Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 5.djvu/240

228 CATHEDRAL the body known as the " chapter " of the cathedral, a body originally in the closest connection with the bishop, and having no corporate existence apart from him. This collective body sometimes consisted of "seculars," i.e., of clergy not bound by monastic vows, living in the world, with separate homes of their own ; sometimes of " regulars," i.e., of clergy living according to a monastic rule, residing in one religious community, and sharing in common buildings. Of both bodies the bishop was the head. When the cathedral was the church of a monastery and was served by regulars, the bishop was regarded as the abbot ; and when the chapter consisted of a college of secular clergy, it owed allegiance to no one but the bishop himself. The " dean, " the present head of all English cathedral chapters, was a comparatively late addition, not appearing till the 10th or llth century. He had been preceded by the prcepositus, a " provost, " who occurs in the 8th and 9th centuries. Earlier still we find the " archpresbyter, " who was gradually supplanted by the archdeacon " exercising chief authority among the cathedral clergy, but always in strict subordination to the bishop. Another chief officer of tli3 church one, with the two last, of the " tria culmina ecclesise " was the " custos " or " primicerius, " a title he derived from his name being that first entered on the waxen tablet or list. The strange con tradiction by which the bishop has less authority in the church of which he is the titular head, and which takes its distinctive appellation from his throne, than in any other church in his diocese, only gradually came into existence. It was partly a result of the increase of his diocesan duties, partly of his transformation into a great political officer of the state, and partly of the organization of the chapter as an independent corporation. When travelling over his wide spread diocese, or attending upon the king as chancellor, or other high officer, the bishop had no leisure to attend to the internal administration of his cathedral, and the authority naturally tended to attach itself to the permanent chief of the chapter, while he gradually sank into a mere external visitor called in when needed to correct abuses, or as an arbiter to settle disputes. Under the bishop as its nominal head the chapter of a fully organized cathedral, when it was formed of secular priests, consisted of the quatuor personce, or four chief " dignitaries " of the church, and a body of " canons " or " prebendaries." The four high officers were (1.) the " dean," as the general head of the whole capitular body, charged with the internal discipline of the corporation ; (2) the " praecentor," or " chanter, " who was charged with the management of the choir, and the musical arrangements of the service ; (3) the " chancellor," the literary-man of the chapter, who, as theological professor, superintended the education of its younger members, delivered lectures himself, and procured the delivery of sermons by others, had the care of the library, and wrote the letters of the body; and (4) the " treasurer, " not in the modern fiscal sense of the word, but the officer to whose care were entrusted the treasures of the church, its sacred vessels and altar furniture, reli quaries, and other ornaments. With these were usually united the " archdeacons," varying in number with the size of the diocese, who were, however, more diocesan than cathedral officers. Next after these dignitaries the main body of a cathedral chapter consisted of " canons " or " pre bendaries." The former name they received originally from being enrolled on the " canon " or list of ecclesiastical officers, though subsequently it was supposed to have reference to their being bound by canons, i.e., rules. The additional title of prebendary was given to those canons who enjoyed a separate estate (prcebenda), in virtue of their position, besides their share of the corporate funds. These names were, generally speaking, two different designations for the same individual. A canon was usually, though not always, a prebendary ; but a prebendary, as a member of the capitular body, was always a canon. The life of the canons was separate, not ccenobitic. Each had his own house and his private establishment. The attempt of Chrodegang, archbishop of Metz (who died in 766), to force a semi-monastic rule on canons, with a common refectory and common dormitory, though eagerly adopted by the Emperor Charlemagne, was short-lived. By the middle of the 9th century the rule was indeed established in almost all the cathedrals of France, Germany, and Italy, and had also been adopted in England. But its strict ness proved unpalatable to the canons. It was gradually relaxed everywhere, and found no acceptance in Eng land. The distinction between "residentiary " and "non- residentiary " canons had its origin in the attempt to combat the evils consequent on pluralities. The canons having other preferments were, by the end of the 12th century, generally non-resident. Their cathedral duties were performed by " vicars " receiving a small stipend. To attract them into residence the divisible part of the corporate revenue was ordered to be shared among those canons who had resided for a certain term. This created a degree of confusion, as there was no certainty how many canons would reside during a given year. To obviate this irregularity the duty of residence was laid on a fixed number of canons only, who were to discharge the ordinary duties of the cathedral on behalf of the whole body (Freeman Cathedral Essays, pp. 148-149). The establishment of " vicars, " or, as they are now more usually but unstatutably called, " minor canons," as a regular and permanent part of the cathedral body, originally due to non-residence, was sanctioned through the inability of some of the canons to take their part in the choral service of the church. In most cathedrals each officer had his deputy. Thus we find the " sub-dean," the " sub-chanter " or "succentor," the "vice-chancellor," as recognized members of the cathedral staff. Another officer is the " prselector," or lecturer in theology, who in some cathedrals executes the duties elsewhere performed by the chancellor. We have been speaking hitherto of the cathedrals of secular canons. The monastic cathedrals differed little from ordinary monasteries, save in being governed, in the almost constant absence of their titular abbot, the bishop, by a prior as the real head of their society. Cathedrals of this class are peculiar to England and Germany, which received its religion mainly from England. The monks or regular clergy who served them were, in England, every where of the Benedictine order, except at Carlisle, where they were Austin canons. The distinction between monastic and secular cathedrals in England was perpetuated at the Reformation under the new titles of " Cathedrals of the Old Foundation " and " Cathedrals of the New." In the cathedrals of the former class the foundation remained substantially unchanged. But the monasteries attached to cathedrals having been suppressed by Henry VIII., together with the other religious houses, these cathedrals were founded afresh as chapters of secular canons presided over by a dean. These new chapters were eight in number, viz., Canterbury, Durham, Winchester, Carlisle, Ely, Norwich, Rochester, and Worcester. The members of the chapter were designated, not canons, but prebendaries, an improper appellation, as none had any separate estate or " prsebenda" assigned to them. The highest number of these new prebendaries was twelve, at Canterbury, Durham, and Win chester; the lowest was four, at Carlisle. With these monastic cathedrals may be classed the new sees formed

by Henry VIII. from existing monasteries, viz., Bristol,