THE

Pelent State

OF

Great-Britain.

PARTI. BOOK. III.

Of the Manners, Cuftoms, Laws, &c. of that Part of Great-Britain call'd England.

CHAP. I.

Of Religious Manners, viz. of the Clergy; Their Names, Orders, Privileges, Revenues, Magnificence, &c.

Rames.]

HE Clergy were fo called, because they are God's Kane or Portion; for although all Chriftians may be ftiled God's Portion, as well as God's Servants; yet among Chriftians, thofe Perfons whom God hath fet apart, and feparated from common Ufe to his Service, to be, as it were, his Domestick Servants, are more peculiarly the Lord's Portion: And therefore from the First Age of Chriftianity, the Perfons fo fet apart, have been called Clerici, Clerks, or Clergy.

Dzders.]

Diders.] The Clergy of the Church of England, are compos'd of three Orders; Bishops, Priefts, and Deacons. Bishops in England are made in this manner.

When any Bishop's See becomes vacant, the Dean and Chapter of that Cathedral giving notice thereof to the King, and humbly requesting that His Majefty will give them leave to choose another; the King hereupon grants to the Dean his Congè d' Eflire, which in French (wherein it was anciently pena'd) fignifies, leave to elect. Then the Dean fummons a Chapter, or Affembly of the Prebendaries, who are bound to elect the Perfon recommended by the King's Letters, under Pain of a Premunire. The Election is then certified to the Party elected, and if he accepts it, it is certified to the King, and the Archbishop of the Province; whereupon the King gives his Royal Affent under the Great Seal of England, which is exhibited to the Archbishop of the Province, with Command to Confirm and Confecrate him. Hereunto the Archbifhop fubfcribes fiat Confirmatio, and gives Commiffion under his Archiepifcopal Seal to his Vicar-General, to perform all the Acts required for perfecting e Confirmation of the Elected Bishop.

The Vicar-General then, in the Name of the Archbishop, fends forth a Citation, fummoning all Oppofers of the faid Election, or Perfon elected, to appear at a certain Time and Place, especially affigned, to make their Objections: This is done by an Officer of the Arches, ufually at Bow-Church in Cheapfide, London, by Proclamation three times, and then affixing the faid Citation on the Church Door, for all People to read, the faid Cfficer returns an authentick Certificate thereof to the Archbishop and Vicar-General. At the Day and Place Affigned for the Appearance of the Oppofers, the Vicar-General fits; then the Proctor for the faid Dean and Chapter exhibits the Royal Affent, and the Commiffion of the Archbishop; which being read and accepted by the Vicar-General, the Proctor exhibits the Proxy from the Dean and Chapter, and then presents the elected Bishop, and returns the Citation, and defires the Oppofers to be publickly called three times; which being done accordingly, he accufeth their Contumacy; and for Penalty thereof, defires that the Bufinefs may proceed, which the Vicar-General in a Schedule by him read and fubscribed, doth order. Next, the Proctor giving a Summary Petition, wherein is deduc'd the whole Process of Election and Confent, defires a Time to be affigned to prove it, which the Vicar-General admits and decrees: After which the Proctor exhibits the Royal Affent, with the elected Bishop's Affent, and the Certificate to the Archbishop, and defires a Term prefently to be affigned to hear final Sentence; which the VicarGeneral decrees. Then the Proctor defires that all Oppofers

Part I. fhould again be called, which being thrice publickly done, and none appearing, or oppofing, they are pronounced Contumacious, and a Decree made to proceed to Sentence, by a Schedule read and fubfcrib'd by the faid Vicar-General. Then the Elect Perfon takes the Oaths of Supremacy, Simony and Canononical Obedience.

Next the Judge of the Arches reads and fubfcribes the Sentence, after which usually there is an Entertainment made for the Officers and others there present.

After the Confirmation, then according to the King's Mandate, is the folemn Confecration of the Elected Bishop; which is done by the Archbishop, with the Affiftance of Two other Bishops.

Next goes forth a Mandate from the Archbishop to the Archdeacon of his Diocefe, to Inftal the Bishop Elected, and Confirmed, and Confecrated: Which Inftalment is almoft after the fame manner in all Cathedrals, and is ufually thus: Upon any Day, between the Hours of Nine and Eleven, in the Prefence of a publick Notary, the Bishop Elect, or his Proxy, which is moft ufual, is introdud into the Cathedral Church, by the Archdeacon of Canterbury; by whom or his Proxy, all the Bifhops of that Province are Inftalled; and firft he declares his Affent to the King's Supremacy, and Swears, That unless he be otherwife difpenfed with, he will be Refident according to Custom of that Cathedral, and obferve the Customs of the said Church, and caufe others to obferve the fame. Then the Archdeacon, with the Petty-Canons, and Officers of the Church, accompany the Bishop up to the Choir; and there place him in the Seat prepared for the Bifhops, between the Altar and the Right-fide of the Choir; and then the Archdeacon pronounces thefe Words in Latin; Ego, authoritate mihi commiffa, induco&inthronizo Reverendum in Chrifto Patrem Dominum N. N. Epifcopum, & Dominus cuftodiat fuum introitum & exitum ex hoc nunc, & in Jeculum. Amen..

