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 politico-religious, not ecclesiastical, a union for conserving the interests of protestantism against the political combination of the Roman catholic, ‘the Socinian, and the infidel.’ Still more thoroughly did he succeed in his political mission by his dealing with O'Connell's visit to Belfast in January 1841. Cooke's challenge to a public discussion of facts and principles was evaded by O'Connell. The anti-repeal meeting which followed O'Connell's abortive demonstration is still famous in Ulster. Almost his last platform appearance was at Hillsborough on 30 Oct. 1867, when, in his eightieth year, Cooke spoke against the threatened disestablishment of protestantism in Ireland. On 5 March 1868 he attended the inaugural meeting of an Ulster protestant defence association. In the same sense was the address (24 Oct. 1868) to the protestant electors of Ireland, penned almost on his deathbed. Cooke's presbyterianism was of the most robust type; he would not rank himself as a ‘dissenter,’ claiming to be a minister of ‘a branch of the church of Scotland.’ But he was anxious to support the establishment of protestant christianity as ‘the law of the empire.’ When, in 1843, the general assembly of his church passed a resolution recommending its members to secure the return of presbyterian representatives to parliament, Cooke formally withdrew from the assembly, and did not return to it until 1847, when the resolution was rescinded. In the non-intrusion controversy which divided the church of Scotland Cooke used all his influence with the government to obtain concessions satisfactory to the liberties of the church, and on the day of the disruption (18 May 1843) gave the encouragement of his presence and voice to the founders of the Free church.

The question of education, especially in its religious bearings, engaged Cooke at an early period. When the scheme for Irish national education was started in October 1831, Cooke at once scented danger to the protestant interest. After many negotiations the synod in 1834 broke off relations with the education board. Cooke explained the views of the synod to the parliamentary committees of inquiry in 1837. In 1839 the synod, under Cooke's guidance, organised an education scheme of its own, and applied to the government for pecuniary aid. The result was that the synod's schools were recognised by the board in 1840 on Cooke's own terms. In September 1844 the general assembly made application to the government for the erection of a college which should provide a full course of education for students for the ministry under the assembly's superintendence and control. The government, however, established the Queen's College 30 Dec. 1846, but endowed four chairs in a theological college at Belfast under the assembly (and two chairs in connection with the non-subscribing presbyterians). It was expected that Cooke would be the first president of the Queen's College; this office was conferred on Rev. P. S. Henry; to Cooke was given the agency for the distribution of regium donum, a post worth 320l. per annum, and on the opening of the Queen's College in 1849 he was appointed presbyterian dean of residence. Cooke, who from 1835 had been lecturer on ethics to the students of his church, was offered by the assembly (14 Sept. 1847) his choice of the newly endowed chairs of ethics and sacred rhetoric; he chose the latter, and was shortly afterwards made president of the faculty. The assembly's college buildings were opened in 1853. On becoming professor Cooke was compelled by the law of the assembly to resign the pastoral office; but at the urgent desire of his congregation he continued to discharge all its duties, being appointed by his presbytery ‘constant supplier’ until the election of a successor (his successor, John S. m'Intosh, was installed 4 March 1868). His resignation of congregational emolument was absolute; for twenty years he served his congregation gratuitously.

In 1829 Cooke received the degree of D.D. from Jefferson College, U.S., and in 1837 that of LL.D. from Trinity College, Dublin. On various occasions, especially in 1841 and 1865, public presentations were made to him in recognition of his labours. The sums continually raised by his preaching on special occasions were remarkable tributes to the persuasion of his eloquence. He had a noble presence and thrilling voice; he was a master of the art of stating a case, had an unexpected reply to every argument of an opponent, seldom failed to make an adversary ridiculous, and when he rose to vehemence the strokes of his genius were overwhelming. In the reports of his speeches there is nothing so fine as his elegy on Castlereagh (in the debate on voluntaryism with Dr. Ritchie of Edinburgh, March 1836), a passage imperfectly reported, because it is said the pressmen ‘dropped their pencils and sat with eyes riveted on the speaker’ (, p. 264).

Cooke's habits of work would have been impossible without the aid of an iron constitution; he rose at four, needed little sleep, and travelled, spoke, and wrote with incessant energy. In public a dangerous and unsparing (some said an unscrupulous) foe, his private disposition was that of warm-hearted kindness. Relations of personal friendliness between him and his old antagonist, Montgo-