He was ordained deacon at Lisburn, on the 28th October, 1810, and priest at Dublin, on February 23, 1812.

In December, 1814, he married Letitia, daughter of David Babington, Esq., of Rutland Square, Dublin, and during the period of his married life was severely afflicted by the deaths of several of his children; and in 1827 he was still more severely tried by the death of his beloved wife from this sudden and unexpected blow he never entirely recovered, and during the remainder of his life the effects of it were plainly to be discerned by those who knew him well. The loss was to him especially severe, as in all his various business his wife had been his constant assistant, and it was from the encouragement which her assistance afforded, that he was induced to undertake the collecting and editing the works of Archbishop Ussher which have been lately published.

In his learned writings he asserted nothing but what he firmly believed, and in his plain familiar discourses taught nothing but what he practised. He spoke and wrote* with

The following is believed to be a complete list of his published works. It is taken from Dr. Cotton's "Fasti Ecclesiæ Hibernica," (Dioc. of Ferns, p. 357).

A Sermon on the Death of the Princess Charlotte of Wales. 8vo. Dublin. 1817.

A Sermon on the Consecration of Thomas (Elrington), Lord Bishop of Limerick. 1820.

A Sermon before the Association for Discountenancing Vice. 8vo. Dublin. 1822.

Remarks on the Rev. Mr. Grave's Letter, entitled "The Homilies Reconsidered." 8vo. Dublin. 1826.

Remarks on the Reply of J. K. L. to the Charge of the Archbishop of Dublin. 8vo. Dublin. 1827.

that undissembled freedom and openness which ever accompanies an undesigning honesty, and a thorough conviction of the truth.

He disliked all party as such; and, perhaps, a stronger illustration of it cannot be given than that a few months before his death he went from Dublin to Armagh, at great personal inconvenience to himself, in order to attend the funeral of the titular Roman Catholic Primate. Although possessed of the Christian feelings of religious toleration, no man can say that he ever through weakness mistook, through fear deserted, or through interest betrayed, the cause of our holy religion. But, to the deep regret of the

A Sermon at the Consecration of Samuel (Kyle), Lord Bishop of Cork and Ross. 8vo. Dublin. 1831.

A Sermon on the Death of the Rev. S. J. Maclean, Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. 8vo. Dublin. 1836.

A Sermon on the Apostolical Succession. 8vo. Dublin. 1839.
Second edition, with Appendix. 8vo. Dublin. 1840.

A Sermon on Subscription to the Thirty-nine Articles. 8vo. Dublin. 1842.

A second edition in the same year.

An Answer to a Letter (on the foregoing Sermon) from the Hon. and Rev. A. P. Perceval. 8vo. Dublin. 1842.

Suggestions to the Clergy on the present state of the Question of National Education in Ireland. 8vo. Dublin. 1847.

Second edition, 1847. Third edition, with Appendix, &c., same year. Fourth edition, same year.

A Brief Reply to Dr. Trench's Pamphlet, entitled "Reasons for Refusing to co-operate with the National Board, re-stated." 8vo. Dublin. 1847.

The Life of Archbishop Ussher, with an Account of his Writings.

8vo. Dublin. 1848.

A Sermon at the Consecration of James (Wilson), Lord Bishop of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross. 8vo. Dublin. 1848.

faithful sons of the Church in Ireland, this eminent and good man, so universally esteemed and honoured by all parties for his piety, learning, sterling integrity, and moral worth, was never raised to the Episcopal Bench; although during the time that he held the office of Regius Professor in the University of Dublin, six Regius Professors in England were made Bishops.

Dr. Elrington was Rector of the parish of St. Mark, in the city of Dublin, whilst he was a Fellow of Trinity College, that benefice being within the limit which rendered it tenable with a Fellowship. On his promotion to the Regius Professorship of Divinity, he was presented by his father to the Prebend of Edermine, in the Cathedral of St. Edan, or Mogue, Ferns, which, however, he held but three months, having been collated to the Chancellorship of the same Cathedral, May 4, 1832. This preferment he resigned in 1840, and became Rector of Loughgilly, in the Diocese of Armagh, where also he remained for a short time only, having removed, although at a considerable sacrifice of income, to the Rectory of Armagh, to which he was presented by his Grace the Lord Primate, in September, 1841, and which he held up to the time of his death.

He died at Armagh, on January 18, 1850, with his intellectual powers unimpaired,* and his spirit is now returned to that God, to whose service it was entirely devoted.

*

In fact, the Editor received from him a very long letter written only a day or two before his death, on the subjects of several of the notes to the 2nd volume of the Editor's edition of the Book of Common Prayer, according to the Sealed Books. Although from the character of the penmanship, it was evidently written at three different times, and as if under three stages of progress in bodily

To Dr. Elrington the Divinity School of the University of Dublin owes much of its present efficiency and celebrity. When he succeeded to the Regius Professorship of Divinity, the state of theological education was very low. The Professor was required to deliver two prælections in each week during term, and also to hold an annual theological examination, at which prizes were given to the best answerers. But attendance, not only on the examination, but also on the prælections, was purely voluntary; the only inducement being the information that was thereby to be obtained, or the hope that the Professor's certificate might possibly be accepted by the Bishops as a recommendation, or qualification for orders. Besides this, the Professor's assistants, during each term, for a single academic year, read with their classes some portions of Bishop Burnet's Exposition of the Articles; and this last was the only compulsory education, in theology, which the University of Dublin, or the Irish Prelates, required from candidates for holy orders up to the year 1834.

In that year, in connection with several other very important improvements in the undergraduate course, introduced by Provost Lloyd, the regulations of the Divinity School were entirely remodelled; and the sanction of the Provost and Senior Fellows of Trinity College was obtained to the present system, which, under Dr. Elrington's guidance and control, has since produced the most excellent results.

The course was enlarged to a period of two years. A small College Lectureship in Divinity, which had been

suffering, yet it displayed all that vigour of mind, and calmness of thought, for which he was ever distinguished, and which he had always evinced throughout a lengthened correspondence with the Editor.

partly endowed by Archbishop King, in 1718, was placed under new regulations, and its emoluments greatly increased. It was an annual office, and its duties consisted in reading, with such candidates for orders as desired to attend, some book, such as Paley or Grotius, on the Evidences of Christianity. The only students whose attendance was compulsory were graduate scholars, on the foundation. But by the new regulations, this office was made permanent, and the Lecturer was required to give two prælections in every week during term; and a competent number of assistants were appointed to read twice a week with the students, in a course prescribed by the College. All divinity students, during their first year, were required to attend the lectures of Archbishop King's Lecturer and his assistants, and, during the second year, the lectures of the Regius Professor and his assistants; and it was further enacted that, without full attendance on these lectures, together with competent preparation, and answering in the class-rooms of the assistants, the certificate or Divinity Testimonium, which the Irish Bishops required as necessary for ordination, could not be obtained.

During the first year, the subjects of the Divinity Lectures, delivered by Archbishop King's Lecturer, are the Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion, with that branch of Controversial Theology which relates to the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity, with the person and office of the Son and the Holy Ghost.

At the same time, the assistants to Archbishop King's Lecturer read with their classes some portions of the Greek Testament, together with some class-book bearing on the subjects of the prælections, which has been occasionally varied, and is now Bishop Pearson's Exposition of the Creed.