reports drawn up by committees appointed to consider important questions affecting the Church. The absence of lay representation in the Houses of Convocation led to the formation of a House of Laymen composed of elected members, about the year 1886, for the province of Canterbury. (9) Subsequently a House of Laymen was formed for the province of York.

Meetings of these Houses of Laymen have been invited by the archbishops at the times when Convocation meets, but they are purely voluntary, and have no legal status or connection with Convocation, which, however, is largely influenced in its acts by the views of the Houses of Laymen.

The practice of holding joint sessions of both Convocations to consider important questions, the attendance of the Houses of Laymen being invited at the same time, seems to have originated in 1896 with relation to the Bill for Elementary Education. (r) The practice has since been continued from time to time, the joint session taking place for purposes of discussion only, all formal business, such as the enactment of canons or the passing of resolutions, being transacted by the Convocations of both provinces as formerly. Convocation now usually meets three times in each year.

The Representative Church Council. The consideration of convocation would not be complete without a brief reference to this body, which met for the first time under the above title in July of the year (1904), and from which large results were expected in the future, though its constitution and functions were then merely in an initiatory stage of development. The need for reforming the constitution for Convocation so as to render it a body truly representative of clergy and laity, thus bringing its discussions from the seclusion of the cloister, so to speak, into touch with the practical questions and interests of the outside world, is a question which has come under the consideration of Convocation at various times.

In 1890 a committee of the House of Laymen of the province

(q) See the Times, the 9th of February, 1887, p. 10, where the House of Laymen for Canterbury is stated to have entered upon its third session.

(r) See the Times, the 8th of July, 1896.

of Canterbury, appointed to consider the question, reported that neither Convocation itself nor the archbishops had power to change the constitution of Convocation, and that whilst the Crown by virtue of the prerogative, acting on the advice of its ministers, could probably do so, no effectual reformation could be brought about without the intervention of Parliament. (s)

This led to the idea of forming a voluntary association called the Representative Church Council, the composition and functions of which were no doubt suggested by the joint meetings of the members of both Convocations with the members of the Houses of Laymen.

The first meeting of this body took place in July, 1904, under the presidency of the two archbishops. (t)

The council is composed of three Houses :

(1) The Upper Houses of the Convocations of Canterbury and York.

(2) The clergy of the Lower Houses of both Convocations. (3) The members of the Houses of Laymen of both provinces. (u)

Acceptance by each of these Houses is necessary to constitute an act of the whole body. (x)

The functions of the council, which is purely voluntary in its nature, but for which it was hoped eventually to obtain statutory powers, are to discuss important questions, such as licensing, education, or purely ecclesiastical matters, and pass resolutions thereon. The resolutions passed by the council come subsequently before the joint meeting of both Convocations, which considers whether they are to be made. Acts of Convocation or not. (y)

(4) The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion were drawn up by Convocation of all the clergy in 1562. The clergy were required to subscribe to them by the 13 Eliz. c. 12, and the penalty of deprivation was provided for maintaining doctrine. contrary or repugnant to the Articles.

(s) See the Times, the 13th of February, 1890, p. 9.

(1) See the Times, the 8th of July, 1904, p. 15.

(u) The Times, the 10th of July, 1903, p. 9. As to the election of the members of the House of Laymen see the Times of the 11th of July, 1903. p. 10; 6th of July, 1904. p. 6; 7th of July, 1904, p. 2.

(x) See the Times, the 10th of July, 1903, p. 9.

(y) See the Times, the 4th of May, 1904.

The subscription of the clergy now depends upon the Clerical Subscription Act, 1865; (2) the only laymen who are now required to subscribe are ecclesiastical judges and the governors or heads of the colleges of Westminster, Winchester, and Eton.

(5) The Book of Common Prayer.-The use of the Book of Common Prayer was enjoined on all ministers by the Acts of Uniformity of Edward VI. and Elizabeth. Certain alterations were made by Convocation and the rubric thus altered received parliamentary sanction by the Act of Uniformity (14 Car. II. c. 4). In 1872 a shortened form of morning and evening service for use in cathedrals and churches was settled by Convocation and sanctioned by Parliament by the Act of Uniformity Amendment Act, 1872. ( a)

Ecclesiastical Divisions. For ecclesiastical purposes Great Britain is divided into two provinces (Canterbury and York), and each province is further divided into dioceses, of which there are twenty-five in Canterbury and ten in York (including the archbishops' dioceses). Each diocese is presided over by a bishop, and contains a cathedral and a dean and chapter. Dioceses are divided into archdeaconries, archdeaconries into rural deaneries, and rural deaneries into parishes. Outside these there are certain divisions known as peculiars with separate ecclesiastical jurisdictions, which are, however, for the most part obsolete. (b) They are analogous to the ancient liberties in secular jurisdiction. Over these divisions are the corresponding ecclesiastical dignitaries.

