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There are three chief and Patriarchal Churches in this City; The first whereof is St. John's in Lateran, the Episcopal See of Rome; altho by reason of the unwholsomness of the air thereabouts, and for greater secu∣rity to the Popes, their habitation hath now for many years since been translated from thence to St. Peter's in the Vatican, where the Palace is grown as big as a little City. This Church
hath for its Founder Constantine the Great; tho, by its age falling into decay, it hath been often repaired by several Popes.
The second Patriarchal Church is that of St. Peter's in the Vatican. This also originally was built by Constantine the Great; but since levelled with the ground, and another in its place built far more magnificent.
The third Patriarchal Church is that of St. Maries ad Presaepe, which is also called ad Nives, because, by a miracle of Snow falling there in August, it was built in that place by John Pa∣tricius by intimation of Pope Liberius.
In all these three Churches there is dayly celebrated the Holy office of the Mass, and the Canonical hours sung upon Festivals with Mu∣sick and the Organs, to the praise and honour of Almighty God, the Bestower of all good things.
There are also in this City twelve more fa∣mous Collegiate Churches of Secular Priests. In all which, or in the most part, Praises are sung to God always, night and day, and cano∣nical hours observed, with a Quire and Musick in some Festivals.
There are in Rome also sixteen other Churches Collegiate of Secular Preists, which are either National Churches, or peculiar to some So∣dalities: Of National Collegiate Churches e∣leven; of Sodalities five. In all which are ob∣served likewise and sung dayly the canonical hours, and at Evening Lauds to the Blessed Virgin; and on Festival days they have their Musick, and each Church is furnished with a sufficient number of Priests.
There are also in Rome eighty eight parish Churches, some of the Collegiate Churches being also Parochial.
The Rectors of which are by their office bound to celebrate the Holy Mass for their Parishioners every day, to be ready to baptize such as need it, and to give the Holy Commu∣nion to all desiring it. The Canons of the Church having also prescribed to Lay persons that they at least once in the year, viz. at the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, do receive the Communion in their own parish Church; and whosoever faileth herein in Rome is publickly separated from the Com∣munion of the faithful, at the Festival of St. Bartholomew. Whereupon every year a most exact account is taken of the number of all the Inhabitants of this City.
The Rectors of these Parishes make up an University among themselves, and often meet and have excellent discourses about such things as belong to the care of Souls: and sometimes they propose certain Theses in Theology to be publickly disputed.
To these Rectors also belongs the care of the House of entertainment for poor Stranger-Priests mentioned before, Chapter the tenth. These Rectors create an Officer, whom they call Primicerius. This man to those who are to be entertained in that house gives a Ticket, directed to the Keeper thereof; who having read the Contents without delay re∣ceives courteously the Bringers of it.