holy Sacramentes so that they turne not to superstition or worshipping or Idolatrie But if that in tyme of the holy Communion there shal be no sermon they shall on the booke in the pulpit read some one or other of those homelies which we haue to that end set foorth before In the meane tyme they shall exhorte the people to come diligently to Church that they attentiuely heare that which is read and sayd and that all the tyme thereof they vse themselues reuerently and modestly and least the godly may be offended thorough wantonnes and lightnes voyde of religion they shall take heede that young men especially contreymen whose nature is more prone to the contempt of godlines and to disorder neyther ryng belles neyther walke in the churches nor haue idle talke together nor by laughing or noyse or vnhonest iesting eyther let the minister or offend the people They shall admonish the people to come oftner to the holy Cōmunion that before they prepare themselues with a perfect minde as it is fit And that all may vnderstand what duty they owe to God what dutie to the Prince whome they ought to loue reuerence as the vicar of God what they owe to the lawes what to the magistrates what to their brethren what to the people of God they shall be ready in the church straight after noone euery sonday holyday there at the least they shall read two houres and teach the catechisme and therein shall instruct all theyr flocke of what age or degree soeuer not onely maydens and children but also the elder if neede be But especially they shall warne young folkes not onely men but also women that it is prouided by the lawes that none of them may either receiue the holy communion or be maried or vndertake for a childe in Baptisme except before they haue learned the principles of Christen religion and can fitly and aptly aunswere to all the partes of the Catechisme But if the parsons vicars or curates either can not preache or haue not receiued licence to preach of the Byshop yet they shall teach children to read to write and know theyr duty toward God toward theyr parentes and also others and if they perceaue any of them to be of that disposition that by teachyng and instruction they may attayne to the knowledge of learnyng they shall counsell theyr parentes to set them to schole that beyng endewed wyth learnyng they may one day become fit for the holy ministery of the mighty God but whome they perceaue to be duller and not disposed to learnyng to see them set to some other science or to husbandrie They shall also warne their parishioners that for great and weightie causes it was appointed in the cōuocation by the Reuerend father in God Matthew Archbyshop of Canterburie and the other bishops that children mary not without consent of the parentes and that no young man hath power in hymselfe to contract mariage before he be xvj yeares of age and no mayde before she be xiiij yeares olde Churchewardens and and syde men CHurchewardens according to the custome of euery parishe shal be chosen by the consent of theyr parishioners and theyr minister otherwise they shall not be churchwardens neyther shall they continew any lenger then one yeare in that office except perhaps they be chosen againe And all churchwardens once euery yeare shal geue vp iust accounte of such money as they haue receaued and also particularly shall shewe what coste they haue bestowed in reparations and for the vse of the Church Last of all goyng out of their offices they shall truly deliuer vp to the parishioners whatsoeuer money or other ecclesiasticall thinges shall remayne be in their handes that it may be redeliuered by them to the next churchwardens The Churchewardens shall see that the churches be diligently and well repayred with lead tyle lyme and glasse that neyther the minister nor the people either in the holy ministerie and worshippyng of God or in celebratyng the heauēly misteries or in receauing and hearing the Communion be troubled wyth tempestuous weather But especially they shall looke vnto that in euery meting of the congregation peace be well kept and in all visitations of byshops and archdeacons they shal truly and personally presente and name all those which rudely behaue themselues in the church or whiche by vntymely ringing of belles by walkyng by talking or noyse shall let the minister or preacher Churchwardens shall see that the churches be kept cleane reuerently that they be not lothsome to any either by dust sande or any filthynes They shall also see that the holy Bibles be in euery church in the largest volume if it may conueniently be such as were lately imprinted at London that the booke of common prayers that the holy homelies and the homelies which lately were written against rebelliō be in euery church It is meete that these bookes be whole and cleane not torne or foule in any wise lest it breede irksomnes or contempte amongest the people They shall see there be a fayre ioyned table which may serue for the administration of the holy Communion and à cleane clothe to couer it à conuenient pulpit whence the heauenly doctrine may be taught Moreouer they shall see that all roodloftes in which