A collection of articles, injunctions, canons, orders, ordinances and consitutions ecclesiastical, with other publick records of the Church of England chiefly in the times of K. Edward VI. Q. Elizabeth, [double brace] K. James, & K. Charles I. Published to vindicate the Church of England, and to promote uniformity and peace in the same. : With a learned preface by Anthony Sparrow, D.D. Lord Bishop of Norwich.

Articles of Visitation by Bishop Ridley, Anno 1550.

WHether your Curates and Ministers be of that con∣versation of living, that worthily they can be repre∣hended of no man.

Whether your Curates and Ministers do haunt and resort to Taverns or Alehouses, otherwise then for their honest ne∣cessity, there to drink and riot, or to play at unlawful games.

Whether your Ministers be common brawlers, sowers of discord rather then charity among their Parishioners, haw∣kers, hunters, or spending their time idely, or coming to their Benefice by Simony.

Whether your Ministers or any other persons have com∣mitted adultery, fornication, incest, bawdry, or to be vehe∣mently suspected of the same, common drunkards scolds, or be common swearers and blasphemers of Gods holy Name.

Whether your Parsons and Vicars do maintain their hou∣ses and Chancels in sufficient reparation: or if their houses be in decay, whether they bestow yearly the fifth part of the fruits of the Benefice, until the same be repaired.

Whether your Parsons and Vicars absent from their Be∣nefice, do leave their cure to an able Minister, and if he may dis∣pend yearly xx.l. or above in this Deanery, or elsewhere, whe∣ther he doth distribute every year among his poor Parishioners there at the least, the forty part of the fruits of the same. And likewise yearly spending C.l. whether he doth find one Scho∣lar either at of the Vniversities, or some Grammar School, and so for every other hundred pound one Scholar.

Whether every Dean, Archdeacon, and Prebendary, being Priest, doth personally by himself preach twice every year at the least, either where he is entitled, or where he hath jurisdi∣ction, or in some place united or appropriate to the same.

Whether your Minister having license thereunto, doth use to preach; or not licensed, doth diligently procure other to preach that are licensed: or whether he refuseth those, offering

themselves that are licensed; or absenteth himself, or causeth other to be away from the Sermon, or else admitted any to preach that are not licensed.

Whether any by preaching, writing, word or deed hath or doth maintain the usurped power of the Bishop of Rome.

Whether any be a letter of the Word of God to be preached or read in the English tongue.

Whether any do preach, declare, or speak with any thing in derogation of the Book of Common-prayer, or any thing there∣in contained, or any part thereof.

Whether any do preach and defend, that private persons may make insurrection, stir sedition, or compel men to give them their goods.

Whether the Curate doth admit any to the Communion be∣fore he be confirmed, or any that ken not the Pater Noster, the Articles of the Faith, and Ten Commandments in Eng∣lish.

Whether Curates do Minister the Communion for money, or use to have Trentals of Communions.

Whether any of the Anabaptists Sect, or other, use noto∣riously any unlawful or private Conventicles, wherein they do use Doctrine, or Administration of Sacraments, separating themselves from the rest of the Parish.

Whether there be any that privately in their private house have their Masses contrary to the form and order of the Book of Communion.

Whether any Minister doth refuse to use the Common-prayers, or minister Sacraments in that order and form as is set forth in the Book of Common-prayer.

Whether Baptism be ministred (out of necessity) in any o∣ther time than on the Sunday or Holy-day, or in another Tongue than English.

Whether any speaketh against Baptism of Infants.

Whether any be married within degrees prohibited by Gods Law, or separate without cause lawful, or is married without Banns thrice first asked three several holy-days or Sundays openly in the Church at Service-time.

Whether any Curate doth marry them of other Parishes, without their Curates License and certificate from him of the Banns thrice solemnly asked.

Whether any saith, that the wickedness of the Mini∣ster taketh away the effect of Christs Sacraments.

Whether any saith that Christian men cannot be allowed to repentance, if they sin voluntary after Baptism.

Whether your Curates be ready to minister the Sacra∣ments, visit the sick, and bury the dead, being brought to the Church.

Whether any Minister useth wilfully and obstinately any other Right, Ceremony, Order, Form, ot manner of Commu∣nion, Mattens, or Evensong, Ministration of Sacraments, or open prayers than is set forth in the Book of Common-prayer.

Whether your Curate, once in six weeks at the least, upon some Sunday or Holy-day, before Even song, do openly in the Church instruct and examine children not confirmed in some part of the Catechism, and whether Parents and Masters do send them thither upon warning given by the Minister.

Whether any useth to keep abrogate holy-days or private holy-days, as Bakers, Shoomakers, Brewers, Smiths, and such other.

Whether any useth to hollow water, bread, salt, bells, or candles upon Candlemas-day, ashes on Ashwedneday, Palms, on Palm-Sunday, the Font on Easter-even, fire on Paschal, or whether there was any Sepulchre on Good-fryday.

Whether the water in the Font be changed every month once, and then any other prayers said then is in the Book of Common-prayer appointed.

Whether there be any Images in your Church, Taber∣nacles, Shrines, or covering of Shrines, Candles, or Trin∣dels, of wax, or feigned Miracles in your Churches or private-houses.

Whether your Church be kept in due and lawfull repara, tion, and whether their be a comely Pulpit set up in the same

and likewise a Coffer for Alms for the poor, called the poor mens Box or Chest.

Whether any Legacies given to the poor, amending high∣ways, or marrying poor maids, be undistributed, and by whom.

God save the King.