professor of Geometry at Gresham College, and who afterwards was the first Savilian Professor of the same science at Oxford, John Selden the celebrated Barrister, John Davenant, afterwards Bishop of Salisbury, Samuel Ward, his most constant and intimate correspondent, and who was afterwards President of Sidney College, "and Thomas Lydiat the Chronologer on whom he prevailed to reside in Dublin, who was afterwards married to his Grace's sister, and for whom he procured apartments in the University. From this time it became his constant practise to pay a triennial visit to England in order to prosecute his literary pursuits with the greater facility. He generally divided his time between Cambridge, Oxford, and London ; occupying himself chiefly at the principal libraries of those places, and mostly remaining a month at each.

The Fellows of Dublin University unanimously elected him their Provost iu 1610, when he had attained the thirtieth year of his age. This arduous but highly honourable office he thought proper to decline, as the arrangement of Collegiate property, then involved in much difficulty, and the undivided attention which other collegiate duties demanded, would have considerably interfered with the diligent prosecution of personal learning, by engaging him almost exclusively in directing the studies of others. He was principally employed, at this time in collecting from the Fathers, Councils, and Church History, such extracts as were requisite for the completion of his Theologica Bibliotheca, a work which the Irish Rebellion at first, his annals next, and death afterwards prevented him from finishing. This work was to have contained an exact account of the various writers on Theology in former times, the precise periods at which they severally flourished, the character their works deserved, what works attributed to them were genuine, what spurious, as also an ample statement of the doctrines and rites of the aucient Church. The collections he had made for this purpose, he committed on his death bed to Dr. Langbaine, Provost of Queen's College, Oxford, "his dear friend," as he then called him," and the only man,” he then declared," on whose learning as well as friendship he could rely to cast them into such a form as might render them fit for the press." But while Dr. Langbaine was engaged in fulfilling these last injuctions of his revered friend, he was himself summoned by "the High and Lofty One who inhabiteth eternity," to appear in an eternal world. He had transcribed the Primate's manuscript, in order to complete the marginal quotations, which had suffered considerably by the inroads of muscipular foes, whom we may consider as confederate with his popish adversaries. The mice endeavonred to destroy what the Romanists would, with equal willingness, were it in their power, have annihilated too. Truth was never friendly to their cause, and it has ever been their study to conceal it. In the performance of this arduous task, Dr. Langbaine was employed, during a very severe season, in the public Library at Oxford, and thus contracted a cold, which ultimately proved the occasion of his death in February A. D. 1657, "to the

grief," says Dr. Parr "of all good men." Dr. Fell, afterwards Bishop of Oxford, endeavoured to complete those breaches, which Langbaine had so unfortunately been prevented from accomplishing; but they still remain imperfect, and the unpublished transcript is yet in the Bodleian Library. The original manuscript in Usher's own writing was, when Parr wrote, in the possession of Dr. Stillingfleet, Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, London.

When he was in the thirty-second year of his age, he was admitted to the degree of D. D. by Dr. Hampton, then Archbishop of Armagh and Chancellor of the University of Dublin. He selected for the subjects of the sermons he preached on this occasion Dan. ix 24, on the seventy weeks, and Rev. xx. 4, "I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

In 1613, being in London he published his first treatise at the royal press, entitled Gravissimæ Quætionis de Christianarum Ecclesiarum, in Occidentis præsertim partibus, ab Apostolicis temporibus ad nostrum usque ætatem, continua successione et statu, Historica Explicatio. This work was dedicated to King James, by whom it was regarded as a very excellent performance. The design of it was to prove, that Christ always had a Church on earth uncorrupted with Popish errors, and that the reformed and primitive Churches exactly corresponded with each other in their sentiments respecting divine truth, and their opposition to the unscriptural dogmas of the Romish Hierarchy. The first part of this work comprised all the intervening period between the sixth century, and the accession of Gregory VII. to the Pontificate in the tenth century. The second part was brought down to the year 1270. He also had resolved to publish another part embracing the ages between this Era and the Reformation, but his papers relating to it were unfortunately lost, at the time he was pillaged of his books and manuscripts in Wales, as will hereafter be related. It was Usher's intention to have published the whole in a perfect form, after the publication of his Uncle Stanihurst's* answer to the first part. This he mentions in the

* Richard Stanihurst after the death of his wife settled in the Low Countries, and was ordained there. He was appointed domestic Chaplain to the Arch-Duke Albert, and the Infanta Clara Isabella Eugenia, After the appearance of his nephew's work he published an epistolary premonition at Paris, announcing a future controversy with Usher. His death, which hap. pened at Brussels in 1618, preyented the contest. Usherin a letter, which he

following passage extracted from a letter of his to his Brother in-law Lydiat, which may be found in the 68th page of Parr's collection," There is wanting for the accomplishment of the second part, an hundred years story: which defect in the continuation of the work is by me supplied. I purpose to publish the whole work together much augmented: but do first expect the publication of my Uncle Stanihurst's answer to the former, which I hear is since his death sent to Paris to be printed. I am advertised also, that even now there is come out at Antwerp, a treatise of my countryman Christopher de Sacro-Bosco, De veræ Ecclesiæ Investigatione, wherein he hath some plain dealing with me. Both these I would willingly see before I set out my Book anew that if they have justly found fault with any thing, I may amend it; if unjustly, I may defend it:" an excellent rule, says Dr, Aikin, for a controversialist, but one, it may be added, which is seldom adopted; for men mostly defend themselves, as well when their positions are proved to be erroneous, as when candor must admit them to be correct. In this year too he entered into a matrimonial alliauce with Phabe, the daughter of his early and valued friend Dr. Luke Challoner. This Lady was an heiress of considerable fortune, and her father on his dying bed, implored her, never to connect herself with any other person, if Dr. Usher ́should propose for her. This last parental injunction was not disregarded. She and Usher enjoyed a very considerable portion of conjugal felicity during the protracted period of forty years, at the conclusion of which she left the aged champion of religion, and literature, to finish his course alone, without the comfort or support of his long loved companion. He soon followed her however to the blissful abodes of the blessed. Only eighteen months elapsed between the death of each. They had only one child, and that child a daughter, Elizabeth, who was afterwards married to Sir Timothy Tyrrel, Kt.*

wrote him when he was at Louvain, and which is the first in Parr's collection, expresses much affection toward him, and intreats him to procure se veral rare MSS. and Books for him, and to send him some writings, which Stanihurst himself wrote, and published.

