4. What authority is there for using the "Form of receiving Converts from the Church of Rome," as published by the British Reformation Society? Does it occur in _any_ edition of the Book of Common Prayer?
5. What authority is there for the occasional services of 5th November, 30th January, 29th May, and 20th June? Some of these are, I am aware, specially directed by act of parliament; but the point upon which I wish to obtain information is, what the precise amount of obligation is that exists on the officiating minister to use or neglect the services in the absence of any specific directions on the matter from his Ordinary?
6. What authority is there for the use of the Gloria immediately after the minister's announcing the Gospel. No rubric _now_ appears to recognise it?
7. At what period did the practice of playing "a voluntary" upon the organ during the collection of the alms originate? And what is the earliest record of the alms being collected after the communion service and before the sermon, and not after the prayer for the Church Militant?
[The Editor will be happy to insert a reply pointing out sources of information. It is obvious that this is all which the limits of the work and the claims of other correspondents and readers will allow, when questions are proposed which contain many, and some of them difficult and disputed, points.]
I remember having read, some time ago, a statement in the public prints, to the effect that the popular belief, as to Sir Walter Raleigh having visited Virginia, was unfounded: the fact being, that he had projected such a voyage, and that the vessels equipped by him for that purpose had actually reached that country; but that the illustrious voyager himself was prevented by some circumstance from conducting the expedition. This statement seemed to have been elicited by one of the subjects proposed for the decorations of the new Houses of Parliament, namely, "Sir Walter Raleigh landing in Virginia," and the idea was exploded with so much assurance that I had ceased to give it any credence. I find, however, in Hallam's _Literature of Europe_, 2nd edition, vol. iii. p. 179., that the fact of Sir Walter's having been in Virginia is relied upon by that historian, in the following passage: