The Religion Anciently Professed by the Irish and British, Title page – Table of contents
A DISCOURSE OF THE RELIGION Anciently professed by the IRISH and BRITTISH.
By IAMES VSSHER Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of IRELAND.
LONDON, Printed by R. Y. for the Partners of the Irish Stocke. 1631.
❧ TO MY VERY MVCH HONOVRED Friend, Sir Christopher Sibthorp, Knight, one of his Majesties Iustices of his Court of chiefe place in IRELAND.
WORTHY SIR:
I Confesse, I somewhat incline to bee of your minde, that if unto the authorities drawn out of Scriptures and Fathers (which are common to us with others) a true discoverie were added of that Religion which anciently was professed in this Kingdome; it might prove a speciall motive to induce my poore country-men to consider a little better of the old and true way from whence they have hitherto been mis-ledd. Yet on the one side, that saying in the Gospel runneth much in my minde;aLuke 16. 31. If they heare not Moses and the Prophets, neyther will they be perswaded, though one rose from the dead: and on the other, that heavie iudgement mentioned by the Apostle; b2 Thes. 2. 10, 11.because they received not the love of the truth, that they might bee saved, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should beleeve lyes. The woefull experience whereof, wee may see daily before our eyes in this poore nation: where, such as are slow of heart to beleeve the saving truth of God delivered by the Prophets and Apostles, doe with all greedinesse imbrace, and with a most strange kinde of credulitie entertaine those lying Legends, wherewith their Monkes and Friars in these latter daies have polluted the religion and lives of our ancient Saints.
I doe not deny but that in this Countrey, as well as in others, corruptions did creep in by little and little, before the Divell was let loose to procure that seduction which prevailed so generally in these last times: but as farre as I can collect by such records of the former ages as have come unto my hands eyther manuscript or printed) the religion professed by the ancient Bishops, Priests, Monks, and other Christians in this land, was for substance the very same with that which now by publike authoritie is maintained therein, against the forraine doctrin brought in thither in later times by the Bishop of Romes followers. I speake of the more substantiall points of doctrine, that are in controversie betwixt the Church of Rome and us at this day; by which only we must iudge, whether of both sides hath departed from the religion of our Ancestors: not of matters of inferiour note, much lesse of ceremonies and such other things as appertaine to the discipline rather than to the doctrine of the Church.
And whereas it is knowne unto the learned, that the name of Scoti in those elder times (whereof we treate) was common to the inhabitants of the greater and the lesser Scotland (for so heretofore they have beene distinguished) that is to say, of Ireland, and the famous colonie deduced from thence into Albania: I will not follow the example of those that have of late laboured to make dissension betwixt the daughter and the mother, but account of them both, as of the same people.
Tros Rutulusve fuat, nullo discrimine habebo. The religion doubtlesse received by both, was the selfe same; and differed little or nothing from that which was maintained by their neighbours the Britons: as by comparing the evidences that remaine, both of the one nation and of the other, in the ensuing discourse more fully shall appeare.
The chiefe Heads treated of in this discourse, are these:
I. OF the holy Scriptures. pag. 1.
II. Of Predestination, Grace, Free-will, Workes, Iustification and Sanctification. pag. 11.
III. Of Purgatory, and Prayer for the dead. pag. 21.
IIII. Of the Worship of God, the publike forme of Liturgie, the Sacrifice, and Sacrament of the Lords Supper. pag. 30.
V. Of Chrisme, Sacramentall Confession, Penance, Absolution, Marriage, Divorces, and single life in the Clergie. pag. 45.
VI. Of the discipline of our ancient Monkes; and abstinence from meats. pag. 54.
VII. Of the Church and various state thereof, especially in the dayes of Antichrist: of Miracles also, and of the Head of the Church. pag. 66.
VIII. Of the Popes spirituall Iurisdiction, and how little footing it had gotten at first within these parts. pag. 75.
IX. Of the Controversie which the Britons, Picts, and Irish maintained against the Church of Rome, touching the celebration of Easter. pag. 92.
X. Of the height that the opposition betwixt the Romane party, and that of the Brittish and the Scottish grew unto; and the abatement thereof in time: and how the Doctors of the Scottish and Irish side have beene ever accounted most eminent men in the Catholike Church, notwithstanding their dis-union from the Bishop of Rome. pag. 105.
XI. Of the temporall power, which the Popes followers would directly intitle him unto over the Kingdome of Ireland: together with the indirect power which hee challengeth in absolving subjects from the obedience, which they owe to their temporall Governours. pag. 117.