archbishop james ussher; forging the faith of the ulster plantation in the fires of persecution and...

Searching for the

Identity and Faith of

the Ulster Protestant

Standing in the Shadow of our

Greatest Heroic Leaders

Searching for the Identity and

Faith of the Ulster Protestant 1

Archbishop James Ussher

The Identity and Faith of the

Ulster Protestant

The Greatest

Luminary of

the Church of

Ireland

2

The Irish Articles of Religion

3

1615

Why Should We Be Interested?

Consolidated the Church of Ireland as a

truly Reformed Protestant Church.

Unified Presbyterians and Episcopalians

into one denomination.

The work of the most respected scholar of

the 17th Century.

Key to our understanding of the period

which has most influenced modern Ulster.


Ulster Protestant 4

The Irish Bishop who

Welcomed the Ulster Scots


Ulster Protestant

Forging the Faith

of the Ulster

Plantation in the

Fires of

Persecution and

Genocide

Market Cross in the Famous

Plantation Town of

Newtownards

5

What Will We Learn?

1: Progress of Protestantism in Ireland

2: A Divided People

3: James Ussher and Trinity College, Dublin

4: The Irish Articles of Religion

5: The Arrival of the Ulster Scots

6: The Loss of Independence

7: The Emergence of Irish Presbyterianism


Ulster Protestant 6

What Will We Learn?


2: A Divided People







Ulster Protestant 7

Protestantism in Ireland

1536

Act of Supremacy –

Henry 8th declared

Head of the Church of Ireland


Ulster Protestant 8

The 39 Articles of Religion

1571

Defining the English Church as Protestant


Ulster Protestant 9

The Irish Church while nominally

embracing Protestantism never

officially adopted the 39 Articles and

were bereft of a Theological Basis

A State of Confusion

The population were largely Catholic.

Many of the Clergy were Catholic.

Protestant Church services were

conducted in English or Latin.

The use of Irish was discouraged.


Ulster Protestant 10

t

The Irish Reformation was a failure

because it was a political movement

associated with English rule.

What Will We Learn?


2: A Divided Society








Beyond the Pale



Ireland was in a state of rebellion against

the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st.

Nowhere beyond the Dublin and the Pale

(Meath, Louth and Kildare) was safe.

Ulster under O’Neill (Tyrone) O’Donnell

(Tyrconnell) and Maguire (Fermanagh)

was the most difficult to govern.

Continued Rebellion

Hugh O’Neill –

“Commander and Captain

General of Catholic Army

in Ireland”

In many homes a portrait of

the King of Spain was

displayed.

13

Clement 7th


Ulster Protestant

Rebellion Crushed

1601

Spanish Invasion force landed in Kinsale

1607

The Earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnell flee to the

continent leaving the crown huge acreage

and a power vacuum.



The Counter Reformation

The Church of Rome saw Ireland as the ideal place to reverse the Reformation.

Colleges were established in Spain, France and Portugal to train Irish Priests

15


Ulster Protestant

Henry Fitsymmons

Irish Jesuit.

1596 – celebrated the first Mass in Dublin

for 40 years for which he was jailed.

He was the subject of James Ussher’s first

public controversy.

Fitsymmons went onto be a supporter of the

1641 rebellion.

16


Ulster Protestant

What Will We Learn?


2: A Divided People








Archbishop James Ussher

18

The Greatest

Luminary of

the Church of

Ireland

Born - 1581


Ulster Protestant

The Ussher Family

The founder was an Usher to King John when he

visited Ireland in 1185.

Arlandus Ussher was Mayor of Dublin in the 15th

Century.

A prominent Dublin family.

His Grandfather was speaker of the Irish House

of Commons for three successive Parliaments

19


Ulster Protestant

James Ussher’s

Introduction to the Scriptures

Surrounded by Roman Catholic

relatives.

His mother converted to Catholicism

after his father’s death.

Two blind aunts carefully instructed

him in the Gospel and the great

Reformation truths.

