Articles to be inquired of the clergie set foorth by the reuerend father in God, Thomas Bishop of Lincoln, in his first visitation for his diocesse, anno Domini 1571.

Articles to be inquired of the clergie set foorth by the reuerend father in God, Thomas Bishop of Lincoln, in his first visitation for his diocesse, anno Domini 1571.

Table of contents

Title page

Articles.

Articles to be inquired of the Laytie.

¶Iniunctions of the Reuerende Father in God Thomas by the sufferaunce of God byshop of Lincoln̄ giuen in his first visitation, Anno Domini. 1571. to be obserued within the Dioces of Lincoln̄.

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Articles to be inquired of the Clergie: Set foorth by the Reuerend Father in God, Thomas Bishop of Lincoln̄, in his first visitation for his Diocesse. Anno Domini. 1571.

¶Imprinted at London, in Fleetstreete, by Rafe Newbery.

Articles.

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FIrst whether your Persons, Vicars and Curates, do say their diuine seruice in their Churches at due howres, and conuenient times, and also doo reuerently minister the Sacraments to their Parishoners according to the booke of Common Praier, set out by common aucthoritie, of the Parliament of this Realme.

2. Item, whether they do exercise themselues in godly studie of the holy Scriptures, and in vertuous bringing vp of youth, as in teaching of them the Cathechisme, and other Godly exercises from time, to time, or no.

3. Item, whether they do decently and orderly go in their apparel, according to the booke of Aduertisements, lately set fourth in that behalfe.

4. Item, whether they or any of them do frequent or vse, any Tauerne, Alehouse, or any other suspected house, or do vse vnlawfull Huntinge and Hawkinge contrary to the Ecclesiasticall law and their order.

5. Item, whether they be residente vppon their benefices and mainteine Hospitality, to their hability, and whether they haue moe benefices then one, and whether their houses and Chauncels be in sufficient reparacion.

6. Item, whether such as be absente from their benefices, do leaue sufficient Curates in their places, and whither any of them do serue two Cures, without speciall licence of the Ordinary.

7. Item, whether any of them do discourage any person from the reading of any part of the Bible, either in Latin or English, and do not rather comfort, and exhorte euery person to the reading of the same, at conuenient times, as the eternall worde of God, the true foode of Mans soule.

8. Item, whether they haue admitted any man to Preache in their Cures not being lawfully licenced, or haue refused and denied such to preache as haue ben licenced accordingly.

9. Item, whether they do vse to pray for the Quéenes Maiesty in their Churches, and exhorte the people to obedience of her grace, and other Magistrates being in aucthority vnder her.

10. Item, whether they exhorte their Parishioners to receaue [Page] the holy Communion, at the least fowre times in the yeare, and whether they presume to minister the same to any person that is out of Charitie or infamed with any notorious Crime.

11. Item, whether they haue theyr foure quarter Sermons by such as be licenced to preache, and whether they do reade once in the yeare vpon some solemne day in their Church openly, when the most resorte of people shalbe present, the Confession and articles agréed vpon by the Reuerende Father in God the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Yorke, and other Bishoppes of this Realme.

12. Item, whether your Parsons and Vicars be married or no, and if they be not, whether they kepe in their houses any suspected Wemen, vnder the name and colour of their Butlers, Kinswomen, or otherwaies.

13. Item, whether they or any of them haue any sedicious bookes priuily, or openly, lately set forth by Doctor Harding & other his complices, enimies of Gods true Religion, and to their Natiue Countrey, or if any of them do supporte, maiteyne, or succoure, the saide Doctor Hardinge, or any of his Complices with money or otherwaies whereas they be in the partes beyond the Seas.

14. Item, whether they do distinctly and sincerely reade the homilies set forthe by the Quéenes Maiesties aucthority vppon the Sondayes, and Holidayes, when there is no Sermon, and whether they do visite the sicke, in exhortinge them to consider the poore, and other Charitable deedes.

15. Item, that no Minister in the Ministration of the holy Sacramentes shall vse any Popishe or supersticious Garment, sauing that kinde of Garmente, as shall be appointed by common aucthority or by the Bishoppe of the Dioces and whether they receaue any to be Godfathers or Godmothers that haue not receiued the Communion or no.

16. Item, whether your Parsons, Vicars, or Curates, do vse to tole any Bell in the time of Lent as to confession in the Popishe time, whether their tables be hanged like Aultars or no, & whether they baptise any Children on the workenday (or no) and bid and keepe any other holy dayes and fasting dayes then which are appoynted by the Booke.

17. Item, whether any of them do go in their Surplesses in the [Page] Rogation wéeke, and whether they do read the Quéenes Maiesties Iniunctions quarterly or no.

