_Bishops and their Precedence_ (Vol. ii., pp. 9. 76.)--The precedence of
bishops is regulated by the act of 31 Hen. VIII. c. 10., "for placing of
the Lords." Bishops are, in fact, temporal barons, and, as stated in
Stephen's _Blackstone_, vol. iii. pp. 5, 6., sit in the House of Peers
in right of succession to certain ancient baronies annexed, or supposed
to be annexed, to their episcopal lands; and as they have in addition
high spiritual rank, it is but right they should have place before those
who, in temporal rank only, are equal to them. This is, in effect, the
meaning of the reason given by Coke in part iii. of the Institutes, p.
361. ed. 1670, where, after noticing the precedence amongst the bishops
themselves, namely, 1. The Bishop of London, 2. The Bishop of Durham, 3.
The Bishop of Winchester, he observes:
"But the other bishops have place above all the barons of the
realm, because they hold their bishopricks of the king per
baroniam; but they give place to viscounts, earls, marquesses,
and dukes."