very desirous to be certified of from you the one In what sort you would have him answer that Calumniation of our Irish Libeller where he intimateth that you dissemble your Religion and write otherwise than you think delusus Spe hujus secult et mundani honor is lenocinio illectus The other What you think of our great St. Patrick and of his Miracles Touching the former I assured him of my own knowledge that you were wrong'd most shamefully what you did you did out of Judgment and not led by any such base Respect as you were charged withal and that I knew for certain that with your heart you embraced the Religion which by Authority is maintained in the Church of England For the latter I gave him good leave to discredit as much as he list that Pack of ridiculous Miracles which latter Writers had fastned upon St. Patrick but wished him in no wise to touch the Credit of that worthy man himself nor to question his Succession to Palladius nor to cast him unto lower Times contrary to the consent of all Writers that ever make Mention of him And to this end I shewed unto him what I had gathered together to this purpose in a Treatise which I lately wrote at the Request of Dr. Hampton Lord Arch-Bishop of Armagh of the first Planters of the Christian Faith in Ireland and specially of St. Patrick and his Successors in the See of Armagh but one word from you will satisfie him more than a hundred from me and therefore let me intreat you that you would here erranti comiter monstrare viam You easily may see what little Credit the Testimony or the Silence rather of so late an Author as Platina is may carry to bear down the constant agrement of all our own Writers The Objection would be far more specious if it were drawn from the Silence of venerable Bede who making express Mention both in his History and his Chronicle of Palladius speaketh nothing at all of Patricius Yet have I seen in Sir Robert Cotton's Library an ancient Fragment written before the time of Bede wherein St. Patrick is not only mentioned but also made to be as ancient in time as hitherto we have still believed him to have been It was found among Mr. Josseline's Papers and is now bound up in blew Leather with other Antiquities If you can come by the Book and will be pleased to transcribe that place of it where the Tradition of the Liturgy from Man to Man is described for there this Mention of St. Patrick is to be found either that or nothing will give full Satisfaction to our Doctor The Company of Stationers in London are now erecting a Factory for Books and a Press among us here Mr. Felix Kingston and some others are sent over for that Purpose They begin with the printing of the Statutes of the Realm afterwards they purpose to fall in Hand with my Collections De Christianarum Ecclesiarum Successione Statu I do intreat you of all Love to look over the first Edition and what you find I have mistaken or what you think may be further added out of the Antiquities which you have met withal signifie unto me I wrote unto you to this purpose about four years since by a Kinsman of mine Mr. John Brereton at which time also I desired to understand from you Whether it were possible to get the Copy of the Epistles to the Monks of Glastenbury attributed to St. Patrick which I remember you told me you had sometimes seen But since that time I have heard nothing from you If you will be pleased at this time to write unto me or to Dr. Rives who earnestly expecteth your Answer you may leave your Letters at my Lord Knevet's House in Westminster there to be delivered unto Sir Henry Docwra our Treasurer at Wars who will take Order that they shall be safely conveyed unto me And thus craving Pardon for my Boldness in troubling you thus far I take my Leave for this time resting always Your most loving and firm Friend James Usher Dublin June 8. 1618. LETTER XXXIV A Letter from Mr. William Camden to Dr. James Usher afterward Arch-Bishop of Armagh My most esteemed good Mr. Dr. YOur loving Letter of the Eighth of June I received the Fourth of July being retired into the Country for the recovery of my tender health where portum anhelans beatadinis I purposed to sequester my self from Worldly business and cogitations Yet being somewhat recovered I could not but answer your love and Mr. Doctor Rieves Letter for your sake with the few lines herein enclosed which I submit to your censure I thank God my life hath been such among men as I am neither ashamed to live nor fear to die being secure in Christ my Saviour in whose true Religion I was born and bred in the time of King Edward VI. and have continued firm therein And to make you my Confessor sub sigillo Confessionis I took my Oath thereunto at my Matriculation in the University of Oxon. when Popery was predominant and for defending the Religion established I lost a fellowship in All-Souls as Sir Daniel Dun could testifie and often would relate how I was there opposed by the Popish Faction At my coming to Westminster I took the like Oath where absit jactantia God so blessed my labours that the now Bishops of London Durham and St. Asaph to say nothing of persons employed now in eminent place abroad and many of especial note at home of all degrees do acknowledge themselves to have been my Scholars Yea I brought there to Church divers Gentlemen of Ireland as Walshes Nugents O Raily Shee s the eldest Son of the Arch-Bishop of Cassiles Petre Lombard a Merchants Son of Waterford a youth of admirable docility and others bred Popishly and so affected I know not who may justly say that I was ambitious who contented my self in Westminster School when I writ my Britannia and eleven years afterward Who refused a Mastership of Requests offered and then had the place of a King of Arms without any suit cast upon me I did never set sail after present preferments or desired to soar higher by others I never made suit to any man no not to his Majesty but for a matter of course incident to my place neither God be praised I needed having gathered a contented sufficiency by my long labours in the School Why the Annalectist should so censure me I know not but that men of all humours repair unto me in respect of my place and rest content to be belied by him who is not ashamed to belie the Lords Deputies of Ireland and others of honourable rank Sed haec tibi uni soli That I might give you better satisfaction I sent my Servant with directions to my Study at Westminster who found this which I have herein inclosed Which if they may stead you I shall be right glad As my health will permit I will look over
this is the beginning of the Captivity So that the matter of the Account cannot come into thy mind For lae in the Account of the Kings of Persia there is a New Moon added according to the word of the Angel as I will declare Now whether there be in the Computation an Addition or Substraction it hurteth not Peradventure the matter of the New Moon will come into thy mind when he knoweth the moment of the Eclipse of the Moon in this Year Besides we have found another Eclipse before this an hundred Years by which I may know the place of the Moon according to Truth And according to his Account he will willingly reduce backward the Years that come Now lo the meaming of Vers. 25. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the Gommandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Prince Messias are 70 Weeks And behold 19 Years were of the Kingdom of Cyrus and Ahashuerosh And two Years of Darius and he reigned 12 Years and it s so written in a Book of the Kings of Persia. And twenty Years of Artaxshashta the King Lo all amounts but to seven Weeks till Nehemiah came as it s written in the Book of Ezra Now the 62 Weeks are the time that the second Temple stood and the half of the Week I have expounded And thus my Lord I have shewed your Grace the Exposition of R. Sagnadiah to be false by Abben Ezra his Opinion And 2dly I have set down Abben Ezra's Supputation of the 70 Weeks Which is thus 51 Years of Cyrus and Ahashuerosh Darius and Artaxerxes or 7 Weeks 434 Years or the 62 Weeks the time the second Temple stood and he makes the Temple to stand longer by 14 Years than any other Seven Years the last Week in all 491 Years You see he is a Year too much besides he makes the last Weeks half to be after the destruction of Zorobabel's Temple which was 40 Years before the destruction thereof My Lord I must now impart a Matter unto you My Wife received a Letter of late since I was with your Lordship from her Sister my Lady Temple wherein she writeth that my Lord of Meath hearing of my entring into the Ministry did promise to confer upon me a Living worth 60 l. per Annum presently and that within a Year he would make it worth an 100 l. per Annum if I would come over I wonder that my Lord of Meath Dr. Martin as I suppose should of his own accord make such an offer unto me that am a meer Stranger to him and never had conference with him But my Lord if your Lordship would vouchsafe me to be a poor Levite and Chaplain in your Service I would say with Mollerus in Psal. 123. v. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cum omne servire durum sit faelicissimus cui contigerit bono ac pio servire Domino If your Grace shall in your Letter signify 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then behold I will say with Ruth Where thou goest I will go and where thou diest I will die c. And thus with thanks for your Lordships last bounty in bearing my Charges which I understood not till I took Horse and therefore could not return thanks till now I rest now and ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ralph Skynner Sutton Octob. 31. 1625. My Lord I would gladly be your Scholar to learn your Method and facile way in preaching O that I might be beholden unto you for some of your directions in that kind And that I might see but a Sermon or two of your Graces in writing according to those directions For therefore did I enter in the last hour of the day of my Life into God's House that I might say with David Ps. 92. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Reason is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Abben Ezra calleth the Rabbies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LETTER CV Worthy Sir YOUR last kindness is not forgotten though unrequited for I cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pecuniam qui habet non refert qui refert non habet At gratiam qui refert habet qui habet refert Accept therefore this my Literarum Manus by which now I prove that plainly unto you which long ago I affirmed in conference viz. That Israel passed not over the Red Sea transversum as you with others have supposed If Israel coming out of the Sea arrived and landed at the self-same side of the Wilderness from which he departed when he entred the Sea Then did he not go over the Red Sea transversum But Israel coming out of the Sea arrived and landed at the self-same side of the Wilderness from which he departed when he entred the Sea Ergo Israel did not go over the Sea transversum The Major Proposition cannot be denied For if he went into and out of the Sea keeping still the same side he did not pass over-thwart the Sea which is the breadth thereof from one side to another The Minor is thus proved out of the Text in express words They came from Succoth to Etham in the edg of the Wilderness Exod. 13. 20. Num. 33. 6. And returned from Etham to Pihahiroth encamping by the Sea Num. 33. 7. Exod. 14. 1. 9. and passing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or by the midst of the Sea Num. 33. 8. they came into the same Wilderness again Num. 33. 8. which is called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 15. 22. From which collation of places it appears that Abben Ezra his Opinion is true We know saith he that there is no Red Sea between Egypt and the Land of Israel neither was there any need that they should go into the Red Sea for that it was their way to Canaan only God commanded them so to do to the end that the Egyptians might go in after them and be drowned Now from the Wilderness of Etham Israel entred the Sea and into the Wilderness of Etham they went out again Seeing from the Collation of these two places the Truth will better appear I will set them down Exodus 12. 37. 1. On the 15th of Nisan six hundred thousand Footmen journied from Rangmeses to Succoth Exod. 12. 37. Numbers 33. 3 5. They departed from Rameses on the 15th day of the first month and pitched in Succoth Numb 33. 3 5. Exod. 13. 20. 2. They departed from Succoth and encamped in Etham in the edg of the Wilderness of Etham viz. Exod. 13. 20. Numb 33. 6. And they departed from Succoth and pitched in Etham which is in the end of that Wilderness Numb 33. 6. Exod. 14. 2. 3. Then from Etham they returned and encamped before Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the Sea before Bagnal-zephon before it they pitched by the Sea Exod. 14. 2. And 600 Chariots of the Egyptians following after Israel overtook them pitching by the Sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 14. 7 9. There the Children of
