A copy OF The proceedings of some worthy and learned Divines, appointed by the Lords to meet at the Bishop of Lincoln's in Westminster: Touching Innovations in the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England. Together with Considerations upon the Common Prayer Book.   


Innovations in Doctrine.  
1 QVare, Whether in the twentieth Article these words are not inserted, Habet Ecclesia authoritatem in controversiis fidei.  
2 It appears by Stetfords and the approbation of the Licencers, that some do teach and preach, that good works are concauses with faith in the act of justification. Doctor Dove also hath given scandal in that point.  
3 Some have preached that works of Penance are satisfactory before God.  
4 Some have preached, that private Confession by particular enumeration of sins is necessary to salvation, necessitate medii, both those errors have been questioned at the Consistory at Cambridge.  
5 Some have maintained, that the Absolution, which the Priest pronounceth, is more than Declaratory.  
6 Some have published, that there is a proper Sacrifice in the Lord's Supper, to exhibit Christ's death in the Postfact, as there was a sacrifice to prefigure in the old Law in the Antefact, and therefore that we have a true Altar, and therefore not only metaphorically so called, so Doctor Heylin and others in the last summer's Convocation, where also some defended, that the Oblation of the Elements might hold the nature of the true sacrifice, others the consumption of the Elements.  
7 Some have introduced prayer for the dead, as Master Browne in his printed Sermon: and some have coloured the use of it with questions in Cambridge, and disputed, that preces pro defunctis non supponunt purgatorium.  
8 Divers have oppugned the certitude of Salvation.  
9 Some have maintained the lawfulness of monastical vows.  
10 Some have maintained that the Lord's day is kept merely by ecclesiastical constitution, and that the day is changeable.  
11 Some have taught as new and dangerous doctrine, that the subjects are to pay any sums of money imposed upon them, though without law, nay contrary to the laws of the realm, as Doctor Sybthorp and Doctor Manwaring Bishop of Saint David's, in their printed Sermons, whom many have followed of late years.  
12 Some have put scorns upon the two books of Homilies, calling them either popular discourses, or a doctrine useful for those times wherein they were set forth.  
13 Some have defended the whole gross substance of Arminianism, that Electio est ex fide praevisa, That the act of conversion depends upon the concurrence of man's free will, That the justified man may fall finally and totally from grace.  
14 Some have defended universal grace, as imparted as much to Reprobates as to the Elect, and have proceeded usque ad salutem ethnicorum, which the Church of England hath anathematised.  
15 Some have absolutely denied original sin, and so evacuated the cross of Christ, as in a disputation at Oxen.  
16 Some have given excessive cause of scandal to the Church as being suspected of Socinianism.  
17 Some have defended that concupiscence is no sin, either in the habit or first motion.  
18 Some have broached out of Socinus a most uncomfortable and desperate doctrine, that late repentance, that is, upon the last bed of sickness, is unfruitful, at least to reconcile the penitent to God.   

Add unto these some dangerous and most reprovable books.  
1 THe reconciliation of Sancta Clara, to knit the Romish and Protestant in one; Memorand. that he be caused to produce Bishop Watson's book of the like reconciliation which he speaks of.  
2 A book called Brevis disquisitio, printed (as it is thought) in London, and vulgarly to be had, which impugneth the doctrine of the holy Trinity, and the verity of Christ's body (which he took of the blessed Virgin) in heaven, and the verity of our resurrection.  
3 A book called Timotheus Philalethes de pace Ecclesiae, which holds that every Religion will save a man, if he hold the covenant.   

Innovations in Discipline.  
1 THe turning of the holy Table Altarwise, and most commonly calling it an Altar.  
2 Bowing towards it, or towards the East, many times, with three congees, but usually in every motion, access, or recess in the Church.  
3 Advancing Candlesticks in many Churches upon the Altar so called.  
4 In making Canopies over the Altar so called, with traverses and curtains on each side and before it.  
5 In compelling all Communicants to come up before the rails, and there to receive.  
6 In advancing Crucifixes and Images upon the parafront, or Altar-cloth so called.  
7 In reading some part of the Morning prayer at the holy Table, when there is no Communion celebrated.  
8 By the Ministers turning his back to the West, and his face to the East, when he pronounceth the Creed, or reads Prayers.  
9 By reading the litany in the midst of the Body of the Church in many of the parochial Churches.  
10 By pretending for their Innovations, the Injunctions and advertisements of Queen Elizabeth, which are not in force, but by way of commentary and imposition, and by putting to the Liturgy printed secundo, tertio Edwardi sexti, which the Parliament hath reformed and laid aside.  
11 By offering of Bread and Wine by the hand of the churchwardens, or others, before the consecration of the Elements.  
12 By having a Credentia, or side Table besides the Lord's Table for divers uses in the Lord's Supper.  
13 By introducing an Offertory before the Communion, distant from the giving of alms to the poor.  
14 By prohibiting the Ministers to expound the catechism at large to their Parishioners.  
15 By suppressing of Lectures, partly on Sundays in the afternoon, partly on week days, performed as well by combination, as some one man.  
16 By prohibiting a direct prayer before Sermon, and bidding of prayer.  
17 By singing the Te Deum in prose after a cathedral Church way, in divers parochial Churches, where the people have no skill in such music.  
18 By introducing Latin Service in the Communion of late in Oxford, and into some colleges in Cambridge, at Morning and Evening Prayer, so that some young Students, and the servants of the college do not understand their prayers.  
19 By standing up at the hymns in the Church, and always at Gloria Patri.  
20 By carrying children from the baptism to the Altar so called, there to offer them up to God.  
21 By taking down Galleries in Churches, or restraining the building of such Galleries where the Parishes are very populous.   

