Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/189

& thought all their service they ought to the church was only preaching, are brought to yield themselves in partem curæ and become curates as well as Lecturers.

6. The disrespect y^t y^e ministers have shewed of the publick prayers of y^e church hath bred suche irreverence in y^e people, that it is a rare thing in many places to see any upon their knees at y^e reading of the prayers, or (almost) at the receiving of the Sacrament; and some stick not to say that sitting was y^e fittest gesture both at the prayers and at y^e Sacrament.

7. It was scarce found in any place y^t the Communion Table was placed in such sort as y^t it might appeare it was any whitt respected, but so placed y^t boyes and others might sitt about it & leane upon it; and in many places, by teaching of children in the church, or chancell, the Communion Table was y^e place where y^e boyes did all their businesse, and oftentimes eate their victualls upon it. For redresse of w^ch abuses in time to come there is order geven. At Chester the Deane and Chapter have placed their Communion Table where it ought to stand, & have decently furnished it. But it is not so at Carlile.

8. In some places of these two Diocesses there are some goodly churches, & reasonably well kept in repayre; but so defaced w^th galleries, & pewes, as it is not to be endured. For reformacion whereof there is good order geven, if it be performed according to promise made by the ministers and churchwardens.

At Wiggen in Lancashire, a Benefice of good worth w^ch the Bishop of Chester holdeth in commendam, the Bishop hath built a faire large chancell.

In most other places y^e churches are very miserable, and ruinous in the fabrick, and kept so sordidly w^thin as would trouble any Christian to see it. The two Cathedrall Churches are not as they ought to be; and in each of them there is this inconvenience, that they are as well parish churches as Cathedrall churches; whereby there groweth a question touching y^e repayre of the fabrick. And there is by this occasion another inconvenience, that at the same time there is double service in y^e same church. The service w^th Voices and Organs in the Quire, and y^e reading service in y^e body of the church. And when, in either place, any part of the service y^t is prescribed is omitted, or mutilated, y^e answere hath ben, that the one geveth way to y^e other, & what is omitted in y^e