or imprint, or in any way defend books containing their heresy, or treating of religion, let it be from what cause it may, publicly or privately, under any pretence or colour whatsoever; as also the schismatics, and those who pertinaciously withdraw themselves or recede from obedience to us and the Roman pontiff for the time being.

auctoritate nostra et sedis Apostolicæ scienter legentes aut retinentes, imprimentes, seu quomodolibet defendentes, ex quavis causa publice vel occulte, quovis ingenio vel colore ; necnon schismaticos et eos qui se a nostra et Romani pontificis pro tempore existentis obedientia pertinaciter subtrahunt vel recedunt.

THE OATH required of a Bishop at his Consecration, according to the usage of the Church of Rome.

I, N. elected to the Church of N. will, from this time henceforth, be faithful and obedient to the blessed Apostle Peter, and to the holy Roman Church, and to our lord N. Pope N. and to his canonical successors. I will not aid, by advice or

FORMA JURAMENTI.

Ego, N. electus Ecclesiæ N. ab hâc horâ in anteà fidelis et obediens ero beato Petro Apostolo, sanctæque Romanæ Ecclesiæ, et Domino nostro, Domino N., Papæ N. suisque successoribus canonice intrantibus. Non ero in consilio, aut consensu, vel

consent, or deed, in any injury to them in life or limb; or to their arrest, or to any violence being in any way offered to them; or any injuries, under any pretext whatsoever: I will not knowingly reveal to any one, to their injury, the advice which they shall commit to me by themselves, or their messengers, or by letter. Saving my order, I will assist in retaining and defending the Roman papacy, and the royalties of St. Peter, against every one. I will honourably deal with the Legate of the Apostolic See in going and returning; and will assist him in his need. I will take care to preserve, defend, increase and advance the rights, honours, privileges, and authority of the holy Roman Church, of our lord the Pope, and his aforesaid successors. Nor will I assist, by counsel, deed, or treaty, in any machinations against our lord himself, or the same Roman Church, which may be evil or prejudicial to

facto, ut vitam perdant aut membrum, seu capiantur mala captione, aut in eos violenter manus quomodolibet ingerantur; vel injuriæ aliquæ inferantur, quovis quæsito colore. Consilium vero, quod mihi credituri sunt, per se, aut nuntios suos, seu litteras, ad eorum damnum, me sciente, nemini pandam. Papatum Romanum, et Regalia sancti Petri, adjutor eis ero ad retinendum, et defendendum, salvo meo ordine, contra omnem hominem. Legatum Apostolicæ sedis ineundo et redeundo honorifice tractabo, et in suis necessitatibus adjuvabo. Jura, honores, privilegia, et auctoritatem sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ, Domini nostri Papæ, et successorum prædictorum conservare, defendere, augere, promovere curabo. Neque ero in consilio, vel facto, seu tractatu, in quibus contra ipsum Dominum nostrum vel eamdem Romanam Ecclesiam, aliqua

their persons, right, honour, state and power. And if I shall know of any such attempts being treated of, or set on foot, by any persons whatsoever, I will hinder them to the utmost of my power; and, as soon as I possibly can, will signify it to the same our lord, or to some other who shall be able to give him information. I will, with all my power, observe, and cause others to observe, the rules of the holy Fathers, the apostolic decrees, ordinances, or dispositions, provisions, and commands. To the utmost of my power I will persecute and attack heretics, schismatics, and rebels against the same our lord, or his aforesaid successors. When called to a Synod I will come, unless prevented by some canonical hindrance. Every three years I

sinistra, vel præjudicialia personarum, juris, honoris, status, et potestatis eorum machinentur. Et, si talia a quibuscumque tractari, vel procurari novero, impediam hoc pro posse; et quanto citius potero, siguificabo eidem Domino nostro, vel alteri, per quem possit ad ipsius notitiam pervenire. Regulas sanctorum Patrum, decreta, ordinationes seu dispositiones, reservationes, provisiones, et mandata Apostolica, totis viribus observabo, et faciam ab aliis observari. Hæreticos, schismaticos, et rebelles eidem Domino nostro, vel successoribus prædictis, pro posse persequar et impugnabo. Vocatus ad Synodum veniam, nisi præpeditus fuero canonica præpeditione. Apostolorum limina singulis trienniis. personaliter per me ipsum visitabo; et Domino nostro, ac suc

The term of years varies from three to ten, according to the distance of the Bishop's Sce from Rome. See the Rubrics following this oath.

will, in my own person, visit the threshhold of the Apostles; and I will give to our lord and his successors aforesaid, an account of my whole pastoral office, and of all things in any way concerning the state of my Church, the discipline of the clergy and people, and the salvation of the souls which are committed to my trust; and on the other hand I will humbly receive, and with the utmost diligence obey, the Apostolic commands. But if I shall be detained by lawful hindrance, I will fulfil all that is abovementioned by an appointed messenger, having special charge of this matter, from among my chapter, or some other ecclesiastical dignitary, or person of station; or, in failure of these, by a priest of the diocese; and in failure of all the clergy, by some other presbyter, secular or regular, of respectable honesty and piety, fully instructed in all things aforesaid. But I will give information concerning

cessoribus præfatis rationem reddam de toto meo pastorali officio, ac de rebus omnibus ad meæ Ecclesiæ statum, ad cleri et populi disciplinam, animarum denique, quæ meæ fidei traditæ sunt, salutem, quovis modo pertinentibus: et vicissim mandata Apostolica humiliter recipiam, et quam diligentissime exequar. Quod si legitimo impedimento detentus fuero, præfata omnia adimplebo per certum nuntium ad hoc speciale mandatum habentem, de gremio mei capituli, aut alium in dignitate Ecclesiastica constitutum, seu alias personatum habentem; aut, his mihi deficientibus, per dicecesanum sacerdotem; et clero deficiente omnino, per aliquem alium presbyterum sæcularem, vel regularem, spectatæ probitatis et religionis, de supradictis omnibus pæne instructum. De hujusmodi autem impedimento docebo per legitimas probationes,

any hindrance of this kind, by lawful proofs to be transmitted by the said messenger to the Cardinal of the holy Roman Church, who presides in the congregation of the sacred council.

I will neither sell nor give, nor pawn the possessions belonging to my table; nor will I enfeoff them anew, nor alienate them in any manner, even with the consent of the Chapter of my Church, without the advice of the Roman Pontiff. And if I shall in any ways proceed to alienate them, I am willing in reality to incur the penalties contained in a certain constitution passed upon this subject.

So help me God, and the Holy Gospels of God!

ad Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem Proponentem in congregatione sacri concilii, per supradictum nuntium transmittendas.

Possessiones vero ad mensam meam pertinentes non vendam, nec donabo, neque impignorabo ; nec de novo infeudabo, vel aliquo modo alienabo, etiam cum consensu capituli Ecclesiæ meæ, inconsulto Romano Pontifice. Et si ad aliquam

alienationem devenero, pœnas in quadam super hoc edita constitutione contentas, eo ipso incurrere volo.

Sic me Deus adjuvet, et hæc Sancta Dei Evangelia.

De consecratione Electi in Episcopum. Pontificale

Romanum. Antwerp, 1758, pp. 59--61.