verint; nec postquam semel celebraverint, incipiant tunc cessare; sed sub pœna prædicta frequenter studeant celebrare." 10

But except in the cases of persons thus presented to benefices, a very wise rule, if it was fully carried out, (which I should doubt could have been at any time) prohibited priests from undertaking the sole cure of a parish, for one year after their ordination. I again quote the same synod of Exeter. "Cum sit ars artium regimen animarum, illud juvenibus et inexpertis committere valde reputamus absurdum, donec per merita virtutum et experientiam diutinam digni efficiantur ad tanti oneris sarcinam supportandam. Quapropter statuimus, ne quisquam presbyterorum primo ordinationis suæ anno ad curam parochialem ullatenus admittatur; illis tamen duntaxat exceptis, qui tenentur propriis ecclesiis deservire." And, once more upon this point, in the year 1308, a synodical constitution of Henry Woodloke, bishop of Winchester: "Inhibemus etiam, ne quis sacerdos, exceptis rectoribus aut vicariis ecclesiarum, qui propriis tenentur ecclesiis deservire, primo ordinationis suæ anno, curam parochialem admittat.""

"In

Very early in the ecclesiastical history of the church of England, we find steps taken to prevent priests, wandering about from place to place, and celebrating wheresoever they would. The Dialogue of archbishop Egbert has the following passage. terrogatio. Si permittendum est presbyteris sive peregrinis, sive nostri generis, passim ministrare absque conscientia episcopi loci, in cujus diœcesi interim demorantur, maxime sub laicis, nusquam sta

biles, nec loco nec auctoritate pontificali primitus fundati? Responsio. Presbyteros peregrinos, vel absolute ordinatos sine literis commendatitiis circumeuntes provincias, nusquam eos ministrare patimur, vel sacramenta tradere absque conscientia episcopi loci." Passing over six hundred years, the same precautions are laid down by a synod of the diocese of Sodor, in the fourteenth century. "Firmiter præcipiendo inhibemus sub interminatione anathematis, ut nullus sacerdos ex aliena diœcesi ad nostram veniens, inibi residentiam præsumat facere, nisi prius nobis honeste et rite pervenerit, ostendens nobis instrumenta publica vel testes idoneos de veritate suæ ordinationis et conversationis." 12

Generally, with respect to all persons in orders, the same care was taken: Lyndwood has a title "de clericis peregrinis:" and I quote the constitution of archbishop Walter Reynold, in 1322, which he cites,

3.

12 Ibid. tom. 1. p. 83. Tom. p. 11. These are to be traced doubtless to the 21st. canon of the council of Arles, in the year 314 at which several of the British bishops, as it is well known, were present.

I would place here in a note two passages from the Anglosaxon records. First, from the canons under K. Edgar. "We enjoin, that it never happen that a priest celebrate mass, and not taste the housel himself." Thorpe, Ancient Laws. Vol. 2. p. 253. I understand this to mean, after consecration as "hurl" is not a term applied to the unhallowed

bread, and the preceding canon is directed to a proper care in providing all things necessary for the sacrament. Secondly, from the penitential of Egbert: "Quisque presbyter debet esse, sicut vocatus est, sacerdos." ibid. p. 203. Upon which a remark of Lyndwood is apposite: where speaking of a certain canon, he says: "Et nota, quod illum quem infra vocat presbyterum, hic vocat sacerdotem. Et dicitur sacerdos quasi sacra dans. Et sic hæ dictiones, presbyter et sacerdos, synonima sunt." Lib. 1. tit. 6. Sacerdotis. verb. sacerdotem loci.

