Jane had the Majority of Voices yet great endeavours were used to prefer the Dean whose Party having argued much for it but saw themselves overcome did at last yeild to the Election of Dr. Jane the Votes for him being double to the others The first thing that was done in the Convocation after the chusing the Prolocutor was Decemb. 4th when the Commission from the King was read there being present twelve Bishops the Commission was as follows WIlliam and Mary by the Grace of GOD King and Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland Defenders of the Faith c. To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Whereas in and by one Act of Parliament made at Westminster in the 25th Year of the Reign of King Henry the 8th Reciting That whereas the King 's Humble and Obedient Subjects the Clergy of this Realm of England had not only acknowledged according to the Truth that the Convocation of the same Clergy were always had been and ought to be Assembled only by the King 's Writ but also submitting themselves to the King's Majesty had promised in Verbo Sacerdotis that they would never from thenceforth presume to Attempt Alledge Claim or put in Ure or Enact Promulge or Execute any new Canons Constitutions Ordinances Provincial or others or by whatsoever other Name they should be called in the Convocation unless the said King's most Royal Assent and License might to them be had to Make Promulge and Execute the same and that the said King did give his Royal Assent and Authority in that behalf It was therefore Enacted by the Authority of the said Parliament according to the said Submission and Petition of the said Clergy among other things That they nor any of them from thenceforth should Enact Promulge or Execute any such Canons Constitutions or Ordinances Provincial by whatsoever Name they might be called in their Convocations in time coming which always should be Assembled by Authority of the King 's Writ unless the same Clergy might have the King 's most Royal Assent and License to Make Promulge and Execute such Canons Constitutions and Ordinances Provincial or Synodal upon Pain of every one of the said Clergy doing contrary to the said Act and being thereof Convict to suffer Imprisonment and make Fines at the King 's Will. And further by the said Act it is Provided That no Canons Constitutions or Ordinances should be Made or put in Execution within this Realm by Authority of the Convocations of the Clergy which should be contrariant or repugnant to the King's Prerogative Royal or the Customs Laws or Statutes of this Realm any thing contained in the said Act to the contrary thereof notwithstanding And lastly It is also Provided by the said Act That such Canons Constitutions Ordinances and Synodals Provincial which then were already made and which then were not contrariant or repugnant to the Laws Statutes and Customs of this Realm nor to the Damage or Hurt of the King's Prerogative Royal should then still be Used and Executed as they were before the making of the said Act until such time as they should be Viewed Searched or otherwise Ordered and Determin'd by the Persons mentioned in the said Act or the most part of them according to the Tenor Form and Effect of the said Act as by the said Act among divers other things more fully and at large it doth and may appear And whereas the particular Forms of Divine Worship and Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be used therein being Things of their own Nature Indifferent and Alterable and so acknowledged it is but reasonable that upon weighty and important Considerations according to the various Exigency of Times and Occasions such Changes and Alterations should be made therein as to those that are in Place and Authority should from time to time seem either necessary or expedient And whereas the Book of Canons is fit to be Reviewed and made more suitable to the State of the Church And whereas there are divers Defects and Abuses in the Ecclesiastical Courts and Jurisdictions and particularly there is not sufficient Provision made for the removing of Scandalous Ministers and for the Reformation of Manners either in Ministers or People And whereas it is most fit that there should be a strict Method prescribed for the Examination of such Persons as desire to be admitted into Holy Orders both as to their Learning and Manners Know ye That We for divers urgent and weighty Causes and Considerations Us thereunto moving of Our especial Grace certain Knowledge and meer Motion have by Vertue of Our Prerogative Royal and Supream Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical Given and Granted and by these Presents do give and grant full free and lawful Liberty License Power and Authority into the Right Reverend Father in GOD Henry Lord Bishop of London President of this Present Convocation for the Province of Canterbury upon the Suspension of the Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury during this present Parliament now Assembled and in his Absence to such other Bishops as shall be appointed President thereof and to the rest of the Bishops of the same Province and to all Deans of Cathedral Churches Arch-Deacons Chapters and Colledges and the whole Clergy of every several Diocess within the said Province That they the said Lord Bishop of London or other President of the said Convocation and the rest of the Bishops and other the said Clergy of this present Convocation within the said Province of Canterbury or the greatest number of them whereof the President of the said Convocation to be always one shall and may from time to time