forces at their own Charges and laid forth great sums of Money out of their own Purses and engag'd themselves for Money and Provisions to keep themselves their Holds and Souldiers under their Commands in the due necessary Defence of Your Majesties Rights and Laws may be in due sort satisfied to the encouragement of others in like times and Cases which may happen 13. That touching such parts of the Confederate Estates as being forfeited for their Treasons are come or shall duly come into Your Majesties hands and possession by that Title Your Majesty after the due satisfaction first made to such as claim by former Acts of Parliament would be pleased to take the same into your own hands and possession and for the necessary encrease of Your Majesties Revenue and better security of the said Kingdom of Ireland and the Protestant Subjects living under your gracious Government there to plant the same with Brittish and Protestants upon reasonable and honourable Terms 14. That one good walled Town may be built and kept repair'd in every County of the said Kingdom of Ireland and endow'd and furnish'd with necessary and sufficient means of legal and just Government and Defence for the better security of Your Majesties Laws and Rights more especially the true Protestant Religion in time of Danger in any of which Towns no Papist may be permitted to dwell or inhabit 15. That for the better satisfaction of Justice and Your Majesties Honour and for the future security of the said Kingdom and Your Majesties Protestant Subjects there exemplary punishment according to Law may be inflicted upon such as have there traiterously levied VVar and taken up Arms against Your Majesties Protestant Subjects and Laws and therein against Your Majesty especially upon such as have had their hands in the shedding of Innocent blood or had to do with the first Plot or Conspiracy or since that time have done any notorious Murther or Covert Act of Treason 16. That all Your Majesties Towns Forts and places of strength destroy'd by the said Confederates since the said Rebellion may be by them and at their Charges re-edified and deliver'd up into Your Majesties hands to be duly put into the Government under Your Majestie and Your Laws of your good Protestants And that all Strengths and Fortifications made and set up by the said Confederates since the said Rebellion may be slighted and thrown down or else deliver'd up and disposed of for Protestant Government and Security as aforesaid 17. That according to the Presidents of former times in cases of General Rebellions in Ireland the Attainders which have been duly had by Outlawry for