ARTICLES TO BE INQVIRED OF WITHIN THE DIOCES OF NORWICH in the ordinary visitation of the reuerend Father in God SAMVEL Lord Bishop of NORVVICH Anno Domini 1620. Translationis suae primo ANCHORA FIDEI SICELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS· Io 3 Imprinted at London 1620. The forme of the Oath to be ministred vnto the Churchwardens and Sidemen YOu shall sweare to make diligent inquirie and true presentment of all and euery the offences mentioned in the subsequent Articles in this booke which be known to you either by notoriety of the fact confession of any party or by any publike speech and common fame or by other proofe had made without affection of loue or hatred to any person So helpe you God and the Contents of this Booke ARTICLES TO BE INQVIRED OF IN THE DIOCES OF NORWICH ANNO DOMINI 1620. TIT. 1. Articles concerning religion prayer and Sacraments 1. FIrst whether be there any person or persons abiding in your parish or resorting thereunto aboue the age of sixtéene yeares that wilfully and obstinately refuse to repaire to their parish Church Chappell or oratorie vpon sabboth daies and Holidaies and be thereby taken to be Popish or sectary recusants 2. Item whether be there any that be knowne to haue defended or maintayned any hereticall opinions contrary to the holy scriptures of God and first foure generall counsells or any of them and what be those opinions and who be the authors thereof 3. Item whether be there any in your parish that hath bene or is vehemently suspected to haue bene present at any vnlawful assemblies or priuate conuenticles vnder colour or pretence of any exercise of religion or doth affirme and maintaine such meetings to be lawfull 4. Item whether doth any person within your Parish depraue the forme of common praier and administration of the Sacraments rites and ceremonies set forth and prescribed in the booke of common praier of this realme 5. Item whether is there any doctrine taught published or preached by any person or persons directly or indirectly against the state eclesiasticall and lawfull gouernment of the Church of England and the consecrating of Archbishops and Bishops and the ordering of Deacons and Ministers after such manner and forme as is now vsed and prescribed by his Maiesties lawes within this Realme of England 6. Item whether be there any within your parish that deny or perswade any to deny withstand and impugne the kings Maiesties authority and supremacie in causes eclesiasticall within this realme 7. Item whether doth any person within your parish aboue the age of 16. yeeres refuse or forbeare thrice in euery yeare at Easter especially to communicate and receiue the blessed Sacrament of the Lords supper And what reuerence doe the people within your Parish vse by outward gestures of their bodies when they be partakers of that blessed Sacrament and whether doe they reuerently kneele vpon their knées when the minister deliuereth the same to them 8. Item whether doth any person within your Parish deferre the baptisme of his child longer then vntill the next Sabboth day or holiday after the birth thereof 9. Item whether hath any child died vnbaptised within your Parish and by whose default 10. Item whether be the parents of any childe to be Baptised admitted to be godfathers or godmothers to the same 11. Item whether haue the children of popish recusants or wilfull sectaries borne within your Parish bene priuately baptised by any lay man not in holy orders 12. Item whether hath any person not lawfully confirmed according to the forme of confirmation prescribed in the booke of common Prayer of this realme béene admitted to receiue the holy communion 13 Item whether hath any Popish recusant after he or she hath béene conformed repaired to Church and receiued the blessed sacrament of the Lords supper once a yeare at the least in that parish Church where he or she doe most vsually abide 14. Item whether doe any within your parish vpon Sabboth daies and holy daies negligently and carelesly repaire to your parish Church so that halfe or the most part of diuine seruice is ended before they come and vpon light occasion depart out of the Church before prayers be done TIT. 2. Articles Concerning the Ministers and Preachers of Gods holy word 1 FIrst whether doth the minister of your parish Church read the forme of common praier in such sort as is set forth in the booke of common praier confirmed by his Maiesties authority and administer the Sacraments with due obseruation of all rites and ceremonies prescribed to be vsed in the administration thereof without adding altering or omitting any part or parcell of the said praiers or innouating any other matter in the administration of either of the Sacraments 2. Item whether is the said forme of common praier duly and orderly red in your Church Chappell or oratorie vpon sabboth daies holy daies wednsdaies and fridaies and vpon holy eues and Sabboth eues 3. Item whether be the words of institution of the Sacrament of the Lords supper vsed by the minister in deliuery of the bread and wine to euery communicant 4. Item whether be the words in the administration of the sacrament of baptisme I signe thee with the signe of the Crosse onely vsed and noe visible or formall crosse made in the forehead of the child so baptized 5. Item whether is the sacrament of baptisme denied to any children borne out of wedlock and by whom 6. Item whether is the forme of common prayer red vpon the 24. of March the fifth of nouember and the fifth of August yearely in your parish Church and publique thanksgiuing