of Dublin And when the Sum was raised it was resolved by the Benefactors That Dr. Challoner and Mr. James Usher should have the said 1800 l. paid into their hands to procure such Books as they should judge most necessary for the Library and most useful for advancement of Learning which they accordingly undertook and coming into England for that purpose where as also from beyond Sea they procured the best Books in all kinds which were then to be had So that they most faithfully discharged that great trust to the Donors and the whole Colledges great satisfaction And it is somewhat remarkable that at this time when the said Persons were at London about laying out this money in Books they then met Sir Thomas Bodley there buying Books for his new erected Library at Oxford so that there began a correspondence between them upon this occasion helping each other to procure the choicest and best Books on several subjects that could be gotten so that the famous Bodleyan Library at Oxford and that of Dublin began together About this time the Chancellorship of St. Patrick Dublin was conferred on him by Dr. Loftus then Arch-Bishop of Dublin which was the first Ecclesiastical Preferment that he had and which he retained without taking any other Benefice until he was thence promoted to the Bishoprick of Meath Here he lived single for some years and kept Hospitality proportionable to his Incomes nor cared he for any overplus at the years end for indeed he was never a hoarder of money but for Books and Learning he had a kind of laudable covetousness and never thought a good Book either Manuscript or Printed too dear And in this place Mr. Cambden found him Anno 1607. when he was putting out the last Edition of his Britannia where speaking of Dublin he concludes thus Most of which I acknowledge to owe to the diligence and labour of James Usher Chancellor of the Church of St. Patricks who in various learning and judgment far exceeds his years And though he had here no particular obligation to preach unless sometimes in his course before the State yet he would not omit it in the place from whence he received the profits viz. Finglass not far from Dublin which he endowed with a Vicaridge and preached there every Lord's Day unless hindered by very extraordinary occasions year 1607 In the year 1607. being the seven and twentieth of his age he took the degree of Batchelor of Divinity and soon after he was chosen Divinity Professor in the University of Dublin wherein he continued thirteen years reading weekly throughout the whole year his Lectures were Polemical upon the chief Controversies in Religion especially those Points and Doctrines maintained by the Romish Church confuting their Errors and answering their Arguments by Scripture Antiquity and sound Reason which was the method he still used in that Exercise as also in his Preaching and Writings when he had to do with Controversies of that Nature then most proper to be treated on not only because incumbent upon him by virtue of his place as Professor but also in respect of Popery then prevailing in that Kingdom But as for those many learned and elaborate Lectures he then read written with his own hand and worthy to be Printed we cannot tell what is become of them those and many other of his Pieces full of excellent Learning being dispersed or lost by the many sudden removals of his Papers or detained by such to whom they were lent and as 't is pity any of the Works of this great man should be lost so I wish that those Persons who have any of them in their hands would restore them to compleat these Remains since they cannot be so useful in private Studies as they would be if published to the World year 1609 About this time there was a great dispute about the Herenagh Terman or Corban Lands which anciently the Chorepiscopi received which as well concerned the Bishops of England as Ireland He wrote a learned Treatise of it so approved that it was sent to Arch-Bishop Bancroft and by him presented to King James the substance of which was afterwards Translated by Sir Henry Spelman into Latin and published in the first part of his Glossary as himself acknowledgeth giving him there this Character Literarum insignis Pharus Which Treatise is still in Manuscript in the Arch-Bishop's Library at Lambeth This year also he came over into England to buy Books and to converse with learned men and was now first taken notice of at Court preaching before the Houshold which was a great honour in those days And now whilst here he made it his business to inquire into the most hidden and private paths of Antiquity for which purpose he inquired after and consulted the best Manuscripts of both Universities and in all Libraries both publick and private and came acquainted with the most learned men here such as Mr. Cambden Sir Robert Cotton Sir John Bourchier after Earl of Bath Mr. Selden Mr. Brigs Astronomy Professor in the University of Oxford Mr. Lydiat Dr. Davenant after Lord Bishop of Salisbury Dr. Ward off Cambridge and divers others with most of whom he kept a constant Friendship and Correspondence to their Deaths After this he constantly came over into England once in three years spending one Month of the Summer at Oxford another at Cambridge the rest of the time at London spending his time chiefly in the Cottonian Library the Noble and Learned Master of which affording him a free access not only to that but his own Conversation year 1610 This being the thirtieth years of his age he was unanimously chosen by the Fellows of Dublin Colledge to the Provostship of that House but he refused it fearing it might prove a hinderance to his studies no other reason caN be given for his refusal For at that time he was deeply engaged in the Fathers Councils and Church History comparing Things with Things Times with Times gathering and laying up in store Materials for the repairing of the decayed Temple of Knowledge and endeavouring to separate the purer Mettal from the Dross with which Time Ignorance and the Arts of ill designing men had in latter Ages corrupted and sophisticated it For some years before he began to make large Notes and Observations upon the Writings of the Fathers and other Theological Authors beginning with those of the first Century and so going on with the rest as they occurred in order of time passing his judgment on their Works and divers Passages in them which were genuine which spurious or forged or else ascribed to wrong Authors So that in the space of about eighteen or nineteen years in which he made it his chief study he had read over all the Greek and Latin Fathers as also most of the considerable School-men and Divines from the first to the thirteenth Century So he was now well able to judge whether the passages quoted by our adversaries were truly cited or not or
that Government as well Ecclesiastical as Civil We have taken in special consideration the growth and increase of the Romish Faction there and cannot but from thence collect That the Clergy of that Church are not so careful as they ought to be either of God's Service or the honour of themselves and their Profession in removing all pretences of Scandal in their lives and conversation wherefore as We have by all means endeavoured to provide for them a competency of maintenance so We shall expect hereafter on their part a reciprocal diligence both by their Teaching and Example to win that Ignorant and Superstitious People to joyn with them in the true Worship of God And for that purpose We have thought fit by these Our Letters not only to excite your care of these things according to your Duty and dignity of your Place in that Church but further to Authorize you in Our Name to give by your Letters to the several Bishops in your Province a special charge requiring them to give notice to their Clergy under them in their Diocesses respectively That all of them be careful to do their Duty by Preaching and Catechising in the Parishes committed to their charge And that they live answerable to the Doctrine which they Preach to the People And further We Will that in Our Name you write to every Bishop within your Province That none of them presume to hold with their Bishopricks any Benefice or other Ecclesiastical dignity whatsoever in their own hands or to their own use save only such as We have given leave under Our Broad Seal of that Our Kingdom to hold in Commendam And of this We require you to be very careful because there is a complaint brought to the said Lords Committees for Irish Affairs That some Bishops there when Livings fall void in their Gift do either not dispose them so soon as they ought but keep the profits in their own hands to the hinderance of God's Service and great offence of good People or else they give them to young and mean men which only bear the Name reserving the greatest part of the Benefice to themselves by which means that Church must needs be very ill and weakly served of which abuses and the like if any shall be practised We require you to take special care for present redress of them and shall expect from you such account of your endeavours herein as may discharge you not to Us only but to God whose honour and service it concerns Given under Our Signet at Our Palace atWestminster the twelfth of April in the Sixth year of Our Reign By which Letter it is manifest how highly his Majesty was offended at the increase of the Popish party in that Kingdom and therefore would have all diligence used to prevent it as also other abuses reformed which had it seems crept in by degrees amongst the Protestant Clergy there But how little his Majesty liked the Romish Religion the Lord Primate was before very well satisfied by this Memorandum which I have of his own hand writing in a Book of his viz. The King once at White-Hall in the presence of George Duke of Buckingham of his own accord said to me That he never loved Popery in all his life But that he never detested it before his going into Spain But to return to the matter in hand the Lord Primate in pursuance of his Majestie 's Command which so fully agreed with his own desires set himself diligently to put in execution what had been committed to his care as well for the good of the Church as his Majestie 's Service He therefore endeavoured to reform first those disorders which had been complained of in his own Province and which had been in good measure rectified already as has been already mentioned and in the next place he made it his business to reclaim those deluded People who had been bred up in that Religion from their infancy for which end he began to converse more frequently and familiarly with the Gentry and Nobility of that perswasion as also with divers of the Inferior sort that dwelt near him inviting them often to his House and discoursing with them with great mildness of the chief Tenets of their Religion by which gentle usage he was strangely successful convincing many of them of their Errors and bringing them to the knowledge of the Truth And he also advised the Bishops and Clergy of his Province to deal with the Popish Recusants in their several Diocesses and Cures after the same manner that if possible they might make them understand their Errors and the danger in which they were which way in a Country where there are no Penal Laws to restrain the publick Profession of that Religion was the best if not the only means which could be used Nor was his care confined only to the conversion of the ignorant Irish Papists but he also endeavoured the reduction of the Scotch and English Sectaries to the bosom of the Church as it was by Law established conferring and arguing with divers of them as well Ministers as Lay-men and shewing them the weakness of those Scruples and Objections they had against their joyning with the publick Service of the Church and submitting to its Government and Discipline and indeed the Lord Primate was now so taken up in Conferences with all sorts of Persons or in answering Letters from Learned men abroad or else such as applied themselves to him for his judgment in difficult points in Divinity or resolutions in Cases of Conscience that whoever shall consider this as also his many Civil and Ecclesiastical Functions together with the constant course of his Studies must acknowledge that none but one of his large capacity and who made a constant good use of his time could ever be sufficient for so many and so different imployments About the end of this year I find the Arch-Bishop was in England by his publishing and printing at London a small Treatise of the Religion Anciently professed by the Irish which comprehends also the Northern Scots and Britains which he writ in English to satisfie the Gentry and better sort of People that the Religion professed by the Ancient Bishops Priests Monks and other Christians of these Kingdoms was the very same in the most material Points with that which is now maintained by publick Authority against those novel and foreign Doctrines introduced by the Bishop of Rome in latter times The next year Anno 1632. the Lord Primate after his return into Ireland published his Veterum Epistolarum Hybernicarum Sylloge containing a choice Collection of Letters out of several Ancient Manuscripts and other Authors partly from and partly to Ancient Irish Bishops and Monks Commencing about the year of our Lord 592. to the year 1180. concerning the Affairs of the Irish Church in those times which abundantly shew the great esteem the Learning and Piety of the Bishops and Clergy of that Church had then both at Rome France
