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THE LIFE OF

He therefore denieth, that his Books of Articles were ever intended for thebetter Benefit of the Register, or other Farmer at Norwich, he having nonebut the Register, who was to attend upon the Visitation, forasmuch as thesaid Book was long before prepared, and was in a Manner the fame with thatwhich he used in the Diocese of Hereford , but yet was no Way quarrell’dat there.

And as touching the Number of the Articles of the said Book, he humblyconceiveth, that they which informed the honourable House of Commons,of all others, had least Reason to find Fault with this Defendant, for that,he having given them the greater Scope thereby, and the more Advantageof picking Quarrels against him. But he further faith, that by being trulycareful to tread in the Steps of his Ancestors, and to that End, laying beforehim the Visitation Articles of many godly and worthy Prelates, such as wereBishop Coxe, Cooper, Grindall, Elmer , Watson, Bancroft, Bison , Mountague,Abbot, Andrews, Overall, White, and sundry others, and gathering out ofthem, what he found in every of them for the compiling of his own Book;so that there is scarce an Article therein, which he borrowed not from someothers, the Number of his Articles were somewhat increased above others.And yet, he sindeth, that the Bishop of London in the Third of King fames,had above one hundred Articles in his Book, at which Time, there was, per-haps, much less need of such Enquiries, than now. So had also the Archdea-con of Middlesex, in the Year 1620, and the Bishop of London, in the Year1621, had above one hundred and twenty Articles. And in the Year 1628,he had above one hundred and thirty, and no Quarrel was ever made at any ofthese. A second Occasion arose by dividing his Book, (as others had done,and as was best for Method) into Chapters, under several Pleads and Titles,for, hereby it came to pass, that the same Things, in several Respects, wereset down in this Book of his, and enquired of more than once, as will easilyappear by conferring the second, fourth, sixth, and seventh Chapters, and soby that, the Number of Articles was in a Shew increased. Thirdly, he waswilling to make the more Articles and Questions of them, thereby the betterto provide for the Serenity of Men’s Contciences, and the securing of Men’sMinds; as considering well that the Country plain People are not so able ofthemselves to discern what Particulars are comprised, and intended under ge-neral Questions; that therefore, they might be safe and sure in their ownUnderstandings, and without fear of mistaking, he divided the same into themore Particulars; as in the Chapter concerning Matrimony appeareth, wherethat is distributed into ten, which many others have comprised in two orthree Articles.

He further faith, that it made him the more diligent in his Enquiry, be-cause he knew that he was not to visit there again till seven Years after;whereas, other Bishops do visit every third Year. But he was enjoyned togive the King an Account of the State of the Diocese every Year, by tboMetropolitan, and that also necessarily made him the more careful to be fullyinformed at first, according to the wise Man’s Rule, Vidijli hominem dili'gentem in operesuo, ipse fabit coram regibus, Prov,. xxu. 29.

He also humbly conceiveth, that forasmuch as Churchwardens were swornto make their Presentments uprightly, fully, and truly, it ig not to be com'plained of, but must of Necessity follow, that they were in forced to prefer 11upon pain of Perjury j for, being sworn, their Consciences and christian Dn*ties inforced them so to do; and then, to put them in Mind thereof, w aSbut honest and pious, and in these Times exceeding needful.' As for th eOath of Churchwardens, it was supposed to be of ancient Law, and Use n 1tlie Church of E?igla?id ; and in the Canons of the 1 facobi , was taken as a2 Thu’S