of the Church of England may press their demands in person, as speakers and voters; they constitute at least a portion of our great deliberative assemblies; and if they learn to act together, perhaps no despicable portion.

With these advantages then, with these great and legal means of resistance, the laity of the Church of England are indeed responsible for their submission. Truly great is the praise due to them, if their silence is the result of thought and conscientious forbearance, and not less their guilt if it result from negligence or apathy.

But to go on to particulars. The basis on which the present system of appointment rests, and on the removal of which it must fall to the ground, is the following Act of Parliament. The laity of the Church of England are earnestly requested to peruse it, and with attention; making up their minds, each person for himself, whether he, as an individual, can acquiesce in it conscientiously,whether he can with a safe conscience intrust to the king his own voice in the nomination of his spiritual rulers, in the way in which, by tolerating that act, he does intrust it.

“A. D. 1533. 25 Hen. VIII. cap. 201.

"An Act entituled 'An Act... of the Electing and Consecrating of Archbishops and Bishops within this realm.' "Clause IV. And furthermore be it ordained and established by the authority aforesaid, that at every P. 107.

1 Cf. Gibson's Codex, vol. 1.

avoidance of any archbishopric or bishopric within this realm, or in any other of the King's dominions, the King, our Sovereign Lord, his heirs and successors, may grant to the Prior and Convent', or to the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral churches or monasteries where the see of such archbishopric or bishopric shall happen to be void, a Licence under the Great Seal, as of old time hath been accustomed, to proceed to the election of an Archbishop or Bishop of the see so being void, with a letter missive, containing the name of the person which they shall elect and choose: by virtue of which licence the said Dean and Chapter, or Prior and Convent, to whom such licence and letter missive shall be directed, shall with all speed and celerity, in due form elect and choose the said person named in the said letter missive, to the dignity and office of the Archbishopric or Bishopric so being void, and none other.

"And if they do defer or delay their election above twelve days next after such licence and letter missive to them delivered, that then for every such default the King's Highness, his heirs and success

1 Anciently, the elections of Bishops, in the case of the following sees, resided in the Prior and Monks of convents attached to the Cathedrals; and the elected Bishop was Abbot:Canterbury, Rochester, Winchester, Ely, Norwich, Worcester, Durham. The Bishop of Bath and Wells was elected, alternately, by the Monks of Bath and the Canons of Wells: so, too, the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, alternately, by the Canons of Lichfield and the Monks of Coventry.

ors, at their liberty and pleasure, shall nominate and present, under the Great Seal, such a person to the said office and dignity so being void, as they shall think able and convenient for the same.

"And that every such nomination and presentment to be made by the King's Highness, his heirs, or successors, if it be to the office and dignity of a Bishop, shall be made to the Archbishop and Metropolitan of the province where the see of the same Bishopric is void, if the see of the said Archbishopric be then full and not void; and if it be void, then to be made to such Archbishop or Metropolitan within this realm, or in any of the King's dominions, as shall please the King's Highness, his heirs, or successors. And if such nomination and presentment shall happen to be made for the default of such election to the dignity and office of any Archbishop, then the King's Highness, his heirs, and successors, by his Letters Patent, under his Great Seal, shall nominate and present such persons as they will dispose to have, the office and dignity of Archbishop being void, to one of such Archbishops, and two such Bishops, or else to four such Bishops in this realm, or in any of the King's dominions, as shall be assigned by our said Sovereign Lord, his heirs and successors.

"V. And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that whensoever any such nomination and presentment shall be made by the King's Highness, his heirs, or successors, by virtue and authority of this Act, and according to the tenor of the same, that

then every Archbishop and Bishop to whose hand such nomination and presentment shall be directed, shall, with all speed and celerity, invest and consecrate the person nominated and presented by the King's Highness, his heirs, or successors, to the office and dignity that such person shall be presented unto, and give and use to him Pall, and all other benedictions, ceremonies, and things requisite for the same, without suing, procuring, or obtaining hereafter any Bulls or other things at the see of Rome, for any such office or dignity in that behalf.

“And if the said Dean and Chapter, or Prior and Convent, after such licence and letters missive to them directed, within the said twelve days do elect and choose the said person mentioned in the said letters missive, according to the request of the King's Highness, his heirs, or successors, thereof to be made by the said letters missive in that behalf, then their election shall stand good and effectual to all intents; and that the person so elected, after certification being made of the same election under the common and convent seal of the electors to the King's Highness, his heirs, or successors, shall be reputed and taken by the name of the Lord elected of the said dignity and office that he shall be elected unto; and then making such oath and fealty duly to the King's Majesty, his heirs, or successors, as shall be appointed for the same, the King's Highness, by his Letters Patent, under the Great Seal, shall signify the said election, if it be to the dignity of a Bishop, to the Archbishop and

Metropolitan of the province where the see of the said Bishopric was void, if the see of the said Archbishopric be full, and not void: and if it be void, then to any other Archbishop or Metropolitan within this realm, or any other of the King's dominions, as shall please the King's Highness, his heirs, or successors; requiring and commanding such Archbishop to whom any such signification shall be made, to confirm the said election, and to invest and consecrate the said person so elected to the office and dignity that he is elected unto, and to give and use to him Pall, and all other benedictions, ceremonies, and things requisite for the same, without suing, procuring, or obtaining hereafter any Bulls or other things at the see of Rome, for any such office or dignity in that behalf. And if the person be elected to the dignity and office of an Archbishop according to the tenor of this Act, then, after such election certified to the King's Highness, in the form aforesaid, the said person so elected to the office and dignity of an Archbishop, shall be reputed and taken Lord elect to the said office and dignity of an Archbishop whereunto he shall be so elected. And then after he hath made such oath and fealty to the King's Majesty, his heirs, or successors, as shall be limited for the same, the King's Highness, by his Letters Patent, under his Great Seal, shall signify the said election to one Archbishop and two other Bishops, or else to four Bishops within this realm, or in any of the King's dominions, as shall be assigned by our Sovereign