they make twenty that cannot teach and so idle shepheards are set up in the roome of true Pastors They that can teach are bound hand and foot till they get a licence But sithence Christ bad his Priests preach who should forbid them preaching said Wickleffe in the exposition of his Conclusions exhibited to the Bishops When they have gotten licence either they loyter or if they preach their preaching is hedged in with penalties injunctions caveats canons advertisements that they may not deliver the whole counsell of God or else they play the part of prophane Orators with affected eloquence or make the people laugh with merry tales as the Authour of the Admonition to the Parliament doth relate To conclude then a bare Reader of the service booke in English is sufficient to be an English priest In the rest of his administration according to the prescript either of the Q. Injunctions so that they be not repugnant to the lawes or of the Liturgie set forth by publique authoritie This Liturgie maintaineth a Reading Ministerie for it requireth nothing necessarily to bee done by the Minister which a child of ten yeare old cannot doe as well and as lawfully as that man wherewith the booke contenteth it selfe Preaching is but accidentall and accessorie without the which their office doth and may consist And indeed boyes and senselesse Asses are our common Ministers for the most part for common reason may serve the turn and do this feat well enough It is indeed lesse busie then the Popish Priests service because the Kalender and the Rutricks of the book are fewer and plainer then his Portuise and Pic were So that lesse Clerkes then 〈◊〉 priâ—sts which had but some blind Latine in their belly may serve for our store say the Authours of the Admonition to the Parliament The administration according to the prescript of the booke of Liturgie doth concerne either the Bishop or the Church or the Minister himselfe The Bishop to wit in confirmation of children The Church either in certaine rites as bowing the knee or in certaine answeres Of Bishopping we have entreated before The Congregations part standeth in some rites and gestures or in some answers Now the people sit now they stand up When the old Testament is read or the lessons they make no reverence but when the Gospell commeth then they all stand up they thinke that to be of greatest authoritie and are ignorant that the Scriptures come from one Spirit They make curtesie when Iesus is named either in Sermon lesson or otherwise uncovering their heads and making a leg with such scraping on the ground that the Minister or Reader cannot be heard for a space thereafter And yet saith the Author of the Petition to the Qu. The Bishops and their Chaplaines seldome use this unlesse it be at reading of the Gospell as if the Gospell were more holy then the rest of the Scripture especially they forget it when lustily and bravely they sweare by the name of Iesus The name of Iesus is more reverenced then the name of Saviour which is of the same signification or other titles of Christ as when he is named Messias Christ Mediator the Son of God c. or when God is named as if the Apostle had meant Philip. 2. that every knee should bow at the naming of Iesus when as he onely saith At the name of Iesus that is every creature shall bee made to acknowledge his power and authoritie which is his name as the word is often taken in the scripture It is not the sound of syllables but his divine power that is meant Then again for answers the people are appointed at divers prayers to rehearse word for word after the minister whereby an opinion is ingendred in their minds that other prayers do not so much pertaine to them as those which they utter with their own mouthes As the minister is the mouth of God from God to the people so should he be the mouth of the people from the people to God Sometime the minister saith one part and the people another And in sundry parts of the Letanie the people make the prayer and the minister onely directs them what to pray for At the communion one of the people is allowed to make the generall confession in the name of the whole congregation At some prayers they are enjoyned to kneele devoutly and not at others In the administration which doth concerne the Minister himselfe or to be considered either the substance of the booke it self or certaine directories As for the substance of the book it is taken out of the Popes portuis with some rubricks and glosses of their own framing The same matter which is conteined in the English is also contained in their service book with some little addition The same forme is also observed with a small alteration wheras our forme of service should be as different as may be from the Popish And for length it is so wearisome that many times it shutteth out Preaching viz. when Baptisme the Communion Marying Churching and Buryal conâ—urre together as often they doe in great Congregations as it is said in the Abridgement of Lincolne Ministers Divine service in the Apostolicall Church was not spent in reading prayers Psalmes Epistles Gospels c. but for the most part in doctrine and exhortation When the Congregation assembled their Pastor was with them and he spent not the time in reading lessons prayers collects c. but uttered some word of exhortation and doctrine upon the parcell of Scripture which was read as was the custome also in the Sinagogues And suppose it had bene omitted at any time in the Sinâ—gogue we reade not of any such lame Liturgie in the Christian Church in the dayes of the Apostles nor in many ages following till blindnesse ignorance and lazinesse made the chiefe part of divine service to be omitted and a prescript forme to be made for 〈◊〉 and ignorant Priests For shal we beleeve that as long as Pastors were able to teach and exhort that they posted over a number of prayers and lessons c. and no farther No The bels of Aaron should give a sound as often as the Lords Priest entreth into the Sanctuarie Or doe they thinke that their Pastor was abroad at his pleasures when the flock was at their pasturage as devine service and some other reading minister serving them The Apostolicke Church and purer Antiquitie knew no such minister Out of the lessons or Psalmes which were read the minister took the argument and ground of his sermon beginning after this or the like manner Ye have heard brethren the booke of c. read The booke is read wherein it is prophecied We heare brethren when the Gospell was read the Lord saying that c. The directories are contained either in the Kalender or the Rubricks In the Kalender to direct the minister in such things as belong either to the minister himselfe or to the
Chauncellour are even faine to laugh it out many times when they can keep their countenance no longer Suppose our high commission were never so odious yet the Bishops shall bee sure of such servile varlets Commissaries Officialls and Chauncellours to sit with them for why they shall be their own creatures It is no wonder they be bribers for the Bishops and Archdeacons set in farme their jurisdiction to them Some Chauncellours and officialls pay 20. some 30. some 50. pounds yearly for their place Registers some an hundred some two hundred pounds some more How then is it possible but they should extort in their office and by unreasonable and untollerable exactions make up their hard rents as it is sayd in the Defence of the last petition for reformation Many greivous complaints have been made against Officialls Commissaries and Chauncellours from time to time in Germanie France and other countries which I might produce to make this bondage yet more sensible CHAP. 6. Of Suffraganes Deanes and Cathedrall Churches WE have seen in the former Tables what persons have judiciall administration Now follow Persons having no Iudiciall administration Those are either Ecclesiasticall persons or lay-men Ecclesiasticall persons are the Deacon and the Minister and they have their function either without perpetuall title as Curates or with title The second sort either have a peculiar function beside their common function or have not a peculiar function These who have a peculiar function beside the common either have it through the whole â—â—iocie or but in a part of it Through ane whole Diocie as the titular Bishops who were of old called Chorepisâ—opi that is Rurall Bishops now they are called Suffraganes They are to bee considered either according to the place which they hold in the Common-wealth to wit next unto Barones or according to the place which they have in the Church to wit that they are Bishops both in calling and order but wanting jurisdiction 2. Dedicate Churches 3. confirme children instructed before in the Rudiments of Christian religion and that in a Diocie allotted unto them That which is here sayd of Suffraganes that of old they were called Chorepiscopi is controlled by Mucket himselfe For hee saâ—th that the Rurall Dâ—â—nes are like the old Chorepiscopi Deâ—â—ni 〈…〉 is Ecclesiae Chorepiscopis Aâ—chipresbyteris Regionarijs haud absimiles And so doth Bleynianus also in his introduction into the theorie and practique of benefices At the first where the Gospell was spread through the Countrey townes and villages as it was through Cities so they had Counâ—rey or rurall Bishops as well as Bishops in cities But ambition and pompe in Citie Bishops increasing it was thought a disgrace that such a dignitie should bee obscured with a meane place of residence Therefore it was decreed that it should not bee lawfull to ordaine any Bishop either in villages little forts or small Cities lest the name and authoritie of a Bishop should waxe vile Sathan was advancing this way the great mysterie of iniquitie Because he would make of Bishops young Princes hee went about as is well observed by Mr. Cartwright with robberie of the rest to lift up the head of one otherwise the great pompe which they were striving for could not be maintained At the first the countrey or Rurall Bishop had the same power in his circuit which the Citie Bishop had in the citie and suburbs of it Hierome sayth that the bishop of an obscure citie hath as much authoritie as hee of the most famous citie The Presbyters who were ordained by them their ordination was not made voyd and reversed untill they were throwne downe through the pride and dispite of citie bishops to the order of priesthood which is an argument sufficient that they were in estimation and judgement of the Church bishops of that same sort and kinde that the citie bishops were Beeing spoyled of the greatest part of their power and name also they there called Archipresbyteri at the last Countrey or Rurall Deanes and were made subject not onely to Bishops but also to their Archdeacons No propter subrogationem in locum Chorepiscoporum superbirent Archipresbyteri idem sibi quod antea Chorepiscopi arrogarent si immediate Episcopis supponerentur sayth Bleynianus a Papist This is his conjecture that the Archpresbyters were thrust downe to a degree lower then Archdeacons lest if they had been immediatly subiect to Bishops they might perhaps have claimed the power of the old countrey Bishops to whom in place they succeeded