A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



use of the same ; and some parishes say that their chalices were stolen away, and therefore 

 they ministered in glasses and prophane goblets. 



In many places the people cannot yet say the Commandments, and some not the articles 

 of their belief, when they be examined before they come to the Communion, and yet they 

 be of the age of forty and fifty years. The ministers there for the most part arc very simple. 



In the cathedral church very few preachers are resident ; only four out of thirty-one 

 prebendaries the dean, schoolmaster, lecturer, and one other of the others some are 

 laymen, some no preachers, and others far distant. 



In the city of Chichester few of the aldermen are of good religion. 



Many gentlemen at Easter receive Communion at home in their chapels, and choose 

 priests from a distance, as Sir Thomas Palmer, Sir Edward Gage, and James Gage. 



They use in many places ringing between morning prayer and the litany, and all the 

 night following All Saints' Day, as before in time of blind ignorance and superstition taught 

 by the pope's clergy. 



The collection for the poor is not made in many places according to the statute. 



The chancel of the church of Steyning, 198 which is like a collegiate church, is in great 

 decay, and the parish and the farmer there, Mr. Pellett, be at great contention for the same, 

 but nothing is done, and the church is like to fall to ruin, which is in a great market town, 

 and there is no more but that same there. 



Certain parishes keep Dr. Sander's book called ' The Rock of the Church,' wherein he 

 doth not account the bishops now to be any bishops as Sir David Spencer, parson of 

 Clapham, and Mr. Kinge, parson of Stanmer. 



Except it be about Lewes and a little in Chichester, the whole diocese is very blind 

 and superstitious for want of teaching ; except Mr. Coxe and one more, few go out of their 

 own churches to preach. 



There is one Father Moses, sometime a friar in Chichester, and he runneth about from 

 one gentleman's house to another with news and letters, being much suspected in religion, 

 and bearing a popish Latin primer about with him ' with Dirge and the Letanye praying to 

 Saints,' and in certain houses he maintained the popish doctrine of purgatory and the 

 praying to dead saints. 



Many bring to church the old popish Latin primers, and use to pray upon them all the 

 time when the lessons are being read and in the time of the litany. 



In some places the rood lofts still stand, and those taken down still lie in the churches 

 ready to be put up again. 



Some old folks and women used to have beads in the churches, but those I took away 

 from them, but they have some yet at home in their houses. 



It is clear from this report that the unsatisfactory state of affairs in the 

 diocese was largely owing to the disaffection of a few and the inefficiency of 

 most of the clergy. The archbishop, therefore, displayed great judgement 

 in nominating to the vacant see Richard Curteis, who was appointed in 

 1570, and proved himself a zealous and capable pastor. A notice of this 

 bishop, 197 written in December 1576 and signed by five 'Preachers of the 

 Diocese of Chichester ' in the name of above thirty more, lauds his energy 

 in going thrice throughout the whole county preaching at the larger towns, 

 and making himself more acceptable to the people than any previous holder 

 of the office : 



And whereas it was a rare thing before his time to heare a learned sermon in 

 Sussex, now the pulpittes in most places sound continually with the voyce of learned and 

 godly preachers. . . . We are assured that the rooting out of bad and unlearned curates 

 and the planting of zealous and learned preachers hath been occasion to him of great 

 expenses and charge. And so, within these six yeares, he hath brought into this diocese 

 and preferred or been the meanes of prefferring of twenty preachers which be well able to 

 preache in any learned audience in this realme. And by the diligent preaching and other 

 exercising of himself and these in the scriptures hath trayned up a xl more in such sort 

 that they be sufficient enough to preach to any ordinary audience. 



'" An inquiry made eight years later shows that the church had fallen still more into decay, and the 

 recommendation was made to pull down part in order to rebuild the rest : Exch. Spec. Com. 2200 

 "' Su,s. Arch. Coll. x, 54-6. 



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