Search York

of it were shipped off for gain. Nor was the land yet emp- "o^ butte;

tied of it. For now it was thought fit to restrain the car- ''^'^^'^' ^

riage of it abroad ; especially having so near an enemy of

France, that might make use of it for great guns against

ourselves. Therefore July 27. a proclamation was issued

out, forbidding the exportation of that and other provi-

sions, lest the enemy might be supplied, and our own coun-

try and army want. It ran, " To our customers, comptrol- The prod

" lers, &c. and other our officers within the port of Lon- ™^^^'*"-

" don, and in all creeks and places to the said port belong-

" ing, for certain causes and considerations, us, and our

" dearest uncle Edward Duke of Somerset, Governor of

*' our person, and of our realms and dominions and sub-

" jects Protector, and other of our Privy Council, specially

" moving ; we strictly charge and command you, that ye

*' permit, nor suffer to be carried or conveyed out of th^

r 4

72 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK " said port, or any other creeks, any manner of bell-metal,

' " butter, cheese, tallow, or candles ; unto such time as by

Anno 1547. " our letters patents sealed, ye shall especially have our

" farther commandment for the same ; the towns of Calais

" and Boloign, and the marches of the same, always ex-

*' cepted, &c. And that upon pain of ^001. to be levied of

" your lands, goods, and chattels. Dated at Westminster.""

But this proclamation would not effect the thing intended,

though it were founded upon a statute made in the thirty-

third of Henry VIII. the inconvenience of having this

metal transported being then apprehended. Which there-

fore occasioned another act of Parliament in the second

of this King, anno 1548, that no person should carry or

ship off beyond sea any brass, copper, latten, bell-metal,

pan-metal, gun-metal, &c. whether it were clear or mixed,

tin and lead only excepted, upon certain forfeitures there

set down.

45 CHAP. VIL

A royal visitation. Injunctions and articles of inquiry.

The Bishop of Winchester'^s behaviour towards it. Con-

sidtation of entering into league with the Protestants.

Pensions. The Lady Mary chargeth the Protector about

religion. A plague.
The King's J[\| QW a roval visitation was on foot throughout Ena-
visitation. , . . . \. 11. 1
land, wherem this autumn was spent, to look into and re-

gulate the affairs of the Church and of religion. Of which

the Memorials of Archbishop Cranmer and other historians

speak. I shall add some matters relating to it, omitted by

them. The actual order for this visitation was issued out

September 1, and during the time the Commissioners for the

same were employed abroad, the King caused a Parliament

to be summoned, November 4. They carried along with

them the King's Injunctions printed, which are ordinarily

to be seen. But these were also accompanied with a book

of articles, printed at the same time, called, " Articles to be

OF KING EDWARD VI. 73

" inquired of in the King'*s Majesty's visitation." These ar- CHAP,

tides were twice printed in the same year by Grafton. They

are omitted in Bishop Sparrow''s Collections. My late reve- Anno 1547.

rend friend, deceased, had one of these books of Injunctions Articles of
Inquiry.
and Articles, and which he verily believed did once belong^, j^^^ .

to Archbishop Cranmer; wherein are certain corrections, The injunc-

as he supposed, of the said Archbishop's own hand : as

High Mass changed thus. The celebration of the holy

Commu7iion : Mass and Service changed into GocFs ser-

vice. Injunction 21, expunged : the latter part of Injwic-

tion 29. Also Injunctions 35 and 36 marked to be ex-

punged. And at the end of the form of bidding the com-

mon prayers is added a prayer for the success of the Duke

of Somerset's expedition to Scotland, in order to the effect-

ing of the King's match with the young Queen of Scot-

land ; which prayer is writ by the same hand, and is as fol-

loweth : " Ye shall also make your harty and effectual a prayer

" prayer to Almighty God for the peace of all Christian ^X|.'\',- J"'

" regions, and especially, that the most joyful and per- Scotland.

" petual peace and unity of this reyalme and Scotland may

" shortly be profited and brought to pass, by the most

" godly and happy mariage of the Kings Majesty and the

" young Queen of Scotland : and that it wold please Al-

" mighty God to ayd with strength, wisdom, and power,

" and with his holy defence, all those which favour and set

" forward the same, and vanquish and confound all those

" which labour and study to the lett and interruption of

" so godly a quiet and unity, wherof these two realms

" should take such a benefy t and profitt : for these and all

" other, &c."

