Status ecclesiæ gallicanæ, or, The ecclesiastical history of France from the first plantation of Christianity there, unto this time, describing the most notable church-matters : the several councils holden in France, with their principal canons : the most famous men, and most learned writers, and the books they have written, with many eminent French popes, cardinals, prelates, pastours, and lawyers : a description of their universities with their founders : an impartial account of the state of the Reformed chuches in France and the civil wars there for religion : with an exact succession of the French Kings / by the authour of the late history of the church of Great Britain.

Of the Institution and Laws of the Seminaries of the Pro∣vince of Bourdeaux.

1. OF the Houses of a Seminary.] That they be built in a large and spacious place, near unto the Cathedral Church. That there be a Chappel wherein the Clergy may meet at prayers. That the dor∣mitory be open and common, in which every one may have his own bed, &c. That an Hospital be appointed in an open place for sick folks, in which all things may be provided for the sick, with singular piety and charity.

2. Of the manner of admitting Clerks into Seminaries.] The ele∣ction and admission of Clerks shall be in the power of the Bishop: or of those to whom this care shall be committed by name. That out of all youths very fit youths may be chosen, the Bishop shall cause it to be proclaimed through all the Cities and Towns of the Diocess (especially where there are Schools) that if any be poor, and born of lawful Ma∣trimony, who desire to be promoted to the Priesthood, and who have attained to the age of twelve years, and have not exceeded the twentieth, and have made some progress in the Grammar, that they appear to be examined at the time and place which he shall appoint them. The Bi∣shop shall not admit any to be examined, whom he shall behold to be maimed, or deformed. Then shall he enquire diligently concerning the condition, estate, manners, and religion of the Parents. And he shall try what progress the youths have made in learning, he shall also have regard to their wit, vertue, and disposition either to good or evil. And whom by manifest conjectures he shall judge to be unfit for learning, piety, and the Priesthood, he shall by no means admit into the Seminary. Before any one be admitted into the Seminary, he is to be often admo∣nished, that he may not be educated and nourished in the Seminary, if he propound to himself any other kind of life, than an Ecclesiastical life. Therefore let him by oath, vow, and holily promise, that he will never depart to any other course of life, but will alwayes faithfully

serve the Church of Christ in that degree and order which shall be as∣signed to him by the Bishop. He shall also promise to obey the Gover∣nour of the Seminary, and his Substitutes in all things, and that he will observe all the Laws and Statutes of the Seminary, which shall be read unto him, &c. Let none be received till he be instructed concerning his Bed, Gown, Cap, Wastecoat, and other Garments, Surplice and Breviary.

3. Of the President, and Overseers of a Seminary.] None are to be admitted into any Office in a Seminary, unless he be first diligently examined and tryed by the Bishop. Great care shall be taken, that the Governours of a Seminary be men grave, prudent, and adorned with all kind of vertue, who by their example and exhortations may provoke those that are under their charge to the study of Piety and Vertue. Let all first put the confession of their faith, according to the form ex∣pressed in the Provincial Council, in the hands of the Bishop. In the Seminary there shall be one President of venerable gravity, and a Priest of singular piety, whom all in the Seminary shall obey, as well in Spi∣rituals as Temporals. And to the President two other Priests shall be joyned, whereof one shall be an Overseer of all businesses of the Se∣minary: the other shall have the care of the houshold affairs, and shall be called the Under-Master of the Seminary. In the Seminary shall be so many servants as the Bishop, or those delegated by him shall think fit. The Governours of the Seminary shall diligently require of their Scholars a repetition of the Lecture, and direct them in their manners and behaviour. And one of them shall teach the Clerks an Ecclesiastical Song. Let the President be daily in the Seminary, and with his presence and care contain all in their duty: and to the Bishop let him often give an account of the whole Seminary. Let the Presi∣dent have a Book in which he may set down the names, sirnames, con∣dition, the day and year of the reception of all those who shall be ad∣mitted into the Seminary, and whatsoever houshold-stuff every one shall bring.

