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"He continued to deliver lectures during the following fourteen years, at first twice, afterwards once, in every week. His principal subject was an answer to the controversies of Bellarmine. Dr. Bernard says he read three volumes of these Lectures, and that it would be an honour to the University, where they were read, to have them published. There is only one volume now in existence, and it does not appear that the other two were ever deposited in the Library of Trinity College. The volume now in existence bears evidence of having been commenced with an intention of publishing the Lectures, but they are left unfinished in every part; I have, however, printed them in the fourteenth volume of the Archbishop's works, as much anxiety was expressed to have them made public. There is a great deal of information contained in them, imperfect as they are, and a remarkable display of logical acuteness in a contest with the most learned and able disputant of the Romish Church."

The statement made in this passage that only one MS. volume of Ussher's Lectures now exists, was afterwards ascertained by Dr. Elrington himself to be incorrect. The one volumed to which he alludes is that which contains the "Tractatus de Controversiis Pontificiis," published in the former half of the fourteenth volume of the Works. But two other MS. volumes, in the autograph of the Archbishop,

d Class D. 3. 19.

e Class D. 3. 22, 23.

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containing the earlier Lectures, exist also in the Library of Trinity College. These volumes are lettered on the back "Usserius de Veteri et Novi Test.," but are numbered in a wrong order, that is to say, the Lectures delivered, or begun to be delivered, in 1610, occur in vol. i. (D. 3. 22.), and those delivered in 1607 in that which has been marked vol. ii. (D. 3. 23.) It is probable, therefore, that we still possess the three volumes alluded to by Bernard, and that all that can now be gathered from them, as capable of being published, is collected in the fourteenth volume. If Dr. Elrington had been aware of the existence of the earlier Lectures, before he had printed those which now stand first, there is no doubt that he would have arranged these fragments in an order the inverse of that in which they are now printed, viz.:1. "Prælectiones habitæ 1607" (vol. xiv., p. 383); 2. "Catholica Assertio Integritatis Fontium," 1610 (ib. p. 199); 3. "Tractatus de Controversiis Pontificiis" (ib. p. 1).

Another allusion to the intended contents of the fourteenth volume, which occurs in the Life of Ussher, need not be here quoted, as it adds nothing to the information given in the foregoing passage.

f Vol. i., p. 321.

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It proves, however, that Dr. Elrington had not discovered the existence of the second collection of Lectures until after he had completed the first volume of the Works, containing Ussher's Life, which was issued in 1848.

Again, speaking of the Archbishop's sermons, and notes of sermons, Dr. Elrington says":

"The notes of three sermons are preserved in the Archbishop's handwriting, and are published in the fourteenth volume of his Works; from which it will appear what was his usual mode of preparation."

This statement caused me considerable embarrassment. I did not know what the sermon notes alluded to were, nor where they were to be found. Dr. Elrington had left no memorandum respecting them. I examined with care all his papers, which his executors had kindly placed in my hands, but without success. I searched also the Ussher MSS. in the Library of Trinity College, but in vain. At length, however, by a mere accident, I found, in this latter repository, what I believe to be the notes referred to by Dr. Elrington. They occur in the volume classed D. 3. 3., and are written in the Archbishop's well-known hand. There is also preceding them in the same volume another document, in the

Vol. i., p. 315, note.

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hand of an amanuensis, which is not a sermon, but apparently the substance of some speech or essay. It is not written, as the others are, upon a text of Scripture, but is entitled, "The causes of the continuance of the contentions concerning church governments." Nevertheless, as it has been corrected throughout, and references to passages of Scripture added in Ussher's hand, I thought it better not to separate it from the notes of sermons which follow it in the MS. on the same paper. Unfortunately I had not discovered these notes until after the fourteenth volume was completed, and therefore was unable to carry out Dr. Elrington's intention of publishing them there; but I have added them in the present volume, at the end of these remarks.

To return, however, to the Theological Lectures of the Archbishop. When I examined the MS. with a view to complete the unfinished volume, I met with the same difficulties which had so greatly embarrassed Dr. Elrington. I found it impossible, owing to the manner in which my time was occupied, to transcribe the fragments and fit them for publication myself; at length, after a considerable time spent in the attempt, I proposed to the Provost and Senior Fellows to allow me to employ

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Dr. Reeves to execute this task, as well as to make a complete Index to the sixteen volumes of Ussher's Works. I knew well his indefatigable perseverance in any thing that he undertook, which, no less than his varied learning and ripe scholarship, admirably qualified him for the work. To my very great relief he consented to take the part assigned him; and, with his accustomed disinterestedness in the cause of learning, consented to give his valuable time and labour for an amount of remuneration which proved that the honour of the University, and the fame of Ussher, were his principal motives for undertaking the task. Few of those who are unpractised in such work can fully estimate the great difficulties which attended the transcription of Ussher's rough notes, many of them written out of their proper order, and crowded into the margins, very often also so much abridged as to render their meaning unintelligible, except to the most skilful and practised scholar. In addition to this, Dr. Reeves undertook the compilation of the invaluable indexes printed in the present volume, which contribute so much to the practical utility of this edition of the collected works of our illustrious Primate. The tedious labour of correctly indexing such matter as these dense volumes contain, can

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