ARTICLES to be inquired of in the visitation of the most Reverend father in God, MATTHEW, by the sufferance of GOD archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, and Metropolitan, In the year of our Lord GOD, M, D.LXIII.  
M A  
Imprinted at London by Reginalde Wolf, Anno Domini M.D.LXIII.   

Articles to be inquired of, in the Visitation of the most Reverend Father in God, MATTHEW, archbishop of Canterbury, In the year of our Lord, GOD M.D.LXIII.  
IN primis, whether Divine service be said or song by your Minister or Ministers in your several Churches duly and reverently, as it is set forth by the laws of this realm, with out any kind of variation. And whether the holy Sacraments be likewise ministered reverently, in such manner as by the laws of this Realm is appointed.  
Item, whether you have in your parrysh churches all things necessary and requisite for Common prayer and administration of the Sacraments, specially the book of Common prayer, the Bible in the largest volume, the Homilies, with the Paraphrases of Erasmus: Aconuenient Pulpit well placed: A comely and decent table for the Holy communion, set in place prescribed by the Queen's majesties Injunctions. The Chest or Box for the poor men, and all other things necessary in and to the premises. And whether your Altars be taken down, according to the commandment in that behalf given,  
Item, whether your priests, Curates, or ministers do use in the time of the celebration of divine service to wear a surplice, prescribed by the Queen's majesties Injunctions, & the book of Common prayer. And whether they do celebrate the same divine service in the chancellor in the Church, and do use all Rites and orders prescribed in the book of Common prayer, etc. and none other.  
Item, whether they do use to minister the Communion in wafer bread, according unto the queens majesties Injunctions, or in common bread.  
Item, whether images and all other monuments of idolatry and superstition be destroyed and abolished in your several parishes: And whether your Churches be well adorned and conveniently kept without waste, destruction, or abuse of any thing. Whether the rood fit be pulled down, according to the order prescribed, and of the partition between the Chancel and the Church be kept. Whether the font be standing and kept decently in the place used. Whether your churchyards be well fenced and cleanly kept. Whether any sale have been made of your Church goods, by whom and to whom, and what hath been done with the money thereof coming. Whether your Chancels and Parsonages be well and sufficiently repaired: Whether any man have pulled down or discovered any Church, Chancel, Chapel, Alms house, or such like, or have plucked down the bells, or have felled or spoiled any wood or timber in any Church yard.  
Item, whether there be any Parsons that intrude themself, and presume to exercise any kind of ministry in the church of God, without imposition of hands and ordinary authority. Whether their church or chapel be served with any readers, Or whether any Minister do remove from any other diocese to serve in this, without letters testimonial of th'ordinary from whom he came, to testify the cause of his departing thence, and of his behaviour. Or any being once priest or minister, that doth not minister, or frequent and resort to the Common prayer now used, and at times appointed communicate. And whether any such do go and boast himself like a lay man.  
Item, whether your Parsons and Vicars be resident continually upon their benefices: Whether they give themselves to devout prayer, discrete reading of the Scripture and godly contemplation, and relieve the poor charitably to their ability, according to the Queen's Injunctions. Whether they pray for the prosperous estate of the Queen's Majesty, as is prescribed in her geaces' Injunctions.  
Item, whether the communion table be decently covered and set in convenient place, according to the Queen's majesties Injunctions.  
Item, whether any of your ministers doth or hath admitted any notorious sinner or malicious person out of Charity, without just penance done and reconciliation had, to receive the holy Communion: or any that hath not received the same according as to a Christian appertaineth, and by the laws it is appointed. And whether you do hear or know any that doth use to say or hear the private Mass, or do use any other service than is prescribed by thee laws of this Realm.  
Item, whether your ministers do call upon fathers, mothers, and masters of youth, to bring them up in the fear of almighty God, in obedience, and in convenient occupations. Whether they be peacemakers, and exhort the people to obedience to their Prince, and to all other that be in authority to charity and mutual love among themselves. Whether they give themselves to superstition, & be maintainers of the unlearned people in ignorance.  
Item, whether your Persons, vicars, & Curates be common gameners, hunters, haunters of taverns, or alehouses: Suspected of any notable crime: Fauters of foreign pours, letters of good religion, preachers of corrupt doctrine: stubborn or disobedient to laws and orders: Whether they be given to filthy lucer. Whether they be light either in example of life, or in unwont and unseemly apparel.  
Item, whether any of your benefices be vacant, how long they have been vacant: who is Patron. Whether there be any lay or temporal men, (not being within orders) or children, or any other (within age) that hath or enjoyeth any benefice or spiritual promotion: any Patron that suffereth any benefice to be vacant, and taketh the tithes and other fruits to himself.  
Item, whether your ministers keep their registers well, & do present the copi of them once every year by Indenture, to the Ordinary or his officers. And teach the Articles of the faith, and the Ten commandments, and the lords prayer, as is prescribed them in the Catechism.  