Church may still either by preaching or writing maintain any point of Doctrine contained in those Articles without being either Heterodox or Irregular It was likewise reported and has been since written by some with the like truth that the Lord Primate should have some dispute with Dr. Bramhall then Bishop of London-Derry concerning these Articles Whereas the contest between the Lord Primate and that Bishop was not about the Articles but the Book of Canons which were then to be established for the Church of Ireland and which the Bishop of Derry would have to be passed in the very same form and words with those in England which the Lord Primate with divers other of the Bishops opposed as somewhat prejudicial to the Liberties of the Church of Ireland and they so far prevailed herein that it was at last concluded That the Church of Ireland should not be tyed to that Book but that such Canons should be selected out of the same and such others added thereunto as the present Convocation should judge fit for the Government of that Church which was accordingly performed as any man may see that will take the pains to compare the two Books of the English and Irish Canons together And what the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury's judgment was on this affair you may see in a Letter of his to the Lord Primate published in this Collection About the end of this year the Lord Primate published his Anno 1639 long expected work entitled Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates In which also is inserted a History of Pelagius and his Heresie which Work I suppose my Lord kept so long unpublished because he still found fresh matter to add to it as you may see by the many Additions and Emendations at the latter end of it and as it was long in coming out so it did fully answer expectation when it came abroad into the World being the most exact account that ever yet was given of the British Church beginning with the earliest notices we can find in Ancient Authors of any credit concerning the first planting of Christianity in these Islands within twenty years after our Saviour's Crucifixion and bringing it down with the Succession of Bishops as far as they could be retreived not only in our Britain but in Ireland also as far as towards the end of the VII Century collected out of the best Authors either Printed or Manuscript and is so great a Treasure of this kind of Learning that all that have writ since with any success on this subject must own themselves beholding to him for his elaborate Collections The Lord Primate having now sate Arch-Bishop sixteen years Anno 1640 with great satisfaction and benefit to the Church about the beginning of this year came into England with his Wife and Family intending to stay here a year or two about his private Affairs and then to return again But it pleased God to disappoint him in those resolutions for he never saw his native Country again not long after his coming to London when he had kissed his Majesty's hand and been received by him with his wonted favour he went to Oxford as well to be absent from those heats and differences which then happened in that short Parliament as also with greater freedom to pursue his Studies in the Libraries there where he was accommodated with Lodgings in Christ-Church by Dr. Morice Canon of that House and Hebrew Professor and whilst he was there he conversed with the most Learned Persons in that famous University who used him with all due respect whilst he continued with them so after he had resided there some time he returned again to London where after the sitting of that long and unhappy Parliament he made it his business as well by preaching as writing to exhort them to Loyalty and Obedience to their Prince endeavouring to the utmost of his power to heal up those breaches and reconcile those differences that were ready to break out both in Church and State though it did not meet with that success he always desired This year there was published at Oxford among divers other Treatises of Bishop Andrews Mr. Hooker and other Learned men Anno 1641 concerning Church Government the Lord Primate's Original of Bishops and Metropolitans wherein he proves from Scripture as also the most Ancient Writings and Monuments of the Church that they owe their original to no less Authority than that of the Apostles and that they are the Stars in the right hand of Christ Apoc. 2. So that there was never any Christian Church founded in the Primitive Times without Bishops which discourse was not then nor I suppose ever will be answered by those of a contrary judgment That unhappy dispute between his Majesty and the two Houses concerning his passing the Bill for the Earl of Strafford's Attainder now arising and he much perplexed and divided between the clamour of a discontented People and an unsatisfied Conscience thought fit to advise with some of his Bishops what they thought he ought to do in point of Conscience as he had before consulted his Judges in matter of Law among which his Majesty thought fit to make choice of the Lord Primate for one though without his seeking or knowledge but since some men either out of spleen or because they would not retract what they had once written from vulgar report have thought fit to publish as if the Lord Primate should advise the King to sign the Bill for the said Earl's Attainder it will not be amiss to give you here that relation which Dr. Bernard had under his own hand and has printed in the Funeral Sermon by him published which is as followeth That Sunday morning wherein the King consulted with the four Bishops of London Durham Lincoln and Carlisle the Arch-Bishop of Armagh was not present being then preaching as he then accustomed every Sunday to do in the Church of Covent-Garden where a Message coming unto him from his Majesty he descended from the Pulpit and told him that brought it he was then as he saw imployed about God's business which as soon as he had done he would attend upon the King to understand his pleasure But the King spending the whole Afternoon in the serious debate of the Lord Strafford's Case with the Lords of his Council and the Judges of the Land he could not before Evening be admitted to his Majesty's presence There the Question was again agitated Whether the King in justice might pass the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford for that he might shew mercy to him was no question at all no man doubting but that the King without any Scruple of Conscience might have granted him a Pardon if other reasons of State in which the Bishops were made neither Judges nor Advisers did not hinder him The whole result therefore of the determination of the Bishops was to this effect That therein the matter of Fact and matter of Law were to be distinguished That of the
and his Epistle to Lud. Capellus concerning the various readings of the Hebrew Text speak him a great Critick in the Greek and Hebrew Tongues and his Annals of the Old and New Testament do shew how great a Master he was in all the Ancient Authors both Sacred and Prophane besides several other smaller Treatises as well in Latin as English viz. Of the Macedonian Year the Geographical Description of the lesser Asia c. each of which shew his great skill either in Astronomy ancient Geography or the Civil Laws of the Roman Empire besides divers other smaller Works of his too many to be here particularly inserted and therefore I shall refer the Reader to the Catalogue added at the end of this Account Yet must I not omit particularly to take notice of two excellent Posthumous Treatises of his which have not been yet mentioned as being published since his death the first is that of the Power of the Prince and Obedience of the Subject which was written by the King's Command during the late Wars but forborn then to be published because the corruption of those Times still growing worse and worse would not bear this sound Doctrine nor did he think it proper to do it in the short time of that Usurper lest he or others might have interpreted it to his advantage but not long after his late Majesty's happy Restauration it was Published and Dedicated to him by the Lord Primate's Grandson James Tyrrel with an excellent Preface written by that learned and good Bishop Sanderson in which he has given as true a Character of the Author as of the work it self in which he says with a great deal of truth That there is nothing which can be brought either from the Holy Scriptures Fathers Philosophers common Reason and the Laws and Statutes of this Realm to prove it altogether unlawful for Subjects to take up Arms against their Sovereign Prince but is there made use of with the greatest advantage The other Treatise is written in Latin entitled Chronologia Sacra which the Lord Primate never lived to finish but was as much of it as could be found though somewhat imperfectly published by the Learned and Reverend Dr. Barlow now Lord Bishop of Lincoln The occasion and design of this Treatise was to prove the Foundations of the accounts of time in his Annals and that his Chronological Calculations made use of in that work agreed with the accounts laid down in the Scriptures and Prophane Authors which could not be done in the Annals themselves without interrupting the Series of the Work In this he hath solved several difficulties relating to the History and Chronology of the Bible he began with the Creation though the first Chapter is lost being not to be found among his Papers yet in the next he gives an exact account of the differences between the Jewish Samaritan and Greek Calculations from the Creation to the Birth of Abraham which he carried on as far as the time of the Judges but was then interrupted by death Yet he had before happily perfected the account of the Reigns and Synchronisms of the Kings of Judah and Israel from Saul to the Babylonish Captivity which being more perfect than the other part was thought fit by the Printer or Publisher to be set before it though it be indeed contrary to the order of time It was great pity that my Lord did not live to finish this work which would have been of excellent use for the clearing of many difficulties and reconciling the differences between the Sacred and Prophane Chronology and History I may here likewise take notice of those many Volumes of his Collections and several of them all of his own hand on particular subjects both Theological Philological and Historical most of them extracted out of several Manuscripts in the Libraries of the Universities Cathedrals and private mens Studies there being scarce a choice Book or Manuscript in any of them but was known to him nor was he conversant in the Libraries of our own Nation alone but also knew most of the choice pieces in the Vatican Escurial and Imperial Library at Vienna as likewise in that of the King of France of Thuanus at Paris and Erpenius in Holland as still appears by the Catalogues he had procured of them divers of which I have now in my Custody and out of which Libraries he at his great cost procured divers Copies for his own use which made the most considerable Ornament of his Study But to return to his own Collections above mentioned which were the Store-Houses and Repositories from whence he furnished himself with materials for the writing of so many learned Treatises and out of which might be gathered matter towards the performing much more in the same kind though divers Volumes of them were borrowed by Dr. Bernard and never restored by him as I have already said Yet those that remain are thought very considerable by the several Learned men who have perused them and in particular the late judicious Lord Chief Justice Hale having borrowed several of them did out of them Transcribe those four Volumes which he bequeaths in his Will to the Library at Lincolns-Inn among divers other Manuscripts of his by the name of His Extracts out of the Lord Primate's Collections And for the satisfaction of the Reader I shall give you the Heads and Subjects of some of the most considerable of them at the end of this account So that the Lord Primate was like the wise Housholder in the Gospel who brought out of his Treasure things New and Old And a Learned man of this Nation compared the Arch-Bishop of Armagh not only to a careful Surveyor who collects all sorts of materials for his building before he begins his work but also to a skilful Architect who knew Artificially how to frame and put together the materials before Collected till they became one strong entire and uniform Structure Nor does any thing more express the great strength of the Lord Primate's memory than those Collections which though promiscuously gathered by way of Adversaria according as those Subjects offered themselves yet could he as readily call to mind and find out any particular in them which he had occasion to make use of as if they had been digested in the more exact method of a Common-place-Book So that he certainly deserved a much higher Character than that Dr. Heylin Sarcastically puts upon him Of a walking Concordance and living Library as if he had been only an Index for such wise men as himself to make use of but greater Scholars than he had far higher and more Reverend thoughts of him there being scarce a Learned Writer of this present Age who does not mention his great Piety Learning and Judgment with honour and veneration I had once collected a great many Elogies of this kind from the Writings of divers considerable Authors but since I find that done already by others and that it would swell this work
