To Be Inquired of in the Visitations to Be Had within the Diocese of Canterbury, in the Second Year of the Reign
Of Our Dread Sovereign Lord, Edward the Sixth, By
The Grace of God King of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and in Earth of the Church of England, and Also of Ireland, the Supreme Head
First, whether parsons, vicars, and curates, and every of them, have purely and ῬΡ. sincerely, without colour or dissimulation, four times in the year at the least, preached against the usurped power, pretended authority and jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome. et Item, Whether they have preached and declared likewise four times in the year,.,.. LI LI e at the least, that the king’s majesty’s power, authority, and pre-eminence, within his realms and dominions, is the highest power under God.
Jtem, Whether any person hath by writing, cyphering, preaching or teaching, deed or act, obstinately holden and stand with to extol, set forth, maintain, or defend the authority, jurisdiction, or power of the bishop of Rome or of his see heretofore claimed and usurped, or by any pretence, obstinately or maliciously invented any thing for the extolling of the same, or any part thereof.
ltem, Whether in their common prayers they use not the collects made for the king, and make not special mention of his majesty’s name in the same.
Item, Whether they do not every Sunday and holyday, with the collects of the English procession, say the prayer set forth by the king’s majesty for peace between England and Scotland.
[[! These articles are printed from Wilkins’ counted as our neighbours, and commanded us to]
[Concilia, and have been collated with Sparrow’s love them as ourselves, and not to hate our enemies,]
[Collection of Articles, &c. Both Strype and Bur- butrather to wish them, yea, and also to do them,]
[net assert that they were issued at Cranmer’s Vi- good if we can: bow down thy holy and merciful]
[sitation, A.D. 1548. Vid. Strype Mem. of eyes upon us, and look upon the small portion of]
[Abp. Cranmer, Vol. I. p. 259, Ed. Oxon. 1840. earth, which professeth thy holy name and thy Son]
[Burnet’s Hist. of Reformat. Vol. II. p. 211. Ed. Jesu Christ. Give to all us desire of peace, unity,]
[Oxon. 1829. Cardwell’s Documentary Annals, Vol. and quietness, and & speedy wearisomeness of all]
[I. pp. 41—51. Vid. Injunctions to the Dean and war, hostility, and enmity to all them that be our]
[Chapter»of Canterbury, No. 2, p. 162. Yet Strype, enemies; that we and they may, in one heart and]
[(Vol. IL. p. 613, 14) also says, ‘T’hearticles whereof charitable agreement, praise thy most holy name,]
[(king Edward V Ith’s Visitation) were drawn up by and reform our lives to thy godly commandments.]
[the archbishop, and preserved to us in Bishop Spar- And especially have an eye to this small isle of]
[row’s Collections,” They were printed by Grafton, Britain. And that which was begun by thy great]
[Ed. Lond. 1548. Vid. Ames’ Typogr. Antiq. Ed. and infinite mercy and love to the unity and con-]
[Dibdin. Vol. III. p. 458, who mentions, (p. 467, cord of both the nations, that the Scottish men and]
[n.) Abp. Cranmer’s Articles of Visitation in the we might for ever live hereafter in one love and]
[Diocese of Norwich, a copy of which has not yet amity, knit into one nation, by the most happy]
[been discovered. and godly marriage of the king’s majesty our sove-]
[[? “A prayer for victory and peace was sent to reign lord, and the young Scottish queen; where-]
[the archbishop with an order from the privy council unto promises and agreements hath been heretofore]
[for its use, 6th May, 1548. Wilkins’ Concilia, Vol. most firmly made by human order: grant, O Lord,]
[IV. p.26. Strype’s Mem. of Abp. Cranmer, Vol. that the same might go forward, and that our sons’]
[I. p. 253, and Eccl. Mem. Vol. II. Part 1. p. 166. sons, and all our posterity hereafter, may feel the]
[Ed. Oxon. 1822. The following prayeris found inthe benefit and commodity of thy great gift of unity,]
[State Paper Office. DrJenkyns suggeststhatitmay granted in our days. Confound all those that work-]
[probably be that which was then set forth;” and that ethagainst it: let not their counsel prevail: diminish]
[“it was perhaps composed by Cranmer himself.” their strength: lay thy sword of punishment upon The Common Prayer. them that interrupteth this godly peace; or rather]
[Most merciful God, the granter of all peace and convert their hearts to the better way, and make]
[quietness, the giver of all good gifts, the defender them embrace that unity and peace, which shall be]
[of all nations, who hast willed all men to be ac- most for thy glory, and the profit of both the realms.]