during this present Parliament Confer Treat Debate Consider Consult and Agree of and upon such Points Matters Causes and Things as We from time to time shall Propose or cause to be proposed by the said Lord Bishop of London or other President of the said Convocation comercing Alterations and Amendments of the Liturgy and Canons and Orders Ordinances and Constitutions for the Reformation of Ecclesiastical Courts for the Removing of Scandalous Ministers for the Reformation of Manners either in Ministers or People and for the Examination of such Persons as desire to be admitted into Holy Orders and all such other Points Causes and Matters as We shall think Necessary and Expedient for advancing the Honour and Service of Almighty GOD the Good and Quiet of the Church and the better Government thereof And we do also by these Presents Give and Grant unto the said Lord Bishop of London or other President of the said Covocation and to the rest of the Bishops of the said Province of Canterbury and unto all Deans of Cathedral Churches Arch-Deacons Chapters and Colledges and the whole Clergy of every several Diocess within the said Province full free and lawful Liberty License Power and Authority That they the said Lord Bishop of London or other President of the said Convocation and the rest of the said Bishops and other the Clergy of the same
if duly considered may prevent the prejudicate Opinions of such as have any sober Principles or serious Thoughts least unawares they be tempted to curse those that bless them in the Name of the Lord and to bless those that curse their Father and Mother in that heretofore most abused Scripture Judges 5.23 Curse ye Meroz curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty And blessed above Women shall they be that put their hands to the nail and their right-hands to the workman's hammer to smite off the head of Sisera and destroy all the carved works of our Temples with Axes and Hammers We are told that we have many Enemies and so we ever had and are like to have as all may see that read what comes from the Press and what is preached from the Pulpit by Men of our own Communion witness what was lately preached in several Congregations That we are raising within our own mind and in the minds of the people over whom we have any influence all the sowerness and peevishness that is possible That the things proposed when yet there is nothing proposed are of themselves so desirable though there should be no Dissenter gained by them and such as will tend to the making all the parts of our Offices both more unexceptionable and more edifying and if we let slip the present advantages that we have what is to be said upon it but that this is of the Lord who by it is punishing us for our other Sins for our remisness in our Duties for our neglect of our Pastoral Care for our slackning that strictness of Life which becomes our Profession for our indulging our selves too much in Sensuality and Laziness and he thanks God for the Liberty that the Service of God is secured to all Men of following the Dictates of Conscience in the Service of God and that we are freed from all the Remnants of the worst part of Popery that we had too long retained I mean saith he the Spirit of Persecution Though the same person had vindicated the Church from such a Spirit in several other Tracts I shall only add to make this Apology compleat what Festus said of Agrippa Acts 25.23 It seems to me unreasonable to send a Prisoner and not withall to signifie the Crimes laid against him And certainly as yet there are no Crimes laid against us of the Country or you that are of the Convocation for it cannot be a Crime in them that are Men of good Reputation and honest Conversations not to do that which is both against the Law of the Land and against the Dictates of their own Consciences It is not a Crime for a Man not to do what none as yet hath required of him to do It is not a Crime for a Man to do that which he is well perswaded will be but lost labour when it is done and yet for these things we are defamed accused and condemned and exposed as so many Offenders to be executed at the will of the Rabble Were it so that the Question had been proposed whether we would admit of Alterations or not yet all Law and Equity gives Malefactors the priviledge of making a defence especially when their Reputation their Livelihoods and even their Lives are concern'd An accused person ought to have his Enemy face to face and hear his Inditement and plead guilty or not guilty but none of these things have yet been permitted to us And if it be crime enough to be accused no mortal Man hath his Innocency secured These are I hope competent Reasons for this present Vndertaking it being a thing natural for a Man to defend himself there being no living Creature so void of Sense as not to avoid another that attempts to destroy him and every Worm will turn upon him that would tread on it And if an innocent person chance to injure another that injuriously assaults him he is alway held guiltless as having done it Se defendendo This Sir is what the irregular and groundless Proceedings of some Dissenters have exacted from us to mollifie if it be possible the Temper of the People as well as to abate the confident Calumnies of our Enemies Which God of his infinite Mercy grant I am Sir Wholly yours as you are the Churches Servant VOX CLERI OR THE Sense of the Clergy CONCERNING ALTERATIONS in the Established LITURGY c. SIR THE Intelligence you were pleased to give me of the Election of Dr. Jane to be Prolocutor of the Convocation gives great satisfaction to the Clergy of these Parts and that he was Chosen by much the major part of your Members is lookt on as a good Omen of Success in your Proceedings for the good of the Church as by Law established He being generally known to be a Person extraordinarily well qualified as well in respect of his Parts and Pietȳ as of Loyalty and Love to the Church I have as you desired been very solicitous to inform my self concerning the Sentiments of the Clergy in my Neighbourhood whether they think it convenient that there should be Alterations made in the Liturgy Government and Discipline of the Church or not And although I find them very inclinable to part with several Ceremonies and to submit to many Alterations for the peace of the Church and satisfaction of sober Dissenters yet considering what weightier Matters the Dissenters seek to remove they suppose it more advisable not to part with any thing to those that will not be satisfied unless they may carry all And for this Opinion of theirs which they humbly submit to the more mature determination of the Convocation they humbly offer the following Considerations 1. They think it very reasonable that such as are aggrieved should make their Application to the Convocation to whom His Majesty hath given Power to prepare such Remedies as may by the Parliament receive the force of a Law for so says the Commission So that the things by you so considered and prepared may be in a readiness to be offered to the Convocation at their next meeting and when approved by them may be presented to us and our Two Houses of Parliament that if it shall be judged fit they may be established in due form of Law It cannot be expected that the several Sects should agree in Common Proposals but that such of them as will be satisfied with what in Reason and Conscience may be granted and then I should not doubt that they would be gratified and a good agreement made for all agree according to our Subscriptions that such Ceremonis as concern Discipline and Order may upon just causes be altered and changed but whether Alterations should be made when they are like to produce more hurt than good is what we think worthy of consideration in the present case And we think we have a Moral assurance that whatever Concessions the Convocation can make with safety to themselves will
the Communion of the Church as now established and his former and late Declarations to favour and protect it for which the Convocation have addressed their Thanks and doubt not of it 4. The House of Lords have given us their Sense of it in the Bill of Vnion Ans We must expect their Sense nothing being as yet determined by them as to new Alterations and the Act for Uniformity stands unrepealed by them 5. Toleration is already granted by Statute Ans That is a greater favour than was granted to the Church-party in the late Wars for almost Twenty years together when Dissenters were in Power and that should suffice them which they accounted too much for others 2. It is well known at whose instance and for whose sake Tolerations were formerly granted viz. of such as were professed Papists and that under a false pretence That the pressing of Uniformity had not procured the desired success but the true Reason was that it was too successful 3. The Reasons given by a very Religious and Loyal Parliament against Toleration are irrefragable which were passed Nemine contradicente in the Parliament 1662 and may be seen in several Printed Tracts This Parliament in the Act for Uniformity did as much as was possible to perpetuate the Liturgy then Established to future Generations ordering all Deans and Chapters to procure Copies of it under the Great Seal and perfect Copies of the Act of Uniformity and the like were to be kept in the Courts of Westminster and in the Tower of London that by them any Error committed by the Printer might be rectified 4. The Eyes of the World are upon us and all the Reformed Churches are in expectation of something to be done which may make for Vnion and Peace Answ The Eyes of the Christian World admire as well the Holiness of our Doctrine as the Beauty of our Worship and Administration as also the great things that God hath done for our Church to preserve it as hitherto blessed be his Name he hath graciously done against all the violent Attempts of Popish Fury and Fanatick Zeal And as for the great Numbers of Irish and French Protestants which are now among us if we consult them they will all acknowledge the great Goodness of God in preserving our Church to be a Sanctuary unto them from the Rage of their Persecutors and heartily joyn with us in all our Ordinances without any scruple against either our Doctrine or Ceremonies And this gives us much ease under our domestick Troubles and hopes that it will be a benefit to us if well considered by them that are otherwise minded No Man can be wise too late saith our Author pag. 24. But it 's too late to shut the Stable-door when the Steed is stollen Principiis obsta is a wise Rule Page 25. After the Year 1661 though there were Writs issued out for a Convocation yet no Warrant could be procured for the Support and Incouragement of the Church during the Reigns of Charles the Second and James the Second Answ The reason was because the Dissenters of all sorts seared what would be done in the Case of Toleration and Indulgence as now they do in the Case of Comprehension and therefore the Meeting was delayed And he thinks it no good Advice of them that say Do nothing now or as little as may be when little or much is not the business but as much as is fit he should have said Vpon great