funds amiss. It is his duty to examine candidates for the ministry. This part of his duty, however, generally devolves on the bishop's chaplains.

The rectors and vicars of parishes are the next to be considered. The rectors are those who have the whole emoluments of the livings without any deductions. On the other hand, the vicars are such as whose livings were either subject to cathedrals, or to religious convents. Many of both are presented by the king, and others by the lords of manors. By the constitution of the church of England, no clergyman, who is an incumbent, and has the tythes, is obliged to preach more than one sermon on Sunday; Lut prayers are to be read in the afternoon. This was the reason why a new order of the clergy took place about the latter end of the reign of queen Elizabeth, and these were called Lecturers. They were at that time mostly composed of Puritan ministers, who scrupled to read the prayers, on account of the ceremonies. They were men of sour tempers, full of austerity, excessively proud, and continually abusing such of the bishops as were fond of ceremonies. Their followers were among the lower orders of the people, over whom they exercised an unlimited power. Many of the ladies, however, were their adherents, and the noblemen, disaffected to government, took them into their families, as tutors to their children.

When Dr. Laud was advanced to the see of Canterbury, he resolved to change many things in the Protestant church of England, and he began with putting an end to the lectureships. Nothing could have been more iniquitous, for the people paid for the lecturer, who was not provided for them by law.

At the restoration, 1660, lectureships were restored, and they have continued on the same footing ever since. And here it is necessary to observe, that as these lecturers are paid by the people of the parish, so their choice or election falls on the housekeepers in general. They have no right to demand any thing; but we hope there are few men of piety, whether churchmen or Dissenters, who will refuse them so small a pittance,-especially as they discharge their duty, trusting in the benevolence of the parish.

There is one complaint frequently made by the parishioners against the ministers of their parishes, and that is, that although they pay their lecturers, yet the incumbent can at any time refuse him the pulpit. That the incumbent has a right to do so by law, cannot be disputed; but it has been considered as extremely hard, by several well-meaning pious men, that as the law has made no provision for

It is undoubtedly the duty of the rector of every parish to deny his pulpit to a man of a scandalous life, whose character has been blackened by the most enormous crimes; but we really believe the people seldom, if ever, chuse such persons, but quite the reverse. Some small difference in sentiment should not induce the minister of a parish to disoblige his people; for in such cases he will but little esteemed by them; and if preachers are not esteemed, their public ministrations will have but little effect on the hearers. We cannot comprehend every thing, but in all religious disputes, we ought to take care that the people may not be confused in their notions, because confusion in these matters generally leads them to Deism.

The last order of the clergy, and such as have no benefices annexed to their titles, are the chaplains, and these by statute, 21 Henry VIII. are to be kept by particular persons. The act, however, contracts the number in the following manner :—An archbishop is allowed to have eight; a duke, six; a dutchess, two, besides the six her husband has, and she has a right to retain two after she is a widow, and although she should marry again; a marquis is allowed, five; and an earl the same number; the lord Almoner, two; a viscount, four; a baron, three; the widows of viscounts and barons two each; a bishop, three; the chancellor, six; chief justice, one; clerk of the closet, two; master of the rolls, two; comptroller of the household, two; dean of the chapel, two; a knight of the garter, three; secretary of state, two; treasurer of the household, two; and the wardens of the cinque ports, one. By 25 of Henry VIII. every judge of the king's-bench, and common-pleas, the chief baron of the exchequer, the king's attorney, and solicitor-general, is permitted to retain one chaplain, who shall be attendant on his person, and may have one benefice without being resident on it. And by 'statute 33 of the same king, the groom of the stole, the treasurer of the king's chamber, and the chancellor of the dutchy, are allowed to retain one chaplain each.

Before we conclude this account of the church of England, it is necessary we should say a few words concerning the convocation; for altho' that court has never been permitted to do any business during the last sixty years, yet it still meets on the second day of every session of parliament. It is an assembly of the clergy of England, by their representatives, to consult of ecclesiastical matters, and con

sists, like parliament, of an upper and lower house. In the upper-house, all the archbishops and bishops sit, and in the lower, the inferior clergy, who are represented by their proctors; consisting of all the deans and archdeacons, of one proctor for every chapter, and two for the clergy of every diocese, in all one hundred and forty three divines, viz. Twenty-two deans, fifty-three archdeacons, twenty four prebends, and forty-four proctors of the diocesian clergy. The lower house chuses its prolocutor or speaker, and presents him to the archbishops and bishops of the upper house. His business is to take care that the members attend, to collect their debates and votes, and to carry their resolutions to the upper house.

