taining to his office, during the time of his faid fufpenfion.

135. A certain Rate of Fees due to all Ecclefiaflical Officers.

No O Bifhop, Suffragan, Chancellor, Commiffary, Archdeacon, Official, nor any other exercifing ecclefiaftical jurifdiction whatfoever, nor any Registrar of any Ecclefiaftical Courts, nor any Minifter belonging to any of the faid offices or courts, thall hereafter, for any cause incident to their feveral offices, take or receive any other or greater fees, than fuch as were certified to the most reverend Father in God, John late Archbishop of Canterbury, in the year of our Lord God one thousand five hundred ninety and feven, and were by him ratified and approved; under pain, that every fuch Judge, Officer, or Minifter offending herein, fhall be fufpended from the exercife of their feveral offices for the fpace of fix months, for every fuch offence. Always provided, That if any queftion fhall arife concerning the certainty of the faid fees, or any of them, then thofe fees fhall be held for lawful, which the Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being shall under his hand approve, except the ftatutes of this realm before made do in any particular cafe exprefs fome other fees to be due. Provided furthermore, That no fee or money fhall be received either by the Archbishop, or any Bishop, or Suffragan, either directly or indirectly, for admitting of any into facred orders; nor that any other perfon or perfons under the faid Archbishop, Bifliop, or Suffragan, fhall for parchment, writing, wax, fealing, or any other respect thereunto appertaining, take above ten fhillings, under fuch pains as are already by law prescribed.

136. A Table of the Rates and Fees to be fet up in Courts and Registries.

WE E do likewife conftitute and appoint, That the Regiftrars belonging to every fuch Ecclefiaftical Judge fhall place two tables, containing the feveral rates and fums of all the faid fees; one in the ufual place or confiftory where the court is kept, and the other in his regiftry; and both of them in fuch fort, as every man, whom it concerneth, may without difficulty come to the view and perufal thereof, and take a copy of them: the fame tables to be fet up before the Feaft of the Nativity next enfuing. And if any Registrar fhall fail to place the faid tables according to the tenor hereof, he fhall be fufpended from the execution of his office, until he caule the fame

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fame to be accordingly done: and the faid tables being once fet up, if he fhall at any time remove, or fuffer the fame to be removed, hidden, or any way hindered from fight, contrary to the true meaning of this Conftitution, he fhall for every fuch offence be fufpended from the exercife of his office for the fpace of fix months.

137. The whole Fees for fhewing Letters of Orders, and other Licences, due but once in every Bishop's time. FORASMUCH as the chief and principal cause and ufe

of Vifitation is, that the Bishop, Archdeacon, or other affigned to vifit, may get fome good knowledge of the ftate, fufficiency, and ability of the Clergy, and other perfons whom they are to vifit; we think it convenient, that every Parfon, Vicar, Curate, Schoolmafter, or other perfon licensed whofoever, do at the Bishop's firft Visitation, or at the next Vifitation after his admiflion, fhew and exhibit unto him his Letters of Orders, Inflitution, and Induction, and all other his Difpenfations, Licences, or Faculties whatfoever, to be by the faid Bishop either allowed, or (if there be juft caufe) difallowed and rejected; and being by him approved, to be, as the cuftom is, figned by the Regiftrar; and that the whole fees accuftomed to be paid in the Vifitations in refpect of the premifles, be paid only once in the whole time of every Bishop, and afterwards but half of the faid accustomed fees in every other Visitation, during the faid Bishop's continuance.

FO

Apparitors.

138. The Number of Apparitors reftrained.

ORASMUCH as we are defirous to redress such abuses and aggrievances as are faid to grow by Sommers or Apparitors, we think it meet that the multitude of Apparitors be (as much as is poffible) abridged or reftrained: wherefore we decree and ordain, That no Bishop or Archdeacon, or their Vicars, or Officials, or other inferior Ordinaries, fhall depute or have more Apparitors to ferve in their jurifdictions refpectively, than either they or their predeceffors were accufiomed to have thirty years before the publishing of thefe our prefent Conffitutions. All which Apparitors fhall by themfelves faithfully execute their offices; neither fhall they, by any colour or pretence whatfoever, caufe or fuffer their mandates to be executed by any Mellengers or Substitutes, unless it be upon fome good

