ARTICLES to be inquired of within the Diocese of Winchester, in the Metropolitical visitation of the most Reverend Father in Christ, Matthew by the providence of God, Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, and Metropolitan. 1575.  
AT LONDON Printed by john day, dwelling over Aldersgate. 1575.  
¶ Come gratia & Privilegio Regiae Maiestatis.   

❧ For the Clergy.  
IN primis, whether any have intruded themselves, & presume to exercise any kind of ministery in the Church of God, without imposition of hands & lawful calling by ordinary authority, and whether any admitted but to Deaconry usurp the office of the Minister.  
2 Item, whether any lay persons take upon them to read openly in the congregation divine service, in any Church, Chapel or oratory, without they be thereunto upon some urgent cause, or great necessity for a time licensed by the ordinary. Wherefore such have been allowed, and how long they have served, and whether any of them have taken upon them to solemnize Matrimony, or to minister any Sacrament.  
3 Item, whether any homicide or felon, any notoriously infamous, & disabled by the Ecclesiastical laws, any ordained out of the Diocese where they were borne, or by long time made their abode without letters dimissories from their ordinary, exercise the ministery, or any Ecclesiastical calling in this Diocese.  
4 Item, whether any Deacon or minister be removed from any other Diocese to serve in this, without letters testimonial of the ordinary from whose Diocese he came to testify the cause of his departing thence, and of his behaviour.  
5 Item, whether any Deacon or minister in this Diocese go not comely and soberly in apparel according as it is appointed in the Queen's majesties Injunctions, and in the advertisements, or live disordinately in rioting, gaming, hawking, hunting, or beholding and garing at any Idle pastime, or exercising any laical trade, or mystery for gain and lucre slanderous to their calling in the Church.  
6 Item, whether any being once ordained Priest or minister, doth not still continued in their calling, or frequenteth and resorteth not to the Common prayer, or at times appointed communicateth not, or have cast of their calling, and go and boast themselves like lay men.  
7 Iten, whether any of them say or sing in private conventicles Mass, or any service contrary to the laws of this Realm.  
8. Item, whether any be permitted to preach in any place within this Diocese, not being thereunto lawfully licensed either by the Queen's Majesty, or the Archbishop of the Province, or the Bishop of the Diocese, and whether the Parson, Vicar or Curate and Churchwardens of every Parish do call for every such licence, and peruse it before they suffer the party to preach.  
9 Item, whether your Preachers set out in their sermons the Queen's majesties authority over all her subjects, & in all causes, and exhort their hearers to due obedience under the same, to the following of her majesties Injunctions, and other laws, statutes, orders, advertisements and decrees set forth by common authority for the establishing of Christian Religion and maintenance of the Ecclesiastical policy in this Realm, or whether any of them have done or said any thing to the contrary.  
10 Item, whether they likewise in their preaching excite and stir up the people to charity one with another, to godliness of life, often and devout receiving of the holy Communion, frequenting divine service, hearing the word of God read or taught, and such like, and also to all kind of Civil duties meet for subjects, or be curious in moving new needless doubts, whereby the people may be sooner stirred to debates and controversies, then edified in wholesome doctrine, continued in Christian love, or provoked to godly life.  
11 Item, whether in their conversation and behaviour, they be modest, grave, and sober, according to their calling, and for the better credit of their doctrine, or otherwise.  
12 Item, whether your Parsons or vicars, be continually resident upon their benefices, if they be absent, where they be: whether in their absence their cures be sufficiently discharged and served.  
13 Item, whether they have any other or more benefices, in what country or Diocese they lie, whether they came to any of them by fraud, guile, deceit, or simony.  
14 Item, whether they make or cause to be made their monthly and quarterly Sermons, instruct and examine the youth of their Parishes in the Catechism at Evening Prayer on Sundays and holidays: whether they move the Parishioners and the Parents to buy the Catechism lately set forth with additions by the Queen's majesties authority: whether they read the Homilies on Sundays, when there be no Sermons, and the Queen's majesties Injunctions every quarter.  
15 Item, whether and how long after his Induction, your Parson or Vicar read openly in your Church at divine service, the Articles of Religion which concern the confession of the true Christian faith, and the doctrine of the Sacraments appointed to be publicly read by an Act of Parliament made in the xiii. year of her majesties reign.  
16 Item, whether they pronounce divine service and other things to be read at common prayer plainly and distinctly to the hearing and intelligence of the people, & minister the Sacraments reverently, in such sort as is set forth by the laws of this Realm, the Queen's majesties Injunctions, and the advertisements, without any kind of variation.  
17 Item, in the time of celebration of divine service whether they wear surplices, or celebrated the said service in the Chancel or in the Church, baptize in Basins or in the Fontes standing in the places accustomed, minister the holy Communion in water bread, or common bread, in profane Cups, dishes, bowls, old massing Chalices, or in a decent communion cup provided and kept for the same only of purpose, & whether the Communicantes receive standing, sitting, or kneeling.  
