To all christian people to whom these presents shall come. Whereas piety and humanity do oblige us to bear witness to the truth; and whereas A. B. bachelor of arts, hath requested our letters testimonial of his laudable life and probity of manners to be granted to him: We, being willing to comply with his so just a request, do testify by these presents, that the aforesaid A. B. having been personally known to us for the space of three years last part, hath led his life piously, soberly, and honestly; hath diligently applied himself to his studies; and hath not (so far as we know) ever held, written, or taught any thing, but what the church of England approves of and maintains, and moreover we think him worthy (if it shall so seem good to those whom it may concern) to be promoted to the holy order of deacon (or priest). In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands, the day of in the year of

our Lord

-

Or thus (according to Dr. Grey):

To the right reverend father in God Richard lord bishop of Lincoln.

college in

Whereas A. B. of desiring to be admitted to the holy order of deacon (or priest,) hath requested our letters testimonial of his laudabe life and integrity of manners to be granted to him; We, whose names are under written, do testify by these presents, that the aforesaid A. B. for three years last past, of our personal knowledge, hath led his life piously, soberly, and honestly; hath diligently applied himself to the study of good learning, and hath not (so far as we know) held or published any thing but what the church of England approves of and maintains; and moreover we think him worthy to be admitted to the holy order of deacon (or priest). In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names, [57] the day of in the year of our Lord

But in order to accommodate the same more strictly to the aforesaid canon, statute, and direction of archbishop Wake; perhaps the form might be more regularly thus:

To the right reverend father in God Charles lord bishop of Carlisle.

Whereas our beloved in Christ, A. B. bachelor of arts, hath declared unto us his intention of offering himself a candidate for the holy order of deacon; and for that end hath requested our letters testimonial of his good and honest life and conversation and other due qualifications to be granted to him; We, whose names and seals are hereunto set, do testify by these presents, that we have personally known the life and behaviour of the aforesaid A. B. for the space of three years now last past; and that he hath, during the said time, been a person of good and honest life and conversation; and that

he professeth the doctrine expressed in the 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 one thousand five hundred and sixty-two: And we do believe in our consciences, that the said A. B. is qualified to be admitted (if it shall so please your lordship) to the holy order of deacon (or priest). Given under our hands and seals the day of

in the year of our Lord

Hath declared unto us his intention of offering himself a candidate for the holy orders of deacon] This, according to the archbishop's directions, seemeth to express the particular end and design for which the testimonial is granted.

That we have personally known the life and behaviour, &c.] And not by way of recital, whose life and behaviour we have known, or having been personally known unto us, or the like; for the archbishop's directions in this case do require a positive declaration.

And that he hath during the said time been a person of good and honest life and conversation] This is required by the canon and the statute aforegoing: And herein the persons signing the testimonial do undertake for his behaviour.

And that he professeth the doctrine, &c.] Herein they undertake for his orthodoxy: and this by the statute aforesaid is required to be peremptory and express; and not, so far as we know, or the like: for it is possible they may not have used the proper means of information.

And we do believe in our consciences, &c.] In order to the forming of which belief, some sort of previous examination of the [58] party, by the persons signing the testimonial, seemeth to be implied: And herein they undertake for his learning. Whereas, before, for deacon's orders, they did only take upon them, the knowledge of his behaviour; for priest's orders, of his behaviour and orthodoxy, but now, for both; by these directions, they are to take upon them the knowledge of his behaviour, orthodoxy, and learning: Although this last is most properly the bishop's province; and not at all the less so, notwithstanding such testimonial.

Drgan. See Church.

Drnaments of the church. See Church.

Dsculatory.

THE osculatory, was a tablet or board, with the picture of Christ, or the blessed virgin, or some other of the saints, which, after the consecration of the elements in the eucharist,

the priest first kissed himself, and then delivered it to the people for the same purpose.

Ostiary.

OSTIARY, is one of the five inferior orders in the Roman
church; whose office it is, to keep the doors of the church,
and to toll the bell. Gibs. 99.

Dverseers of a will. See Wills.
Drford. See Colleges.

Pall.

THE pall, pallium episcopale, is a hood of white lamb's wool, to be worn as doctor's hoods upon the shoulders, with four crosses woven into it. And this pallium episcopale is the arms belonging to the see of Canterbury. God. 23. 1 Warn. 45.

Pannage.

PANNAGE, pasnage (perhaps from pasco, to feed,) is the fruit of trees which the swine or other cattle feed upon in the woods; as acorns, crabs, mast of beech, chesnuts, and other nuts and fruits of trees in the woods; which is treated of under the title Tithes.

