Articles to be enquired of within the dioces of London, in the visitation of the Reuerend Father in God, Ihon Bishop of London, 1589 in the xxxj. yeare of the raigne of Our Most Gratious Soueraigne Lady Elizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c.

Articles concerning the Parishioners and others of the Laity.

Whether all Housholders in your Parish, cause their Children, Seruants and Apprentices, both mankinde and womankinde, being aboue seauen yeares of age and vnder twenty, which haue not learned the Catechisme, to come to the Church on Sondayes and holy-daies at the times appoynted for Catechising, & there diligently and obediently to heare. And what be the names of those that do not cause their Children, Seruants and Apprentises so to come to the Church to be instructed and examined.

2 Whether any doe worke, or kéepe any Shop, or any parte of their shop open vpon the Sabaoth dayes, or vpon any holy-daies appointed by the Lawes of the Realme to be kept holyday?

3 Whether you your selues or the Churchwardens in the yeares before you, haue suffered any vnmaried women being begotten with

Childe to goe out of the Parish before she hath done pennance, or any man defamed of whoredom to departe vnpunished vpon direction ap∣pointed by the ordinary, and forth of whose houses haue they gone away with Childe vnpunished, and how many vnmaried women which haue bin deliuered within your parish these three yeres last past haue gone away without doing of penance?

4 Whether there bee any in your Parish, that doe themselues for∣beare, or dehort others from comming to publique prayer and hea∣ring the word Preached, condemning all forme of praier which they cal stinted prayer, calling our Churches the Temples of Idols, and our Preachers false teachers sent in the Lordes wrath: which leude opinions, some Sectaries haue lately broched?

5 Whether any man keepeth or readeth any seditious and Schis∣maticall bookes, or pamphlets written by any which enuaieth against the Religion now receaued, or the order and gouernement of the Church now publiquelie established, or that stirreth vp the hearers to innouation, or altring of the Churches gouernement by Lawe now established?

6 Whether the Parish Clarke be appointed according to the aun∣tient custome of the Parish with the allowance of the ordinarie, and whether he be not obedient to the Parson, Vicar, or Curate: and whether he be able to reade, and whether he keepe the bookes and or∣naments of the Church fayre and cleane, and cause the Churche and Quier, the Communion table and the fonte to bee kepte cleane and decent against the seruice time, the Communion, Sermon, and Baptisme.

7 Whether there be any person or persons Ecclesiastical or Tem∣porall within your Parish, or elsewhere within this Dioces, that haue reteyned or kept in their custodie, or that reade, sell, vtter, dis∣perse, carrie, or deliuer to others any English bookes or Libels, set forth either on this side or beyond the Seas by Papistes, or others, against the Quéenes Supremacie in causes Ecclesiastical, or against true Religion and Catholique doctrine, or the gouernment and dis∣cipline of the Church of England now within this Realme, recei∣ued and established by common authoritie, and what their names and surnames are?

8 Whether there be any in your Parish which for any cause what∣soeuer forbeare to come to Church to publique praier, or to heare Gods word preached, pretending it vnlawfull to come to our assem∣blies as the Church of England now standeth?

9 Whether any do refuse to receiue the holy Communion at their owne Ministers handes, either because he is not a Preacher, or be∣cause he duely obserueth the order of ministration appoynted by the Booke, and who they be that do go from their own Parish to receiue at any other Ministers hands?

10 Whether any of your Parishioners hauing a Preacher to their Parson, Vicar, or Curate, do absent themselues from his Sermons, and resort to any other place to learne or followe after such innoua∣tions as are there taught.

11 Whether the people of your Parish, especially householders hauing no lawfull excuse to bee absent, do resort with their children and seruants to their Parish Church or Chappell on the Holi-daies and on the Sondaies to morning and euening praier. And who they be that either negligently or wilfully absent themselues, or come ve∣rie late to the Church vpon the Sondaies especially, or that walke, talke, or otherwise vnreuerently behaue themselues in the Church, or vse any gaming or pastime abroade, or in any house, or sit in the stréete, or Church-yarde, or in any Tauerne or Alehouse vpon the Sonday or other holi-day in the time of Common praier, or reading of the Homilies, either before or after noone?