4. Of the Oeconomy, or Houshold-Government of the Seminary.] A skilful Procurator shall be set over the house in temporal matters, who shall take care of affairs at home and abroad: he shall gather in time all the yearly rents and profits of the Seminary: and the moneys collected he shall straightway deliver to the President to be kept in a chest. And he shall have a Book, in which he shall diligently and faithful∣ly set down, whatsoever profits and moneys he shall receive, and of whom, and for what cause, and shall note the day, the month and the year. He shall give an account to the President of what he receiveth and expend∣eth every month: and the President shall sign the book of accounts with his own hand: and the same accounts shall the Bishop examine every third month, &c. He that shall buy in food and other things, shall be

one that is found to be a man faithful and conscientious, who shall every day receive so much money as is necessary from the Procurator, and every day give an account to the Procurator of what is received and ex∣pended, and that particularly and by piece-meal. The houshold-stuff, and all the several Vessels and Instruments of the Seminary, shall the Procu∣rator set down in a Book, and shall give an account of them to the Go∣vernour in the sixth month. Moderate food, frugal, and not very deli∣cate, shall be described by the Bishop and his Delegates.

5. Of the Discipline of the Seminary: and first of Piety.] Let the Clerks be excited to Piety and Religion. Let every one be raised up at four a clock in the morning, then let them come together in one place, and with bended knees apply themselves to Prayer for half an hour, and they shall rehearse (one going before, others answering with a clear voice) the hourly prayers of the blessed Virgin. They who shall be ini∣tiated to sacred orders, shall recite the Breviary in convenient time, and with great attention. Before nine a clock in the evening, before they lye down to rest, they shall all together rehearse the Litanies, and by and by shall search and examine their consciences &c. Every month shall every one confess his sins to the Priest: and being prepared let them receive the holy Eucharist with great devotion, unless their Con∣fessor see cause to with-hold it from them. Every holy day going out two by two out of the Seminary, and putting on their Surplices, let them come together to the greater Mass, and Vespers, of the Cathe∣dral-church of the City, in which the Seminary shall be, and there let them stand and sit in places appointed for them, and sing with the Quire; and on those days they shall be present at the publick Sermon in the same Church, or another place. The President also shall diverse times in every month give brief exhortations to the Clergy concerning the dignity of Vertues, and the filthiness of Vices, with the remedies thereof, concerning blessedness, the pains of Hell, concerning death, the last judgement. In the beginning of Dinner and Supper one of the Priests shall pray for a blessing, and give thanks after Supper or Dinner, all modestly answering the Priest going before them. The Psalm de pro∣fundis, &c. is to be added, and other Collects for the Founder and Be∣nefactors. In the time of Dinner and Supper let one read by suggestion some Chapter out of the holy Bible, to which may be added the read∣ing of some pious Book, which they shall all diligently hear, that whilst the body is refreshed with food, the mind may never be idle. Among other Writings of Pious and Learned men, let them often read privately and publickly that famous Epistle of S. Hierom to Nepotian, de Vita Clericorum, that unto that Rule every one may endeavour to direct himself.

6. Of obedience, and other duties of the Clerks of the Seminary.] The Clerks of the Seminary are to be obedient to their Governours in

all things. Let none go out of the Colledge without leave, and a compa∣nion joyned to him, with whom let him also return back again into the Seminary. Let none send or otherwise receive Letters, unless by the hand of the President, who shall diligently read them, &c. None shall eat with any one without the Seminary, unless with his Parents and Kindred, and that very seldome, and with leave; neither shall he sleep out of the Seminary. If any go forth, and abide without, the President being ignorant of it, he may not be admitted without consulting the Bi∣shop, whose right it is to appoint, whether he be to be received into the Seminary or not. Let none touch another so much as in jest, but every where and among all preserve modesty and gravity. Let silence every where be kept religiously, in the Temple, in the Schools, in the Chamber, between going to and returning from the School, and in all places let Ecclesiastical modesty appear. They shall not discourse with those they meet, except by decent and modest salutation, which may be done in passing by. As often as they shall go either to the Temple or the School, they shall proceed modestly two by two, their Governour following them to whom they are committed. When they are at study, let none speak with other, neither in the morning before, nor in the evening after prayer. All shall go to bed at nine a clock, and rise at four: all shall lye single in their beds, that they may preserve their health. After Dinner, and after Supper, they shall spend one hour in honest recreation, &c. Let them keep their clothes, chambers, beds, books, clean: let them make up their beds early in the morning.

