IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. by the auctoritie and commission of the most excellent Prince HENRY by the grace of god kynge of ENGLANDE and of FRAVNCE, defensour of the fayth, lorde of Irelande, and in erthe supreme heed vnder Christe of the Churche of Englande. I Thomas lorde Crumwell, lorde Priuie seale, vicegerent to the kynges sayd highnes, for all his iurisdiction ecclesiastical within this Realme, do for thaduauncement of the true honour of almygh­ty god, encrease of vertue, and discharge of the kynges maiestie grue and exhibite (vnto you) [...] these iniunctions folo­wyng, to be kept, obserued, and fulfilled vpon the peynes hereafter declared.

¶ FYRST THAT ye shal truely obserue and kepe al and syngular the kin­ges hyghnes Iniunctions, gyuen vnto you heretofore in my name, by his gracis auctoritie, not only vpon the peynes therin expressed, but also in your defaulte nowe after this seconde monicion continued, vpon further punish­ment to be straytely extended towardes you by the kynges highnes arbitra­ment, or his vicegerent aforesayde.

¶ ITEM that ye shall prouyde on this syde the feaste of [...] nerte commynge one boke of the hole Bible, of the largest volume in englishe, and the same sette vp in some conuenient place within the sayd churche, that ye haue cure of, where as your parysheoners may moste commodiousely re­sorte to the same, and rede it. The charges of whiche boke shall be ratably borne betwene you, the person and the parisheoners aforesaid, that is to say, the one halfe by you, and the other halfe by them.

¶ ITEM THAT ye shall dyscourage no man priuely or apertly, from the readinge or hearynge of the sayd byble, but shall expressely prouoke fiere and exhorte euery person to rede the same, as that whiche is the very truely worde of god, that euery christen person is bounde to enbrace beleue and folowe, if he loke to be saued, admonishynge them neuerthelesse to auoyde al contenti­on & altercation therin, and to vse an honest sobrietie in the inquisition of the trewe sense of the same, and to referre thexplication of obscure places to men of higher iugement in scripture.

¶ ITEM that ye shal euery sonday and holy day through the yere▪ openly and playnly recite to your parishoners twyes or thries together or oftner, it nede requyre, one particle or sentence of the Pater noster or Crede in englyshe, to the intent they may lerne the same by harte: And so from day to day to giue them one lyke lesson or sentence of the same, tylle they haue lerned the hole Pater noster and Crede in englyshe by rote. And as they be taughte euerye sentence of the same by rote, ye shall expound and declare the vnderstanding of the same vnto them, exhortynge all parentes and householders, to teache their chyldren and seruauntes the same, as they are bounde in conscience to doo. And that done, ye shall declare vnto them the tenne Commaundemen­tes one by one euery sonday & holy day, til they be likewise perfit in the same.

¶ ITEM that ye shall in confessions euery lente examyne euery person that commeth to confession to you, whether they can recite tharticles of our faith, and the Pater noster in englyshe, and here them saye the same particularlye, wherin if they be not perfite, ye shall declare to the same, that euery chrysten personne ought to knowe the same before they shoulde receyue the blessed sa­crament of the aulter, and monysshe theym to lerne the same more parfytely by the nexte yere folowynge: or elles lyke as they ought not to presume to come to goddis bourde, without perfite knowlege of the same, and yf they do, it is to the great peryl of their sowles, so ye shall declare vnto them, that ye loke for other Iniunctions from the kynges highnes by that tyme to stay and repell all suche from goddis bourde, as shall be founde ignorant in the premysses, wherof ye do thus admonysshe theym, to the intent they shoulde both eschewe the peryl of their sowles, and also the worldly rebuke, that they myght incurre hereafter by the same.

¶ ITEM that ye shall make or cause to be made in the sayde churche, and euery other cure ye haue, one sermon euerye quarter of a yere at the leaste, wherin ye shalpurely and syncerely declare the very gospel of Christ, and in the same exhorte your herers to the workes of charitie, mercy, and faith, spe­cially prescribed and commanded in scrypture. And not to repose their truste or affiaunce in any other workes deuysed by mens fantasyes besyde scrip­ture. As in wanderynge to pylgremages, offrynge of money, candels, or ta­pers to fayned reliques or ymages, or kyssing and lickyng the same, sayinge ouer a number of beades not vnderstanded ne mynded on, or in suche lyke superstition. For the doinge wherof ye not only haue no promyse of reward in scripture, but contrary wise greate threttes and maledictions of god, as thynges tendynge to ydolatrie and superstition, whyche of all other offen­ces god almyghty dothe moste deteste and abhorre, for that the same dymi­nysheth moste his honour and glorie.

¶ ITEM that such feyned Images as ye know in any of your cures; to be so abused with pilgremages or offrynges of any thynge made thervnto, ye shal for auoyding of that most detestable offence of Idolatry, forthwith take downe & deleye, and shal suffre from hensforth no candels tapres or images of ware to be set afore any image or picture, but only the lyght that comenly goeth a crosse the churche by the roode lofte, the lyght afore the sacrament of the aulter, and the lyght about the sepulchre, which for the adornynge of the churche and diuyne seruice, ye shall suffer to remayne styll: admonyshynge youre paryshioners, that Images serue for no other purpose, but as to be bokes of vnlerned men, that can no letters, wherby they myght be otherwise admonyshed of the lyues and conuersation of them, that the sayde images do represent. Whiche ymages if they abuse for any other intent, than for su­che remembrances, they commytte ydolatrie in the same, to the great daun­ger of their soules. And therfore the kynges highnesse, graciousely tende­rynge the weale of his subiectis soules, hath in parte alredy, and more woll hereafter frauayle for thabolyshynge of suche images, as myght be occasion of so great an offence to god, and so greatte a daunger to the soules of his [Page]louynge subiectes.

