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BOOK and also command, all and singular parsons, vicars, curats, and chauntry-priests, with other of the clergy, whatsoever they be, of my diocess and jurisdiction of London, to observe, keep, and perform, according as it concerneth every of them, in vertue of their obedience, and also upon pains expressed in all such laws, statutes, and ordinances of this realm, as they may incur, and be objected against them, now, or at any time hereafter, for breaking and violating of the same, or any of them.

First; That you, and every of you, shall, with all diligence, and faithful obedience, observe and keep, and cause to be observed and kept, to the uttermost of your powers, all and singular the contents of the king's highness most gracious and godly ordinances and injunctions given and set forth by his graces authority; and that ye, and every of you, for the better performance thereof, shall provide to have a copy of the same in writing, or imprinted, and so to declare them accordingly.

Item; That every parson, vicar, and curat, shall read over and diligently study every day one chapter of the Bible, and that with the gloss ordinary, or some other doctor or expositor, approved and allowed in this church of England, proceeding from chapter to chapter, from the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, to the end of the New Testament; and the same so diligently studied to keep still and retain in memory, and to come to the rehearsal and recital thereof, at all such time and times as they, or any of them, shall be commanded thereunto by me, or any of my officers or deputies.

Item; That every of you do procure and provide of your own, a book called, The Institution of a Christian Man, otherwise called the Bishops Book; and that ye, and every of you, do exercise your selves in the same, according to such precepts as hath been given heretofore or hereafter to be given.

Item; That ye being absent from your benefices, in cases lawfully permitted by the laws and statutes of this realm, do suffer no priest to keep your cure, unless he being first by

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you presented, and by me or my officers thereunto abled BOOK and admitted. And for the more and better assurance and performance thereof to be had, by these presents I warn and monish peremptorily, all and singular beneficed parsons having benefices with cure, within my diocess and jurisdiction, that they and every of them, shall either be personally resident upon their benefices and cures, before the feast of St. Michael the arch-angel now next ensuing; or else present, before the said feast, to me the said bishop, my vicargeneral, or other my officers deputed in that behalf, such curats as upon examination made by me, or my said officers, may be found able and sufficient to serve and discharge their cures in their absence; and also at the said feast, or before, shall bring in and exhibit before my said officers their sufficient dispensations authorized by the king's majesty, as well for non-residence, as for keeping of more benefices with cure than one.

Item; That every parson, vicar, and other curats, once in every quarter, shall openly in the pulpit exhort and charge his parishioners, that they in no wise do make any privy or secret contract of matrimony between themselves, but that they utterly defer it until such time as they may conveniently have the father and mother, or some other kinsfolks or friends of the person that shall make such contract of matrimony; or else two or three honest persons to be present, and to hear and record the words and manner of their contract, as they will avoid the extream pains of the law provided in that behalf, if they presumptuously do or attempt the contrary.

Item; That in the avoiding of divers and grievous offences and enormities, and specially the most detestable sin of adultery, which ofttimes hath happen'd by the negligence of curats in marrying persons together which had been married before, and making no due proof of the death of their other husbands and wives at the times of such marriages, I require and command you, and monish peremptorily by these presents, all manner of parsons, vicars, and curats, with other priests, being of my diocess and jurisdiction,

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BOOK that they, nor any of them from henceforth, do presume to solemnizate matrimony in their churches, chappels, or elsewhere, between any persons that have been married before, unless the said parson, vicar, curat, or priest, be first plainly, fully, and sufficiently informed and certified of the decease of the wife or husband of him or her, or of both, that he shall marry, and that in writing, under the ordinaries seal of the diocess, or place where he or she inhabited or dwelt before, under pain of excommunication, and otherwise to be punished for doing the contrary, according to the laws provided and made in that behalf.

Item; That ye, and every of you that be parsons, vicars, curats, and also chauntry-priests and stipendiaries, do instruct, teach, and bring up in learning the best ye can, all such children of your parishioners as shall come to you for the same; or at the least, to teach them to read English, taking moderately therefore of their friends that be able to pay, so that thereby they may the better learn and know how to believe, how to pray, how to live to God's pleasure.

