There is evidence sufficient to show that Christianity had made its way long before the time of Gregory among the Roman inhabitants of Bntain and the Romanized Britons ; and it is not con tended that either Scotland or Ireland owed its Christianity to that mission. Wales has no archbishop; whence it seems to be a legitimate inference that the Welsh church is only a fragment of a greater church in which the whole of England and Wales was comprehended, the church, as to what is now called England, being destroyed by the Saxons, who were pagans. Yet some have con tended that there was an archbishop at Caer Leon; and others, on grounds equally uncertain, that bishops, under the denomination of archbishops, were settled in those early times at London and York.
This account of the mode in which Christianity was diffused through many parts of Europe may be perfectly true; but though a specious explanation of the word metropolitan, it is not a true ex planation. Under the later empire the name Metropolis was applied to various cities of Asia and conferred on them as a title of rank. The emperors Theodosius and Valentinian conferred on Berytus in Phoenicia the name and rank of a metro polis " for many and sufficient reasons." (Cod. xi. tit. 22 (21). Accordingly the bishop of a metropolis was called metro politan (sorpozo(ros), and the bishop of a city which was under a metropolis was simply called bishop. All the bishops, both metropolitan and others, were sub ject to the archbishop and patriarch of Constantinople, who received his instruc tions in ecclesiastical matters from the emperor. (Cod. i. tit. 3, s. 42, 43).
The precise amount of superintendence and control preserved by the archbishops over the bishops in their respective pro vinces, does not seem to be very accu rately defined. Yet if any bishop intro duces irregularities into his diocese, or is guilty of scandalous immoralities, the archbishop of the province may, as it seems, inquire, call to account, and punish. He may, it is said, deprive. In 1822 the archbishop of Armagh deposed the bishop of Clogher from his bishopric. In dis putes between a diocesan and his clergy an appeal lies to the archbishop of the province in all cases except disputes re specting eurates' stipends. (1 & 2 Vict. c. 106) Rolle, a good authority, says that the archbishop may appoint a co adjutor to one of his suffragans who is infirm or incapable. The right is now confirmed by 6 & 7 Vict. c. 62, intitnled ' An Act to provide for the Performance of the Episcopal Functions in case of the Incapacity of any Bishop or Archbishop.' It is under this act that the bishop of Salisbury at present exercises episcopal functions in the diocese of Bath and Wells.
An archbishop has a right to name one of his clerks or chaplains to be provided for by every bishop whom he consecrates. The present practice is for the bishop whom he consecrates, to make over by deed to the archbishop, his executors and assigns, the next presentation of such benefice or dignity which is at the bishop's disposal within his see, as the archbishop may choose. This deed only binds the bishop who grants, and, therefore, if a bishop dies before the option is vacant, the archbishop must make a new option when he consecrates a new bishop. If the archbishop dies before the benefice or dignity is vacant, the next presentation goes to his executors or assigns according to the terms of the grant.
The archbishop also nominates to the benefices or dignities which are at the disposal of the bishops in his province, if not filled up within six months from the time of the avoidance. During the va cancy of a see, he is the guardian of the spiritualities.
Certain of the bishops are nominally officers in the Cathedral of Canterbury, or in the household of the archbishop. "The bishop of Loudon is his provincial dean, the bishop of Winchester his chan cellor, the bishop of Lincoln anciently was his vice-chancellor, the bishop of Salisbury his precentor, the bishop of Worcester his chaplain, and the bishop of Rochester (when time was carried the cross before him." (Burn.) The archbishop has also certain honorary distinctions ; he has in his style the phrase " by Divine providence," but the bishop's style runs "by Divine permission ;" and while the bishop is only installed, the archbishop is said to be enthroned. The title of "Grace" and "Most Reverend Father in God" is used in speaking and writing to archbishops, and bishops have the title of " Lord" and " Right Reverend Father in God." The archbishops may nominate eight clerks each to be their chaplains, and bishops six. The archbishop of Canter bury claims the right of placing the crown upon the head of the king at his coronation ; and the archbishop of York claims to perform the same office for the queen consort, and he is her perpetual chaplain. The archbishop of Canterbury is the chief medium of communication between the clergy and the king, and is consulted by the king's ministers in all affairs touching the ecclesiastical part of the constitution ; and he generally de livers in parliament what, when unani mous, are the sentiments of the bench of bishops. The two archbishops have pre cedence of all temporal peers, except those of the blood-royal ; and except that the lord chancellor has place between the two archbishops.