ART. 23.] CORPORATIONS—RELIGIOUS. 367

or congregation for which they are respectively chosen, and to
manage the estate, property, interest and inheritance of the same.
Bethel Church v. Carmack, 2 Md Ch. 144. Neale v. Vestry of St. Paul's
Church, 8 Gill, 116. Tartar v. Gibbs, 24 Md 323

1868, ch. 471, sec. 157.

206. The trustees so elected shall have perpetual succession by
their name of incorporation, and shall be capable in law to pur-
chase, take and hold to them and their successors in fee, or for a
less estate, any lands, tenements or hereditaments, rents or annui-
ties, goods or chattels within this State, by the gift, bargain, sale
or devise of any person, body politic or corporate, capable of mak-
ing the same, and to use or lease, mortgage or sell and convey the
same in such manner as they may judge most conducive to the
interest of their respective churches, societies or congregations;
provided, that nothing herein shall authorize any sale, mortgage
or other disposition of any property held by such corporation
under any instrument prohibiting such sale; and provided, the
clear yearly income from the estate of any church, society or

congregation, exclusive of the rents of pews, collections in
churches, funeral charges and the like, shall not exceed the sum
of twenty thousand dollars.

Ibid. sec. 158.

207. Every such body politic shall be chosen and the succes-
sion kept up at such times and places as are ordinarily used for
public meetings of the said church, society or congregation, and
by such persons as are allowed to have a voice in the management
and direction of congregational or temporal concerns, according
to the known custom and usage of their respective denominations;
or the said body politic or corporate shall be chosen, and the suc-
cession kept up, according to the rules, regulations and practice
that may have been heretofore adopted and agreed upon, or that
shall be, at the first time of electing, agreed upon and adopted by
any particular church, society or congregation for directing or
managing their congregational or temporal affairs.

Ibid. sec. 160.

208. The minister for the time being, or senior minister, where
there are more than one settled in any church, society or congre-