[Some additional remarks were appended to the Life of Bp. Bramhall by Towers and Kippis, in their edition of the Biograph. Britann.; of which those worthy of notice are here added.

1. They observe, that "the conduct of Bp. Bramhall in the Irish Convocation of 1634, doth not seem entitled to any very extravagant applause ;" that "it was his aim to have the Articles of the Church of Ireland somewhat less Calvinistical," and that "in the management of this affair he shewed great dexterity." It must be remembered, however, that, in the substitution of the English for the Irish Articles by that Convocation (the former omitting, the latter containing, the Lambeth Articles), the change in itself was held by both parties to be sufficiently formal to allow both to regard its accomplishment as in some sense a victory, the Primate Usher and his friends considering the Irish Articles uncondemned by the act, although set aside, Bp. Bramhall and the Lord Deputy holding them to be in effect abrogated, but only or chiefly because set aside. The Bishop's dexterity therefore can scarcely be supposed or implied to have exceeded the bounds of honesty, because he urged the adoption of the measure upon the ground of its being in the main, and in itself, a merely formal change,—a ground, which the opinion of the opposite party also warranted him in assuming,—while he considered it all the time in its probable consequences to be real and most important.

2. It is further remarked by the same writers, that "the story of Bp. Bramhall's danger in Spain is very extraordinary: for unless he had done something relative to that kingdom, of which we have no account, it seems scarcely conceivable that such measures should be adopted for apprehending him." However, in the words of Bp. Manti, "his well-known character, his station in the Church, his former connection with those of the highest authority in his own country, and the influence of which he was probably still possessed, may be sufficient to account for the hostility of" so "jealous and watchful" a tribunal as the Inquisition, and leave Bp. Vesey's statement "unsuspected."

The object of the journey seems to have been, partly, 66 the purposek of drawing a parallel between the Liturgy of the Church of

England and the public forms of the Protestant Churches," and, partly, the settlement of some pecuniary affairs'.

3. The writers above mentioned go on to remark, that "the matter of reordination was a great difficulty in the last" (i. e. the seventeentli)"century, with many non-conformist divines, who were otherwise disposed to have come over to the Church of England;" that "the Ecclesiastical Commissioners of 1689 proposed to admit of some latitude in the affair;" and that " Abp. Bramhall had furnished them with a precedent for so doing, by the manner in which he had received some Scotch Presbyters into the Church." The extent of the latitude here hinted will be best seen by stating the instance given of it", viz. that, "in the orders" (i. e. letters of orders)" which he gave to Mr. Edward Parkinson, the following words were inserted :-' Non annihilantes priores ordines (si quos habuit) nec invaliditatem eorundem determinantes, multo minus omnes ordines sacros Ecclesiarum forinsecarum condemnantes, quos proprio Judici relinquimus, sed solummodo supplentes quicquid prius defuit per canones Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ requisitum, et providentes paci Ecclesiæ, ut schismatis tollatur occasio, et conscientiis fidelium satisfiat, nec ulli dubitent de ejus ordinatione, aut actus suos presbyteriales tanquam invalidos aversentur. In cujus rei testimonium,'" &c.

It is certainly "not a little remarkable" that a concession so carefully guarded should have been elsewhere made the foundation of a very serious and groundless misrepresentation. It has been however asserted, and upon the strength of the instance above given, that "with regard to any Ministers who had received Presbyterian orders during the confusion of the Great Rebellion, the method employed by Archbishop Bramhall, was, not to cause them to undergo a new ordination, but to admit them into the Ministry of the Church by a conditional ordination, as we do in the Baptism of those of whom it is uncertain whether they are baptized or not.' But this assertion is not supported by the statement of Bp. Vesey" upon the subject," and the document alleged by him on the contrary it is directly opposed to both. For they give us to understand that the Archbishop did' ordain' the persons in question, as the law of this Church requireth;' therefore not conditionally, for the law of this Church recognises no conditional ordination: but that subsequently he introduced into his letters' of orders an explanatory remark.

Church of England, Introd. p. 112.quoted by Mant, Ch. of Irel., ch. ix. § 1. p. 625, from whom the rest of this paragraph is taken.]

The historian seems to identify the form of ordination with the subsequent letters of orders or certificate. But, whatever be the cause, the error is manifest; and it requires correction, both that the character of such a man as Primate Bramhall may be vindicated from the allegation, and even from the suspicion, of illegally deviating from the prescript forms of the Church, whereas he acted professedly and strictly' as the law of the Church requireth;' and that the principles and provisions of the Church herself may not be misapprehended in a matter of such infinite importance P."

4. The writers above mentioned conclude with quoting Mr. Granger's observation, that "Dr. Bramhall was one of the most able, learned, and active Prelates of the age in which he lived, an acute disputant, and an excellent preacher."

[Bramhall's conduct in a somewhat parallel case to the one to which the above observations relate, may serve to strengthen their force: for it appears expressly that he did on one occasion reordain, although, it is true, at the

person's own request, one who had originally received only Presbyterian orders (Life, &c. p. 34.).]

Biographical Hist. [vol. V. p. 194. 4to. edit.]

A SERMON

PREACHED IN

CHRIST'S CHURCH, DUBLIN,

JULY 16, 1663;

AT THE FUNERAL OF

THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD,

JOHN

LATE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH, AND PRIMATE OF ALL IRELAND.

BY THE RIGHT REVEREND

JEREMY TAYLOR, D.D.

LORD BISHOP OF DOWN, CONNOR, AND DROMORE.

[Vol. vi. pp. 409, sq. of Taylor's Works, ed. Heber.-being the VIIth Sermon of the Δέκας Εμβολιμαῖος, or Supplement to the Ενίαυτος.]