suspension of tion. court. respect to the second, the archbishop's power of Archbishop's suspending the bishop's jurisdiction in his diocese, in bishop's jurisdicthe year of the metropolitical visitation, has been constantly perpetuated without offence or molestation, though the period, during which the suspension is continued, is now, at least in practice, limited to a few weeks, instead of being extended throughout the year, as was the case when it encountered Bishop Bedell's reprobation: and that, with respect to the third particular, namely, that of the bishop's acting Bishop acting as as judge in his own court, though at the time "the judge in his own other bishops were glad at this step our bishop had made," as Bishop Burnet relates, "and encouraged him to go on resolutely in it, and assured him they would stand by him;" yet in the end, as related by the same biographer, "they did not stand by him, but were contented to let him fall under censure, without interposing in it as in a cause of common concern; and even the excellent primate told him, the tide went so high that he could assist him no more; for he stood by him longer than any other of the order had done;" and although the bishop “continued, notwithstanding the censure, to go into his court, as he had done before, and although an order was given underhand to let him go on as he had begun," it has not been subsequently deemed fitting, either by the makers or the interpreters of the laws, to confer that power on the bishops, or to declare that it belongs to them; or by the bishops, in imitation of Bedell's example, to claim that power for themselves. 1633. Early life of SECTION III. A Royal Visitation under Lord Wentworth. Report of it by Dr. Bramhall. Bishop Laud's Letter of Instructions to the Lord Deputy. Bramhall's account of the state of the Church. Growth of Protestant Sectarianism. Irregular Ordinations. Reprehensible conduct imputed to two Northern Bishops. Non-conforming Ministers. Royal visitation. IN 1633, was holden a regal visitation, of which John Bramhall, who afterwards became successively Bishop of Derry and Archbishop of Armagh, was one of the commissioners, or at least one of the chief assistants and directors. Bramhall was a man of high distinction in his own country, whence he had been recently brought into Ireland by the new Lord Deputy, Thomas Viscount Wentworth, afterwards the illustrious but ill-fated Earl of Strafford. Having been educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and thence removed into Yorkshire, of which county he was a native, he had become so celebrated for a disputation with three Romish priests of the order of Jesuits, that he was appointed chaplain to the famous Primate of York, Archbishop Mathews, to whom he endeared himself by great dexterity in the conduct of ecclesiastical and civil affairs. And, after the archbishop's death, by his wisdom, eloquence, and deportment, he so gained the affections of the nobility, gentry, and commoners, of that country, that Sir Thomas Wentworth, then Lord President of York, selected him for his chaplain, and after a short time conveyed him to Ireland, as the fittest instrument to serve in the design, which for two years before his arrival he had meditated and resolved; namely, namely, the reformation of religion, Patronized by Lord Went worth. and the reparation of the broken fortunes of the Church'. visitation. nues of the In the visitation, which now ensued, the reve- Result of the nues of the Church were found to be miserably wasted, the discipline scandalously despised, and the ministers but meanly considered. The bishopricks Reduced revewere wretchedly dilapidated by fee-farms and long bishopricks. leases at small rents: granted partly by the Popish bishops in Queen Elizabeth's reign, who resolved to carry away with them as much as they could, like the wise but unjust steward, gratifying their friends, that they might receive them into their habitations; and partly by their Protestant successors, who might fear, perhaps, another turn of affairs; and, following the example of their predecessors, condescended to the same arts. By these means many bishopricks were made as low as sacrilege could make them. Cloyne was reduced to five marks; hence the bishop of that see was called "Episcopus quinque marcarum." Aghadoe and Ardfert, in the county of Kerry, were reduced respectively, the latter to about 60%. a year, and the former to 17. 1s. 8d. Of Limerick about five parts in six were made away in fee-farms or encroached on by the undertakers. Cashel, Emly, Waterford, Lismore, and Killaloe, all made the same complaint. Cork and Ross fared the best of any a very good man, Bishop Lyon, having been placed there early in the Reformation, prevented any diminution in the revenues of those churches; and he was succeeded by two prelates of the family of the Boyles, who were distinguished by the like uprightness of character. But with this exception, "there was not," adds Bishop Vesey, the biographer of Primate Bramhall, "one bishoprick in the pro Prevalence of simony. Report to the Lord Deputy. Lord Wentworth, lord deputy, July, 1633. Letter from The king's willingness to give up impropriations; vince of Cashel, that had not the print of the sacrilegious paw upon it: and on some of them, 'vestigia nulla retrorsum."" Simony also was another evil, which was found to prevail very generally with the patrons of ecclesiastical benefices. This state of things, however, was discovered not to be limited to the southern bishopricks; for on his appointment to the see of Derry in the following year, and on his inquiry into the condition of that diocese, Bishop Bramhall discovered there the existence of the same evils, which had been disclosed by the regal visitations. A report of this visitation was duly made to the Lord Deputy, who had entered upon his office the 25th of July in the same year, 1633. The result of this report will be noticed in the parliamentary proceedings of the year 1635; in the mean time attention may be given to some other occurrences more nearly coincident with the Lord Deputy's appointment and arrival. In anticipation of his early settlement in his viceroyal station, Laud, then bishop of London, had written him a letter, April 30, 1633, wherein he prayed him "to consider of so many particulars as concern the Church and religion, with as much favour as justice can give way unto". The particulars of most publick concern are these: "That in the great cause of impropriations, which are yet remaining in his majesty's gift, and which he is most graciously willing to give back to God and his service, you will do whatsoever may justly be done for the honour and service of our two great masters, God and the king; that you would 2 Strafford Letters, vol. i. p. 82. countenance and assist the Lord Primate of Armagh in all things belonging to this great service; and particularly for the procuring of a true and just valuation, that the king may know what he gives the Church." And to establish the jurisdiction of the Church. style. After an interval, he adds, "I am likewise commanded by his majesty to deliver your lordship a clause of a letter, sent unto me by the Lord Primate of Armagh, March 1st, 1632, with which I acquainted 1633, common his majesty. At which time his princely pleasure was that your lordship should assure the Lord Primate that he would see the jurisdiction of the Church established there to be maintained against both recusants and other factionists whatsoever; and that you should do your best endeavour to stop all such rumours as may dishearten the bishops in God's service and his." He adds, after another interval, "I further pray your lordship to take notice by the Lord Primate of Armagh, of the readiness of the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, to set forwards the maintenance of the ministers in that kingdom, and to encourage him to advance the same. As also to move the Lord Chief Justice for his opinion, what legal course he shall think fittest may be held for the present means of curates, out of the impropriations in Ireland which I am credibly informed his lordship is very able and willing to give." Means devised nance of curates. for the mainte master in Derry. Together with those salutary instructions on A Jewish schoolsubjects of general application, the letter embraces others, which relate to particular persons or places; of these the following is remarkable. "There is one Christopher Sands, who, as I am informed, dwells now in Londonderry, and teaches an English school there; and I much fear he doth many things |