20


Ulster Protestant

His Conversion

Listening to a sermon on Romans 12:1.

Ten years of age.

Confessions of St Augustine.

He was convinced of Sabbaterianism at an early age.

21


Ulster Protestant

Romans 12:1

“I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God, that ye

present your bodies a living

sacrifice, holy, acceptable

unto God, which is your reasonable

service.”

22


Ulster Protestant

Presbyterians at the Free School

1589 – enrolled at a Free School established by Queen Elizabeth.

Tutors – Scots – James Fullerton and James Hamilton (later Viscount Clandeboye).

Both had been pupils of Andrew Melville in Glasgow University.

23


Ulster Protestant

Trinity College

1593

Aged 15 – began his work of chronicling the Bible.

1596 - BA Degree

Began a study to show that Roman Catholic faith was not the true faith.

24


Ulster Protestant

Walter Travers

A Presbyterian Divine, ordained in

Holland because he refused to be

ordained by the Anglican Church.

Appointed as Provost of Trinity

College.

James Ussher educated in a college

that had a distinctly puritan outlook.

25


Ulster Protestant

The Young Dublin Preacher

26

Delivered weekly

addresses on

Roman Catholicism.

A number of

Roman Catholics

were converted.


Ulster Protestant

Ordination

1601 – by his Uncle The Archbishop

of Armagh.

His first sermon was preached on a

Day of Prayer for success against the

Spanish Invasion.

27


Ulster Protestant

James Ussher the Scholar

1613 History of the Churches in the West.

His university theses were on Daniel’s 70

weeks and the Millennial Reign.

1614 – Vice Chancellor of Trinity College.

1650 – Published his Annals of the World

(World created 4004BC).

28


Ulster Protestant

JAMES USSHER

29

Qualified to

Define the

Protestant

Church of

Ireland


Ulster Protestant

The 39 Articles of Religion



Queen Elizabeth 1st

1571

Questioned by the Puritans for

their lack of Calvinism and their

leaning towards Catholicism in

the Sacraments

1595 – Lambeth Articles

9 Articles, never accepted by the

Queen, drawn up by the

Archbishop of Canterbury, to

settle the controversy.

Convocation of the

Church of Ireland

24th May 1613 – 24th April 1615



Agreed upon by the Archbishops and

Bishops, and the rest of the Clergy of

Ireland, in the Convocation holden at

Dublin in the Year of our Lord God

1615, for the Avoiding of Diversities of

Opinions, and the Establishing of

Consent touching True Religion.

Major Influences

Puritan; Calvinism.

Influx of Presbyterian Settlers in Ulster.

Desire to avoid the theological disputes.

that had ravaged England.

Put clear water between the Irish

Protestant Church and Roman

Catholicism.

There would be no ambiguity.



Theology of the Irish Articles

The Bible “given by Inspiration of God”(2)

Predestination – “God from all eternity did, by his unchangeable counsel, ordain whatsoever in time should come to pass; yet so, as thereby no violence is offered to the wills of the reasonable creatures...” (11)

Covenant – “He fulfilled the law for us perfectly: For our sakes he endured most grievous torments immediately in his soul, and most painful sufferings in his body. He was crucified, and died to reconcile his Father unto us...” (30)



Theology of the Irish Articles

Depravity – “we have no power to do good works pleasing, acceptable unto God” (25)

Justification – “We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, applied by faith, and not for our own works or merits. And this righteousness, which we so receive of God's mercy and Christ's merits, embraced by faith, is taken, accepted, and allowed of God, for our perfect and full justification.” (34)



Theological Clarity



Irish Articles

Baptism

“sign of profession”

Lord’s Supper

“a sign..sealing unto

us our spiritual

nourishment”

39 Articles

Baptism

“sign of

regeneration...grafted into

the Church”

Lord’s Supper

“the bread...and cup...is a

partaking...body...and...

blood of Christ”

Agreement on the Mass

Irish Articles – “The Sacrifice of the

Mass... most injurious to that all-sufficient

Sacrifice of our Saviour Christ, offered once

forever upon the cross...” (99)

39 Articles – “blasphemous fables and

dangerous deceits”(31)



The Papacy

“80. The Bishop of Rome is so far from

being the supreme head of the universal

Church of Christ, that his works and

doctrine do plainly discover him to be that

man of sin, foretold in the holy Scriptures,

whom the Lord shall consume with the

spirit of his mouth, and abolish with the

brightness of his coming .”



