M atthew wren, d. d. IZ

I. Whereas many Chancels of Churches during Queen Elizabeth's Reign, Articles of lm-and ever since, were flat, and order’d to continue as they were, by the Ru- ^^vfmjhopbrick, he being Bishop of Norwich, without any lawful Authority, injoin’d in Wren, July1636, that the fame should be rais’d with two or three, and sometimes with 20 ' l6 + 1-four Steps, that the Communion-Table placed Altar-wile, might be seen by

the People.

II. In the same Year he order’d, that the Communion-Table, appointedby the Rubrick, to be placed in the Body of the Church, should be set at theEast End of the Chancel.

III. He in the same Year enjoin’d, that a Rail should be set about theTable, within which the Minister only should enter, as being too holyfor the People; some of whom, as Daniel Wayman, and others were punishedfor going within it.

IV. The more to advance blind Superstition, he in the same Year, caus’dall the Pews in the Churches to be so alter’d, that all the People might kneelwith their Faces eastward towards the Communion-Table, so set Al tar-wise.

V. In the fame Year he enjoin’d, that after Part of the Morning-Prayerwas read in the Desk, the Minister should go to the Table as a moreholy Place, and read Part of the Communion-Scrvice, now call’d the secondService, tho’ no Communion was to be administer’d ; whereby the Con-sciences of divers, both Ministers and People, have been grieved, and theService render’d unprofitable, the People being not able to hear it in thatPlace.

VI. Both he and his Chaplains, and others of the Clergy by his Ex-ample, after the Table was so placed, used so many Bowings and Ado-rations towards it, as have given great Scandal to sincere and well affectedChristians.

.VII. He in the fame Year enjoin’d all Persons to receive the Sacramentkneeling at the said Rail, and that Ministers should not give the Communionotherwise; which caused many good People, for sear of Idolatry, to avoidit, who yet were excommunicated for not receiving.

VIII. In the fame Year he enjoined, that there should be no Sermons onthe Lord’s-Days in the Afternoons, or Week-Days, without his Licence, andthat there should be no Catechising, besides such Questions and Answers asare contain d in the Common-Prayer, not allowing the Ministers to explainthe fame to the Auditors. And the more to confirm the People in pro-faning the Lord’s-Day, he enjoin’d the Ministers to read publickly in theChurches a Book allowing Sports on it ; for not doing which, several weresuspended by him, as Mr. William Leigh, &c. and some depriv’d, as Mr. Je-remy Burroughs and others.

IX. There having been formerly different ringing of Bells, when therewas a Sermon, from what was used when there were only Prayers, he tohinder the People’s Edification, order’d, in the fame Year, that this Differenceshould be left off.

X. Whereas many godly Ministers, to prevent unworthy receiving theLord’s-Supper, used to preach a Preparation Sermon two or three Days beforethe Communion, he prohibited the Ministers of his Diocese doing it any .longer.

XI. Endeavouring to suppress the Power and Efficacy of Prayer, hein the fame Year enjoin’d, that no Minister should pray before Sermon, butonly move the People to pray in the Words of the 50th Canon, which is notWarranted by Law; and when he has been where the Preacher did pray, heused to discountenance the same, by sitting on his Seat without any Re-verence.

E

XII.