And besides the King's Injunctions, the Commissioners The Com-

gave forth particular ini unctions of their own to each Bishop. ""^'^'0"er»'

™, • 1 injunctions.
Those given to Thomas Bishop of Westminster, as I find

them in the first edition of the Acts and Monuments, were

to this import :

74 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK Injunctions given in the King's Majesty's visitation hy

' us, Sir Antony Cook, Knight; Sir Jhon Godsalve,

Anno 1547. Knight; Jhon Gosnolde, Esq.; Christopher Newin-
^7 sone, Dr. of Law ; and Jhon Madew, Dr. ofDivimty,
Commissioners specially appointed hy the King\s Ma-

jesty, to visit the churches of Westminster, London,

Norwich, and Ely; to the right reverend Father i?i

God, Thomas, Bishop of Westminster.

Injunctions Imprimis, In consideration that above and before all

shop of ' things, such ways and means are to be sought for, m hereby

Westmin- the people may learn to know their duties to God, their
ster Acts .
andMon. Sovereign Lord, and to one another ; you shall cause every

first edit. Sunday divine service to be done and ended in every parish

church within the city of Westminster, before nine of the

clock the same day, to the intent that the priests and the

laity of the city may resort to the sermon to be made in

their cathedral church; except they have a sermon made

and preached in their own parish churches.
Item, That whereas by the ignorance of the Clergy not

only God's glory is greatly obscured, but also the same

Clergy much disdained and evil spoken of by some of the

laity, you shall cause that every Parson, Vicar, Chantry

Priest, and other stipendiary within the city of Westmin-

ster, be present at every lecture of divinity, to be made

within the college of St. Stephen ; except they, or any of

them, have some reasonable let, to be allowed and admitted

by your Chancellor, Commissary, or other officer for that

purpose, or the reader of the said lecture.

Also you, your Chancellor, Commissary, or other exer-

cising jurisdiction ecclesiastical under you, shall proceed in

all kinds of causes, summarie et de piano, sine Jigura et

strepitu judicii : and shall give sentence in every cause

within four assignations after the term, ad audiendum seri-

tentiam Jinalem.

All which and singular injunctions you shall inviolably

observe and keep, upon pain of the King's Majesty's dis-

pleasure, and as you will answer for the contrary.
Given at Westminster the 3d day of September, in the

OF KING EDWARD VI. 75

first year of the reign of our sovereign Lord Edward the CHAP.

Sixth, by the grace of God King of England, France, and ^^^'

Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and in earth, of the Church Anno 1547.

of England, and also of Ireland, the supreme Head.
Antony Coke. Jhon Godsalve. Jhon Gosnold.
Christopher Newinson. Jhon Madew.
But the Articles of Inquiry in this visitation being gene-

rally omitted in our historians, I have thought th'em worthy

to be here inserted and preserved.
Articles to be inquired of m the Ki7ig's Majesty's visitation. 4^^
For Bishops^ Archdeacons^ and ecclesiastical Officers.
First, Whether the Bishop, Archdeacons, and others, printed by

having jurisdiction ecclesiastical, have caused only to be 1547*^"'

sung or said the English procession in their cathedral

church, and other churches of their diocese.

Item, Whether the Bishop, Chancellor, or Commissary,

Archdeacon, or Official, be propense and light in excommu-

nicating of men for a little lucre.
Item, Whether they, or any of them, for one man'^s tres-

pass, have taken away from the people, and the whole pa-

rishioners, their divine service : as for violating and suspend-

ing the churchyards, and such like.

Item, Whether they do take excessive sums of money for

consecrating again, either of the churchyards, or of any

other ornaments, for the use of altars or of bells ; where is

no need of consecration : but is superstitious and lucrative.

Item, Whether they, or any of them, take any great ex-

actions for institutions, inductions, assignations of pensions,

or for any other matter ecclesiastical.
Item, Whether they do lightly call any persons before

them, ex officio, and put them to their purgation, without

urgent suspicion, or infamy proved.
Itejn,, Whether the Bishop have not preached, without

dissimulation, against the usurped power of the Bishop of

Rome; and set forth the King's Majesty's jurisdiction to

be the only supreme power in all his realms and dominions.

76 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK Item^ Whether the Bishop have personally preached in

any of the churches, or any where within his diocese : and

Anno 1647. how often in the year.
Item, Whether he and his officers have diligently exe-

cuted, for their part, our late King''s injunctions and his

letters missives, for a due order in the religion of Christ :

and caused the same injunctions and letters to be diligently

put in execution through his diocese.
Item, Whether he had learned and discreet officers under

him ; that do, without any respect of persons, punish such

crimes as appertaineth to ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
Item, Whether he or any of his officers do take any

money, or other gifts, to hide and cloak adultery or any

other notorious vice, that ought by them to be punished.
Item, If any commutation of penance have been made, to

any pecuniary sum. To what purpose the same hath been

converted. And what good deeds have been done with the

same. And specify the same indeed.

Item, Whether the Bishop hath such chaplains about

him, as have been able to preach the word of God ; and do

the same purely and sincerely. And how oft in the year.

