Lincoln, under a Papal Bull in the reign of Queen Mary, was the last survivor of the English Prelates who were expelled from their Sees by Queen Elizabeth. He died in 1584. A scheme for reviving the separate Episcopacy in England, by the establishment of new Sees, was thereupon submitted to the Pope on behalf of the Roman Catholics in England; but it was held at Rome, that political circumstances did not admit of the establishment of any episcopal Sees, just as, we find from Van Espen *, it was ruled at a later period in the case of the Dutch Churches, which had passed into the hands of the Jansenists. An Archpriest (Archipresbyter), a sort of Rural Dean, was accordingly sent over by Cardinal Cajetan, in virtue of a Brief from Pope Gregory XIII.† (24th May, 1598), granting to him licence to perform certain offices of benediction and consecration with discretion and secrecy. Mr. Blackwell, who accepted the office, was further furnished with Letters, addressed to himself from Cardinal Cajetan‡, deputing him to govern the secular clergy in the Anglican Vineyard, in like * "Exemplum vidimus in Ecclesiis nobis vicinis, nimirum metropolitana Ultrajectensi et Cathedrali Harlemensi, quæ a centum circiter annis in potestate Acatholicorum constitutæ, numerosum admodum populum cum suo proprio clero et ordinariis pastoribus retinuerunt: quibus et Episcopus datus fuit, qui tametsi ad eas Ecclesias regendas et administrandas ordinaretur, quin et earum Ecclesiarum vulgo a populo et clero haberetur et reputaretur Episcopus, nihilominus propter politicas rationes non sinebatur ad titulum eorum Ecclesiarum ordinari, sed peregrinæ Ecclesiæ nomen · mutuare debebat et ab eo nomen Episcopi gerere.”—Part 1. tit. xv. § 8. †This Brief was addressed to Mr. George Blackwell, Robert Gwin, and Vivian Haddock, according as one or other of them should accept the office. The date of 1578, in Dodd's Church History, is evidently a misprint. The Protector of the English Nation at Rome. manner as we find an Archpriest resident in Holland, so late as at the conclusion of the last century. The authority of the Archpriest was at first energetically resisted by the Roman Catholic Clergy in England; but they ultimately gave way, after a Brief of Pope Clement VIII. (6th April, 1599) had been issued to confirm the institution of Mr. Blackwell as Archpriest, and in deference to a special Brief* (17th August, 1601), issued for the purpose of putting an end to the Anglican dissensions. The authority of the High Priest, as defined by the Letters of Cardinal Cajetan, which were specially confirmed by the former of these Briefs, was confined to the direction and correction of the secular clergy, the regular Orders and the Society of Jesus being specifically exempted. This system of governing the Roman Catholic Clergy in England through a succession of Archpriests was continued down to 1623, when political affairs in England had assumed a more favourable aspect in regard to Rome, in connection with the visit of Prince Charles to the Court of Spain, as a suitor for the hand of the Infanta. Mr. Butler, in the second volume of his "Historical Memoirs of the English Catholics," states that King James I., in order to promote the marriage of his son with the Infanta, agreed, by secret articles, to procure a free and liberal toleration of the Roman Catholic religion in his realms, and thereby was enabled to procure from the Holy See a dispensation for the marriage of his son with the Infanta, which however never took place. * This Brief was addressed to George Blackwell, Notary of the Apostolic See, and Archpriest of the Kingdom of England, and to the rest of the priests and clergy of that kingdom, and the whole Catholic people. Cf. Appendix, p. xxiv. A marriage with a Princess of France was then projected; but the necessity for a dispensation from the Holy See was equally great in order to secure the hand of Henrietta Maria, and accordingly the basis of their marriage was the adoption of the articles which had been concluded with the view of propitiating the Infanta. * On the Ides of March, 1622, the Pope issued a Bull† for the consecration of Dr. William Bishop, the Elect of the Church of Chalcedon in partibus, with a special reservation, that no prejudice should arise to the Patriarch of Constantinople, to whose metropolitan jurisdiction the Church of Chalcedon was subject. There is no allusion of the slightest kind to England in this Bull. In the following year (23rd March, 1623) a Brief was issued by Pope Gregory XV., addressed to William, the