1. That it appears, from evidence taken by the Commissioners, that during the last few years a diversity of practice has arisen in the ornaments used in the churches and chapels of the United Church of England and Ireland, and in the vestments worn by the ministers thereof at the time of their ministrations.

2. That such diversity in the vestments has been of very recent origin, there having been almost perfect uniformity for the three previous centuries in the vestments worn—a uniformity to which witness has been borne by the consentient testimony of the episcopal and archidiaconal Articles of Inquiry during that period; and that the practice with respect to the ornaments of the church during the same period attained almost the same degree of uniformity.

3. That it is in the highest degree advisable that the clergy should have clear and definite directions having the force of the law to guide them in such matters.

4. That, nevertheless, the rubric on ornaments and vestments has received different interpretations from high legal authorities, and consequently the clergy are left in a state of doubt and uncertainty as to what is required of them in these matters.

5. That as the resumption of certain ministerial vestments has been attempted by a comparatively small party in the Church, her Majesty's injunctions to the Commissioners to secure a general uniformity of practice can only be fairly attained by checking the novel usages of a very small minority in favour of the usages of an overwhelming majority having the sanction of three centuries in their support.