clesiæ gremium traducere habet: quibus in rebus tantum in dies insudat, ut inde in fastigium spe nostrâ erectâ expectandum est, quod eminentiæ suis auspiciis jactata hæc diu agitata et ferè aquis immersa Ecclesia revivescat, consistat, et plane acquiescato. Desideravit denique dicta Synodus ab imis cordis visceribus, ut istum Reverendissimum patrem qui in tantum auxit, sublimuit, profuit, et præfuit huic Ecclesiæ, eum incolumem conservat Deus, ut diutissime iidem prosit et præsit, et ut ipse qui semel, Deo adjutore, a lateribus ad marmora traduxit Hiberniæ Ecclesiæ ædificium, idem nuper fere dilapidatum, a marmoribus ad aurum sanctiore ædificatione traducat, in solidum et splendidissimum pietatis suæ monumentum et æternam Dei gloriam." LETTER XVIII. From the Bishop of Derry to Sir Richard Browne, Ambassador of King Charles II. at Paris. SIR, I humbly thanke you for your last great favour. I am mightily ashamed to be so burthensome to my friends, and [Life,p.x.] as low as my condition is would be extremely glad to meete with any opportunity which might render me so happy as to be able to make some kind of acknowledgment. I beseech you be pleased to favour me with the conveiance of the • [Dr. Bramhall seems to have been consulted in the affairs of the English Church as well as of the Irish, although in both instances he failed of success in the measures which he proposed. It appears from a letter of Lord Clarendon to Dean Barwick (Life of Barwick, p. 424), dated Brussels, July 8, 1659, that, upon a difficulty arising in the appointment of English Bishops at the Restoration through the want of Deans and Chapters, Dr. Bramhall, while he "seemed to wish the adoption of the Irish way" of election (viz. by patent from the Crown) in England also, urged the removal of the immediate obstacle by consecrating Bishops "to the void Sees in Ireland, and thence removing them to others in England."] P [The original of this letter is in the possession of Mr. Upcott, who has kindly allowed it to be here published. Unfortunately it was not received until too late for insertion in its proper place, viz. between Letters VI. and VII. It is endorsed by Sir Richard Browne (the father-in-law of John Evelyn) as "from the Bishop of Derry, 30th June 1646," and is addressed "A Monsieur Monsieur Le Chevalier Browne, Resident du Roy de la Grande Brétaigne, A Paris." Under the signature is written in the handwriting of Evelyn, "The learned Bip. Bramhall: after the K-gs restaur. Primate of Ireland."] enclosed to Mr. Bough and to preserve his answer for me untill you heare where I am settled, which I thinke for some short while will be at Liege. I expect no more letters out of Spaine". The onely satisfaction which I have there is that I must expect none untill the [leases proove clearer1.] He writes to me that by September he may know a certainty of it. And God bless him from the Jesuits. And I say God bless me from so much cunning and unthankfullness as I have mett wth in this business. I beseech you present my humble respects to my good Lady and your pretty daughters. So God Allmighty bless us. Your most faithfull, and assured servante, June 30, 1646. JOH. DERENSIS. [No place named. Bramhall's usual residence during the time was at Antwerp.] I write no newes hence because I dare not putt my sickle into my good neighbours' affaires. POSITO QUOD HABEBAT MORTALE, DIERUM AC FAME SATUR, EVUM AGIT IN GLORIA JOANNES BRAMHALLUS, IN THEOLOGIA PROFESSOR SIMUL ET PRIMAS; QUOD DERRENSIS SEDIS FACTUS SIT ORNAMENTUM, AT SIBI QUOD UTRAMQUE DIGNITATEM ET MERUIT ET AUXIT. VERÆ RELIGIONIS IN HIBERNIA ERAT ET SACERDOS, ET SACRIFICIUM, SED ET STATOR. CIVILES INTER DISCORDIAS, PROSPERO REGNI PRINCIPISQUE STATU DEIQUE CULTU UNA COLLAPSIS, IPSE ETIAM CECIDIT (NEQUE ENIM Aliter potuit pERIRE): CUM 11S REsurrexit, cUM IISDEM VICTURUS, QUAM DIU VEL MONARCHIA VEL Pietas futuRÆ SINT SUPERSTITES: PENAS A REBELLIBUS SUBIIT, SED INVIDIA DIGNAS: HONORE PLECTEBATUR, OSTRACISMO INSIGNITUS, DUM IN ILLO ECCLESIA ANGLICANA VEL EXULARET VEL PEREGRINARETUR. AT NON TAM VICTUS QUAM IN POSTERUM PROVIDENS FORTUNÆ POTIUS QUAM HOSTI CESSIT; MORE PLANE PARTHICO, FUGIENS JACULABATUR, ET VULNERA ET MEDELAM MEDITATUS SIT. PAPISTICE CALVINISTICÆQUE SUPERSTITIONIS, SIMUL ET ATHEISMI, MALLEUS: ROMAM ET GENEVAM SUBEGIT, QUODQUE MAGIS HERCULEUM EST, HOBBESIUM QUOVIS, VEL SUO, LEVIATHANE MONSTROSIOREM PERDOMUIT; INFULAMQUE TOT INTERTEXTAM LAUREIS ÆTERNITATI CONSECRAVIT. INTER SAXA ET RUDERA, PERITURA TEMPORIS TROPHÆA; HAS CUM DEMUM STATUISSET, RELIGIOSAS LITES LONGUM JUSSIT FACESCERE, ET MILITIA PROBE FUNCTUS CESSIT QUIETI. NOBIS ET SERIS NEPOTIBUS MERITO INSCRIBAMUS LICET LITERARIIS HIS COLUMNIS NON ULTRA. THE VICTORY OF TRUTH FOR THE PEACE OF THE CHURCH; OR, AN EPISTLE FROM M. DE LA MILLETIERE, COUNSELLOR IN ORDINARY TO THE KING OF FRANCE, TO THE KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, TO INVITE HIS MAJESTY TO EMBRACE THE CATHOLIC FAITH. |