Significant Omissions

No mention of the hierarchy of

offices; priests, deacons, bishops

and archbishops.

Lent disavowed.



An All Embracing Church

Ministers not required to subscribe but were

required not to teach any doctrine contrary.

Ussher’s wished to produce a Church which

would evangelise the Catholic population.

His attempt was to unite Protestants of all

shades in the one communion.



An Independent Church

“the Irish Articles constitute a remarkable

declaration of independence by the Church

of Ireland” (Alan Ford)



The Glory of the Articles

“This was the glory of Ussher’s reformed

church. Emphatically Puritan, rigorously

scholastic, but charitable to weaker

consciences, nothing was to stand in the

way of it’s evangelisation of Ireland –

nothing that is, but the interference of

English Protestants.”

(Crawford Gribben)



What Will We Learn?


2: A Divided People

3: James Ussher and Trinity College,

Dublin








Ulster Protestant

The Plantation of Ulster

Six of Ulster’s Nine Counties were now

possessed by the state.

Armagh, Cavan, Coleraine, Donegal,

Fermanagh and Tyrone.

The Plantations in Antrim and Down were

under the control of private landlords.

43


Ulster Protestant

The Challenge

Attacks from the natives.

Castles and Bawns had to be erected.

Forests were cleared.

Towns and villages established.

44


Ulster Protestant

The Results

Communities such as Belfast, Londonderry,

Coleraine, Ballymena and Newtownards

owe their formation

to the Plantation.

45


Ulster Protestant

The Ecomomic Success of the

Plantation

Ulster became the most prosperous part of

Ireland.

“They are I believe without exception the

toughest, the most dominant the most

irresistible race that exists in the universe at

this moment.”

Lord Rosebery Prime Minister, 1894-95

46


Ulster Protestant

The Spiritual Success of the

Plantation

The Gospel preached in every town

virtually every village

Missionaries sent throughout the world.

47


Ulster Protestant

The Early Presbyterian Ministers

Edward Brice

Opposed the King’s inference in the Scottish Church

1613 – Began ministering at Broadisland, after fleeing from Bishop Spotswood in Stirlingshire.

“In all his preaching he insisted most on the life of Christ in the heart and the light of his word and the spirit on the mind that being his own continual exercise.”

48


Ulster Protestant


Robert Cunningham

1615 in Holywood

“resembled the meekness of Christ more than any other individual he had ever met.”

49


Ulster Protestant


Mr Hubbard

1621

Moved his entire London congregation to Carrickfergus

“An able gracious man”

50


Ulster Protestant


John Ridge

An English man who fled his homeland because of the Episcopal Influence

Ministered in Larne

“the judicious and gracious minister of Antrim”

51


Ulster Protestant


Robert Blair

Professor at Glasgow College.

Because of the King’s policy he removed to Bangor.

He benefited from Archbishop Ussher’s protection.

He returned to Scotland for the National Covenant.

52


Ulster Protestant


Josias Welch

Grandson of John Knox.

Ministered in Templepatrick.

Known as the “Cock of the Conscience”.

53


Ulster Protestant


George Dunbar

Twice ejected from his charge in Ayr

Imprisoned because of his opposition to the King’s

policies.

Ministered in Carrickfergus, Ballymena and Larne.

54


Ulster Protestant

The Sixmilewater Revival

1625

Rev James Glendinning of Oldstone preached firmly against sin and warned of God’s wrath.