Item, Whether they have not removed, taken away, and utterly extincted and destroyed in their churches, chapels, and houses, all images, all shrines, coverings of shrines, all tables, candlesticks, trindals or rolls of war, pictures, paintings, and all other monuments of feigned miracles, pilgrimages, idolatry, and superstition, so that there remain no memory of the same in walls, glass windows, or elsewhere.
Item, Whether they have exhorted, moved, and stirred their parishioners to do the like in every of their houses.
Item, Whether they have declared to their parishioners the articles concerning the abrogation of certain superfluous holydays, and done their endeavour to persuade the said parishioners to keep and observe the same articles inviolably; and whether any of those abrogate days have been kept as holydays, and by whose occasion they were so kept.
Item, Whether they have diligently, duly, and reverently ministered the sacraments in their cures. ’
ltem, Whether they have preached, or caused to be preached, purely and sincerely the word of God, in every of their cures, cvery quarter of the year, once at the least, exhorting their parishioners to works commanded? by the scripture, and not to works devised by men’s phantasies besides scripture, as wearing or praying upon beads, or such like.
ltem, Whether they suffer any torches, candles, tapers, or any other lights to be in your churches, but only two lights upon the high altar.
Item, Whether they have not every holyday, when they have no sermon, immediately after the gospel, openly, plainly, and distinctly recited to their parishioners in the pulpit, the Paternoster, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments in English.
Item, Whether every Lent, they examine such persons as come to confession to them, whether they can recite the Paternoster, the Articles of our Faith, and the Ten Commandments in English.
Item, Whether they have charged fathers and mothers, masters and governors of youth, to bring them up in some virtuous study and occupation.
Jtem, Whether such beneficed men, as be lawfully absent from their benefices, do leave their cure to a rude and unlearned person, and not an honest, well-learned, and expert curate, which can and will teach you wholesome doctrine.
Jtem, Whether, in every cure they have, they have provided one book of the whole bible of the largest volume in English, and the Paraphrasis of Erasmus also in. English upon the gospels, and set up the same in some convenient place in the church, where their parishioners may most commodiously resort to the same.
Jtem, Whether they have discouraged any person from reading of any part of the bible, either in Latin or English, but rather comforted and exhorted every person to read the same, as the very lively word of God, and the special food of man’s soul. Put away from us all war and hostility, and if we of Articles and Injunctions then in the possession be driven thereto, hold thy holy and strong power of N. Battely.” and defence over us: be our garrison, our shield, Ye shall also make your hearty and effectual and buckler. And seeing we seek but a perpetual prayer to Almighty God for the peace of all Christian amity and concord, and performance of quietness regions, and especially, that the most joyful and promised in thy name, pursue the same with us, and perpetual peace and unity of this realm and Scot-send thy holy angels to be our aiders; that either land may shortly be profited and brought to pass, none at all, or else so little loss and effusion of by the most godly and happy marriage of the king’s christian blood as can, be made thereby. Look majesty and the young queen of Scotland: and that not, O Lord, upon our sins, or the sins of our ene- it would please Almighty God to aid with strength, mies, what they deserve; but have regard to thy wisdom, and power, and with his holy defence, all most plenteous and abundant mercy, which passeth those which favour and set forward the same, and all thy works, being so infinite and marvellous. Do vanquish and confound all those which labour and this, O Lord, for thy Son’s sake, Jesu Christ. study to the lett and interruption of so godly a quiet The same topic,” adds Dr Jenkyns, wasintro- and unity, whereof these two realms should take duced also into the bidding prayer before the sermon, such a benefit and profit: for these and all other, &c. The following form is printed by Strype, Eccl. Vid.Jenkyns’ Remains of Abp. Cranmer, Vol. II. Mem. Vol. II. Part 1. p. 73, from some manu- pp. 196, 7. script additions attributed to Cranmer, in a Book (? To words commanded. Sparrow. 7
Item, Whether parsons, vicars, curates, and other priests, be common haunters and resorters to taverns or ale-houses, giving themselves to drinking, rioting, or playing at unlawful games, and do not occupy themselves in the reading or hearing of some part of holy scripture, or in some other godly exercise.
Item, Whether they have admitted any man to preach in their cures not being lawfully licensed thereunto, or have refused or denied such to preach as have been licensed. accordingly.
ltem, Whether they which have heretofore declared to their parishioners anything to the extolling or setting forth of pilgrimages, relics, or images, or lighting of candles, kissing, kneeling, decking of the same images, or any such superstition, have not openly recanted and reproved the same.
Item, Whether they have one book or register safely kept, wherein they write the day of every wedding, christening, and burying.
Item, Whether they have exhorted the people to obedience to the king’s majesty and his ministers, and to charity and love one to another.
