curiæ Cantuariensis de Arcubus plenius liquet et apparet: cumque dicti reverendi patres per judicium laudum sive sententiam eorum manibus et sigillis infra tempus eis præfixum et limitatum, subscriptum sigillatum et deliberatum inter alia in dicto judicio laudo sive sententia præ- 5 fatum reverendum dominum Thomam permissione divina Covent. et Litchf. episcopum ab officio suo et functione episcopali et a beneficiis proficuis et perquisitis episcopatus prædicti suspendendum fore adjudicaverint et determinaverint, donec mihi Wilhelmo providentia divina Can- 10 tuariens. archiepiscopo plenam fecerit et debitam submissionem pro absentia sua a sua diœcesi, neglectu officii sui et cæteris criminibus contra eum allegatis et probatis: cum denique dictum judicium laudum et sententia arbitrorum antedictorum fuerit et sit per sententiam definitivam hujus almæ curiæ Cantuariensis de Arcubus confirmat. ratificat. et sententiat. Idcirco nos Wilhelmus providentia divina Cantuariensis archiepiscopus totius Angliæ primas et metropolitanus præfatum reverendum in Christo patrem ac dominum dominum Thomam permissione divina 20 Covent. et Litchf. episcopum ab officio suo et functione episcopali et a beneficiis, proficuis et perquisitis episcopatus prædict. donec fecerit nobis plenam et debitam submissionem pro absentia sua a sua diœcesi neglectu officii sui et omnibus aliis criminibus contra eum allegatis 25 et probatis, suspendimus in his scriptis. W. CANT. 15 Lecta die Sabbath. 19 Julii 1684, inter horas undec. et duodec. antemeridianas per revm. in Christo patrem ac dominum dominum Wilhelmum providentia divina Cantuar. archiep. in capella sua infra manerium suum de 3o Lambehyth in com. Surriæ, ad humilem petitionem M. Everardi Erton etc. præsentibus tunc et ibidem reverendo in Christo patre ac domino domino Francisco permissione divina Roffen. episcopo ac reverendo in Christo patre Joanne permissione divina insulæ Man et 35 Sodorensis episcopo domino Bristolen. electo. CLXI. Archiepisc. Cant. GUIL. SANCROFT 8. Anno Christi Reg. Anglia Articles for the better regulation of ordinations, and institutions, and other admissions to cure of souls, into which much abuse and many uncanonical practices have lately crept.-Ex autographo archiep. Sancroft apud Tho. episc. Assaven. T is agreed by and between the archbishop and bishops of the province of Canterbury, and they do hereby mutually and solemnly promise for themselves respectively to one another as followeth : 5 I. That they will henceforth ordain no man deacon, except he be 23 years old, unless he have a faculty; which the archbishop declares he will not grant, but upon very urgent occasion; nor priest, unless he be full and complete 24 years old, as it is indispensably required Articles for the better regulation] In the 2d article it is stated that none but those who are so ordained are by the late act of uniformity and the statute 13 Eliz. c. 12. §. 5. capable to be admitted to any benefice with cure." Whatever might be the construction of the stat. of Eliz. as applicable to the year 1685, it is certain that persons who had not 15 been episcopally ordained, were admitted to benefices with cure of souls from the time of queen Eliz. to the commencement of the civil war. The practice was effectually prevented by the act of uniformity 13 and 14 Charles II. c. 4. See Nos. CII. CXLIX. Burnet, O. T. vol. i. 20 P. 332. Baxter's Life, p. 448. These articles are taken from the copy written by the archbishop, and now preserved in the Tanner MSS. vol. cclxxxii. p. 116. In an earlier copy of the same (at p. 144 of the same vol.) are the following notes in the archbishop's handwriting. Letters dimissory from one bp. to another. Priorius de l'ris Canonicis, p. 77. 86. 89, &c." and 25" In ordination of ministers three things required. 1) μαρτυρία. 1 Tim. iii. 7. good testimonials. 2) dokipaσía. Ibid. examination. 3) Xeɩpodería. 1 Tim. iv. 14. imposition of hands." in the preface to the book of ordination; nor unless the canonical age be either by an extract out of the register book of the parish, where the person to be ordained was born, under the hands of the minister and churchwardens there; or if no register be kept or found there, by some 5 other means sufficiently attested. II. That they will not admit or institute any person, who hath been formerly ordained, to cure of souls, unless it appear by a like testimonial, that when he was ordained, he was of canonical age; none but those who are so 10 ordained being by the late act of uniformity and the statute 13 Eliz. c. 12. §. 