good caufe to be firft known and approved by the Ordinary of the place. Moreover, they shall not take upon them the office of Promoters or Informers for the court, neither hall they exact more or greater fees than are in thefe our Conftitutions formerly prefcribed. And if either the number of the Apparitors deputed fhall exceed the aforefid limitation, or any of the faid Apparitors fhall offend in any of the premiffes; the perfons deputing them, if they be Bifhops, fhall, upon admonition of their fuperior, difcharge the perfons exceeding the number fo limited; if inferior Ordinaries, they fhall be fufpended from the execution of their office, until they have difmiffed the Apparitors by them fo deputed; and the parties themfelves fo deputed fhall for ever be removed from the office of Apparitors; and if, being fo removed, they defift not from the exercife of their faid offices, let them be punished by ecclefiaftical cenfures, as perfons contumacious. Provided, That if upon experience the number of the faid Apparitors be too great in any diocefe in the judgment of the Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being, they fhall by him be fo abridged, as he fhall think meet and convenient.

Authority of Synods.

139. A National Synod the Church Representative. HOSOEVER fhall hereafter affirm, That the facred Synod of this nation, in the name of Chrift and by the King's authority affembled, is not the true Church of England by reprefentation, let him be excommunicated, and not refiored, until he repent, and publicly revoke that his wicked error.

140. Synods conclude as well the abfent as the prefent. THOSOEVER fhall affirm, That no manner of perfon,

either of the Clergy or Laity, not being themfelves particularly affembled in the faid facred Synod, are to be fubject to the decrees thereof in caufes ecclefiaftical, (made and ratified by the King's Majefty's fupreme authority) as not having given their voices unto them, let him be excommunicated, and not reftored, until he repent, and publicly revoke that his wicked error.

W

141. Depravers of the Synod cenfured.

HOSOEVER fhall hereafter affirm, That the facred Synod, affembled as aforefaid, was a company of fuch perfons as did confpire together against godly and religious profeffors of the Gofpel; and that therefore both they and their proceedings in making of Canons and Conftitutions in caufes ecclefiaftical by the King's authority, as aforefaid, ought to be defpifed and contemned, the fame being ratified, confirmed, and enjoined by the faid regal power, fupremacy, and authority; let them be excommunicated, and not reftored, until they repent, and publicly revoke that their wicked error.

WE

E of our princely inclination and royal care for the maintenance of the prefent eflate and government of the Church of England, by the Laws of this our Realm now fettled and established, having diligently, with great contentment and comfort, read and confidered of all these their said Canons, Orders, Ordinances, and Conflitutions, agreed upon, as is before expressed; and finding the fame fuch as we are perfuaded will be very profitable, not only to our Clergy, bus to the whole Church of this our Kingdom, and to all the trus Members of it, if they be well obferved; have therefore for us, our Heirs, and lawful Succeffors, of our efpecial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, given, and by these prefents do give our royal affent, according to the form of the faid "Statute or Act of Parliament aforefaid, to all and every of the faid Canons, Orders, Ordinances, and Conflitutions, and to all and every thing in them contained, as they are before

gwritten.

And furthermore, we do not only by our faid Prerogative Royal, and fupreme Authority in Caufes Ecclefiaflical, ratify, confirm, and establish, by thefe our Letters Patent, the jaid Canons, Orders, Ordinances, and Conflitutions, and all and every thing in them contained, as is aforefaid; but do likewife propound, publish, and straightway enjoin and command by our faid Authority, and by thefe our Letters Patent, the fame to be diligently obferved, executed, and equally kept by all our loving Subjects of this our Kingdom, both within the Provinces of Canterbury and York, in all points wherein they do or may concern every or any of them, according to this our will and pleafure bereby fignified and expreffed; and that likewife, for the better obfervation of them, every Minifter, by what name or title foever he be called, shall in the Parifb

Church

Church or Chapel where he bath charge, read all the faid Canons, Orders, Ordinances, and Confiitutions, once every year, upon fome Sundays or Holy-days, in the Afternoon, before Divine Service, dividing the fame in fuch fort, as that the one half may be read one day, and the other another day: the Book of the faid Canons to be provided at the charge of the Parish, betwixt this and the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord God next enfuing: ftraitly charging and commanding all Archbishops, Bishops, and all other that exercife any Ecclefiaftical Jurifdiction within this Realm, every man in bis place, to fee, and procure (fo much as in them lieth) all and every of the fame Canons, Orders, Ordinances, and Conflitutions, to be in all points duly obferved; not sparing to execute the penalties in them feverally mentioned, upon any that shall wittingly or wilfully break or neglect to obferve the fame, as they tender the honour of God, the peace of the Church, the tranquillity of the Kingdom, and their duties and fervice to us their King and Sovereign.

In witnefs, &c.

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