Chap. IlI. ?he HISTORY of the PuRIrANS. 527 H E religion of papifis is fuperftitious and idolatrous, and their K. Charles I. church apoftatical ; to give them therefore a toleration is a grie- i6, " vous fin, becaute it makes ourfelves acceffary to all the abominations Proteption " of popery, and to the perdition of thofe fouls that perifh thereby ; of the Irifh " and becaufe granting a toleration in refpe t of any money to be given, or bifrPs againJt " contribution to bemade by them, is to fat religion to fate, and with it a'telration of " the fouls that Chrift has redeemed with his blood ; we therefore' ' -. " befeech the God of truth, to make thofe who are in authority, zea- " loos for God's glory, and refolute againft all popery fuperítition and " idolatry." Signedby archbifhop USHER, and eleven of his brethren. But notwithftanding this proteftation, the papifts gained their point, and in the fourth year of the king's reign had a toleration granted them, in confideration of the fum of one hundred and twenty thoufand pounds to be paid in three years. With regard to the building religious houles, it is wonderful that nei- Proclamation. Cher the king nor his prime minifter fhould know any thing of it, when of the h.'1de- the lord deputy Falkland had this very fummer iffued out a proclamation agaßfirm with this preamble, Forafmuch as we cannot but take notice, that the " late inter.miffion of the legal proceedings againft popifh pretended or " titular archbifhops, bithops, abbots, deans, vicars- general, and others " of that fort, that derive their authority and orders from Rome, bath " bred fuch an extraordinary infolence and prefumption in them, as that " they have dared oflate, not only to affemble themfelves in publick places, " but alto have ere5led houfes and buildings, called publick oratories, colleges, " maf-houfes, and convents of friars, monks and nuns, in the eye and open " view of the /late, and elfewhere, and do frequently exercife jurifdidtion againft his majefty's fubjer<ts, byauthority derived from Rome, and by " colour of teaching fchools in their pretended monafteries, to train up " youth in their fuperftitious religion, contrary to the laws and eccle- " fiaftical government of this kingdom : We therefore will and require " them, to forbear to exercife their jurifdidtion within this kingdom, and to relinquifh and break up their convents and religious houfes, Could fuch a proclamation be printed and difperfed over the kingdom ofT31,h0pse_ Ireland, without being known to the Engle court? dell's account- But further, toPhew that bifhop Laud himfelf was not long ignorant of oftheir num- the dangerous increafe of popery in Ireland, the bifhop of Kilmore and prvnne'i in- Ardagh, Dr. Bedell, fent him the following account loon afterwards, it trod. p. sor, was dated April I, 1630. " The popifh clergy are more numerous than 107. " thole cl the church of England; they have their officials and vicars- Coltver't Eccl. Hjl. " general p. 750,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=