heart and hand ought to oppose the common enemy, We the Archbishops, Bishops, and Prelates of this Kingdom met, motu proprio, at Clonmacnoise, 4th December, 1649, having removed all differences among us (not entering into the merits or diversities of former opinions) thought good for the removing of all jealousies from our own thoughts, bearts and Resolutions, and from others who had relation, or were adherent to the former diversities of opinion to manifest hereby to all the world that the said divisions and jealousies grounded thereupon are now forgotten and forgiven among us on all sides as aforesaid, and that all and every of us of the above Abps. Bps. and Prelates are now by the blessing of God as one body united and that we will as becometh Charity and our pastoral charge, stand all of us as one entire body, for the interest and immunities of the Church and every Prelate and Bishop thereof, and for the honour and dignity, estate, right, and possession of all and every said Abp. Bp. and other Prelates, and we will as one entire and united body forward by our counsel, action, and device the advancement of his Majesty's rights and the good of this nation in general and in particular according to our power and that none of us in any occasion whatsoever concerning the Catholic Religion or the good of this Kingdom of Ireland, will in any respect single himself, or be, or seem opposite to the rest of us, but will hold firm and entire in one sentiment as aforesaid hereby detesting the actions, thoughts and discourses of any that shall renew renew the least memory of the differences past, or give any ground of future differences among us, and do in the name of Jesus Christ exhort all our flocks to the like brotherly affection and union and to the like detestation of all past differences or jealousies as aforesaid arising hitherto among them, and we desire that this our declaration be printed and published in each parish, by command of the respective Ordinaries, ut videant opera vestra bona et glorificent Patrem vestrum qui in coelis est. Datum apud Clonmacnoise, 13 December, 1649. Hugo, Ardmachanus. Fr. Thomas, Dubliniensis. Thomas, Casselensis. Joannes, Archiep. Tuamensis. Fr. Boetius, Elphinensis. Fr. Edmundus, Laghlinensis et Procurator Waterfordiensis. Emerus, Clogherensis. Robertus, Corcagiensis et Cluanensis. Nicolaus, Fernensis. Edmundus, Lymericen et procurator Episcopi Ossorien. Franciscus, Aladensis, Andreas, Finiborensis. Joannes, Laonensis. Fr. Oliverius, Dromorensis. Fr. Antonius, Clonmacnoisensis. Fr. Hugo, Duacensis. Fr. Arthurus, Dunensis et Connorensis. Fr. Terentius, Imolacensis. Fr. Patritius, Ardachadensis. Oliverius Deise, Procurator Episcopi Midensis. Dr. Joannes Hussei, Procurator Ep. Ardfertensis. Dr. Thadeus Clery, Procurator Episcopi Rapotensis. XIX. DECREES OF THE BISHOPS, &C., ASSEMBLED AT CLONMACNOISE, 13TH DECEMBER, 1649. (FROM THE WADDING PAPERS, ROME.) We the Archbps., Bishops, & other ordinaries & Prelates of the Kingdom of Ireland, having met at Clonmacnoise, proprio motu, the 4th day of December, in the year 1649, to consider the best means to unite our flocks for averting God's wrath fallen on this nation now bleeding under the evils that Famine, Plague, and War bring after them, for effecting a present union, decreed the ensueing acts :— 1. We order & decree as an Act of this Cong" that all Archbps., Bishs., & other ordinaries within their respective Diocesses, shall enjoyn public Prayers, fasting, general confessions, & receiving, & other works of Piety, toties quoties, to withdraw from this nation God's anger, & to render them capable of his mercies. 2. We order & decree as an Act of this Cong. that a Declaration be issued from us, letting the People know how vain it is for them to expect from the common Enemy commanded by Cromwell, by authority from the Rebels of England, any assurance of their Religion, Lives or Fortunes. 3. We order & decree that all the Pastors & Preachers be enjoined to preach amity, & for inducing the People thereunto to declare unto them the absolute necessity there is for the same, & as the chief means to preserve the nation against the extirpation & destruction of their Religion & fortunes resolved on by the Enemy. And we hereby do manifest our Detestation against all such divisions between either Provinces or Families, or between old English and old Irish, or any of the English or Scots adhering to his Majesty, & we do decree & order that all Ecclesiastical Persons fomenting such Dissensions or unnatural divisions be punished by their respective Prelates & Superiors, juxta gravitatem excessus & (si opus fuerit) suspendantur beneficiali & Pastores a beneficio & officio ad certum Tempus, Religiosi autem a divinis juxta Circumstantias delicti, leaving the Laity offending in this kind to be corrected by the civil magistrate by imprisonment, fine, banishment, or otherwise, as to them shall seem best for plucking by the roots so odious a crime, the execution whereof we most earnestly recommend to all those having Power, & that all are concerned therein as they will Answer to God for the Evils that thereout may ensue. 