Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/392

 376

HE people, whether aliens, denizens, or natural-born ubjects, are diviible into two kinds; the clergy and laity: the clergy, comprehending all perons in holy orders, and in eccleiatical offices, will be the ubject of the following chapter.

venerable body of men, being eparate and et apart from the ret of the people, in order to attend the more cloely to the ervice of almighty God, have thereupon large privileges allowed them by our municipal laws: and had formerly much greater, which were abridged at the time of the reformation on account of the ill ue which the popih clergy had endeavoured to make of them. For, the laws having exempted them from almot every peronal duty, they attempted a total exemption from every ecular tie. But it is oberved by ir Edward Coke, that, as the overflowing of waters doth many times make the river to loe it's proper chanel, o in times pat eccleiatical perons, eeking to extend their liberties beyond their true bounds, either lot or enjoyed not thoe which of right belonged to them. The peronal exemptions do indeed for the mot part continue. A clergyman cannot be compelled to erve on a jury, nor to appear at a court-leet or view of frank pledge; which almot every other peron is obliged to do : but, if a layman is ummoned on a jury, and before the

Rh