18 Item, whether they have entered into their benefices without lawful ingress thereunto by Institution, or Collation & Induction, whether they maintain their mansions houses, Chancels and other edifices pertaining to their benefices and Churches in sufficient reparations, and whether they make spoil or waste of any thing pertaining to them.  
19 Item, whether such of them as may dispend an HUNDRED pound in spiritual livings by the year, alloweth to the exhibition of some Scholar in Cambridge or Oxford iij. pounds vi. s. viii. pence yearly, and what scholar receiveth it.  
20 Item, whether any of them have demised any of their benefices, or any part of them otherwise then is appointed in an Act of Parliament. an. 13. of the Queen's majesties reign cap. 17. or in defraud thereof convey the fruits of the same by some other shifts any other ways.  
21 Item, whether they record from time to time in a Register all marriages, Christening and Burials, and yearly deliver the copies of them to the Bishop by Indenture.  
22 Item, whether in the days of perambulation they use any other rite or Ceremony then to sing or say in English the ij. Psalms beginning. Benedic anima mea. etc. with the Litany and Suffrages thereto, and one Homely of thanks giving set forth and divided into four parts, without any other superstitious ceremony heretofore used, whether women go about with them, and to what value there was heretofore wont to be bestowed at the standing and resting places of the said Rogations to be bestowed.  
23 Item, whether they use to comfort the sick specially at the time of their passing out of this transitory world, and what texts of Scripture they have ready for the same purpose.  
24 Item, whether any of them or their Curates not being lawfully authorized to preach take upon them to expound any Scripture, or by the way of exhortation move any matter of doctrine, but be content only to read gravely & aptly the service, lessons, and Homilies set forth without any glozing or addition to the same.  
25 Item, whether they admit any notorious sinners or uncharitable persons to the holy Communion, any that can not say without book the lords Prayer, the Articles of Christian Faith, and the x. Commandments, or suffer any children to answer as Godfather or Godmother at Baptism except they have received the holy Communion, and can say the Catechism.  
26 Item, whether they keep competent hospitality, according to their livings, and if they be not resident, whether they bestow the xl. part of their living yearly amongst the poor, if their living be above xx. l. a year.  
27 Item, whether such beneficed men, or enjoying any spiritual living, as be not resident at their livings, if they pretend study at any of the Universities, be once in the year called home to the Ordinary to be examined how they profit in learning, whether any be suffered with the living of the Church to become serving or waiting men, Lawyers clerks, or otherwise to live dissolutely or in a mere lay vocation therewith.  
28 Item, whether your Parson, or Vicar was inducted into possession of your parsonage or vicarage since the xiii. year of the Queen's majesties reign, whether he was then Deacon or minister, and in what year of his age: whether he was an able preacher licensed thereunto, and by whom: whether, and how long after his induction he read openly in your Church at divine service, the declaration of uniformity in Religion set forth by the two archbishoprics of Canterbury and York.  
29 Item, whether any parsonage or vicarage, or any other spiritual living in this Diocese be holden by the name and title of any beyond the seas, and whether the cause of his being there be lawfully approved and allowed.  
30 Item, besides benefices with cure of soul, what other dignities, promotions, prebends or spiritual livings your Parson or Vicar hath, what be their names, and where they lie.  
31 Item, whether the proprietaries of parsonages with vicarages endowed, leave a sufficient portion of the fruits, or annuity to the Vicars to discharge the cure of souls, and to keep hospitality: whether they help and assist them in the preaching and setting forth of God's word, and seeing the Queen's majesties Injunctions, and other statutes, orders, and advertisements set forth by public authority well observed: Whether they withhold from their Vicars their due portions of fruits or money, or overcharge them with reparations of Chancels, duties for visitations and synods, or other payments, and whether for the ease of the said Vicars, they pay such duties as by composition or custom hath heretofore been due.  
32 Item, whether the parish clerks be admitted without the consent of the Parson or Vicar: whether they be not obedient to the Parsons, Vicars, or their Curates, specially in matters touching the celebration of divine service, and the Church business: whether they keep the books & ornaments of the Church, the choir or the place where divine service is appointed to be done, the Communion table, the Pulpit, and the Font fair and decent, for divine service, administration of the Sacraments and preaching: whether any withhold from the said Clerks their accustomed wages, relief and benevolence.  
33 Item, whether any Schoolmaster teach openly or privately within this Diocese, in any noble or gentleman's house, or any where else not being allowed and examined by the Ordinary for sincere Religion, honest conversation, and sufficient learning: whether they teach any other Grammar, or any other Catechism than is set forth by the Queen's majesties authority: whether they suffer their scholars to read any books tending to the impugning and derogation of the order of religion now set forth, or propound to them any Themes, vulgares, or subtle questions, whereby matters of Religion concluded and established might be made doubtful unto them, or they induced to deride or scoff at any godly order, Rite or Ceremony now set forth and allowed.   