Jtem, Whether they have admonished their parishioners, that they ought not to presume to receive the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, before they can perfectly rehearse the Paternoster, the Articles of the Faith, and the Ten Commandments in English.
Item, Whether they have declared, and to their wits and power have persuaded the people, that the manner and kind of fasting in Lent, and other days in the year, is but a mere positive law; and that therefore all persons, having just cause of sickness, or other necessity, or being licensed by the king’s majesty, may moderately eat all kind of meats without grudge or scruple of conscience.
Item, Whether they be resident upon their benefices, and keep hospitality, or no; and if they be absent, or keep no hospitality, whether they do make due distributions among the poor parishioners, or not.
Item, Whether parsons, vicars, clerks, and other beneficed men, having yearly to dispend an hundred pound, do not find competently one scholar in the university of Cambridge or Oxford, or some grammar-school; and for as many hundred pounds as every of them may dispend, so many scholars likewise to be found by them; and what be their names that they so find.
Item, Whether proprietaries, parsons, vicars, and clerks, having churches, chapels, or mansions, do keep their chancels, rectories, vicarages, and all other houses appertaining to them, in due reparations.
Item, Whether they have counselled or moved their parishioners rather to pray in a tongue not known, than in English, or to put their trust in a prescribed number of prayers, as in saying over a number of beads, or other like.
Item, Whether they have read the king’s majesty’s Injunctions’ every quarter of the year, the first holyday of the same quarter.
Item, Whether the parsons, vicars, curates, and other priests, being under the degree of a bachelor of divinity, have of their own the new Testament both in Latin and English, and the Paraphrase of Erasmus upon the same.
Item, Whether within every church he that ministereth hath read or caused to be read the epistle and gospel in English, and not in Latin, either in the pulpit or some other meet place, so as the people may hear the same.
Item, Whether every Sunday and holyday at matins they have read or caused to be read plainly and distinctly, in the said place, one chapter of the new Testament in English, immediately after the lessons, and at even-song after Magnificat one chapter of the old Testament.
Item, Whether they have not at matins omitted three lessons, when nine should have been read in the church, and at even-song the responds with all the memories.
Item, Whether they have declared to their parishioners, that St Mark’s day and the evens of the abrogate holydays should not be fasted.
[! Vid. Wilkins’ Concilia, Vol. IV. pp. 3—8; and Sparrow’s Collection of Articles, pp. 1—13, and]
[the Appendix to this Volume.]]
Item, Whether they have the procession-book in English, and have said or sung the said litany in any other place but upon their knees in the midst of their church; and whether they use any other procession, or omit the said litany at any time, or say it or sing it in such sort as the people cannot understand the same.
Item, Whether they have put out of their church-books this word Papa,” and the name and service of Thomas Becket, and prayers having rubrics containing pardons or indulgences, and all other superstitious legends and prayers.
Jtem, Whether they bid not the beads according to the order appointed by the king’s majesty.
Item, Whether they have opened and declared unto you the true use of ceremonies, that is to say, that they be no workers nor works of salvation, but only outward signs and tokens, to put us in remembrance of things of higher perfection.
Item, Whether they have taught and declared to their parishioners, that they may with a safe and quiet conscience in the time of harvest labour upon the holy and festival days; and if superstitiously they abstain from working upon those days, that then they do grievously offend and displease God.
Item, Whether they have admitted any person to the communion, being openly known to be out of charity with their neighbours.
Item, Whether the deans, archdeacons, masters of hospitals, and prebendaries, have preached by themselves personally twice every year at the least.
Item, Whether they have provided and have a strong chest for the poor men’s box, and set and fastened the same near to their high altar?.
Item, Whether they have diligently called upon, exhorted, and moved their parishioners, and specially when they make their testaments, to give to the said poor men’s box, and to bestow that upon the poor chest, which they were wont to bestow upon pardons, pilgrimages, trentals, masses satisfactory, decking of images, offering of candles, giving to friars, and upon other like blind devotions.
Item, Whether they have denied to visit the sick, or bury the dead being brought to the church.
Item, Whether they have bought their benefices, or come to them by fraud or deceit. Item, Whether they have every Sunday, when the people be most gathered, read one of the homilies in order as they stand in the book set forth by the king’s majesty. Item, Whether they do not omit prime and hours, when they have any sermon or homily.
Item, Whether they have said or sung any mass, in any oratory, chapel, or any man’s house, not being hallowed.
Item, Whether they have given open monition to their parishioners that they should not wear beads, nor pray upon them.
Item, Whether they have moved their parishioners, lying upon their death- beds, or at any other time, to bestow any part of their substance upon trentals, masses satisfactory, or any such blind devotions.
Item, Whether they take any trentals or other masses satisfactory to say or sing for the quick or the dead.