18. Item, whether they deliuer the holy Sacramente of the Lordes supper to their people rather into their mouthes, then into their handes, and whether they or any of them do whisper or breathe ouer the Breade in the time of consecration or no.

19. Item, whether they do kepe the order for the bringing of the Coarse to the Buriall according to the Booke, &c.

20. Item, whether they do visit the sicke, and impotent persons, to comforte them in the time of their sicknesse, with necessary Doctrine out of the holy Scriptures necessary for that purpose.

Articles to be inquired of the Laytie.

FIRST whether you haue the Bible of the greatest volume, the booke of common Prayer set forth by aucthority of Parliament, the Paraphrase, both partes of the homilies, the Psalter, and other bookes, necessary accordinge to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions.

2. Item, whether there be a comly desent framed Communion table, with a Carpet to the same, according to the order of a boke set forth in that behalfe, and also a conuenient Pulpit, set vp in such place of the Churche as Gods word may be best heard out of it.

3. Item, whether any in your Parish do depraue or dispraise ye booke of Common Praier, set forth by aucthority of Parliament, or speake against the homilies, or do maintaine or holde any eronious opinions, contrary to the worde of God, and the lawes of the Realme.

4. Item, whether any man do stubbernly contemne or dispise the order of Administration of the holy Sacraments set forth in the English tongue and do obstinately refuse to receaue the holie Communion at the least foure times in the yeare.

5. Item, whether any man doth absent him selfe from diuine Seruice in the holy daies without lawfull [...] and iust cause, and if such do, whether the Churchewardens do leuie by the way of distresse the penalty, according to the statute, and put the same in the poore mans Boxe.

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[Page]6. Item, whether there be any within your Parishe that doth not reuerently vse the ministers, or whether there be any common swearers, seditious slaunderers of their neighbours, or haū ters of any Alehouses, in the time of diuine seruice, or any walkers, Ianglers, or Talkers, that disturbeth the minister in the time of diuine seruice.

7. Item whether there be any whoremongers, adulterers, or any that do vse any sorcery, inchauntmentes, or witchcraftes, or vehemently suspected of naughty liuinge, within your Parish or no.

8. Item, whether all monumentes of Superstition be defaced and taken downe within your churches, or whether any do vse to pray vpon Beades, the Latin Primmer, or other supersticious bookes, or kepe any superstitious Reliques, as Vestimentes, Albes, Banner clothes and such like, in their houses, or other places or no.

9. Item, whether your Chalices being mere monuments of the Popishe Masse, and Popishe Religion, be translated and conuerted, into decent and comely Communion Cuppes, and the same to be siluer at the least accordinge to the value of theyr Chalices or no.

10. Item whether your Churches be in sufficient repaire and the Churche yardes well fensed, and kepte from Swine, and other filthy beastes.

11. Item, whether there hath bene any Fraye made in your Churches or Churche yardes, to the disturbance of Gods seruice, and to the euill example of the rest of the Parish, you shall present by whom, when, and after what sort.

12. Item, whether there be any Scholemaisters, within your Parishes that do teache any Grammer schole either priuately or openly, how long they haue taught, and what their names be.

13. Item, whether there be any Legacies withholden giuen to the Churche, or otherwaies, by ye Testatours, in whose hands it is, by whom it is geuen, and by whom it is withholden.

14. Item, whether Collection be made for the poore according to the Statute, and the same distributed and accompted for accordyng to the same Statute, and whether any man refuseth to geue to the poore accordingly.

[Page]15. Item, whether any do stubbornely refuse to brynge theyr Children to the Minister on the holydayes to learne the Cathechisme or no.

16. Item, whether your Churchwardens do truly administer the goodes of the Churche, and make a true accompte of their office, and chose new at the least once euery yere.

17. Item whether any man hath put away his wife, or any wife absent her selfe from her husband, without iust cause, or any that hath married within the degrees Leuiticall and other orders within this Realme set forth in that behalfe.

18. Item, whether any do violate or breake the Saboth day and holly daies with their manuall laboure, and do keepe open their shops, alehouses, and other tiplinge houses, in the time of diuine seruice.

19. Item whether ther be a conuenient chest for the poore mans boxe and whither there be a Register booke kept of all those that be Christened, maried, and buried.

20. Item, whether any within your Parish haue any sedicious bookes lately set forth from beyonde the seas or that secretly do hide Monumentes, of Popishe Reliques, as Images, and suche like.

21. Item, whether the Churchewardens haue prouided the Postels of M. Becon, as it was geuen them in a charge at the visitacion or no.

¶Iniunctions of the Reuerende Father in God Thomas by the sufferaunce of God byshop of Lincoln̄ giuen in his first visitation, Anno Domini. 1571. to be obserued within the Dioces of Lincoln̄.