For the laity.  
34 IN primis, whether any parishioner is negligent or obstinate in coming to his own parish Church or Chapel for divine service, and their receiving the holy Communion at the lest thrice a year, contemn the word of God, or indeed or word despiseth or setteth light by the public order of Religion set forth & established.  
35 Item, whether any contemn, hurt, strike, or any ways abuse any minister or Deacon, specially in the time of celebration of divine service, administration of the Sacraments, or preaching of God's word, or whether any of them neglect or refuse to bring or sand their children and servants to be catechized.  
36 Item, whether Inns, Taverns, victayling and tippling houses or gaming places be patent or entered into, in service or preaching time, whether there be any adulterers, drunkards, bawds, scolds and brawlers, privy and crafty sowers of discord, open and manifest usurers, sorcerers, enchanters, or any having confidence in any such devilish imaginations in your parishes.  
37 Item, whether you Churchwardens & sworn men, and such as were before you, have according to the act of Parliament therefore in the first year of the Queen's majesties reign provided, levied of every one that wilfully or negligently is absent from Church, or unreverently behaveth himself at common prayer as is in the said act appointed xii. d. for every such offence. Whereunto the said forfeiture is applied, what account thereof yearly is made, & whether your poor man's box be accordingly kept, and the alms thereof accounted yearly to your parish.  
38 Item, whether all Images, altars, Shrines, and other monuments of Idolatry and superstition be utterly defaced & put out in your parishes: whether your Churches and Churchyards be well repaired, adorned and fenced: whether the Rood lofts be pulled down, and a partition made and kept betwixt the Chancel and the Church, according to the advertisements. Whether likewise all mass books, Antiphoners, Grails, & other such books which served for superstitious Latin service, be defaced and abolished.  
39 Item, whether you have in your Churches all things requisite for common prayer & administration of the Sacraments, and preaching: As a Bible of the largest volume, the book of common prayer, a table of the x. Commandments before the Communion board, the advertisements, the admonition for degrees of matrimony, a convenient pulpit well placed, a comely and decent Communion Table standing upon a frame with a fair covering of some carpet, silk or linen cloth to lay upon it, a Communion cup with a cover of silver, and such like.  
40 Item, whether any sale of your church goods have been made, by whom, and to whom: whether an Inventory be kept of all such goods as have from time to time been purchased, given or bequeathed to the Church, whether an account be thereof yearly made: whether the said goods be increased or decayed, and by whose default or negligence: In whose hands the said Church goods or any of them remain.  
41 Item, whether you see that on Sundays & holidays, Inns, taverns, & victualling houses be not frequented at service time, and shops also shut up, & your Parishioners cease from worldly business, whether any other holidays be kept then such as be appointed in the book of Common prayer, whether any heresies, false opinions, Popish and superstitious doctrine, be maintained in your Parishes and by whom.  
42 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 precontracts. Any that have made privy or secret contracts. And that have married without banes thrice solemnly asked. Any couples married that live not together, but slanderously live a part: Any that have married out of the Parish Church, where they aught to have the same solemnized.  
43 Item, whether there be any secret or privy conventicles or exercises in disputations for matters of Religion in any of your Parishes, whether any superstitious and superfluous ringing at burials, Saints evens, or festival days be suffered. Whether any Lords of misrules, Summer Lords or Ladies, disguised persons come unreverently into the Church and specially in the service time to play any games, who they be that commit such disorders or accompany and maintain them.  
44 Item, whether any patrons have by them selves or by other directly or undirectly practised for the presenting of any Clerk to any spiritual living before the said presentation, or after to have money or money worth or any other commodity. Whether the Church of your Parish be void, how long it hath so been, who receiveth the tithes and profits thereof, and by what authority, whether the patron or any other have pulled down any Church, chancel or mansion house taking away the lead, bells, ornaments, goods or glebe lands or converted the tithes, revenues or possessions of the said Church to his own private use.  
45 Item, whether any conceal the will and testament of any departed or fulfil not the same, chief in Legacies bequeathed to good and godly uses, whether any executor have defrauded any widow, fatherless child, or any other in their minority of their legacies, or any administrator appointed to administer to the use of any in their minority have beguiled them and not given account of their said administration. Whether any administer without probate of the Testament or taking authority from the ordinary, and whether any legacies heretofore given to uses now forbidden, be not converted to some godly and lawful use.  