5. capable to be admitted to any benefice with cure. III. That they will ordain no man deacon or priest, who hath not taken some degree of school in one of the 15 universities of this realm, unless the archbishop in some extraordinary case, and upon the express desire and request of the bishop ordaining, shall think fit to dispense with this particular, the person, so to be dispensed with, being in all things else qualified, as the said 34th canon 20 requires. IV. That they will ordain none but such, as either have lived within their respective dioceses for the three years last past, and are upon their own personal knowledge, or by the testimony of three of the neighbouring 25 ministers, whom they think fit to rely upon, found to be worthy of what they pretend to, or else do exhibit sufficient and authentic testimony thereof from the bishop or bishops, within whose jurisdiction they have resided for the three last years, or from some college in one of the 30 universities, in which they are, or lately have been gremials; to the end, that there may be (by one or more of these methods) sufficient moral assurance to the bishop, by competent witnesses, of the good life and conversation of the persons to be ordained, for full three years last 35 past, as the said canon requires. And the archbishop doth declare, that he will not give any man, beneficed in one diocese, a faculty to take and hold a benefice in another, unless the bishop, in whose diocese he is already beneficed, doth give him a fair dimission and testi5 mony, together with his express consent to that very purpose. V. That they will admit none to holy orders but such as are presented to some ecclesiastical preferment then void in that diocese, or have some other title specified 10 and allowed in the 33d canon; among which a curacy under a parson or vicar, during his pleasure, is not to be accounted to be one, unless that parson or vicar doth under his hand and seal, and before witnesses oblige himself to the bishop both to accept that person "bona 15 fide" (when he shall be ordained and licensed by the bishop) to serve under him, and assist him, and also to allow him such salary, as the bishop shall approve of, so long as he shall continue doing his duty there; and lastly, not to put him out of that employment, but for reasons 20 to be allowed by the bishop. VI. That they will ordain no man, who hath a title allowed by the canon, if the benefice, to which that title relates, lie within another diocese, except he exhibit letters dimissory from the bishop, in whose diocese his 25 title and employment is. VII. That they will ordain no man, but upon the Lord's days, immediately following the "jejunia quatuor temporum," except he have a faculty to be ordained "extra tempora ;" and such a faculty, the archbishop 30 declares, he will not grant, but upon very urgent occasion, as (for instance) if one, who is not in full orders, be presented to some benefice; for of it since the late act of uniformity he is not capable, till he be ordained priest. 35 VIII. That they will ordain no man (of what qualities or gifts soever) both deacon and priest in one day, nor any man priest, until he shall have continued in the office of a deacon the space of a whole year, and behaved himself faithfully and diligently in the same. And if upon urgent occasion, it shall for reasonable causes seem good unto the bishop to shorten that time, yet even in 5 that case, there being four times of ordination in the year, he shall give the deacon's order in the end of one Ember week; and (if the case may bear that delay) the priest's order not till the next ensuing; or in the utmost necessity, not till the Sunday, or holy-day next following; and 10 that too not without a faculty. But in the same day none shall be made both deacon and priest, that some decent shadow at least, or footstep of so ancient and laudable a practice may be however retained and observed amongst us. 15 IX. That they will ordain none, but such as shall, a full month before the day of ordination, bring or send to the bishop notice in writing of their desire to enter into holy orders, together with such certificate of their age, and such testimonials of their behaviour and conversation, 20 as are above required; to the end, that the bishop may (if he think fit) make further inquiry into all particulars, and also give open monitions to all men to except against such, as they may perhaps know not to be worthy, as it is expressly required by that excellent canon MDLXIV. and 25 may be performed, as otherwise, so generally by affixing a schedule of the names of the candidates upon the doors of the cathedral, for as long time before, as they are given in: nor any, but such as shall also repair personally to the bishop in the beginning of the Ember week, or on Thurs- 30 day in that week, at the latest; to the end, that there may be time for the strict and careful examination of every person, so to be ordained, both by the archdeacon, and by the bishop himself, and such other as shall assist him at the imposition of hands, or he shall think fit to 35 employ herein; and that they may also be present in the |