Case of Processions, nected with and forming the conclusion of and part of the Mr. Purchas. rites and ceremonies of public worship, formed, or caused to be formed, a like procession to the one immediately hereinbefore mentioned, and proceeded therewith round the said church, singing as aforesaid in the presence of the congregation assembled." &c. "XIV. That you then formed or caused to be formed a procession consisting of a thurifer with his incensevessel containing incense, the crucifer with a large crucifix, acolytes or boys with lighted candles, the person called ceremoniarius, an assistant minister, and you, the Rev. John Purchas, in a cope, followed by several members of the congregation cach with a lighted candle; that the procession so formed proceeded round the interior of the said church or chapel singing; that thereupon afterwards you, the said Rev. John Purchas, took off your cope, and wearing a white alb with gold stole and chasuble, proceeded to the communion table and, after being yourself censed, commenced the communion service, during the reading of which the congregation extinguished their candles. That after the collect and epistle had been read the said candles were, during the reading of the gospel, again lighted and were then again extinguished, each of the acts in this article hereinbefore set forth, being of the nature of and intended by you as and constituting a religious ceremony." "XXVI. That you, the said Rev. John Purchas, in the said church or chapel of St. James's, Brighton, at morning service, and during or immediately after the conclusion of morning prayer, and before the commencement of the communion service, sprinkled or caused to be sprinkled with socalled holy water, and blessed or consecrated, or caused to be blessed or consecrated, and censed, or caused to be censed, divers palm branches then lying on a table placed near to the communion table, and that after the said morning prayer was concluded you caused the said palm branches to be distributed to yourself and to divers other clerks in holy orders, to persons of the choir and members of the congregation then and there present in the said church or chapel; and that you then caused to be formed a procession in the said church or chapel, with a crucifix borne before it, and consisting of the thurifer, choristers, priests, and others, which said procession then proceeded round the interior of the said church or chapel, chaunting, and elevating the said palm branches, and accompanied with lighted candles; and that on the return of the procession the communion service was immediately commenced and proceeded with, the whole taking place in the presence of the congregation then assembled to hear divine service as a part of divine service, and as a ceremony connected therewith, without break or intermission." On these articles the Dean of the Arches observed"It appears to me from the evidence that these particular processions have been so conducted as to constitute a further rite or ceremony in connection with the morning and evening service, and in addition to those prescribed by the rubrics for those services. I must, therefore, placing them under this category, pronounce them illegal." additional The following articles contained charges against Mr. Introduction Purchas" for using, during the time of, or so immediately of other and connected with, the prescribed service as to be practically rites. undistinguishable from it, rites or ceremonies other than and additional to those prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer:" "V. That on a certain occasion you, the said Rev. John Purchas, in the said church or chapel of St. James's, Brighton, aforesaid, caused a group of acolytes or attendants, to stand or kneel round you, and a person called the crucifer to stand by the side of you, bearing a crucifix or gilt cross, with the figure of the Saviour thereon, as a matter of ceremony during the reading by you, the said Rev. John Purchas, of the gospel in the communion service; that on certain other occasions the Te Deum' being on each of such occasions sung as a part of evening service immediately after the evening prayers, in the said church or chapel of St. James's, Brighton, aforesaid, the congregation remaining in the said church or chapel during the singing thereof, you, the said Rev. John Purchas, during the singing thereof, caused the said crucifer, with his said crucifix, and the bearers of banners, to stand holding the same as a matter of ceremony near to you, the said Rev. John Purchas, and in front of the holy table." "XIII. That you, the said Rev. John Purchas, did, in the said church or chapel of St. James's, Brighton at morning service, immediately after the conclusion of the commination, and before commencing the communion service (you being then the officiating minister), proceed, as a matter of ceremony in connection with the divine service of the day, to take from the holy table a certain vessel, previously placed thereon, filled with a black powder being or resembling ashes; and did then bless or consecrate the same, and did then rub a portion of such powder on the foreheads of certain persons, members of Case of the congregation, who then knelt before you for that purpose (to wit, a certain other clergyman then present, the person called the ceremoniarius, a person called a ruler of the choir, and certain acolytes, or boys); and did further then publicly invite any other members of the congregation to come forward for the like purpose; after which, none others having come forward, the communion service was commenced and proceeded with. "XIV. That you, the said Rev. John Purchas, . . . in the said church or chapel of St. James's, Brighton, aforesaid, in the morning, and when no artificial light was necessary, during the performance of divine service, to wit, while the Litany was being read, censed or caused to be censed, and afterwards sprinkled or caused to be sprinkled with holy water, or water previously blessed or consecrated, a number of candles then placed and being on a small table close to the communion table, and that you then, after the Litany was finished and before the commencement of the communion service, lighted the said candles and distributed them to divers members of the congregation who then, by your direction or sanction, held up the same so lighted." "XXI. That you, the said Rev. John Purchas, in the said church or chapel of St. James's, Brighton, aforesaid. on divers occasions caused a small bell to be rung divers times during the prayer of consecration in the service of the holy communion, such ringing being simultaneous and connected with the consecration of the elements, and with the elevation of them, as in the ceding articles mentioned." 