The Bishops of England enjoy at this Day many other Priviledges, as Freedom from Arrefts, Outlawries, Distress per Equitaturam, or in a Journey.

Every Bishop may by Statute-Law qualifie as many Chaplains as a Duke, viz. Six..

The Law of England attributeth fo very much to a Bishop, that not only in the Trial of Baftardy, the Bishop's Certificate fhall fuffice, but also in the Trial of Herefie, which touches a Man's Life; and made the Offences of Paricide and Epifcopacide equal, viz. Petty-Treafon.

Next to the two Archbishops of England, the Bishop of London amongst all the Bishops hath the Pre-eminence. Epifcopus Londinenfis (faith an ancient Record) Speciali quadam dignitate cateru anteponendus, quia Ecclefia Cantuarienfis Decanus eft Provincialis. Being Bishop over the Imperial and Capital City of England, it is by a Statute of later Times exprefly provided, that he should have the Preference and Precedence of all the Bifhops of England.

Next amongst thofe of the Epifcopal College, is the Bishop of Durham, within the Province of York, who hath been a Count Palatine fix or feven hundred Years: Wherefore the common Seal of the Bishoprick hath been of a long time an Armed Knight holding in one hand a naked Sword, and in the other a Church.

He hath alfo at this Day the Earldom of Sadberg, annexed long ago to the Bishoprick by the King.

In the fifth Place, by Vertue of the forementioned Statute is the Bishop of Winchester, reputed anciently Earl of Southampton, and fo ftiled in the Statutes of the Honourable Order of the Garter, by Henry the Eighth; though foon after that Earldom was otherwife difpofed of. He is Sub-Dean of the Province of Canterbury, and in the Vacancy of the See of London, executes the Archbishop's Mandates for Convocation, &c. which Office belongs to the Bishop of Lincoln as Chancellor of the Province, in the Vacancy of both thofe other Sees of London and Winchester.

After these five aforenamed, all the other Bishops take Place according to the Seniority of their Confecration.

Next follow Suffragan Bishops, Deans, Arch-deacons, Prebendaries, Rectors and Vicars; to whom alfo belong divers confiderable Priviledges..

For eafing the Bishop of fome part of his Burthen, as the Number of Chriftians waxed great, or the Diocese was large, there was ordained in the Primitive Times, Chorepifcopi, Suffra gans or Subfidiary Bishops.

Suffragan Bishops, by an A&t of Parliament of Henry VIII. ftill in force, are to be only of thefe Towns following.

The

The Suffragan Bishop for the Diocese of Canterbury, must be at Dover only; for York, at Nottingham and Hull; for London, at Colchester; for Durham, at Berwick; for Winchefter, at Guilford Southampton, and in the Isle of Wight; for Lincoln, at Bedford, Leicefter, Grantham, and Huntingdon; for Norwich, at Thetford and Ipfwich; for Salisbury, at Shaftsbury, Melton, and Marlboroughs for Bath and Wells, at Taunton; for Hereford, at Bridgnorth; for Coventry and Lichfield, at Shrewsbury; for Ely, at Cambridge; for Exeter, at St. Germans; for Carlile, at Penrith. Thefe only to be the Sees of Bishops Suffragans, and no more Suffragans allowed, than fo many to each Diocefe, as above-mentioned. In publick Affemblies they were to take Placé next after the Temporal Peers of the Realm.

In every Cathedral Church in England, there are a certain Number of Prebendaries, or Canons, and over them a Dean, in Latin Decanus, from Aira; because anciently fet over ten Canons at the leaft; who is fometimes ftiled Alter Epifcopi Oculus, (the other being the Archdeacon, who tho' a Presbyter himself, is fo named, for his Charge over the Deacons) who are to be gui ded and directed by him under the Bishop.

Dean and Chapter.] The Dean and fome of the Prebends, are upon the Bishops Summons, to affift him in Ordinations, in Deprivations ab Officio & Beneficio, in Condemnations of obftinate Hereticks, in the Great Excommunications, and in fuch like weighty Affairs of the Church.