Sometimes also pannage is used to signify the money which is paid for the pannage itself.

Papist. See Popery.

Paraphernalia.

PARAPHERNALIA, from wapa præter, and pep dos, are the woman's apparel, jewels, and other things, which in the lifetime of her husband she wore as the ornaments of her person,

[59 1

to be allowed at the discretion of the court, according to the quality of her and her husband. Law of Test. 383.

Which is treated of under the title Wills, V.16. and Marriage, II. 4.

Pardon.

1. IT seemeth to have been always agreed, that the king's pardon will discharge any suit in the spiritual court ex officio: also it seems to be settled at this day, that it will likewise discharge any suit in such court instantiam partis pro reformatione morum or salute animæ, as for defamation, or laying violent hands on a clerk, or such like; for such suits are in truth the suits of the king, though prosecuted by the party. 2 Haw. 394.

2. Also it seems to be agreed, that if the time to which such pardon hath relation, be prior to the award of costs to the party, it shall discharge them: And it seems to be the general tenor of the books, that though it be subsequent to the award of the costs, yet if it be prior to the taxation of them, it shall discharge them, [60] because nothing appears in certain to be due for costs, before they are taxed.

Id.

3. Also, if a person be imprisoned on a writ de excommunicato capiendo, for his contumacy in not paying costs, and afterwards the king pardons all contempts, it seems that he shall be discharged of such imprisonment, without any scire facias against the party; because it is grounded on the contempt, which is wholly pardoned: and the party must begin anew to compel a payment of the costs. Id.

4. But it seems agreed, that a pardon shall not discharge a suit in the spiritual court, any more than in a temporal, for a matter of interest or property in the plaintiff'; as for tithes, legacies, matrimonial contracts, and such like. Also it is agreed, that after costs are taxed in a suit in such court at the prosecution of the party, whether for a matter of private interest, or pro reformatione morum or salute animæ, as for defamation, or the like, they shall not be discharged by a subsequent pardon. Id.

5. A person admitted to the benefit of clergy, is not to be deprived in the spiritual court, for the crime for which he hath had his clergy. For a pardon frees the party from all subsequent punishment, and consequently from deprivation. 2 Haw. 364.

6. By the statute of the 20 G. 2. c. 52. (which is the last act of general pardon) all contempts in the ecclesiastical court in matters of correction are pardoned; but not in causes which have been commenced for matters of right.

60

Parish.

parishes.

1. (A.) AT first there were no parochial divisions of cures here First instiin England, as there are now. For the bishops and tution of their clergy lived in common; and before that the number of christians was much increased, the bishops sent out their clergy to preach to the people, as they saw occasion. But after the inhabitants had generally embraced christianity, this itinerant and occasional going from place to place, was found very inconvenient, because of the constant offices that were to be administered, and the people not knowing to whom they should resort for spiritual offices and directions. Hereupon the bounds of parochial cures [61] were found necessary to be settled here, by those bishops who were the great instruments of converting the nation from the Saxon idolatry. At first they made use of any old British churches that were left standing; and afterwards from time to time in successive ages, churches were built and endowed by lords of manors and others, for the use of the inhabitants of their several manors or districts, and consequently parochial bounds affixed thereunto. 1 Still. 88, 89.

And it was this which gave a primary title to the patronage of laymen; and which also oftentimes made the bounds of a parish commensurate to the extent of a manor. Ken. Impropr. 5, 6, 7. (1)

Many of our writers have ascribed the first institution of parishes in England to Archbishop Honorius, about the year 636; wherein they built all on the authority of Archbishop Parker. But Mr. Selden seems rightly to understand the expression provinciam suam in parochias divisit, of dividing his province into new dioceses; and this sense is justified by the author of the defence of pluralities. The like distinction of parishes which now obtains, could never be the model of Honorius, nor the work of any one age. Some rural churches there were, and some limits prescribed for the rights and profits of them. But the reduction of the whole country into the same formal limitations was gradually advanced, being the work of many generations. However at the first foundation of parochial churches (owing sometimes to the sole piety of the bishop, but generally to the lord of the manor) they were but few, and consequently at a great distance; so as the number of parishes depending on that of churches, the parochial bounds were at first much larger, and by degrees contracted. For as the country grew more populous, and persons more devout, several other churches were founded within the extent of the former, and then a new parochial circuit was allotted in proportion to the new church, and the manor or estate of the

(1) And see 1 Bla. Comm. 112–114. 2 Id. 21.