Marginalia1557. February.10 Item, whether they doo diligently teache their parishoners the articles of the faith, and the ten commaundementes.

11 Item, whether they doo decently obserue those things that doo concerne the seruice of the church, & all those thinges that tend to a good and a christian life, according to the Canons of the Church.

12 Item, whether they doo deuoutly in their prayers pray for the prosperous estate of the King & Queenes maiesties.

13 Item, whether the said Parsons, and Vicars do sufficiently repayre their Chauncels, Rectories, and Vicarages, and doo keepe and mainteine them sufficiently repayred and amended.

14 Item, whether any of them do preach or teach any erroneous doctrine, contrary to the catholike faith, and vnitie of the church.

15 Item, whether any of them do say the diuine seruice or do minister the Sacraments in the English tongue, contrary to the vsual order of the church.

16 Item, whether any of them do suspiciously keepe any women in their houses, or do keepe company with mē suspected of heresies, or of euyl opinions.

17 Item, whether any of thē that were vnder pretence of lawful matrimonie maryed, and now reconciled, do priuily resort to their pretensed wyues, or that the said women do priuily resort vnto them.

18 Item, whether they do goe decently apparelled, as it becommeth sad, sober, and discrete Ministers, and whether they haue their crownes and beardes shauen.

19 Item, whether any of thē do vse any vnlawful games, as Dice, Cardes, & other like, wherby they grow to sclaūder and euyl report.

20 Item, whether they do keepe residence and hospitalitie vpon their Benefices, and do make charitable contributions, according to the lawes Ecclesiastical.

21 Item, whether they do keepe the booke or Register of Christenyng, Burying, and Mariages, with the names of the godfathers and godmothers.

MarginaliaArticles of Cardinall Poole to be inquired vpon touching the Laitie.1 FIrst, whether any maner of person, of what estate, degree, or condition so euer he be, do holde, mainteyne, or affirme any heresies, errours, or erroneous opinions, contrary to the lawes Ecclesiastical, and the vnitie of the catholike Church.

2 Item, whether any person do holde, affirme, or saye that in the blessed Sacramente of the Aultar there is not conteined the real and substantial presence of Christ: or that by any maner of meanes doo contemne and despise the saide blessed Sacrament, or do refuse to do reuerence or worship thereunto.

3 Item, whether they doo contemne or despise by any maner of meanes any other of the Sacramentes, Rites, or Ceremonies of the Churche, or do refuse or deny auricular confession.

4 Item, whether any do absent or refraine, without vrgent and lawfull impediment, to come to the Churche, and reuerently to heare the diuine seruice vpon Sondayes and holy dayes.

5 Item, whether being in the Church, they doo not apply them selues to heare the diuine seruice, and to be contemplatiue in holy prayer, and not to walke, tangle, or talke, in the tyme of the diuine seruice.

6 Item, whether any be fornicaters, adulterers, or do cōmit incest, or be bawdes, and receiuers of euyl persons, or be vehemently suspected of any of them.

7 Item, whether any do blaspheme and take the name of God in vaine, or be common swearers.

8 Item, whether any be periured, or haue cōmitted Simonie or vsury, or do styll remaine in the same.

9 Item, whether the Churches & churchyardes be well and honestly repayred and inclosed.

10 Item, whether the Churches be sufficiently garnished and adorned with all ornaments and bookes necessary, and whether they haue a Roode in their Church of a decent stature, with Mary and Iohn, and an Image of the Patrone of the same church.

11 Item, whether any doo withholde, or doth draw from the church any maner of money or goods, or that do withhold their due and accustomed tithes from their parsons and vicars.

12 Item, whether any be common drunkardes, ribaldes, or men or euyl liuing, or do exercise any lewd pastymes, especially in the tyme of diuine seruice.

13 Item, if there be any that doo practise or exercise any artes of Magike, or Necromancie, or do vse or practise any Incantations, Sorceries, or witchcraft, or be vehemently suspected therof.

14 Item, whether any be maryed in the degrees of affinitie, or consanguinitie, prohibited by þ^e lawes of holy church or that do mary, the banes not asked, or do make any priuie contractes.

15 Item, whether in the tyme of Easter last, any were not confessed, or dyd not receyue the blessed sacrament of the altar, or dyd reuerently behaue them selues in the receiuyng thereof.

16 Item, whether any do keepe any secrete conuenticles, preachinges, lectures, or readinges, in matters of Religion, contrary to the lawes.

17 Item, whether any do now not duely keepe the fasting and embring dayes.

18 Item, whether the aultars in the churches be consecrated or no.

19 Item, whether the sacrament be carryed deuoutly to them that fall sicke, with light and with a litle Sacryng Bell.

20 Item, whether the common scholes be well kept, and that the schole maisters be diligent in teaching, and be also Catholike, and men of good and vpright iudgement, & that they be examined and approued by the Ordinary.

21 Item, whether any do take vpon them to minister the goodes of those that be dead, without authoritie from the Ordinary.

22 Itē, whether the poore people in euery parish be charitably prouided for.

23 Item, whether there do burne a Lampe or a Candle before the sacramēt. And if there do not, that then it be prouided for, with expedition.

24 Item, whether infants and children be brought to be confirmed in conuenient tyme.

25 Item, whether any do keepe or haue in their custody, any erroneous or vnlawful bookes.

26 Item, whether any do withhold any money or goods bequeathed to the amēdyng of the high wayes, or any other charitable deede.

27 Item, whether any haue put away their wyues, or any wyues do withdraw them selues from their husbands, being not lawfully diuorced.

28 Item, whether any do violate or breake the sondayes and holy dayes, doing their dayly labours and exercises vpō the same.

29 Item, whether the Tauernes or Alehouses, vppon the sondayes and holydayes, in the time of Masse, Matins, and Euensong, do keepe open their doores, and do receyue people into their houses to drinke and eate, and therby neglect their dueties in commyng to the church.

30 Item, whether any haue, or do depraue or contemne the authoritie or Iurisdiction of the Popes holynes, or the See of Rome.

31 Item, whether any Mynstrels, or any other persones do vse to sing any songes against the holy sacraments, or any other the rites and ceremonies of the church.

32 Item, whether there be any hospitals within your parishes, & whether the foundations of thē be duely & truely obserued and kept. And whether the charitable contributions of the same be done accordingly.

33 Item, whether any goodes, plate, iewels, or possessiōs be taken away, or withholden from the said Hospitals, and by whom.

¶ A historye of tenne Martyrs condemned and burned within the Dioces of Canterbury, for the testimonie of Iesus Christe, and truth of his Gospell.  

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Ten Martyrs Burnt at Canterbury

This entire account first appeared in the 1563 edition and was reprinted in every edition, without change, except that the contents were re-arranged in the 1570 edition. The account is based on official records, now lost, from the diocese of Canterbury.

MarginaliaIanuary. 15.Mention was made a litle before of the persecution in Kent. pag. 1860.MarginaliaRead afore pag. 1860. Where we declared, that fifteene were in the Castle of Canterbury imprisoned and condemned for Gods worde. Of the which fiftene moreouer we shewed and declared fiue to be famished vnto death within the said Castle, and buryed by the high way, about the begynnyng of Nouember. MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of x. burned in the dioces of Cant.The other ten, in the first moneth of the next yeare folowyng, whiche was the yeare of our Lord. 1557. were committed vnto the fire, and there consumed to ashes, by Thornton, called Bishop or Suffragane of Douer, otherwise also called Dicke of Douer, and by Nicholas Harpsfielde the Archdeacon of the sayde Prouince.

The names of these tenne godly and Christian Martyrs be these: