Articles to be enquired of, in the visitacion, of the ryght reuerende father in God, Ioh[a]n Bysshop of Lyncol[n]n, in the sixte yeare of the reygne of our moste drade souereygne lorde kynge Edwarde the sixte [et]c. with certayne generall aduertysementes, then gyuen by the sayd bysshop to the clergie and people of his dioces, for an uniformitie, to be obserued in the same. Anno d[omi]ni, 1552.

royal coat of arms

DIEV ET DROYT

HONY SOYT QVI MAL Y PENSE

WHether you knowe any persone that haue commytted adultry , fornycacion , incest , bawdrye , or be vehemently suspected of the same , or be common dronkardes scoulders or common swerers and blasphemers of Goddes holy name .

¶ Whether your {per}sons or vicars doth maynteyne theyr howses , & chauncels in suffycyent reparacion or if theyr howses be indecay whether they bestowe yerely the fyfte parte of the fruytes of the benefyce vntyll the same be repared .

¶ Whether such persons and vicars as be absent from theyr benefyces doeth leaue theyr cure to curates suffycyent and able . And yf he may dyspende yerely .xx. ɫi . or aboue , in this deanery , or els wher , whether he doth dystrybute euery yeare , amonges his poore parysheners there at the least the forty parte of the fruytes of the same . And lykewyse spendynge yerely . ¶ . pounde whether he doth fynde one Scholer ateyther of the vnyuersytes , or some grammer scole . And so for euery other hundreth pounde one scoler . ☞ ❧ ☞ ❧

¶ Whether any parsone , or vicar haue come to theyr benyfyces by symony or haue .ii. benyfyces or moo without lawfull dyspensacion .

¶ Whether your mynystres haue dylygently procured suche as are lycensed to preache in theyr cure or haue refused any that haue beyn●… lycensed or haue absented them selues or caused other to be a way from the sermon or haue admytted any to preche that are not lycensed . ☞ ❧ ☞

¶ Whether any haue hyd and kepte secretely any Images , Antyphonares , Messals , Prymers , and other suche bokes of Laten seruyce whiche are forbed by the order of this Realme .

¶ Whether mynysters do dylygently , & reuerently mynyster the sacramentes in theyr Cure .

¶ Whether your curate do earnestly exorte theyr parisheners to dyspose them selues to the often Receauynge of the communyon .

¶ Whether your mynysters receyuyth the sacrament , except there be one at the leaste to communycate with hym . ☞ ❧

¶ Whether the mynyster vseth any eleuacyon or showynge the Sacrament before the distribucion thereof . ☞ ❧ ☞ ❧ ☞

¶ Whether the mynister or any other do reserue the sacrament and not Immedyatly receyue it .

¶ Whether the parisheners do offer euery sonday the Iust value of the holy Loffe to the vse of the curate in that order as they were wonte to paye the holy Loffe . And whether the same person to whome suche course do come or one at the least of his howsolde or els one appoynted by hym do Receyue the communyon that same day with the mynyster .

¶ Whether Baptisme be mynystred out of ; itye in any other tyme then on the sonday or holy daye or in any other tounge then Englyshe .

¶ Whether any taryeth in the quere after the offertory other then those that do communycat , except clerkes and mynysters .

¶ Whether your curate do admyt any suche to the Lordes table as are open and notaryous euyll lyuers , or hathe done wrong to theyr neyghboure by worde or dede wherby other are offended or be openly knowen to be in malyce or hatred before the amendement of theyr Lyfe and satysfaccyon , and reconsylyacion to theyr neyghboures .

¶ Whether the curate do admyte any to the communyon before he be confyrmed or any that cannot the Pater noster , the artycles of the Fayth , & the .x. commaundementes in Englyshe .

¶ Whether curates do mynyster the communyon for money or vseth to haue trentall of communyons .

¶ Whether there be any that pryuatly in theyr pryuat house haue theyr masses contrary to the forme and order of the booke of the communyon .

¶ Whether any be maryed within degres prohybyted by godes lawe , or seperat without cause lawfull or , is maryed

¶ Whether euery wensday and fryday is sayd or songe the englyshe processyon in the churche , and whether the mynyster , yf none be there to communycate with hym doth say suche prayers after the Let any as are appointed for the communyon vntyll the offortory .

¶ Whether the sayd seruyce and mynystracion of Sacramentes be sayde or song so audibly dystinctly and playnely and in such place of the churche as the people may best here it and betherby edyfyed .

¶ Whether inholders or ale howse kepers or taueners do vse comonly to sell meate drynke , or vitals in the tyme of seruyce or preachynge , or whether any other do sell wares or kepe barbores shoppes at seruyce tyme so that by that meanes the people be rather occasion to be absent .

¶ Whether any grace be sayde at dyner or supper in any of her tounge then in the englyshe .

¶ Whether orgaynes do play awaye any parte of the prayer or seruece .

¶ Whether any do vse to praye vpon bedes .

