every year for the ordination of Deacons and Ministers, there may ever be some time of trial of their behaviour in the office of Deacon, before they be admitted to the Order of Priesthood.

XXXIII.-The Titles of such as are to be made Ministers.

It hath been long since provided by many decrees of the ancient Fathers, that none should be admitted either Deacon or Priest, who had not first some certain place where he might use his function. According to which examples we do ordain, that henceforth no person shall be admitted into sacred Orders, except he shall at that time exhibit to the Bishop of whom he desireth imposition of hands, a presentation of himself to some ecclesiastical preferment then void in that Diocese: or shall bring to the said Bishop a true and undoubted certificate, that either he is provided of some Church within the said Diocese, where he may attend the cure of souls, or of some Minister's place vacant, either in the Cathedral Church of that Diocese, or in some other Collegiate Church therein also situate, where he may execute his ministry; or that he is a Fellow, or in right as a Fellow, or to be a Conduct or Chaplain in some College in Cambridge or Oxford: or except he be a Master of Arts of five years' standing, that liveth of his own charge in either of the Universities or except by the Bishop himself, that doth ordain him Minister, he be shortly after to be admitted either to some Benefice or Curateship then void. And if any Bishop shall admit any person into the Ministry that hath none of these titles as is aforesaid, then he shall keep and maintain him with all things necessary, till he do prefer him to some ecclesiastical living. And if the said Bishop shall refuse so to do, he shall be suspended by the Archbishop, being assisted with another Bishop, from giving of Orders by the space of a year.

XXXIV.—The quality of such as are to be made Ministers.

No Bishop shall henceforth admit any person into sacred Orders which is not of his own Diocese, except he be either of one of the Universities of this realm, or except he shall bring Letters Dimissory (so termed) from the Bishop of whose Diocese he is, and desiring to be a Deacon, is three-and-twenty years old, and to be a Priest four-and-twenty years complete, and hath taken some degree of school in either of the said Universities, or, at the least, except he be able to yield an account of his faith in Latin, according to the Articles of Religion approved in the Synod of the Bishops and Clergy of this realm, One thousand five hundred sixty and two, and to confirm the same by sufficient testimonies out of the Holy Scriptures: And except moreover, he shall then exhibit Letters Testimonial of his good life and conversation, under the seal of some College in Cambridge or Oxford, where before he remained, or of three or four grave Ministers, together with the subscription and testimony of other credible persons, who have known his life and behaviour by the space of three years next before.

XXXV.—The Examination of such as are to be made Ministers. The Bishop, before he admit any person to holy Orders, shall diligently examine him in the presence of those Ministers that shall assist him at the imposition of hands and if the said Bishop have any lawful impedi

:

ment, he shall cause the said Ministers carefully to examine every such person so to be ordered. Provided, that they who shall assist the Bishop în examining and laying on of hands, shall be of his Cathedral Church, if they may conveniently be had, or other sufficient Preachers of the same Diocese, to the number of three at the least: And if any Bishop or Suffragan shall admit any to sacred Orders, who is not so qualified and examined as before we have ordained, the Archbishop of his Province having notice thereof, and being assisted therein by one Bishop, shall suspend the said Bishop or Suffragan so offending, from making either Deacons or Priests for the space of two years.

XXXVI.—Subscription required of such as are to be made Ministers.

No person shall hereafter be received into the Ministry, nor either by institution or collation admitted to any ecclesiastical living, nor suffered to preach, to catechise, or to be a lecturer or reader of divinity in either University, or in any Cathedral or Collegiate Church, city or market town, parish church, chapel, or in any other place within this realm, except he be licenced either by the Archbishop, or by the Bishop of the Diocese (where he is to be placed) under their hands and seals, or by one of the two Universities under their seal likewise; and except he shall first subscribe to these three Articles following, in such manner and sort as we have here appointed.

1. That the King's Majesty under God, is the only supreme governor of this realm, and of all other his Highness's dominions and countries, as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes, as temporal, and that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or potentate, hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence or authority ecclesiastical or spiritual within his Majesty's said realms, dominions and countries.

2. That the Book of Common Prayer, and of Ordering of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, containeth in it nothing contrary to the word of God, and that it may lawfully so be used, and that he himself will use the form in the said book prescribed in public prayer, and administration of the sacraments, and none other.