6 pre "XXII. That you, the said Rev. John Purchas, on several occasion, in the said church or chapel of St. James's, Brighton, aforesaid . . .. caused to be said or sung, before the reception of the elements, and immediately after the prayer of consecration in the communion service, the words or hymn or prayer commonly known as The Agnus,' that is to say:-O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;' which said words are appointed to be said only as a part of the said hymn or prayer at the conclusion of the said service, namely, after the reception of the elements by the communicants is completely ended, and after the Lord's Prayer and the other prayer then appointed and the Gloria have been said, and immediately before the final blessing." "XXVIII. That you, the said Rev. John Purchas, in the said church or chapel of St. James's Brighton, aforesaid, on Sunday, March the 14th, 1869, at evening service, and immediately on the conclusion of your sermon, gave notice that on the next day there would be a mortuary celebration for the repose of a sister at eleven o'clock;' and that on Monday morning, March the 15th, 1869, while performing divine service in the said church or chapel, namely, while reading the communion service, immediately after the collect for the queen, and before the epistle, you interpolated and said the following words, that is to say-O God! whose property is ever to have mercy and to forgive, be favourable unto the soul of this thy servant' (thereby meaning the soul of the deceased person for whose repose the said mortuary celebration was made), ' and blot out all her iniquities, that she may be loosed from the chains of death and be found meet to pass unto the enjoyment of life and felicity through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.' After which, 1 Thess. chap. iv., verse 13 to verse 18, was read as the epistle, and the rest of the service was proceeded with, John, chap. vi., verse 37 to verse 40, being read as the gospel." "XXXIII. That you, the said Rev. John Purchas, in the said church or chapel of St. James's, Brighton . . . at the usual hour for, and immediately before the commencement of evening prayer, and in the presence of the congregation then assembled to hear divine service, made, received, or admitted a new acolyte or choir boy, by causing him then to kneel on one of the steps before the holy table, and reading some words or sentences out of a book, and making the sign of the cross over him, and putting into his hands a candlestick with candle, and afterwards, in like manner, putting into his hands decanters or glass bottles of wine and of water, those actions collectively being intended as and constituting a religious rite or ceremony." The Dean of the Arches said "I think these articles are substantially proved; and that in these circumstances the additional rites or ceremonies must be considered as illegal, on the principle of the decision in Martin v. Mackonochie; and I accordingly admonish Mr. Purchas to abstain from the use or sanction of the particular rites and ceremonies so charged for the future.' The 6th and 7th Articles contained the following charges: "VI. That you, the said Rev. John Purchas, on the Ceremonial several occasions hereinafter in this article mentioned, in use of crucifix. the said church or chapel of St. James's, Brighton, afore Case of Mr. Purchas. said placed or caused to be placed on the holy table, or on a narrow ledge resting thereon or connected therewith, or fixed immediately above the same so as to use of crucifix. appear to the congregation to be in contact or connection with the holy table, a large metal crucifix with a figure of the Saviour thereon (the same being intended for a ceremonial or religious purpose, and not being a part of the architectural decorations of the church, but being placed on such ledge with the object and intention of being made to appear a part of the furniture of the holy table); and that you, on the said several occasions, allowed the same so placed to remain there during the performance of divine service, and during the celebration of the holy communion. That you, the said Rev. John Purchas, also, during Lent having covered, or caused to be covered, the said crucifix so placed on the holy table or narrow ledge as aforesaid, with a white veil striped with a red cross, allowed the same to remain on the said holy table or narrow ledge so covered during the performance of divine service. That you also afterwards (to wit, on Easter Sunday, March the 28th, 1869), having previously removed, or caused to be removed, such veil, kept the said crucifix during divine service so uncovered; the circumstance of the said crucifix being so kept covered and uncovered, being intended as and constituting on each of the said occasions a ceremonial and symbolical observance during and connected with such divine service." Ceremonial use of other figures. "VII. That you, the said Rev. John Purchas, in the said church or chapel of St. James's, Brighton, aforesaid, on the following occasions did immediately be fore and during the performance of divine service bow and do reverence to the said crucifix." The Dean of the Arches said: "I think I am bound to conclude from the evidence before me, unimpeached as it is by any other testimony, and in the absence of any explanation, that the crucifix has been introduced into or connected with the performance of the services prescribed by the Prayer Book, so as to constitute an additional rite or ceremony. And I must admonish Mr. Purchas to abstain from the practice complained of in these articles." The 29th Article charged as follows:- on the occasion of a celebration of the holy communion at |