Certaine advertisements and articles, given by the worshipfull Master Robert Iohnson Archdeacon of Leicester. In the visitation holden for the said archdeaconrie, at the feast of the Annunciation of our blessed Ladie the Virgin Marie in the yeare of our Lord God 1613.

The use of the ecclesiasticall visitations.

Ordinarie visitations ecclesiasticall by what authoritie soever executed, were originally instituted and ordained for the honour of God, the good of his Church, and the preservation of the people of God in unitie of true religion, and in holinesse of life and conversation, and that the churches parochiall and other founded and erected for divine worship, might by ecclesiasticall magistrates and Church-governours in their distinct callings be furnished with reverent and discreet ministers, godly and learned preachers, faithfully to teach and instruct the people in the truth of Gods word, sincerely to administer the sacraments, and to doe and performe all other offices of the holy Church, by name matrimonie, visiting the sicke, buriall of the dead, thankesgiving of women after childbirth, and such like, according to the positive lawes and ordinances of Christian kings and princes, Gods vicegerents on the earth, without any antichristian corruption, schismaticall innovation of [sic] addition of their owne. And further that in due execution, or [sic] such visitations, the enemies of Gods truth, the papall, schismaticall, anabaptisticall, prophane or other, might be reformed or expulsed Gods Church: all idle and dissolute ministers (being insufficient and a scandall to their calling) removed and displaced, and men or [sic] better sort, sobrietie and worthinesse, placed in their stead: and that the people who are many times carelesse and negligent to be instructed, and oft seduced to follow innovation and strange worship, might be reduced from their errours and superstition, eyther by godly exhortation and perswasion, or otherwise by the censures of the Church.