and important Reasons He adds If one Opportunity be neglected it may discourage the Powers that offer it from vouchsafing another Answ We have heard indeed That if the intended Alterations be not made by the Convocation it may be done without them in time If so it will be their comfort that they did not put their Hands to the pulling down the Church upon their own Heads In the mean time we of the Country are much amused to hear of your tedious Adjournments and know not what to guess at as the occasion of those delays unless it be to give the Dissenters time to spread abroad scandalous Reports of such of the Convocation that carried the Election of Dr. Jane to be Prolocutor against those who Voted for Dean Tillotson who as we have heard claimed it as his Right belonging to that Deanary though we have been since informed that there belongs to that Deanary only Jus dirigendi Electionem which implies That the Convocation had the Power and Right of Election and that Dr. Tillotson was not then confirmed in that Deanary but that the Election was carried only by three or four Voices and given up by Dr. Tillotson's Party to prevent any disturbance But you have assured us that it was otherwise there being Two to One who Voted for Dr. Jane And now that we see Letter after Letter sent abroad to cast an Odium on such as shall not Vote for Alterations though they see not any sufficient cause so to do but great and important Reasons for the contrary we think that we see the reason of your Adjournments which have given a Month's time to others to prepare and disperse such Pamphlets as may tend to your prejudice and prepossess the People that you are the Enemies of Peace and Reconciliation and to this end he complains First as the usual Practice is of those Church-men who by means of any Letters or Pamphlets containing uncharitable Misrepresentations of the Commissioners or the Work under their hands are prejudiced against them for he condemns such as Enemies to Peace and as having a Zeal not according to Knowledge but neither this Author nor any other since the first meeting of the Convocation have taken any care to prevent the prejudices that some have endeavoured to raise against the far greatest part of them for chusing Dr. Jane rather than Dean Tillotson and whereas we have not yet seen one Pamphlet or Printed Letter to perswade us that there is no necessity of Alterations we have very many that not without great Zeal would incline us to think them necessary And this Work being done by way of preparation our hope is that the Convocation will meet with no more Adjournments but closely apply themselves to what shall be proposed by their Majesties and give the Nation the Result of their Consultations and the Reasons of them And so I joyn with the Author earnestly beseeching the People not to give too open an Ear to any such Censures of Things which they do not yet fully understand and which for ought they know may prove a great Blessing to them The next Paper whereof I shall give you my thoughts is A Letter from a Minister in the Country to a Member of the Convocation The Author needed not have told us that he was a Country-Minister for though there be in the Country many Ministers who for their Learning may be without disparagement compared with most of the City-Ministers yet the Matter of his Letter as it is penned shews that he
before the Communion That our sinful Bodies may be made clean by his Body and our Souls washed through his most precious Blood i.e. that both our Souls and Bodies may receive all the benefits of his Death and Passion In the Office of Baptism By the Baptism of thy well beloved Son in the River Jordan didst sanstifie Water i. e. didst appoint and consecrate the Element of Water to be the outward sign of the Grace conferred in that Sacrament by the Blood and Merits of Christ In the Office of Matrimony With my Body I thee Worship Which signifies a civil Respect and Honour and is more significant than what they would exchange it for viz. I give thee Power over my Body In that of Burial Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God to take to himself c. By which no more is meant than what as some understand the Scripture says The Spirit returns to God that gave it or if it supposeth Discipline so it expresseth Charity where Discipline hath not excluded them from the Communion of the Church that we hope they rest with God So in the Collect for Easter-Sunday where the Preface and the Petition want a better Connexion The Preface and Connexion are thus That as God by Christ hath opened to us the Gate of everlasting Life so he would prepare us for that life putting into our Hearts good Desires by his special Grace preventing us and by his continual help we may bring the same to good effect So the first Sunday after Easter c. the Preface is Almighty God who hast given thy only Son to die for our Sins and to rise for our Justification The Connexion is Grant us so to die unto sin which is the sense of to put away the leaven of Malice that we may serve thee in pureness of living and truth i. e. we may live unto God 2. He instanceth in some things liable to misapplication as in the Visitation of the Sick By his Authority committed to me I absolve thee which the Priest having prayed God to do he applieth in Nomine domini in the Name of the Father c. By the Authority committed to me as God's Minister I absolve thee Jo. 20.23 And the Answer in the Catechism The Body and Bloud of Christ which are verily and indeed taken and received by the Faithful in the Lord's Supper i. e. in a spiritual but real manner