woodden crosses stood all other reliques of superstitiō be cleane takē away that the walles of the churches be new whited and decked with chosen sentences of the holy Scripture that by the reading and warning thereof the people may be moued to godlines Last of all they shall see that in euery church there be à holy founte not a basen wherein Baptisme may be ministred and it be kept comely and cleane They shall also warn tauerners alehousekepers victualers which sel meat or drink that they receiue none into their tauern or alehouse all the time wherin either is preaching or cōmon seruice If any do contrary vpon contempte or stubbernes they shall present both him them whome he receaued by name in the next visitation If any offend theyr brethren eyther by manifest adultery or whoredome or incest or drunkennes or much swearing or baudry or vsurie or any other vncleanes and wickednes of life let the churchwardens warne them brotherly and freendly to amende Which except they do they shall by name shewe them to the parson vicar or curate that they may be warned more sharply and vehemently of them and if they continue so still let them be driuen from the holy Communion till they be reformed And that all which liue vnchastly and loosely be punished by the seueritie of the lawes according to their desertes The same Church-wardens shall present those adulterers whoremongers incestuous drunkardes swearers baudes and vsurers in the Bishops and Archdeacons visitations Churchwardens shall suffer no feasts bankets suppers or common drinkings to be kept in the church neyther the belles to be rong superstitiously either in the feast of all soules or
¶ A BOOKE of certaine Canons concernyng some parte of the discipline of the Churche of England In the yeare of our Lord. 1571. AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwellyng ouer Aldersgate ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis 3. Of Byshops 6. Of Deanes of churches 9. Of Archdeacones 11. Of Chauncelors c. 17. Of Churchwardens 22. Of Preachers 24. Of Residence 25. Of Pluralities 25. Of Scholemasters 27. Of Patrones c. Of Byshoppes ¶ Here foloweth in this booke some certayne articles of the holy ministerie and of the offices of the Church fully agreed vpon by Matthew Archbyshoppe of Caunterburie Primate of all England and Metropolitane and all other Byshops of the same Prouince which were partly present in person and partly subscribed by the handes of their Proctors in a Synode begonne at London in the Church of S. Paule the thirde day of April 1571. ALl Byshoppes shall diligently teach the Gospell not onely in their Cathedrall Churches which they â—…uerne but also indifferently in all the Churches of euery of their Dioces where they shall thynke it most needfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—…pally they shall exhort their people 〈◊〉 the reading hearing of the holy scriptures and that they come together in times appoynted euery man to his owne Church and that they geue eare diligently to the preachers of the Gospell and that both they do heare reuerently the godly prayers which shall be spoken by the Minister and also pray them selues with hym and that they be partakers of the heauenly misteries as they be now godly ordeined and lawfully in our churches by the authoritie and commaundemente of the whole Realme Euery Byshop before the fyrst day of September next shall call vnto him the publique preachers such as shall be in his owne diocesse and shall require againe of them their licences of preaching which they haue signed with any autenticall seale which they shall retaine with themselues or els abolish After prudent choise made of them he shall geue readilye agayne new licences to them whom he shall finde able to that great office in respect of they â—â—â—res doctrine iudgement honestie of lyfe â–ª â—â—â—…ie and grauitie and yet so that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he to the articles of Christian religion â—â—â—â—…ly approued in the Synode and that 〈◊〉 â—…ake promise willingly to mayntayne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—hat doctrine which is contayned in the 〈◊〉 most agreeable to the veritie of Gods wâ—â—â—… The Bishop must very diligently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what maner of men he do admit into hys housholde for it chaunceth sometymes where thys foresight is not vsed that wicked men enemies to the true religion vicious men and corrupte in all theyr life yea and men voyde of grace be admitted Whereby the aduersary wyll soone take occasion to speake euill The Byshops seruauntes shal so modestly orderly apparel theÌ„selues in euery part of their garments that they do not offend their brethreÌ„ whom Paule calleth of the housholde of fayth The Byshop shall lay his handes on none henceforward but such as haue bene trayned vp in good letters eyther in the vniuersitie or some other inferior schole or that doth vnderstande the Latine tongue competently and hath bene well exercised in the holy scriptures nor yet on any except he be of that lawfull age which is appoynted by the statute and lawe nor except hys