concessum, jam renuentem et recusantem, contumacem fuisse et esse, ac pœnas juris in ea parte incurrisse, pronuntiamus, et declaramus; eundemque N. propter præmissa ab omni functione officii sui clericalis, et ejusdem executione, verbique Divini prædicatione, sacramentorum administratione, omniumque divinorum officiorum celebratione, suspendendum fore decrevimus, sicque eundem N. suspendimus per hanc nostram sententiam definitivam, sive hoc nostrum finale decretum, quam sive quod ferimus et promulgamus in hiis scriptis i."

Of the same date is the relaxation of suspension, which is notified in the following manner:

"Gulielmus, permissione Divina London. Episcopus, universis et singulis rectoribus, vicariis, capellanis, curatis, ministris, et clericis quibuscumque in et per diœcesim nostram London. ubilibet constitutis, salutem. Cum dilectus noster venerabilis Vir M. Legum doctor, Surrogatus noster, legitime fulcitus et legitime procedens, quendam N. . . . sententia suspensionis . . . lata et inflicta absolverit. .. vobis igitur committimus ac firmiter injungendo mandamus, quatenus prænominatum N., sic ut præfatur, nostra authoritate legitime absolutum et relaxatum fuisse et esse, eumque sic absolutum et relaxatum in ecclesiis vestris parochialibus, diebus Dominicis et festivis proxime et immediate sequentibus post receptionem præsentium, inter Divinorum solemnia, cum major in eisdem, ad divina audienda adfuerit populi multitudo, palam et publice denuncietis et declaretis, seu sic denunciari et declarari faciatis cum effectu, sub pœna juris k."

DEPRIVATION.

Deprivation of benefices, without degradation from ecclesiastical orders, cannot be more ancient than institution to benefices, and it represents the same discipline which separated benefices from orders. It is mentioned in the Constitutions of

i E. Registro Gulielmi Laud, 1631. Episcopi Londinensis, A. D. k Ibid.

Archbishop Stratford, A.D. 1342', and in the Constitutions of Otho, A.D. 1236". The following is a copy of the sentence of deprivation from a benefice:

"In sancti Dei nomine, Amen. Auditis, visis, et intellectis, ac plenarie matureque discussis per nos Henricum, permissione Divina London. episcopum, meritis et circumstantiis cujusdem negotii quoad deprivationem M. clerici, rectoris rectoria et ecclesiæ N. . . . Idcirco nos, Henricus London. episcopus antedictus, Christi nomine primitus invocato, ac ipsum solum Deum oculis nostris præponentes et habentes, deque et cum consilio jurisperitorum cum quibus in hac parte communicavimus matureque deliberavimus, prænominatum N., non residentem in et super rectoria et ecclesia sua parochiali . et non inservientem curæ animarum parochianorum dictæ parochiæ juxta monitionem nostram sibi legitime in hac parte factam, inobedientem, negligentem et contumacem fuisse et esse, eundemque N. a rectoria et ecclesia sua . . . ratione præmissorum privandum et amovendum fore, dictamque rectoriam . . . de persona dicti N. vacuam fuisse et esse pronunciamus, decernimus, et declaramus: sicque eundem N. deprivamus et amovemus, per hanc nostram sententiam definitivam, sive hoc nostrum finale decretum, quam sive quod ferimus et promulgamus in hiis scriptis. H. LONDON "."

...

DEGRADATION.

Deposal, or degradation from orders, which also infers the loss of benefices, has always existed in the church. The Synods of Nice, Carthage, and others, made several regulations on this subject; and the emperor Justinian ordered that clergy, who were convicted of offences against the laws, should be degraded by episcopal authority before they

1 Lyndwode, Provinciale, 1. Athon. iii. tit. vii.

m Constitut. Othonis, De Concubinis Clericorum Removendis, cum gloss. Johannis de

"E Registro Henrici Compton, London. Episcopi, A.D. 1701.

suffered temporal penalties °.