Elect of Chalcedon, licensing him to use, expressly for the consolation and spiritual welfare of faithful Catholics in England and Scotland, all the faculties enjoyed by the Archpriests in England, as well as those which are enjoyed by Ordinaries in their Cities and Dioceses, during the pleasure of the Holy See, notwithstanding the decrees of General Councils and all things to the contrary. No mention of the title or office of Vicar Apostolic is to be found in this Brief, nor in the subsequent Brief§ of Pope Urban VIII. (4th Feb. 1625), appointing a successor to Dr. Bishop in the person of Dr. Richard Smith. It may be remarked, that this Brief was also addressed to Richard, the Elect of Chalcedon, and that the cog * The priests, who accompanied Henrietta Maria, were of the religious order called Oratorians, whose peculiar habit has recently resumed a place amongst the costumes of the streets of London, in spite of 10 G. 4. c. 7. s. 26. which imposes a penalty of 50l. for every offence of so exhibiting it. † Appendix, p. xliii. ‡ Appendix, p. xlvi. § Appendix, p. xlvii. nisance of all causes in the second instance was specially reserved to the Nuncio at Paris, as heretofore exercised by him. It has been a subject of dispute amongst Roman Catholics, as may be seen by referring to the Church History (Dodd's) of England published at Brussels in 1742, whether the Bishops of Chalcedon exercised original or delegated power, as Bishops. There can be no doubt, however, on referring to two Decrees* published by the Congregation of the Propaganda at Rome, that the Vicar Apostolic had no ordinary jurisdiction, and that he was expressly admonished by the Nuncio at Paris to lay aside the title of Ordinary which he had assumed, and not to permit himself to be so entitled. The theory involved in the system of Vicars Apostolic, which official designation seems to have crept in and established itself by use, was, that the Roman Catholics in England and Scotland were under the immediate episcopal authority of the See of Rome; that authority being exercised through a Vicar, who was for the most part himself a Bishop in partibus, and so far personally capable of performing all things appertaining to the episcopal office; such as conferring Holy Orders, consecrating the Chrism, &c. The number of Vicars Apostolic was increased to four at the request of King James II.†, who assigned to each of them an annual salary of 1000l. per annum, payable out of the Exchequer. This salary ceased with the Revolution of 1688; but the arrangement of four districts was preserved down to 1840; and the system itself was more completely developed by the Brief of Pope Benedict XIV., in 1753, which gave * Appendix, p. xlviii. † Butler's Historical Memoirs, iv. 400. Appendix, p. 1. to the Vicars authority over the Regular clergy in addition to that which they enjoyed in common with Ordinaries over the Secular clergy. Nothing indeed was wanting, as declared in the fourth section of this Brief, which could conduce to the sound government of either the regular or secular clergy. The great link, however, of the ancient chain which connected England with the Holy See before the Reformation, was still wanting, namely, the link of Ordinary Jurisdiction, without which, the Supremacy of the Pope, as Pope, was still suspended with regard to England. Under the system of Vicars Apostolic, the Pope, in fact, exercised over the Roman Catholics in England the pastoral superintendence of a Bishop, and not the appellate jurisdiction of Supreme Pontiff through the channels of a regular Hierarchy, and according to the rules of the Canon Law. Henceforth, however, the Canon Law is imported into the system of the Roman Catholics in England; and by that law, the ancient jurisdiction and pre-eminence of the See of Rome, as claimed and used within this realm before the Reformation, is revived in all its vigour. "Siquis putaverit se a proprio Metropolitano gravari, apud Primatem dioceseos, aut penes Universalis Apostolicæ Ecclesia Papam judicetur." (Decreti Pars II. Causa II. Qu. VI. s. 15.) Mr. Barnes, the Registrar of the Diocese of Exeter, in a very valuable notice of the Papal Brief, has remarked upon the absence of any provision in the Brief for an appeal to the Pope, but he has probably omitted to take into consideration, that if the Canon Law is introduced into England in all its completeness by the Brief, the appeal to the Pope follows, as part of that law. Dr. Wiseman, in his Appeal, has observed, that the Canon Law was inapplicable under Vicars |