CAL COMMISSION.] The number of benefices in Ireland will be as follows when the Church Tempo ralities Act comes into full operation : No.
488 under the annna. value of £150 390 of £ 150 and under 300 278 „ 300 „ 450 117 „ 450 „ 550 73 „ 550 „ 750 21 „ 750 „ 850 13 ,, 850 „ 1000 8 ,, 1000 „ 1100 4 , 1100 „ 1250 3 „ 12501500The law respecting benefices iu the church of Scotland will be found under the head of SCOTCH Calmest.
We have already mentioned the at tempts of the popes to acquire the right of patronage to all ecclesiastical benefices in Europe, and the successful measures that were taken in England for resisting their pretensions. After ineffectual attempts had been made at the councils of Con stance and Basle, in 1414 and 1433, to check the papal encroachments, each of the principal European governments seems to have asserted in some measure its own ecclesiastical independence, either by entering into concordats with the pope, or assuming the right of controlling his pre tensions by national legislation. [Cos
coans.r.) For the numerous abuses with respect to the patronage, acquisition, and trans mission of benefices that prevailed in the Roman Catholic Church, especially in Italy, during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, see Father Paul's Treatise on BeneRces,' cap. 44-46.
The Council of Trent in 1547 attempted to reform some of these evils, as that of pluralities and commendams, hereditatly succession to the benefices, and non-resi dence; but left the great abuse of papal reservations untouched. The consequence of this, according to Father Paul (cap. 50), was that in his time (at the beginning of the seventeenth century) the reserva tions were multiplied to such a degree, that the pope had five-sixths of the hens fives in Italy at his disposal.