IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. In the yere of our lord god a thousand fyue hūdreth .XXXVI. and of the moste noble reigne of our soueraigne lorde Henry the .viii. kinge of England and of Fraunce, defensour of the faythe, lorde of Irelande, and in erthe Supreme heed of the churche of Englande, the .XXVIII. yere and the [...] day of [...] I Thomas Crumwell knyght, lorde Crumwell keper of the priuie seale of our sayd soueraigne lorde the kynge, and vicegerent to the same, for and concernynge all his iurisdiction ecclesiasticall within this re­alme, visitinge by the kynges hyghnes supreme auctoritie ecclesiastical, the people and clergie of this deanry of [...] by my trusty commissa­rye [...] lawefully deputed and con­stitute for this parte, haue to the glory of almyghty god, to the kynges high­nes honour, the publyke weale of this his realme, and encrease of vertue in the same, appoynted and assigned these iniunctions insuinge, to be kept and obserued of the deane, persons, vicars, curates, and stipendiaries, restant or hauing cure of soule, or any other spiritual administration within this deanry, vnder the peynes hereafter lymitted and appoynted.

¶ The first is, that the deane, persons, vicars, and other hauynge cure of soule any where within this deanrie, shall faithfully kepe and obserue, and as farre as in them may lye, shall cause to be kepte and obserued of other, al and syngular lawes and statutes of this realme, made for the abolysshynge and extirpation of the bysshop of Romes pretensed and vsurped power and iurisdiction within this realme: and for the establyshement and confirmation of the kynges auctoritie and iurisdiction within the same, as of the supreme heed of the churche of Englande: And shall to thuttermoste of theyr wytte knowledge and lernynge, purely, syncerely, and without any colour or dissi­mulation, declare, manyfest, and open for the space of one quarter of a yere nowe next ensuyng, ones euery sonday, and after that at the least wise twise euery quarter of a yere, in their sermons and other collatiōs, that the bishop of Romes vsurped power and iurisdiction, hauynge no establyshement nor grounde by the lawe of god, was of most iuste causes taken away and abo­lyshed, and that therfore they owe vnto hym no maner of obedience or subie­ction, and that the kynges power is within his dominion the highest poten­tate and power vnder god, to whome all men within the same dominion by goddis commaundement owe moste loyalte and obedience, afore and aboue all other powers and potentates in erthe.

¶ ITEM where as certayne articles were lately deuised and put forth by the kynges highnes auctoritie, and condescended vpon by the preiates and cler­gy of this his realme in conuocation, wherof part are necessary to be holden and beleued for our saluation: and thother part do concerne and touche cer­tayne laudable ceremonies, rites, and vsages of the churche, mete and cōue­nient [Page] to be kept and vsed for a decent and politike order in the same, the said deane, persons, vicars, and other curates, shall so open and declare in their sayd sermons and other collations, the sayde artycles vnto them that be vn­der theyr cure, that they may playnly knowe and discerne, whiche of theym be necessary to be beleued and obserued for theyr saluation, and which be not necessary, but onely doo concerne the decent and polityke order of the sayde churche accordyng to suche commaundement and admonytion as hath ben giuē vnto them heretofore by auctorite of the kinges highnes in that behalf.

¶ MORE OVER that they shall declare vnto all suche as be vnder their cure, tharticles likewyse deuysed, put forthe, and authorised of late, for and concernynge thabrogation of certayne superfluous holy dayes, accordynge to theffecte and purporte of the same articles, and perswade theyr parysshio­ners to kepe and obserue the same inuiolably, as thynges holsomely proui­ded, decreed, and establyshed, by common concent and publyke auctorite, for the weale commoditie and profyte of all this realme.

¶ Besides this, to thintent that al superstition, and hipocrisy, crept into di­uers mens hartes, may vanyshe awaye, they shall not set forth, or extoll any ymages, relyques, or myracles, for any superstytion or lucre, nor allure the people by any inticementes to the pilgremages of any sainct, otherwise than is permitted in the articles, lately put forth by thauctorite of the kinges ma­iestie, and condescended vpon by the prelates and clergie of this his realme, in conuocaiton, as thoughe it were propre or peculyar to that saynct, to giue this commoditie or that, Seinge all goodnes, helth, and grace, ought to be both asked and loked for, only of god, as of the very author of the same, and of none other: For without hym it can not be gyuen. But they shall exhorte as wel theyr parishoners as other pilgrimes, that they do rather apply them selfe to the keping of goddes commaundementes, and fulfilling of his wor­kes of charitie, perswadinge them, that they shal please god more by the true exercysynge of theyr bodyly labour, trauayle, or occupation, and prouiding for their families, than if they went about to the sayd pilgrimages, and that it shal profyte more theyr soule helth, if they do bestowe that on the poore and nedy, whiche they wolde haue bestowed vpon the said ymages or relyques.

