Country to vifit and infpect a certain Number of Parishes, which originally was limited Exod. 18.24,25. to ten (I fuppofe in Imitation of Moses, * who appointed Rulers of Tens as well as of great Numbers) and these were called Deanries and the Perfons prefiding over them were called Archpriests or Rural Deans. The Authority given to thefe was not great, however fome Authority they had, and were fubject not only to the Bishop but to the Archdeacon too: And when the Bishop fent any Orders to his Archdeacon relating to his Clergy, the Archdeacon fent them to the feveral Rural Deans to be by them communicated to the other Parish Priefts. If a Clergy-man was accufed, it belonged to the Rural Dean to cite him into the Court: Or any other Perfon who became Obnoxious to the Spiritual Jurifdiction. For only Clergy-men were originally employed in the Spiritual Courts. I believe they had alfo Authority to admonish tho' not to cenfure any of their Brethren.

• Somner Antiq.

+ De Eccles. Minift. & Benef. lib. 1. c. 8.

*Now Rural Deans (to fpeak of them first of Cant. p. 175. in the general) are the fame with Archipresbyteri Vicani or Rurales, that is to fay, Country Archipresbyters or Archpriefts: And the name Archipresbyter is more used amongst the Canonifts than that of Decanus. There are, fays † Duarenus, two kinds of Archpriests, of whom fome are called Archpriefts of the City, and others of the Country. They are called Archpriests of the City, who perform their Office in the City, and in the great Church: Because the Bishop, by reason of Abfence perhaps, or of his own Bufinefs, cannot perfarm all Epifcopal Functions either alone or together with his Presbyters, but finds it neceffary to make a Partition of his Cares with them: It seemed more beneficial

beneficial to fet one of his Presbyters over the reft, who as to thofe matters which belong to the Presbyter's Office, might partly execute them himself, and partly preferibe to others what they fhould do, than to commit this Power in common to them all, that no Contention might arife amongst them by their having a common Right to this Adminiftration. And the Archpriests of the Country have no Power in the City, no Miniftry there, but are placed in the greatest and most frequented Villages. And to each of thefe, befides the Care of his own proper Church, is committed the Infpection and Obfervation of certain Churches and certain Presbyters, who dwell in the Country Parishes. And in the next Chapter this Author tells us, that he is verily perSwaded that thefe Rural Arrhpriests or Deans were inftituted upon the abolishing and antiquating the Chorepifcopi. In which Conjecture Sir Henry Spelman concurs with him, and fays, The Glofs. verb. Church not very long ago abolished the Function of Chorepile. the Corepifcopi, whofe very name by degrees is antiquated: But introduced in their stead Archpresbyters or Rural Deans, who are more obfequious to the Bishops, and content with a lower Degree of furifdiction.

There are then two kinds of Archpresbyters or Deans, the one of the City or Cathedral Church, the other of a Country District commonly called a Deanery. The former of these was head of the Chapter or College of Presbyters, of which I have already treated, and are of very great Antiquity: The latter I am to treat of at this time, which is not of fuch an ancient Original, because fixed Parish Priests, as I have fhewed, are much later than the College of Presbyters. For the first mention that I find made of thefe Rural Deans is in the

Year

7. P. 49.

(b) Ibid. p. 152.

(c) Can. 3.

(4) Du Pin. Vol. Year 877, when (a) Hincmarus Archbishop of Rheims fpeaks of 'em in an Order to his Archdeacons. And about the fame time (b) Riculphus Bishop of Soiffons in a Paftoral Letter orders thefe Deans to call Affemblies of their Clergy on the first Day of every Month, but forbids feasting at them; and enjoyns them to have Conferences about what concerns their Ministry, and the occafions of their Parishes. The first Council where I find them spoken of, is that of Clermont, A. D. 1095, (c) where it is Decreed, that the Deanries of Churches fhall be bestowed only on Priefts. Sir (d) Henry Spelman Verb. Decan. Ru- is of Opinion, that the Rural Dean is the Perfon meant in the (e) Laws of Edward the Confeffor under the Name of the Bishop's Dean. (f) Provinc. 1. 1. His Office as (f) Lindwood tells us, was but c. 1. verb. Decan, temporary, he having no Canonical Inftitution. But by a (g) Decree of Innocent the Third 1. 1. tit. 23. §. he cannot be appointed or remov'd by the BiSubfequenter. fhop alone, without the consent of the Arch(b) Decret. Greg, deacon. (b) I know not whether this confti

(d) Gloff. ad

ral. ad Epift.