Ecclesiastical Dignitaries.-(1) Archbishops are appointed in the same manner as bishops, (c) and are, like bishops, nominated by the Crown on the advice of the prime minister. The Archbishop of Canterbury is primate and metropolitan of all England, and he enjoys the right of crowning the king or queen regnant, whilst the Archbishop of York claims the right of crowning the queen consort.

Archbishops are styled "grace," and "most reverend Father in God," and write themselves" by divine providence,'

and not as bishops "by divine permission." The Archbishop of Canterbury is the first peer of the realm, ranking next after princes of the blood royal; the Archbishop of York ranks next after the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chancellor.

Archbishops have jurisdiction as ordinary bishops within their own dioceses, and also a visitorial jurisdiction over all bishops in their province for ecclesiastical offences.

(2) Bishops are appointed in the manner described above, (d) and they are said to be installed in their cathedrals. At present twenty-four bishops and the two archbishops sit as spiritual peers in Parliament, but they are not entitled, like other peers, to be tried by the House of Lords. (e)

A bishop exercises the following powers: he confers orders, confirms, consecrates churches and burial grounds, and takes part in the institution of a clerk in holy orders to a rectory or vicarage. He also exercises ecclesiastical jurisdiction in his diocese, enforcing his orders in the consistory court, and governs the revenues of the see. Bishops are in law corporations sole, and they rank next after the youngest sons of marquises. During a vacancy the temporalities of the see are in the hands of the Crown, they become vested in a new bishop only after consecration and installation and homage done to the sovereign.

In addition to diocesan bishops there are also suffragan and coadjutor bishops. Suffragan bishops are appointed to fulfil the functions of the diocesan bishops when absent in such matters as ordinations and confirmations (f) on application to the Crown by the diocesan bishop.

Coadjutor bishops are appointed under the provisions of the Bishops Resignation Act, 1849, to assist aged and infirm bishops in their duties.

Every cathedral has also a dean and chapter, whose function is to assist the bishop and act as his council in administering the affairs of the diocese (spiritual and temporal), and to join with him in making leases and grants. (9)

(d) See ante, p. 79

(e) See ante, p. 239.

(f) They are appointed under the provisions of the 26 Hen. VIII. c. 14 and 51 & 52 Vict. c. 56.

(g) See Phill., Eccl. Law, p. 137 et seq.

The constitution, appointment, and functions of deans and chapters now depend principally upon certain Victorian statutes. (h) Since these statutes deans are appointed by letters patent from the Crown. Chapters consist of the dean and canons, whose numbers vary in each cathedral, and the canons are appointed in some cases by the bishop or archbishop, and in some cases by the Crown. In addition to the dean and canons who constitute the chapter under the Acts, there are certain non-residentiary prebendaries who are also members of the chapter and have the right of voting at elections of proctors, (i) and in connection with the cathedral there are also certain honorary and minor canons who, however, do not form part of the chapter proper.

To be eligible for appointment both deans and canons must have completed six years in orders. (k)

(3) Archdeacons are appointed generally by the bishops, but the office may be in the gift of a layman who presents his nominee to the bishop. The functions of the archdeacon are to assist the bishop in the ministration of the Church and in matters relating to the inferior clergy, and he also exercises certain jurisdiction within the diocese (especially with regard to the maintenance and fabric of the churches within the diocese) apart from the bishop, the extent of his jurisdiction being founded on immemorial custom in subordination to the bishop's. () The archdeacon's court is sometimes presided over by a judge termed the official, and appeal lies from the archdeacon's to the bishop's court. The qualification of archdeacons is similar to that of deans and canons. (m)

(4) Rural Deans are appointed by the bishops on the recommendation of the archdeacon from clergy of the diocese, and their principal duty is to inspect and report upon the conduct and lives of the minor clergy within the rural deanery.

(5) The General Body of the Clergy.-Beneath the rural

(h) The principal of these are the 3 & 4 Vict. c. 113; 6 & 7 Vict. c. 77.

(i) Phill., Eccl. Law. p. 185.

(k) 3 & 4 Vict. c. 113, s. 27.

(1) Phill., Eccl. Law, p. 200 et seq.

obsolete.

This jurisdiction is mostly

(m) Viz. 6 years in holy orders (3 & 4 Vict. c 113, s. 27).