This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
THe election of officers is made thrice a yeare (to wit) about the Feastes of the Conception, Anuntiation, & the Assumption of the glorious Virgin: The Prefect & the 2. Assistants are chosē by the who∣le Congregation; The other officers by the particular Congregatiō only, who (as is supposed) hath more
distincte, and more intrinsecall knowledge of all in the Sodalitie: And all is done after the manner followinge.
In the Congregation which goeth before the day appointed for the election of the Prefect, & the 2. Assi∣stants, notice is geuen of the said future, election, & the names of all that haue actiue, and passiue voyces are read by the Secretarie, to renewe by that meanes the memory of all: In the same Con∣gregatio also is read all this chapter cōcerninge the electiō of officers.
Afterwards on the day it self of election, Masse being said, with the prayer of the holy ghoste, and immediatly before the election, the ordinary pray∣ers, and Letanies of our B. Lady, the Father, or Prefect, with some shorte discourse, exhorteth all to proceede in the election with∣out any worldly passion, regar∣dinge only the glory, and seruice
of God, and the spirituall good of the Congregation.
Then is said the hymne Veni Creator Spiritus with the prayer Deui qui corda Fidelium.
After which, in certeine litle papers prepared for that effect by the Secretary, with other necessa∣ries to write, euery one writeth the name only of the persō who∣me he chooseth for future Prefect, he foldes it, and presentes it at the benche before the Father, who, together with the Prefect, compareth first the nomber of all the suffrages, with the nom∣ber of the assembled, to see how the names giuen in and the per∣sons that are to giue their voyces do agree, he readeth afterwards to the hearing of all, the suffrages: and the Secretarie hath care to note the names of them that are cho∣sen, and the nomber of suffra∣ges as they are geuen to euery one.
This scrutinie beinge ended, he that hath more then half the suf∣frages, is by the Father, declared newe Prefect of the Corgregation, & being led betwene two of the Sacristans, after a litle prayer made before the Altar, he is placed in one of the Chayers (prepared by thē for that purpose) in the midst of the Oratorie, (to wit) in that which is the midle of the three, & this done, they are to proceede to the election of the two Assistants in the like manner.
Afther this, the Prefect, and 2. Assistants that haue ended their offices, one after the other, knee∣linge in the midst of the Oratorie before the Father, accuse them∣selues openly of their faultes cō∣mitted in their gouernement and humbly demaundinge penance, receaue frō the father that which is geuen them, not returninge any more to the benche.
This done, Te Deum Laudamus is
said, with the prayer Deus cuius misericordia, & the reste of the Con∣gregation departed, to sauinge the Prefectt, the Assistāts newly chosen, the former Prefect, & Assistants, to∣gether with the rest of the Parti∣cular Congregation, and the Father, who chuse the other officers, accordinge to the order as they are before named, and obseruinge that which hereafter shalbe said: & the suffrages are in like manner noted by the Secretarie.
In the Cougregation followinge, the Prefect, & the 2. newe Assistants, after Masse, and the accustomed prayers, & Letanies, goe to sit on the benche in place of those who ended, & the Prefect, or Father at his request, saieth briefly some∣what for edification, before any other exercise beginne.
The same day, the old Secretarie publisheth by wordeof mouth the officers newly chosen, & the old accuse thēselues in like mān∣ner
before the Father, of their faul∣tes, & receaue penaunces.
Finally the old Secretarie rea∣deth, or causeth to be read the common Rules of the Congregation (in case the Father iudgeth it not expedient to deferre it till ano∣ther time) and the said Father ex∣horteth all to the entire obseruā∣ce of them, notinge some parti∣culer thinge wherein defecte is seene.
Hauinge thus proceeded the oulde Secretarie yealdeth his place to the newe, and goeth to accuse himself, & receate penaunce, as the other officers haue done.
The election of the Prefect, and the 2. Assistants, is alwaies made by scrutinie, with the greater parte of the voyces of those which are present in Congregation, so as they are to exceede the half (as before hath beene said) And when in the first scrutinie there falles out equall voyces betwee∣ne
two then they procede to the second in which no other can be chosen then one of those be∣tweene whome the equalitie fell in the precedent scrutinie; And in case they fall equall agai¦ne in nomber of suffrages, lotts are cast, and he is chosen whose name is drawne out: But if in the first scrutinie those that concur∣re were more then two by equa∣litie of voyces, they are to be brought to two only, by a newe scrutinie, or by billets or ballot∣tinge, which not succeedinge, they afterwards cast lotts to de∣termine the two concurrences: the election of the other officers, is made either by scrutinie, or word of mouth, as it best plea∣seth the particuler Congregation.
The Prefect, & Assistants, are not wonte to be confirmed in their offices aboue once only, the same is to be obserued for the most parte in the other officers,
exceptinge these in whose offices more particuler, & long practise is required, as are the Secretarte, of the Congregation, the Sacristans, and the Treasourer.
Except the Prefect, (and when the nomber is great) the Assistants also, & Secretarie of the Congregation, more offices may concurre in one & the self same person, so the offi∣ces them selues be not contrary.
No man in what soeuer electiō hath more then one voyce, no not the Father, nor Prefect himself.