Martene observes,

that although there can be no doubt that deposal was made with a certain form of words, the ancient rituals contain little about it. It seems, however, to have been generally accompanied by the removal of the insignia of the order which was taken away P. A distinction was made in the middle ages between verbal degradation, or the sentence of the ecclesiastical judge ejecting from orders and delivering to the lay tribunals, and actual or real degradation, in which the insignia of orders were taken away, and the degraded person was actually delivered to the secular judge. The latter ceremonial has become obsolete in the church. The following is a sentence of Degradation, according to the English Ritual:

"In Dei nomine, Amen. Auditis, visis, et intellectis, ac plenarie et mature per nos . . . meritis et circumstantiis cujusdam negotii de deprivatione sive degradatione N. . . præfatum N. ab omnibus sacris diaconatus et presbyteratus ordinibus juxta ritus ecclesiæ Anglicanæ alias per eundem susceptis, necnon ab omnibus officiis ecclesiasticis et spiritualibus, omnique jure,

• Van Espen, Jus Canon. Univers. pars iii. tit. xi. c. 1. Benedict XIV. De Synodo Diocesana, lib. xi. cap. vi.

› Martene, de Antiquis Ecclesiæ Ritibus, lib. iii. c. 2. The later form, taken from a Pontifical of the Church of Rouen, was thus: "Auferimus tibi vestem sacerdotalem, et te honore sacerdotali privamus . Auferimus tibi vestem diaconalem et librum evangeliorum, et te honore diaconali privamus... Auctoritate Dei omnipotentis, Patris et Filii et

Spiritus Sancti, ac nostrâ, auferimus tibi habitum clericalem, et deponimus et degradamus, spoliamus et exuimus te omnium ordinum beneficio et privilegio clericali, ac te dimittimus curiæ sæculari, erga quam preces nostras effundimus, et intercedimus efficaciter et instanter, ut tibi circa mortis periculum cum omni humanæ pietatis moderamine se studeat misericorditer exhibere." Martene, ibid.

a Benedict XIV. De Synodo Diocesana, loc. cit.

privilegio, statu, ordine, titulo, et habitu clericali, deprivandum, deponendum, exuendum, et realiter degradandum fore debere, pronunciamus, decernimus, et declaramus; ejusque literas tam diaconatus quam presbyteratus ordinum, revocamus, cassamus, irritamus, atque annullamus, proque cassis, irritis, invalidis, eundemque N. esse merum laicum, proque mero laico de futuro tenendum, habendum, et reputandum, ad omnem juris effectum pronunciamus, decernimus, et declaramus; proque sic deprivato, deposito, et exuto, realiterque degradato, ac pro mero laico, eundem N. sæculari brachio ad subeundum pœnas prædictas remittimus, per hanc nostram sententiam definitivam, sive hoc nostrum finale decretum, quam sive quod ferimus et promulgamus in hiis scriptis '."

I E Registro Henrici Compton, London. Episcopi, A.D. 1686.

APPENDIX.

ON ECCLESIASTICAL VESTURES.

SECTION I.

THE rubric of the English ritual, which immediately precedes the office for morning prayer, contains the following words relative to the ornaments of the church and ministers: "And here it is to be noted, "that such ornaments of the church, and of the "ministers thereof, at all times of their ministration, "shall be retained, and be in use, as were in this "church of England, by authority of parliament, in "the second year of the reign of king Edward the "Sixth." This refers to the Act of Uniformity, passed in that year, authorizing "the Book of Common Prayer," &c. And that book contains the following directions relative to the subject; which, for the sake of clearness, I shall compare with the version of Alesse, who translated the English ritual into Latin immediately after it was published in 1549.

RITUAL OF 1549.

And whensoever the bishop shall celebrate the holy communion in the church, or execute any other public ministration, he shall have upon him, beside his rochette, a surpless or albe, and a cope

ALESSE'S VERSION. Episcopus in celebratione cœnæ, et administratione sacramentorum, induat lineam aut albam, et cappam vel casulam, et habeat baculum pastoralem. P. 455.

a Inter Buceri Scripta Anglicana, p. 379, &c. Basil. 1577.