‘He began so to do by the example of that learned and holy Prelate Bishop Andrewes, now with God, under whom this defendant was brought up from his youth, and had depended upon him more than forty years since, and constantly and religiously practised the same upon all occasions ... as his own years and studies increased he found first, the bowing at the name of the Lord Jesus, had not only been practised by the clergy but had also been enjoined to all the people, ever since the first reformation, as appeareth by the Injunctions, 1o Eliz. Cap. 52, thereby to testify our due acknowledgment that the Lord Jesus Christ, the true and Eternal Son of God, is the only Saviour of the world, in whom alone the mercies, graces and promises of God to mankind for this life and the life to come are fully and wholly comprised, 1o Jac. Can. 18.’

For bowing to the Altar, while setting out how old a practice of the Church it was, designedly continued at the Reformation, how a like reverence was paid always to the King, or to his chair of estate if he was not in the Presence Chamber,

‘No Christian would ever deny that bowing or doing adoration, was to be used as a part of God’s worship, the affirmative act being necessarily included in the negative precept, “Non adorabis ea, ergo adorabis Me.”’ ‘No more as he humbly conceiveth is it any superstition, but a sign of devotion, and of an awful apprehension of God’s divine Presence, to do Him reverence at the approach into the House of God, or unto the Lord’s Table....

For the crucifix—

‘He utterly denieth all popish affections, and saith that the figure of Christ upon the Cross may be had without any popish affection, and that the said figure upon his seal did itself declare what affection it was to manifest. For there was this posy engraven with it, “Ἐν ᾧ κόσμος ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ,” being taken out of S. Paul, Gal. vi. 14.... In an holy imitation whereof this defendant beareth divers coats of arms (as the use is) upon the said seal, to wit, the arms of the See of Norwich, and the arms of the See of Hereford, and of the Deanery of Windsor, and of the Mastership of Peterhouse, together with his own paternal coat of an ancient descent; he, considering with himself, that these were emblems all, and badges but of worldly and temporal glories, and desiring that the world should have a right apprehension of him, and to testify that he did no way glory in any thing of this transitory world, but humbly endeavoured to wean himself from all temporal and vain rejoycing, he therefore caused such a small figure of Christ on the Cross to be set over all the said coats.’

He adds that he principally used it in signing ‘presentments of Popish recusants.’ ... not to say that although the said seal lay all the year long locked up in a chest, but at the time of sealing, and that when any sealing there was no worship done by any; yet nevertheless, as soon as he understood that any had taken scruple at it, he presently, to avoid all pretence of scandal, caused the said seal to be altered and the figure of Christ to be wholly omitted.’[40]

EASTWARD POSITION.

The part of the Defence, which has been most challenged, is that for the use of the ‘Eastward position.’ It is, however, important to remember that the Bishop had to defend himself against the charge, that once, while celebrating in the Tower Church at Ipswich, he had ‘used idolatrous actions’ in administering the Holy Communion, Consecrating the Elements with his face eastward, elevating the Paten and Chalice ‘above his shoulders and bowing low either to or before them when set down on the Table.’

The charge of ‘idolatry’ divides itself into three heads. The last two Wren met by a full denial, the first he confesses, while explaining his reason for his position in that special instance, when, as he says, the Elements being on the middle of the Holy Table, ‘were farther from the end thereof than he, being but low of stature, could reach over his book unto them and yet still proceed in reading the words without stop or interruption and without danger of spilling the Bread and Wine ... and he humbly conceiveth that although the Rubrick[41] says that the Minister shall stand at the north side of the Table, yet it is not so to be meant as that upon no occasion during all Communion time he shall step from it.’ For the rest, the whole tone of the Defence is brave and dignified; and despite the knowledge that his life was at stake, despite of the ‘humbly conceiveth’ which runs through it, it is evident that the Bishop considered his position to be in reality unassailable, and that he was more or less condescending in making these explanations. There is an irony in the studied simplicity with which the scholar and theologian explains elementary truths and ordinary rules of church discipline to a House of Commons who certainly stood in need of instruction in such matters.