lyfe honest behauiour be commended by the testimony of graue and godly men and such as are well knowne vnto the byshop nor on any that hath bene brought vp in husbandrie or some other base and handicraft labour nor on any but such as haue some title as they call it whereby he may liue if by Gods sufferaunce he become blinde or fall into greeuous sicknesse of the body or into a continuall languishing disease nor except he will exercise the holy ministery wythin hys owne diocesse nor at any other time but when it shal chaunce that some place of ministration is voyde in the same diocesse And he shall admitte no straunger nor any that he knoweth not eyther to the profites of any benifice or to ecclesiasticall ministerie except he bring wyth him that Byshops letters of commendations which they cal letters dimissories out of whose diocesse he came The byshop shal not graunt vnto any man the next or second or thirde aduouson as they cal it of any prebend or benefice belonging vnto him for those aduousons are far from good doynges and christian charitie neyther shall he ratifie and confirme the leases of any profites or reuenewes of any parsonage or ecclesiasticall benefice for terme of many yeares in any wise The Byshop shall suffer no man to be occupyed in the ministration of the Church which calleth himselfe by the idle name of a Reader not hauing receiued imposition of handes Euery Archbishop and Bishop shal haue in hys house The holy Bible in the largest volume as it was lately printed at London and also that full and perfect history which is intituled Monumentes of Martyres and other such lyke bokes fit for the setting forth of religion These bookes must be placed eyther in the hall or in the great chamber that they may serue to the vse of their seruauntes and of straingers Deanes of Cathedrall Churches THe very same bookes which we spake of last euery Deane shall cause to be bought and to be bestowed in his Cathedrall Church in such conuenient place that the vicares and peticanons and other ministers of the Church as also straungers and forrieners may easely come vnto them and read thereon The Deane and euery chiefe Residentarie whome they call the dignities of the Church shall buye the same bookes euery one for hys owne family and shall lay them in some fitte place eyther in hall or in the chamber The Deane his prebendaries shall preach the worde of God diligently not onely in the cathedrall Church where they liue but in other Churches also of the same Dioces and especially in the same places whence they receaue yearely reuenewes and profites Which if they do not they shall be punished according to the discretion of the Byshop No Deane nor Archdeacon nor Residentarie nor master nor warden nor head of any colledge or cathedrall church neither president nor rector nor any of that order by what name soeuer they be called shall hereafter weare the Graye Amice nor any other garment which hath bene defiled with the like superstition But euery one of them in their churches shall weare onely that linnen garment which is as yet reteined by the Queenes commaundement and also hys Schollers hoode according to euery mans calling and degree in schole Euery Deane shal be resident in hys cathedrall Church foure tymes a yeare at the least And shall continue there by the space of a moneth euery time if he may possibly in preaching the worde of God and keeping good hospitalitie except he shall be otherwyse letted with weighty and vrgent causes Which causes he shall at euery such time
the day after all saintes which day not long since was kept holy for the soules of the dead neyther at any tyme at all whereas the custome of ringing shall seeme to encline to superstition They shall suffer ringing onely at those tymes which are appoynted in the booke of aduertisementes and to that onely vse and after that onely order It shall not be lawfull to keepe fayres and common markets vpon the sonday neyther on that day to put to death and openly punish offenders cōdemned by the sentence of the Iudge They shall not suffer that any of these light wanderers in markettes and pelting sellers which carry about and sell pinnes points and other small trifles whom they call pedlars to set out their wares to sale either in the churchyeardes or in the porches of churches or any where els on holidayes or sondayes whilest any part of the holy ministery is in doing or any sermon is preached neyther that beggars or vagabondes which haue no certain dwelling abyde eyther in the churchyearde or in the church porch all the time of seruice or preaching but shall commaunde them either to come in or to depart They shall also search and diligently enquire if any of the parishioners eyther come not at all to church or come later or slower at the times appointed by the lawes and whom they shall finde so to offende they shall punish them according to the appointing of the lawe They shall marke whether al euery of the parishioners come so often euery yeare to the holy communion as the lawes statutes do cōmaund and whether any straingers from other parishes come more often and commonly to their church and shall