第302章

As James showed great reluctance to take any active measures against the Catholics， Brouncker， the President of Munster， Lyons， Protestant Bishop of Cork， and the other members of the Council of Munster issued a proclamation (14 Aug. 1604) ordering "all Jesuits， seminaries， and massing priests of what sort soever as are remaining within one of the corporate towns of the province" to leave before the last day of September， and not to return for seven years. Any persons receiving or relieving any such criminals were threatened with imprisonment during his Majesty's pleasure and with a fine of ā40 for every such offence， and "whosoever should bring to the Lord President and Council the bodies of any Jesuits， seminaries， or massing priests" were promised a reward of ā40 for every Jesuit， ā6 3s. 4d. for every seminary priest， and ā5 for every massing priest. Fearing， however， that his action might be displeasing to the king， Brouncker took care to write to Cecil that the cities of the South were crowded with seminary priests who said Mass publicly in the best houses "even in the hearing of all men，" and that he had delayed taking action till they began to declare boldly that his Majesty was pleased "to tolerate their idolatry."[5]

Sir John Davies， a native of Wiltshire， who was made Solicitor-General for Ireland on account of his poetical talent， was not opposed to the policy of repression， but at the same time he held firmly that until the Protestant Church in Ireland was itself reformed there could be no hope of converting the Irish people. Writing to Cecil (Feb. 1604) "he is informed，" he says， "that the churchmen for the most part throughout the kingdom are mere idols and ciphers， and such as cannot read， if they should stand in need of the benefit of their clergy； and yet the most of those whereof many be serving men and some horseboys， are not without two or three benefices apiece， for the Court of Faculties doth qualify all manner of persons， and dispense with all manner of non-residences and pluralities. . . . The churches are ruined and fallen to the ground in all parts of the kingdom. There is no divine service， no christening of children， no receiving of the sacraments， no Christian meeting or assembly， no， not once in a year；in a word， no more demonstration of religion than among Tartars or cannibals." In his opinion there was no use in asking the bishops of the Pale to hold an inquiry into the abuses， for they themselves were privy to them. "But if the business is to be really performed， let visitors be sent out of England， such as never heard a cow speak and understand not that language， that they may examine the abuses of the Court of Faculties， of the simoniacal contracts， of the dilapidations and dishersion of the churches； that they may find the true value of the benefices， and who takes the profits and to whose uses； to deprive these serving men and unlettered kern that are now incumbents， and to place some of the poor scholars of the College who are learned and zealous Protestants； to bring others out of that part of Scotland that borders on the North of Ireland， who can preach the Irish tongue， and to transplant others out of England and to place them within the English Pale."[6]

At last， yielding to the advices that poured in on him from all sides， James I. determined to banish the Jesuits and seminary priests in the hope that when they were removed the people might be induced to submit， and to insist on compliance with the terms of the Act of Uniformity. He issued a proclamation (4 July 1605) denying the rumour that he intended "to give liberty of conscience or toleration of religion" to his Irish subjects， and denouncing such a report as a libel on himself， "as if he were more remiss or less careful in the government of the Church of Ireland than of those other churches whereof he has supreme charge." He commanded "all Jesuits， seminary priests， or other priests whatsoever， made and ordained by any authority derived or pretended to be derived from the See of Rome，" to depart from the kingdom before the end of December. All priests who refused to obey or who ventured to come into Ireland after that date， and all who received or assisted such persons were to be arrested and punished according to the laws and statutes of that realm， and all the people were exhorted "to come to their several parish churches or chapels， to hear divine service every Sunday and holiday" under threat of being punished for disobedience.[7]