Memorandum.  
1 THat in all the cathedral and Collegiate Churches two Sermons be preached every Sunday by the Dean and Prebendaries, or by their procurement, and likewise every Holiday, and one Lecture at the least to be preached on working days every week, all the year long.  
2 That the music used in God's holy Service in cathedral and Collegiate Churches be framed with less curiosity, that it may be more edifying and more intelligible, and that no hymns or anthems be used where Ditties are framed by private men, but such as are contained in the sacred canonical Scriptures, or in our Liturgy of prayers, or have public allowance.  
3 That the Reading desk be placed in the Church where divine Service may best be heard of all the people.   

Considerations upon the book of Common Prayer.  
1 whether the names of some departed Saints and others should not be quite expunged the calendar.  
2 Whether the reading of psalms, sentences of Scripture concurring in divers places in the hymns, Epistles and Gospels, should not be set out in the new translation.  
3 Whether the rubric should not be mended, where all Vestments in them of divine Service are now commanded which were used, 2. Ed. 6.  
4 Whether Lessons of canonical Scripture should be put into the calendar in stead of Apocrypha.  
5. That the doxology should be always printed at the end of the Lord's prayer, and be always said by the Minister.  
6 Whether the rubric should not be mended, where it is (that the Lessons should be sung in a plain tune) why not (read with a distinct voice.)  
7 Whether Gloria Patri should be repeated at the end of every psalm.  
8 Whether according to that end of the Preface before the Common Prayer, the Curate should be bound to read Morning and Evening Prayers every day in the Church, if he be at home, and not reasonably tet●ed, and why not only on Wednesday, and Friday morning, and in the afternoon on Saturdays, with holiday eaves.  
7 Whether the hymns, Benedicite omnia opera, &c. may not be left out.  
10 In the Prayer for the Clergy, that the phrase perhaps to be altered, which only worketh great marvails.  
11 In the rubric for the administration of the Lord's Supper whether this alteration to be made, that such as intend to communicate shall signify their names to the Curate over night or in the morning before Prayers.  
12 The next rubric to be cleared, how far a Minister may repulse a scandalous and notorious sinner from the Communion.  
13 Whether the rubric is not to be mended, where the Churchwardens are straightly appointed to gather the alms for the poor before the communion begin, for by experience it is proved to be done better when the People depart.  
14 Whether the rubric is not to be mended, concerning the party that is to make his general confession upon his knees, before the Communion, that it should be said only by the Minister and then at every clause repeated to the people.  
15 These words in the form of the Consecration, This is my body, this is my blood of the New Testament, not to be printed hereafter in great Letters.  
16 Whether it will not be fit to insert a rubric touching kneeling at the Communion, that is, to comply in all humility with the prayer which the Minister makes when he delivers the Elements.  
17 Whether cathedral and Collegiate Churches shall be straightly bound to celebrate the holy Communion every Sunday at the least, and might not it rather be added once in a month.  
18 In the last rubric touching the Communion, is it not fit that the Printer make a full point, and begin with a new great letter at these words. And every Parishioner shall also receive the Sacraments.  
19 Whether in the first prayer at the baptism, these words, Didst sanctify the flood Jordan, and all other waters, should be thus changed, Didst sanctify the Element of water.  
20 Whether it be not fit to have some discreet rubric made to take away all scandal from signifying the sign of the cross upon the infants after baptism, or if it shall seem more expedient to be quite diffused, whether this reason should be published, that in ancient Liturgies no cross was confined upon the party, but where oil also was used, and therefore oil being now omitted so may also that which was Concomitant with it the sign of the cross.  
21 In private baptism, the Rubique mentions that which must not be done, that the Minister may dip the child in water being at the point of Death.  
22 Whether in the last rubric of conformation those words be to be left out, and be undoubtedly saved.  
23 Whether the catechism may not receive a little more enlargement.  
24 Whether the times prohibited for marriage are quite to be taken away.  
25 Whether none hereafter shall have licences to marry, nor be asked their banes of Matrimony, that shall not bring with them a certificate from their Ministers that they are instructed in their catechism;  
26 Whether these words in Matrimony, with my body I thee worship, shall not be thus altered, I give thee power over my body.  
27 Whether the last rubric of marriage should not be mended, that new married persons should receive the Communion the same day of their marriage, may it not well be, or upon the next Sunday following when the Communion is celebrated.  
28 In the absolution of the sick, were it not plain to say, I pronounce thee absolved.  
29 The psalm of thanksgiving of women after Childbirth, were it not fit to be composed out of proper Versicles taken from divers psalms.  
30 May not the Priest rather read the Commination in the Desk, then go up to the pulpit.  
31 The rubric in the Commination leaves it doubtful whether the litany may not be read in divers places in the Church.  
32 In the order of the burial of all persons, 'tis said, we commit his body to the ground, in sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life, Why not thus, Knowing assuredly, that the dead shall rise again.  
33 In the Collect next unto the Collect against the pestilence, the Clause perhaps to be mended, For the honour of Jesus Christ sake.  
34 In the litany instead of fornication and all other deadly sin, would it not satisfy thus? from fornication and all other grievous sins.  
35 It is very fit that the imperfections of the meeter in the singing psalms should be mended, and then lawful Authority added unto them, to have them publicly sunge before and after Sermons, and sometimes instead of the Hymns of morning and evening Prayer.   


Arch Bishop of Armach.  
Bp. of Lincoln.  
Dr. Prideaux.  
Dr. Ward.  
Dr. Brownrig.  
Dr. Featly.  
Dr. Hacket.