The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-09-13

|
including the two primates of Armagh and
Dublin, and from the lord deputy and
others concerned with the civil government
of that country. Z" These high functionaries
themselves describe, the total failure of the
Elizabethan Reformation in Ireland, in spite
Of the violent means-namely, fines, Inn
prisonment, fortunes, and death-unscru-
pulously employed by the ecclesiastical a
we'll as civil agents in that alleged reforma-
ton" These are strong words, but the evil
dence entirely bears them out DR.. Brady
neither argues nor declaims, but simply
quotes. And his revelations will be startling
| enough to many even of those who are
| we'll acquainted with the general character
of Elizabeth's Irish policy. 1t is difficult to
| select from materials which contain so little
that is not, in the fullest sense of the word
remarkable; but we will bring few of the
salient points before the notice of our
readers. The whole volume is we'll worth
| perusal.
The first witness called is Hugh Brady,
Bishop of Meath, from whom we have six
dispatches addressed to the Earl of Sussex
and Sir w. Cecil-one being an application,
Dublin. The bishop informs Cecil that
| Baron Cusach is Z" the only man of his pro-
| fession that favors religion ii. e. Protest
antism) in this land" All the other law
yers are " thwarters and hinderers" of the
Reformation. Ten years later, in 1881,
~AuuAC" xOAAOpO "IlCcS W w ulSluKuuul
that all judges, barons of the Exchequer,
and learned counsel are "Irishmen and
Papists, as all Irishmen BE-" Sir Henry
Sydney. in 1876, says, in the same strain,
that A." the people are, for the most part, ali
Papists, and that of the maliciousest de-
gree" In the diocese of Meath alone, out
of two hundred and twenty four parish
churches, one hundred and five were i'm
propriated and leased out to various Fer
mors, and there We're no Wears or parsons,
but only g Irish priests, or, rather, Irish
rogues," who lived upon masses, dirges,
shrivings,. and such like trumpery," and
the Churches were everywhere falling into
ruin. Sir William Drury complains, next
year, to Walsingham, of " masses infinite -
and says that, arriving at five on Sunday
morning at Waterford, he found the people
| rushing out of the churches by heaps,
which is shameful in a reformed city,
Middleton, Bishop of Waterford, entirely
three years later, and his statements are so
! explicit and SO characteristic of what ap-
pears to have been the general religious
condition of the country, that we must find
room for an extract:
"Such is the miserable state of this
wretched city (Waterford,) that all things
are done contrary to the sacred word and
blessed will of the Lord, and also her Ma
jesty's most godly proceedings in causes
spiritual.-The Gospel of God utterly alb
hOrred-the church, in time of divine SER
vice, of all hands eschewed (nisi a paucis ct
id forma tantum.) The sacraments con-
temned and refused-Massing in every
corner-No burial of the dead according to
the Book of Common Prayer, but buried in
their houses with diriges (dirges) and after
cast into the ground like dogs.-Rome-
runners and Friars maintained amongst
upon the same. Worshipping of images
and setting them openly in their street
doors, with ornaments and deckings.-
Ringing of bells and praying for the dead,
and dressing their graves divers times in
the year with flower pots and wax candles.
her Majesty's proceedings, for either they
marry in houses with masses, or else before
two or three laymen without any minister
taking of hands, and SO they live as man
and wife.-No punishment for this or any
other sin.-The windows and walls of the
deface them, and dare not, for fear of
a tumult.-NOne of the women do come
either to service OF sermOns.-And to con-
clude, virtue is rejected and all vice en-
braced. This, Right Honorable, is the
lamentable condition of this proud and
naughty city of Waterford.-God convert
their hearts,"
After proceeding to abuse the mayor as
" counterfeit Christian" and the citizens as
" stif-necked, stubborn, Papistical, and
incorrigible," he gives the following char
acter OF his dean, whom Lord Justice
Pelham wished to make bishop of Ferns:
81 know the man, his life, doctrine, and
conversation because he is dean in my
church) better than some others. In re-
lision he is but a hypocrite and by nature
malicious. Neither a preacher, neither hath
he sutficiency thereto-An arguer, with
that little knowledge he hath, against the
truth. This man ! hold an unfit bishop,
yet SO well friended, as none better in this
world than the wicked, as both his prefer
stand him shall hazard a displeasure. God
knoweth we have too many such bishops in
Ireland"
And in 1885, Long, Archbishop of Ar
magh, clenches this estimate of the success