the Rt. Rev. William Down is above the law in Bermuda.

At a meeting in St. David's last night, Concerned Bermudians chairman Mr.

McNeil Warner said the English expert in Church Constitutional law was researching two questions for the group.

The lawyer was prepared to "come out here and defend our position'' if necessary, Mr. Warner added.

The first question relates to employment of Bermudian clergy. The second asks if it could "be reasonably claimed that a non-Bermudian Bishop enjoys immunity from the effects of local laws''.

In answering that question, the lawyer was asked to consider that the Bishop had been appointed by letters patent from the Queen and that Bermuda was a colony.

About 60 people attended the meeting at St. David's Cricket Club.

The group was started in response to the way Bishop Down named the successor to Archdeacon Thomas Dyson.

It is also unhappy over recent work permit extensions granted to non-Bermudian clergy when it maintains there are three qualified Bermudian priests who are unemployed.

Mr. Warner told the group that he spoke to Home Affairs Minister the Hon.

Irving Pearman about work permits for Anglican clergy.

Mr. Pearman "said he was informed the Bishop was appointed for life or whenever he wished to terminate and the Bermuda Government could not do anything about his removal''.

After the meeting, Mr. Warner aid his group was not calling for Bishop Down's removal.

However, "we say it is a place where we can have a Bermudian'', and "we know some time he has to go,'' he said.