An account of all the proceedings of the commissioners of both persuasions appointedAn accompt of all the proceedings of the commissioners of both persvvasions appointed

Sect. 6. Ministers Turning.

Answ. [The Ministers turning to the People is not most convenient, throughout the whole Ministration, when he speaks to them: as in Lessons, Absolution, and Benedictions, it is convenient that he turn to them, when he speaks for them to God, it is fit that they should all turn another way as the ancient Church ever did; the reasons of which you may see, Aug. lib. 2. De Ser. Dom. in monte.

Repl. It is not yet understood by us, why the Ministers or People (for which you meant by [they all] we know not) should turn another way in Prayer; for we think the People should hear the Prayers of the Ministers: if not, Latin Prayers may serve, and then you need not except against extemporary Prayers, because the People cannot own them, for how can most of them own what they hear not, whatever it be. As for Augustins reason for looking toward the East when we Pray, [ut ad moneatur animus ad naturam excellentiorem see convertere, id est ad Dominum, cum ipsum corpus e•us quod est terrenum ad corpus excellentius, id est ad corpus caeleste convert•ur:] we suppose you will not expect that we should be much moved by it. If we should, why should we not worship towards any of the Creatures visible when we can pretend such reasons for it, as minding us of Superior things? and why should we not look Southward when the Sun is in the South? And we fear the worshipping toward the Sun, as representing, or minding us of Christs Heavenly Body, is too like to the prohibited worshipping before an Image, and too like to that worshipping before the Host of Heaven, in which the old Idolatry consisted, or at least which was the Introduction of it; of which our Protestant writers Treat at large against the Papists, on the point of Image worship; See also Vessius de Idolat. lib. 2. cap. 2, 3. &c.