¶ ALSO in the same theyr sermons and other collations, the persons, vy­cars, and other curates aforesaid, shal diligently admonishe the fathers and mothers, maisters, and gouernours of youthe, beynge within theyr cure, to teche or cause to be taught theyr chyldren and seruantes, euen from theyr in­fancy, theyr Pater noster, tharticles of our fayth, and the tenne commande­mentes in theyr mother tonge: And the same so taught, shall cause the sayd youthe ofte to repete and vnderstande. And to thintent this may be the more easily done, the sayde curates shal in theyr sermons deliberately and plainly recite of the said pater noster, articles, or commandementes, one clause or ar­tycle one daye, and an other an other daye, tyll the hole be taught and lerned by lyttell and lyttell (And shall delyuer the same in writinge, or shewe where printed bokes conteyninge the same be to be folde, to them that can reede, or [Page] wyll desyre the same) And therto that the sayd fathers and mothers, maisters and gouernours, do bestowe theyr children and seruauntes, euen from their childehode, other to lernyng, or to some other honest exercyse, occupation, or husbandry, exhortinge, counsayling, and by at the wayes and meanes they may, as well in theyr sayd sermons and collations, as other wayes, perswa­dynge the sayde fathers, mothers, maysters, and other gouernours, beynge vnder their cure & charge, diligently to prouide & forsee, that the saide youth be in no maner wyse kepte or broughte vp in ydelnes, leste at any tyme after warde they be dryuen for lacke of somme mystery or occupation to lyue by, to fall to beggyng, stealynge, or some other vnthriftynes. For as moche as we may dayly see, through slouth and ydelnes, dyuers valiant men fal, some to beggynge, and some to thefte and murder, which after brought to calamitie and mysery, impute a great parte therof to theyr frendes and gouernours, whiche suffred them to be brought vp so idelly in theyr youthe, where if they had ben wel educated and brought vp in some good litterature, occupation, or misterye, they shulde (beinge rulers of theyr owne familie) haue profyted as well them selfe, as dyuers other persons, to the great commoditie and or­namentes of the common weale.

¶ ALSO that the sayde persones, vicars, and other curates shal diligent­ly prouide, that the sacramentes and sacramentalles, be duely and reuerent­ly ministred in their parishes. And if at any time it happen them other in any of the cases expressed in the statutes of this realme, or of speciall lycence gi­uen by the kinges maiestie, to be absent from theyr benefices, they shal leaue theyr cure not to a rude and vnlerned person, but to an honest, wel lerned and experte curate, that may teache the rude and vnlerned of theyr cure, holsome doctrine, and reduce them to the ryght way that do erre. And alwayes lett [...] them se, that nother they nor theyr vycars do seke more theyr owne profyte, promotion, or aduantage, than the profyte of the soules, that they haue vn­der theyr cure, or the glory of God.

¶ ITEM that euery persone or proprietary of any parysshe churche within this realme, shal on thisside the feast of saint Peter ad vincula next coming, prouide a boke of the hole Byble, bothe in Latin, and also in Englyshe, and laye the same in the quiere for euery man that wyll, to loke and rede theron, and shal discourage no man from the reding of any part of the Bible, either in Latin or in Englishe, but rather comforte exhorte, and admonishe euery man to rede the same, as the very worde of God, and the spirituall foode of mans sowle, wherby they maye the better knowe the dueties to god, to theyr soueraygne lorde the kynge, and theyr neyghbour. Euer gentylly and cha­ritably exhortynge them, that vsynge a sobre and a modeste hauiour in the redynge and inquysition of the trewe sense of the same, they doo in no wyse styffely or eygrely contende or stryue one with an other about the same, but referre the declaration of those places, that be in controuersie, to the iudge­ment of them that be better lerned.

¶ ALSO the sayd deane, persons, vicars, curates, and other priestes, shal in [Page] no wise, at any vnlaufulle time, nor for any other cause, than for their honest necessitie, haunte or resorte to any tauernes or alehouses, and after their dy­ner and supper, they shall not gyue them selfe to drinkynge or riot, spending their tyme idelly by day or by nighte, at tables or cardes playenge, or any o­ther vnlaufull game: But at suche tymes, as they shall haue suche leysure, they shall rede or here somewhat of holy scripture, or shall occupie them selfe with some other honest exercise. And that they alwayes doo those thynges, which apperteyne to good congruence and honestie, with profite of the com­mon weale: hauinge alwayes in mynde, that they ought to excell all other in puritie of lyfe, and shulde be example to all other to lyue wel and christenly.

¶ Furthermore, bycause the goodes of the churche are called the goodes of the poore, and at these days nothyng is lesse sene, than the poore to be sustei­ned with the same, all persones, vycars, pensionaries, prebendaries, and o­ther beneficed men within this deanrie, not beinge resident vppon their be­nefices, whiche may dispende yerely .xx.li. or aboue, other within this dean­rie, or elles where, shall distribute hereafter yerely amonges their poore pa­risheners, or other inhabitantes there, in the presence of the church wardens, or some other honest men of the paryshe, the .xl. parte of the fruictes and re­uenues of their sayd benefices, leste they be worthily noted of ingratitude, whiche reseruing so many partes to them selfe, can nat vouchsafe to empart the .xl. portion therof amonges the poore people of that paryshe, that is so fruictfull and profitable to them.

¶ AND to thintent that lerned men may hereafter sprynge the more for the executiō of the premisses, euery person, vicar, clerke, or beneficed man within this deanrie, hauynge yerely to dispende in benefices and other promotions of the churche an hundreth poundes, shal gyue competent exhibition to one scholer, and for as many hundreth poundes more, as he may dispende, to so many scholers more, shal giue like exhibition, in the vniuersitie of Oxenford or Cambrige, or some grāmer schole, whiche after they haue profited in good lernynge, may be parteners of their patrones cure & charge, aswell in prea­chyng as otherwise in thexecution of theyr offices, or may whan nede shalbe otherwise profite the common welthe, with theyr counsayle and wysedome.

¶ ALSO that all persons, vicars, and clerkes, hauynge churches, chapels, or mansions, within this deanrie, shall bestowe yerelye hereafter vppon the fame mansions, or chauncels of theyr churches, beinge in decay, the .v. part of that theyr benefices, tyll they be fully repayred, and the same so repayred, shall alwayes kepe and maynteyne in good state.

¶ ALL which and singular iniunctions, shalbe inuiolably obserued of the sayd deane, persons, vicars, curates, stipendiaries, and other clerkes and be­nefyced men, vnder the peyne of suspention and sequestration of the fruictes of theyr benefices, vntylle they haue done their duetie, accordynge to these iniunctions.