by the faithful Communicants for there is sufficient caution given against the Doctrine of Transubstantiation So in the Exhortation for warning of the Communion Because it is requisite no Man should come to the Holy Communion but with a full trust in God's Mercy and with a quiet Conscience For if St. Paul says we may not partake of common things with a doubting Conscience Rom. 14.5 much less of spiritual And when Men consult the Lawyers for their Estates and Physitians for their Bodies why should they not consult the Ministers for their Souls Such again are those Collects which too much incline to the Pelagian Phrase laying the force of temptation and Man's liableness to sin upon the frailty and not the corruption of our Nature as the first and 24th Sunday after Trinity what they mean by frailty that first Collect explains to be such as that without God we can do no good thing which is the great corruption of our Nature and no Doctrine concerning the corruption of Nature is more plain than that in our Articles Lastly Some Collects he says are too fanciful and savour of the Breviary as those of St. Luke St. John Simon and Jude Answ Whatever in the Breviaries are taken out of the Scripture or Authentick and Ancient Ecclesiastical History is not therefore to be rejected and that St. Luke was that beloved Physitian mentioned Col. 4.14 is the constant assertion of all Interpreters and the express words of the Scripture therefore no Legend Of these he says That in a sort they need amendment And so doth the Judgment of this nice Enquirer who I fear hath lost his Rationale which he might easily supply from Dr. Comber's or Bishop Sparrow's Discourses A Man would think this Writer to have been hired to betray the Cause of the Dissenters by his weak and impertinent Arguments for its defence and a great conviction it will be to many that there need no Alterations to be made when their prime Advocate insists on such Instances as render him vain and ridiculous Many things he would add to the Office of Confirmation viz. An Exhortation on the Sunday before and a Discourse about the Nature Use and Obligation of it and a serious Exhortation after it with some Inlargements of the Collects by all which he provides to bring down the Bishops to more labour than he would have any Country-Minister to perform considering what other Offices they usually perform at the same time viz. Administration of the Holy Sacraments Ordination of Priests and Deacons c. It were easie saith our Author to be copious on this Argument But he hath said enough by chusing out such instances as are beyond all exceptions for their significancy and self-evidence so that the very reading of them is a sufficient Confutation of this Author's Cavils and a Justification of them from his frivolous Accusations which not being very grateful to him as he confesseth will be very offensive to others Yet so importune are some sort of Men he will not leave the point so but will shew that this is a fit season for such Alterations when he hath not shewn the least cause much less any necessity for making of them but first he lays the blame on some that are in the Convocation that should tell him This is not a season which he would disprove by this Question Is there any thing can make that not to be seasonable which is always a Duty As if it were alway a Duty to make needless Alterations 2. Is there any Season in which we are not as much as in us lieth to seek Peace and ensue it Answ The Peace of the Church is more to be valued than of those who disquiet themselves and others in vain Was it a Season for the Representatives of our Church to declare when they were not in a condition They wanted not a tenderness toward Dissenters And is it not their Season when they are in a condition which I heartily wish they were even for the Dissenters sake because he hath said He doubts not but they would agree to the Alterations that are desired But suppose says he there were never a Dissenter in the Land I say we might have a happier and fitter Season when there would be none that watch for our haltings and seek occasion to accuse us from our own Concessions and will reject them with scorn and contempt and so our Liturgy and Worship which the Letter says was compleat and perfect before be exposed as not only infirm but so corrupt that it needed Alterations and that for
Province or the greatest Number of them that shall be present in Person or by their Proxies shall and may from time to time draw into Forms Rules Orders Ordinances Constitutions and Canons such Matters as to them shall seem Necessary and Expedient for the Purposes abovementioned and the same set down in Writing from time to time to Exhibit and Deliver or cause to be Exhibited and Delivered unto us to the end that We as Occasion shall require may thereupon have the Advice of Our Parliament And that such and so many of the said Canons Orders Ordinances Constitutions Matters Causes and Things as shall be thought Requisite and Convenient by Our said Parliament may be presented to Us in due Form for Our Royal Assent if upon Mature Consideration thereof We shall think fit to Enact the same In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent Witness Ourselves at Westminster the 30th Day of November in the First Year of Our Reign Per Breve de privato Sigello BURKER Vera Copia J. C. N. P. His Majesty's Gracious Message to the Convocation sent by the Earl of Nottingham as followeth WILLIAM R. HIs Majesty has Summon'd this Convocation not only because 't is usual upon holding of a Parliament but out of a Pious Zeal to do