they might enforce exterior conformity to
a new creed. In 1576, Sidney again complains of the state of the Irish
Church, and addresses himself, with almost blasphemous flattery to the
head of that body, "as to the only sovereign salve-giver to this your
sore and sick realm, the lamentable state of the most noble and
principal limb thereof--the Church I mean--as foul, deformed, and as
cruelly crushed as any other part thereof, only by your gracious order
to be cured, or at least amended. I would not have believed, had I not,
for a greater part, viewed the same throughout the whole realm." He then
gives a detailed account of the state of the diocese of Meath, which he
declares to be the best governed and best peopled diocese in the realm;
and from his official report of the state of religion there, he thinks
her Majesty may easily judge of the spiritual condition of less favoured
districts. He says there are no resident parsons or vicars, and only a
very simple or sorry curate appointed to serve them; of them only
eighteen could speak English, the rest being "Irish ministers, or rather
Irish rogues, having very little Latin, and less learning or
civility."[429] In many places he found the walls of the churches thrown
down, the chancels uncovered, and the windows and doors ruined or
spoiled--fruits of the iconoclastic zeal of the original reformers and
of the rapacity of the nobles, who made religion an excuse for plunder.
He complains that the sacrament of baptism was not used amongst them,
and he accuses the "prelates themselves" of despoiling their sees,
declaring that if he told all he should make "too long a libel of his
letter. But your Majesty may believe it, that, upon the face of the
earth where Christ is professed, there is not a Church in so miserable a
case."

A Protestant nobleman, after citing some extracts from this document,
concludes thus: "Such was the condition of a Church which was, half a
century ago, rich and flourishing, an object of reverence, and a source
of consolation to the people. It was now despoiled of its revenues; the
sacred edifices were in ruins; the clergy were either ignorant of the
language of their flocks, or illiterate and uncivilized intruders; and
the only ritual permitted by the laws was one of which the people
neither comprehended the language nor believed the doctrines. And this
was called establishing the Reformation!"[430]

It should be observed, however, that Sir Henry Sidn