13

and portions of his gloss. "Ordinati in Hibernia, Wallia, 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. Vitae 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 immisce ant cœtibus, ubi cantantur amatoria, vel exercentur inhonesta: sexto, quod ab ebrietate omnino se abstinoant "**

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 ondered 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 "Nota, quod non omnis qui vult prædicare, debet ad hoc admitti. Nam mere laicus nec publice nee private potest prædicare, nec etiam mulier. 23. dist, maior, 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 munden weitersten prædicate, quod dictum fuit apostolis, in quorum loco succedunt episcopi. Auctoritatem tamen prædicandi aliis dare non possunt, nisi in propriis diocesibus. 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

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. dioec. 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.

en 11 güne sestra vel ante, vel post Swagus. 20sar crisse, nisi cum eis Beten iver exprese per es qui cum eis disStats gereman w ofici sendice denunciamus esse net com es sier hoe legitime fuerit sesta Upon this Lyndod says: “IrreguQue zomer accepit a regula, quam statuit Appetións servand in celinatione clericorum, cujus warrantium diétur irregularitas. Et nota quod irremarita est quoddam impedimentum proveniens ex eccstratione canonica, et non extenditur, nisi quate

L

invenitur jure inflicta. In ordine suscepto. In tempore suscipiendi ordines; pone exemplum in scienter ordinato ab hæretico vel schismatico. Officii Creatione. Intelligas de solenni executione;~~tali videlicet quæ pertinet ad ordinem quem obtinet et

17 Script. x. tom. 2. p. 2738.

sub ratione ipsius ordinis. Unde talis irregularis de quo hic loquitur, se immiscere non potest officio ecclesiastico, ut videlicet publice et solemniter ministret in ordine suo tempore quo dicuntur vesperæ, matutinæ, missæ, vel aliæ horæ canonicæ. Privatim tamen, et per modum suffragii potest dicere horas suas ad quas tenetur ratione ordinis assumpti: et hoc puto verum si extra ecclesiam hoc faciat: secus si in ecclesia quæ ad talia deputatur. Potest talis tamen audire Divina in ecclesia: hoc verum si hoc non faciat ex contemptu, sed ex devotione. Et hoc quod hic dicitur, viz. quod irregularis debet abstinere ab executione officii donec fuerit cum eo dispensatum, non solum habet locum in ordinato ad majores ordines, sed etiam ad minores.” 18 The constitution proceeds to specify several ways in which irregularity and consequent suspension were incurred for example, homicide, advocacy in causes of blood, simoniacs, schismatics, &c. The whole title, with Lyndwood's gloss, is well worth the consideration of the student, bearing as it does upon the penalties attached to mere suspension, which is not also accompanied with the further penalty of excommunication. The Pupilla has a chapter "de suspensione ab executione ordinis," in which the whole subject is very fully and accurately discussed.19 The different severities of the degrees of suspension are explained; as being either perpetual, or temporary: from a benefice, or from execution of spiritual functions, or from entrance into any church and I regret that my space will not allow me to do more than thus barely refer to that part of the book.

:

18 Lib. 1. tit. 4. Imprimis.

19 Pars vij. Cap. 6.