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Seal, cannot conclude him to have been popissily affected, which was usedby him against such as were so affected.
Not to say, that although the said Seal lay all the Year long locked upin a Chest, but at the Time of Sealing, and that when any Sealing was,there was no Worsliip done by any; yet nevertheless, as soon as he under-stood, that any had taken scruple at it, he presently, to avoid all Pretenceof Scandal, caused the said Seas to be altered, and the Figure of Christ to bewholly omitted.
To the twentieth Article, this Defendant answereth and denieth, that heimployed such to be his Commissioners, rural Deans, and houssiold Chap-lains, whom he knew to be affected to innovating Courses, and popish Super-stition, and to be erroneous and unsound in Practice and Judgment.
And he further faith, that he believeth there was not a Visitation, eithermetropolitical, or diocesan, held in that Diocese, or in any other of this Pro-vince, which in the Memory of Man, by Commissioners more for Number,or more worthy for Quality or good Esteem, than those Persons were, whichhe employed for his primary Visitation, viz. the Chancellor of Norwich , theDean of Norwich, Dr. ’Jones , Dr. Goad, Dr. Warren, Dr. Franklin , Dr,Paule, Dr. Eden, Mr. Britten, Mr. Nouell, and Mr. Mapletojt.
. As for rural Deans, he faith, that he never used that Name, nor did con-stitute any such ; only this was done, considering the Greatness of thatDiocese, and that he himself being to live in his Majesty’s Attendance, shouldnot be able to understand the State thereof, or to give a yearly Account,as was enjoyned by the King’s Instructions; in pursuance therefore of thesaid Instructions, which directed the Bishops, that they should use Means bysome of the Clergy, to have Knowledge, how Preachers within theirDiocese did behave themselves, he directed his Letters to some in every Arch-deaconry, desiring them to sec, wheresoever they came in the Diocese, hoWall Things were carried, and by their Letters to certify him, if they foundObstinacy in any against the Rules of the Church.
Now the Choice of the Men imployed was this; some few of them thisDefendant himself knew ; others upon some Enquiry had been recommendedunto him as grave, judicious, and orderly Men ; and others of them he foundhad long before been made Surrogates under the Seal of the Chancellor, toexecute his Office for him ; but the most of them he took out of a Schedule,which was transmitted formerly to him from the Consistory ; for, the Chan-cellor being desired to furnish this Defendant with the Names of such Divinesas he knew to have been fit to be put in for Assistants in his Visitation, a Listwas sent unto him, out of which he afterwards chose the most of those ruralCommissioners.
As to the Particulars named in this Article, he further frith, that Mr. Ed-mund Mapletojt was made a Commissioner by him, as having at first beenbred at Cambridge under this Defendant, and having then lived above twelveYears a beneficed Man in that Diocese, well esteemed by all Men of Worth,both in the Clergy and Laity, for Learning, Discretion, Piety, and Ho-nesty.
Mr. John Nouell, and Mr. John Duncon, were both Batchelors of Divi-nity, and senior Fellows of the College, where this Defendant was himselffirst bred ; Men every Way as well accounted of, as that University had any,and so were successively taken by him to be his Houssiold Chaplains.
Mr. Buck was not much known unto him, but as he had been very wellreported to him both by the Chancellor and others, for his learned, and
godly