abroad. And while many, in various places, glorified God on account of it, one of the most happy and permanent effects which followed from it was, that many faithful ministers were induced to come from Scotland and join themselves with the little band then labouring so faithfully in Ireland. The names of these have also been handed down to us, enshrined in the brightest honour, that of having turned many to righteousness. They were Josias Welsh, grandson to John Knox, settled at Templepatrick, Andrew Stewart at Donegore, George Dunbar at Larne, Henry Calvert at Oldstone, and John Livingston at Killinchy. Of these ministers our historian justly remarks-"These additional ministers proved most valuable auxiliaries to the brethren already settled in the country. The aim of all was the same-the revival and extension of true religion in this waste and desolate land. Through their honoured instrumentality, the Gospel shot forth its branches in Ulster with wonderful rapidity, till, like the grain of mustard, from being the least of all seeds, it became a great and noble tree, which, after the lapse of two centuries and the beating of many bitter storms, stands, at the present day, more firm and vigorous than ever. Rarely has the church of Christ in any land experienced so sensible an increase, in so limited a period, as under the ministry of these brethren; and the reason is obvious-rarely has she enjoyed such faithful servants." Among other means which they adopted, they held monthly meetings for conference and prayer at Antrim. These appear to have been truly seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. And we rejoice to quote into our pages the record of them which has happily been preserved, in the writings of some of those who bore a part in the work.

"We used ordinarly to meet the first Friday of every month at Antrim, where was a great and good congregation; and that day was spent in fasting and prayer, and publick preaching. Commonly two preached every forenoon, and two in the afternoon. We used to come together the Thursday's night before, and stayed the Friday's night after; and consulted about such things as concerned the carrying on of the work of God; and these meetings among ourselves were sometimes as profitable as either presbyteries or synods. Such as laid religion to heart, used to convene to those meetings, especially out of the Six-mile-water [valley] which was nearest hand, and where was the greatest number of religious people; and frequently the Sabbath after the Friday's meeting, the communion was celebrated in one or other of our parishes. Among all the ministers, there was never any jar or jealousy; yea, nor amongst the professors, the greatest part of them being Scots, and some good number of very gracious English; all whose contention was to prefer others to themselves. And although the gifts of the ministers were much different, yet it was not observed that the people followed any to the underva luing

of others. Many of these religious professors had been both ignorant and profane; and for debt and want, and worse causes, had left Scotland. Yet the Lord was pleased by His word to work such a change, that I do not think there were more lively and experienced Christians any where, than were these at this time in Ireland. They were in good numbers, and several of them persons in good outward condition in the world. Being but lately brought in, the lively edge was not yet gone off them, and the perpetual fear, that the bishops would put away their ministers, made them with great hunger wait on the ordinances. I have known them come several miles from their own houses to communions, to the Saturday's sermon, and spending the whole Saturday's night in several companies, sometimes a minister being with them, and sometimes themselves alone, in conference and prayer. They have then waited on the public ordinances the whole Sabbath, and spent the Sabbath night in the same way, and yet at the Monday's sermon were not troubled with sleepiness; and so they have not slept till they went home. In those days it was no great difficulty for a minister to preach or pray in public or private, such was the hunger of the hearers; and it was hard to judge whether there was more of the Lord's presence in the public or private meetings.' This statement is fully corroborated by Blair. "The blessed work of conversion, which was of several years continuance, spread beyond the bounds of Antrim and Down, to the skirts of neighbouring countries; and the resort of people to the monthly meetings and communion occasions, and the appetite of the people were become so great, that we were sometimes constrained, in sympathy to them, to venture beyond any preparation we had made for the season. And indeed preaching and praying were so pleasant in those days, and hearers so eager and greedy, that no day was long enough, nor any room great enough to answer their strong desires and large expectations.'

"The singular success which attended the preaching of the word at this period, is also attested by another writer in so ample and striking a manner, that this additional and independent testimony to the truth of facts which many may feel reluctant to admit, must not be withheld. 'I shall here instance that great and solemn work of God which was in the church of Ireland some years before the fall of prelacy, about the year 1628, and some years thereafter, which, as many grave and solid Christians yet alive can witness, who were there present, was a bright and hot sun-blink of the gospel; yea, may with sobriety be said to have been one of the largest manifestations of the Spirit, and of the most solemn times of the down-pouring thereof, that almost since the days of the apostles hath been seen. I remember, amongst other passages, what a worthy Christian told me, how sometimes in hearing the word, such a power and evidence of the Lord's presence was with it, that he hath been forced to rise and look through the church and see what the people were doing, thinking from what he felt on his own spirit, it was a wonder how any could go away without some change upon them. And then it was sweet and easy for Christians to come thirty or forty miles to the solemn communions which they had, and there continue from the time they came until they returned, without wearying or making use of sleep; yea, but little either meat or drink, and, as some of them professed, did not feel the need thereof, but went away most fresh and vigorous, their souls so filled with the sense of God." P. 125–127.

