Page:Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent Buckley.djvu/223

Rh The visitors also who may be deputed by a chapter, where the chapter has the right of Visitation, shall first be approved by the bishop; but the bishop, or, if he be hindered his visitor, shall not thereby be prevented from visiting those same churchesachurches as [sic] part from them; and the said archdeacons, and other inferiors, shall be bound to give [the bishop] an account, within a month, of the visitation that has been made, and to show him the depositions of witnesses, and the entire proceedings; any custom, even though immemorial, and any exemptions and privliges soever, not withstanding. But the principal object ox all these visitations must be to introduce sound and orthodox doctrine, by banishing heresies; to maintain good morals, and to correct evil ones; to incite the people, by exhortations and admonitions, unto religion, peace, and innocence; and to establish such other things as, according to the prudence of the visitors, shall seem for the profit of the faithful, as time, place, and opportunity shall allow. And to the end that all these matters may have a more easy and prosperous issue, all and each of the aforesaid, whom the right of visitation concerns, are admonished that they treat all persons with fatherly tenderness and Christian zeal; and therefore being content with a modest train of horses and servants, they shall strive to complete the said visitation as speedily as possible, yet with due diligence. And they shall meanwhile be careful not to be grievous or burthensome to any one by any useless expenses; and neither they, nor any of theirs, shall, by way of agency fee for the visitation, or, on account of wills made for pious uses, except that which is due to them of right out of pious bequests, or under any other name soever, receive anything, either money, or present, of what kind soever, or in what way soever offered; any custom, even though immemorial, notwithstanding; with the exception, however, of food, which shall be furnished frugally and in moderation to them and theirs, only during the necessary period, and no longer. It shall, however, be at the option of those who are visited, to pay, if they prefer it, in a fixed assessment of money, what they have been heretofore accustomed to pay, or to furnish the food aforesaid; saving also the right of