Parts wherein was certified of them ducentis abhinc annis ex regione Pedemontanâ profectos in provinciae partemillam commigrasse c. as may be seen in Crispin lib. 3 o Actionum Moniment Martyrum Thuanus hath here 300 Years but 200 of these times they were persecuted under the Name of the Beghardi I alledge the Testimony of Matthias Parisiensis who lived in Bohemia about the year 1390. Qui alienant se strenuè saith he in lib. de Sacerdotum Monachorum spiritualium abominatione Cap. 30. ab exercitio tulium à contubernio propter Domini Jesu timorem amorem mox à vulgo Christiano hujus mundi conviciantur confunduntur nota pessima singularitatum vel Hoeresum criminantur propter quod tales homines devoti qui similia vulgo profano non agunt Bechardi vel Turspinii lego Turebipini aut aliis nominibus blasphemis communiter jam nominantur quod figuratum est in illis primis in Babylone quibus alia nomina impofuerunt quà m habuerunt in terra Israel There cometh also unto my mind another place which is not common touching the Beghardi and Fratricelli out of the Book de squaloribus Romanae Curiae written by Matthew de Cracovia who was Bishop of Worms ab anno 1405 ad 1410. Thus he there complaineth Vadunt Beckardi Fratricelli Sectuarii suspectissimi de hoerefi clero infestissimi erectis capitibus absque ullo timore in urbe et seducunt liberè quotquot possunt And mark that this fell upon the time of Pope Gregory the XII who usually did send his Letters to the Princes and Bishops of Christendom per Lollardos seu Beguardos ad quos semper videbatur ejus affectio specialitèr inclinari As is affirmed by Theodoricus à Niem lib. 3. de Schism cap. 6. Whereby we see what Rest and Boldness the same Professors got by the great Schism in the Papacy agreeable to that which Wickliff writeth lib. 3. de Sermone Domini in monte You see when I begin I know not how to make an end and therefore that I prove not too tedious I will abruptly break off desiring you to remember in prayers Your most Assured Loving Friend and Brother James Usher Dublin Aug. 16. 1619. LETTER XXXIX A Letter of Dr. James Usher 's afterwards Arch-Bishop of Armagh Sir YOU hear I doubt not ere this of the lamentable news out of Bohemia how it pleased God on the 29th of October last to give victory to the Emperor's Army against the King of Bohemia His whole Army was routed 3000 flain on the ground others taken Prisoners who have yielded to save their lives to serve against him Himself and the chief Commanders fled with 2000 Horse came to Prague took away the poor Queen being with Child and some of his Councellors with such things as in that hast could be carried away and so left that Town it not being to be held and withdrew himself into Silesia where he hath another Army as also in Moravia though not without an Enemy there invading also How those of the Religion in Bohemia are like to be dealt with you may imagine and what other evil effects will follow God knoweth if he in mercy stay not the fury of the Enemy who in all likelihood intendeth to prosecute the Victory to the uttermost Spinola also prevaileth still in the Palatinate one Town or two more with two or three little Castles he hath gained and now we hear that a Cessation of Arms is on either side agreed upon for the space of five months The Spaniard hath made himself Master of the Passage betwixt Italy and Germany by getting Voltelina where he hath put down five Protestant Churches and Erected Idolatry in their places He hath so corrupted many among the Switzers as they cannot resolve on any good course how to help the mischief or how to prevent the further increasing of it The French that should protect them are Hispaniolized The Germans have their hands full at home And the Venetians that would dare not alone enter into the business And now newly while I am writing this addition we are certified here that the King of Bohemia hath quit Moravia and Silesia seeing all things there desperate and hath withdrawn himself unto Brandenburgh God grant we may lay this seriously to heart otherwise I fear the judgment that hath begun there will end heavily upon us and if all things deceive me not it is even now marching toward us with a swift pace And so much touching the Affairs of Germany which you desired me to impart unto you whether they were good or evil Concerning Mr. Southwick's departure although not only you but divers others also have advertised me yet I cannot as yet be perswaded that it is intended by him for both himself in his last Letter unto me and his Wife here no longer than yesterday hath signified unto me the plain contrary Your Son Downing wisheth the place unto Mr. Ward your neighbour Mr. Johnson unto Mr. Cook of Gawran and others unto one Mr. Neyle who hath lately preached there with good liking as I hear The last of these I know not with the first I have dealt and am able to draw him over into Ireland Your assured loving Friend James Usher 1619. LETTER XL. A Letter from Mr. Edward Browncker to the Right Reverend James Usher Lord Bishop of Meath SIR I Marvel much at the Deputy's exceptions he discovers a great deal of unworthy suspicion What answer I have made unto him you may here see I doubt not but he will rest satisfied with it unless he hath resolved to do me open wrong You may seal it up with any but your own Seal I pray you lend me your best furtherance it shall not go unacknowledged howsoever I speed As for the Manuscripts you desire to hear of neither one nor the other is to be found It is true according unto Dr. James his Catalogue there was one Gildas in Merton Colledge Library but he was Gildas Sapiens not Gildas Albanius whom Pitts says was the Author of the Book entituled De Victoria Aurelii Ambrosii neither is that Gildas Sapiens now to be seen in Merton Colledge he hath been cut out of the Book whereunto he was annexed Yet there is one in our Publick Library who writes a story De Gestis Britannorum in whom I find mention of King Lucius his Baptism His words be these Post 164 annos post adventum Christi Lucius Britannicus Rex cum Universis Regulis totius Britaniae Baptismum susceperunt missa legatione ab Imperatore Papa Romano Evaristo As for the Orations of Richard Fleming there be no such to be heard of in Lincoln Colledge Library Neither can I find or learn that the Junior Proctor's Book relates any passage of the Conversion of the Britains If you have any thing else to be search'd for I pray make no scruple of using me further So wishing you comfort in your
Consecrated and thereupon desire Justice I shall be ready to shew reason and yield account of my Opinion as well in the King's Courts as in Theological Schools For to pass the general words of his grant cum omnibus Jurisdictionibus which grant him Jus ad rem but not in re The Statute of 2 Eliz. cap. 1. expresly forbiddeth all that shall be preferred to take upon them receive use exercise any Bishoprick c. before he hath taken the corporal Oath of the King's Supremacy before such person as hath Authority to admit him to his Bishoprick As for the Statute of Conferring and Consecrating Bishops within this Realm I find not the words you have written viz. That he which hath the King's Letters Patents for a Bishoprick is put in the same state as if he were Canonically elected and confirmed But that his Majesties Collation shall be to the same effect as if the Conge delire had been given the election duly made and the same election confirmed for the Dean and Chapters election in England is not good until the King have confirmed by his Royal assent then it followeth in the Statute upon that collation the person may be consecrated c. Afterward in the same Statute it is further enacted That every person hereafter conferred invested and consecrated c. shall be obeyed c. and do and execute in every thing and things touching the same as any Bishop of this Realm without offending of the Prerogatives Royal. Now by an argument à contrario sensu it appeareth that it is not I which stand against his Majesties Prerogative but they which exercise Jurisdiction without the form prescribed in these Statutes Confider again how impertinent the opinion of Canonists is in this case where the King's collation is aequivalent to a Canonical Election and Confirmation The Confirmation which the Canonists speak of is from the Pope not from the Prince Gregoriana constitutione in Lugdunensi Consilio cautum est Electum infra tres menses post consensum suum electioni proestitum si nullum justum impedimentum obstat confirmationem à superiore Proelato petere debere alioqui trimestri spatio elapso electionem esse penitus irritandam When the See of Armagh falleth void the Dean and Chapter have Authority by the Canons to exercise Jurisdiction which the Bishop elect hath not until he be consecrated as you may read in Mason's Book and elsewhere and so it is practised in England Behold the cause which maketh the Dean capable namely the Authority Canons and Custom of the Church So is not the Bishop elect warranted and standeth still in the quality of a simple Presbyter until he be further advanced by the Church When Jo. Forth shall bring his Libel I will do the part which belongeth to me In the mean time I commend you to God and rest Your Lordships very loving Friend Armagh 13 July 1621. LETTER XLIII A Letter from Mr. Thomas Gataker to the Right Reverend James Usher Lord Bishop of Meath Right Reverend MY duty to your Lordship remembred This Messenger so fitly offering himself unto me albeit it were the Sabbath Even and I cast behind hand in my studies by absence from home yet I could not but in a line or two salute your Lordship and thereby signifie my continued and deserved remembrance of you and hearty desire of your welfare By this time I presume your Lordship in setled in your weighty charge of Over-sight wherein I beseech the Lord in mercy to bless your Labours and Endeavours to the glory of his own Name and the good of his Church never more in our times oppugned and opposed by mighty and malitious Adversaries both at home and abroad never in foreign Parts generally more distracted and distressed than at the present Out of France daily news of Murthers and Massacres Cities and Towns taken and all sorts put to the Sword Nor are those few that stand out yet likely to hold long against the power of so great a Prince having no succours from without In the Palatinate likewise all is reported to go to ruine Nor do the Hollanders sit for ought I see any surer the rather for that the Coals that have here been heretofore kindled against them about Transportation of Coin and the Fine imposed for it the Quarrels of the East-Indies the Command of the Narrow Seas the Interrupting of the Trade into Flanders c. are daily more and more blown upon and fire beginneth to break out which I pray God do not burn up both them and us too I doubt not worthy Sir but you see as well yea much better I suppose than my self and many others as being able further to pierce into the state of the times and the consequents of these things what need the forlorn flock of Christ hath of hearts and hands to help to repair her ruines and to fence that part of the Fold that as yet is not so openly broken in upon against the Incursions of such ravenous Wolves as having prevailed so freely against the other parts will not in likelihood leave it also unassaulted as also what need she hath if ever of Prayers and Tears her ancient principal Armor unto him who hath the hearts and hands of all men in his hand and whose help our only hope as things now stand is oft-times then most present when all humane helps and hopes do fail But these lamentable occurrents carry me further than I had purposed when I put Pen to Paper I shall be right glad to hear of your Lordship's health and welfare which the Lord vouchsafe to continue gladder to see the remainder of your former learned and laborious Work abroad The Lord bless and protect you And thus ready to do your Lordship any service I may in these parts I rest Your Lordships to be commanded in the Lord Thomas Gataker Rothtrith Sept. 19. 1621. LETTER XLIV A Letter from Sir William Boswel to the Right Reverend James Usher Lord Bishop of Meath My very good Lord IF your Lordship hath forgotten my name I shall account my self very unhappy therein yet justly rewarded for my long silence the cause whereof hath especially been my continual absence almost for these last eight years from my native Country where now returning and disposed to rest I would not omit the performance of this duty unto your Lordship hoping that the renewing of my ancient respects will be entertained by your Lordship as I have seen an old Friend or Servant who arriving suddenly and unexpected hath been better welcomed than if he had kept a set and frequent course of visiting and attendance With this representing of my service I presume your Lordship will not dislike that I recommend my especial kind friend Dr. Price one of his Majesties Commissioners for that Kingdom and for his Learning Wisdom and other Merits which your Lordship will find in him truly deserving your Lordships good affection The most current news I can signifie to
which I told your Lordship of whereof I would have had this but an Appendix We have had this Week a gracious Letter from his Majesty much approving the Choice of our Chancellor And another from our Chancellor To both which Answers are returned by our University God dispose of all to good Our Chancellor seemeth to be forward for the erecting a Library here I have not spoken with Mr. Boyse as yet nor do I hear that Mr. Chaunty is come home I would be sorry your Lordship should so soon leave us I will still hope of your longer continuance Howsoever when you leave us I will accompany you and all yours with my best Devotions for your safe Journey and Arrival at your home And so commend you and Mrs. Usher to the gracious Protection of the highest Majesty Your Lordship 's in all observance Samuel Ward Sidney-Coll June 10th 1626. LETTER XCVIII A Letter from the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh to Dr. Samuel Ward SIR I Have received from you the divers readings of the continuation of Eusebius's Chronicle and your Concio ad Clerum for which I heartily thank you Your Gratia Discriminans I doubt not will settle many Mens minds in those dubious Times to which I wish that the other things which you intended had been added especially those places which you observed out of St. Augustin against falling from Grace But of this Argument I earnestly beseech you to take special care as soon as your Commencement Businesses are past over and when you have put your Notes together I pray you make me so happy as to have a Copy of them Neque enim mihi gratior ulla est Quam sibi quae Wardi praefixit pagina nomen The suddain Dissolution of the Parliament hath amazed us all Mens hearts failing them for fear and for looking on those things which are coming on the Land The Lord prepare us for the Day of our Visitation and then let his blessed Will be done There is a Proclamation to be presently set out for the stopping of those Contentions in Points of Religion I have dealt with your Chancellor very effectually for the erecting of your Library to which he is of himself exceeding forward I have procured him to send unto Leyden for all the printed Hebrew Books of Erpenius his Library which together with his Manuscripts which he hath already he purposeth to bestow upon your University I have also perswaded him to send thither for the Matrices of the Syriack Arabick Aethiopick and Samaritan Letters and to bestow them like wise upon you Mr. White hath sent up unto me the Variae Lectiones of the Psalms accompanied with a very kind Letter I pray you tell him from me that I will keep them by me as a perpetual testimony of his love and respect to me whereof he shall find that I will not be unmindful whensoever either himself or any of his shall have occasion to use me Nicetus his Orthodaxus Thesaurus I have not seen in Greek the Latin I have in Ireland but whether it be inserted into Bibliotheca Patrum I cannot tell the Book being not now by me That Gregory Nyssen's Catechetical Oration hath been evil handled and interpolated by Hereticks I think is somewhere observed by Nicephorus himself see his Ecel Elist lib. 11. cap. 19. yet that Discourse of the Eucharist if my Memory fail me not is inserted by Cuthimius in his Panoplia And I have seen it my self in two ancient Greek Manuscripts of Gregory Nyssen with Mr. Patrick Toung the one whereof was Mr. Caâ—sabon's the other of Metrophanes the Grecian which you may do well to see collated with the printed Spalatensis also I think suspecteth this place of Forgery In Sir Rob. Cotton's Library there be four several Saxon Annals and one written both in the Saxon and in the Latin Tongue In Benet-Colledg Library likewise Vol. 269. there is another ancient Saxon Annal. I should have gone from hence at the time I wrote unto you of but since that time I received a Letter from the Lord Chamberlain signifying the King's Pleasure that I should preach at Court the 25th of this Month which hath caused me to put off my Journey until the end of the Term. So with the remembrance of my best wishes to you I rest Your most assured Ja. Armachanus Lond. Jun. 16. 