Articles to be inquired of the Clergy: Set forth by the Reverend Father in God, Thomas Bishop of Lincoln, in his first visitation for his Diocese. Anno Domini. 1571.  
¶ Imprinted at London, in Fleetstreet, by Ralph Newberry.   

Articles.  
FIrst whether your Persons, Vicars and Curates, do say their divine service in their Churches at due hours, and convenient times, and also do reverently minister the Sacraments to their Parishioners according to the book of Common Prayer, set out by common authority, of the Parliament of this Realm.  
2. Item, whether they do exercise themselves in godly study of the holy Scriptures, and in virtuous bringing up of youth, as in teaching of them the catechism, and other Godly exercises from time, to time, or no.  
3. Item, whether they do decently and orderly go in their apparel, according to the book of Advertisements, lately set fourth in that behalf.  
4. Item, whether they or any of them do frequent or use, any Tavern, Alehouse, or any other suspected house, or do use unlawful Hunting and Hawkinge contrary to the Ecclesiastical law and their order.  
5. Item, whether they be resident upon their benefices and maintain Hospitality, to their ability, and whether they have more benefices than one, and whether their houses and Chancels be in sufficient reparation.  
6. Item, whether such as be absent from their benefices, do leave sufficient Curates in their places, and whither any of them do serve two Cures, without special licence of the Ordinary.  
7. Item, whether any of them do discourage any person from the reading of any part of the Bible, either in Latin or English, and do not rather comfort, and exhort every person to the reading of the same, at convenient times, as the eternal word of God, the true food of Man's soul.  
8. Item, whether they have admitted any man to Preach in their Cures not being lawfully licensed, or have refused and denied such to preach as have been licensed accordingly.  
9 Item, whether they do use to pray for the queens Majesty in their Churches, and exhort the people to obedience of her grace, and other Magistrates being in authority under her.  
10. Item, whether they exhort their Parishioners to receive the holy Communion, at the lest four times in the year, and whether they presume to minister the same to any person that is out of Charity or infamed with any notorious Crime.  
11. Item, whether they have their four quarter Sermons by such as be licensed to preach, and whether they do read once in the year upon some solemn day in their Church openly, when the most resort of people shallbe present, the Confession and articles agreed upon by the Reverend Father in God the Archbishop of Canterbury, and York, and other Bishops of this Realm.  
12. Item, whether your Parsons and Vicars be married or not, and if they be not, whether they keep in their houses any suspected Women, under the name and colour of their Butlers, Kinswomen, or otherways.  
13. Item, whether they or any of them have any seditious books privily, or openly, lately set forth by Doctor Harding & other his complices, enemies of Gods true Religion, and to their Native Country, or if any of them do support, maiteyne, or succour, the said Doctor harding, or any of his Complices with money or otherways whereas they be in the parts beyond the Seas.  
14. Item, whether they do distinctly and sincerely read the homilies set forth by the queens majesties authority upon the Sundays, and Holidays, when there is no Sermon, and whether they do visit the sick, in exhorting them to consider the poor, and other Charitable deeds.  
15. Item, that no Minister in the Ministration of the holy Sacraments shall use any Popish or superstitious Garment, saving that kind of Garment, as shall be appointed by common authority or by the Bishop of the Diocese and whether they receive any to be Godfathers or Godmothers that have not received the Communion or no.  
16. Item, whether your Parsons, Vicars, or Curates, do use to toll any Bell in the time of Lent as to confession in the Popish time, whether their tables be hanged like Altars or not, & whether they baptize any Children on the workenday (or no) and bid and keep any other holy days and fasting days then which are appointed by the Book.  
17. Item, whether any of them do go in their surplices in the Rogation week, and whether they do read the queens majesties Injunctions quarterly or no.  
18. Item, whether they deliver the holy Sacrament of the lords supper to their people rather into their mouths, then into their hands, and whether they or any of them do whisper or breath over the Bread in the time of consecration or no.  
19 Item, whether they do keep the order for the bringing of the Corse to the Burial according to the Book, etc.  
20. Item, whether they do visit the sick, and impotent persons, to comfort them in the time of their sickness, with necessary Doctrine out of the holy Scriptures necessary for that purpose.   

