Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/403

 Ch. 11. appropriating corporations, or religious houes, were wont to depute one of their own body to perform divine ervice, and adminiter the acraments, in thoe parihes of which the ociety was thus the paron. This officiating miniter was in reality no more than a curate, deputy, or vicegerent of the appropriator, and therefore called vicarius, or vicar. His tipend was at the dicretion of the appropriator, who was however bound of common right to find omebody, qui illi de temporalibus, epicopo de piritualibus, debeat repondere. But this was done in o candalous a manner, and the parihes uffered o much by the neglect of the appropriators, that the legilature was forced to interpoe: and accordingly it is enacted by tatute 15 Ric. II. c. 6. that in all appropriations of churches, the diocean bihop hall ordain (in proportion to the value of the church) a competent um to be ditributed among the poor parihioners annually; and that the vicarage hall be ufficiently endowed. It eems the parih were frequently ufferers, not only by the want of divine ervice, but alo by withholding thoe alms, for which, among other purpoes, the payment of tithes was originally impoed: and therefore in this act a penion is directed to be ditributed among the poor parochians, as well as a ufficient tipend to the vicar. But he, being liable to be removed at the pleaure of the appropriator, was not likely to init too rigidly on the legal ufficiency of the tipend: and therefore by tatute 4 Hen. IV. c. 12. it is ordained, that the vicar hall be a ecular peron, not a member of any religious houe; that he hall be vicar perpetual, not removeable at the caprice of the monatery; and that he hall be canonically intituted and inducted, and be ufficiently endowed, at the dicretion of the ordinary, for thee three expres purpoes, to do divine ervice, to inform the people, and to keep hopitality. The endowments in conequence of thee tatutes have uually been by a portion of the glebe, or land, belonging to the paronage, and a particular hare of the tithes, which the appropriators found it mot troubleome to collect, and which are Rh