For justly Archpresbyters may claim by their order that which Archdeac cannot do For howbeit they be inferiour to Archdeac in Popish dignitie yet they are greater then Archdeacons in respect of their order Countrey Bishops at their first erection being equall to Citie Bishops were not their Deputies In the later and corrupt ages proud Prelates and loytering Lords addicting themselves to the world seeking ease or intangling themselves with wordly affaires as they commited the Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to Chauncellours and Commissaries so that which is most proper to them as they pretend as ordination of Priests and Deacons confirmation of children and dedication of Churches they committed to Suffraganes that they might give themselves to ease and wait upon Councells Parliaments and other civill Courts and reserved nothing belonging to their owne charge that might trouble their ease or draw them from attendance upon Princes Courts and civill employments D. Field alledgeth against these Suffragane Bishops Melchior Canus a papist Such Bishops Melchior Canus entreating of Councells and the persons wherof Councells consist sayth they are so farr from having any place or voyce in councells that they neither have nor ought to have any place in the church at all The Bishops he speaks of he calleth annular Bishops happely for that whereas full Bishops had both staffe and ring expressing their jurisdiction as well as their espousing to the church these had the ring onely That Suffraganes may ordaine Priests and Deacons and confirme in their Church is evident by their latest Canons Now if Bishops may transferre these things which belong to their order to one Suffragane they may transferre it also to moe and consequently to all the Cathedrall and countrey Deanes and restore the countrey Deanes to their old liberties againe It dependeth onely upon some new Canon The Bishop of Spalato sayth Imo si vult Episâ—opus canones non prohiberent potest suos parochos plene Episcopos facere ordinare ut omnes sui or diniâ— actus plâ—ne possint explere simul ac in soli 〈◊〉 cum ipso Ecclesiam gubernare The Bishop may make all his parish priests not onely halfe but full Bishops that they might governe the Church in common with him sayth he if the Canon law were not an impediment The parish priest may curse this Canon law that hâ—ndreth them of that which Gods law alloweth them But that which Divine law hath given
communicate also as was the custome in time of blindnesse where every holy action behoved to have a Masse and so that action which should be common to the whole Congregation who are members of one body is made private and particular to a few howbeit in a publique place Then againe they have their forbidden times to marie in yea moe then the Papists have at least so many as have embraced the decrees of the Councel of Trent from Advent to the Epiphanie from Septuagesima sunday to the octaves of Easter from the Rogation weeke to the octaves of Pentecost amounting in all to the third part of the yeare as if marriage which is called honourable did prophane these holy times The councell of Trent hath dispensed with the Pentecost and the second they beginne at Ashwednesday Now notwithstanding of these forbiddeÌ„ times they may get a dispensation for some money and then it shall be lawfull enough and these holy times shall receive no pollution for mony hath a great vertue with it 2. Thankesgiving after childbirth This is commonly called the Churching of women Iâ— standeth more in Psalmes suffrages and collects wherein help is craved at God not notwithstanding he take upon him authority to 〈◊〉 from sins Then there is a Psasme and 〈◊〉 prayers read The silly curat can give no more comfort then the few set words which he must read can minister to the departing soul. If the 〈◊〉 person can get some to communicatâ—â—â— with him 〈…〉 as being ashamed to looke-up for some folly committed When she commeth to the church shee must kneele downe high unto the place where the table standeth that is nigh unto the Quire dore as the Rubrick in 2. Edward beareth as the women did who after the dayes of their purification were ended were appointed to bring their offering to the dore of the Tabernacle Levit. 12. 6. unto the Priest who shall make attonement for them Then the Priest readeth over her the 121. Psal. and assureth her that the Sun shall not burnâ— her by day nor the Moone by night Is not this a very pertinent Psalme for the purpose The Lords prayer being sayd and some versicles and answeres and then another prayer she doth offer her accustomed offrings and if there be a communion she receiveth the communion Call this churching a thankes-giving yet what reason is there of publick thanksgiving in the Church more for deliverance after childbirth which is ordinarie then from drowning or other extraordinary dangers or diseases and of womeÌ„ more then of men were not that the imitation of the Iewish purification is the Mysterie of it And so was this service intituled in the booke 2 Edw. The order of the purification of women as is reported in the Survey This superstitious service is not voluntarie but enjoyned When they come to the grave while the corpâ— is made ready to be laid into the earth they sing or say againe another parcell of Scripture out of Iob then while the earth is cast upon the body by some standing by the Priest again saith something and confidently affirmeth that God hath taken his soule and is of assured hope 〈…〉 3. The visiâ—a and comfort of the sick The Priest entering into the sickmans house sayth peace