Ecclesiastical Commissioners

“ As no ecclesiastical offence was too small for the Commissioners to deal with, and as their jurisdiction was not limited (like that of the ordinaries) to a district or a diocese, courts of High Commission may be called universal ordinaries. [170] Finally, if a person stood excommunicate over forty days, an ecclesiastical judge, on application to the diocesan, might procure against him out of Chancery the writ De excommunicato capiendo. ”

“ The lay commissioners are required to be “members of the Church of England, and to subscribe a declaration to that effect.” The crown also appoints two laymen as church estates commissioners, and the archbishop of Canterbury one. ”

“ Instead of the contemplated sets of Commissioners in each ecclesiastical Province, there was now to be one vast general Commission for all England, consisting of about 180 Lords and Commoners named (Cromwell, Vane, and everybody else of any note among them) ; which Commissioners, or any nine of them, should be a Court for judging of non-specified offences, after and in conjunction with the Congregational Elderships, with right of reference in certain cases to Justices of the Peace, and with the reserve of a final appeal from excommunicated persons to Parliament itself. ”

“ The clergy will all strike—as indeed some of them, the poor curates, might reasonably do—and pluralists will be demanding forty thousand a year instead of twenty; whilst bishops will hang up the mitre, stick the crosier over the chimney-piece, and hold out against the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for double incomes. In short, almost everybody will strike except the threshers, the smiths, and the pugilists. ”

“ In 1547 the zeal of the Protestant reformers induced the Government of Edward VI. to send Commissioners round the country to make inquiry in every parish and every church as to the ecclesiastical appointments used in ritual, with orders to suppress all that made for “idolatrous Popish practices.”
The Commissioners for this locality were all men of high standing in the county, as will be seen from their names. ”

“ There is less anxiety as to the particular Presbyterian communion to which the object of the Commissioners' choice may belong than that he shall prove himself to be a godly, large-hearted, and zealous minister of the Gospel, catholic in spirit, wise in counsel, prudent in conduct, firm of purpose but conciliatory in manner, and also willing to co-operate heartily with the ministers and laymen of other churches in promoting the religious, educational, and social welfare of the entire community. ”

“ First, That ane commissione be grantit be his Majestie to the Bischop of every Synod with such well affected noblemen and gentlemen as the Commissioners of the Generall Assemblie shall nominat, to apprehend traffiqueing Papists, Jesuites, and Seminarie Priests that does haunt within their bounds, with power to charge the receipters to make open dores and delyver them, under the paine of treasone. ”

“ It is extremely desirable that the choice of the Commissioners should fall upon one who will take particular interest in securing the hearts and the confidence of the youth of the congregation, and also of 'them that are without,' by his own good example, and by showing due regard to their special circumstances and needs in his pulpit and other ministrations. ”

“ At an early period of his ministry he was appointed by the general assembly to the discharge of important duties pertaining to the office of superintendent or visitor, and after 1597 he was one of the standing commission chosen by the church from among its more eminent clergy to confer with the king on ecclesiastical matters. ”

“ There may exist periodical assemblies of the clergy, to maintain order, under the authority of the State, but the civil power ought uniformly to direct their views and guide their deliberations. The periodical assembly of the clergy of France is only an assembly of regulative commissioners for all the clergy of the kingdom. ”

“ In 1589 also, when the kirk was in great dread of the schemes of the ‘jesuits, seminary priests, and other seducers of the people,’ he was appointed one of ten commissioners who were to meet weekly to consult as to measures for ‘the weal of the kirk in so dangerous a time’ (ib. v. 4) . ”

“ Self-evidently, Romanists construed this as an a priori endorsement of the Council and its resolutions. In the article "Of Ecclesiastical Ministers" we read: "And that all other ministers should be subject and obedient to the chief bishop [the Pope] and to other bishops who administer their episcopal office according to God's command, using the same for edification and not for destruction; which ministers should be ordained also by such bishops upon presentation by the patrons." This article conceded the primacy of the Pope and the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the bishops. ”

“ In regard to clerical offences, 3 & 4 Vict. c. 86 (the “Church Discipline Act”) creates new tribunals; and first a commission of inquiry appointed by the bishop of five persons, of whom the vicar-general, or an archdeacon, or a rural dean of the diocese must be one. If they report a prima facie case, the bishop may (with the consent of parties) proceed to sentence. In the absence of such consent, the bishop may hear the cause with three assessors, of whom one shall be a barrister of seven years’ standing and another the dean of the cathedral, or one of the archdeacons, or the chancellor. ”

“ An external commission, conveyed by Episcopal consecration or ordination, is considered necessary to constitute a lawful ministry; and it is therefore declared, by the Church, that “no man shall be accounted or taken to be a lawful [pg 029] Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, in this Church, or suffered to execute any of said functions,” unless he has “had Episcopal consecration or ordination;” and the power of ordaining, or setting apart to the ministry, and of laying on hands upon others, is vested in the Bishops. ”

“ In 1549 he was placed on the commission against anabaptists, and in 1551 he was appointed chancellor to Bishop Ridley of London and one of the six select preachers at Canterbury. On 22 Oct. in that year he was made a commissioner for the reformation of the ecclesiastical laws (Council Warrant Book in Royal MS. C. xxiv. f. 150) , the appointment being renewed in February 1551–2 (Lit. Remains of Edward VI, pp. 398–9) . ”

“ The baptismal service was repeatedly discussed. As to matter of form the Commissioners were disposed to be indulgent. They were generally willing to admit infants into the Church without sponsors and without the sign of the cross. But the majority, after much debate, steadily refused to soften down or explain away those words which, to all minds not sophisticated, appear to assert the regenerating virtue of the sacrament, 488
As to the surplice, the Commissioners determined to recommend that a large discretion should be left to the Bishops. ”

“ All cases of heresy are to be referred to the Holy Office; accordingly, no cognizance of such cases is to be taken by bishops or other ecclesiastical dignitaries. The commissary is warned to control his temper, to be careful and thorough in his investigations, and to report to the Holy Office any cases of disrespect or disobedience to his commands. Careful instructions are given for procedure in receiving denunciations against suspected persons, on which are placed various restrictions, as well as upon arrests made in consequence of such accusations. ”

“ The Consistorial Council, which has in the theory of ecclesiastical procedure a very imposing appearance, is in reality the bishop's chancellerie, and its members are little more than secretaries, whose chief object is to make themselves agreeable to their superior. And it must be confessed that, so long as they remain what they are, the less power they possess the better it will be for those who have the misfortune to be under their jurisdiction. ”

“ To the ninth, That no lay-person whatsoever meddle with the choosing of Commissioners from the Presbyteries, and no minister without his owne Presbyterie, we say, That according to the order of our Church discipline, none but Ministers, and Elders of Churches ought to have voice in choosing78 Commissioners from Presbyteries, and that no Minister, or Elder should have voice in Election, but in his owne Presbyterie. ”

“ In a cathedral of the Church of England “lay clerks” and “lay vicars” sing such portions of the service as may be performed by laymen and clergy in minor orders. “Lay readers” are persons who are granted a commission by the bishop to perform certain religious duties in a particular parish. The commission remains in force until it is revoked by the bishop or his successors, or till there is a new incumbent in the parish, when it has to be renewed. ”

“ To them belongs the sphere of presidency of government in the church. From these quorums, so far as the most suitable men can be found in them, are chosen men to act as bishops—where no literal descendant of Aaron can be found,—the bishops' counselors; presidents of stakes and their counselors; and also high counselors. When men more suitable for these positions are found in other quorums of the priesthood, then they are ordained high priests, and appointed to the presiding positions enumerated. In every stake there is a high priests' quorum, presided over by a president and two counselors. ”

“ They will state the matter thus to themselves: "Jesus Christ's own commission is the best external security I can have, that in receiving this bread and wine, I verily receive his Body and Blood. Either the Bishops have that commission, or there is no such thing in the world. For at least Bishops have it with as much evidence, as Presbyters without them. In proportion, then, to my Christian anxiety for keeping as near my Saviour as I can, I shall of course be very unwilling to separate myself from Episcopal communion. ”

“ By others it is flatly denied and opposed, as by divers that adhere too tenaciously to the Erastian and prelatical principles: who yet are willing to account the assistance of the ruling elder in matter of church government to be a very prudential way. But if mere prudence be counted once a sufficient foundation for a distinct kind of church officer, we shall open a door for invention of church officers at pleasure; then welcome commissioners and committee men, &c.; yea, then let us return to the vomit, and resume prelates, deans, archdeacons, chancellors, officials, &c., for church officers. ”

“ Meantime the affairs of the church now for a year occupied the principal share of Stair's attention. An attempt was made to effect a union between the presbyterian and episcopal clergy, and finally, after the king had agreed to dispense with putting the oath of allegiance to every clerical member of the assembly about to meet, the assembly in 1693 appointed a commission to receive episcopal ministers qualifying themselves in terms of the recent act of parliament, that is by subscribing the confession of faith and acknowledging presbyterian church government. ”

“ In all the government of the Church it should be observed that representatives of the clergy and representatives of the laity are co-ordinated under the presidency of the Bishops, and no Canon of the Church, either Diocesan or general, is carried without the consent of both clergy and laity and the sanction of the Bishop, or Bishops, as the case may be. ”

“ The objectors were heard by the archbishop of Canterbury and the other commissioners in chambers, the decision being that, in accordance with the judgment of the court of king’s bench above cited, the objections could not lawfully be received since they did not fall within the province of the commissioners. ”

“ In the mean time, the protestants, having assembled at Edinburgh, appointed commissioners to lay their representations before the convention of the nobility, and the council of the clergy.370 The commissioners gave in to the latter certain preliminary articles of reformation, in which they craved, that the religious service should be performed in the vulgar tongue; that such as were unfit for the pastoral office should be removed from their benefices ”

“ There is one somewhat minute point which may not be unworthy of notice. The commissioners are constantly referring to the fact that they can get no evidence, though they are sure that irregularities exist; and this is naturally pointed to by the advocates of the monks as showing the determination of the visitors to tind the evils which they were sent to seek. ”

“ And why may not the people's election and the king's commission serve to enable a layman to do it? For if commanding only be proper to the bishop or pastor, and executing be common to laymen, it is certain that the king may command all bishops and pastors to do their office work; and therefore he may command a layman to do that which a bishop may command him to do.
3. And is it not a contradiction to say that a man is a layman or of another order, who is authorized by a bishop to do a bishop's work or office? ”

“ The congregation of rites appoints commissaries, whom the pope delegates, to inform themselves of the virtues and miracles are the proposed. The commissaries usually are bishops, and the bishop of the diocese where the proposed is buried is usually one of them; but laymen are never employed. ”

“ The crown, having made choice of one of such persons, is empowered to present him by letters patent under the great seal to the metropolitan, requiring him to consecrate him to the same name, title, style and dignity of a bishop; and the person so consecrated is thereupon entitled to exercise, under a commission from the bishop who has nominated him, such authority and jurisdiction, within the diocese of such bishop, as shall be given to him by the commission, and no other. ”