Item, whether your Parsons and Uycars have any other or more benefices, where & in what Country they be: Whether they came by them by Simony, or other unlawful means. Whether they do let their benefice to farm, or else keep them in their own hands. Whether they keep hospitality or not. Whether in their absence they leave their cures to honest, learned, or expert Curates. Whether they make their ordinary Sermons, according to thee Queen's majesty's Injunctions. Whether they admit any to preatche unlicenced, or put by any that hath licence. Whether they read the Queen's majesties Injunctions as they ought to do, and say their Service sensibly and distinctly.  
Item, whether the lay people be diligent in coming to the Church on the holy days, and with all humbleness, reverently and devoutly do give themselves to the hearing of Commune prayer in the tim thereof, and otherwise occupy themselves in private prayers, reading of Scriptures, or other virtuous exercise. If any be negligent or wilful. Whether the forfeiture be leaved on their goods to the use of the poor, according to the laws of this Realm in that behalf provided. And what money hath been gathered by the Churchwardens of the forfeits.  
Item, whether there be in your quarters any that openly or privily use or frequent any kind of divine service or common prayer, other than is set forth by the laws of this Realm: and disturbers of common prayers, or letters of the word of God to be read, preached or heard: Any that by covert or crafty means deprave or contemn the same: or that speak to the derogation of the Queen's majesties authority and power, or of the laws set out by public authority  
Item, whether there be among you any blasphemers of the name of almighty God, adulterers, fornicators, bawds, or receivers of such persons. Any suspected of incest or any other notorious fault, sin or crime. Any drunkards, ribalds, common slanderers of their neighbours, railers or scolders, sowers of discord between neighbours, by plays, rhymes famous libels, or otherwise.  
Item, whether there be in your parishes any innkeepers or Ale wives, that admit any resort to their houses in time of Commone prayer. Any that commonly absent themselves from their own Church or otherwise idly or lewdly profaneth the Sabbath day. Any that keep any secret conventicles, preachings, lectures or readings, contrary to the laws. Any suspected of heresy, or that maintain any erroneous opinions contrary to the laws of almighty God and good religion, by public authoritle in this Realm set forth.  
Item, whether there be in these parties which minister the goods, of those which be dead, without authority: any executors that have not fulfilled their testators will, specially in paying of legacies given to good and godly uses, as to the relief of poverty, to poor scholars, orphans, high ways, marriage of poor maidens, and such like. Whether your Hospitals and Alms houses be justly used, according to the foundation and ancient ordinances of the same. Whether there be any other placed in them then poor, impotent & needy persons, that hath not other wise where with or whereby to live.  
Item, whether there be any which of late hath bequeathed in their testaments, or other ways threbe appointed by ordinaries, any sums of money. jewels, Plate, Ornaments, or annuities for the erection of any obites, diriges, trentals, or any such like use now be the laws of this Realm not permitted: and if there be, that you present the names of such executors, the quantiti and quality of the gift, that order may be taken therein accordingly.  
Item, whether there be any monis or stoke appertaining to any parish church, in any man's hands, that refuse or diferreth to pay the same: or that useth fraud, deceit or delay to make any account in the presence of the honesty in the parish, for the same. Whether your Church wardens and others afore time, have given the yeareli account. according unto the custom as it hath been aforetime used. whether the store of the poor men's box be openli and indifferently given where need is, without partial affection. whether any stock of tattel or grain appertaning to your churches, be decayed: by whose negligence, and in whose hands.  
Item, whether your schoolmasters be of a sincere religion. and be diligent in teaching and bringing up of youth: Whether they teach any other Grammar, than such as is appointed by the Queen's Majesties Injunction annexed to the same, or not.  
Item, whether there be any among you that use sorcery or enchantment, magic, incantations, or nigromanci, or that be suspected of the same.  
Item, whether there be any in these parts that have married within degrees of affinity or consanguinity, by the laws of God forbidden: so set out in a table for an Admonition. Any man that hath two wives, or any woman that hath two husbands. Any that being divorced or separated aside, hath married again. Any married that have made precontactes. Any that have made privy or secret contracts. Any that have married with out banes thrice solemnly axed. Any couples married that live not together, but slanderously live a part. Any that have married out of the parish church, where they ought to have the same solemnized.  
Generally, whether there be any evil livers or offenders of the laws of almighty God: Any suspected of any notorious sin, fault or crime, to the offence of Christian people committed: Any common brawler, barrator or scowlder, or any other that giveth occasion of the breach of Christian love and charity amongst you: Any that stubbornly refuse to conform themself to uniti and good Religion: Any that bruiteth abroad rumours of the alteration of the same, or otherwise that disturbeth good orders, and the quietness of Christ's Church and Christin congregation.   

Imprinted at London by Reginalde Wolf, Anno Domini M.D.LXIII.