I have observed before, in the Rank of Peers, that certain great Officers (tho' of a lower Quality) have a Right of Precedency, by Virtue of their Office. 'Tis the fame with the Gentry, for the younger Sons of Viscounts and Barons, are preceded by fuch Privy-Counsellors as are but Gentlemen, by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancafter, the Lord Chief Juftice of the King's Bench, the Mafter of the Rolls, the Lord Chief Juftice of the Common Pleas, the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, and the other Judges. By the inferior Sort of People, I mean properly fuch as get Inferior Sort their Livelihood either in a mechanick, or fervile Way; as or-of People dinary Tradesmen, Mariners, Husbandmen, inferior Servants, Labourers, &c. But there is a middle Sort between the Degree of a Gentleman, and thefe, viz. Yeomen, and Copy-holders. Those are called Yeomen, or Freeholders, that have Land of Yeomen. their own to a good Value, and occupy it themselves. Great is their Number in England, many of them having Land that brings them an Income of 40 or 50l. a Year, fome 100, or 200; but which is almost incredible, there are Yeomen in Kent especially, that have 1000 /. and fome more per Annum ; a Thing not easy to be found amongst Men of this Rank, any where else in Europe. The Copy-holders are much of the fame Nature, a Copyhold Copy-holdbeing a kind of Inheritance. For tho' the Hold be void at theers.. Tenant's Death, yet the next of Blood, paying the customary Fine, at 2 s. more or lefs, for each Acre of Land, takes Poffeffion of it. Not to infift upon the meaner Sort of People, I fhall only obferve, that they are the happiest People in Europe, and (by the Laws of the Land) the leaft liable to Oppreffion either from the Sovereign himself, or from the Nobility or Gentry. CHAP. XIX. Of the English CLERGY. S the Laity of England confift of Nobility, Gentry, and Commonalty, fo the Clergy is divided into Bishops, Dignitaries, and inferior Clergy. England and Wales, confifting of 26 Dioceffes; there are accordingly 26 Diocefans, or Bifhops, befides the Bishop of Man, which was made a Bishoprick by Pope Gregory IV. but the Bifhap thereof is no Peer of the Realm, as the other Bishops are. Two of thofe Bishops having a Super-intendency over the of the BiShops and whole Church of England, and in fome measure over the other their DieBifhops, are therefore called Archbishops, one of Canterbury, effes. and the other of York, and their respective Provinces accordingly. The first of which far exceeds the laft, for of 26 Dioceffes, it takes up 22, viz. 18 in England, and 4 in Wales. So that York has only the Super-intendency of 4 Bishopricks, viz. York, Durham, Carlisle, and Chefter. The The Dioceffes in the Province of Canterbury, with the Extent of each, and its Value in the King's Books, tho' very much short of the prefent Income. Si. Davids, Landaff, Bangor, Containing In WALES. Valued in the King's Books. Pembroke, Cardigan, and 2 486 05 08 Carmarthen-fhires. Glamorgan, Monmouth, Brecknock, and Radnor-fhires. The greateft Part of Flint, Denbigh, and Montgomeryfhires, and fome Part of Shropshire. } 154 14 01 187 11 66 Anglesey, Caernarvon, and 131 16 04. The Dioceffes in the Province of York. York, (Moft Part of Yorkshire, and of and} all Nottinghamshire. 1}1000 00 50 Durham, Northumberland,) and two Parishes in Cum- 2821 01 05 Two Parts in three of Cum-3 berland,andWeftmoreland. Cheshire, Lancashire, Rich- third Part of Cumberland and Weftmoreland. To which add the Bishoprick of Man. 531 04 11 420 01 08 The Bishops are the Overfeers of the Clergy and People com mitted to their Charge, each of them within the Bounds of his Diocese. They have in chief the Power of Ordination, tho' they always Dignity and perform it jointly with fome other Priefts. They are alfo im- Power of Bipowered to grant Inftitutions to Benefices, and to command Induction to be given. Thrice a Year each of them vifits his Diocefe, to enquire into Offences, efpecially committed by the Clergy against Justice, Piety, and Sobriety. As the two Archbishops have a Super-intendency over all the Church of England, and in fome measure over the other Bifhops, fo the Archbishop of Canterbury has a kind of Super-eminency over the Archbishop of York: For he has Power to fummon him to a National Synod, or Convocation. The Archbishop of York is called Primas Anglia, Primate of England: But the Archbishop of Canterbury is Primas totius Anglia, Primate of all England. They Shops. Bishops. Their Titles sives. They are both ftiled Moft Reverend, in a fuperlative Manner, and honoured (as Dukes are) with the Title of Grace. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the firft Peer of the Realm, next to the Royal Family, and takes place, not only of Dukes, but also of the greatest Officers of the Crown. Nor does any of thefe, except the Lord-Chancellor, or Lord-Keeper, step between his Grace and the Archbishop of York. Tho' the Archbishop holds his Place from the Sovereign, yet in his Royal Writs to him he is ftiled, Dei Gratia Archiepifcopo Cantuarienfi. And whereas other Bishops write, Divina Permiffione Epifcopus, he writes himself Divina Providentia. To him it properly belongs to crown the King, to confecrate a new-made Bishop, and to call Provincial Synods, according to the King's Writ directed to him for that Purpose. The Bishop of London is accounted his Provincial Dean, the Bishop of Winchester his Chancellor, and the Bishop of Rochester his Chaplain. To decide all Differences in Ecclefiaftick Matters, he holds feveral Courts, of which in its proper Place. The Archbishop of York has also many Prerogatives, and holds feveral Courts, of which hereafter.. Next to them the Bishops of London, Durham, and Winchester, have always the Precedence; and all other Bishops according to the Priority of their Confecration. The Bishop of London, as being Bishop of the Capital City of England, and Provincial Dean of Canterbury. The Bishop of Durham, as Count Palatine, and Earl of Sadberg; and the Bishop of Winchester, as formerly, Earl of Southampton, whofe Bishoprick is counted the richest in England, being yearly worth about 8000l. tho' valued not half fo much in the King's Books. But, whereas fome Bishopricks have but a small Income, the Bishop in that Cafe is ufually provided with fome good Living befides; as the Bishop of Rochefter, who is always Dean of Westminster, and has a much better Revenue from his Deanry,. than from his Bishoprick; this being reckon'd but at 500%. a Year, and the Deanry at least 1000%. All the Bifhops (except the Bishop of Man) are Peers of the and Preroga Realm, and fit as Barons in the House of Lords. They are called the Lords Spiritual, and being look'd upon as the Fathers and Guardians of the Church, they are accordingly ftiled, Fathers in God. As the two Archbishops are called Moft Reverend, and have the Title of Grace given them, fo the inferior Bishops are called Right Reverend, and have the Title of Lordship. These have not only the fame Privileges as the Temporal Lords, but also fome peculiar Prerogatives, and thofe of a high Nature. Tho' all Courts are held by the King's Authority, yet the Bifhops Courts are not properly accounted to be the King's Courts. For For a Bishop fends forth Writs in his own Name, Tefte the Bifhop; and not in the King's Name, as all other Courts do. And, whereas in other Courts there are several Judges to each, a Bishop in his Court is the fole Judge; nay, he may depute his Authority to another, as to a fuffragan Bifhop, his Chancellor or Commiffary, and which is generally done; which none of the fecular Judges can do. In a Trial of Baftardy or Herefy, the Bishop's Certificate is fufficient; and if a Clergy Man kills his Bifhop or Ordinary, 'tis look'd upon as a Parricide, and is Petty Treafon by Law. Laftly, There is this Difference between an Arch-Bishop and a Bishop; that the Bishop's Authority is confined within the Bounds of his Diocese, but that of the Arch-Bishop extends it self over all his Province, he being Ordinary to all the Bishops thereof. Accordingly the Bishop vifits his Diocefe only, whereas the Arch-Bihop vifits the whole Province. The Bishop can call only a Diocefan, but the Arch-Bishop may convene a Provincial Synod. The Bishop with other Prielts, may ordain a Prieft; but the ArchBibop, with other Bishops, confecrates a Bishop. CHA P. XX. Of the Dignified and Inferior Clergy. With an Y the Dignify'd Clergy, I mean, Deans, Arch-Deacons, Ru- Dignify'd ral Deans, and Prebendaries or Canons, who are affiftant to Clergy Bishops, and for the most part Men above the common Capacity of the Inferior Clergy. And, as among the Laity, the Gentry keep a middle Rank between the Nobility and the Inferior Sort of People; fo these Dignitaries keep a middle Station between the Bishops, and the lower Clergy: So great is the Harmony of the English Conftitution, both in Church and State. Prebenda ries. In all Cathedral and Collegiate Churches (except at St. David's Deans and and Landaff in Wales) there is a Dean, who is the Head of the Canons or Prebendaries, and makes a Chapter with such as are Canonici actu. These Dignitaries, intended for a conftant Supply of able and fit Perfons to govern the Church, have each a Dwelling-house near the Cathedral or Collegiate Church, and a plentiful Maintenance; but the Dean has commonly a double Partion. Both the Dean and Prebendaries ought to refide in their respective Church, to frequent publick Divine Service, to preach by Turns upon Sundays, and all Festival Days, and at due times to adminifter the Lord's Supper. They ought to shew a good Example |