THE CLERGYMAN's Vade-Mecum: Or, An Account of the Ancient and Present Church of England; T HE DUTIES and RIGHTS OF THE CLERGY; AND OF Their Privileges and Hardships. Containing Full Directions relating to Ordination, Inftitution, Induction, and most of the Difficulties which they commonly meet with in the Discharge of their Office. The Sixth Edition, Corrected. Fear the LORD, and honour the Priest, and give him his portion, Ecclef. viii. 31. LONDON: Printed for ROBERT KNAPLOCK in St. Paul's Churchyard, and SAM. BALLARD in Little-Britain. M DCC XXXI. TO THE CLERGY. Reverend SIRS HIS following Collection was chiefly intended for the Information of young Students in Divinity, that they might not be too much interrupted in their Labour about Things of greater Confequence, by Enquiry into the Secular State of the CHURCH; and that even thofe who are of greater Maturity of Age and Knowledge, might have, as 'twere, an Index or Remembrancer in those Matters, which no Clergyman, I fuppofe, makes the chief Subject of his Studies. The Obfervations with which I here prefent you, concerning the External Conftitution of the CHURCH, are chiefly taA 2 ken ken from Bede, Acton, Lyndwood; and of the Moderns, efpecially Bishop Stillingfleet, tho', as occafion ferves, I have quoted many others: Nor have I fatisfied myfelf with the bare Office of a Compiler, but, when I thought fit, have offer'd my own Judgment too. When I meet with any Point not agreed by Great and Honeft Men, or in itself uncertain, I have left it as I found it: But where I faw that they who doubted, had no Reason for it, but the Miftake or Prejudice against the CHURCH or CLERGY, there I have not ftuck to give my own Opinion, and my Reasons for it. But the greatest part of this little Bock confifts of Directions in Law, relating to Church Affairs. I wifh there had not been occafion for me to be fo large in thefe Matters: But one of the greatest Temporal Difficulties, that belong to the Profeflion, is, that you are under fuch a Multitude and Variety of Laws and Rules, and thofe of a different fort, Ecclefiaftical and Civil, which do often interfere, and clash with one another; infomuch, that the most learned Lawyers in many Cafes, are not yet agreed, as to the Rights and Duties of Church Men; and you will find, by feveral Inftances, in the fol following Papers, that what has fometimes been pronounc'd to be Law, has at other times been deny'd to be fo. Your Office and Tenure is limited and reftrained by fo many Conditions and Qualifications, that a Gentleman may more eafily fettle himself in a Poft of the greatest Honour and Profit in the State, than a Clergyman can get a legal Title to a Vicarage or two, of 30l. per Annum in the Church. And when you are, according to all the Puntillio's of the Law and Canon, poffefs'd of a Maintenance, yet you daily find occafion to exercise your Patience, in fubmitting to the Impofitions of others; or to fhew your Prudence and Courage, in defending your own and the Church's Rights. For I think it may be juftly faid, that no Order of Men in this, or any other Nation, are under fo fatal Neceflity of frequently difputing their Rights, or being abused, as you are; efpecially Vicars and Rectors of Parochial Churches. I am fenfible, that too many, without Caufe, have charged the Clergy in general with fuch Crimes, which as they are odious in all, fo especially in those of your Profeffion, I mean Litigioufuefs and Rigour in demanding their Dues: Nor is |