¶ Item that in all suche benefyces or cures as ye haue, whervpon ye be not your selfe resydent, ye shall appoynt suche curates in your stede, as both can by their habilitie, and woll also promptly execute these iniunctions, and do their duetie otherwise, that ye are bounde to do in euery behalfe according­ly, and may profyte theyr cure no lesse with good example of lyuynge, than with declaration of the worde of god: or els their lacke and defautes shall be imputed vnto you, who shall straytely aunswere for the same, if they doo otherwyse.

¶ ITEM that ye shall admit no man to preche within any your benefices or cures, but such as shal appere vnto you to be sufficietly licensed thervnto by the kynges highnes, or his graces autorite, by thatch byshop of Canterbury, or the byshoppe of this diocese, and suche as shalbe so licensed, ye shal glad­ly receyue, to declare the worde of god without any resistence or cōtradictiō.

¶ ITEM if ye haue heretofore declared to your parishioners any thyng, to thextolling or setting forth of pilgremages, to feyned reliques, or Images, or any such superstition, ye shal now openly afore the same recante & reproue the same, shewing them (as the truth is) that ye dyd the same vpon no groūd of scripture, but as one being ledde and seduced by a comen error and abuse, crept in to the church through the suffrance and auaryce of suche as felt pro­fyt by the same.

¶ ITEM if ye do, or shal knowe any man within your paryshe or els where, that is a letter of the worde of god, to be redde in englyshe, or sincerely pre­ched, or of the execution of these iniunctions, or a fautour of the bysshop of Romes pretensed power, nowe by the lawes of this realme iustely reiected and extirped, ye shall detecte and present the same to the kynges hyghnesse, or his honourable counsayle, or to his vycegerent aforesayde, or to the Iu­styce of peace next adioynynge.

¶ ITEM that you, and euery person, vicare, or curate within this diocesse, shall for euery churche, kepe one boke or registre, wherin ye shall wryte the daye and yere of euery weddynge, christenynge, and buryenge made with­in your paryshe for your tyme, And so euery man succedynge you lykewyse, and also there inserte euery persons name, that shalbe so weddid, christened, or buryed. And for the saufe kepynge of the same boke, the paryshe shall be bounde to prouide of theyr common charges one sure coffer, with. ii. lockes and keyes, wherof the one to remayne with you, and the other with the war­deynes of euery suche paryshe, wherin the sayd boke shall be layde vp, whi­che boke ye shall euery sonday take forthe, and in the presence of the sayde wardeynes, or one of them, write and recorde in the same, all the weddyn­ges, christeninges, and burienges made the hole weke before. And that done to laye vp the boke in the sayde coffer, as afore. And for euery tyme that the same shall be omytted, the partie that shall be in the faulte therof, shall for­fayte to the sayd churche. iii.s.iiii.d. to be employed on the reparation of the same churche.

¶ ITEM that ye shall ones euery quarter of a yere reade these, and the o­ther [Page]former Iuiunctions, gyuen vnto you by auctoritie of the kynges highnes openly and deliberatly before all your paryshioners, to the entent that both you may be the better admonished of your duety, and your said parishi­oners the more incited to ensue the same for theyr parte.

¶ ITEM for as moche as by a lawe establyshed euery man is bounde to pay his tythes, no man shall by colour of duetie omitted by theyr curates, deteine theyr tithes, and so redubbe one wrong with another, or be his owne iudge, but shall trewely paye the same, as hathe ben accustomed, to theyr persones and curates, without any restraynte or dimynution: And suche lacke or de­faulte, as they can iustely fynde in theyr persons and curates, to cal for refor­mation therof at theyr ordynaries and other superiours handes, who vpon complayute and due profe therof, shall reforme the same accordyngly.

¶ ITEM that no person shal from hensforth, alter or change the order and maner of any fastyng day, that is commaunded and indicted by the churche, nor of prayer or diuine seruice, other wise than is specified in the said iniun­ctions, vntyll suche tyme as the same shall be so ordered and transposed by the kinges highnes auctoritie, The eues of suche saynctes, whose holydays be abrogated, only excepted, whiche shal be declared henseforth to be no fa­stinge days. Ercepted also the commemoration of Thomas Bekket, some­tyme archbishop of Canturburie, whiche shall be cleane omitted, and in the stede therof the feriall seruice vsed.

¶ Item that the knollynge of the Auees, after seruyce and certain other ti­mes, whiche hath ben brought in and begon by the pretence of the byshop of Romes pardon, henseforth be lefte and omitted, lest the people do hereafter truste to haue pardon for the saying of their Auees, betwene the sayde [...]uol­lyng, as they haue done in tymes past.

¶ Item where in tymes past men haue vsed in dyuers places in their pro­cessions to synge, Ora pro nobis, to so many saynctes, that they had no tyme to synge the good suffrages folowynge, as Parce nobis domine, and Libera nos do­mine, it muste be taughte and preached, that better it were to omytte Ora pro nobis, and to synge the other suffrages, beinge most necessary, and effectuall.

¶ AL VVHICHE and syngular Iniunctions [...] minister vnto you, and to your successours by the kynges hyghnes auctoritie, to me committed in this parte, whiche I charge and commaunde you by the same auctorytie to ob­serue and kepe, vpon peyne of depriuation, sequestration of your fruites, or suche other cohercion, as to the kynges hyghnesse, or his vicegerent for the tyme beynge, shall be sene conuenient.