declare vnto hys Ordinary When he is come to the Church he together with hys prebendaries resident shall foresee that the statutes of his church if they be not contrary to the woorde of God as many are and that the statutes of this realme whatsoeuer concerning ecclesiasticall order and all Iniunctions eyther set foorth by the Queenes Maiestie or enioyned by the bishop in his visitation of the same Church be diligently obserued Moreouer the Deane and Residentaries shall endeuour as much as lyeth in thē that the peticanons or vicares and other ministers of their Church lest they lyue idlely and vnprofitably in slouthfulnes and geue themselues to vnlawfull gaming be constrayned to the studye of the holy Scriptures and that euery one of them haue the new Testament not onely in Latine but also in English The Deanes and Residentaries shall see that there be no other forme obserued in singing or saying prayers or in the administration of the Sacramentes but onely that which is sette foorth and prescribed in the booke of Common Prayers neyther shall they suffer any straunger to preach vnto the people except the Queenes Maiestie or the Archbishop of the same Prouince or the Byshop of the same Dioces haue graunted him licence thereunto And if such a Preacher so allowed eyther by the Queenes Maiestie or by the Archbishop or Byshop shall in hys Sermon publish any doctrine eyther straunge wicked or disagreeable wyth the worde of God or with the Articles of our Religion agreed vpon in the Conuocation house which no doubt are consonant to the Scriptures or with the booke of common Prayers the Deane or the Residentes shall assone as may be geue notice of the same to the Byshop by theyr letters subscribed also with some of theyr handes which hearde him preach that he may determine on the matter as he shall see good Archedeacons EVery Archedeacon shall haue in hys house both the other bookes and namely those which are entituled Monumentes of Martyrs Euery Archedeacon whiche hath authoritie to visite eyther by common law or by prescription shall visite hys territory once euery yeare in hys owne person and he shall not substitute any to be his Officiall but such a one as hath bene brought vp in the vniuersities and hath studyed the ciuill law and is of the full age of xxiiij yeares beyng able not onely in learnyng but also in grauety and modesty to discharge that office Archedeacons and theyr substitutes whom they call Officialles shall call the clergie to accompt in theyr visitations how much euery one of them hath profited in the study of Scripture and shall geue vnto so many of them as haue not taken the degree of a maister of Arte vpon them in the vniuersitie some parte of the new Testament to be learned without booke and at the next Synode shall compell them to make repetition thereof and they shall detecte vnto the Bishop such as are eyther stubburne or negligent herein When the visitation is finished the Archedeacon shall signifie vnto the Byshop whome he hath founde in euery Deanery so furnished with learnyng and iudgement that they may be thought worthy to enstruct the people in sermōs and to rule and gouerne others Of these the bishop may chuse some whome he wil haue rural Deanes Archdeacons shall straightly and seuerely punish all offenders not winke at their faultes or suffer any man to escape vnpunished who is knowen to haue offended Archedeacons shall haue a speciall care that the monumentes of theyr actes and doinges be faythfully and safely preserued and shall once euery yeare bryng to theyr bishop all the originall copies of such testamentes which shal be proued before them the yeare before that they may be preserued by the Bishops Register They shall write out the copies of the same Testamentes to their owne vse if they wyll Chauncellors Commissaries and their Officials EVery Chauncellor Commissary and officiall shal be learned in the ecclesiasticall and ciuil lawes and such one as is twenty and sixe yeres olde and hath taken some degrée in the scholes for learninges sake and is reasonably well practised in course of law touching whose lyfe and maners no euill reporte be heard Besides euery one of these either shall be in the ministerie or if he be not yet shall he be well affected and zealously bent toward religion and such he shall openly and freely shew himselfe and before he enter his office he shall take an othe of the authoritie and supremacy of the Prince and also shall subscribe to the articles of religion allowed in the conuocation of Bishops None of these neyther Chauncellor Commissary nor Officiall shal proceede in examination of matters vnto the sentence of excommunication but onely in causes of instances In matters of correction they shall doe all other things which lawfully they may and are wont to be done But the sentence of excommunication they shall leaue onely to the Byshoppe which either he himselfe shall pronounce or shall commit the pronouncing therof to some graue man which is in the ministerie After that he hath geuen sentence he shall also adde for a warning and terror to the people a certaine order of wordes vpon in the conuocation and wheresoeuer the Byshop shall commaunde shall declare hys conscience to the people what he thynketh of those articles and the whole doctrine And he beyng once admitted into the holy ministery shall from thencefoorth neuer departe from it nor shall vse himselfe as a laye man eyther in apparell or in any part of his lyfe Euery Parson Vicar or Curate shall yearly before twenty dayes after Easter exhibite to the Bishop or to his Chaūcellor or Commissary the names and surnames of his parishoners as well men as women of those I say which beyng fourtene yeares of age come not to the holy Communion as by the statutes and ecclesiasticall lawes of thys Realme they are bound such as refuse to be examined by the minister of the church in learnyng the Catechisme and articles of christian religion and what parentes or maisters thincke scorne to sende theyr children or seruauntes to churche at the tymes appoynted to heare and learne the same Catechisme They shall suffer none to vndertake for an Infante at Baptisme except he haue receiued the Communion and haue bene partaker of the holy misteries and he shal admit none to the partaking of the sacramēts which hath not learned the Catechisme and articles of the fayth Euery sonday and holiday the parsons vicars and curates shall come to the churche so timely and conueniently in due season that the parishioners hauyng done theyr busines may come thether with their children seruantes And there they shall reuerently as it is fit godly say or sing the holy seruice so plainly so manifestly distinctly that the people may heare vnderstand what is sayd or song therof receaue comfort and commoditie The lyke reuerence and godlynes they shall obserue in celebratyng the most
¶ 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
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