Articles to be inquired of the laity.  
FIRST whether you have the Bible of the greatest volume, the book of common Prayer set forth by authority of Parliament, the Paraphrase, both parts of the homilies, the Psalter, and other books, necessary according to the Queen's majesties Injunctions.  
2. Item, whether there be a comely descent framed Communion table, with a Carpet to the same, according to the order of a book set forth in that behalf, and also a convenient Pulpit, set up in such place of the Church as God's word may be best heard out of it.  
3. Item, whether any in your Parish do deprave or dispraise the book of Common Prayer, set forth by authority of Parliament, or speak against the homilies, or do maintain or hold any eronious opinions, contrary to the word of God, and the laws of the Realm.  
4. Item, whether any man do stubbornly contemn or despise the order of Administration of the holy Sacraments set forth in the English tongue and do obstinately refuse to receive the holy Communion at the lest four times in the year.  
5. Item, whether any man doth absent himself from divine Service in the holy days without lawfully and just cause, and if such do, whether the churchwardens do levy by the way of distress the penalty, according to the statute, and put the same in the poor man's Box.  
6. Item, whether there be any within your Parish that doth not reverently use the ministers, or whether there be any common swearers, seditious slanderers of their neighbours, or haunters of any Alehouses, in the time of divine service, or any walkers, janglers, or Talkers, that disturbeth the minister in the time of divine service.  
7. Item whether there be any whoremongers, adulterers, or any that do use any sorcery, enchantments, or witchcrafts, or vehemently suspected of naughty living, within your Parish or no.  
8. Item, whether all monuments of Superstition be defaced and taken down within your churches, or whether any do use to pray upon Beads, the Latin primer, or other superstitious books, or keep any superstitious Relics, as Vestiments, Albes, Banner clotheses and such like, in their houses, or other places or no.  
9 Item, whether your Chalices being mere monuments of the Popish Mass, and Popish Religion, be translated and converted, into decent and comely Communion Cups, and the same to be silver at the lest according to the value of their Chalices or no.  
10. Item whether your Churches be in sufficient repair and the Church yards well fenced, and kept from Swine, and other filthy beasts.  
11. Item, whether there hath been any Fray made in your Churches or Church yards, to the disturbance of God's service, and to the evil example of the rest of the Parish, you shall present by whom, when, and after what sort.  
12. Item, whether there be any Schoolmasters, within your Parishes that do teach any Grammar school either privately or openly, how long they have taught, and what their names be.  
13. Item, whether there be any Legacies withholden given to the Church, or otherways, by the testators, in whose hands it is, by whom it is given, and by whom it is withholden.  
14. Item, whether Collection be made for the poor according to the Statute, and the same distributed and accounted for according to the same Statute, and whether any man refuseth to give to the poor accordingly.  
15. Item, whether any do stubbornly refuse to bring their Children to the Minister on the holidays to learn the catechism or no.  
16. Item, whether your Churchwardens do truly administer the goods of the Church, and make a true account of their office, and chose new at the lest once every year.  
17. Item whether any man hath put away his wife, or any wife absent herself from her husband, without just cause, or any that hath married within the degrees levitical and other orders within this Realm set forth in that behalf.  
18. Item, whether any do violate or break the Saboth day and holly days with their manual labour, and do keep open their shops, alehouses, and other tiplinge houses, in the time of divine service.  
19 Item whether there be a convenient chest for the poor man's box and whither there be a Register book kept of all those that be Christened, married, and buried.  
20. Item, whether any within your Parish have any seditious books lately set forth from beyond the seas or that secretly do hide Monuments, of Popish Relics, as Images, and such like.  
21. Item, whether the churchwardens have provided the Postels of M. Becon, as it was given them in a charge at the visitation or no.   

¶ Injunctions of the Reverend Father in God Thomas by the sufferance of God bishop of Lincoln given in his first visitation, Anno Domini. 1571. to be observed within the Diocese of Lincoln.  
FIRST that the common prayer be said or song decently and distinctly in such place of the Church according to the largeness and straightness of the Church and Choir, so that the people may be most edified.  
2. Item, that your ministers shall go in decent and comely apparel, as also shall say the Divine service appointed, and minister the holy Sacraments, within their Churches in decente apparel and to use no Copes, unless it be in Cathedral and Collegiate churches, according as it is set forth by a book called the advertisements.  
3. Item the parish shall provide a decent communion table upon a Frame with a comely Carpette to the same at their costs and charges as they will answer to the contrary for their doings.  
4. Item, the churchwardens shall search the Taverns, Alehouses, and other tippling houses, to see whether any person be there drinking or playing at any unlawful game, in the time of divine service, and they to present their names, and the names of them that keep the said houses.  
5. Item, the churchwardens shall make their account yearly of their offices in the presence of the Ministre and the other of the Parish, and immediately upon the same account finished to choose new from year to year.  
6. Item, none shallbe admitted to be Godfathers or Godmothers, unless they have received the blessed Communion.  
7. Item, that on the Sundays and Holidays, there be no shops open, nor Artificers commonly going about their worldly affairs, and that in all Fairs and common Markets, falling upon the Sunday or Holidays, there be no showing of wares, before the service be done.  
8. Item, that the Ministers shall suffer none to preach within their cures, unless he be able to show some sufficient licence from the Bishop of the Diocese, or other that have authority to licence the same.  
9 Item, no Priest nor Lay man shallbe admitted or suffered to keep any Grammar school openly or privately within this Diocese, except he be allowed and licensed by the Bishop or his Officers.  
10. Item, the Ministers shall call upon their Parishioners to receive the blessed communion, at the lest four times in the year and also shall call upon their Parishioners to sand their children to the church to learn the catechism, upon the Sundays and other convenient times.  
11. Item, your Parsons and Vicars shall not suffer nor admit, any strange Curate coming out of any other Diocese, to serve within their cures, without he be first licensed by the Bishop or his Officers.  
12. Item, that no man shall enterprise nor presume to ring nor jangle any Bells upon all Halowen day, or in the night of the same day, superstitiously or Popishly, as they have been accustomed to do, otherways then to call the people to Divine Service.  
13. Item, that none of your Parsons, Vicars, nor Curates, shall minister the holy communion, to any foreigner or stranger, coming out of any other Diocese, or from any other Parish, with in this Diocese, without the special licence of my Lord, or his officers, or the Minister of that place, from whence the said foreigner or stranger shall come.  
14. Item that no Parson, Vicar, nor Curate shall minister to any person or persons, the holy Sacraments in any other church or churches, at any time or times, but in their own, without the special request of the Parson, or Vicar of the said Parish.  
15. Item, no man shall keep any superstitious or erroneous book of late come from beyond the Seas, and set forth by Doctor Harding and other his complices, but the same shall bring forth and reveal before the Bishop and other his officers according to the Queen's majesties proclamation set forth in that behalf.  
16. Item, that every week or every fortnight at the lest they shall read openly in their churches the proclamation set out of late by the Queen her Majesty for the calling in of books of sedition to be delivered to the ordinary according to the Tenor and meaning of the said proclamation.  
God save the Queen.