Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/616

 612 USHER. ties, in the study of which he was then actively engaged. In this excursion he became intimately acquainted with many distinguished literary characters, among others, with Camden, who gratefully acknowledges his obligations for many particulars concerning Dublin, to Usher, “who, in various learning and judgment,” he observes, “far exceeds his years.” The following year he was promoted to the chancellorship of the cathedral of St. Patrick, and having proceeded bachelor of divinity, was chosen pro fessor of that faculty in the university; in which office he continued thirteen years, reading weekly lectures during the whole of that time, except when absent in England, to which country he went regularly every three years, spending one month at Oxford, another at Cambridge, and the remainder in London, chiefly at the Cottonian library. During one of these visits, in 1612, his first publication appeared, “De Ecclesiarum Christianarum Successione et Statu;” in which he endeavoured to shew, that there has always existed a visible church of true Christians, untainted with the errors and corruptions of the Romish church, and that these islands owe not their Christianity to Rome. On his return to Ireland in the same year, he married Phoebe, daughter of Dr. Luke Chaloner, who, in his last will recommended Usher to his daughter for a husband, if she was inclined to marry. A parliament being held in Dublin in 1615, the convo cation of the clergy assented to one hundred and four articles which were drawn up by Usher, asserting in the strongest terms the doctrine of predestination and repro bation. On this and other accounts Dr. Heylin called the passing these articles an absolute plot of the Sabbatarians and Calvinists in England, to make themselves so strong a party in Ireland, as to obtain what they pleased in this COInVOcation. His enemies having attempted to injure him with the king, by representing his tenets as not sufficiently ortho dox, he procured a letter from the lord deputy and council