Then the Sub-Dean and the Petty-Canons fing the Te. Deum; mean while the Bishop is again conducted from his own Place to the Dean's Seat, and there in token of taking real Poffeffion, he ftands till Te Deum is ended, together with other Prayers, the Archdeacon reading fome Verficles, as, O Lord fave this thy Servant N. our Bishop (the People anfwering) and send him Health from thy Holy Place, &c. Then the Archdeacon reads a fhort Collect for the Bifhop by Name. After Prayers, the Bifhop is conducted into the Chapter-Houfe, and there placed on a high Seat. Then the Archdeacon and all the Prebendaries and Officers of the Church, come before the Bishop, and acknowledge Canonical Obedience to him. Finally, the Publick Notary is by the Archdeacon required to make an Inftrument, declaring the whole Matter of Fact in this Affair.

Then the faid Bishop is introduced into the King's Prefence, to do his Homage for his Temporalities or Barony, by Kneeling down, and putting his Hands between the Hands of the King, fitting in a Chair of State, and by taking of a Solemn Oath, to be True and Faithful to His Majefty, (which Oath is read to him by one of the Principal Secretaries of State) and that he holds his Temporalities of him.

Laftly, The new Bishop compounds for the Firft-Fruits of his Bishoprick, that is, agrees for his firft Year's Profits, to be paid to the Corporation for Augmenting the Benefices of the poor Clergy, within three Years. ⚫

The Tranflation of a Bishop, from one Bishoprick to another, differs only in this, from the Manner of making a Bifhop, that there is no Confecration.

The Tranflation of a Bishop to be Archbishop, differs only in the Commiffion, which is directed by His Majefty, to Four or more Bishops to confirm him.

None may by the Canons be admitted a Bishop, till he is full Thirty Years Old.

The Ordination of Priests and Deacons is Four times a Year; upon the feveral Sundays in the Ember-Weeks, or the Quatuor Tempora, as the Canonifts call them, in which the Church puts up folemn Prayers with Fafting, to implore a Bleffing from God upon the Bishops, in the Performance of that great Work. No Ordination can be performed but by a Bifhop lawfully Confecrated by another Bishop.

None is to be Ordained Prieft, till he be Twenty four Years of Age; nor a Deacon, till he is at least Twenty-three

current.

How a Clergy-Man becomes fettled in a Living.

Upon the Vacancy of a Church, the Clergy-man defiring to fucceed, having obtain'd the Confent of the Patron lawfully and honourably, he muft get a Prefentation Sign'd and Seal'd by him in this or fome fuch like Form.

R

Form of a Presentation to a Living.

Everendo in Chrifto Patri & Domino H. divina Permissione, I. Epifcopo ejufque vicario in fpiritualibus generali, A. B. Armiger indubitatus Patronus Ecclefia Parochialis de C. in Comitatu D. Salutem in Domino fempiternam. Ad Ecclefiam de C. prædi&tam veftra Diæcefeos modo per mortem, (if void by the Death of the laft Incumbent; or modo per refignationem, if by Refignation; or, per Ceffionem, if by taking a fecond Living without Qualification; or, per Deprivationem, if by Deprivation) E. F. ultimi incum

K 2

bentia

bentis ibidem jam vacantem, & ad meam donationem pleno jure SpeEtantem; dilectum mihi in Chrifto, G H. Clericum in Artibus Magiftrum Paternitati veftræ præfento humiliter Supplicans quatenus præfatum. G. H. ad dictam Ecclefiam admittere, eumq; Rectorem, (if it be a Rector, or Vicarium, if a Vicarage) ejufdem Ecclefiæ inftituere cum fuis juribus, & pertinentiis univerfis, cæteraq; expedire, & peragere quæ veftro in hac parte incumbunt Officio paftorali, dignemini cum favore In cujus rei teftimonium his præfentibus figillum meum appofui Datum die- Annog; Regni Domini noftri Georgii, Dei Gratia, Magne. Britanniæ, Franciæ, & Hiberniæ, Regi, Fidei Defenforis, &c. Annog; Domini.-

Which Prefentation, the Clerk prefented muft carry to the Bishop of that Diocefe, in which the Church is, or to his Vicar-General or if the Bishoprick be vacant, to the Guardian of the Spiritualities. And he muft carry with him and exhibit, if requir'd, Letters Teftimonial, either from the Mafter and Fellows of the College where he last refided, or under the Hands and Seals of Three, at least, Reverend Divines, who knew him well for three Years laft paft, and can give a good Account of his Vertue, Uniformity, and Learning, in this, or fome fuch like Form.

Form of a Teftimonial.

Um antiquus & probatus Ecclefiæ Anglicane mos fit, ut qui ad lite

dignorum teftimonio honeftarentur; nos, quorum Nomina infra fcripta Junt. teftamur, perquam eruditum & dilectum nobis in Chrifto, A. B. in Artibus Magiftrum per triennium proxime elapfum affiduam Officio fuo operam dediffe, vitamque, & mores fuos pie & fobrie instituisse; dignumq; judicamus qui ad quidlibet munus in Ecclefie promoveatur, &quam de eo opinionem concepimus eandem apud omnes libere profitemur. In cujus rei teftimonium figilla noftra præfentibus appofuimus. Dat. die.

-Anno Dom.

Such a Teftimonial as this, is always indifpenfably required before Holy Orders are conferr d; and the Bishop demands it even from a Prieft, before he admits him to a Benefice.

Note, That if any one living in a certain Diocese, and not in either of the two Univerfities, go to the Bishop of another Diocese for Orders, he must have Letters Demiffory from the Bifhop of that Diocefe where he laft refided, to the other Bishop; and fo he ought to have if he goes for a Living

Note also, That the Prefentation must be tendred to the Bifhop within an Hundred Eighty Two Days, after the Living is vacant, elfe it lapfes to the Bishop; and if the Bishop then

doth