Ireland
Through the connection he had made with Robert Cunningham, he received this invitation from James Hamilton, Viscount Clandeboye. In August, 1630 he invited Livingstone to come to Ireland where the parish of Killinchy awaited him. With no sign of Livingstone securing a position in Scotland, he thought this would interest him.
Livingstone agreed readily provided he got the all clear. This was soon forthcoming.
Although the civil war in Ireland had ended in the earlier part of King Henry Vlll`s reign, the suppression of the Irish rebels was not completed until Elizabeth l had ascended the throne. All this time the lands of the province had been lying at waste. The English were in possession of a few towns and parcels of land, while the Irish stayed within the woods and other safe hiding places.
With the coming of the reign of James l there began the process of encouraging English and Scottish settlers, or planters to the province. Many of these moved from the south west of Ireland to the province of Ulster. The long rested land soon yielded to their labours and bore plentiful harvests.
The majority of these persons had opted for the move, being driven by poverty. Others were attracted by the adventure, and others who had lived `scandalous lives`. It was asserted that the scum of both England and Scotland were among the prime movers.
No care had been taken to plant any religion. Even some of the preachers at the time were of dubious quality. The land was ripe for such as Livingstone to spread the gospel.
On reaching Ireland, armed with references from Clandeboye and the Earl of Wigton, he met with the Bishop of Ratho, Andrew Knox.. He explained his failure at not having been ordained. Knox said he had no scruples and that he would arrange for him to receive the `imposition of hands.` He would present him with the Book of Ordination and he could mark anything for deletion that he found disagreeable. On examining later, he had found others before him had so marked the ones he found unacceptable.
He was overjoyed at the events for, as he put it, "....the Lord was pleased to carry that business far beyond anything that I had thought or almost ever desyred".
Livingstone`s first encounter with his new parishioners was when he officiated at a funeral . From the book, `Killinchy: or The Days of Livingston,` by William McComb, it was recorded;
"The mourners were soon seen winding their way up the hillside, and approaching with solemn steps and slow. At a little distance from the churchyard the procession was met by a tall thin looking man, well wrapped up in a rough cloak, whose sober walk, and sedate aspect attracted universal attention, and seemed to excite a feeling of agreeable surprise, it was John Livingstone."
He had been asked by Hamilton to orate at the funeral. His exhorations to the assembled mourners led them all to consider their mortality, and stirred them up to timely preparation for `lying down in the dust`.
His address obviously achieved the desired effect upon the minds of his listeners, for Hamilton remarked on his way home, ".... he seems a true man o`God, and nane o` your hirelings, that come wi` a dry word on the lips, but without a`e spark o` love in the heart; who speaks as lichtly o` sin as if it could be washed awa` wi` the mornin dew, an of the salvation o` the immortal soul, as if a sigh from the bosom, and a tear in the e`e, were sufficient to atone for the langest lifetime o` sin wicknedness.
" The Lord has surely sent us a shepherd who will seek an` search out the sheep - who will range the thickets o` warl`y vanity an` temptation, an` drawin` them out, will lead them back by the sweet sicht o` love, an` the free offer o` pardon an` peace."
By accepting ordination through the good offices of the Bishop of Rapho, he knew he would incur the wrath of the Bishop of Down in whose parish Killinchy was situated.
The spring the following his ordination, he received an invitation to appear before the said Bishop of Down which he was reluctant to accept. Much against his will, he was persuaded by Mr Blair, minister of Bangor to accompany him and Mr Cunningham, having been advised that a refusal to attend would only create more trouble.
Consequently, he found himself face to face with the Bishop who immediately asked of him his opinion of the Service Book. Livingstone`s answer so dissastisfied him that there was for a while a danger of immediate censure. Only an appeal by Lord Clandeboye to the Bishop to forbear with him was the situation saved.
During the following winter he somewhat despaired of doing his people good. Although they were tractable, they were very ignorant. However in a short time some of them began to understand their condition.
The parish had no organised `official court`, Decision was tolerable. He appointed elders from various heads of families to oversee the keeping of it, and deacons were chosen to gather and distribute collections.
Each week he met with them and before them were called all who had transgressed. Some were heard in private while others were prevailed to confess their sins before the congregation. Those who failed to turn up suffered the ignominy of having their names, scandals, and inpenitency read out before the congregation. This proved "such an` terrour, that we found very few of that sort."
Nine or ten parishes were within a twenty mile boundary and each week held a twice yearly communion, all at different times. With congregations attending each others services, the need for more frequent communions were not necessary.
Each first Friday of every month the ministers would meet at Antrum and that day would be spent in fasting, prayer and public preaching. Two would preach before noon, and two in the afternoon. They used to get together on the Thursday evening and stayed the Friday night where consultations between them were sometimes more profitable than presbyteries or synods.
As Livingstone put it, " Among all those ministers there never was any jar or jealousies." He added, "In those days the hunger for to hear the word of God was brought on by perpetual fear that the Bishops would put away their ministers."