Deans of the old Foundations, founded before the Supreffion of Monafteries, are brought to their Dignities, much like Bishops; the King firft fending forth his Letter-Miffive to the Chapter, they electing, and the King granting his Royal Affent, the Bishop confirms him, and gives his Mandate to inftal him.

Deans of the new Foundations (upon Suppreffion of Abbies or Priories, transformed by Hen. VIII. into Dean and Chapter) are by a fhorter Course inftalled by Vertue of the King's Letters Patents, without either Election or Confirmation.

In most of the old Foundations the Prebendaries are of two forts; fome are Canons or Residentiaries, who, with their own Dean make one Body or College, or Corporation; these are what they call the leffer Chapter: And fome are minor Prebendaries, who have each his own feparate Eftate or Corpfe: They are not obliged to Refidence, only to Preach upon certain Days, they have a Stall in the Quire, but no Vote in the leffer Chapter, the greater Chapter being made up of all the Prebendaries of all forts.

Note, That the Canons in thefe old Foundations, cannot regularly be made fo, unless they are first minor Prebendaries.

A Pre

A Prebend is properly the Portion which every Prebendary of a Collegiate or Cathedral Church receiveth in the Right of his Place for his Maintenance, quafi pars vel portio præbenda.

archdeacons.] Next in the Government of the Englifb Church, may be reckoned Archdeacons, whereof there are Sixty in all England; Their Office is to vifit Two Years in Three, and to enquire into Reparations and Moveables belonging to Churches, to reform Abuses in Ecclefiaftical Matters, and to bring the more weighty Affairs before the Bishop of the Diocefe: Moreover, the Office of an Archdeacon is upon the Bifhop's Mandate, to induct Clerks into their Benefices, and thereby to give them Poffeffion of all the Profits belonging thereto.

Many Archdeacons and fome Prebendaries in old Foundations have by Prescriptions their Courts and Officials as Bishops have: Whereof more hereafter.

Rural Deans.] After the Archdeacons, are the Archipresbyteri or Rural Deans, fo called perhaps at firft for their over fight of Ten Parish-priests, but now feldom created or used.

Parish-Priest or Retto2s.] Next are to be confidered the Priests of every particular Parish, who are commonly called the Rectors, unless the Predial Tythes are impropriated, and then they are ftiled Vicars, quafi vice fungentes Rectorum. Their Office is to take care of all the Parishioners Souls; to catechise the Ignorant, reduce the Straying, confirm the Wavering, convince the Obftinate, reprehend the Wicked, confute Schifmaticks, reconcile Differences among Neighbours; to read duly Divine Service, to adminifter the Holy Sacraments, and to preach, if the Bishop fhall think fit; to vifit the Sick, to marry, to bury, to render publick Thanks after Child-bearing, to keep a Regifter of all the Marriages, Chriftnings and Burials, that fhall happen within the Parish.

Laftly, Deacons, whofe Office was to take care of the Poor, is now to Baptize, read in the Church, affift the Priest at the Lord's Supper, by giving the Cup only, &c.

In England are two Archbishops. Twenty four Bishops, no Suffra gan Bishops at prefent, Twenty fix Deans of Cathedral and Colegiate Churches, Sixty Archdeacons, 544 Prebendaries, many Rural Deans, and about 9700 Rectors and Vicars, befides Curates, who for certain Stipends affift fuch Rectors and Vicars that have the Care of more Churches than one.

Note, That although the Gift of the Higher Dignities of the Church of England, as Bishopricks and most Deaneries are only in the King, in whom is also the Donation of most of the best Prebends and Canonicates, and of feveral great, and very many fmall Parfonages and Vicarages, which are under the Visitation of the Bishops and Archbishops; yet there are fome Donatives and Free-Chapels, which are fubject to the Vifitation only of the

Lord

Lord Chancellor, and wholly exempted from the Jurifdiction of any Bishop.

Next are the Churchwardens, whofe Office is to fee that the Church be in good Repair, fitly adorned, and nothing wanting for Divine Service, Sacrament and Sermons: That the Church yard be fufficiently bounded or enclosed; That there be an exact Terrier of the Glebe-Land; to enquire after, to admonish and to present to the Bishop scandalous Livers, to collect the Charity of Parishioners, to declare and to execute the Orders of the Bishop: The Church-wardens are elected every Eafter Week, ufually by the Parfon and Parishioners, if they fo agree; if not, then one by the Parfon, and the other by the Parishioners.

