B 1 S 



peftire dignitici, the bifliops and abbots werf allowed their 

 feats in the houfe of lords. But though thefe lords fpiri- 

 tual are, in tiie eye of the law, a dillinft cllate from the 

 lords temporal, and are fo diftinguiflied in mod of our ads 

 of parliament, yet in praftice they are ufurJly blended toge- 

 ther under one name of " the lords ;" they intermix in their 

 votes ; and the majority of fuch intermixture joins both 

 ef\ates. And from this want of a feparat^ aflerr.bly, and le- 

 paratc negative of the prelate;, fome writers have argued 

 very cogently, that the lords fpiritual and temporal are now 

 in reality only one cflate ; which is unqueilionably true in 

 every effcftual fenfc, though the ancient dillindion between 

 them ftill nominally continues. For if a bill (liould pals 

 their houfe, there is no doubt of its vahdity, though every 

 lord fpiritual flio'.ild vote againft it, of which Selden and 

 fir Edward Coke give many inftances ; as, on the other 

 hand, judge Biaclillone prcfumes it would be equally good, 

 if the lords temporal pnfent were inferior to the bifhops in 

 number, and every one of thofe temporal lords gave his vote 

 to rejcft the hill ; though fir Edward Coke feems to doubt, 

 whether this would not be an " ordinance," rather than an 

 •' aft," of parliament. Bl. Com. vol.i. 156. Bifliops have 

 the precedence of all other barons, and fit in the upper houfe 

 as barons. Tliey are twenty-four in number, exclufive of 

 the billiop of Sodor and Man, who has no feat in the houfe 

 of peers, befides two arcbbifliops. Archbifhops are dillin- 

 guifhcd by the titles of " Grace," and " Mod reverend fa- 

 tiicr in God by divine Providence ;" and bilhops, by thofe 

 of " Lord," and " Right reverend father in God by divine 

 permifiion." The former are faid to be " inthroncd," and 

 the latter " inftalled." See Archbishop. 



With refpcft to the order of precedency among one ano- 

 ther, the arclibifliop of Canterbury takes the lead, then the 

 archbifliop of York, next to him the bifhops of London, of 

 Durham, and of Winchefter. The other bifhops follow ac- 

 cording to tlie ftniority of their confccration ; excepting 

 only, that a bilhop being a privy counfellor, takes place after 

 the biihop of Durham. 



Bifhops have two fpecial privileges next to regal : the 

 firft, tliat in their courts they fit, and pafs fentence, of 

 themfelves, and by their own authority ; the bifhops' cnuits 

 bti"'' not like other courts, but writs are fent out in their 

 owu name, tejie the bifhop, not in the king's name, as is 

 done in the king's courts : the fecond, that, like the king, 

 they can depute their authority to another, as their fufTra- 

 gar, chancellor, commiflary, &c. 



Tiiey have this advantage alfo over lay-lords, that, in 

 ■whatever Chrillian country they are, their tpifcopal degree 

 and dignity are acknowledged ; and they may, quatenus \i\- 

 fhop":, ordain, Sec. 



They have feveral immunities, as from arreds, outlawrie?, 

 diftrefs, &c. liberty to hunt in the king's forefts -Sec. to 

 have ctrta'in Ivni of 'u.ine duty free, &c. Their perfons tray 

 rot be feized, as lay-peers may, upon contempt, but their 

 temporalities alone. 1 hey may qualify as many chaplains 

 as a duke, viz. fix. But, as they have no right to be tried 

 themfelves in the court of the lord high lie ward, as peers, they 

 ought not to be judges there. For, though they are lords 

 of parliament, and fit tiiere by virtue of the baronies, which 

 they hold " jure ecclefii;," yet they are not ennobled in 

 blood, and co:ifequtntIy not peers with the nobility, but 

 merely lords of parliament. 3 L.lt. 30, 31. Staunf.' P. C. 