3. That he alloweth the Book of Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both provinces, and the whole Clergy in the Convocation holden at London, in the year of our Lord God, One thousand five hundred sixty and two: and that he acknowledgeth all and every the Articles therein contained, being in number nine and thirty, besides the Ratification, to be agreeable to the word of God.

To these three Articles whosoever will subscribe, he shall for the avoiding of all ambiguities, subscribe in this order and form of words, setting down both his christian and surname, viz. I, N. N., do willingly and ex animo subscribe to these three Articles above-mentioned, and to all things that are contained in them. And if any Bishop shall ordain, admit or license any as is aforesaid, except he first have subscribed in manner and form as here we have appointed, he shall be suspended from giving of orders and licences to preach for the space of twelve months. But if either of the Universities shall offend therein, we leave them to the danger of the law and his Majesty's censure.

XXXVII.-Subscription before the Diocesan.

None licensed, as is aforesaid, to preach, read lecture, or catechise, coming to reside in any Diocese, shall be permitted there to preach, read lecture, catechise or minister the sacraments, or to execute any other ecclesiastical function, (by what authority soever he be thereunto admitted) unless he first consent and subscribe to the three Articles beforementioned, in the presence of the Bishop of the Diocese, wherein he is to preach, read lecture, catechise or administer the Sacraments, as aforesaid.

XXXVIII.—Revolters after Subscription, censured.

If any Minister, after he hath once subscribed to the said three Articles, shall omit to use the form of prayer, or any of the orders or ceremonies prescribed in the Communion Book, let him be suspended: and if after a month he do not reform and submit himself, let him be excommunicated: and then if he shall not submit himself within the space of another month, let him be deposed from the ministry.

XXXIX.-Cautions for Institution of Ministers into Benefices. No Bishop shall institute any to a benefice who hath been ordained by any other Bishop, except he first show unto him his letters of orders, and bring him a sufficient testimony of his former good life and behaviour, if the Bishop shall require it: and lastly, shall appear upon due examination to be worthy of his ministry.

XL.-An Oath against Simony at Institution into Benefices.

To avoid the detestable sin of Simony, because buying and selling of spiritual and ecclesiastical functions, offices, promotions, dignities and livings, is execrable before God; therefore the Archbishop, and all and every Bishop or Bishops, or any other person or persons, having authority to admit, institute, collate, instal, or to confirm the election of any Archbishop, Bishop, or any person or persons to any spiritual or ecclesiastical function, dignity, promotion, title, office, jurisdiction, place or benefice with cure or without cure, or to any ecclesiastical living whatsoever, shall before every such admission, institution, collation, installation, or confirmation of election, respectively minister to every person hereafter to be admitted, instituted, collated, installed, or confirmed in or to any Archbishoprick, Bishoprick, or other spiritual or ecclesiastical function, dignity, promotion, title, office, jurisdiction, place or benefice with cure or without cure, or in or to any Ecclesiastical living whatsoever, this oath in manner and form following, the same to be taken by every one whom it concerneth in his own person, and not by a Proctor; I. N. N. do swear, That I have made no Simoniacal payment, contract, or promise, directly or indirectly, by myself or by any other to my knowledge, or with my consent, to any person or persons whatsoever, for or concerning the procuring and obtaining of this ecclesiastical dignity, place, preferment, office or living, (respectively and particularly naming the same whereunto he is to be admitted, instituted, collated, installed, or confirmed) nor will at any time hereafter perform or satisfy any such kind of payment, contract, or promise made by any other without my knowledge or consent; So help me God through Jesus Christ.

XLI.-Licences for Pluralities of Benefices limited, and Residence

enjoined.

No licence or dispensation for the keeping of more benefices with cure than one, shall be granted to any, but such only as shall be thought very well worthy for his learning, and very well able and sufficient to discharge his duty, that is, who shall have taken the degree of a Master of Arts at the least in one of the Universities of this realm, and be a public and sufficient Preacher licensed. Provided always, that he be by a good and sufficient caution bound to make his personal residence in each his said benefices for some reasonable time in every year; and that the said benefices be not more than thirty miles distant asunder; and lastly, that he have under him in the benefice where he doth not reside, a Preacher lawfully allowed, that is able sufficiently to teach and instruct the people.

XLII.-Residence of Deans in their Churches.