(e) Cap. 31.

tit. de conftitu.

Rural.

(g) Dectet. Greg.

1. 1. tit. 23. 9. Subfequenter,

tution be receiv'd in this Kingdom or not; yet I have been told, that when Archbishop Sancroft would have Nominated Rural Deans, he was oppofed by his Archdeacon Parker.

Spelman in his Pofthumous Work of the ancient Government of England, tells us, that the Rural Dean, had a Power within his Deanry to cenfure the Breach of Church Peace, and to punish Incontinent and Infamous Livers, by Excommunication, Penance, &c. But if they had any fuch Power, I believe it must be by particular (1) Decret. Greg. Commiflion from the Bishop: For the (i) Decretal Ordains, That the Archpresbyters should refer all things to the Bishop, and not prefume to Alt without his Order. Whereby it appears,

T. 24. C. 4•

that

that their Power is not determin'd by the Canons, but is only fuch as it pleases the Bishop

quoniam Tabelli

to confer upon them: (k) Yet by the Confti- (k) Conftit. cum tution of Otho the Legate, they feem to have non folum, & had fome Jurifdiction, and a Power to Judge onum. and Enquire into fome Caufes, by Priviledge and Custom in this Realm. For which reafon they are requir'd to have an Authentical Seal. They alfo us'd to Collect the Taxes impos'd on the Clergy in Convocation, and to certifie the Collection thereof, under the Seal of their Office, as Thorn informs us. But now their Decem. Script. Authority and Ufe is almost wholly loft. P. 2160. There are but few Dioceffes in England, which have any, and in those they are but Annual, and Chofen by the Clergy at their Visitations; and their Business is nothing else but to make an Entertainment for their Brethren. In fome Places the Bishop gives them an Oath, and a Licence or Commiffion, to be Informers, and nothing more, which renders the Office odious and contemptible, I think to the great prejudice of the Church, which by this means lofes a very useful, not to fay neceffary Officer, to preserve and maintain its Difcipline.

Indeed I cannot but think it would do well, if my Lords the Bishops thought fit to divide their Burthens: If they would but appoint any Archpresbyter in every Deanry (for all our Dioceffes are divided into fuch) they might leffen their Care by it, and the whole Church of England might be the better for it. Would they Čonstitute fome Grave Divine in every Division, to be a Rural Dean, not for a Year, but quamdiu fe bene gefferit, he might visit all the Churches, and Parfonage, and Vi

carage

carage-Houfes in his Deanry once a Year,(which a Bishop and Archdeacon cannot do in many) and obferve in what Repair they are kept, and where he finds any thing amifs, give Orders to have it Rectified; and if it be not done in fome reasonable time, then have Power to impofe fome light Cenfure on the Offenders; and if that prove infufficient, then acquaint the Superior Ordinary with it, that further Care may be taken: Whereas this Matter being left now altogether to the Minister and Churchwardens, they favour one another, and by this means many Churches are ready to fall down, and the Parfonage, and Vicarage-Houfes become exceedingly Dilapidated, and the Parfon or Vicar dying Infolvent, the next Incumbent gets a View of the House, proves himself not to be the Dilapidatour; this is Enter'd upon Record in the Spiritual Court, and then the House drops down, and no body is oblig'd to Build it again. This Dean might be Impower'd to admonish any of his Clergy which live Disorderly, firft by himself alone, and then, in the prefence of Two or Three of his Brethren, and then if there be no amendment after the third Admonition, to fufpend him ab Officio, for a Month, and if that prove ineffectual, then to acquaint the Bishop or Archdeacon with the Matter, that fome further Courfe may be taken. He might alfo have Power to call the Clergy of his Deanry, once a Quarter to a Vifitation, where after a Sermon Preach'd, they fhould confer of what concerns their Ministry, and the Occafions of their Parishes. And he might likewise be the Perfon to be Confulted with, when any one of Riper Years is to be Baptized. Thus would

the