be in this house and to all that dwel in it When he commeth to the sickmans presence he kneeleth downe and prayeth his prescript lines for forgivenes of sinnes with two kyrie eleesons and one Christe eleeson the Lords prayer and some other versicles and responsories when as yet he hath not spoken a word to the diseased or understood whether hee bee sleeping or waking After the exhortation read which he may break if need be and the Creed rehearsed he desireth him to make his will and also declare his debts what he oweth and what is owing him Thereafter he moveth him to liberalitie Then shall the sick person make a speciall confession if he feele his conscience troubled with any weightie matter after which confession the priest shall absolve him When he absolveth he sayth By his that is oâ—r L. I. Christ authoritie committed to me I absolve thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the father and of the son and of the H. Ghost Amen He absolveth like a judge as the Popish Priest doth giving out a definitive sentence and absolutel doth forgiue not by way of deolaration This absolution is seuered from the preaching of the word For the dumb Gurat cannot preacâ— in thansgiving This help is to live and walkâ— faithfully in their vocation as if they were made uncleane by their childbirth to enterprise any thing Shee will not stirre out of the house suppose she were never so strong till the compleate time be expired that is a month commonly When she commeth forth she is muffled 〈…〉 him the communion If others may not conveniently come neere him yet the minister and he alone may communicate together and for shortnesse of time they have but one collect pistle and Gospell Thus are the people nourished in an opinion of the necessitie of the sacrament and the action which should be publick and solemne as the institution beareth and the practise of the Apostolicall Church declareth is made private administred peculiarly in a corner as if there were no other meane to eat the flesh and drink the bloud of Christ of that grace were tied to the externall signes 4. The Buriall of the dead They have a threefold peale enjoyned in their latest canons When any is passing out of this life a 〈◊〉 is to be tolled after the parties death a short peal is rung another before the buriall another after the buriall When the time of the funerals draweth neere the Priest the clearks make them ready The Priest putteth on his surplice and then commeth to the Church stile to meet the corps Then the Priest shall say or the Priest and cleark shall sing and so go either to the Church or towards the grave The words which are sayd or read alowd by the Priest or sung by the Priest and clearkes are 2 or 3 small sentences of scripture For any part of scripture is sung by theÌ„ as well as Psalms in their services and the Bishops haue punished women for not being churched sayth the authour of the petition to the Queen Some are churched at home by the Priest and therby saith the Surveyer They confirme women either in pride if they be able to goe to church and will not or in superstition if being not well recovered they yet must needs be chur 〈…〉 of his resurrection to 〈…〉 againe is said or sung a sentence out of the Revelation after the lesson two Kyrie eleesons with one Christe eleeson betwixt them after that the Lords prayer then the Priest prayeth that God might histen his kingdome that we with our brother and all other departed in the true faith of thy holy name may have our perfect consummation and
The covenant being made with the parents in their faith not the faith of the child the parents should give confession of their owne faith and not of the faith of the child which is not because their owne faith is the condition of the covenant upon their part wherupon God promiseth to be their God and the God of their seed Wherupon also it followeth that the father of the child should present the child and give confession and not another because the covenant is made with him and his seed and the child is his seed not the seed of another whom 〈…〉 proper godfather Others may be witnesses of baptisme but that the father should or can resigne this duetie to another I deny Before the Priest dip the child in the water he sayth in his prayer grant that all thy servants which should be baptised in this water may receive the fulnes of grace This prayer was read in 2 E. once every moneth at the changing of the water in the font as is sayd in the Survey Howbeit it be now placed in the baptisme it self it seemeth to be directed to the same end to the hallowing of the water which is then in the font After that the child is dipped and baptised in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost the Priest maketh a crosse upon the childs forehead saying We receive this child into the congregation of Christs flocke and doe signe him with the signe of the crosse in token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confesse the faith of Christ cruâ—ified and manfully to fight under his banner against sinne the world and the devill and to continue Christs faithfull souldier and servant unto his lives end He sayth not we have received but we doe receive as if the child were not received by baptisme but by crossing or as if the child were againe received by crossing which was before received by baptisme This signing with the crosse is no decent gesture It is rather like a Iugglers gesture then a gesture of decencie and comelinesse It must then be used as a symbolicall and significant rite But we have no such signe set downe in the word as to make