PREFACE. THE last edition of Dr. Burn's "Ecclesiastical Law" was edited by me in 1842. Since that period many and important alterations have been made in that law. The present Treatise incorporates considerable portions of Dr. Burn's Work, but it is framed upon a totally different model, and, while it contains a very large portion of entirely new matter, omits those subjects over which the Ecclesiastical Courts have ceased to exercise jurisdiction. The dictionary form adopted by Dr. Burn, however superficially convenient, appears to me fatal to any attempt to produce the law in the form of a system arranged according to the principles of science. No philosophical connection of parts,-no historical and legal development of principles is consistent with the alphabetical form; while the writer is compelled to resort to the imperfect, clumsy and wearisome makeshift of continual reference from one subject to another under different letters of the alphabet. I have endeavoured in this Work to state the Ecclesiastical Law of that great branch of the Catholic Church, called the English Church, accurately; and to show at the same time that it is, with many imperfections-arising in great measure from the hasty and crude legislation of modern times-capable of being reduced to a system. I hope that this attempt may be at least so far successful, as to promote a more continuous and scientific study of Ecclesiastical Jurisprudence than has for a very long period of time been prevalent in this country. ROBERT PHILLIMORE. THE SOURCES OF THE LAW OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND |