Articles to be inquired of in the visitation of the Diocese of London, by the Reverend Father in God, Edwin Bishop of London.  
In the thirteenth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God Queen of England, France and Ireland defender of the faith. etc. 1571.  
Imprinted at London by William Seres.   

Articles to be inquired of in the visitation of the Diocese of London. 1571.  
FIrst, whether Common prayer, be said in your church or Chapel at convenient hours, orderly and distinctly, and whether your Minister so turn himself, and stand in such place of your Church or Chancel, as the people may best hear the same, and whether the holy Sacraments be duly and reverently ministered as is set forth by the laws of this Realm. And whether upon Wednesdays, and Fridays, the Litany, and other prayers, be said accordingly.  
2 Whether you have in your parish Churches and chapels, all things necessary and requisite for Common prayer, and administration of the Sacraments, specially the Book of Common prayer, with the new Calendar, a Psalter, the english Bible in the largest volume, the two Tomes of the Homilies, a comely and decent Table, standing on a frame, for the holy Communion, with the furniture thereto prescribed, a fair and comely Communion Cup of Silver, and a cover of Silver for the same, and all other things requisite in & to the premises.  
3 Whether you have in your Church or Chapel, a comely Pulpit conveniently placed, the Paraphrases of Erasmus, translated into english, the Table of the ten Commandments, a strong Chest or Box for the almose of the poor.  
4. Whether in any Church or Chapel, if singing be there used, such parts only of the Common prayer be song, as by the Book of Common prayer are appointed to be song, and the rest reverently said and read with an audible voice. And whether there be a modest and distinct song, so used concerning the said parts of the common prayer, which be song, that the same may be as plainly understanded, as if they were read without singing, or whether any part thereof be so abused, that thereby the common prayer is the worse understanded of the hearers.  
5 Whether in your Church or Chappel, any Organs be used in the time of Common prayer, or ministration of the Communion, otherwise than is appointed by the said book of common prayer, or by the queens majesties Injunctions, and whether the use of them, be urged by any person or persons, as any parcel or supply of the common prayer or other divine service, appointed by the laws of this Realm.  
6 Whether the form of Commination against sinners, with certain prayers following the same, set forth in the latter end of the book of common prayer, to be used at divers times in the year, be by your Minister plainly and distinctly read in your Church or Chapel unto the people, as is prescribed, three times at the lest in the year, that is to say, for order sake, upon one of the three sundays next before Easter, for the first time, upon one of the two Sundays next before the feast of Penticost, for the second time, & for the third time, upon one of the two Sundays next before the feast of the birth of our Lord, our & beside the accustomed reading thereof, upon the first day of Lent.  
7 Whether your Person or Vicar, have preached or cause to be duly preached in your Church, his quarterly or monthly Sermons, as by the queens Injunctions he is bound, and what be the names of such, as have preached for him, & whether he hath admitted any man to preach, not having sufficient licence, or hath inhibited or letted any from preaching, having sufficient licence.  
8 Whether your Person, Vicar, or Curate do every Sunday, when there is no Sermon, read distinctly and plainly some part of the Homilies, prescribed & set forth by the queens authority to be read, and every holy day, when there is no Sermon, immediately after the Gospel, openly, plainly, and distinctly, recite to his Parishioners, the lords prayer, the Articles of the faith, and the ten Commandments in English, and whether any Minister not admitted by the Ordinary, or by other lawful authority, do expound any scripture, or matter of doctrine, by the way of exhortation, or otherwise, and thereby omit and leave of the reading of the Homilies.  
9 Whether your minister do at the lest every Sunday, and every holy day openly in the church call for, hear and instruct all the children, apprentices, and servants of both the sexes, that be of convenient age within your Parish, or at the lest so many of them by course as the time will serve, and as he may well hear and instruct, for half an hour at the lest before or at the Evening prayer, in the ten Commandments, the articles of the Belief, and the Lords prayer, and diligently examine and teach them the catechism set forth in the book of common prayer: And whether for that purpose he doth take the names of them all, and by course call certain of them by name every Sunday and holy day to come to the teaching of the same catechism.  
10 Whether your Person, Vicar, or Curate, after the Gospel, have read openly in your Church twice this year, plainly without addition or change, the declaration of certain principal articles of Religion, set forth by both the Archbishops, and the rest of the Bishops of this realm, for unity of doctrine, being appointed to be read upon some Sunday within the month next Michaelmas and Easter yearly.  
11 Whether all Fathers, Mothers, Masters, and Dames of your Parish 'cause their children, servants, and apprentices, both mankind and womankind, being above six years of age, and under twenty which have not learned the catechism, to come to the church on the Sundays and holy days at the times to them appointed, or at the lest such and so many of them as your Minister shall appoint, and there diligently and obediently to hear, and to be ordered by the Minister, until such time as they have learned the same catechism, & what be the names of those that do not 'cause their children, servants and apprentices so to come to the church to be instructed and examined, and how many of the said children, servants, and apprentices be in your Parish, which being above seven years old, and under twenty years of age, cannot say by heart the said catechism: and what be their names and age, and with whom they devil.  
12 Whether any person or persons be admitted to answer as Godfathers or Godmothers at the christening of any child, except he or she have before received the holy communion, and can say by heart the Articles of the christian faith, and will recite the same before the Minister, if he or she be thereunto required.  
13 Whether your Person, Vicar, Curate or other Minister in your church or Chapel, hath admitted to the receiving of the holy communion, any open and notorious sinner, or evil liver, by whom the congregation is offended, without due penance first done, to the satisfaction of the congregation, or any malicious person, that is out of charity, or that hath done any open wrong to his neighbour by word or deed, without due reconciliation first made to the party that is wronged.  
14 Whether your Person, Vicar, Curate, or Minister, hath admitted to the holy communion any of his parish, being above twenty years of age, that cannot say by heart, the ten Commandments, the Articles of the faith, and the lords prayer in english, and what be their names, or being above fourteen years, and under twenty years of age, that cannot say the catechism, set forth in the said book of common prayer. And whether he marry any persons, which were single before, that cannot say the catechism, or contents thereof.  
15 Whether your Person, Vicar, Curate, or Minister, hath at any time received any that is not of his own parish to the holy Communion, and for what cause or consideration, he hath so done.  
16 Whether there be any in your parish, man or woman, being of convenient age, that hath not received the holy Communion thrice at the lest this year, and namely at Easter last, or there about for once, and what there names are. And whether both yearly before Easter, at such convenient times, and namely on Sundays in Lent at after noon, or such other days in the week next before Easter, as the Person, Vicar, or Curate shall appoint, & require his parishioners to come unto him, they do come and recite unto him the catechism, or at the lest the lords prayer, the Articles of the Christian belief, and the ten Commandments by heart in english, and also at other convenient times, before their receiving of the holy Communion, they come to be examined in the premises. And if any do wilfully and stubbornly refuse to come to such recital or examination, whether the Churchwardens and sworn men, or any of them do assist the Minister therein, that such stubborn persons may be rebuked and repelled from the communion at that time.  
17. Whether the people of your parish, especially householders having no lawful excuse to be absent, do faithfully, and diligently resort with their family to their parish Church or Chapel on the holidays, & chiefly upon the Sundays, to morning & evening prayer, or upon reasonable let thereof to some usual place, where common prayer is used, and then and there abide orderly and soberly, during the time of common prayer, Homilies, Preachings, and other service of God there used, reverently and devoutly giving themselves to the hearing thereof, and occupying themselves at time convenient in private prayer, and who they be that either negligently or wilfully absent themselves or come very late to the Church upon the Sundays especially, or that walk, talk, or otherwise unreverently behave themselves in the Church, or use any gaming abroad, or in any house, or sit in the streets or Churchyard, or in any Tavern or alehouse upon the sunday or other Holiday in the time of common prayer, Sermons, or reading of the Homilies, either before noon, or after noon.  
18 Whether the forfeiture of twelve pence for every such offence appointed by a statute made in the first year of the queens majesties reign be levied and taken, according to the same statute by the Churchwardens of every person that so offendeth, and by them be put to the use of the poor of the parish, and if it be not, by whose default it is not levied, or not put to the use of the poor aforesaid.  
19 Whether there be any Inkepers, Alewiwes, victuallers, or Tipplers, that suffer any person or persons in their houses to eat, drink, or play at Cards, Tables, or such like games, in time of common prayer, or Sermon on the Sundays and Holidays, and whether there be any shops open on Sundays, or Holidays, or any Butchers, or others that commonly use to cell meat or other things in the time of common prayer, preaching, or reading of the Homilies. And whether in any fairs or common markets falling upon the Sunday there be any showing of any wares before the morning prayer be done.  
20 Whether for the putting of the Churchwardens, and sworn-men the better in the remembrance of their duty, in noting such as offend in not comining to divine service, your Minister or Reader, do openly every sunday after he have read the second lesson at Morning and evening prayer, monish the Churchwardens and Sworn men to look to their charge in this behalf, and to observe who contrary to the said statute offend in absenting themselves negligently, or wilfully from their parish Church or Chapel, or unreverently as is aforesaid use themselves in time of divine service.  
21 Whether your Minister or Reader, do church any unmarried woman, which hath been gotten with child out of lawful marriage, & say for her, the form of thanks giving of women after child birth, except such an unmarried woman have either before her child birth, done due penance for her fault, to the satisfaction of the congregation, or at her coming to give thanks has openly acknowledge her fault before the congregation at the appointment of the Minister, according to order prescribed to the said Minister by the ordinary or his deputy, the same Churching to be had always on some Sunday or Holidaye, and upon none other day.  
22 Whether for the retaining of the perambulation of the cercuite of your parish, the Person, Vicar or Curate, Churchwardens, and certain of the substantial men of your parish, in the days of the Rogations, commonly called the gang days, walk the accustomed bounds of your parish, and whether in the same perambulation, the Curate do use any other rite or ceremony, then to say or sing in english, such Psalms, and recite such sentences of scripture, as be appointed by the queens majesties Injunctions, with the Litany, and Suffrages following the same, and reading one Homely, already devised and set forth for that purpose, without wearing any surplices, carrying of Banners, or handebeles, or staying at Crosses, or other such like Popish ceremonies.  
23 Whether when any christian body is in passing, the bell be tolled, and the Minister called to comfort the sick person, and after the time of his or her passing, there be any more ringing but one short peal before the burial, and an other short peal after the burial. And whether on all Saints day after Evening prayer, there be any more ringing in your Church or Chapel, or other superstitious ceremonies used, tending to the maintenance of the Popish Purgatory, or praying for the dead, and who they be that use or do the same. And whether there be any ringing on Sundays or Holidays between Morning prayer and the Litany, or at other times contrary to good order or law.  
24 Whether your Person, Vicar, or curate, doth openly or secretly, teach or maintain any erroneous or superstitious doctrine. And whether he do keep any suspected woman in his house, or be an inconvenient person, given to drunkenness, or idleness, or be a haunter of Taverns, Alehouses, or suspected places, a Punter, ●●●ker, Dicer, Carder, Tabler, Swearer, or 〈…〉 evil example of life.  
25 Whether your Persons, and Vicars, be resident and devil continually upon their Benefices, doing their duties, and keeping hospitality, according as their livings will extend, And whether their houses and chaunceles, be well repaired and upholden. And whether being not resident, they leave their cures to an unlearned or lewd person, or do not distribute yearly among their poor parishioners, the fourteth part of the fruits of their benefices, the same being of the yearly value of twenty pounds or above.  
26 Whether they or any of them have more Benefices than one, how many and in what countries they be, and what be the names thereof.  
27 Whether any Person or Vicar, hath come to his Benefit by Simony or any other unlawful means, and whether the Patron of any Benefice, hath made a gain by any colour deceit, or Simoniacal pa●te, in & for the bestowing of the same.  
28 Whether there be any Lay or temporal man, not being 〈◊〉 orders, or any child that hath, or enjoyeth any Benefice or spiritual 〈◊〉.  
29 Whether any Priest or Minister be come into this Diocese out of any other Diocese, to serve any Cure here, without letters testimonial of the Ordinary, from whence he came, to testify the cause of his departing from thence, and of his behaviour there.  
30 Whether your Persons, Vicars, Curates, and Ministers, keep well their 〈◊〉, of all weddings, buryings, & christenings within your Parish, and do present a copy of them once every year, by Indenture to the Ordinary, or his Officers. And whether they read the queens majesties Injunctions, every quarter of a year once, or no. And whether they pray for the prosperous estate of her Majesty, as is prescribed in the said Injunctions, or no.  
31 Whether the Church of your Parish be now vacant, and destitute of an Incumbent, or not, and if it be, how long it hath been vacant, and who is the Patron, and whether he suffereth the Benefice to lie vacant, and occupieth the glebe land, and taketh the Tithes, and other fruits to himself, during the time of the vacation, or who else occupieth and taketh the same, and by what colour or title, if by Sequestration, from whom he hath received his letters of Sequestration or authority to take and gather the said fruits.  
32 Whether your Church and Chancel, be sufficiently reputed, and cleanly kept, & the Mansion house of your person and 〈◊〉 with the buildings thereunto belonging, likewise repaired, and your Churchyard well fenced and cleanly kept, and if any of the same be ruinous and in decay, through whose default it is so. Whether the last Churchwardens were enjoined to have repaired any part of the Church, or fenced the Churchyard, and did neglect to do the same.  
33 Whether there be any Mass books, Portesses, or other books of the latin Popish service, Albes, vestments, or other Massing gear, Images, Candlesticks, holy-water fats, or other Ornaments or Monuments of Papistry, Superstition, or Idolatry, reserved in your Church, chapel, or else where, or in the hands or custody of any person, or persons, which yet are not defaced and destroyed, and in whose custody the same is, and what be the per 〈…〉 les thereof.  
34 Whether the last Churchwardens, have given to the parish a just account of the Church goods that were committed to their charge, according unto the custom that hath been before time, and what Church goods they have sold, and to whom, and whether to the profit of the Church, or no. And whether any person suppress the last Will of the dead, and perform not the Legacies bequeathed to the Church, or to Orphans, poor Maids marriages, high ways, schools, or any other godly use.  
35 Whether ye have Collectors for the poor of your parish, whether they do their duty in gathering and distributing the Alms of the Parishioners, according to● statute thereof made in the first year of the queens majesties reign, and make a just account thereof quarterly, What sums of money the last Churchwardens and sworn-men have levied and delivered to the said Collectors, of the forfeitures of such persons, as have not duly resorted to their parish Church or Chapel, upon Sundays and Holidays, during the time that they were in office.  
36 Whether there be any person or persons in your parish of ability, that obstinately, or frowardly refuse to give reasonably towards the help and relief of the poor, or do wilfully discourage others from so charitable a deed, and what be their names, and what sums doth any of them withdraw, which he or she before was wont to give, there being no just cause so to do.  
37 Whether your Hospitales, Spitals, and Almose houses, be well and godly used according to the foundation and ancient ordinances of the same, whether there be any other placed in them, than poor Impotent and needy persons, that have not wherewith, or where by to live.  
38 Whether the Schoolmasters, which teach within your parish, either openly, or privately in any Noble, or Gentlemanes' house, or in any other place there, be of good and sincere religion, and conversation, and be diligent in teaching and bringing up of youth, whether they be examined, allowed, and licensed by the Ordinary, or his officer in that behalf, whether they teach the Grammar set forth by King Henry the eight of noble me morie, and none other, whether they teach any thing, contrary to the order of religion now established, by public authority. And whether they teach not their Scholars the catechism in latin, lately set forth, and such sentences of Scripture, as shallbe most expedient, and meet to moon them to the love and due reverence of God's true religion, now truly set forth by the queens majesties authority, and to induce them to all godliness and honest conversation, and what be the names and surnames of all such Schoolmasters, and Teachers of youth within your parish.  
39 Whether there be any among you that is a hinderer of true religion, or a fautor of the Romish power, or that stubbornly refuseth to conform himself to unity and godly religion, set forth by common authority, or any that wilfully or obstinately defend or maintain any heresies, errors, or false doctrine, contrary to holy Scriptures, or do keep any secret conventicles, preachings, lectures, or readings contrary to the law, and what be their names.  
40 Whether any in your parishes do openly or privately, say, or hear Mass, or use any other kind of service or common prayer then is set forth by the laws of this Realm.  
41 Whether any in your parishes, have in their hands, or have delivered to other, any english books set forth of late, by Harding, Dorman, Allen, Saunders, Stapleton, Martial, or any of them, or by any other english Papist, either against the queens majesties supremacy in matters ecclesiastical, or against true religion, and Catholic doctrine now received, and established by common authority within this Ream, & what their names be.  
42 Whether there be any in these parts, that have married within the degrees of affinity, or consanguinity, by the laws of God forbidden, or any that being divorced, or separated for the same, do yet notwithstanding, cohabite, and keep company still together, or any that being married without those degrees, have unlawfully forsaken their wives, or husband's, and marsied others. Any man that hath two wives, or any woman that hath two husband's. Any married, that have made precontracts. Any that have made privy or secret contracts. Any that have married without baines thrice solemnly asked. Any cupples married, that live not together, but slanderously live apart. Any that have married out of the parish church, where they aught to have solemnized their Marriage.  
43 Whether there be in your Parish, any contentious person, or that giveth occasion of the breach of Christian love, and charity, among you, disturbers of divine service, and common prayer, common swearers, or blasphemers of the name of God, any that bruiteth abroad rumours of the alteration of religion received within this Realm, any Fornicators, Adulterers, Incestuous persons, Bawds or receivers of such incontinent persons, or Harbourers of women with child, which be unmarried, conveying or suffering them to go away before they do any penance, or make satisfaction to the congregation, or any persons vehemently suspected of such faults, any that useth sorcery, Witchcraft, Enchantment, Incantations, Charms, unlawful prayers, or invocations in Latin, or otherwise, any common Drunkards, Ribawdes, or other notorious evil livers.  

The tenor of the oath, ministered to the Churchwardens and sworn men.  
YOU shall swear by Almighty God, that ye shall diligently consider all and every the Articles given to you in charge, and make a true answer unto the same in writing, presenting all and every such person or persons, dwelling within your parish, as have committed any offence or fault, or made any default, mentioned in any of the same Articles, or which are vehemently suspected or defamed of any such offence, fault, or default, wherein ye shall not present any person, or persons, of any evil will, malice, or hatred, contrary to the trunth, nor shall for love, favour, meed, dread, or any corrupt affection, spare to present any, that be offenders, suspected, or defamed in any of these cases, but shall do uprightly, as men having the fear of God before your eyes, and desirous to maintain virtue, and suppress vice. So God help you.