Every Dean, Master, or Warden, or chief Governor of any Cathedral or collegiate Church, shall be resident in his said Cathedral or collegiate Church fourscore and ten days conjunctim or divisim in every year at the least, and shall continue there in preaching the word of God, and keeping good hospitality, except he shall be otherwise let with weighty and urgent causes to be approved by the Bishop of the Diocese, or in any other lawful sort dispensed with. And when he is present, he, with the rest of the Canons or Prebendaries resident, shall take special care, that the statutes and laudable customs of their Church, (not being contrary to the word of God, or prerogative royal) the Statutes of this realm being in force concerning ecclesiastical order, and all other Constitutions now set forth and confirmed by his Majesty's authority, and such as shall be lawfully enjoined by the Bishop of the Diocese, in his Visitation, according to the statutes and customs of the same Church, or the ecclesiastical laws of this realm, be diligently observed, and that the Petty Canons, Vicars Choral, and other Ministers of their Church, be urged to the study of the Holy Scriptures, and every one of them to have the New Testament not only in English, but also in Latin.

XLIII.-Deans and Prebendaries to Preach during their Residence. The Dean, Master, Warden, or the chief Governor, Prebendaries, and Canons in every Cathedral and collegiate Church, shall not only preach there in their own persons so often as they are bound by law, statute, ordinance, or custom, but shall likewise preach in other Churches of the same Diocese where they are resident, and especially in those places whence they or their Church receive any yearly rents or profits. And in case they themselves be sick, or lawfully absent, they shall substitute such licensed Preachers to supply their turns, as by the Bishop of the Diocese shall be thought meet to preach in Cathedral Churches. And if any otherwise neglect or omit to supply his course, as is aforesaid, the offender shall be punished by the Bishop, or by him or them to whom the jurisdiction of that Church appertaineth, according to the quality of the offence.

XLIV. Prebendaries to be Resident upon their Benefices.

No Prebendaries nor Canons in Cathedral or collegiate Churches, having one or more benefices with cure, (and not being residentiaries in the same Cathedral or collegiate Churches) shall under colour of their said Prebends, absent themselves from their benefices with cure above the space of one month in the year, unless it be for some urgent cause, and certain time to be allowed by the Bishop of the Diocese. And such of the said Canons and Prebendaries as by the Ordinances of the said Cathedral or collegiate Churches do stand bound to be resident in the same, shall so among themselves sort and proportion the times of the year, concerning residence to be kept in the said Churches, as that some of them always shall be personally resident there: and that all those who be, or shall be residentiaries in any Cathedral or collegiate Church, shall after the days of their residency appointed by their local statutes or customs expired, presently repair to their benefices, or some one of them, or to some other charge where the law requireth their presence, there to discharge their duties according to the laws in that case provided. And the Bishop of the Diocese shall see the same to be duly performed and put in execution.

XLV.-Beneficed Preachers being Resident upon their Livings, to Preach every Sunday.

Every beneficed man allowed to be a Preacher, and residing on his benefice, having no lawful impediment, shall in his own cure, or in some other Church or Chapel where he may conveniently, near adjoining, (where no Preacher is) preach one Sermon every Sunday of the year, wherein he shall soberly and sincerely divide the word of truth to the glory of God, and to the best edification of the people.

XLVI.-Beneficed men, not Preachers, to procure Monthly Sermons. Every beneficed man not allowed to be a Preacher, shall procure Sermons to be preached in his cure once in every month at the least, by Preachers lawfully licensed, if his living, in the judgment of the Ordinary, will be able to bear it. And upon every Sunday when there shall not be a Sermon preached in his cure, he or his Curate shall read some one of the Homilies prescribed, or to be prescribed by authority to the intents aforesaid.

XLVII.-Absence of Beneficed men to be supplied by Curates that are allowed Preachers.

Every beneficed man licensed by the laws of this realm, upon urgent occasions of other service not to reside upon his benefice, shall cause his cure to be supplied by a Curate that is a sufficient and licensed Preacher, if the worth of the benefice will bear it. But whosoever hath two benefices, shall maintain a Preacher licensed in the benefice where he doth not reside, except he preach himself at both of them usually.

XLVIII. None to be Curates, but allowed by the Bishop. No Curate or Minister shall be permitted to serve in any place, without examination and admission of the Bishop of the Diocese, or Ordinary