¶ Whether youre curate once in . vi . wekes at the leaste vpon some sondaye or holyday before euynsonge do openly in the churche instructe & examyne chyldren not confyrmed , in some partes of the cathechisme . ❧ ☞ ❧ ☞

¶ And whether parentes and maysters dosend thē thyther vpon warnynge gyuen by the mynyster . Whether there be set vp in some conuenye at place of the churche one booke of the whole byble in the largest volume in englyshe and the paraphrasys of Erasmus vpon the new testament lykewyse in englyshe , And whether your minister doth dyscorage any to loke and reade therupon , so that it be done quyetly without contencion .

¶ Whether you haue one boke or Regyster in your churche safely kept wherin euery sonday are wryten the weddynges chrystenynges & buryenges that were had the weke before .

¶ Whether euerye mynyster vnder the degre of a bachyler of dyuynytye haue of his owne the newe Testament both in englyshe and latynge with paraphrasis of Erasmus vpon the same and do dylygently study the same in conferrynge the one with the other . ☞ ❧ ☞

¶ Whether any vseth any other prymers then the Englyshe set forth by the kynges mayieste or any other latyn prymers , then is set forthe by the same aucthoryte yf he vnderstandeth laten excepte those prymers that were set forthe by Kynge henry the eyght so that Inuocacion or prayer to saintes in the same prymers be blotted out .

¶ Whether any other grammer be taught then the whiche is set out by the kynges maiestye .

¶ Withoute banes th●yse fyrste asked thre seuerall holydayes or sondayes openly in the churche at seruyse tyme .

¶ Whether any Curate do marye them of other paryshes without that curat{is} lycence and Certyfycat from hym of the banes thryse solemly asked .

¶ Whether you haue a decent & a comely Table , touered with a fayre whyte lynen cloth for the mynystracion of the holy communyon .

¶ Whether your Person , or Curat , vse his table aulter lyke hauyng vpon the same tapers or candels burnynge tossyng the boke from the one ende to the other or otherwyse by lyckynge wasshynge dowkynge holdynge vp handes or ryngnyg of sacryng belles do counterfet the popyshe masse .

¶ Whether any vseth to kepe abrogat holydayes or pryuayt holydayes as Bakers , Shoinakers , brners smythes and suche other .

¶ Whether any vseth to hallowe water , breade , sal●e belles or candels vpon candelmas daye ashes vpon ashewenesday , palmes vpon palmes sonday , the font on Ester euyne fyre , or pascall , or whether there was any sepulchre on good fryday .

¶ Whether any be a letter of the worde of god to be preached or read in the englyshe tonge .

¶ Vhether euery sondaye one parte of an homelye as it is now deuyded is red imedyatly after the crede yf there be no sermon openly & dystynctly that all the churche may heare and vnderstande it , and so lykewyse the epystell gospell and the lessons .

¶ Whether deane archedecon & prebendary beyng preste do personally by hym self preche twyse euery yere at the leaste ether where he is intytled , or where he hathe Iurysdyccion , or in some place vnyted or appropriate to the same .

¶ Whether any by preachynge wrytynge wordes or dede hath or doth mayntayne the vsurped power of thee by shoppe of rome .

¶ Whether any do preche declare or speke any thynge in derogacion of the boke of common prayer or any thyng therin conteyned or any parte therof .

¶ Whether any do prech or otherwyse openly mayntayne any erronyous opinion contrary to the worde of god . ❧ {fleur-de-lys} ❧ ☞

¶ Whether your mynysters haue bene dylygente in callymge vpon and exhortynge fathers and mothers maysters and seruauntes eyther in lernynge in some honeste occupacion or in husbandry .

¶ Whether your ministers euery holyday do recite openly and playnely in the pulpyt the Pater noster , the crede and the ten commaundementes in englyshe .

¶ Whether Persones , Vyears and Curates and euery of thē haue exorted the people to be obedyent to the kynges maieste and his mynysters and to charitye and loue one to another .

¶ Whether the seruyce is vsed to be sayde or songe vpon sondayes and holydayes in dewetyme and the sacramentes mynystred after that order , that is set out & appoynted in the boke of common prayer and none otherwyse , and the latanye also in the mydle alley of the churche knelynge .

¶ Whether your parisheners euery sonday & holyday do come to theyr owne perishe churche to heare dyuyne seruyce with scylence in prayer , pay there dewtyes there and ons in the yeare at the leaste receyue the holy communyon as it is in the boke of common prayer appdynted . ☞ ❧

¶ Whether any doth in Enterludes , Playes , songes , Rymes or by open wordes declaryng , or speke any thynge in deprabynge or , despysinge the sayde boke or any thynge therin contayned .

¶ Whether any by open facte dede or threfynge do compell cause or otherwyse procure or mayntayne any mynister to syng or say any comon or open prayer or to mynister any sacrament other or otherwyse then is mencioned in the sayde boke .

¶ Whether any do wylfully Interrupt or , let any mynister to synge or say the sayde comon or open prayer or to mynister the sacrament in suche forme as is mencioned in the sayde boke .

¶ Whether any do vse to talke or , I angle in the churche , in the tyme of seruyce , preaching , reading the homely or , communion tyll or , ryng belles at the same tyme or , maketh any other noyce to let the