shew their curate of them lest perhaps he admit them to the Lordes table amongst others but shall sende them rather to their owne curates They shall receiue no parson nor vicar to the ministery of theyr church but whome the Bishop shall allow by his institution and by hys mandate shall put in possession of that church They shall receyue no curate but him that by the letters and seale of the Byshop is specially appointed for that church But if the Parson Vicar or Curate behaue hymselfe otherwise in hys ministery or that he read ill darckly and confusedly or that he lyue more losely and licentiously then is fitte for à man of that calling and therby great offence be taken the churchwardens shall spedely present him to the Bishop that by and by he may be punished and amendment of his fault may follow And that the Byshop may vnderstande what sermons are made in euery church of hys dioces the Churchwardens shall see that the names of all preachers which come to them from any other place be noted in a boke which they shall haue ready for that purpose and that euery preacher subscribe his name in that boke and the name of the Byshop of whom he had licence to preach Last of all the Churchwardens shall see that all thinges be diligently obserued which pertayne to theyr offices and that are contayned in the Queenes iniunctions and the boke of aduertisementes and that shall be set foorth by the Archbishop or Bishop in euery their visitations for the vse of the Churches But if any do rayle vpon them or goe to law with them for doing theyr dutie and detecting of offenders that also they shall presente vnto the Bishop that by his meanes and trauaill they may more easely be deliuered from that trouble Preachers NO man shal openly preach in his parish but being licenced by the Bishop neyther hereafter shall be so bold as preach out of his own cure church except he haue obtayned licence so to preach eyther of the Queenes Maiestie ouer all her realme eyther of the Archbishop through hys prouince or of the Bishop in his dioces And no licence to preach shall hereafter stande in force but that which hath bene obtayned after the last day of Aprill which was in the yeare 1571. Preachers shall behaue them selues modestly and soberly in all their life But chiefly they shall take heede that they teach nothing in their preaching which they would haue the people religiously to obserue and beleue but that which is agreeable to the doctrine of the olde Testament or the newe and that which the catholike fathers and auncient Bishops haue gathered out of that doctrine And because those articles of Christian religion agreed vpon by the Bishoppes in the lawfull and godly conuocation and by the commaundement and aucthoritie of our noble princesse Elizabeth assembled and holden vndoubtedly are gathered out of the holy bookes of the olde and newe Testamente and in all pointes agree with the heauenly doctrine contayned in them because also the booke of common prayers and the booke of the consecration of Archbishops Bishops Ministers and Deacons containe nothing repugnant to the same doctrine whosoeuer shall be sent to teach the people shall not onely in theyr preaching but also by subscription confirm the authoritie and truth of those articles He that doth otherwise or troubleth the people with contrary doctrine shall be excommunicated In preaching they shall weare à very modest and graue garment which may becomme and set foorth the minister of God and such as is prescribed in the booke of aduertisementes They shall require no money or rewarde for theyr preaching but shall be content with meat and drincke and playne prouision and one nightes lodging They shall teach no vayne and olde wiues opiniōs no heresies nor popish errors disagreeing from the doctrine and fayth of Christ neyther any thing at all whereby the rude people may be stirred vp to the desire of nouelties or contention But they shall alwayes teach that which may make for edifying and may vnite the hearers in Christian peace and loue Residences THe absence of the shepheard from the Lords flocke and that careles negligence which we doe see in many and forsakyng of the ministerie is à thing in it selfe to be abhorred odious to the people and pernitious to the Church of god Therefore we exhort all pastors of Churches in the Lorde Iesu that foorthwith they returne euery one to theyr parishes and diligently teach the Gospell according to their liuing to keep house to helpe the poore by hospitalitie and there to be resident euery yeare no lesse then lx dayes Pluralitie IT shall be lawfull for no man of what degree or order so euer he be to haue at one time any more then two ecclesiastical benefices neither shal it be lawful for any man at all to obtain two benifices if they be distant more then xxvj miles Of Scholemasters IT shall not be lawfull for any to teach the Latine tongue or to instructe children neyther openly in the scholes neyther priuately in any mans house but whome the Byshop of that dioces hath alowed and to whom he hath geuen licence to teach vnder the seale of hys office And here we except for honours sake the Lordes of the