The lower house of convocation was formerly called together by two distinct writs. The first was the parliamentary, or king's writ, to the bishops of every diocese, summoning them to parliament, with a clause in it, requiring each chapter to send one of their body, and the clergy of each diocese two proctors, to represent them in parliament; and whence some have been of opinion, that the clergy sat, together with the laity, in parliament, till the reign of Henry VIII. when they fell under a præmunire, by submitting to Cardinal Wolsey's legatine power, and forfeited their seats there. It is certain, the lower house of convocation, in the next reign, apprehended they had a right to sit in parliament, and therefore petitioned the upper house, to intercede with the king and protector, that they might be restored to the same. This was again attempted in the latter end of queen Elizabeth's reign, and in that of king James I.; but still with

out success.

The second writ, by which the clergy were assembled together, was called the provincial writ. By the first writ, they were a mere state convention, and not a church synod; and the intent of their meeting was, to consult about their civil rights, and to grant a portion of their estates towards the support of the government. But, the clergy not looking upon themselves as obliged to obey this lay summons, archbishop Winchelsea prevailed with king Edward II. to discharge them from it: and from that time, when the king issued his parliamentary writ to the bishops, he sent another to the archbishop, to summon all his provincial bishops to the convocation. This second writ was to secure their obedience to the former, and to make the assembly more canonical, as meeting by virtue of a summons from their archbishop. This writ is now ordered by the lord chancellor, and transmitted by him to the archbishop of Canterbury, who issues thiereupon

his mandate to the bishop of London, as dean of his province.

The clergy, assembled in convocation, had the power of giving away their own money, and taxing themselves; a power, which they continued to exercise from the reformation till the 15th year of Charles II; from which time they receded from that customary right, and were for that reason discharged from two of the four subsidies given by themselves,, and then in arrear: and it was for this reason, that from the time before-mentioned. the rectors and vicars, who were to be taxed for their spiritual preferments, were allowed to vote in elections for knights of the shire, that they might still be virtually taxed by themselves.

The power of the convocation is limited by a statute of king Henry VIII. They are not to make any canons or ecclesiastical laws without the king's licence, nor, when permitted to make any, can they put them in execution, but under these restrictions.

1. Such canons must not be contrary to the king's prerogative.

2. They must not contradict any statute, or the common law.

3. Nor must they alter any known custom of the realm.

They have the examining and censuring all heretical and schismatical books, persons, &c. but there lies an appeal to the king in chancery, or to his delegates. The clergy in convocation, and their, servants, have the same privileges as members of parliament.

The reason why the convocation is not permitted to sit, was originally owing to the unhappy disputes that began after the revolution, between the highchurch party and those who favoured moderation. In the latter end of queen Anne's reign, these disputes were not only carried on with an unbecoming heat, but some of ths disputants went almost stark mad. Mr. Dodwell wrote a book, to prove that the human soul is mortal but becomes immortal by baptism; so as the ceremony is performed by those ministers, who have received episcopal ordination. This book was levelled against the Dissenters, but it was answered by the churchmen, Dr. Atterbury attempted to prove that the convocation had a power equal to that of the parliament, but he was learnedly answered by Nicholson, bishop of Carlisle.. And. Dr. Sacheverell did not content himself with giving all the Dissenters to the devil, he actually called. all those of his own brethren hypocrites, who were not equally violent with himself. The whole nation was in a flame, the people were driven to a

state

However, they may, at the same time, enjoy sinecures in cathedrals.

The holding pluralities of livings has been much complained of, as inconsistent with the institution of the Christian church, and much has been written on the subject by Dr. Newton on the one hand, and Mr. Wharton on the other. It is certain, that it was not known till the middle ages of Christianity. England is the only Protestant country where it is permitted, and non-residence has been a continual bone of contention. The late Bp. Burnet, in his charge to the clergy of the diocese of Salisbury, mentioned an expression made use of by one of the ancient fathers, when a young man came to be ordained, and who wanted to hold two livings; the good bishop asked him how he was to discharge the duty of both? He answered, he would do the duty of one himself, and the other could be done by a substitute. "Yes, answered the bishop, you may get the duty done by a substitute, but you will be damned in person.' This had such an effect on Mr. Kelsey, a pious clergyman, that he gave up one of the two livings he enjoyed, and Dr. Burnet had so much regard for him on that account, that he made him his archdeacon, in order to set an example to the rest of his brethren.

In all these matters of dispute, we shall not concern ourselves; because where there is such a general toleration as we enjoy, there can be but little room to complain. There is not a Protestant church in the world, but what will own its imperfections.

If this was not the case, then we might, like the Roman catholics, pretend to the belief of infallibility, a notion which we utterly disclaim.

