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by Writers of the Best Authority and by Presedents, not to
exclude the Kings Power of dispensing of his Royal Preroga-
tive, I cannot see how the Restriction clause no other in the
Act of Assembly can possibly have such an operation.
Whilst the Power of dispensing rested in the Pope the
number of Benefices Tenable by Virtue thereof was not lim-
ited, but by the Statute it was restrained To two or three at
the most.
"All Spiritual Men being of the Kings Council may
purchase Licence and Dispensation to take receive and
keep three Parsonages or Benefices with Cure of Souls
and other Chaplains of the King, not of his Council
and Likewise the Chaplains of Princes and Peers of
the Realm. Brethren or Sons of Peers or Knights
may all or every of them Purchase Licence and Dis-
pensation and Receive and Take and keep two Parson-
ages or Benefices with Cure of Souls.
The _Conditions on which Dispensations may be obtained
are further Regulated by 4 Canon 41 in the following Manner.
"No Licence or Dispensation for the Keeping more
Benefices than one shall be granted to any but such
only as shall be Thought very well worthy for his
Learning, and very well able and Sufficient to dis-
charge his duty, that is, shall have taken the Degree
of Master of Arts at the Least at one of the Universi-
ties of this Realm and be a public and Sufficient
Preacher licensed : Provided always that he be by
good and Sufficient Caution bound to make his per-
sonal Residence in each of his said Benefices for some
Reasonable time in every year, and that the said Bene-
fices be not more than thirty Miles distant asunder,
and Lastly that he have under him in the Benefice
where he doth not Reside a preacher Lawfully allow'd
that is able Sufficiently to teach and Instruct the
people.
And all these Particulars are specified in the Body of the
Dispensation. Such being the Canon and Statute Laws Relat-
ing to Pluralities Conformable to which the Church of England
has Acted, and as I have shown before the Church in Mary-
land from the nature of its very Existence necessarily must
regulate Itself, It remains to enquire in whose hands The
Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction within this Province is vested.
The ingenious Defender of Lord Baltimore's Right to Ton-
nage &c will Help to elucidate this Point, in his Discussion of
the Question. Whether Lord Baltimore may properly be
Considered as Successor to Queen Ann in Respect of Govern-
ment, who says, when a Duty was Laid for the Support of
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