vsed vpon those daies to almighty God for his Maiesties gratious succession to the royall crowne of this realme the deliuerance of his highnesse and the whole state from the damnable gunpowder treason and for his Maiesties preseruation from the conspiracy of Gowry 7. Item whether is the statute intituled An act for a publique thanksgiuing to almightie God c. euery yeare distinctly red in your parish Church at morning praier vpon the fifth day of Nouember 8. Item whether doth your Minister alwaies and at euery time both morning and euening reading diuine seruice and administring the sacraments weare the surplice and doth he neuer omit the wearing of the same at such times or at any of them 9 Item whether doth he catechise the youth of his parish vpon sundaies and holidaies before euening prayer for halfe an howre or more in the catechisme set forth in the booke of common Prayer and in none other And whether doe all the parishioners attend his catechising And whether doe any of them neglect or refuse to send their children to be catechized by him 10. Item whether doth your minister once euery yeare in your parish church read the booke of canons published Anno Domini 1603. and whether doth he visit the sicke as by law is required 11 Item whether doth he giue thanks for women after their
child-birth in such manner as is prescribed in the booke of common praier of this realme And doth he admit any to the performance of that holy action that doe not come hauing a decent vaile vpon their heads Matron like as hath béene accustomed heeretofore And whether doth any woman refuse to giue thanks in that manner after her childbirth 12. Item whether is your minister resiant at and vpon his benefice or spirituall promotion and doth he preach euery sabboth day or monthly in his said cure or read an homily when there is no sermon there preached 13. Item whether is your Minister a graduate and hath taken any scholasticall degrée of bachelor or Master of arts or batchelor or doctor in diuinity either in Cambridge or Oxeford and is he a preacher lawfully licensed and by whom 14 Item whether doth your Minister preach or teach any matter publiquely in his pulpit within his parish Church which is not agréeable to the doctrine of the old and new testament and which the learned Fathers and aunceient Bishops haue not taken and gathered out of the holy scriptures for an vndoubted truth 15 Item whether doth your minister side it in his preaching by taking part with one of them that be at variance and therevpon preach doctrine tending to the breach of christian loue and vnity and stirring vp of schisme and faction amongst his auditors offensiuely and scandalously and colour his schismaticall designements by a secret perswasiue of his desire of peace and vnitie in the Church 16. Item whether doth your Minister vse alwaies to pray for the Kings Maiesty the Prince Clergie and Counsell in the forme of Prayer prescribed in the constitutions published in that behalfe in the yeace of our Lord 1603. 17 Item Whether doth your Minister hold any more Benefices with cure of soules then one and by what dispensation doth he so retaine them 18 Item Whether is your Minister vehemently suspected by common voyce publike fame or credible report to haue obtained his spirituall promotion or benefice with cure of soules by any symoniacall compact directly or indirectly or for any lucre or gaine to haue resigned his said Benefice or spirituall promotion 19 Item Whether doth your Minister vpon light cause not warrantable by law and vpon priuate displeasure by him conceiued against any of his Parishioners repell and debarre any of them from the receiuing of the holy Communion 20 Item Whether hath any notorious or knowne fornicator adulterer scandalous person or blasphemer of Gods holy name béene admitted to receiue the holy Communion without publique repentance 21 Item Whether doth your Minister reade publike prayers at méete and conuenient houres and bid holidaies and fasting dayes 22 Item Whether doth your Minister euery sixe moneths denounce in his Parish Church all such as doe perseuere and continue in the sentence of excommunication not séeking to be absolued and whether hath hee admitted into the Church any excommunicate person without certificate of his absolution from the Ordinary or other competent Iudge vnder their authenticall seale 23 Item Whether doth your Minister diligently labour and endeauour to reclaime the Popish Recusants in his Parish from their errours if there be any such there-abiding 24 Item Whether is your Minister familier and conuersant with Popish Recusants or a fauourer of them and thereby taken not to be sound and sincere in Religion 25. Item Whether doth your Minister publikely in the Church vpon the Sabboth day next before his administration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper giue knowledge of it to all his Parishioners that such as intend to communicate may prepare themselues for the receiuing of that blessed Sacrament 26. Item Whether is your Minister studious in the holy Scriptures and abstaineth from mechanicall trades or labour not befitting his function and from gaming swearing and drunkennesse or such notorious crimes 27. Item Is there any in your Parish who hauing béen admitted vnto holy Orders either Deacon or Priest doth relinquish and forsake his calling and liueth in the course of his life as a Laye man 28. Item whether hath any Laye man not in holy Orders read publique prayers in your Church or churched any women or buried any dead person within your parish 29. Item