12 Whether the forfeiture of twelue pence for euery time of ab∣sence from Church (appoynted by a Statute made in the first yeare of the Quéenes Maiesties raigne) bée leuied and taken according to the same Statute by the Church-wardens of euery person that of∣fendeth, and by them be put to the vse of the poore of the Parish: if it be not so leuied, by whose default is it?

13 Whether there be any Inne-keepers, Alewiues, Victualers or Tiplers, that suffer or do admit any person or persons in their houses to eate or drinke, or play at Dice, Cardes, Tables, Boules, or such like games in the time of Common praier or Sermon on the Sondaies or Holi-daies: or any Butchers or other that commonlie vse to sell meate or other thinges in the time of Common praier, Preachings, or reading of Homilies. And whether in any Fayres or common Markets, falling vpon the Sonday, there bee any shewing of any wares before Morning praier bee done? And whether any markets or selling of wares be vsed or suffered in any Church-yards on the Sabboth day by common Packmen or Pedlers going a∣bout?

14 Whether the Church-wardens of the last yeare haue giuen to the Parish a iust accompt of the Church goods and rents that were

committed to their charge, according vnto the custome that hath bin aforetime vsed, and what Church goods they or any other haue sold, and to whom, and whether to the profite of your Church or no, and what hath béen done with the money thereof comming?

15 Whether the Church-wardens and Sworne-men since the visitation holden 1586. haue of any priuate corrupt affection con∣cealed any crime or other disorder in their time done in your Parish, and haue not presented the same to the Bishop, Chauncellor, Arch∣deacon, Cōmissarie, or such other as had authoritie to reforme the same: and whether they, or any of them at any such time as they should haue béen at deuine Seruice on Sondaies or Holi-daies, and should there haue obserued others that were absent, haue béen away themselues at home, or in some Tauerne or Alehouse, or els about some worldly busines, or at Boules, Cardes, Tables, Dice, or o∣ther gaming, without regarde of their office and duetie in that be∣halfe?

16 Whether your Minister and you the Church-wardens, or any other of your Parish haue on your reuesterie made any orders, or do vse to call any parties before you for any cause to bee ordered by the Ecclesiasticall lawes, and so do vse a kind of presbiterie, or censuring ouer your neighbours?

17 Whether any of your Parish being of conuenient age, haue not receiued the holie Communion thrice this last yeare at the least, and namely at Easter last, or thereabouts for once, and what their names are, or which at their receiuing haue not signified the same before to your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, that he might conueniently examine them, and who haue refused to come to him to bee exami∣ned?

18 Whether there bee any in your Parish that administer the goods of those that bee dead without lawfull authoritie, or any that suppresse the last Will of the dead, or any Executors that haue not fulfilled their Testators will, especially in paying of Legacies giuen to the Church, or to other good and godlie vses, as to the releefe of pouertie, to Orphanes, poore Schollers, poore maydens marriages, high waies, Schooles, and such like, and by whom are they so de∣tayned?

19 Whether there be any in your Parish that hath or doth offend contrarie to the Statute made in the xxvii. yeare of the raigne of King Henry the viii. for the reformation of Vsurie, and reuiued by an Act made in the xiii. yeare of the raigne of the Quéenes Maiestie

that now is, and what be the names of such offenders?

20 Whether hath your Minister, or any of the Parish, not being Iustices of Peace, without the consent or priuitie of the Ordinarie, caused any to do penaunce or be punished, either openly or otherwise, for any crime punishable by the Ecclesiasticall lawes, and what bée the names of the parties, who haue béen so punished, and in what manner?

21 Whether the Iniunction sent from my L. Grace of Canterbu∣rie, and the High Commissioners in Nouember 1587. directed to your Minister and Churchwardens not to receiue strange preachers not licensed, be obserued: and whether the said Iniunction remaine in your Church, or no?

22 Whether there be any among you that do vse sorcerie or witch∣crafte, or that bee suspected of the same: and whether anie vse anie charmes, or vnlawfull praiers: and whether anie doo resort to anie such for helpe and counsell: and what be the names both of such as vse it, and of such as resort to them for helpe?

23 Whether anie couples that be maried in priuate houses with∣in these thrée yéeres last, haue béen knowen or suspected to haue béen married after anie other order, than is appointed by the Church of England, by reason that the one partie or the other are noted to bee such as refuse to come to the Church, or dislike of the orders of the Church of England?