Many people in the Sixmilewater Valley were deeply convicted of their sins.

Rev Glendinning could go no further and did not reveal the grace of the Gospel.

Local ministers came to lead the people to Christ and a monthly Friday meeting instituted to feed the new converts in Antrim.

This awakening had a deep influence for good both in the Sixmilewater and further afield.

55

What Will We Learn?


2: A Divided People


Dublin







King James 1st



• Ussher - Royal Chaplain.

• 1620 – Bishop of West Meath.

• Privy Counsellor.

• 1625 – Archbishop of

Armagh.

Final English Controversy

Lord Mordaunt (Roman Catholic) and

His wife decided that the Reformed

Faith be debated in their presence.

After 3 days the Jesuit representing

Rome absconded.

Lord Mordaunt converted to the

religion of his wife.

58


Ulster Protestant

Changing Times



Charles 1st

Archbishop William Laud



• 1633 – Archbishop of

Canterbury.

• Favoured Arminianism and

had leanings towards Romanism

• Unify the Churches of

England, Wales, Scotland,

Ireland.

Thomas Wentorth,

1st Earl of Strafford



• 1633 – Lord Deputy of

Ireland.

• Policy of persecuting

Presbyterians.

• Star Chamber and the Black

Oath

A Vision for Unity Lost

Echlin, Bishop of Down.

Blair and his appeal to the King.

The Eagle Wing.

Rowing the Irish Sea.



Loss of Independence

1634 – The 39 Articles were adopted as the confession of the Church of Ireland.

The Irish Articles were never repealed but were superseded.

Ussher continued to make use of them when ordaining clergy.



What Will We Learn?


2: A Divided People


Dublin







Oliver Cromwell



• Charles was under increasing

strain from Parliament

• 1640 – Ussher was called to

London to advise the King.

• He would never again return

to Ireland.

Heart Breaking News

1641 – 100,000 Protestants slaughtered in

Ireland.

The King and Parliament supported him

until his death.

66


Ulster Protestant

The Irish Rebellion of 1641

The Backlash from Rome




Ulster Protestant

Sir Phelm O’Neill

Announced a desire that Mass would once again be said in every Irish Church.

No Protestants should be left in Ireland.

In Westmeath a meeting of Catholic Clergy recommended a general massacre.

68


Ulster Protestant

The Plan Develops

Sir Phelm O’Neill is appointed the leader.

The priests anoint groups of men to massacre Protestants.

In October 1641 the atrocities commence.

69


Ulster Protestant

Barbarism

Loughgall – 300 protestants slaughtered in Church.

Portadown – 180 drowned in the River Bann.

Tyrone – Blackwater was red with blood.

Killyeagh – Rev Thomas Murray crucified.

An estimated 100,000 Protestants were murdered.

70


Ulster Protestant

Reprieve for the Ulster Scots

The initial assault was on the English Settlers.

This gave the Ulster Scots time to prepare defences.

While the roving hoards attacked the Ulster Scots eventually they were spared the worst of the atrocities.

The Protestant Church of Ireland was decimated by the rebellion.

71


Ulster Protestant

Welcome Aid

With Ireland in anarchy intervention was necessary.

The Scottish Parliament sent 10,000 soldiers to Carrickfergus, under General Munro, April 1642.

It would take Cromwell almost ten years to impose his authority on Ireland.

72

The Westminster

Confession of Faith

The Theological Basis of

Presbyterianism



Ussher’s Quest for Peace

He strove to create a compromise

between Presbyterianism and

Anglicanism.

The Independents proved to be the

obstacles to any compromise.

74


Ulster Protestant

Assessment of Richard Baxter of

Kidderminister

“If all the Episcopalians had been like

Archbishop Ussher, all the

Presbyterians like Mr Stephen

Marshall, and all the Independents

like Jeremiah Burroughs, the

breaches of the church would soon

have been healed”

75


Ulster Protestant

The Westminster Assembly of 1643

Ussher invited to join the Assembly

which met to “settle the government

and liturgy of the Church of

England”.