two crosse lines in the aire with our fingers to represent the crosse of tree or to signifie unto us that we should not be ashamed to confesse the crosse of Christ c. Thou shalt make unto thy selfe no image that is any representation forged in thy owne braines to be set up in the worship of God Admit once the aereall cross in baptisme yee cannot refuse to set up the the materiall crosse and the Rood in the Kirck nor the woodden or stone crosses in the high wayes For all may signifie the same thing that the crosse on the forcheaâ— And by this reason every one may weare a Giver crosse upon his forehead also Further not onely other significant crosses materiall may be brought in upon this ground but also all the rest of the beggarly ceremonies of baptisme to deface deforme the puritie plainnes and siniplicitie of Christs institution As to put salt in the mouth of the child to annoynt with oile the breast shoulders and the top of the head with holy chrisme and to put a burning taper in his hand c. for these toyes had their owne glorious significations as well as the Crosse. Lastly what doth in signify but that which is already signified in baptisme The same valour and courage constant prosession fightiug under Christs banner is a part of that grace which is sealed by baptisme But beside that it is a significant toye it is also esteemed effective For they say that by it the infant is dedicated to the service of him that dyed on the crosse Who did sanctifie this signe for such an use Are men able to doe it It was made also a consecrator of water bread and wine and all other holy things in time of poperie for the which corruption we ought to abhorr it Againe we signe that 〈◊〉 in token that he shall continue Christs saithful souldier to his lives end these words shall continue is his lives end compared with the like in the Epistlâ— of the 22. Sonday after trinitie God shall continue the worke in you to the end shew unto us that wee use the crosse for a pledge to give assurance to the child to continue in grace to the end which if it bee so then it serveth to work faith and is used effectively sayth Parker Hooker sayth that there cannot be a more forcible meane to avoyd that which may deservedly procure shame If in be in some sort a mean to secure from confusion everlasting then is it in some sort effective of grace In a word suppose there were no sinfull use of it for the present the horrible abuse of it in times by-past and the danger and perill of these same abuses are sufficient to remove it out of this holy sacrament where it is set up in such honourable state beside the Lords owne altar After the signing with the crosse the Priest sayth Seeing now dearly beloved brethren that these children bee regenerated and grafted into the body of Christs congregation and not before the crossing Privat baptisme is administred in privat houses sometime by a privat person sometime by a publick Howbeit it be not enjoyned by law not prescribed by their service booke that lay men or women shall baptise in time of necessitie yet it is permitted and allowed in their practise and hath been defended by Whitgift and Hooker in print When it is administred they call upon God and say the Lords prayer if the time will suffer Then if the time wil not suffer they omit prayer So that not onely they omit preaching the doctrine of the sacrament but also praying if there bee haste If the child live it is brought to the Church and the maner of the privat administration is tried The minister demandeth by whom was the child baptised and because some things essentiall to this sacrament may happen to be omitted through feare or hast in such time of extremitie he demandeth of those who bring the child with what water and words was the child baptised and whether they think the child to be lawfully and perfectly baptised If a lawfull minister did baptise the child these demands were needlesse We may perceive also to what indignitie and prophanation the sacrament is exposed in that it must bee ministred with such haste and feare that the ministration of a sacrament being intended yet it may prove to be no true sacrament because it is marred with haste and feare The Lord doth not allow his sacraments to be so prophaned but to be administred with gravitie with due time and leasure without feare that may make the minister miscarry in the action If after triall he finde all right he receiveth the child as one of the fleck with certain words which he pronounceth After
the Gospel is read the minister together with the godfathers and godmothers say the Lords prayer Then he asketh of them the questions whereof we made mention before in publike baptisme If these who bring the infants doe make uncertaine answers to the Priests demands as that it cannot appeare that the childe was baptized with water in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost the Priest baptizeth the child Then howbeit that it appeare not that a lawfull minister did baptize that shal not move the priest to baptize the child wherby we may see that baptisme by lay men and women is not made null by their service book but standeth for good and sufficient When after uncertain answers the priest baptizeth he useth this forme of words If thou be not already baptised I baptise thee in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen But what if the child be already baptised is it not now re-baptised in publique Again in private baptisme the Congregation is neglected The Church hath interest in the baptisme of the child as well as the Minister for the child is received into the