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Province tooke The Opportunity of Confirming and establish-
ing their civil Rights, and Liberties at the same Time. The
King took Notice of this Finesse, and alledged this Reason
for his Dissent that therein is a Clause declaring all the Laws
of England in force in Maryland, which Clause is of Another
Nature than that set forth in the Title of the said Law, and so
it really was. The Title sets forth an Act for the Service of
Almighty God and The Establishment of the Protestant Reli-
gion within this Province Without mentioning any thing to be
provided for with Respect to their Civil Rights & Liberties,
and I cannot help thinking on several Accounts that the tem-
poral Endowment of the Church of England in this Province
is in great Measure owing to the Design of the General
Assembly of confirming and establishing by Act of Assembly,
thro that Channel, the Great Charter of England and the
Statutes and Laws of the Kingdom of England touching their
Civil Rights and Liberties. But whatsoever was the Reason
and admitting the Design it was a good one the Work is truly
meritorious, since by the Act of 1701/2 which is now in force,
a Regular Clergy are established who whilst other Colonies
are distracted and rent into a thousand Sects and Clergy
dependant on a precarious Contribution are by the Provision
Made for them Placed all above Want & its constant Attend-
ant Contempt, and some by their Income, as well as their
Lives, are enabled to reflect a Lustre upon their Profession,
who under such Circumstances may not only in the most
effectual Manner Promote the Cause of Religion and Virtue,
but likewise are excellent Guardians of the just Rights of Gov-
ernment, as well as the due Liberties of the People.
The first enacting Clause of the Act 1701/2 declares in
General Terms the Church of England shall be deemed the
Settled and established Church in this Province and then pro-
ceeds to Constitute and Regulate other parochial officers, and
Charges Leaving the Spiritual Management, and Ecclesias-
tical Government thereof, to Those Laws upon which it was
founded.
We must examine into the Laws and Statutes of the King-
dom of England, and Canons and Constitutions of the Church
by Law established saving always his Majesty's Prerogative
Royal, agreeable to which this Act of Assembly was ordered
to be framed, and by which it must be construed and explained.
To Give a Minister full Possession of an Ecclesiastical
Benefice the three following Particulars are Required as most
considerable. Presentation, the Act of a Patron offering a
Priest to a Bishop or ordinary to be admitted into a Benefice;
Institution or Collation, the Act of admitting him and giving
him Cure of Souls Therein ; and Induction, the Act or State
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