A reply to an answer made of M. Doctor Whitgifte Against the admonition to…A replye to an ansvvere made of M. Doctor VVhitgifte Against the admonition to…

Again / it can not be said justly / that they have taken these reading ministers ⟨p. 134⟩/ until such time as better may be gotten / for if the church could procure able ministers / and should desire that they might be ordained over them / they can not obtain that / considering that these reading ministers have a free hold / and an estate for term of their lives in those churches / of the which they are such ministers: so that by this means / the sheep are not only committed to an idol shepherd / I might say a wolf / and speak no otherwise then Aug. speaketh / in that a not preaching minister hath entrance into the church / but the door also is shut upon him / and sparred against any able minister / that might haply be found out.

Againe / it can not be sayde iustly / that they haue taken these reading ministers ⟨p. 134⟩/ vntill suche time as better may be gotten / for if the church could procure able ministers / and should desire that they mighte be ordained ouer them / they can not obtaine that / considering that these reading ministers haue a free hold / and an estate for terme of their liues in those churches / of the whych they are such ministers: so that by thys meanes / the sheepe are not only committed to an idoll shepheard / I might say a wolfe / and speake no otherwise then Aug. speaketh / in that a not preaching minister hath entrance into the church / but the dore also is shutte vpon him / and sparred against any able minister / that might haply be found oute.

There is a third fault / which likewise appeareth almost in the whole body of this service and Liturgy of England / and that is that the profit which might have come by it unto the people / is not reaped. Whereof the cause is / for that he which readeth / is not in some places heard / and in the most places not understā dead of the people / through the distance of place between the people and the minister / so that a great part of the people can not of knowledge tell / whether he hath cursed them or blessed them / whether he hath red in Latin or in English / all the which riseth upon the words of the book of service / which are that the minister should stand in the accustomed place. For thereupon the minister in saying morning and evening prayer / sitteth in the chancel / with his back to the people / as though he had some secret talk with God / which the people might not hear. And hereupon it is likewise / that after morning prayer for saying another number of prayers / he climeth up to the further end of the chancel / and runneth as far from the people / as the wall will let him / as though there were some variance between the people and the minister / or as though he were afraid of some infection of plague. And in deed it reneweth the memory of the Levitical priesthood / which did withdraw himself from the people into the place called the holyest place / where he talked with God / and offered for the sins of the people.