1626. LETTER XCIX A Letter from the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh to Dr. Samuel Ward Salutem in Christo Jesu SIR SInce I wrote unto you last I have received intelligence from Leyden that all Erpenius's printed Books are already sold and his Matrices of the Oriental Tongues are bought by Elzevir the Printer there so that now you must content your selves with his Manuscripts only which are a very rare Treasure indeed and for which your University shall rest much beholden unto your Chancellor I my self have now received out of Mesopotamia an old Manuscript of that Syrian Translation of the Pentateuch out of the Hebrew the same which St. Basil citeth in his Hexameron which I make very great account of The Patriarch of the Jacobites in those parts who sent this promiseth also to send the rest of the Old Testament e're long in the mean time I have received the Parcels of the New Testament which hitherto we have wanted in that Language viz. the History of the Adulterous Woman the 2d Epistle of Peter the 2d and 3d Epistles of St. John the Epistle of Jude and the Revelation as also a small Tractate of Ephram Syrus in his own Language Elmenhorst is dead but I will do my best to hearken after his Copy of the Acts of the Council of Calcedon at Hamburg I will also speak with Mr. Patrick Young for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 37th Chapter of Greg. Nyssen's Catechet as soon as I can meet with him The place of Nyssen doth not trouble you more than a like one of Chrysostom hath done me viz. Sermone quinto de Poenitentiâ Tom. 6. edit Savil. pag. 791. which in the Latin Tomes is Homil. de Eucharistiâ in Eucaeniis where I would willingly understand what the meaning of his Similitude is and of that Mysteria consumi Corporis substantiâ There is another place likewise of Chrysostom cited by Bellarmin in his Apology Ex Hom. 3. in 2 Thess. Jubebit seipsum pro Deo coli at in Templo Collocari non Hierosolymitano solum sed etiam Ecclesiis where my Lord of Winchester telleth the. Cardinal that the word tantum is not in the Greek I pray you see in Commelinus's Edition or that of Verona for Sir H. Savil's is otherwise Tom. 4. pag. 232. Your Assured Friend J. Arm. London June 23. 1626. LETTER C. A Letter from Dr. Ward to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh Most Reverend and my very good Lord I Received your Lordships last Letter of the 23 d of this month and do perceive thereby that Erpenius's printed
that is for David which the kind of the Psalm argueth for it is a supplication of the Church in the behalf of their King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 1. in initio Psalmi in fine he closeth it up simili sono 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Rabbi Elias Levita Germanus in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chapter of the office of the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath three offices 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 donativum Dativi Casus signum to ut Gen. 32. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to my Lord to Esau. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Genitivum Genitivi Casus signum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Possessivum ut Psal. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 terra est Domino id est Domini So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Psalm to David that is of David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being understood 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est loco 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propter est accusativi casus signum for ut Exodus 14. 3. And Pharaoh said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propter filios Israel So Gen. 20. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say for me he is my Brother hitherto Elias I will add other places of mine own observation Psal. 119. vers 122. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be thy Servant's Surety for good not to good So Micah 1. 12. The Inhabitant of Maroth was sick for good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it had lost So Psal. 3. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no help for him in God So Psal. 7. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath prepared for him the Instruments of Death and Kimchy notes there that some expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 9. 24. Dan. 9. 24. Seventy Weeks are determined each one of them touching or concerning thy People R. Sagnadias Let us number and we shall know how many Years ten times seven do amount unto namely seventy Behold 70 Weeks are 490 Years abstract from them the 70 Years of the Captivity of Babel from the time that Nebuchadnezzar laid waste the Sanctuary unto the second Year of Darius and there remain 420 Years For so long the second House or Temple remained standing as if he should say seventy Years he hath decreed concerning thy People and concerning thy City Jerusalem the City of thy Holiness which shall hereafter be built up So thou hast learned that jointly with the Babylonish Captivity together with the standing of the second House are seventy Weeks which are 490 Years 70 of the Destruction and 420 of the Building Dan. 9. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to restrain or prohibite Defection or Rebellion which they had already made or committed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And to seal up that is read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to finish Sins of Error that is the blessed and holy One will finish erroneous Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And to expiate to make Reconciliation I expound it to cover the Iniquity of Israel that is of Solomon's Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to bring in Righteousness of Eternities This is the house of the Sanctuary as it is written 1 Kings 8. 13. a settled place for these to dwell in for ever Now the House of the Sanctuary is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Worlds In the World or Age of the first building and in the World or Age of the second building and in the World or Age of the third building which shall remain from Age to Age for ever Dan. 9. 24. And to seal up the Vision and prophecy for from the time that the second House was built there did not arise up any more a Prophet in Israel only they used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Echo or Voice from Heaven Dan. 9. 24. And to anoint the most holy For greater shall be the Glory of the Dignity of the second House than of the first as it 's written Great shall be the Glory of the latter House above the first And this that he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is of the signification of the Chaldee word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to anoint as that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to anoint them is interpreted in the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to anoint And some Expositors say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to anoint is to measure out the measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they interpret in the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a measuring according to the Sentence where it 's said A Like shall be stretched out over Jerusalem Dan. 9. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the going forth of the Commandment From the time that the word Went forth from the Presence of the Creator when the Decree was decreed to bring back the Captives from Babel and to build Jerusalem by the means of Cyrus Dan. 9. 25. To Christ the Prince until that King shall be anointed which is the Prince that must build up Jerusalem hitherto are seven Weeks seven Weeks I say are 49 Years from the time that the Creator preached the glad-tidings that Jerusalem should be built until the second year of Darius King of Persia. After that shall Jerusalem be built and shall stand built 420 years Behold 70 weeks wants 10 years and those 10 years Bither stood Now when they shall ascend up to Jerusalem the Street shall be built that is Jerusalem and the Streets thereof Dan. 9. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Wail it 's properly the Ditch cut out about the Wall the Ditches are the Villages of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem which are now cut off so that Men cannot pass over Dan. 9. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in the strait of Times They be the Courts of the Sanctuary the watches and the stations of the Priests and Levites as if he should say Jerusalem should be waste all these years Abben Ezra on Dan. 9. 24. 70 Weeks c. That eminent Doctor Sagnadiah saith that these weeks are years witness that which he saith afterwards cap. 10. 3. till three weeks of days that is years were fulfilled but he mentioneth not with the weeks 70 days For Behold they are like 7 Sabbaths of Years and right is the Interpretation for that half of the Week that he mentioneth is 1290 days as I will declare by perfect Demonstration only the Exposition of these 70 weeks are exceeding hard Moreover for that we know not whether these words to restrain Rebellion and to finish erroneous Sins be in laudem or vituperium For lo it 's semblable that from the word to cover Iniquity and to anoint the most holy that all this is in laudem in Commendation but these words to
seal Vision and Prophecy cannot be in Commendation Now seeing it 's so how can we order aright these words to restrain Rebellion and to end erroneous Sin that they should be in Commendation And so the like of those words to seal Vision and Prophecy But behold we find it written that the Iniquity of the Amorite was not perfectly filled up and those words are spoken in vituperium in the ill sense for the meaning is that hitherto the day of his Calamity and the final punishment of his Iniquity is not yet come as that place Greater is my Punishment than can be born and so that if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Punishment shall happen unto thee And so thy Iniquity is perfected and finished thy Punishment is ended and it is in the ill sense But the Replyer may answer that these words erroneous Sin and Trespass as also that word I beseech thee take away now c. are contrary to those words and her Iniquity is taken away But lo the whole shall be expounded according to the meaning of the place but these words to bring in eternal Righteousness do shew that they are in Commendation And the sense of to seal Vision is the understanding of the Prophets which have prophesied of the Subject of the second Temple And now I will tell the meaning of that eminent Gaon he saith That the exposition of the word went forth is That God had decreed that Jerusalem with the second Temple should he waste 490 Years which are the 70 Weeks Only thou hast erred in thine Account when the 70 Years were compleat and ended and they are but only seven Weeks which make 49 Years and thou needest not be curious to mention the Years for they were 51. And the meaning to Messias the Prince is Cyrus the King And he hath brought a Reason from the words of the Prophet Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus his Messias or anointed One whose right hand I have strengthned And the 62 Weeks are the Days i. e. Years of the second House But lae there is a difficulty for the Angel saith In the beginning of thy Supplications the Word went forth Again how can the Years of the Captivity be mingled with the Years of the second Temple Or how should we expound to restrain Rebellion and to finish Error Again what shall become of the Week that remains Of which he saith he will confirm the Covenant for many in one Week after the 62 Weeks and it were meet to mention that yet three Weeks do remain Moreover his proof that Cyrus is the Messias is not right for that to his Messias is as much as to his Prophet for so it is written for that that the Lord hath anointed me But before I speak my Opinion I will expound these words He will confirm the Covenant for many It is a thing manifestly known that Titus made a Covenant with Israel for seven years and that three years and an half the daily Sacrifice ceased before the destruction of the second Temple as it s written in the Book of Josephus Son of Goryon Dan. 9. 