whether hath your Minister buried any excommunicate person not absolued from that censure 30. Item Whether hath your Minister with any other persons within your Parish vsed to méete in any priuate house or other place there to conferre and consult together how to impeach or depraue the booke of Common Prayer or the doctrine or discipline of the Church of England 31. Item Whether hath any person being méerely ignorant in the holy Scriptures not able to render a reason of his faith in Latine nor hauing a speciall guift of preaching béene from a manuall trade or artificer admitted to holy orders and to administer the Sacraments and preach the word of God 32 Item Whether is there any opposition amongst the preachers vsed publikely in matters of faith and doctrine in their sermons preached And what Ministers admitted to holy orders be within your Parish and allowed Preachers not hauing any pastorall charge or cure committed to them 33 Item Whether doth your Minister or Curate in Rogation wéeke goe in perambulation of the circuite of the Parish vsing thanksgiuing to God for his blessing according to law TIT. 3. Articles concerning Lectures FIrst Whether doth any person reade any publike Lecture or expound the holy Scriptures in your Church Chappell or Oratorie he being not in holy orders and lawfully licensed for a publique Preacher according to the lawes of this Realme 2 Item Whether doth euery such Lecturer before his Sermon or exposition of the Scriptures reade publique Prayers in his surplice according to the forme prescribed in the booke of common prayer of this realme without omission of any part thereof 3 Item whether doth your said lecturer before his sermons vse any other forme of prayer for the whole state of this realme then that which is prescribed in the constitutions eclesiasticall published and confirmed by his Maiesties authority Anno Domini 1603. 4 Item whether doth your said Lecturer maintaine any doctrine directly contrary or repugnant to the articles of christian faith and religion published and ratefied Anno Domini 1562. 5 Item whether is any lecturer admitted to preach in your Church that is not conformable to the discipline and gouernement eclesiasticall within the church of England but schismatically and phantastically affected to nouelties and innouations 6 Item whether doth your lecturer or sole preacher twice at the least euery yeare in his owne person read both morning and euening prayer two seuerall sundaies in the parish church where he preacheth and at those times weare the surplice ond twice euery yeare administer the Sacraments without omission of any rites or ceremonies that are prescribed in the booke of common prayer of this realme to be vsed at the administration thereof TIT. 4. Articles concerning
Matrimony FIrst whether hath any matrimonie béene contracted and solemnized within your parish betwixt any persons being in consanguinity or affinity within the leuiticall degrées and by the word of God prohibited 2 Item whether hath any matrimony béene solemnized or rather prophaned secretly in any priuate house within your parish 3 Item whether hath the vncle married his niece by consanguinity or affinitie or hath any person successiuely maried two sisters and who be they that haue contracted such incestuous mariages 4. Item whether hath any person two wiues now liuing or any woman two husbands and who are so voiced noted and reported to be offenders in this behalfe 5. Item whether be there any persons coupled together in matrimony that liue a part without lawfull diuorce 6. Item whether hath any person lawfully diuorced béene coupled in matrimony with any other man or woman during the life of the other person so diuorced 7. Item whether haue any matrimonies béene solemnized betwixt any persons being vnder the age of xxi yeares without their parents or gouernors consent first had and obtained 8 Item whether hath any person by license or without béene maried in your Church neither of them at that time dwelling in your parish 9 Item whether haue any Popish recusants or their children béene married within your parish and in what sort were those matrimonies solemnised when and by whom TIT. 5. Articles concerning the parishioners and others of the Laiety FIrst whether be there any person or persons within your parish who in your hearing or to your knowledge haue at any time depraued by word or déede the forme of common prayer administration of the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper 2 Item whether haue any dwelling within your parish reviled and abused the Ministers of Gods holy word by contumelious words and disgraced their lawfull mariages 3 Item whether haue any person or persons disorderly behaued themselues in the Church or Church-yard by brawling quarrelling or fighting 4 Item whether be there any abiding within your parish or resorting thereunto as an vsuall parishioner thereof that refuse to receiue the Sacrament of the Lords supper administred by an vnpreaching minister and who be they that so doe 5 Item whether doe any in your parish prophane the sabboth day by vnlawfull games drinking or tippling in the time of comman prayer or sermon or by doing the ordinary workes of their vocations and trades 6 Item whether is there any within your parish that denieth the church of England by law established vnder the kings most excellent Maiesty to be a true and apostolicall church 7 Item whether doe any of the inhabitants within your parish entertain in their howses any soiourners or common guests other then his or her father or mother