And how many they be. What be their names.

49 For Parsons, Vicars, and Curates.
Item, Whether Parsons, Vicars, and Curates, and every

of them, have justly and truly, without dissimulation,

preached against the usurped power and pretenced autho-

rity and jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome.

Item, Whether they have preached and declared, tliat

the King's Majesty's power and authority and preeminence

is, within this realm, and the dominions of the same, the

most supreme and highest under God.

Item, Whether any person hath by writing, ciphering,

printing, preaching or teaching, deed or act, obstinately

holden and stand with, to extol, set forth, maintain or de-

fend the authority, jurisdiction, or power of the Bishop of

Rome, or of his see ; heretofore claimed or usurped : or by

any pretence, obstinately or maliciously invented any thing

for the extolling of the same, or any part thereof.

OF KING EDWARD VI. 77

Item^ Whether they have declared to their parishioners CHAP,

the articles concerning the abrogation of certain superfluous '

holy days; and done their endeavour to persuade their said Anno 1547.

parishioners to keep and observe the same articles invio-

lably. And whether any of those abrogated days hath

sithence the said abrogation been kept as holydays, con-

trary to the said articles. And by whose occasion they were

so kept.
Item^ Whether there do remain, not taken down in their

churches, chapels, or elsewhere, any misused images, with

pilgrimages, cloths, stones, shoes, offerings, kissings, can-

dlesticks, trindals of wax, and such other like. And whether

there do remain, not delayed and destroyed, any shrines,

coverings of shrines, or any other monuments of idolatry,

superstition, and hypocrisy.
Item, Whether they have not diligently taught, upon the

Sundays and holydays, their parishioners, and especially

the youth, their Pater fioste?-, the Articles of our faith, and

the Ten Commandments in Enghsh. And whether they

have expounded and declared the understanding of the

same.
Item, Whether they have diligently, duly, and reve-

rendly ministered the sacraments in their cures.
Ite7n, Whether such beneficed men as be lawfully absent

from tlieir dioceses, do leave their cure to a rude and un-

learned person ; and not to an honest, well learned man,

and expert Curate.

Item, Whether they have provided and laid, in some con-

venient places in the church, where they have cure, a Bible

of the largest volume in English.
Item, Whether Parsons, Vicars, Curates, Chauntry

Priests, and other stipendiaries, be common haunters and re-

sorters to taverns and alehouses ; giving themselves to ex-

cessive drinking and rioting, and playing at unlawful games ;

and apply not themselves chiefly to the study of Scripture,

teaching of youth, or some other honest and godly exer-

cise.
Item, Whether they be resident upon their benefices, and

IS MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK keep hospitality, or no. And if they absent, and keep no

hospitahty, whether they do make due distribution among

Anno 1547. the poor parishioners, or no.

50 Item, Whether they that have yearly to dispend in spi-

ritual promotions an 100/. do not find competently one

scholar in either University, or at some grammar-school.

And for as many hundred pounds as every one of them

may dispend, so many scholars be found likewise. And

what be their names. And they so found.

Item, Whether they keep their chancels, rectories, vicar-

ages, and all other houses appertaining to them, in due re-

parations.
Item, Whether they have, every Lent, required their

parishioners in their confession to recite their Pater noster,

the Articles of our faith, and the Ten Commandments in

English.

Item, Whether they have counselled or moved their pa-

rishioners, rather to pray in a tongue not known, than in

English. Or to put their trust in any prescribed number of

prayers; as in saying over a number of beads, or other

hke.
Ite7n, Whether they have preached, or caused to be

preached, purely and sincerely, the word of God, and the

faith of Christ, in every of their cures, every quarter of the

, year once at the least : exhorting their parishioners to the

works commanded by Scripture ; and not to works devised

by men's fantasies.

Item, Whether in their sermons they have exhorted the

fathers and mothers, masters and governors of youth, to

bring them up in some virtuous study or occupation.
Item, Whether they have exhorted the people to obedi-

ence to the Kings's Majesty and his officers ; and to charity

and love one to another.
Item, Whether they have moved the people to read and

hear the Scripture in English ; and have not discouraged

them from reading and hearing of the same. Sudi as be

not prohibited so to do.

Item, Whether they have declared to their parishioners.

OF KING EDWARD VI. 79

that they ought to know and understand the Pater noster^ CHAP,

the Articles of our faith, and the Ten Commandments in 1_

EngUsh, before they should receive the blessed Sacrament-^"^** ^^'*7'

of the Altar.
Item^ Whether they have taught the people the true use

of images. Which is only to put them in remembrance of

the godly and virtuous lives of them that they do represent.