27. And he saith with the Wing of Abomination he shall make it desolate because the Abominations shall spoil the Sanctum Sanctorum or the Oracle after the number of years mentioned before when Jerusalem was taken And it is written in the 4th Prophecy And they polluted the Sanctuary of my Strength that was the day Jerusalem was taken in the time of Titus who had taken away the continual Sacrifice before and the abomination of Desolation was set up For so it is written And from the time that the daily Sacrifice was taken away and the desolating Abomination set up shall be 1290 days And they must needs expound Daniel how many compleat days are half a week because of the Leap Years so also by reason of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or half a week For it is not meet that half should be the whole neither more nor less as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 half-Tribe of Manasses and many such like Now know thou that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 days are always so taken for days and not for years Only it is meet that if it be said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 days that it should be a compleat year in the revolution of the days of the year as they were at first As that from days to days which are the days of a compleat year so that days shall be his Redemption that is in a year shall he be redeemed But when the number of two or three days shall be used within this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 days it cannot fitly be taken for years but for days as they are after the exposition of that place two days which were two compleat ones when the days returned as they were And so that until a month of dayes when the Moon shall be seen according to the form in which she was seen in the first day of Man's being Therefore have I said that 1290 days are that half of the week that he mentioneth And so that blessed is he that waiteth for that he may attain to those days as I will expound For in case they were years how could a Man wait or expect a 1000 years to come unto them And it is written the days of our years in them are 70 years And behold we find that Nehemiah saith That the City of the Sepulchres of my Fathers lieth wasted and the Gates thereof are burnt with Fire And it 's written Also me hath he commanded to be a Prince in the Land of Judah And it 's written of him He shall build up the Temple of the Lord and shall bear the Honour shall sit and reign upon his Throne So Jeremy prophesyeth of him A King shall reign and be wise And in Ezra it 's written concerning Nehemiah And thou shalt be to them for a King And now I will expound the 70 weeks The 70 weeks are from the going forth of the Word in the beginning of Daniel's Supplications To restrain Rebellion is like that The Iniquity of the Amorite is not yet perfect And to seal up Error is as that thy Iniquity is perfect and finished And to cover Iniquity to bear the Yoke of the Captivity to make reconciliation with our Fathers And to bring in till God shall judg them with Righteousness Or his Exposition is in dispraise For the coming of Righteousness is the setting of Righteousness as the going down of the Sun is the setting thereof Therefore it 's in dispraise For commendation is the contrary as that their Righteousness shall go forth like the Light And he shall bring forth thy Righteousness like light And this is that Arise O my Light for thy Light cometh For thy Light was set until now Dan. 9. 24. And to seal up the Vision and Prophecy because the Prophets shall cease And to seal the Messias the most Holy And behold
for to get a License of Mortmain for the holding of 240 Acres of Capite Land which a Gentleman would give to our Colledg but I find great difficulty in effecting it so as I fear me I must return re infectâ If you would be pleased to send Mr. Lively's Chronology I think Mr. Whalley would see to the publishing of it And thus with tender of my best Service and my best Wishes and Prayers for the happy success of your good Designs and prospering of all your Endeavours and for the publick Peace and Safety of both the Nations Yours and Ours in these tottering and troublesome Times I commend your Lordship and all yours to the gracious protection of the highest Majesty Your Lordship 's in all Service Samuel Ward London Feb. 13. 1626. LETTER CXVIII A Letter from the Right Honorable the Lord Deputy Falkland to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh My Lord YOur judicious apprehension of the Perils which threaten the Peace of this Kingdom which your dutiful consideration of the King's Wants through his other manifold Occasions of Expence together with your Zeal to his Service is clearly manifested by conforming your Tenants to the good Example of others to join with the rest of the Inhabitants in contributing to the relief of the new Supplies and other Souldiers sent hither for the publick Defence notwithstanding your Privileges of Exemption by Patent from such Taxes which I will take a fitting occasion to make known to his Majesty for your Honour And where your Lordship doth complain that other Country Charges are imposed upon your Tenants whereof you conceive they ought to be free by virtue of your Patent I can give no direct answer thereunto until I be informed from your Lordship of what Nature they be but do faithfully assure your Lordship that neither my Lord Chichester nor my Lord Grandison did ever shew more respect to your Predecessors than I will be ready to perform towards your Lordship as well in this your Demand as in all other things which lie in my Power not being prejudicial to the King's Service which I know is as much as your Lordship will ever desire and do pray your Lordship to send me a Copy of their Warrants for my information what hath been done in that behalf before my Time I have kept Sir Charles Cootes Company from that County as long as I could and will remove them thence as soon as I can conveniently But your Lordship may please to understand that by the earnest intercession of some well-willers to that County it hath been less burthened with Souldiers than any other within that Province saving only Fermannagh which is much smaller in scope than it And for the Distinction you desire to be made between your Town-Lands which you alleadg are generally less by one half than those that are held by others that Error cannot be reformed without a general admeasurement and valluation of the different Fertilities for we all know that a hundred Acres in a good Soil may be worth a thousand Acres of Lands that are mountainous and barren and therefore it will surely prove a Work of great difficulty and will require a long time to reduce it to any perfection so as it is best to observe the custom in usage until such a reformation shall be seriously debated and agreed upon For the Bridg to be built at Charlemount it was propounded to the Board by the Lord Caulfield he informing that the old one was so decayed that it could hardly last out another Year The usesul Consequence of that Bridg in time of War guarded by a strong Fort which Defence others want being well known to the Table did make it a short Debate every Man concurring in Opinion with an unanimous consent that it was most necessary for the King's Service that a substantial Bridg should be erected there with expedition Then the Question grew At whose Charge whether at the King 's or Countries Which upon mature debate was ordered that the Country should bear as well for that it is a place of equal conveniency with any other that is or can be made elsewhere for passage of the Inhabitants over that deep River in times of Peace as because they shall enjoy great security by their Neighbourhoods to that strong Fort of Charlemount in times of Combustion built and maintained without their Charge These Considerations did move us to give direction to certain of the Justices of Peace of each of these Counties of Tyrone and Armagh to view the place and treat with Workmen which they accordingly did Upon whose Certificate we gave Warrant to applot the same according to their Agreement with Workmen which I wish may be levied without opposition or interruption and do make it my request unto your Lordship to give way and furtherance thereunto for this Work tending so much to the Service of the King and Country which I shall take in very good part from your Lordship and you cannot want your Reward in Heaven for it it being a Work of that kind which is accounted pious And so I commit your Lorship to God's protection and rest Your Lordships very affectionate Friend Falkland Dublin-Castle March 15. 1626. I have given order for the preparing a Fyant for the passing of those Particulars your Lordship desired by Mr. Singe Falkland LETTER CXIX A Letter from the most Reverend George Abbot Arch-bishop of Canterbury to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh My very good Lord I Send unto you Mr. Sibbes who can best report what I have said unto him I hope that Colledg shall in him have a very good Master which hitherto it hath not had You shall make my excuse to the Fellows that I write not unto them You shall do well to pray to God that he will bless his Church but be not too sollicitous in that Matter which will fall of it self God Almighty being able and ready to support his own Cause But of all things take heed that you project no new ways for if they fail you shall bear a grievous Burthen If they prosper there shall be no Thanks to you Be patient and tarry the Lord's leasure And so commending me unto you and to the rest of your Brethren I leave you to the Almighty and remain Your Lordship's loving Brother G. Cant. Lambeth March 19. 1626. LETTER CXX A Letter from Mr. Thomas Davis to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh Most Reverend Sir MAY it please your Lordship to take a view of my Proceedings for the procuring of such Books you gave me order for such as I could get and have in readiness to be sent by our next Ships which may depart this Port about four months hence are certain Books and loose Papers in the Samaritan Tongue of what use or value I cannot learn The Old Testament in the Chaldean which after seventeen months time is written in a fair Character wanting only the Book
Consecration I must now humbly intreat your Grace to send me the Names and Values of all the Bishopricks and Deaneries in Ireland And what Bishopricks are joyned to others that I may be the better able to serve that Church being as yet one of the Committee And I pray excuse my not writing to Mr. Bedle for in truth I have not leisure So I leave you to the Grace of God and rest Your Grace's very loving Brother Guil. London June 16 1629. LETTER CXLIII A Letter from the Right Reverend W. Laud Bishop of London to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh at Armagh My very good Lord THE two Fellows of the Colledg of Dublin which are attendant here about the freedom of their Election were commanded by his Majesty to send to the Colledg there and to know whom they would pitch upon for their Governour And his Majesty was content upon the Reasons given by me and the Petition of the Fellows to leave them to freedom so they did chuse such a Man as would be serviceable to the Church and Him Upon this after some time they delivered to the King that they would choose or had chosen Dr. Usher a Man of your Grace's Name and Kindred His Majesty thereupon referred them to the Secretary the Lord Vicount Dorchester and my self to inform our selves of his Worth and Fitness My Lord proposed that they should think of another Man that was known unto us that we might the better deliver our Judgments to the King I was very sensible of your Lordship's Name in him and remembred what you had written to me in a former Letter concerning him and thereupon prevailed with his Majesty that I might write these Letters to you which are to let your Grace understand that his Majesty puts so great Confidence in your Integrity and readiness to do him Service that he hath referred this business to the Uprightness of your Judgment and will exercise his Power accordingly For thus he hath commanded me to write That your Grace should presently upon receipt of these Letters write back to me what your Knowledg and Judgment is of the worth and fitness of Dr. Usher for this place setting all Kindred and Affection aside And upon that Certificate of yours the King will leave them to all freedom of their choice or confirm it if it be made So wishing your Lordship all Health and Happiness I leave you to the Grace of God and shall ever rest Your Grace's very loving Friend and Brother Guil. London London House June 25. 