91

MATTHEW WREN, D. D.

But let the Counsel advise, what shall be answered, for it is not said atwhich Sermon, nor of what Preacher, nor in what Church there, nor whennor what is meant by using or making any other Prayer. And this Defendantis confident, that they cannot instance in any Time, but eleven Years ago,that is, near six Years before he was Bishop of Norwich, at which time therewas some arguing betwixt Mr. Ward and this Defendant touching the fame,which being so, it shews, that it was no new Thing in him, when he was aBishop to express himself in that sort among them.

Lastly he answereth and faith, that the Sick, if they did desire the Prayersof the Congregation, should be prayed for in the reading Desk, and no where-e lfe, reading the two Collects which are set down for the Visitation of the Sick.And this he did, not only to decline the Inconveniencies before mention’d, butalso that there might be an Uniformity, and one Kind of Praying for the Sick,whether there were a Sermon or no. The said Form having been long lauda-bly used in the collegiate Church of Wejlminjter, whereof he was then anUnworthy Member, and being more properly the Prayers of the Congrega-tion ; and also it feemeth to be intended by James Bishop of Winton, (nowwith God) by his Articles 1617. Art. 26. But howsoever (as he humblyconceiveth) it was by Law left to be order’d by the Direction of theOrdinary.

To the twelfth Article, this Defendant answereth, and faith, that he did in-quire whether their Minister did preach standing, and in his Gown with hisSurplice and Hood (if he were a Graduate) and his Head uncover’d. Also, thathe did direct, that the Minister should at all times, be in his Surplice and Hoodwhen he was’ in publick Execution of any part of his priestly Function : but hedenieth, that this was done to alienate the People’s Hearts from hearing Sermons?or that it could alienate their Hearts at all, or could be offensive to them as a scan-dalous Innovation, as being a Thing not used before in the Diocese. For thisDefendant knoweth, that the reading of the Litany upon Sundays, Wednesdaysand Fridays; the reading of the AthanaJianCvzQdi thirteen times in the Year uponFestival Days, the reading of the Commination upon Afh-wednesday, yea, andthe reading of that part of the daily Service, which is call’d the Communion-Service, were things not used before in that Diocese, or not in the most Placesthereof; yet could not the reducing these Things into due Practice, be foffight) offensive to any, nor ought to be reputed as scandalous Innovations.He therefore humbly conceiveth, that for them to have receded and variedfrom those Rights and Usages which werq accustomed in the Church ofEngland upon the Reformation established in the Reign of Eliz. and sincethen to have arbitrarily taken up any other Usages, all the Innovation and Scan-dal lay i n that: but to reinforce what then at first was practised, and to re-duce Things back again to what they were before; this was but to re-move the said Scandal by a fair and regular declining of that Innovation. AsWhen the Papists call us Protestants nova tores, and charge ns with Innova-tion in what we differ from them, our true Answer is, that the Innovation is ontheir Part, who have brought those Things into the Church, which were notiu Use, in the pure and primitive Times, unto which Times the reformedChurch of England endeavours to conform. And so alike it fares now withthose, which have had any Recourse to the Beginnings of the Reformationhere, thereby to avoid some exotick Customs laterly brought in ; the depart-Mg from which cannot now be rightly charged to be any Innovation.

.He also Faith, that he cannot understand, how wearing the Surplice canalienate the People’s Hearts from hearing of Sermons, unless it be withal ac-knowledge that it is meant of such People only, whose Hearts are indeed' " alienated