Item; That every curat do at all times his best diligence to stir, move, and reduce such as be at discord, to peace, concord, love, charity, and one to remit and forgive one another, as often and howsoever they shall be grieved or offended and that the curat shew and give example thereof, when and as often as any variance or discord shall happen to be between him and any of his cure.

Item; Where some froward persons, partly for malice, hatred, displeasure, and disdain; neglect, contemn, and despise their curats, and such as have the cure and charge of their souls; and partly to hide and cloak their leud and naughty living, as they have used all the year before, use at length to be confessed of other priests which have not the cure of their souls; wherefore I will and require you to declare, and show to your parishioners, that no testimonials brought from any of them, shall stand in any effect; nor that any such persons shall be admitted to God's board, or receive their communion, until they have submitted themselves to be confessed of their own curats, (strangers only

except,) or else upon arduous and urgent causes and consi- BOOK derations, they be otherwise dispensed with in that behalf, either by me, or by my officers aforesaid.

Item; That whereupon a detestable and abominable practice universally reigning in your parishes, the young people, and other ill-disposed persons doth use upon the Sundays and holy-days, in time of divine service, and preaching the word of God, to resort to ale-houses, and there exerciseth unlawful games, with great swearing, blasphemy, drunkenness, and other enormities, so that good and devout persons be much offended therewith: wherefore I require and command you, to declare to such as keepeth ale-houses, or taverns, within your parishes, that at such times from henceforth, they shall not suffer in their houses any such unlawful and ungodly assemblies; neither receive such persons to bowling and drinking at such seasons, into their houses, under pain of excommunication, and otherwise to be punished for their so doing, according to the laws in that behalf.

Item; That all curats shall declare openly in the pulpit, twice every quarter, to their parishioners, the seven deadly sins, and the Ten Commandments, so that the people thereby may not only learn how to obey, honour, and serve God, their prince, superiours, and parents, but also to avoid and eschew sin and vice, and to live vertuously, following God's commandments and his laws.

Item; That where I am credibly informed, that certain priests of my diocess and jurisdiction, doth use to go in an unseemly and unpriestly habit and apparel, with unlawful tonsures, carrying and having upon them also armour and weapons, contrary to all wholsome and godly laws and ordinances, more like persons of the lay, than of the clergy, which may and doth minister occasion to light persons, and to persons unknown, where such persons come in place, to be more licentious both of their communication, and also of their acts, to the great slander of the clergy: wherefore in the avoiding of such slander and obloquy hereafter, I admonish and command all and singular parsons, vicars, cuVOL. I. P. 2.

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BOOK rats, and all other priests whatsoever they be, dwelling, or inhabiting, or hereafter shall dwell and inhabit within my diocess and jurisdiction, that from henceforth they, and every of them, do use and wear meet, convenient, and decent apparel, with their trussures accordingly, whereby they may be known at all times from lay-people, and to be of the clergy, as they intend to avoid and eschew the penalty of the laws ordained in that behalf.

Item; That no parson, vicar, or other beneficed man, having cure within my diocess and jurisdiction, do suffer any priest to say mass, or to have any service within their cure, unless they first give knowledg, and present them with the letters of their orders to me as ordinary, or to my officers deputed in that behalf; and the said priest so presented, shall be by me, or my said officers, found able and sufficient thereunto.

Item; That every curat, not only in his preachings, open sermons, and collations made to the people, but also at all other times necessary, do perswade, exhort, and monish the people, being of his cure, whatsoever they be, to beware and abstain from swearing and blaspheming of the holy name of God, or any part of Christ's most precious body or blood. And likewise to beware, and abstain from cursing, banning, chiding, scolding, backbiting, slandering, and lying. And also from talking and jangling in the church, especially in time of divine service or sermon-time. And semblably to abstain from adultery, fornication, gluttony, and drunkenness and if they, or any, of them, be found notoriously faulty or infamed upon any of the said crimes and offences, then to detect them at every visitation, or sooner, as the case shall require, so that the said offenders may be corrected and reformed to the example of others.

Item; That no priest from henceforth do use any unlawful games, or frequently use any ale-houses, taverns, or any suspect place at any unlawful times, or any light company, but only for their necessaries, as they, and any of them, will avoid the danger that may ensue thereupon.

Item; That in the plague-time, no dead bodies or corpses