46 Item, whether midwives be of sober life and uncorrupt religion, not suspected of Papistry, whether any of them use in the time of women's travel any witchcraft, charms, Latin prayers or invocations, or take upon them to baptize, whether when they be present at the delivery of any child known or suspected to be begotten in unlawful matrimony, do not straightly charge the mother to declare who is the father and where it was begotten, and immediately certify the ordinary or at the lest the Curate & Churchwardens of the Parish thereof.   

❧ Articles of inquiry for the exercise of spiritual jurisdiction within this Diocese.  
47 IN primis, whether the Ecclesiastical jurisdiction in this Diocese have been exercised by expert and able men such as the law requireth. Whether the Chancellor, Archdeacon's, or any under them have at any time suffered faults & transgressions to remain unpunished for money, gain, pleasure, friendship, or any other affectionate respect, whether in matters of instance betwixt party & party they have denied audience, specially at the complaint of the poor friendless and fatherless, or by admitting frivolous and unfit matters, or excluding and barring reasonable and necessary defences, have delayed or perverred justice or the execution thereof. Whether they have impeached or menaced parties in judgement so that they have been stayed or compelled to desist from persecuting their Appeals or complaints to the Queen's majestic or the Archbishop for just griefs and wrongs to them procured.  
48 Iten, whether any of them have been burdensome to any in this Diocese by exacting & taking excessive fees, rewards or commodities by the way of promotion, gift, contribution, redemption of penance to their own use, obtaining of any benefice or office, or any other like ways, whether in their visitations and Synods they spend the time any otherwise then in diligent Inquisition and reformation of disorders, or suffer the Clerks or servants of their retinue riotously to behave themselves.  
49 Item, whether Archdeacon's in their visitations see that all necessary books and ornaments for divine service be had in every parish, and whether Church goods and stocks be augmented or impaired, whether Churches, Churchyards, mansion houses be well repaired and fenced. Whether in their Synods they take account of the Clergy how they profit in the study of holy Scripture, whether they grant any licence to celebrated matrimony the banes not thrice solemnly asked, either for prohibition of time or any other such cause.  
50 Item, whether they have uprightly & unfeignedly both observed in their own persons, and towards all other put in due execution the Ecclesiastical laws of this Realm the Queen's majesties Injunctions & other her highness commandments, orders, decrees, and advertisements set forth for the public administration of God's holy word and Sacraments. Whether they have commended and favoured all those that sought the same, and condignly punished all those that sought the contrary.  
51 Item, whether the Deans of your Deaneries be of the best learned sort, and best conversation, and least suspected for superstitious or schismatical doctrine & opinions: whether they do mark the life and study of the clergy, and inform the Ordinary or Archdeacon's thereof: whether they be negligent in executing mandates or precepts sent unto them from any Ecclesiastical court: whether they inquire of light women which come into their Deaneries to be brought a bed, of Curates and schoolmasters not licenced, of privy contracts and marriages, of concealed Images and monuments of superstition, and of other close disorders used within their Deaneries, certifying the Ordinary thereof for due and speedy reformation.  
52 Item, whether your peculiar Judges exercise their Jurisdiction by themselves or by learned deputies, and not by unable men, as their farmers & such like: whether they have skilful registers and perfect record of their acts and proceedings: whether they wink at such as be harboured in their peculiars for avoiding of process and correction in this or any other Diocese, and detect them not to the Ordinary.  
53 Item, whether your apparitors have taken money or money worth, for concealing or cloaking of any vice, or have conveyed any offenders from one place to an other to escape punishment, or cited any body without due process, or delay the execution and serving of their process, or give warning to the party cited, to keep him out of the way, or despitefully serve their process in time of divine service, to the disturbance of the parish: whether they appoint undersomners' or substitutes to do their office, or threaten any with process, or without, for bribes in corn, will, cheese, or any thing else: whether any of them be overchargeable to the Clergy or laity in traveling about the executing of their said processes.  
54 Item, whether the Registers and Notaries within this Diocese make just & true records of acts done & passed in their presents, and deliver at the parties request true copies of the same without excessive taking: whether they or any of them take annual fees of any of the clergy, or their farmers, for exhibiting proxies in visitations or synods, or excusing their absence, and saving their appearance when they should judicially come in, or any other respect, whereby partiality might grow, and equity be excluded out of judgement.  
55 Item, whether the Proctors of the Ecclesiastical court be contented with their ordinary fees: whether any of them encourage their clients to persist in evil and wrongful causes, or bargain with them before hand for the gain of any suit after the eviction: whether any of them devise and object frivolous, impertinent and dilatory matters or allegations, to the intent to prolong suits, and hinder the expedition of Justice, and specially in causes of Matrimony, alimentation of fatherless children, and such like summary matters.  
56. And generally you shall inquire and present all evil livers or offenders of Gods most holy laws, and specially such as stubbornly refuse to conform themselves to unity and good Religion, or that disturb the same by bruting abroad rumours of the alteration thereof, or seek new devices and innovations.