There are alfo in greater Parishes joined with the Church wardens, Teftes Synodales, anciently called Synods-Men, now corruptly Sides-Men, who are to affift the Church wardens in Inqui ries into the Manners of inordinate-Livers, and in prefenting Offenders at Vifitations.

Laftly, the Sacriftan, corruptly called the Sexton or Clerk, who is ordinarily to be chofen by the Parfon only; he ought to be Twenty Years old, or above, of good Life, that can read, write, and fing: His Office is to ferve at Church the Priest, Curate and Church-wardens.

Note, Where the Office of the Clerk and Sexton are diftin&t, the Minifter chufes the former, the People the latter.

CHA P. IX.

of Ecclefiaftical Courts of England, and firft of the Convocation.

FOR

OR the Church Legislative Power, or the making of Ecclefiaftical Laws, and confulting for the more weighty Affairs of the Church, the King, by the Advice of his Privy-Council, as often as he calls a Parliament, convokes a National Synod, commonly called the Convocation, which is fummoned in manner following.

The King directeth his Writ to the Archbishop of each Province, requiring him to summon all Bishops, Deans, Arch-deacons, Cathedrals and Collegiate Churches, &c. according to their best Difcretion and Judgment, affigning them the Time and Place in the faid Writ; whereupon the Arch-bishop of Canterbury directs his Mandate to the Bishop of London, as his Dean Provin cial, firft citing him peremptorily, and then willing him in

like manner to cite all the Bishops, Deans, Arch-deacons, Cathe dral and Collegiate Churches, and all the Clergy of his Province, to fuch a Place and fuch a Day prefix'd in the Writ; but di recting withal, that one Proctor fent for each Cathedral and Collegiate Church, and two for the Body of the inferior Clergy of each Diocese, may fuffice. The Bishop of London accordingly directs his Letters to the Bishop of every Diocese of the Province, citing them in like manner to appear, and to admonish the Deans and Archdeacons to appear perfonally: and the Cathedrals, Collegiate Churches, and inferiour Clergy of the Diocese, to fend their Proctors to the Place, and at the Day appointed; to certify alfo to the Archbishop the Names of all fo fummoned by them.

The Place where the Convocation of the Clergy in the Province of Canterbury hath ufually been held, is St. Paul's Church in London, from whence they have been of late, by the Archbishop, prorogued or adjourned to Westminster, where the Bishops affemble in the Chappel of Henry VII. and the Lower Houfe in the Jerufalem Chamber.

.

The Higher House of Convocation in the Province of Canterbury, confifts of 22 Bishops, whereof the Archbishop is Prefident, fitting in a Chair at the upper end of a great Table, and the Bishops on each fide of the fame Table, all at the opening of a Convocation in their Scarlet Robes and Hoods, the Archbishop's Hood furr'd with Ermin, the Bishops with

Minever.

The Lower Houfe confifts of all the Deans, Archdeacons, one Proctor for every Chapter, and two Proctors for all the Clergy of each Diocefe, in all 166 Perfons, viz. 22 Deans, 24 Prebendaries, 54 Archdeacons, and 44 Clerks representing the Diocefan Clergy.

The firft Day both Houfes being affembled, the Archbishop prefides at the Head of the Clergy of his Province; and the lower Clergy being required by the Moft Reverend, chufe them a Prolocutor or Speaker; which done, they prefent him to the Upper Houfe by 1 or 2 of the Members, whereof one makes a Speech in Latin, and then the elected Perfon makes another Speech in Latin. Laftly, the Archbishop answers it in the fame Language, and with the Confent of the Bishops approves of the Perfon.

The major Vote in each House prevails.

All the Members of both Houses of Convocation have the fame Priviledges for themselves and Menial Servants, as the Members of Parliament have, and that by Statute.

The Archbishop of York at the fame time may hold at York a Convocation of all his Province in like manner; and by constant Correfpondence, debate and conclude of the fame Matters as are debated and concluded by the Provincial Synod of Canterbury,