7. Of their Learning.] Let all first learn the Compendium of the Catholick Catechism so exactly, that by mutual interrogations concern∣ing it, they may be able to render an account of the Catholick Faith to every one requiring it. And to that end a repetition of it shall be made twice in a Week. And when they shall be advanced herein, let the reading of the Roman Catechism be diligently commended to them, that from thence they may learn the higher Doctrine of the Sacra∣ments. Let them alwayes keep the Law of speaking Latin, and let them be diligent in learning their lessons, and getting them by heart in the time prefixed, &c. Let none be absent from School in the appoint∣ed time. In the School, let the Clerks who shall be of the same form, sit together, and endeavour to excel others with all modesty. Let them neither buy nor have any Books, but those whom the President shall judge to be profitable for them. Books that are condemned by the holy Apostolical Chair, and immodest Books, let them not so much as know them by name, much less let them dare ever to read them. They shall be exercised in all kind of Disciplines, which do especially help to the knowledge of Divinity, and when they shall learn more humane Learning and Philosophy, they are to be chiefly instructed in that part of Divinity which unfoldeth cases of conscience. Let them also learn Ecclesi∣astical

Books diligently, and those which they call Ritual. Let all be ex∣ercised in their order in making Orations and Exhortations concerning the commandments of God and of the Church, concerning the Articles of faith, Vertues to be followed, and Vices to be shunned, or some other sentence of Scripture, &c.

8. Of Correction.] If any be wayward, and sawcy, especially who infect and corrupt the manners of others, all endeavours are to be used, lest they bring any detriment to the Seminary, if the Moderators are somewhat indulgent toward them: neither are they who are of a crabbed nature long to be retained in the Seminary, unless they shall reform them by words or correction. As they are not to be born in a Seminary, who are ignorant and slothful, so much less they who neglect piety, who vio∣late the Statutes of the Seminary, who enter into society with dissolute persons, who are delighted in the discourses of those that are without, who are wont to whisper and backbite, &c. who art wont to lye, and excuse their own faults, who impatiently bear punishments injoyned, who speak or answer malapertly, undecently, or ironically. These and the like Vices are first of all to be stopt by the whole Seminary, and sharply to be corrected, without excepting any.

9. Of the reason of promoting Clerks, and dismissing them from the Seminary. As often as Orders shall be celebrated, the President shall give to the Bishop a Catalogue of those, who for their age, piety, and learning, may be promoted to some Order.

In examinations which shall be had to vacant Benefices, the Seminary-Clerks if they be fit, let them be preferred before all others. They shall be sent at the pleasure of the Bishop to Churches destitute of Pa∣stors, or to govern Schools, or to undergo other Ecclesiastical Offices, for the necessity of times and places. Whosoever shall be sent away from the Seminary, (for what cause soever) let him render an account of his Office to the President, which he hath exercised at home, and re∣store all things to its place which have been committed to him.

Those who have been educated in the Seminary, and without the licence of the Bishop have delivered up themselves to any place or per∣son, or have fled out of the Diocess in which they ought to serve the Church, shall be bound to make restitution of that maintenance which they have received in the Seminary. They who depart, if they come to better preferment, yet are they to remember that they ought to be beneficial and grateful to the Seminary. Departing, let them take their leave of the Lord Bishop, if he be in the City, his Vicars, the President, the Priests, and the rest of their companions, and let them ear∣nestly entreat them all to pray for their prosperity.