1629. LETTER CXLIV A Letter from Dr. Bainbridg to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh My very good Lord THis Bearer's unexpected departure hath prevented my desire to discharge some part of those many Obligations wherein I am bound unto your Grace but assuring my self that your Grace will a little longer suspend your Censure I am bold to mediate for another Whereas our Turky Merchants trading at Aleppo being now destitute of a Minister have referr'd the choice of one unto your self may it please you to understand that there is one Mr. Johnson a Fellow of Magdalen-Colledg who hath spent some Years in the Oriental Languages and being desirous to improve his Knowledg therein is content to adventure himself in the voyage he would take the pains to preach once a week but not oftner being desirous to spend the rest of his time in perfecting his Languages and making such other Observations as may tend to the advancement of Learning If your Grace upon these terms please to recommend him to the Merchants I dare engage my Credit for his civil and sober Behaviour and his best Endeavours to do your Grace all respective Service I do not commend an indigent Fellow enforced to run a desperate hazard of his Fortunes but a learned Gentleman of fair hopes and presently well furnished with all things needful to a Scholar I suppose that Fetherstone did send you a Catalogue of Barroccins his Greek Manuscripts they be now Prisoners in our publick Library by the gift of one Chancellor and with them some few more given by Sir Tho. Rae amongst which there is as I take it a fair Copy in Arabick of the Apostles Canons If there be any thing in these Manuscripts which may give you content I shall with my hearty Prayers for your good Health endeavour to approve my self Your Graces most affectionate Servant John Bainbridge Oxon July 20 1629. LETTER CXLV A Letter from the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh to the Right Reverend W. Laud Bishop of London My very good Lord YOur Letters of the 25th of June I received the 8th day of August wherein I found contained a large Testimony as well of your special care of the welfare of our poor Colledg as of your tender respect unto my Name and Credit for which I must acknowledg my self to stand ever bound to perform all faithful Service unto your Lordship I have hereupon written unto the Fellows of the House that in making their Election they should follow their Consciences according to their Oaths without any by-respects whatsoever Dr. Usher is indeed my Cousin german but withal the Son of that Father at whose instance charge and travel the Charter of the Foundation of the Colledg was first obtained from Queen Elizabeth which peradventure may make him somewhat the more to be respected by that Society To his Learning Honesty and Conformity unto the Discipline of our Church no Man I suppose will take exception And of his Ability in Government he hath given some proof already while he was Vice-Provost in that House where his care in preventing the renewing of the Leases at that time was such that thereby we have been now enabled so to order the matter that within these six Years the Colledg-Rents shall be advanced well-nigh to the double value of that they have been Whereunto I will add thus much more that I know he sincerely intendeth the good of his Country meaneth to go on where Dr. Bedell hath left and in his proceedings will order himself wholly according as your Lordship shall be pleased to direct him Which if it may prove an inducement to move his Majesty to confirm his Election I shall hold my self strongly engaged thereby to have a special eye to the Government of that Colledg seeing the miscarriage of any thing therein cannot but in some sort reflect upon my self who would rather lose my Life than not answer the Trust reposed in me by my Soveraign In obedience unto whose sacred Directions and discharge of the Care committed unto me by his Letters of the 7th of November last the Copy whereof I send herewith I humbly make bold to represent this also unto your Lordship's Consideration whether if the Lord Bishop of Glogher shall be removed unto the Arch-bishoprick of Cashell the Dean of Raphoe may not be thought upon to succeed him in Glogher as being a very well deserying Man and one toward
the present than to keep the Courts my self and set some good Order in them And to this purpose I have been at Cavan Granard and Longford c. and do intend to go to the rest leaving with some of the Ministry there a few Rules touching those things that are to be redressed that if my Health do not permit me to be always present they may know how to proceed in mine absence I find it to be true that Tully faith Justitia mirifica quaedam res multitudini videtur and certainly to our proper Work a great advantage it is to obtain a good opinion of those we are to deal with But besides this there fall out occasions to speak of God and his Presence of the Religion of a Witness the Danger of an Oath the Purity of Marriage the preciousness of a good Name repairing of Churches and the like Penance it self may enjoined and Penitents reconciled with some profit to others besides themselves Wherefore albeit Mr. Cook were the justest Chancellor in this Kingdom I would think it fit for me as things now stand to sit in these Courts and sith I cannot be heard in the Pulpits to preach as I may in them albeit Innocency and Justice is also a real kind of preaching I have shewed your Grace my Intentions in this Matter Now should I require your direction in many things if I were present with you But for the present it may please you to understand that at Granard one Mr. Neugent a Nephew as I take it to my Lord of Westmeath delivered his Letter to Mr. Astre which he delivered me in open Court requiring that his Tenants might not be troubled for Christnings Marriages or Funerals so they pay the Minister his due This referred to a Letter of my Lord Chancellor's to the like purpose which yet was not delivered till the Court was risen I answered generally that none of my Lord's Tenants or others should be wronged The like Motion was made at Longford by two or three of the Farralls and one Mr. Faganah in Rosse to whom I gave the like answer and added that I would be strict in requiring them to bring their Children to be baptized and Marriages to be solemnized likewise with us sith they acknowleg these to be lawful and true so as it was but wilfulness if any forbear Here I desire your Grace to direct me for to give way that they should not be so much as called in question seems to further the Schism they labour to make To lay any pecuniary Mulct upon them as the value of a License for Marriage 3 or 4 s. for a Christening I know not by what Law it can be done To excommunicate them for not appearing or obeying they being already none of our Body and a multitude it is to no profit nay rather makes the Exacerbation worse Many things more I have to confer with your Grace about which I hope to do corà m as about the reedifying of Churches or employing the Mass-houses which now the State enquires of about Books Testaments and the Common-Prayer Book which being to be reprinted would perhaps be in some things bettered But specially about Men to use them and means to maintain them now that our English have engrossed their Livings About the printing the Psalter which I have caused to be diligently surveyed by Mr. James Nangle who adviseth not to meddle with the Verse but set forth only the Prose which he hath begun to write out fair to the Press Mr. Mortugh King I have not heard of a long time I hope he goeth on in the Historical Books of the Old Testament Mr. Crian was with me about a Fortnight after I came to Kilmore since I heard not of him Of all these things if by the will of God I may make a journey over to you we shall speak at fall As I was closing up these this Morning there is a Complaint brought me from Ardagh that where in a Cause Matrimonial in the Court at Longford a Woman had proceeded thus far as after Contestation the Husband was enjoined to appear the next Court to receive a Libel One Shane age in Ingerney the Popish Vicar-General of Ardagh had excommunicated her and she was by one Hubart in Cutril a Popish Priest upon Sunday lass put out of the Church and denounced excommunicate Herein whether it were more sit to proceed against the Vicar and Priest by virtue of the last Letters from the Council or complain to them I shall attend your Grace's advices And now for very shame ceasing to be troublesome I do recommend your Grace to the protection of our merciful Father and rest Your Graces in all Duty Will. Kilmore and Ardaghen Kilmore Feb. 15. 1629. LETTER CLIII A Letter from the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh to the Right Reverend William Bedell Bishop of Kilmore Salutem in Christo Jesu I Thank your Lordship for the great pains you have taken in writing so large a Letter unto me and especially for putting me in mind of that comfortable place of the Apostle which you mention in the beginning thereof But as for the matter of Merriment as you call it contained in your inclosed Recusation I confess my Ignorance to have been such that I understood not where the Jest lay Yet when I shewed it to those that had better skill in the Law than my self I saw that they did heartily laugh at it whose Reasons I had no list to examine but referred the scanning thereof to the Judex ad quem to whom the cognisance of this Matter now properly belongeth Most of the Slanders wherewith you were so much troubled I never heard of till you now mentioned them your self only the course which you took with the Papists was generally cried out against neither do I remember in all my life that any thing was done here by any of ours at which the Professors of the Gospel did take more offence or by which the Adversaries were more confirmed in their Superstitions and Idolatry Whereas I could wish that you had advised with your Brethren before you would adventure to pull down that which they have been so long a building so I may boldly aver that they have abused grosly both of us who reported unto you that I should give out that I found my self deceived in you What you did I know was done out of a good intention but I was assured that your Project would be so quickly refuted with the present Success and Egent that there would be no need that your Friends should advise you to desist from building such Castles in the Air. Of Mr. Whiskins Mr. Creighton and Mr. Bexter's preaching I heard not a word till now Would God that all the Lord's People might prophesy and there might be thousands of his faithful Servants that might go beyond me in doing our Master's Work the Spirit that it in me I trust shall never last after such enuy For your judging of Mr.
Quotis ad R. D. Tuam unà cum Eucharisticis missimus rectè redditas esse Ita nunc etiam pro novissimis duabus Quotis quae 185 libras Sterl 8 Solidos continuerunt hic nostrae Monetae florenos 1231 confecerunt Catalogum hisce adjunctum mittimus Ut hanc distributionem non minùs quà m priores duas fideliter à nobis factas esse inde constare possit In quem finem etiam Apocham pro acceptis pecuniis non tantùm à nobis collectae Administratoribus sed etiam ab aliis Primariis Viris subscriptam ad opt humaniss Virum Dom. Christianum Bor. Mercatorem Dublinensem missimus Habemus praeterea hîc ad manus diligenter asservamus singulorum Participantium Chirographa quibus se portiones in Catalogo assignatas accepisse attestantur Si fortè ad probandam Accepticum Expenso congruentiam iis aliquando opus sit Quod restat quod unum gratitudinis argumentum edere nunc possumus nos non tantùm pro salute incolumitate tuâ seduli ad DEUM precatores verùm etiam tuorum in nos meritorum laudumque tuarum grati buccinatores apud homines futuri sumus ita ut quocunque terrarum nostra nos fata deferent fidelem tui memoriam nobiscum simus ablaturi Bene vale Pater eximie venerande DOMINUS JESUS opus manuum tuarum confirmet ad nominis sui gloriam Ecclesiae suae incrementum Amen Norinburgae die xiii Septembris Anno Dei Hominis facti M. DC XXXI Reverendiss Dom. Tuam Subjectissimo Studio colentes Sacrae Collectae pro Exulib Archipalatinatus Superioris Administratores Fratrum omnium nomine Ambrosius Tolner quondam Pastor Ecclesiae Tursehennentensis Dioceseos Waldsassensis Inspector unde nunc exul in agro Norico suo Ln. Georgii Summeri nomine jam absentis Gebhardus Agricola Ecclesiae Aurbacensis quondam Pastor Inspector nunc in Marchionatum exulans c. Jonas Libingus Judex quondam Archipalatinus Caenobii Weisseno nunc in Exilio ad facrae Collectae negotia Deputatus Norimbergae LETTER CLXXII A Letter from the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh to the most Reverend William Laud Arch-bishop of Canterbury My most gracious Lord WHen I took Pen to write the first thing that presented it self to my thoughts was that saying in the Scripture Why are you the last to bring the King back to his House For methought I could not but be much blamed for coming thus late to congratulate both his Majesty's safe return and your own advancement joined therewith unto the highest place of Church-Preferment that is within his Highnesses Dominions Wherein I may truly say thus much for my self to begin withal that since the time I received the Letter you wrote unto me the day before you began your Journey for Scotland no day hath passed hitherto wherein I have not made particular mention of you in my Prayers unto Almighty God who hath graciously heard my Request and granted therein as much as my Heart could desire But thus in the mean time did the Case stand with me Upon the arrival of the Lord Deputy I found him very honourably affected toward me and very ready to further me as in other things that concerned the Church so particularly in that which did concern the settlement of the Lands belonging to the Arch-bishoprick of Armagh Wherefore not being willing to let slip so fair an opportunity I presently obtained a Commission for making an inquiry of all the Lands that remained in my quiet possession and took my Journey though in an unseasonable time of the Year into the Northern Parts of the Kingdom Where beside the speeding of the Offices that were taken in the three several Counties of Armagh Tirone and London-Derry there was offered the opportunity of solemnizing the translation of the Bishop of Raphae and a Consecration of the Bishop of Ardagh in the Cathedral Church of Armagh where no such Act had been before performed within the memory of any Man living And much about this time had we the News of your Grace's Election into that high Dignity which his Majesty hath called you unto for which as this poor Church in general so none more than my self in particular have great cause to rejoice God having no doubt given you such high favour in our Master's Eyes that you might be enabled thereby to do the more good unto his Church and especially to put a happy end to that great Work which hitherto hath received so many Impediments of setling the Reversion of the Impropriations of this Kingdom upon the several Incumbents Whereunto I assure my self your Grace will easily work my Lord Deputy who every day sheweth himself so zealous for the recovering of the dissipated Patrimony of the Church that mine Eyes never yet beheld his match in that kind By the death of your Predecessor our University of Dublin was left to seek a new Chancellor whom I advised to pitch upon no other but your self which they did with all readiness and alacrity If your Grace will design to receive that poor Society under the shadow of your Wings you shall put a further tie of observance not upon that only but upon me also who had my whole breeding there and obtained the honour of being the first Proctor that ever was there I am further intreated by our Lord Treasurer the Earl of Corke to certify my knowledg touching the placing of his Monument in the Cathedral Church of St. Patrick's in the Suburbs of Dublin The place wherein it is erected was an ancient Passage into a Chappel within that Church which hath time out of mind been stopped up with a Partition made of Boards and Lime I remember I was present when the Earl concluded with the Dean to allow thirty Pounds for the raising of another Partition betwixt this new Monument and the Quire wherein the Ten Commandments might be fairly written Which if it were put up I see not what offence could be taken at the Monument which otherwise cannot be denied to be a very great Ornament to the Church I have nothing at hand to present your Grace withal but this small Treatise written unto Pope Calixtus the 2d by one of your Predecessors touching the ancient Dignity of the See of Canterbury Which I beseech you to accept at the hands of Your Grace's most devoted Servant J. A. 1632. LETTER CLXXIII Another Letter to the same May it please your Grace UPon my return from my Northern Journey I wrote unto you by Sir Francis Cook declaring the cause of my long silence together with the extraordinary Zeal of our noble Lord Deputy I may justly term him a new Zerubbabel raised by God for the making up of the Ruins of this decayed Church who upon an occasion openly declared himself an opposite to the greatest of those that have devoured our holy Things and made the Patrimony of the Church the Inheritance of their Sons and Daughers I likewise made bold