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FIRST that the common praier be sayd or songe decently and distinctly in such place of the Churche accordinge to the largenesse and straightnesse of the Church and Quire, so that the people may be most edefied.

2. Item, that your ministers shall go in decent and comely apparell, as also shall say the Diuine seruice appointed, and minister the holy Sacraments, within their Churches in decente apparell and to vse no Copes, vnlesse it be in Cathedrall and Collegiate churches, accordinge as it is set forthe by a booke called the aduertisements.

3. Item the parish shall prouide a decent communion table vppon a Frame with a comely Carpette to the same at their costes and charges as they will answere to the contrarie for theyr doynges.

4. Item, the churchwardens shall searche the Tauernes, Alehouses, and other tipling houses, to se whether any person be ther drinking or playing at any vnlawfull game, in the time of diuine seruice, and they to present their names, and the names of them that kepe the said houses.

5. Item, the churchwardens shall make their accompte yearely of their offices in the presence of the Ministre and the other of the Parish, and immediatly vpon the same accompt finished to chuse new from yeare to yeare.

6. Item, none shalbe admitted to be Godfathers or Godmothers, vnlesse they haue receiued the blessed Communion.

7. Item, that on the Sundayes and Holydaies, ther be no shops open, nor Artificers commonly goinge aboute their worldly affayres, and that in all Fayres and common Markets, falling vppon the Sonday or Holidaies, there be no shewing of wares, before the seruice be don.

8. Item, that the Ministers shall suffer none to preache within their cures, vnlesse he be able to shew som sufficient licence from the Bishoppe of the Diocesse, or other that haue aucthoritie to licence the same.

9. Item, no Prieste nor Lay man shalbe admitted or suffered [Page] to kepe any Grammer schole openly or priuately within this Diocesse, except he be alowed and licenced by the Bishop or his Officers.

10. Item, the Ministers shall call vpon their Parishoners to receaue the blessed communion, at the least foure times in the yere and also shall call vpon their Parishioners to send their children to the church to learne the Cathechisme, vpon the Sondaies and other conuenient times.

11. Item, your Parsons and Vicars shall not suffer nor admitte, any straunge Curate comminge out of any other Diocesse, to serue within their cures, without he be first licenced by the Bishoppe or his Officers.

12. Item, that no man shall enterprise nor presume to ring nor Iangle any Belles vppon all Halowen daie, or in the night of the same day, superstitiously or Popishly, as they haue bene accustomed to do, otherwaies then to call the people to Diuine Seruice.

13. Item, that none of your Parsons, Vicars, nor Curates, shall minister the holly communion, to any Forener or straunger, cō ming out of any other Diocesse, or from any other Parish, with in this Diocesse, without the speciall licence of my Lorde, or his officers, or the Minister of that place, from whence the said forener or straunger shall come.

14. Item that no Parson, Vicar, nor Curate shall minister to any person or persons, the holy Sacraments in any other church or churches, at any time or times, but in their owne, without the speciall request of the Parson, or Vicar of the sayde Parish.

15. Item, no man shal kepe any supersticious or erroneous boke of late come from beyonde the Seas, and set forthe by Doctor Harding and other his complices, but the same shall bringe forth and reueale before the Bishop and other his officers according to the Queenes Maiesties proclamacion set forth in that behalfe.

16. Item, that euery weeke or euery fortnight at the least they shall reade openly in their churches the proclamation sette out of late by the Queene her Maiesty for the callinge in of bookes of sedicion to be deliuered to the ordinarie accordinge to the Tenor and meaning of the said proclamacion.

God saue the Queene.

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Information about this book

Title statement

Articles to be inquired of the clergie set foorth by the reuerend father in God, Thomas Bishop of Lincoln, in his first visitation for his diocesse, anno Domini 1571.

Church of England. Diocese of Lincoln. Bishop (1570-1584 : Cooper)

Edition statement

1571

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Date

2006-02 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A00191

ID [STC]

STC 10228.5

ID [STC]

ESTC S2637

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

24404091

ID [OCLC]

ocm 24404091

ID [VID]

27642

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A00191)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 27642)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1850:78)

Source

— Articles to be inquired of the clergie set foorth by the reuerend father in God, Thomas Bishop of Lincoln, in his first visitation for his diocesse, anno Domini 1571., Church of England. Diocese of Lincoln. Bishop (1570-1584 : Cooper), Cooper, Thomas, 1517?-1594..

Extent

[8] p.

Imprinted at London in Fleet-streete by Rafe Newbery,. [London] :: [1571]. (Signatures: A⁴.) (Title within ornamental border.) (Reproduction of original in the Christ Church (University of Oxford). Library.)

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