Upon the whole, no Protestant church has produced greater scholars, better writers, or more pious Christians, than that of England; and where the means of grace are to be found, it is our fault if we do not use them in a proper manner. However the rigour of the ecclesiatical law may appear to some, yet the innocent need not be afraid of it; and as for non-residents in parishes, if they are culpable of a fault, the people are no losers in general thereby, because they generally find substitutes or curates to perform the duty for the hearers. Thus, where there is no loss there should be no complaint, and this should reconcile us all to those circumstances, which sometimes create diversity of opinions. The members of the church of England live in peace with those who differ from them in religious sentiments, leaving every man to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. They are not led away by those prejudices, which took place in former times; they consider their protestant brethren travelling to heaven as well as themselves, and therefore they are much to be honoured. Long may true religion flourish among them ::-may their ministers become an ornament to their profession, and the people an honour to the gospel; and to use the words of the apostle, "Let every one who nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

His father, from the beginning, designed him for the study of divinity, which he judged him to be much inclined to, being religiously addicted from his childhood. He procured a benefice of the bishop for him, in Soissons, in which place John, before his ordination, preached divers sermons to the people. But this purpose of his was afterwards altered; for his father, seeing the study of the law was the surer step to riches and honour, altered his mind, and his son, growing into acquaintance with a cercain kinsman of his, was by him instructed in the true religion, whereupon he applied himself to the study of the sacred scriptures, and began to abominate the superstitious services in the Popish church.

Whilst he was employed in these studies, he neglected not that of divinity, so that he preached divers sermons in a neighbouring town. But whilst he was thus busied, news came to him of his father's death, which called him back into his own country. Having settled his affairs there, he went to Paris, being now about twenty-four years old. After a few months stay at Paris, he grew acquainted with all that professed the reformed religion; and among the rest, with Stephen Forgeus, a famous merchant, who afterwards sealed the truth with his blood.

From henceforward, at the earnest request of all those that held their private meetings in Paris, he laid aside all other studies, and wholly applied himself to that of divinity. At this time Nicholas Cope was rector of the university at Paris; who, being to make an oration on All-saints day, at the instigation of John Calvin, spake of religion more purely and clearly than he used to do. This the parliament of Paris was angry at, insomuch that they cited him before them; but, as he went, some of his friends advised him to take heed of his adversaries; whereupon he returned home, and immediately after left France and went to Basil.

The officers, sent by the parliament, searching for Cope, went into Calvin's house, who, by chance, not being at home, they ransacked his study, and amongst his papers, found many of his friends' letters, which had like to have endangered the lives of many. But it pleased God to divert that storm, by the prudent and pious diligence of the queen of Navarre, the only sister of king Francis, a woman of admirable wit, and exceedingly tender of the professors of the reformed religion. She also sent for Mr. Calvin to her court, used him very hospitably, and heard him gladly. But Mr. Calvin finding Påris too hot for his abode, went to Xantonge, where, he sojourning with a friend, at his request, drew up

short admonitions, which were dispersed amongst certain priests, to be taught to their people, that so they might, by little and little, be drawn to search out the truth.

About the same time, observing that there were many in France that knew, and were convinced of the truth, and yet indulged themselves as if it were enough that they reserved their hearts for Christ, though they were present at the Popish services, he published two elegant epistles: one, to exhort the flying idolatry; the other, on the Popish priesthood. But whilst he (Calvin) was thus employed, he met with grievous seditions at home.

The gospel indeed was entertained, and Popery abjured in Geneva; but many were not reformed from the profane and scandalous courses which they had learned of the Popish clergy; and the ancient feuds amongst the chief families were not yet laid aside. These, at first, were gently admonished, and, when that prevailed not, more sharply reprehended; and, when yet they continued stubborn, and the city, by the factions of private persons, was divided into parties, Farrel, Calvin, and Carodus, openly professed that they could by no means administer the Lord's supper to persons who were at such enmity amongst themselves

Upon this occasion, the Syndics which were chosen for that year at Geneva, who, for the time, are the chief magistrates, assembling, the captains of the seditious persons so far prevailed, that these three worthy servants of Christ were commanded, within two days, to depart the city. When this decree was brought to Calvin, he said, "Truely, if I had served men, I should have had but an ill reward; but it is well-that I have served him who doth always perform to his servants what he hath once promised."

Calvin went to Basil, and thence to Strasbourg; where, by desire of the senate, he was made professor of divinity, which place he discharged with great applause of learned men; and by the consent of the senate, planted the French church there, and settled discipline in it. Calvin settled in another place, and a new church was erected.

At this time, cardinal Sadolet, a man of great eloquence, seeing the flock deprived of such able and vigilant shepherds, thought it fit time to ensnare them; for which end he wrote letters, directed to his dear friends, as he called them, the senate, council, and people of Geneva, in which he omitted no arguments, whereby he might persuade them to return into the bosom of the Romish church. There was no man in Geneva that would undertake to answer him; so that probably these letters would have

done