and portions of his gloss. "Ordinati in Hibernia, Wallia,13 seu Scotia, vel alibi, sine literis ordinariorum suorum commendatitiis vel dimissoriis non admittantur a quocunque infra provinciam nostram ad ordinis sic suscepti executionem, nisi magna necessitas inducat: et tunc quod cum eis auctoritate sufficienti fuerit dispensatum super executione ordinis memorati, vel alias a suis ordinariis ordo sic susceptus ratificetur. Proviso nihilominus quod nullo modo admittantur, nisi prius constiterit de eorum legitima ordinatione, vitæ munditia, pariter et literatura.” "Ordinariorum suorum. sc. episcoporum quorum sunt subditi. Commendatitiis. Sic dictis quia continent testimonium sive commendationem de vita, honestate, et moribus ordinandorum. Et tales literæ si essent perditæ, possunt probari per testes. Et has non possunt concedere inferiores episcopis, nisi hoc habeant de consuetudine sive privilegio. Vel dimissoriis. Hæ dicuntur, per quas aliquis dimittitur a jurisdictione sive potestate sui prælati, et dicuntur quandoque licentiales, quando viz. licentia datur ad aliquid faciendum, utputa ordines ab alieno episcopo suscipiendos. Et has possunt episcopi suis subditis concedere, sc. ut ipsarum vigore ipsas obtinentes valeant ab aliis episcopis ordinari. Vitæ munditia. Quæ consistit in pluribus. Primo, viz. quod eorum vita et conversatio sit casta: secundo, quod sit in cibo et potu temperata: tertio, quod non sit tabulis et commessationibus dedita quarto, quod

13 Johnson observes "Sure the archbishop had forgot that Wales was part of his province." But the object of the constitution is general; to prevent any clerk

officiating in a diocese, by the bishop of which he was not originally ordained, without license, and examination.

sit orationibus assueta: quinto, quod se non immisceant cœtibus, ubi cantantur amatoria, vel exercentur inhonesta sexto, quod ab ebrietate omnino se absti

I shall not delay to extract any of the canons which relate to the duty of preaching, from the time when the council of Cloveshoo, A. D. 747, in its ninth canon ordered every priest carefully and diligently to fulfil it. Upon a point which the Church has always so much insisted on, it does not seem necessary to heap up authorities: I would rather quote the opinion of the great canonist, as to some restrictions with regard to it. "Nota, quod non omnis qui vult prædicare, debet ad hoc admitti. Nam mere laicus nec publice nec private potest prædicare, nec etiam mulier. 23. dist. mulier. quod intelligas ascendendo pulpitum, et faciendo sermonem ad populum: loquendo de clericis habes scire, quod papa ubique potest prædicare; episcopi vero ubique possunt prædicare, nisi per diœcesanos prohibeantur expresse, juxta illud Mat. Euntes in mundum universum prædicate, quod dictum fuit apostolis, in quorum loco succedunt episcopi. Auctoritatem tamen prædicandi aliis dare non possunt, nisi in propriis diœcesibus. Inferiores vero prælati, sive curati, subditis sibi commissis prædicare possunt, etiamsi fuerint diaconi tantum: aliis etiam officium prædicandi committere possunt in cura eis commissa, dum tamen tales sint, qui ad hoc approbati et vocati fuerint, ut sunt doctores in theologia, vel alias per episcopum approbati. Hi vero qui nec prælati nec

14 Lib. 1. tit. 9. Cum quanta. Compare the next ch. of the same title.

curati sunt, non possunt prædicare nisi mittantur ab his, qui hoc facere possunt." 15

It may appear scarcely necessary to state that severe penalties were attached to the performance of priestly functions by men who had not received the order of the priesthood: but I would quote two examples, in neither of which, however, the punishment is specified. One was brought before the convocation, sitting in S. Paul's, in 1463. "Die sabbati, toto concilio, ut prius, insimul congregato, adductus fuit coram domino et confratribus suis quidam Simon Harrison, apparatu fratris prædicatoris indutus, in ecclesia parochiali de Lamehith, Winton. diœc. per familiares domini suspecte in dicenda missa captus, qui solum, ut publice asseruit et fatebatur tunc ibidem, in ordine acolytus constitutus missas per longum tempus celebravit, idolatriam committendo. Et hoc audito, dominus commisit eum confratri suo Willielmo Winton. episcopo puniendum." 16

The other example to which I alluded is a very curious one, related in the chronicle of Henry de Knyghton. "Illis diebus (1391) erat quædam matrona in civitate Londoniensi quæ habebat unicam filiam quam instruxit ad celebrandum missam, et erexit altare in cubili suo secreto cum ornatu suo, sicque fecit filiam suam multis diebus vestire se more sacerdotis et ad altare accedere, et pro suo modo missam celebrare: sed cum venisset ad verba sacramenti, prostravit se ante altare et sacramentum non confecit, sed cætera missæ surgens usque ad finem

15 Lyndwood. lib. 3. tit. 4. Præterea. verb. prædicant. Cf. lib. 5. tit. 5. Reverendissimæ.

verb. auctorizatus est.

16 Wilkins. Conc. tom. 3. p. 585.