But it was not to be expected that such a work should

pro

ceed long without opposition. The deadliest enmity of Satan would be aroused by it, and so it soon appeared. The Romanists began to annoy these servants of God-some Separatists from England endeavoured to distract them there was danger, too, of internal division, which, however, was speedily healed. But the great and protracted source of opposition arose from a quarter whence it might little have been expected, the dignitaries of the English Church. The Presbyterian Church, prosperous for a little season, became speedily the object of envy, hatred, and bitter persecution. For a series of years it was slandered, opposed, and injured. And of all this the instruments were professed Protestants, and especially Protestant bishops. When the Scottish ministers first arrived in the country, they were encouraged to unite themselves with the Episcopal clergy-they would not generally submit to Episcopal ordination, and the bishops condescended to their views so far as to join with their neighbouring Presbyterian ministers, in the imposition of hands-they enjoyed the tithes as well as the Episcopal incumbents-and they met together at the Bishop's visitations. What appears to us most strange in this part of their history is, that they do not appear ever to have met formally in Presbytery. Perhaps the monthly meetings at Antrim might be considered as substitutes for these. But with all the veneration we entertain for the memory of the men, and with all the allowance that must be made for the character of the times in which they lived, as well as our readiness to acknowledge our incompetency to pronounce very peremptorily upon their conduct in circumstances with which we are not fully acquainted; still does it appear to us an unaccountable circumstance, that they seem to have rested satisfied without any regular constitution of Presbytery. If it was to conciliate the dignitaries of Episcopacy, they soon learned that such an attempt was useless. Their indefatigable labours, their self-denying lives, their extraordinary success, and great popularity with the people, rendered them the objects of envy and dislike to the bishops. Echlin appears among the first who opposed them. After many insidious attempts to thwart their ministry, he proceeded to silence two of their number. It is useless to remind the reader of the pretexts upon which this was done, but it is certain they were vain pretences By means of the great and good Ussher, these, however, were restored. Again Echlin silenced four of the ministers, and as the spirit of the times was strengthening against them, their restoration was not so easily effected.

The accession of Charles I. to the throne was not favourable to them. That haughty and tyrannical family were no friends to religion, nor to its ministers. The advancement of Popery was more congenial to their taste than the patronage of simple and uncompromising Presbytery. The appointment of Wentworth to be lord deputy was another circumstance that rendered their prospects more gloomy, and their difficulties greater. He conspired with the bishops to oppress and injure them. Under the influence of. Laud, he was rendered more intolerant and persecuting. That haughty ecclesiastic prompted him to every measure by which he could discountenance the Calvinistic and Puritanic clergy. And at length the consummation of their measures issued in the appointment of the High Commission Court in Dublin, by which the heaviest punishments might, without appeal, be at once inflicted on all persons, lay or ecclesiastic, who rendered themselves offensive to the tyrannical bishops, the haughty deputy, or the lordly prelate. Under such government as this, the interests of religion and Presbyterianism, as might naturally be expected, rapidly declined. The application for restoration by the suspended ministers was unsuccessful, except for a very short period-some of the ministers in the meantime died-others were deposed-several embarked for New England, since they could not find liberty of conscience at home--being driven back by a storm, they were compelled to fly to Scotlandand in short nothing was left to any of them but to conform to the measures of the prelates, or resign their ministry in the kingdom. With the progress of time the state of the Presbyterians did not grow better but worse They were naturally disaffected to the government of Wentworth, and he determined to overawe them. Many of them were in the habit of resorting to Scotland to enjoy, occasionally, the ministry of the pastors who had been driven from among them, and he took measures to cut off their communication with that country. To engage their conscience, if possible, for submission to his tyrannical proceedings, he imposed upon them, in common with others, what was termed, "the black oath, in which they were compelled to swear, never to oppose any of the king's commands, and to abjure all covenants and oaths, contrary to the tenor of this unconditional engagement." Nor did he cease until he had actually proposed to himself to transport all the Scots out of Ireland, and send them back pennyless and friendless to their native land. Thus did this unprincipled statesman, encouraged by his sovereign and by the

prelates of both England and Ireland, endeavour to destroy the whole work which a former sovereign had wisely planned, which had succeeded beyond all expectation, and which was hastening to bless the whole land with the fruits of righteousness and peace. Well may we cry, "how is the gold become dim, and the most fine gold changed!"

But the triumphing of the wicked is short. Wentworth, now created Earl of Strafford, lost the confidence of the Irish parliament-general discontent pervaded the country-before the long parliament Strafford was impeached, by their command imprisoned, and at length executed. After his death, many grievances were redressed-among others, the High Commission Court was abolished—and after a season, the kingdom seemed to be returning to peace and prosperity. But the expectation was vain. A dark cloud was gathering in another quarter a rebellion was projected by the native Irish-it was fostered by religious antipathy in Ireland and the distraction of affairs in England, if not by the secret intrigues of the king himself— and the consummation of all was the memorable rebellion of

1641. Thus this ill-fated land, whenever it is not oppressed and ruined by strangers, seems doomed to have its fairest prospects overthrown by the desperate madness of its own children.

Yet in the adorable providence of that God who bringeth good out of evil, this very rebellion was over-ruled to be the means of the re-establishment of religion and Presbyterianism in Ulster. It was thought necessary to bring over forces from Scotland to suppress the rebels. These were accompanied by their chaplains, who were Presbyterian ministers. And the plans laid by these men were the foundation of the permanent establishment and security of Presbytery in the country. As soon as their circumstances allowed, they formed themselves into a Presbytery. This is what, we think, should have been done upon the first introduction of Presbyterians to the country, and we have already animadverted on the neglect of it. This is one of the principal sources of power in Presbytery, the close association and united effort of its members. Nor was it overlooked at this time. Elderships having been appointed in the several regiments, the ministers found themselves in a capacity to hold a meeting of Presbytery, and this accordingly took place at Carrickfergus, on Friday, the 10th of June, 1642. Such an event must ever be regarded with no small measure of interest by succeeding generations, and will justify another quotation from