Item, Whether they have given open monition to their parishioners to detect and present to their ordinary all adulterers and fornicators, and such men as have two wives living, and such women as have two husbands living, within their parishes,
Item, Whether they have not monished their parishioners openly, that they should not sell, give, nor otherwise alienate any of their churches’ goods.
Item, Whether they or any of them do keep more benefices and other ecclesiastical promotions than they ought to do, not having sufficient licence and dispensations thereunto, and how many they be, and their names.
Item, Whether they minister the communion any other ways than only after such form and manner as is set forth by the kings majesty in the book of the communion. Item, Whether they hallowed and delivered to the people any candles upon candlemas-day, and ashes upon Ash-Wednesday, or any palms apon Palm-Sunday last past.
Item, Whether they had upon Good-Friday last past the sepulchres with their lights, having the sacrament therein. ‘
Item, Whether they upon Easter-even last past hallowed the font, fire, or paschal, or had any paschal set up, or burning in their churches.
Item, Whether your parsons and vicars have admitted any curates to serve their cures, which were not first examined and allowed either by my lord of Canterbury, master archdeacon, or their officers.
Item, Whether you know any person within your parish or elsewhere, that is a letter of the word of God to be read in English or sincerely preached, or of the execution of the king’s majesty’s Injunctions, or other his majesty’s proceedings in matters of religion. Item, Whether every parish have provided a chest with two locks and keys for the book! of wedding, christening, and burying.
Jtem, Whether in the time of the litany or any other common prayer, in the time of the sermon or homily, and when the priest readeth the scripture to the parishioners, any person have departed out of the church without a just and necessary cause.
Item, Whether any bells have been knolled or rung at the time of the premises.
Item, Whether any person hath abused the ceremonies, as in casting holy water upon his bed, or bearing about him holy bread, St John’s Gospel, ringing of holy bells, or keeping of private holydays, as tailors, bakers, brewers, smiths, shoemakers, and such other.
Item, Whether the money coming and rising of any cattle, or other moveable stocks of the church, and money given or bequeathed to the finding of torches, lights, tapers, or lamps, (not paid out of any lands,) have not been employed to the poor men’s chest. Item, Who hath the said stocks and money in their hands, and what be their names. Item, Whether any undiscreet persons do uncharitably contemn and abuse priests and ministers of the church.
Item, Whether they that understand not the Latin do pray upon any primer but the English primer, set forth by the king’s majesty’s authority; and whether they that understand Latin do use any other than the Latin primer, set forth by like authority. Item, Whether there be any other grammar taught in any other school within this diocese than that which is set forth by the king’s majesty.
Item, Whether any person keep their church holyday and the dedication-day any otherwise, or at any other time, than is appointed by the king’s majesty.
Item, Whether the service in the church be done at due and convenient hours.
Item, Whether any have used to commune, jangle, and talk in the church, in the time of the common prayer, reading of the homily, preaching, reading or declaring of the scripture.
Item, Whether any have wilfully maintained and defended any heresies, errors, or false opinions, contrary to the faith of Christ and holy scripture.
Item, Whether any be common drunkards, swearers, or blasphemers of the name of God.
Item, Whether any have committed adultery, fornication, or incest, or be common bawds, and receivers of such evil persons, or vehemently suspected of any of the premises. ltem, Whether any be brawlers, slanderers, chiders, scolders, and sowers of discord between one person and another.
Item, Whether you know any that use charms, sorcery, enchantments, witchcraft, soothsaying, or any like craft invented by the devil.
Item, Whether the churches, pulpits, and other necessaries appertaining to the same, be sufficiently repaired.
Item, Whether you know any that, in contempt of your own parish church, do resort to any other church.
Item, Whether any inn-holders or alehouse-keepers do use commonly to sell meat and drink in the time of common prayer, preaching, or reading of the homilies or scripture.
Item, Whether you know any to be married within the degrees prohibited by the
laws of God, or that be separated or divorced without a just cause, allowed by the law of God, and whether any such have married again.
Item, Whether you know any to have made privy contracts of matrimony, not calling two or more thereunto.
Item, Whether they have married solemnly, the banns not first lawfully asked.
Item, Whether you know any executors or administrators of dead men’s goods, which do not bestow such of the said goods as were given and bequeathed, or appointed to be distributed among the poor people, repairing of highways, finding of poor scholars, or marrying of poor maids, or such other like charitable deeds.
Item, Whether any do contemn married priests, and, for that they be married, will not receive the communion or other sacraments at their hands.
Item, Whether you know any that keep in their houses undefaced any abused or feigned images, any tables, pictures, paintings, or other monuments of feigned miracles, pilgrimages, idolatry, or superstition.
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