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* Dr. John Milner in his tour through Ireland, asserts that an mediate decendant" of Archbishop Usher's, the Rev. James Usher, "betaking himself to the controversy, carried on between his ancestor, and Fitz-Symmonds, was so overpowered and convinced by the arguments of the latter, that he abandoned the religion in which he had been educated, and embraced that of the ancient Church." He cannot have been Usher's immediale descendant, as Usher had no son, neither is it possible he could have studied the controversy carried on between his ancestor and Fitz-Symmonds as

A. D. 1615, a convocation of the Clergy was assembled to arrange matters relative to the Irish Church. At this convention the Irish articles of Re ligión were drawn up by Usher, according to an order of the Synod, of which he was a member. It has been asserted that these articles did not accord with those which were adopted by the English Church; but it is by no means probable, that the then Lord Deputy Chichester would have been ordered by King James to sign them in his name, if they really were considered heterodox, or contrary to the sentiments of the English Reformers. James was too good a theologian to be thus imposed on. Their agreement may appear fully from a just and impartial comparison of each with each, and from this circumstance that the Synod of 1635, at the same time that they adopted the articles of the Church of England to prove their conformity with them, still publicly retained the articles, 104 in number, which were promulgated by the Synod of 1615. As these articles decidedly inculcated those doctrines, which are usually called calvinistical, but which were in fact embraced by all the reformed Churches, his enemies, for enemies he had in common with all those who living godly in Christ Jesus, profess the truth in its unadulterated simplicity, represented him as a Puritan to King James. But the blessed God, who causeth" all

it is no where extant. This account, if true, would only prove the decided enmity of the human heart against God, which, as in this instance, so obstinately rejects truth, and embraces falsehood, although the one is pourtrayed in all its loveliness, and the other depicted in its native and repulsive deformity.

In proof of this assertion consult Mathias's " Inquiry into the Doctrines of the Reformation, &c."

† Dr. Parr has published a letter dated 24th October, 1620, addressed to Dr. Usher, from Emanuel Downing, an Irish Clergyman, to prove that the term Puritan was at that time indifferently applied to all pious and orthodox ministers, to injure them in the estimation of King James, by whom the Puritans were not regarded with any emotions of love. In this letter we are informed, that the Priests finding they could "no longer prevail with their juggling tricks” adopted a new device: "They have now," says he, "stirred up some crafty Priests, who very boldly rail both at ministers and people, saying, they seek to sow this damnable heresy of Puritanism among them; which word though not understood but only known to be most odious to his Majesty makes many afraid to join themselves unto the Gospel." To prevent a greater mischief "he recommends a petition to be presented to his Majesty, to define a Puritan, whereby, the mouths of those scoffing enemies would be stopped, and if his Majesty be not at leisure, that he would appoint some good men to do it for him." Definition of terms has been much recommended by Mr. Locke, te conwevertialista.

things to work together for good to them who love him," caused cons siderable advantages to accrue to him from the impotent malice of his accusers. For Usher having occasion to visit England about the latter end of the year 1619, the Lord Deputy and Council of Ireland, being fully sensible of the scandal, gave him the following recommendatory letter to the Privy Council of England :

May it please your Lordships,

The extraordinary merit of this bearer, Mr. Dr. Usher, prevaileth with us, to offer him that favour, which we deny to many that move us, to be recommended to your Lordships: and we do it the rather, because we are desirous to set him right in his Majesty's opinion, who it seems hath been informed, that he is somewhat transported with singularities, and unaptness to be conformable to the rules and orders of the Church. We are so far from suspecting him in that kind, that we may boldly recommend him to your Lordships, as a man orthodox, and worthy to govern in the Church, when occasion shall be presented. And his Majesty may be pleased to advance him; he being one that hath preached before the State here for eighteen years and has been his Majesty's Professor of Divinity in the University these thirteen years, and a man who has given himself over to his profession: an excellent and painful preacher, a modest man, abounding in goodness: and his life and doctrine so agreeable, as those who agree not with him, are yet, constrained to love and admire them. And for such an one we beseech your Lordships to understand him; and accordingly to speak to his Majesty; and thus with the remembrance of our humblẹ duties we take leave.

Your Lordships most humble at command,
AD. LOFTUS, Chanc.

OLIVER ST. JOHN,

WILLIAM TUAMENSIS,

DUD. NORTON,

JOHN KING,

HENRY DOCWRA,

WILLIAM METHWOLD,

FRA. AUNGIERS.

From Dublin, the

last of Sept. 1619.

When this character of Usher had been read, King James sent for him, and after a long interview, in which he conversed with him on several learned and religious subjects, he was so remarkably satisfied with him, he ended by exclaiming, "The Knave Puritan is a bad man; but the Knave's Puritan is an honest man." The Bishoprick of Meath was at this time vacant, and King James to express his high opinion of him, without any application from any quarter, voluntarily nominated him to it; and was afterwards in the constant habit of boasting that Dr. Usher was a Bishop of his own making. His Conge d'Eslire was pent over immediately, and he was elected to the See by the Dean and