ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



noted that the diocese is ' not so much troubled with Puritan ministers as 

 with Puritan Justices of the Peace.' 248 



The metropolitical visitation held in the summer of 1635 by Dr. Nathaniel 

 Brent, as vicar-general of the archbishop, 243 is interesting, and contains two 

 delightful little bits of humour well worth recording. It began on zj June 

 at Chichester Cathedral, where orders were given that all should remove 

 their hats during divine service, and that there should be no walking about 

 or talking at that time : it then proceeds : 



Mr. Speed of St. Pancras confessed his error in being too popular in the pulpit, and is 

 very willing the gallery in his parish church should be pulled down which was built to 

 receive strangers, and at their charges, and to remove the seats which stand even with the 

 altar. The mayor and his brethren .... are puritanically addicted, which caused me to 

 admonish one of the aldermen for putting his hat on during the service. Arundel, July I : 

 Mr. Nye, rector of Clapham, Mr. Salisbury, curate of Warningcamp, Mr. Hill, vicar of 

 Felpham, are so vehemently suspected to be nonconformitants that although nothing was 

 proved against them I thought fit to inhibit them to preach until I could be better satisfied 



of them Mr. Hill in the pulpit spake unto four of his neighbours who sat before 



him in one seat that he was certain three of them should be damned. The fourth was his 

 friend and therefore he saved him. John Alberry churchwarden of Arundel having heard 

 my charge in the morning, at night before he went to bed made a violent extemporary 

 prayer and pronounced it so loud that divers in the street did hear him ; the effect was, to 

 be delivered from the persecution that was now coming upon them. The parish church of 

 Arundel, the choir and Lady chapel are always kept locked up, so the altar has to be in an 

 aisle. 244 Lewes, 3 July : Mr. Bunyard, Maynard, Russell and Gyles refused to bow at the 

 blessed name of Jesus. After long conference, and late at night, they all submitted, con- 

 fessing that they were convinced in their opinions and would hereafter observe the law of 



the church I inhibited one Mr. Jennings to preach any more for particularising in 



the pulpit. He called one of his parishioners ' arch-knave ' and being questioned by me 

 answered that it was but a lively application. The man abused did think he had been 

 called ' notched knave ' and fell out with his barber who had lately trimmed him. 



The visitation at Lewes was held in the church of St. Thomas in the 

 Cliffe, a peculiar of the archbishop, and at it injunctions were given 

 that 246 : 



Henceforth the Communion Table in every parish church shall be decently placed at 

 the upper end of the chancel and shall stand north and south, and it shall be railed in with 

 a decent rail to keep off dogs and to free it from other pollutions. ' And he willed all 

 churchwardens to looke upon the rayle which incompassed the Communion table in the 

 sayd church of St. Thomas in the Cliffe where they were and to take that for their pattern 

 telling them that it was very comely and decent.' It was also ordered that all clergy should 

 ' When they go from their houses abroad alwaies weare canonicall habits commonly called 

 priests coats viz. Coats made with sleeves like unto a Gowne ' ; and further that all after- 

 noon sermons were to be turned into Catechizing, and that the Communion was not to be 

 administered except to those who kneel. 



The Act Books of the Archdeaconry Court of Lewes 2 " contain a 

 number of cases pointing to the disregard and even dislike of any form of 

 ritual prevalent among a growing section of the clergy at this time. The 

 rector of Westmeston was presented in 1605 'for that he doth not say the 

 letany, nor ten commandments ; neither doth hee in baptisme signe with the 

 signe of the Crosse, but with the signe of the Covenant ; neither doth hee 



141 Laud, Autobiog. 534. ** Cal. S.P. Dam. Chas. I, 1635, pref. xliii. 



144 The choir, as belonging to the college of Arundel, became the private chapel of the lords of Arundel 

 and still is so ; see 'The Arundel Chancel Case' in Suss. Arch. Cell, xxx, 3131. 



145 For this quotation from the ' Visitation Book of the Archdeaconry of Lewes, 1628-37,' fol. 73, I am 

 indebted to W. C. Renshaw, esq. K.C. 



M Sun. Arch. Coll. xlix, 47-65. 



2 33 5 