every thing that may tend to the best Establishment of the Church of England which is so eminent a Part of the Reformation and is certainly the best suited to the Constitution of this Government and therefore does most signally deserve and shall always have both His Favour and Protection and he doubts not but that you will assist Him in promoting the Welfare of it so that no Prejudices with which some Men may have laboured to possess you shall disappoint His good Intentions or deprive the Church of any Benefit from your Consultations His Majesty therefore expects that the Things that shall be proposed shall be calmly and impartially Considered by you and assures you that he will offer nothing to you but what shall be for the Honour Peace and Advantage both of the Protestant Religion in general and particularly of the Church of England The Bishops ADDRESS WE Your Majesty's most Dutiful Subjects the Bishops and Clergy of the Province of Canterbury in Convocation assembled having received Your Majesty's Gracious Message together with a Commission from Your Majesty by the Earl of Nottingham hold ourselves bound in Gratitude and Duty to return our most Humble Thanks and Acknowledgements of the Grace and Goodness expressed in Your Majesty's Message and the Zeal You shew in it for the Protestant Religion in general and the Church of England in particular and of the Trust and Confidence reposed in us by this Commission We look on these Marks of Your Majesty's Care and Favour as the Continuance of the great Deliverance Almighty God wrought for us by Your Means in making You the Blessed Instrument of Preserving us from falling under the Cruelty of Popish Tyranny for which as we have often Thanked Almighty God so we cannot forget that high Obligation and Duty which we owe to Your Majesty and on these new Assurances of Your Protection and Favour to our Church we beg leave to renew the Assurance of our constant Fidelity and Obedience to Your Majesty Whom we Pray GOD to continue Long and Happily to Reign over us This Address was not approved of by the Lower House who thought they had the Priviledge wanting the Books of Presidents to present one of their own drawing but that not being admitted it was voted by the Lower House to make some Amendments which were not agreed on till after a Conference with the Bishops the Lower House insisting that they would confine themselves to the King's Declaration and to what concerned especially the Church of England whereupon a Conference was desired and a Committee appointed to attend the Lords The Conference was managed chiefly between the Bishop of Salisbury and the Prolocutor the Bishop urged That the Church of England was not distinguished from other Protestant Churches but by its Hierarchy and Revenues and that it was an equivocal Expression for if Popery should prevail it would be called the Church of England still To which the Prolocutor answered That the Church of England was distinguished by its Doctrine as it stands in the Articles Liturgy and Homelies as well as by its Hierarchy and that the Term of Protestant Churches was much more Equivocal because Socinians Anabaptists and Quakers assumed that Title After this we heard no more Reply but a Committee of the Convocation in the Lower House having drawn up another Form it was consented to And Thanks were given to the Prolocutor for managing the Conference And the Address as agreed on to be Presented was as followeth WE Your Majesty's most Loyal and most Dutiful Subjects the Bishops and Clergy of the Province of Canterbury in Convocation Assembled having received a most Gracious Message from Your Majesty by the Earl of Nottingham hold ourselves bound in Duty and Gratitude to return our most Humble Acknowledgments for the same and for the Pious Zeal and Care Your Majesty is pleased to express therein for the Honour Peace Advantage and Establishment of the Church of England Whereby we doubt not the Interest of the Protestant Religion in all other Protestant Churches which is dear to us will be the better secured under the Influence of Your Majest's Government and Protection And we crave leave to assure Your Majesty That in pursuance of that Trust and Confidence You repose in us we will consider whatsoever shall be offered to us from Your Majesty without Prejudice and with all Calmness and Impartiality And that we will constantly Pay the Fidelity and Allegiance which we have all Sworn to Your Majesty and the Queen Whom we pray GOD to continue Long and Happily to Reign over us This Address was presented on Thursday the 12th of December in the Banquetting-Chamber His Majesty's most Gracious Answer to the Bishops Address c. My LORDS I Take this Address very kindly from the Convocation You may depend upon it that all I have promised and all that I can do for the Service of the Church of England I will do And I give you this new Assurance that I will improve all Occasions and Opportunities for its Service I. In the Adjournments it was first debated What Proxies each Man might have from those that were absent and it was agreed that one Man might have four II. Whether those Bishops that had Arch-Deaconries annexed to their Bishopricks might grant Proxies to any Member of the Lower House of Convocation to Vote for them III. Whether such Proctors for the Clergy as had not appeared might grant their Proxies Which was resolved in the Affirmative Presidents being found for the same Then it was complained that the Convocation wanted the Books of Presidents belonging to the Convocation and it being said that the Bishop of Asaph and Dean Tillotson