And that if the people use the images for any other pur-

pose, they commit idolatry ; to the great danger of their

souls.
Item, Whether they have declared, and to their wits and

powers have persuaded the people, that the manner and

kind of fasting in Lent, and other days in the year, is but

a mere positive law. And that therefore all persons, having

just cause of sickness or necessity, or being licensed by the

King's Majesty, may temperately eat all kinds of meat,

without grudge or scruple of conscience.

Item, Whether your Parsons, Vicars, and Curates have

shewed and declared unto you the true use of ceremonies ;

that is to say, that they be no workers or works of salva-

tion ; but only outward signs and tokens, to put us in re-

membrance of things of higher perfection.
Item, Whether they have permitted any man to preach

in their cures, not being lawfully licensed thereunto : or

have refused or repelled such to preach as have been so li-

censed.
Item, Whether they which have spoken and declared any

thing for the setting forth of pilgrimages, feigned relics,

images, or any such superstition, have not openly recanted

the same.
Item, Whether they have one book or register safely 51

kept ; wherein they write the day of every wedding, christ-

ening, and burying.
Item, Whether the King's Injunctions were quarterly

read, or not.

Item, Whether they have declared to their parishioners,

whether St. Mark's day, in the evens of the abrogated holy-

days, should not be fasted.

80 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK Item, Whether the knoUing at the Aves be used.
^' Item, Whether they have the Procession book in Eng-

Anno i547.hsh. And in their processions use none other htany but

that which is set forth in the same book. And whether they

omit the same Enghsh htany at any time in their proces-

sions. And whether tliey have had the same htany as oft

as they were commanded.

Item, Whether they have put out of their church books

this word papa-^ and the name and service of Thomas

Becket : and prayers having rubricies, containing pardons

or indulgences; and all other superstitious legends and

prayers.
Item, Whether they bid the beads, according to the order

prescribed by our late sovereign Lord King Henry VIII.

Item, Whether they, or any of them, have been admitted

to their benefices by simony, or by any other unlawful

means.
Item, Whether in their masses they use not the collects

made for the King ; and make not special mention of his

Majesty ""s name in the same.
Item, Whether they, or any of them, do keep mo bene-

fices, and other ecclesiastical promotions, than they ought to

do ; not having sufficient licences and dispensations there-

unto. And how many they keep. And their names.

A7'ticlesjhr the lay people.
Whether they know any person that is a letter of the

word of God to be read in English ; so that it be meekly,

humbly, and reverendly done, and without disturbance of

the people : and by them that have authority thereto.

Item, Whether you know any persons, spiritual or tem-

poral, which do let the word of God to be preached ; or

that the King's Injunctions should not be duly executed.
Item, Whether any person hath obstinately and mali-

ciously, without any just and reasonable cause, broken the

laudable customs of the Church, commanded to be ob-

served ; or superstitiously abused the same. As in casting

holy water upon their beads, or other places. And bearing

about them holy bread ; or making crosses of wood upon

OF KING EDWARD VI. 81

Palm-sunday ; or blessing with the holy candle, thinking CHAP,

thereby to put away sins, drive away devils, dreams, and ______

fantasies ; or putting trust or confidence of salvation in the Anno 1547.

same ceremonies. Whereas they be ordained only to put

us in remembrance of the benefits which we have received

by Christ.
Iterriy Whether any person, spiritual or temporal, keep

the church holyday, and the dedication day, at any time,

than is appointed by the ordinance made in that behalf by

the King's Majesty.

Item, Whether matin mass and even song be kept in

due hours in the church.

Item, Whether any be brawlers, slanderers, chiders,

scolders, and sowers of discord between one person and

another.
Item, Whether any be common swearers and blasphemers

of the name of the Lord.

Item, Whether any use lewd, unchaste, unhonest, and

filthy communication, songs, or ballads.

Item, Whether any do use to common, jangle, or talk

in the church, at the time of divine service, preaching,

reading, or declaring of the word of God.
Item, Whether any do obstinately keep and defend any

erroneous opinion, contrary to the word of God, and faith

of Christ.
Item, Whether any commit adultery, fornication, or in-

cest ; or be common bawds, or receivers of such naughty

persons.
Item, Whether you know any that use charms, sorcery,

and inchantments, witchcraft, soothsaying, or any other

wicked craft, invented by the Devil.
Item, Whether you know any to be married within the

degrees prohibited by the law of God ; or that be separated

and divorced without any just cause, approved by the law

of God. And whether any such have married again.

Item, Whether the church, pulpit, and other necessary

things, appertaining to the same, be sufficiently repaired.

VOL. IT. G

82 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK Item, Whether you know any to have made privy

' contracts of matrimony, not calhng two or more there-

^nno 1547. unto.

Item, Whether any have married solempnely without

banns asking.

Item, Whether you know any that have taken upon them

the execution of any man''s testament, or be admitted to the