Fire
On August 24, 1631, he credits the Lord for saving him and others from perishing in a fire.
Staying with a John Stewart at his home in Ballemeroon, his bedchamber was at the top of the house where the floor was strewn with dried sea-bent, a rush like grass. He explained that he was always a sound sleeper, never wakening until the morning.
This particular night, he aroused from his sleep at 1am but, realising how early it was, he closed his eyes once more. No smell or sound reached him but within a little while he opened his eyes once again to see the bent burning within two ells (7ft 6ins) of his bed. A large fire in the room below on which meat for the reapers had been cooked the previous evening, had set fire to the mantle tree of the chimney, the end of which came out in his room.
The fire was between him and the door but, pausing only to pick up his breeches, Bible and watch, he fled from the room alerting others to the danger. The flames were soon quenched but had he not wakened they might have spread to the roof of the building with its straw covering with dire consequences to all residing there.
Suspension Once More
In the harvest of 1631, he and his friend Robert Blair, minister of Bangor visited Scotland where he preached at several parishes including Shotts. Archbishop Law of Glasgow got to hear of this. He passed the news of Livingstone`s unauthorised preachings in Scotland back to Robert Eclun, Bishop of Down. Only by the intervention of Dr James Usher, Primate of Armagh was he saved from deposement.
Within the space of six months another threat of deposement arose. The Bishops of Scotland wrote to the King in forming accusing Livingstone with other ministers of stirring up the people to `extasies and enthusiasms.` One Edward Bryce, an aged parson had some of his congregation `fall upon a high breathing and panting, as those doe who have run long` during his sermons.
Livingstone thought, as with his friends this was not brought about by the sermon, but rather the people were as likely to react in the same fashion regardless of what was sermonised. In fact, he doubted if they were Christians at all.
The King communicated these assertions to the Bishop of Doun through the Lord Justices of Ireland. Messrs Dunbar, Blair, Welsh and Livingstone were summoned befor him and were railed against for their non-conformity but never mentioning the other accusation contained in the royal message.
This was taken that he knew it to be an untruth. Nevertheless, both Blair and Livingstone were deposed on May 4, 1632 with the others similarly dealt with eight days later.
Appeal
Blair and Livingston resolved to petition the King on the basis that, on their Scottish breeding, non-conformity especially in such a barren place as the north parts of Ireland, should be tolerated. Blair took his case to London and while there, received written attestations from Livingstone which he had procured from various title supporters.
This was to prove to no avail. All their approaches were side tracked by the deviousness of their opponents.
Despite their pleas, he and Blair were to remain deposed until May, 1634, when through the efforts of Lord Castle-Stewart, Strafford, the Lord Deputy they were finally restored.
At this time his stipend in Killinchy was 40 pounds per annum. He was later to let slip that he occasionally received money from Lady Wigton and other devout ladies.
The Americas, a New Beginning?
During these two years in the "wilderness" Livingstone travelled both in Ireland and Scotland preaching privately. On one such occasion while in Ireland, February 1634, it was decided among some that he met, seeing no end to the prelates` tyranny, they should seek to go to the Americas.
It was resolved that one minister and a gentleman should travel initially to New England to "try the condition of the country and to agree for ane place to settle in."
Livingstone and a Mr William Wallace were delegated to travel to London and from there sail with the first ship in the spring to the colonies and to return with it at the earliest opportunity. He had no doubt that the Lord sanctioned the intention but as things worked out, "...yet wonderfully He stopped our designs..." Had Wallace joined up with him in Grooms-port, Ireland, at the time appointed, they might have reached London before the first ships sailed.
Wallace had tarried a further two days taking leave of his family, all the time the wind was fair, so as when he arrived, "the wind became contrary for ane fourthnight." On their arrival in London they found all the ships had gone with the exception of three which were making ready to sail within a fortnight.
They met with a Mr Homfrey who advised sailing with him in his ship but they decided to consider this awhile. Meanwhile another ship`s captain, Mr Bellinghame asked them to travel within his vessel, a larger one which offered better accommodation.
As they had spoken with Mr Homfrey firstly, they elected to sail with him on his ship. Homfrey had some personal business to conduct at Dorchester before setting off and desired the two, Livingstone and Wallace to accompany him. Here Homfrey desired them to attend a preaching by a Mr White which caused them finally to board the ship in the afternoon.
Having boarded the vessel at Weymouth, they got as far as Plymouth where the ship was forced to seek anchorage due to storms. This dragged on for eight days during which Mr Wallace fell ill. He was advised by doctors not to continue which he readily agreed. Livingstone, in turn, was informed by his friends in Ireland to abort the journey because of this. Both returned to Ireland.
On the journey back, Livingston confided to Wallace his feelings that his deposement might well have been lifted during his absence. Indeed it had been with the Lord Deputy`s letter in May 1634.
