Bentivoglio，InternuncioatBrussels，whosedutyitwastosuperintendaffairsinIreland，heresyhadmadelittleprogresseveninthecities，whilethenobilityandgentrywerenearlyallCatholic。ThereweretheninIrelandabouteighthundredsecularpriests，onehundredandthirtyFranciscans，twentyJesuits，andafewBenedictinesandDominicans，ofwhomtheFranciscanswereheldinspecialesteem。ThebestofthesecularclergywerethosewhocamefromDouay，Bordeaux，Lisbon，andSalamanca。[28]Inthefollowingyear1614ArchbishopMatthewsofDublinheldaprovincialsynodatKilkennyatwhichmanyusefulregulationsweremaderegardingtheconductoftheclergy，preaching，catechising，thecelebrationofMass，theadministrationofthesacraments，therelationsbetweenthesecularandregularclergy，thereadingofcontroversialliterature，andtheobservanceandnumberoffast-daysandholidays。[29]IntheprovinceofArmaghDr。Rothe，actingunderauthorityreceivedfromPeterLombard，convokedaprovincialsynodatDrogheda1614。Itwasattendedbyvicarsfromtheseveraldiocesesandbyrepresentativesofthevariousreligiousorders，andpassedregulationssomewhatsimilartothoseenactedatKilkenny。Inbothsynodstheclergywerewarnedtoabstainfromthediscussionofstateaffairsandfromdisobediencetothecivilrulersintemporalmatters。AtDroghedathenewOathofAllegianceframedbyJamesI。wascondemnedasbeingopposedtofaithandreligion；
Catholicswerecommandednottohaverecoursetoprevaricationorwaveringinregardtoit，buttorejectitopenly，andwerewarnedagainstattendanceatdivineworshipinProtestantchurcheseventhoughtheyhadpreviouslymadeadeclarationthattheymeantonlytopayamarkofrespecttothecivilrulers。[30]AtthesameperiodtheFranciscansandDominicansfoundednewcollegesontheContinent，atDouayandLisbon，tosupplypriestsfortheirmissionsinIreland。
DuringthelateryearsofElizabeth\'sreignthedisturbedconditionofthecountrymadeitimpossibletoconveneaParliament，andaftertheaccessionofJamesI。hisadvisersfearedtosummonsuchabodylesttheymightbeunabletocontrolit。Still，theyneverlostsightoftheadvantageitwouldbetotheircausecouldtheysecureparliamentarysanctionfortheconfiscationandplantationofUlster，andforthenewmethodsemployedforthepunishmentofrecusants。
Theseforsofarhadbehindthemonlytheforceofroyalproclamations，andtheirlegalitywasopentothegravestdoubt。ThegreatobstaclethatmustbeovercomebeforeaParliamentcouldbeconvokedwasthefactthatbothintheHouseofCommonsandintheHouseofLordstheCatholicsmightfindthemselvesinamajority。Topreventsuchadirecatastropheitwasdeterminedtocreateanumberofnewparliamentaryboroughssothatmanyplaces\"thatcouldscarcelypasstherankofthepoorestvillagesinthepoorestcountryinChristendom\"wereallowedtoreturnmembers，providedonlythatitwascertaintheywouldreturnProtestants。Nineteenofthethirty-ninenewboroughsweresituatedinUlster，wheretheplantationshadgiventheEnglishandScotchsettlersapreponderance。IntheHouseofLordsthesituationwasalsocritical，butitwashopedthatbysummoningalltheProtestantbishopsandalsocertainpeersofEnglandwhohadgotgrantsofterritoryinIrelandthegovernmentcouldcountonamajority，especiallyassomeoftheCatholiclordswereminors，andassuchnotentitledtosit。FormonthstheplansforpackingtheParliamentandforpreparingaschemeofanti-Catholiclegislationwerebeingconcocted，andtheCatholiclords，knowingwellwhatwasgoingon，feltsoalarmedthattheylodgedasolemnprotestwiththekingagainsttheerectionoftownsandcorporations\"consistingofsomefewpoorandbeggarlycottages\"intoparliamentaryboroughs，againstthewholesaleexclusionofCatholicsfromofficeonaccountoftheirreligion，andconjuredtheking\"togiveorderthattheproceedingsofParliamentmaybeconductedwithmoderationandindifferency。\"Inspiteofthisprotestthenewboroughswerecreated，andtheelectionswerecarriedoutinthemosthigh-handedmanner，thesheriffshesitatingatnothingsolongastheycouldsecurethenominationofProtestantrepresentatives。
OnthedayprecedingtheopeningofParliamentfixedfor18thMay1613theCatholicLordsofthePaleaddressedaprotesttotheLordDeputy。TheyassertedthatwhileseveraloftheIrishCatholicnoblesentitledtositintheHouseofLordswerenotsummoned，EnglishandScotchlords\"alreadyparliantinotherkingdoms\"hadbeeninvitedtoattend，thatnewcorporationshadbeencreated，manyofthemsinceParliamentwassummoned，withoutanyrightortitleexcepttoassureaProtestantmajority，thatthesheriffsandreturningofficershadactedmostunfairlyduringtheelection，andthataParliamentsitting\"intheprincipalfortandcastleofthekingdom，\"surroundedby\"numbersofarmedmen，\"couldnotberegardedasafreeassembly。WhentheHouseofCommonsmetonthefollowingdaytheCatholicsproposedthatSirJohnEverard，whohadbeendismissedfromhisofficeofjudgebecauseherefusedtheoathofsupremacy，shouldbeelectedspeaker，whiletheProtestantsproposedSirJohnDaviesforthisposition。TheCatholics，knowingwellthatifthereturnsofthesheriffswereacceptedtheywouldfindthemselvesintheminority，maintainedthatthemembersagainstwhosereturnobjectionhadbeenlodgedshouldnotbeallowedtovote。Onthisbeingrefused，theytriedtopreventavotebeingtaken，andwhenthesupportersofDaviesleftthechambertotakeacount，theCatholicsinstalledSirJohnEverardinthechair。TheProtestants，claimingthattheyhadaclearmajority，onehundredandtwenty-sevenoutofapossibletwohundredandthirty-two，removedSirJohnEverardbyforce，andadoptedSirJohnDaviesasspeaker。TheCatholicsthenleftthechamber，andbothLordsandCommonersrefusedtoattendanyfurthersessionsuntiltheyshouldhavelaidtheirgrievancesbeforetheking。Inconsequenceoftheirrefusalitwasnecessarytosuspendtheparliamentarysession，andbothpartiesdirectedalltheirattentiontoanappealtotheking。