Congregation to be a member thereof And therefore the confession of the parents should be given publiquely before that the childe receive the seale of the covenant Wee see then what are the fruits of private baptisme baptisme by private persons lay-men and women unworthy handling of such a Mysterie for feare and hast baptisme by supposition and rebaptization c. Adde that it doth foster an opinion of the necessitie of baptisme or rather is grounded upon it It is said in the Preface before Confirmation It is certaine by Gods word that children being baptized have all things necessarie for their salvation and be undoubtedly saved Yee see they affirme that all baptised children be undoubtedly saved and againe doe imply in these words that for all such as are not baptised we have no sure warrant hat any of them shall be safe The Bishop of Canterburie in the Conference at Hampâ—on Court affirmed that If an Infant die baptised there is evident assurance that it is saved wheras the state of an infant dying unbaptised is uncertaine Is not this sound Divinitie The Surveyer of the booke of common-prayer relateth that by occasion of private baptisme many children be baptised by Masse-priests after the Popish manner and many bastards concealed Many pretend infirmitie when they need not and the solemnizing of private baptisme in publique is often omitted 2 The Holy Supper The Sacrament of the Supper as also of baptisme may be ministred amongst them without any Sermon made or doctrine upon the Sacrament which is to be ministred yea it is ministred by such as cannot teach In their latest canons it is said plainely that both the Sacraments be equally effectuall whether they be ministred by a Minister that is no Preacher or by one that is a Preacher In the same Canon they are are said to be seduced by false Teachers who refuse to have their children baptised by a minister that is no preacher and to receive the holy Communion of his hands in the same respect as though the vertue of these Sacraments did depend upon his abilitie to teech And therefore it is â—râ—aâ—â—ed in that canon that they shall first be suspended persisting in their wilfulnesse and then after a monthes obstinacie excommunicated A Minister it is true is no part of the essence of the Sacrament as a Sacrament is defined to consist of outward signes and invisible graces yet is a Minister necessarie to the right and lawfull ministration of the Sacrament and is of the essence of it that is he is of the essence of the Sacrament as it is defined to be an holy and sacred action for he is appointed by Christ to be the minister of the action Now we acknowledge none to be a lawfull Minister but him who is able to teach Christ joyned preaching and baptizing in his commission Matth 28. To whom he committed the dispensation of the charter and the word of reconciliation to those also he committed the dispensation of the Seales and to those onely Tryall and particular examination of the communicants they have none to try their knowledge in the mysteries of religion and growth in Christianity It is enough that they were once bishoped when they were little children as in time of poperie The communion table is not onely covered at the time of ministration with a faire linnen cloath but also in the 82 canon it is ordeined that the same tables shall from time to time be kept and repaired in fufficient and 〈◊〉 maner covered in time of divine service with a carpet of silk or other decent stuffe thought meet by the Ordinarie of the place as if the communion table were to be regarded more the other common tables after the action is ended wheras the very elements themselves extra usuÌ„ out of the use of the Sacrament are but comon This is done in imitation of the popish rich altar cloths The table being covered with a fair linnen cloth placed in the Church or chancel where morning evening prayer are appointed to be said the Priest must stand at the northside of the table he must not stand at the head or the southside He beginneth with the Lords prayer a collect then he rehearseth distinctly all the to comand the people kneeling after every command ask forgivenes The people of Israel kneeled not when God himself pronounced the Law from mount Sinai howbeit they saw the mountain smoking and lightnings c. Gods word uttered by man then should not bee received with kneeling VVheras the last praier is sufficient to conclude with the repetition of it at every commandement is superfluous battologie Then the Priest saith the collect of the day and another for the King standing up After the collects he readeth the Epistle and the Gospell The epistle and the gospell being ended he saith the Creed after the Creed if there be not a Sermon he readeth some Homilie alreadie set forth or that shall hereafter be set forth After Sermon or homilie the people is fore-warned of the Holy-daies or fasting daies of the next weeke following and are earnestly exhorted to remember the poore Then the Church-wardens or some other by them appointed gather the devotion of the people for so is the almes called and upon the offering dayes appointed every man and woman payeth to the Curate the due and accustomed offerings then the Priest prayeth that God would accept of their almes for some other things Then he readeth a short exhortation then a generall confession is made in the name of all those that are minded to receive the Communion And this is allowed to be made either by one of thâ—m who are to communicate or one of the Ministers or the Priest himselfe So a Lay man is allowed to pray in the Church in name