As the King declared the Assembly

illegal Ussher declined.

76


Ulster Protestant

The Westminster

Confession of Faith

This Confession is regarded as the

most mature of all the Reformed

Confessions in the English Language.

The Westminster Divines used the

Irish Articles of Faith as their basis.

77


Ulster Protestant

The Emergence of Irish

Presbyterianism

The rebellion had decimated the Church of Ireland.

The Ulster Scots looked to the Scottish Army to establish churches.

These Presbyterian Congregations would eventually adopt the Westminster Confession as their creed.

78


Ulster Protestant

The Presbyterian Church

Established

A New Beginning for

Plantation Ulster




Ulster Protestant

The First Presbytery

The army imposed church discipline on its troops, based in Carrickfergus.

A session composed of godly officers was established for each regiment.

In June 1642 the first Presbytery met with representatives of 4 sessions.

80


Ulster Protestant

Members of the First Presbytery

Nine members attended the meeting.

Three regimental chaplains remained in Ulster after the army departed to minister.

Rev Hugh Cunningham (Ray, Co Donegal), Rev Thomas Pebbles (Dundonald and Holywood), and Rev John Baird (Dervock).

81


Ulster Protestant

The Sermon Preached

Rev Baird preached from Psalm 51:18; “Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion, build thou the walls of Jerusalem”

“The grain of seed which they sowed has, indeed, grown into a great tree”

Rev Thomas Hamilton

82


Ulster Protestant

Petitions for Help

The rebellion had decimated the Church of Ireland and had robbed her of her clergymen.

The Presbytery was soon petitioned for spiritual assistance.

The Presbytery advised the people concerned to establish Sessions.

83


Ulster Protestant

Ministers Settled

These new Presbyterian congregations soon received ministers approved by the Presbytery to preach and pastor

The records show that Ballymena, Antrim, Cairncastle, Templepatrick, Carrickfergus, Larne, Belfast, Ballywalter, Portaferry, Newtownards, Donaghadee, Killyleagh, Comber, Holywood and Bangor were among the first constituted congregations with ordained clergy.

84


Ulster Protestant

The Macedonian Call

The Church of Scotland was petitioned for further help.

Six were sent temporarily to Ulster.

Subsequent ministers were sent for three months at a time.

The Church of Scotland became like an nursing mother to the new church.

85


Ulster Protestant

Out of the Ashes

God turned again the captivity of Zion.

From the ashes of death and tragedy the Ulster Scots received the freedoms for which they had longed.

“So the church... had peace, being edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost was multiplied.” Acts 9:31.

86

Postscript

James Ussher

“From heartbreak to death”



Execution of Charles 1st

31st January 1649

He fainted as he witnessed the death of his King.

Kept that day as a Fast Day until his death.

88


Ulster Protestant

1656 – The Death of James Ussher

“My years are full”

“Oh Lord, forgive me,

specially my sins of

omission.”

89


Ulster Protestant

Honoured in Death

Cromwell ordered that he be buried in Westminster Abbey.

Grave unmarked

“And Samuel died, and all Israel were gathered together and lamented him and buried him”

90


Ulster Protestant

The 1904 Stone in

St Paul’s Chapel

"In pious memory of JAMES USSHER who

was born in Dublin in 1581, entered among

the first students of Trinity College, promoted

to the ...see of Armagh, primate of all Ireland,

the hundredth heir of St Patrick the apostle of

Ireland, historian, critic, theologian, most

learned among the holy, most holy among the

learned, exiled from his own in this city of

Westminster, he fell asleep in Christ in

1656..." 91


Ulster Protestant

One Final Text

Galatians 5:1

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty

wherewith Christ hath made us free,

and be not entangled again with the

yoke of bondage.”

92


Ulster Protestant

archbishop james ussher; forging the faith of the ulster plantation in the fires of persecution and...

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