Chap. 1. the. 18. Diuision.
There is a third fault which likewise appeareth almost in ye whole body of this seruice & Lytur∣gie of Englād, & that is, that the pro〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ite which might haue come by it vnto the people is not reaped, whereof the cause is, for that he whiche readeth is not in some place hearde, and in the moste places not vnderstanded of the people, throughe the distance of place betweene the people and the minister, so that a great parte of the people can not of knowledge tell, whether he hath cursed them or blessed them, whether he hath read in Latme or in Englishe, all the whyche ryseth vpon the word〈1 line〉〈1 line〉s of▪ the booke of seruice, which are that the minister should stande in the accustomed place, for therevpon the minister in saying Morning and Euening prayer, sytteth in the Chauncel with hys backe to the people, as thoughe he had some secret talke with God whych the people might not heare. And herevpon it is likewise, that after Morning prayer, for saying another nūber of prayers he clymeth vp to the further end of the Chauncel, & runneth as farre from the people as the wall wyl let hym, as though there were some variance betweene the people & the minister, or as though he were afrayde of some infection of plague, & in deede it renueth ye memorie of the Leuitical priest∣hoode, which dyd withdrawe him selfe from the people into the place called the holyest place, where he talked wyth God, and offered for the sinns of the people.
This nothing toucheth the order or substance of the booke, and therefore no suffi∣cient reason agaynst it, if it were true. But you héerein deale as you haue done in o∣ther matters, that is, corruptly and vntruely. For you do not reporte the wordes of* 1.1 the booke concerning this matter, as they be in déede: and it is wonderfull, and ar∣gueth great impadencie, that you are not ashamed, to reporte vntruely in so publike a cause. The words of the booke be these: The Morning and Euening prayer shall be vsed in the accustomed place of the Church, Chappell or Chauncell, excepte it shall be o∣therwise determined by the Ordinarie of the place. And you leauing out all the rest, say, that the words of the booke of seruice are, that the minister should stande in the accustomed place: as though it bounde him of necessitie to the Chauncell, which is nothing so. But you* 1.2 must be borne with, your errours and disorders can not otherwise be maynteyned, but by falsifying. I thinke there are but fewe Churches in Englande where the Bi: shops haue not taken a very good order for the place of prayer, if any Bishop haue neglected it, the fault is in the Bishop, not in the booke.
But still I must desire the Reader to note the weightinesse of the reasons, where by you goe about to deface the booke of common prayer.