5v T HE LIFE OF

V/&S so careful of all Convenience in that Point, that where the Minister*{raising his Voice as he ought to do, though some, of evil Purpose, wouldnot) was not fully heard there, he should go nearer to the People ; and theTable also, if need were, should be set lower down, as at St. Edmund'%-bury>Lavenham\ atid other Places; and at Yarmouth, that for this very Cause theMinister, even when there was no Communion, sliould not go to the Table toread the Service there, And this, in the Visitation, was often said by theCommissioners, that if any Church were over large, upon due Informationthereof made, Direction should be given, where to stand, that they might besufficiently heard.

And therefore, he humbly prayeth, the Consideration in this Point maythus far be had, seeing the Complaint is laid, because the People could nothear the said Communion-service, and that the laid Complaint can only bemeant of a very few of the People, such as lat very remote, and in the ut-most Parts of some very large Churches (scarce one such of forty throughoutthe Diocese.) How necessarily it is inferred, that in every Congregation itcould not but be very profitable to all the People, in a far greater Measurethan it had been before this Defendant came into that Diocese, because then,not in one Church of forty, any of the People did hear a Word of the said Ser-vice. For generally, it was not read at all in the Churches: but after the secondLesson, they sung a Psalm, and so the Sermon began, and that was all theydid (a few Places excepted) leaving out the whole Communion-service, or themost Part of it, when there was no Communion.

For the general Redress wherein caused by this Defendant’s Care, he isready to make it appear as well by Letters of Joy, Applause, and Thanks,written from the Dean and Canons, the Chancellor, sundry Gentlemen, andgrave Ministers, as also by Testimony of many other godly and worthy Men,how far their Consciences were from Offence ; and on the contrary, howmuch they were joyed for the due Reverence, and compleat Observance ofGod’s Service.

Lastly, therefore, he humbly prayeth, that it may be observed, that thePreface to the Book of Common Prayer, sayeth, that for the Resolution ofall Doubts, concerning the Manner how to understand, and to do, and to exe-cute the Things contained in the Service-book, the Bishop of the Diocese ffiallby his Discretion, take Order for the same, so that his Order be not contraryto any Thing contained in the fame. And if the Bilhop do doubt, he mayhave Resolution thereof from the Archbishop. This Preface being (as hehumbly conceivcth) confirmed by Law, and the Archbishop's Resolutiontherein being also publickly known ; this Defendant hopeth, that he did no-thing in this Point (especially upon the Reasons before alledged) but whatwas by Law warrantable.

To the Sixth Article, this Defendant answereth and denieth, that the Bow-ings and Adorations which he used, were superstitious Gestures, or that theywere dangerous Examples to draw others to the like ; or that they are anyScandal or Offence to found, sincere, or well-affected Christians; or, thathis Chaplains or others followed his Example of bowing, after the Table wasset altarwise.

But this he humbly acknowledged, that when he entereth into anyChurch, or Chapel, consecrated to God’s Service, or departed from it ; asalso, when he approached to the Lord’s Table, or receded from it, andwhen in the Time of the Divine Service, the Lord Jesus is mentioned, heperformed an Adoration by lowly and reverently bowing of his Body ; theReason of all which he humbly offered in these ensuing Arguments,

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