duas Canonum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Johan Presbytero Antiocheno Scholastico attributas in quibus isti Canones Carthag neutiquam comparent Huic suae dubitationi tuum Responsum humillimè postulat Cl. Justellus ac insuper tui istius Codicis MS. Si is fortè tibi praesto est eundem communicare non gravaberis Usuram petit tantisper atque eundem ad te remittere incolumen in sese recipit Ego autem si apud te forem tanti memet tibi supplicem adjungerem illum uti tu digneris tuo velut Celeusmate accendere ad bonum opus tuisque eundem hypomnematibus in rem praesertim Britannicam ditare Vale Reverendissime in C. P. ac D. ignosce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed Ecclesiae vestratis Filio observantissimo atque propter eandem exulanti hîc etiamnum in Patriâ Datum Raptissime Lutetiae Parisiorum vi o Eid Feb. Anno ultimi temporis CLCLCCXLVIII LETTER CCXXXIII A Letter from to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh Reverendissime PAternitatis vestrae Literas 20 o Januarii ad me datas in tempore accepi quibus si expectato serius respondeo attribuito id quaeso ancipiti rerum temporum conditioni non enim omni nunc Tabellario aequè fido Jam vero qualem vellem latorem nactus gratias quas multiplices tibi ex illis deberi sentio non ultra differendas censui Illas praesertim quas ob doctissimum illum de Anno Macedonico Afratico à te compositum ad me dono missum libellum accepi cui utinam legendo par essem sed ut ingenuè fatear ingenioli mei captum superat Discipulum enim Magistro Lectorem scriptori parem requirit Deus enim bone quam tu longè temporum locorum inter se comparationem repetis ex intimis varii plane Daedalaei operis ambagibus Lectorem me paulo in hoc doctrinae genere eruditiorem tanquam Ariadnaeo aliquo filo se sibi reducem ostendis Sed humc tamen apicem non tam Scaligerum Petavium quam Tho. Lydiatum concollegiatum olim meum quique de variis annorum formis librum elegantissimum uti scis scripsit effugisse miror praesertim quum aera Macedonica à pugna ad Sinum Issicum in Cilicia vel paulo post ad Arbelam qua cecidit Darius inchoata ut est in ipsa Machbaeorum fronte eum latere non potuit inde enim aeram illam non in Asia modo verum etiam in Phoenicia totoque oriente Aegypto quarum terrarum res gestae in illis libris perscribuntur observatam fulsse ut ego quidem opinor patet Quanquam vide quaeso ne quum caetera omnia praeclare ipso tamen librum hunc edendi tempore peccâris De Paschate enim Theophaniis Timothei Polycarpi aliorumque sanctorum exitibus memoriis in eo agis tempore scilicet quo uti scis id maxime apud nos agitur ne qua harum his similium ineptiarum memoria aut sensus in mundo amplius conservetur Sed bene est quod exquisitissimus hic tuus labor latinè scriptus omnes Europae populos pervagabitur apud illos famam inveniet ad quos mali hujus nostri contagio non pertinget Ad quaesitum vero meum ita Reverendissime Pater respondisti ut non solum dubitationi meae satisfeceris verum etiam multa insuper eruditione de ipsa Codicis Justinianaei editione animum cumulaveris Itaque non solum quod antea de legibus illis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Codice positis conjectabar id ex Antonii Augustini Contii authoritate planè ut scire mihi videar effecisti verum etiam quantum lumen ex tua illa ejus emendatione universae Jurisperitorum Scholae si quando in lucem prodierit allaturus sis penitus declarasti Quod vero de Ribera mones ut quinque ejus de Templo iis quae ad Templum pertinent libros cum meis de Tabernaculo cultu ejus ante compararem quam meos in lucem ederem gratias quidem plurimas ob tam prudens paternum consilium ago Sed nec ego meos unquam in lucem edere ut res sunt forsitan institui nec ruri positus unde doctissimi illius Jesuitae librorum copiam nanciscar existimare possum si qua tamen fortuna me in eos aliquando conjecerit legam à te praesertim monitus quidem cupidissimè inde pannum unum aut alterum purpura conspicuum gossapinae meae assuendum quam possim tectè suffurabor Sed redeo in Macedoniam Equidem libri tui frontem subtristis paene flens aspexi Jacobi Usserii Armachani vidi quid inquam ego apud me de Archiepiscopo totius Hiberniae Primate fit Hui Tantane tam patientèr nullo certamine tolli dona sines tantaque Doctrinae Virtutis Honoris insignia humeris illis pendentia detrahi vel diripi potius patieris sed video quid sit libris enim tuis tot tantisque plurimis optimis Anglicè Latinèque olim conscriptis effectum esse putas ut nulla regio tam remota sit quae non intelligat nulla aetas tam sera quae non recognoscat Armachani titulum huic operi praefixum non inquilinatus sed Honoris Dignitatis tuae esse rectè quidem putas itaque Parere necesse est Nam quid agas quum te furiosus idem Fortior Ne multa ideo detractus tibi titulus tolerabilior ut opinor est esse certè debet quod qui se major est suum sibi non nisi per ludibrium relictum esse sentiat Vale Reverendissime benedictionem tuam mihi impertias quaeso Paternitatis tuae omni amore Filius obsequio verò Servus T. R. April 3. Anno 1648. LETTER CCXXXIV A Letter from Mr. Arnold Boate to the most Reverend James Usher Arch-bishop of Armagh May it please your Grace I Have not yet received your last Packet because that the Messenger by whom such things use to be sent was gone a few hours before it came to my Brother's hands as he writes to me so as he was fain to keep it lying by him until his return When it cometh I shall not fail to distribute your Treatises according to your Order and to give you an account of it I have recovered out of the King's Library by the humanity of the Fratres Puteani all the Pieces desired by you but the Title of the first is mistaken in the Oxford Catalogue not being De Mensibus Atheniensium Lacedamoniorum but Athen. Romanorum Whereof your Grace may not doubt because those same Treatises which in that Catalogue do immediately precede and follow do also precede and follow that de Mensibus Ath. Rom. all being bound up in one and the same Volume as likewise the second Indiculus Mensium
an Opportunity It plainly appears that in the Year 1646 by order from Rome above 100 of the Romish Clergy were sent into England consisting of English Scotch and Irish who had been educated in France Italy Germany and Spain part of these within the several Schools there appointed for their Instructions In each of these Romish Nurseries these Scholars were taught several handicraft Trades and Callings as their ingenuities were most bending besides their Orders or Functions of that Church They have many yet at Paris a fitting up to be sent over who twice in the week oppose one the other one pretending Presbytery the other Independency some Anabaptism and other contrary Tenents dangerous and prejudicial to the Church of England and to all the Reformed Churches here abroad But they are wisely preparing to prevent these Designs which I heartily wish were considered in England among the Wise there When the Romish Orders do thus argue Pro and Con there is appointed one of the Learned of those Convents to take Notes and to judg And as he finds their fancies whether for Presbytery Independency Anabaptism Atheism or for any new Tenents so accordingly they be to act and to exercise their Wits Upon their Permission when they be sent abroad they enter their Names in the Convent Registry also their Licences If a Franciscan if a Dominican or Jesuit or any other Order having several Names there entered in their Licence in case of a discovery in one place then to fly to another and there to change their Names or Habit. For an assurance of their constancy to their several Orders they are to give monthly Intelligence to their Fraternities of all Affairs where-ever they be dispers'd so that the English abroad know News better than ye at home When they return into England they are taught their Lesson to say if any enquire from whence they come that they were poor Christians formerly that fled beyond-Sea for their Religion-sake and are now returned with glad News to enjoy their Liberty of Conscience The 100 Men that went over 1646 were most of them Soldiers in the Parliament's Army and were daily to correspond with those Romanists in our late King's Army that were lately at Oxford and pretended to fight for his sacred Majesty For at that time there were some Roman-Catholicks who did not know the Design a contriving against our Church and State of England But the Year following 1647 many of those Romish Orders who came over the Year before were in consultation together knowing each other And those of the King's Party asking some why they took with the Parliament's side and asking others whether they were bewitched to turn Puritans not knowing the Design But at last secret Bulls and Licences being produced by those of the Parliament's side it was declared between them there was no better Design to confound the Church of England than by pretending Liberty of Conscience It was argued then that England would be a second Holland a Common-Wealth and if so what would become of the King It was answered Would to God it were come to that point It was again reply'd your selves have preached so much against Rome and his Holiness that Rome and her Romanists will be little the better for that Change But it was answered You shall have Mass sufficient for 100000 in a short space and the Governors never the wiser Then some of the mercifullest of the Romanists said This cannot be done unless the King die upon which Argument the Romish Orders thus licensed and in the Parliament Army wrote unto their several Convents but especially to the Sorbonists whether it may be scrupled to make away our late Godly King and his Majesty his Son our King and Master who blessed be God hath escaped their Romish Snares laid for him It was returned from the Sorbonists That it was lawful for Roman Catholicks to work Changes in Governments for the Mother-Churches Advancement and chiefly in an Heretical Kingdom and so lawfully make away the King Thus much to my knowledg have I seen and heard since my leaving your Lordship which I thought very requisite to inform your Grace for my self would hardly have credited these things had not mine Eyes seen sure Evidence of the same Let these things sleep within your gracious Lordship's Brest and not awake but upon sure grounds for this Age can trust no Man there being so great Fallacy amongst Men. So the Lord preserve your Lordship in Health for the Nations Good and the Benefit of your Friends which shall be the Prayers of Your humble Servant J. Derensis July 20. 1654. LETTER CCXCIV. Viro Clarissimo Doctissimo Jacobo Usserio Armachano Henricus Valesius S. IN aere Tuo me esse semper existimavi Vir clarissime ex quo Annales Veteris Testam abs te editos ad me misisti Qui liber si mihi corà m traditus fuisset ab eo cui id Officium mandaveras jamdudùm Tibi gratias egissem per literas Sed quoniam eum Virum postea convenire non potui Officium quod tamdiu à me dilatum est nunc tandem oblatâ scribendi opportunitate Tibi persolvo Ac primùm ago gratias quantas possum maximas ob illud literarium munus quo me honorandum esse censuisti Sunt quidem omnes libri tui eruditissimi accuratissimi sed hic prae caeteris abundè testatur quantus sis in omni genere doctrinae Atque ut ejus lectione multùm me profecisse ingenue fateor ita etiam ex secundâ parte ejusdem operis quam à te editam esse nuper accepi spero non mediocrem fructum me esse coepturum Alterum deinde beneficium abs te peto quod pro Tuâ singulari humanitate praestiturum te esse non diffido Eusebii historiam Ecclesiasticam Libros de Vita Imperatoris Constantini cum novâ interpretatione mea Annotationibus propediem Typographis commissurus sum Ad hanc novam editionem trium duntaxat Scriptorum codicum auxilio sum usus Nam Itali quorum subsidium postulaveram nihil mihi praeter verba inania contulerunt Cum igitur ex notis Tuis in Polycarpi martyrium compererim esse apud vos Savilianum exemplar quod quidem optimum esse conjicio abs te etiam atque etiam peto ut de eo exemplari certiorem me facias primùm sitnè in membranis deindè an quatuor libri de vita Constantini in eo legantur integri Postremo utrum varias lectiones ex eo codice per te nancisci possim saltem librorum devita Constantini Hi enim inquinatissimi ad nos pervenerunt multis in locis mutili Multùm Tibi debebit Eusebius noster si id mihi praestare volueris nec Italicorum codicum auxilium posthac magnoperè desiderabo si Anglicani hujus praesidium nactus fuero Equidem nolim te Vir Clarissime laborem conferendi codicis sustinere Absit à me ut te tantum Virum