Page:Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent Buckley.djvu/57

Rh such prebend, prestimony, or stipend, unto the expounding and interpreting of the said sacred Scripture, either personally, if they be competent, or otherwise by a competent substitute, to be chosen by the said bishops, archbishops, primates, and other ordinaries of those places. But, for the future, let no such prebend, prestimony, or stipend be bestowed save on competent persons, and those who can of themselves fulfil that office; and let the provision made otherwise be null and void. But in metropolitan, or cathedral churches, if the city be distinguished or populous, and also in collegiate churches situated in any large town, even though they belong to no diocese, provided the clergy be numerous there; wherein there is no such prebend, prestimony, or stipend, set aside for this purpose, let the prebend that shall first become vacant in any way soever, except by reason of resignation, and to which some other incompatible burthen is not attached, be understood to be ipso facto appointed and set apart to that purpose for ever. And in case that in the said churches there should not be any, or not any sufficient prebend, let the metropolitan, or the bishop himself, by the assigning thereunto of the fruits of some simple benefice, the burthen of the obligations thereto belonging being nevertheless discharged, or by the contributions of the beneficiaries of his city and diocese, or otherwise, as may be most convenient, provide in such wise, with the advice of his chapter, as that the said reading of sacred Scripture be held; yet so that what other readings soever there may be, whether established by custom, or in any other way, be not by any means therefore omitted. As to those churches, however, whose annual revenues may be slight, and where the number of the clergy and laity is so small, that a readership of theology cannot be conveniently held therein, let them at least have a master, to be chosen by the bishop, with the advice of the chapter, to teach grammar gratuitously to clerks, and other poor scholars, that so they may afterwards, with God's permission, pass on to the said study of sacred Scripture itself. And to this end, either let there be assigned to that master of grammar the fruits of some simple benefice, which he may receive so long as he continues teaching (provided, however, that the said benefice be not deprived of the duty due to it), or let some suitable remuneration be paid