' Constitutions ol' the British Colonics in Ainei ica, 2. - 1 Blackstone's, Comm. 108.

•^Stokes's Cons, of the Am. Colonies, 158. And see the diftereut Comluissiou!) themselves in the volumes of the Colonial llistory.

As there were no dioceses as such in the British American Colonies, the King delegated the power of collating to benefices here to his different Governors as his personal representatives. From the same source came their power to grant probate of wills, and marriage licenses.

The spiritual supervision of the Church of England in America, was, as we have seen, first committed by King James to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Later it was deemed most convenient to attach this supervision to the Bishop of London, who appointed "Commissaries" in ditierent parts of America, to oversee the clergy in their different districts, in such matters not purely episcopal, as a Bishop did in his Diocese in England.

As there were then no Dioceses in America, the King in the different Instructions to the Governors, directed them to retain these powers, of collation, to benefices, of granting probate of wills, and of licensing marriages to themselves. This was in virtue both of the King's Legislative power, and his power as Head of the church. Perhaps nothing has been, or is, more misunderstood, and that very honestly, in America than the Royal Supremacy of the Church of England. Of course, it cannot be treated at length here. We can only state the popular idea of it, and then show what it really is. The popular idea of it in this country is, that the Sovereign of England was, and is, the head of the Church of England in spiritual as well as temporal matters, and is the superior of the Archbishops and Bishops in all that relates to their offices as such, and is governed by his or her own ideas of what is true and right in matters of doctrine and discipline.