4. We decree & declare excommunicated those Highway Robbers commonly call'd the Idle Boys, that take away the Goods of honest men, or force men to pay them contribution, & we likewise declare excommunicated all such as succour or harbour them, or bestow or sell any victualling, or buy cattle or any other thing else from them wittingly, likewise all the Ecclesiastical Persons ministring Sacraments to such Robbers or Idle Boys, or burying them in holy Graves to be suspended ab officio & Beneficio si quod habent by their respective Superiors juxta Gravitatem delicti. This our Decree is to oblige within fifteen Days after the Publication thereof in their respective Diocesses. Datum apud Clonmacnoise, 13 December, 1649. Hugo, Ardmachanus. Fr. Thomas, Dubliniensis. Thomas, Casselensis. Joannes, Archiep. Tuamensis. Fr. Boetius, Elphinensis. Fr. Edmundus, Laghlinensis et Procurator Waterfordiensis. Robertus, Corcagiensis et Cluanensis. Nicolus, Fernensis. Edmundus, Lymericen et Procurator Episcopi Ossorien. Franciscus, Aladensis. Andreas, Finiborensis. Fr. Oliverius, Dromorensis. Fr. Antonius, Clonmacnosensis. Fr. Hugo, Duacensis. Fr. Arturus, Dunensis et Connerensis. Fr. Terentius, Imolacensis. Fr. Patritius, Ardachadensis. Oliverius Deise, Procurator Episcopi Midensis. Dr. Thadaeus Clery, Procurator Episcopi Rapotensis. Fr. Thomas MacKiernan, Provincialis fratrum Min. XX. AN ACCOUNT OF THE JESUIT MISSIONS IN IRELAND FROM 1641 TO 1650, WRITTEN IN 1651. (FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE IRISH COLLEGE, ROME.) Relatio rerum quarumdam notabilium quae contigerunt in Missione Hibernica Societatis Jesu ab anno 1641, usque ad annum 1650. Missio Hibernica una de primis Societatis nostrae in Europae missionibus Sancto P. N. Ignatio ita cordi fuit, ut eo duos ex decem primis Patribus Salmeronem et Paschasium destinaverit. Haec Missio a temporibus B. Borgiae fuit semper instructa viris e Societate nostra magnae et laboriosae virtutis. Eorum vivendi ratio usque ad annum circiter 1620 talis erat ut nullas haberent Residentias aut domos ubi simul habitarent: sed vivebat quisque seorsim vel in aedibus nobilium, vel semoto quopiam Refugio, unde suis temporibus prodibant ad missiones et munia Societatis magno cum animarum fructu obeunda. Successu temporis cum haeretici constantia Catholicorum victi, in negotio Religionis conniverent, coeperunt nostri circa praedictum annum cohabitare, et in domibus vel propriis vel conductis juxta normas Collegiorum ac leges Societatis vitam simul agere, in his domibus, quas Residentias vocamus excitata oratoria ubi conciones et Catecheses habebantur, apertae Scholae ubi juventus more Societatis educabatur, erectae Sodalitates, ubi nobiles et cives et plebaei ad omnem virtutem et pietatem diversis congregationibus instituebantur. Haec tam ordinate et cum tam inusitato splendore, ac tanto cum fructu atque incremento Religionis Catholicae gesta, Societatem nostram in totius gentis admirationem ac venerationem rapuerunt. Itaque a multis civitatibus postulata Collegia, fundationes oblatae, ex quibus a P. Mutio nonnullae acceptatae sunt. Tredecim ergo Residentias habebat in Hibernia Societas ex quibus aliae suis reditibus tamquam inchoata Collegia fruebantur, aliae piorum eleemosynis liberaliter sustentabantur; singulae suis bibliothecis, ornamentis Ecclesiasticis, domestica supellectile et rebus omnibus ad usum nostrum requisitis sufficienter instructae, per has Residentias ita distributus erat nostrorum numerus ut in quibusdam essent socii quinque, in aliis octo, nullibi pauciores quam tres. Vita erat ubique tam laboriosa et in ministeriis adeo frequentibus occupata, ut unus plurium subiret vicem. Rector sive Superior domus idem erat concionator ordinarius diebus dominicis et festis, idem iisdem festis a meridie catechizabat, idem confessiones indefessus audiebat, idem Sodalitatibus praeerat, et tota reliqua septimana idem non secus ac reliqui magistri pueros in Scholis assiduus docebat. Stupente populo cum viderent viros aetate et auctoritate venerabiles, concionatores ac Theologos eximios, quorum consilia et resolutiones viri gravissimi in suis difficultatibus exquirebant, tales inquam viros dies totos in scholis puerorum traducere et nullo emolumento aut spe humana proposita sese parvulis accommodare, et quodammodo instar Elizaei staturam suam ad mensuram puerilem capacitatemque contrahere. Ex his Residentiis licet tam minuto essent numero, fiebant excursi |