MATTHEW W R E K, D. L>.

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And in the daily Prayers of the Church of England,' this was retained .ac“ the Reformation; and that Psalm in which is vcnite, adoremus, is com-" rnanded to begin the Morning Service every Day. And for ought I know,

" the Priest may as well leave out the vcnite, as the adoremus • the calling“ the People to their Duty, as the Duty itself when they are come.

“ Therefore even according to the Service-Book of the Church of Eng-“ land, the Priest and the People both are called upon, for external and" bodily Reverence, and Worship of God in his Church. Therefore they“ who do it, do not innovate j and yet the Government is lo moderate,

“ (God grant it be not too loose the while) that no Man is constraint,

“ no Man question’d, only religiously called upon, venite adoremus, Come,

“ let us worjhip, &c.

“ In Bishop Jewel's Reply to Harding' s Answer, where Harding names P. 127.

" divers Ceremonies, and particularly bowing themselves, and adoring at“ the Sacrament; I fay, adoring at the Sacrament, not adoring the Sacra-" ment: There Bishop fewel approves all, both the kneeling and the bow-“ ing,—and further adds, That they are commendable Gejlures, and Tokens of .

" Devotion, so long as the People understand what they mean, and apply them" unto God. Now with us, the People did ever understand them fully, and“ apply them to God, and to none but God, till these factious Spirits, and" their like, to the great Disservice of God and his Church, went about“ to persuade them, that they are superstitious, if not idolatrous Gestures;

“ as they make every thing else to be, where God is not served slovenly."

Further to recite the Expressions of the same Prelate, (used upon another Archlijhofs

Occasion) in Defence of external Worship of God.-" Ever since I came Speech t0 tht

" in Place, I have laboured nothing more, than that the external Worship os" God (so much slighted in divers Parts of this Kingdom) might be pre-Ruihworth.

" fbrv’d, and that with as much Decency and Uniformity as might be j for p s rt - v ° l%" I evidently saw, that the publick Neglect of God’s Service in the outward ‘ 137

“ Face of it, and the nasty lying of many Places dedicated to that Service,

" had almost cast a Damp upon the true and inward Worship of God, which“ while we live in the Body, needs external Helps, and all little enough" to keep it in Vigour : And this I did to the utmost of my Knowledge,

" according both to Law and Canon, c ' 3 c."

It must surely appear very strange and unaccountable in all After-times,that " Contriving Pews in Churches to face the Ea/i ; regulating Prayers a?idSermons , and ringing of Bells ; * Enquiries, whether any Persons discourseprofanely at Meal-time, of Religion, or the Holy Scriptures ; whether Miniftersexpound the Holy Scriptures in the Sense of the primitive Fathers ; all ne-cessary Branches of Pastoral Care and Authority in a Diocese, should bedeemed highly criminal in a Christian Bishop, by a Sedi affecting ChristianPurity, and the Denomination of Saints.

It happen’d providentially, that the Bishop of, Ely was not brought to aTrial, lo that his Apology and the Arguments he had prepared to defeat theArticles of Impeachment, came not to the public Ear.—The Case in short,

Was this;-When his Lordjhip had received Notice to prepare for his

Trial, on a Day appointed, he composed a just and nervous Defence of him-self, with a Serenity of Mind, and Courage, consistent with his Innocence:

The Manuscript containing what he intended to urge in his Vindication,

Was (with Injunction of Secrecy) put into the Hands of a Lawyer, a reputed

* In Observance of the Ninth Canon, (Nemine dijjientiente) in the Convocation, May 1640.entitled, " One Book of Articles of Enquiry to be used at all Parochial Visitations; con-

nrmed under the Great Seal.” [Rujhworth' s Coll. Part II. Vol. II. p. 1187.J

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Friend,