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to add it) that The Church in Maryland must necessarily from
the very nature of its Existence be subject to and govern'd by
the Ecclesiastical Laws of the Church of England, that these
Laws are expressly declared to be in Force by Several Acts of
Assembly, that my Lords Supremacy over the' Church in
Maryland is even unquestioned in and far out of the Reach of
Any Act of Assembly.
That his Lordships Presentation as supreme Ordinary to
Plurality of Livings implies a Dispensation under the Statute
of H. 8. and includes in it the Conditions implied in the 41st
Canon. That is, that the Clerk be his Lordships Chaplain,
Master of Arts in some University, that he keeps a Curate
where he does not chiefly reside and that the Livings be not
above 30 Miles distant. These Qualifications are fulfilled in
my Case, his Lordship Constituted me his Domestic Chap-
lain before I left London, I am Master of Arts in Oxford, am
ready to comply with other Terms of keeping a Resident
Curate. The Distance between the Boundaries of the Parishes
is not above five or Six miles, and between the Churches less
than Between the different Places of Worship, often times in
the same Parish. I flatter myself that no Scruple can possibly
arise to prevent your Excellency Ordering a Letter of Induc-
tion to be made out for me. But I submit Myself notwith-
standing intirely to your Excellency's Directions, and the
Advice you honor me with in this Case will be to me a Law.
Had I understood the Laws as w.ell as my Lord did when he
wrote and as well as Mr Hammersly did when he advised
those Instructions to be sent in, I should Have saved myself
an infinite Deal of Trouble & Vexation. I took up a Vulgar
Error, I thought the Consent of Vestries necessary and acted
Accordingly. I found on Examination it was only a temporary
Expedient calculated for the Infancy of a Country & not
designed to Infringe or invalidate the Proprietarys Rights as
Supreme Ordinary over the established Church. 1 wish the
thing had never for his Lordships Honor and my own Been
agitated on this unworthy Footing. But popular Prejudices
are Designed as dust to blind the eyes of every Stranger.
Whatever Favors I may receive by my Lords Directions, thro
your Excellencys Hands I shall consider as Laying me under
a double obligation, and as I never shall be wanting in Grati-
tude to his Lordships Goodness so shall I never be wanting in
the Respect due to your Excellencys Rank, Station, and
Character.
I am with the highest Consideration
Sir, Your Excellency's most obliged and most devoted
Humble Servant
Bennet Alien.
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