Articles of Inquiry at the Visitation of the Cathedral Church of Canterbury, 15502
1550, 10 Septembris, Visitation wn the Chapter-house by my lord Archbishop, and —
Articles there ministered to be answered unto
Baker WmzrHER any of this church is a privy or an apert setter forth of the bishop of Rome his authority, or is a maintainer of heresy, superstition, idolatry, or anything repugnant or derogatory to the holy scripture, or the king’s majesty’s proceedings in matters of religion.
Item, Whether any of this church do keep or observe, diligently and inviolably, without colour or fraud, the book called the Common Prayer, according to the rules of the same, and the statute of parliament authorising the same book, and whether you use any other ceremonies at the communion or other divine service than is mentioned or allowed in the same book.
Item, Whether any inhabiter within my diocese of Canterbury have been admitted to the communion within this church, except such as be of the same church?.
Item, Whether the sermons by foundation or statutes of this church or otherwise lawfully assigned have been made by the dean, prebendaries, or preachers of the same, at the times and places appointed therefore.
Item, Whether any prebendary, petty canon, or vicar of this church is beneficed beside the same, how many every one of them have, what be their names, and what their clear yearly value.
Item, Whether such distributions as should be made to the poor, either here, or at
[[? These Articles and the Injunctions which departed from for the sake of keeping together]
[follow, though found in different collections, mani- documents of the same character. If it had been]
[festly belong to the same Visitation. “The Articles followed strictly, these two papers would have been]
[were issued on the 10th of Sept. 1550. On the re- placed after the work on the Lord’s Supper. Jen-]
[ceipt of the answer to them, the Injunctions were kyns.]]
[given on the 29th of the ensuing October. [? See the sixth of the Injunctions to the Dean The chronological order has in this instance been and Chapter of Canterbury, p. 162.]
the benefices appropriated to this church, or elsewhere, by the appropriations, ordinances, and statutes of this church, have been done accordingly, or no.
Item, Whether the grammar-school be diligently and duly kept, and the schoolmaster, being learned in the Greek and Latin tongue, and usher, do resort and continue at the same in due times and convenient hours, and whether the scholars do profit in learning, or no.
Jtem, Whether the just number of scholars and ministers of this church be continually maintained in the same, as they ought to be by the foundation and statutes thereof, and whether any have been admitted to any scholarship but such as have been destitute of all help of friends.
Jtem, Whether any of this church have taken any gifts in money or otherwise, for the preferment of any person to any petty canonship, scholarship, or any other office or room within the said church.
Item, Whether there be any incorrigible, troublesome makebates, or otherwise disobedient to the dean of this church, or other their superiors.
ltem, Whether any be more absent from the church than by the ordinances and statutes of the same they may or ought to be.
Item, Whether the foundation of this church or statutes, or any portion of the same, be by any colourable ways or means wrested, or derogated, or made void and of no force. Jtem, W here, when, and to whom the books of the Latin service were delivered, and how many, and whether any of them were sold, and by whom, or doth remain still in thc hands and custody of any of this church.
Item, Whether any of the petty canons, vicars, and ministers of this church be a carder, dicer, rioter, fighter, brawler, swearer, or drunkard.
Item, Whether they do occupy themselves out of service-time and meals in some virtuous exercise and learning.
Item, Whether there be any strife, rancour, malice, or debate, between any of this church; and if any be, between whom it is, and for what cause.
Jtem, Whether any have committed adultery, fornication, or incest, or be vehemently suspected of the premises.
Jtem, Whether the prebendaries and other of this church, which are bound to be resident, do keep hospitality, and specially for the poor, and the ministers of this church.
Jtem, Whether they do come to the church so much as they ought to do.
Item, Whether the correction of faults by clerks, choristers, vergers, ringers, and other ministers, be made and done accordingly.
Item, What are the whole and yearly revenues of this church, and what portion of the same is assigned for the poor, and mending of highways, or other deeds of charitv, and on whom it hath been bestowed.
Jtem, Whether lands, goods, moveables, or chattels, appertaining to this church, is sold or otherwise alienated; to whom, and for how much.
Jtem, What treasure they have in store to supply all necessaries and chances that may be incident unto this church.
Jtem, Whether the treasure of this church and jewels be well and diligently kept by just indented inventory.
Item, Whether this church, every prebendary’s house, and other buildings within the said church, and the lands, tenements, and rectories belonging to the said church, be duly surveyed and kept in good reparation.
Item, Whether the common seal of this church is safely kept, according to the foundation or other ordinances of the same.
Jtem, Whether there is a perfect register kept of all leases, fees, and offices, granted or confirmed by the church.
Item, Whether every year once there is a perfect and full account made of all and singular the revenues and other profits, in any wise to this church belonging.
Item, W hether any within this church have been or is a hinderer of the word of God, either for reading or preaching of the same, or a notorious slanderer of the preachers thereof.
Item, Whether those of this church, which may dispend in benefices and other promotions ecclesiastical an hundred pounds, do give competent exhibition to one scholar at one of the universities of Cambridge or Oxford, and so for so many hundred pounds as he may dispend, do find so many scholars, and what be their names’. Item, Whether any use commonly to be absent from the sermons made within this church. Jtem, Whether there be a library within this church, and in the same St Augustine’s works, Basil, Gregory Nazianzene, Hierome, Ambrose, Chrysostome, Cyprian, Theophylact, Erasmus, and other good authors and works. Jtem, Whether you have every day some part of holy scripture read in English at your table, at the time of your meals. Item, Whether there be two bibles of the largest volume in English in some meet and. convenient place in the body of this church. Jtem, Whethér there be any lecture of divinity within this said church. Jtem, Whether ye know any other thing more than these worthy of reformation. Jtem, Whether the dean, prebendaries, preachers, schoolmaster, usher, petty canons, and other ministers of this church, have taken a corporal oath to observe and keep all and singular the statutes of this church, so much as concerns them, or any of them. Item, What was done with the images lately in this church, and whether any doth remain not defaced and utterly extincted, and in whose custody and keeping they be.
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