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My very Good LORD,

H

AVING, by fome Tears Experi ence, found the great Usefulness and Efficacy of a ftri&t Obfervance of certain Articles founded on the Ecclefiaftical Laws and Customs of the Realm now in Force, which were agreed on above ten Years fince, by the Archbishop and Bishops of the Province of Canterbury, in order to prevent, as much as in them lay, the Admiffion of unworthy Perfons into the facred Miniftry of the Church; the Allowance of any to ferve as Curates, but fuch as fhould appear to be duly qualified for that Employment and the Non-Refidence of fuch of them as officiate for abfent Minifters, and alfo to af certain a fufficient Recompence for their Labours to all those who shall be fo allowed to ferve: I could not but think it my Duty, to propofe it, as my Opinion, to our Brethren, my Lords the Bifhops of our Province, met together in this Seffion of Parliament, That as an Uniformity of Dif cipline cannot but very much conduce to the HoD

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nour of God, and the Edification and Well-being of his Church committed to our Charge; it might not be improper for us alfo to come to the like Refolutions, and to cause them to be diftributed and obferv'd throughout our feveral Diocefes reSpectively. And being hereupon so happy as to meet with the unanimous Concurrence of thofe my Brethren, in the Propofition, I do now most earnestly recommend to you ;

Article 1. T who defires to be admitted to Holy
The to
HAT you require of every Perfon

Orders, that he fignify to you his Name, and Place of Abode, and tranfmit to you his Teftimonial, and a Certificate of his Age duly attefted, with the Title upon which he is to be Ordained, at least Twenty Days before the Time of Ordination, and that he appear on Wednesday, or at fartheft on Thursday in Ember-week, or the Week before any fuch Sunday or Holiday as may, on urgent Occafion, be appointed for Ordination, in order to his Examination.

Article II. That if you fhall reject any Perfon who applies for Holy Orders, upon the Account of Immorality prov'd againft him, you fignify the Name of the Perfon fo rejected, with the Reafon of your rejecting him, to me, within one Month, that fo I may acquaint the reft of my Suffragans with the Cafe of fuch rejected Perfon before the next Ordi

nation.

Article III. That you admit not any Perfon to Holy Orders, who having refided any confiderable Time out of the Univerfity, does not fend to you, with his Testimonial, a Certificate figned by the Minifter, and other credible Inhabitants of the Parith where he fo refided, expreffing that Notice was given in

the

the Church, in Time of Divine Service, on fome Sunday at leaft a Month before the Day of Ordination, of his Intention to offer himself to be Ordained at fuch a Time; to the end, that any Perfon who knows any Impediment, or notable Crime, for the which he ought not to be Ordained, may have Opportunity to make his Objections against him.

Article IV. That you admit no Letters Teftimonial on any Occafion whatfoever, unless the Date of them be exprefs'd in the Body of the Inftrument, and that in Words at Length, and not in Figures, nor unlefs it be therein exprefs'd for what particular End and Defign fuch Letters are granted, nor unlefs it be declared by those who fhall Sign them, that they have Perfonally known the Life and Behaviour of the Perfon for the Time by them certified, and do believe in their Confcience, that he is qualified for that Order, Office, or Employment, to which he defires to be admitted.

Article V. That in all Teftimonials fent from any College or Hall in either of the Univerfities, you expect that they be Signed, as well as Sealed; and that among the Perfons Signing, the Governour of fuch College or Hall, or, in his abfence, the next Perfon under fuch Governour, with the Dean or Reader of Divinity, and the Tutor of the Perfon to whom the Teftimonial is granted, (fuch Tutor being in the College, and fuch Perfon being under the Degree of Master of Arts,) do fubfcribe their Names.

Article VI. That you admit not any Perfon to Holy Orders upon Letters Dimiffory, unless they are granted by the Bishop himself, or Guardian of the Spiritualities fede Vacante; nor unless it be exprefs'd in fuch Letters, that he who grants them, has fully fatisfied himself of the Title and Converfation of the Perfon to whom the Letter is granted.

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Article VII. That you make diligent Enquiry conterning Curates in your Diocese, and proceed to Ecclefiaftical Cenfures againft thofe, who fhall prefume to ferve Cures without being firft duly Licens'd thereunto; as alfo against all fuch Incumbents who shall receive and employ them, without firft obtaining fuch Licence.

Article VIII. That you do not by any Means admit of any Minifter, who removes from another Diocefe, to ferve as a Curate in your's, without Teftimony of the Bishop of that Diocefe, or Ordinary of the peculiar Jurifdiction, from whence he comes, in Writing, of his Honefty, Ability, and Conformity to the Ecclefiaftical Laws of the Church of England.

Article IX. That you do not allow any Minifter to ferve more than one Church or Chapel in one Day, except that Chapel be a Member of the Patifh-Church, or united thereunto; and unless the faid Church or Chapel, where fuch Minifter fhall ferve in two Places, be not able in your Judgment to maintain a Curate.

Article X. That in the Inftrument of Licence granted to any Curate, you appoint him a fufficient Salary, according to the Power vefted in you by the Laws of the Church, and the particular Direction of a late Act of Parliament, for the better Maintenance of Curates.

Article XI. That in Licences to be granted to Perfons to ferve any Cure, you caufe to be inferted, after the mention of the particular Cure provided for by fuch Licence, a Claufe to this Effect,

Or in any other Parish within the Diocefe, to which fuch Curate fhall remove, with the Confent of the Bishop.

Article XII. That you take Care, as much as is poffible, that whofoever is admitted to ferve any Cure; do refide in the Parish where he is to ferve, eSpecially

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