 153. Li cafes of capital offence, the bilhops ufually with- 

 draw voiuntarily, but enter a pioteft, declaring their right to 

 ftay. It is obfervable, that in the nth chapter of the 

 conftitutions of Clarendon, made in parliament 1 1 Henry IL 

 ihey are exprcfsly excufcd, rather than excluded, from Ct- 



B I S 



ting or voting in trials, when they come to concern life or 

 limb. The determination of the houfe of lords in the earl 

 ofDanby'scafe, (Lords' Journ. 15 May, 1679), which hath 

 ever fincc been adhered to, is confonarit to thefe conftitu- 

 tions, «• that the lords fpiritual have a right to ilay and fit iis 

 court in capital cafes, till the court proceeds to the vote of 

 guilty, or not." This refoiiition, however, extends only 

 to trials in full parliament ; for to the court of the lord high 

 fteward, in which no vote can be given, but merely that of 

 guilty, or not guilty, no bifhop, as Tuch, ever wa? or could 

 be fu'mmoned : and' though the (latute of king William r£- 

 gulates the proceedings in that court, as well as in the court 

 of parliament, yet it never intended to new-model or alter 

 its conlUtution, and confequently does noc give the lords 

 fpiritual any right in cafes of blood which they had not be- 

 fore ; and their exclufion is more reafonable, becaufe having 

 no right to be tried in this court, as we have aheady faid, 

 they ought not to be judges there. 



By law, the crime of epifcopicide, which a clergyman com- 

 mits by killing his biiliop, is petty treafon. 



In Canada there is a bifhop, refidcnt at Quebec ; and 

 there are two bifhops in America. In Denmark they have 

 no archbifliop, but there are fix fuperintendents, or bilhops ; 

 four in Norway, and two in Iceland. The chief fee is that 

 of Zealand, which yields about locol. a year ; the others 

 are thofe of Funen, valued at 760 1., Aarhuus at 6col., 

 Aaiborg at 400I., Ripan at 4C0I. ; in Norway, Chriftiana 

 or Aggerhuus at 400!., Chriftianfand at 600I., Bc-rghen at 

 4C0I., and Drontheira at 400I. The bilhoprits of Skalholt 

 and Holun, in Iceland, are only valued each at 150I. ; but 

 though far inferior in nominal value to the others, they may 

 be confidered, on account of the chcspnefs of living in Ice- 

 land, equal in real profit to the large il of the others. The 

 bifhop of Zealand, who is fir^ in rank, and the bifhop of 

 Aggerhuus, are metropolitans. They have no temporali- 

 ties ; keep no ecclefialtical courts ; have no catisedrals or 

 prebends, °ic. but are only primi inter pans, having the 

 rank above the inferior clergy of the province, and infpeftion 

 over their doitrine and manners. They are allowed two or 

 three parillies each. Their habit is common with that of 

 the other miniftcrs. In Sweden are fourteeen diocefes ; the 

 archbifhopric of Upfala, and the biflioprics of Lindkoeping,. 

 Skara, Stroengnoes, Wcefteras, Wexio, Abo, Lund, Bor- 

 go, Gotheborg, Calmar, Caillladt, Hermofand, and Wif- 

 by, or Gothland. The revenues of Upfala and Wceflreras 

 am.ount to about loool. a year ; and thofe of the lowed; bi- 

 flioprics to 300I. There are alfo three fuperintendents, who 

 rank as bifliops, but do not fit in the houfe ; thefc are the 

 firfl chaplain to the king, the reftor of St. Nicholas at 

 Stockholm, and the firfl chaplain of the navy. The bifhops 

 are bound to refidence, except during the meeting of the 

 diet. A confiflcry of the cler<jy of the diocefe elefts the 

 archhbifhop and bifliops, by prefenting them to the king for 

 his nomination. They have alio ecclefialtical courts, &c. 



BiSHOP-«/.io/, epifcoptis abbas, was an abbot inveiled with 

 the epifcopal order ; of v.liich we n:ect with feveral in the 

 richer and more confidtrable monafterics. 



Bishop, acephalous, he who is immediately futjeft to the 

 papal fee, without any metropolitan over him. 



Bishop, boy. It was an ancient cuflom in fuch churches ■ 

 as had cathedral fervice, tor the little chorifters, on St. Nr- 

 cholas' day, December the 6th, to elect one of their num- 

 ber to be \\\e. epifcoptis puerorum, the beam, i. c. infant, or 

 chorifler bifhop ; who continued to prefide over the reft, 

 with an imitation of all the epifcopal functions, till Inno- 

 cent's Day, Dec. 28, and then, after folemn proceflions 

 and great pageantry, he laid down his office. He waa 

 6 chofes 