24 Whether there be among you any Blasphemers of the name of GOD, great or often Swearers, Adulterers, fornicatours, incestuous persons, bawds or receiuers of naughtie and incontinent persons, or harbourers of women with childe which be vnmaried, cō∣ueying or suffering them to goe away before they do anie penance, or make satisfaction to the Congregation: or anie that be vehementlie suspected of anie such faults, or that be not of good name & fame tou∣ching anie such crime and fault: anie dronkardes or ribaldes, or anie that be malicious, contentious, or vncharitable persons, railers, scol∣ders, or sowers of discord betweene neighbors, and speciallie railers against Ministers, and against their marriage?

25 Whether there be anie in these parts that haue married within the degrees of affinitie or consanguinitie, by the Lawes of God for∣bidden: or anie that being diuorced or separated for the same, doo yet notwithstanding inhabit and keepe companie still together: or anie that being maried without those degrees, haue vnlawfullie forsaken their wiues or husbands, & married others. Anie man that hath two

wiues, or anie woman that hath two husbands: anie that beeing di∣uorced or separated asunder haue married again: anie that haue ma∣ried or contracted themselues without the consent of their parents, tutors, or gouernors: anie that haue married without Banes thrice solemnlie asked: anie couples maried that liue not together, but slan∣derouslie liue apart.

26 Whether there be anie in your parish, who will come to heare the sermon, but wil not come to the publique praier appointed by the booke of common praier, making a schisme or diuision as it were be∣tweene the vse of our publique praier, and preaching.

27 Whether the Minister and Churchwardens haue suffered anie Lords of misrule, or Summer Lords or Ladies, or anie disguised persons, or May games, or anie morrice dancers at anie times to come vnreuerentlie into the Church or Churchyard, and there to dance or play, especially in the time of common praier: and what they be that commit such disorder: or that accompanied or mainteined them?

28 Whether there be among you anie notorious euill liuers, or a∣nie suspected of any notorious sinne, fault, or crime, to the offence of Christian people, or any that stubbornly refuse to conforme thēselues to vnitie and godly Religion now established by publique authority: or any that beareth abroad rumors of the alteration of the same, or o∣therwise that disturbeth good orders, and the quietnesse of Christes Church, and the Christian Congregation?

29 Whether all such admonitions and Iniunctions, as haue come to your parishes from my Lord of London in and sithence the last vi∣sitation for the obseruing of anie order for the Church, or putting downe anie disorder, haue ben dulie kept euer since or no, & by whose default they haue not been kept?

30 Whether there be any married women or others within your parish, which after child-birth doo refuse or contemne to come to the Church to giue thanks for their deliuerie, & to haue the prayers pub∣lique, appointed in that behalfe by the booke of common prayer.

31 Whether any carry out the Infants to be Christened in other parishes, as misliking the order of Christening in their owne parish: whether any preach in any Noble mans or Gentlemans house, not being licensed of the Bishop?

32 Whether any within your Parishes doo resort vnto barnes, fieldes, woods, out-houses, or to any extraordinarie Expositions of Scriptures, or conferences together: and so doo (as it were) make a

seuerall Church or Sect vnto themselues; or be drawers or perswa∣ders of others to any such schismaticall and damnable Sects.

33 Item, whether your Parson, Vicar or Curate haue wittingly maried together any couples whereof the woman hath ben got with childe, or carnally knowen before mariage: or whether the man for money or reward hath married anie woman that hath committed a∣dulterie with another man, without publique acknowledgement of their offences, and reconciliation to the parish: & what are the names of all such that haue been so maried in anie such case, and when, and by whom they were so maried together?

34 Whether any doo keepe their Children vnbaptised longer than the Sunday after Birth, vnlesse it be for sicknesse of the childe, or other vrgent occasion: & whether any doo carrie their children from the Parish they are borne in, to other Parishes to bee baptised? And whether any do refuse and carrie their children from their owne Parish to bee baptised in other places, or do bring strange Ministers into their owne houses, to baptise their children priuatly according to their owne phantasies?

35 Whether the order of praiers on Wednesdaies and Fridaies, set forth lately by the most reuerend Father the Archbishop of Can∣terburie, by him appoynted to bee obserued through his whole Pro∣uince, be obserued as it is required, and who bee they that vnder co∣lour of it do bring in any newe deuised order, prayer, or fastes, lea∣uing the prescribed order of that booke?