wanting other habitation or sufficient maintenance or the ward of any such person or any person that shall be committed by authority to the custody of any of them that be Popish recusants and refuse to frequent diuine seruice or receiue the holy communion what be their names 8 Item how long haue the said Popish recusants obstinately abstained either from hearing diuine seruice red or receiuing the blessed sacrament of the Lords supper administred in the parish Church 9 Item whether is there due reuerence and humble submission vsed within your church or chappell in the time of diuine seruice as by the xviii constitution eclesiastical of this realme Anno Domini 1603. is prescribed whether each one in the church or chappell doe apply and order himselfe there in time of diuine seruice as by the latter part of the same constitution is most commendably enioyned namely that no man doe couer his head in the time of diuine seruice except he haue some infirmity that all doe knéele vpon their knées when the confession and other prayers are read stand vp at the reading of the beleife and bow their bodies reuerently when Iesus shall be named 10 Item whether be there any within your parish that come vpon sabboth daies and holy dayes and at other times of prayer to the sermon only and not to heare diuine seruice And be there any that do not reuerently stand vp when Gloria Patri c. is read and at the reading of the Gospell 11 Item whether be there any within your parish that by walking or talking disquiet your minister in reading of praiers or in his sermon 12 Item Whether be there any in your parish that doe onely come once a month to their parish church to heare diuine prayers red neuer receiue the sacrament of the Lords supper 13 Item Whether doth any within your parish in contempt of his owne minister repaire to any other Church in time of common prayer to heare the same red and to receiue the sacrament and what be there names that be so affected and the names of the ministers of other churches that admit those that be not their own parishioners to prayers and sacraments by him or them read and administred 14. Item is there any in your parish that be commonly knowne or reputed to be blasphemers of Gods holy name drunkards adulterers fornicators incestuous persons or concealers or harbourers of fornicators or adulterers Haue any béen detected for any such notorious crimes or of the common publique fame of them and neuer performed any penance nor giuen satisfaction to the congregation for the said offences 15 Item what persons testate haue died within your Parish since the first of February 1619. and whether be their last wills and Testaments proued and who be executors of the same 16 Item what persons haue died intestate since the time before expressed and who doe administer the goods of the persons so deceased 17 Item whether haue any person or persons being dulie rated in equall proportion for the repairing of your parish Church or for prouision of bread and wine for the administration of the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper or for any other necessary ornaments vtensils belonging to your Church that haue or doe refuse to paye that rate or to giue satisfaction to the Churchwardens in that behalfe and who bee they that haue offended herein TIT. 6. Articles concerning the Church and Church-yard FIrst Whether haue you in your Church Chappell or Oratorie the Booke of Common Prayer by the Kings Maiestie confirmed a Bible of the largest volume and the last translation Iewels Apologie of the last edition with the rest of his Works adioyned the Bookes of Homilies Erasmus paraphrase and the Booke for speciall thanksgiuing with the Statute in that behalfe for the gracious deliuerance of the whole state of this Realme from the Gunpowder treason and haue you the Booke of Canons ecclesiasticall published Anno Dom. 1603. and all other bookes by Law or Custome vsually to bee had within your said Churches 2 Item whether are the Ten Commandements religiously hung vp in a faire Table within your Parish Church and the Table of the degrees of
Matrimony prohibited 3 Item whether haue you in your Parish Church one or two Surplisses and a Hoode faced with Taffaty or Sattin if your Minister be a Graduate a Master of Arts a Batchelor or Doctor in Diuinity 4 Item whether haue you a decent seat for your Minister to reade publike prayers in a seat nigh vnto him for his Clarke and a seat for the women that come to giue thankes after their Childebirth a comely Pulpit with a Cushion and a Cloth for it a decent Communion Table with a Carpet of broad cloth and a faire linnen cloth a Communion cup of Siluer and a flagon of siluer or Pewter to be vsed at the Communion 5 Item whether haue you a Beare for the carriage of dead bodies to their buriall a conuenient and decent Font with a couer standing in the accustomed place a Register booke in parchment wherein be duly entred the names of all such as bee baptised married and buried 6 Item whether haue you one Chest with thrée lockes and keyes wherein the Register booke and other vtensils belonging to your Church be duely kept And whether haue you one booke in Parchment or Paper wherin be entred the names of all strangers that come to preach within your Parish and their licenses therein recorded 7 Item whether is your Parish Church Chappell or Oratory in good and sufficient reparations not prophaned comely and decently kept and the seates therein well maintained 8 Item whether be there any Pues lately built within your Parish Church without the authority consent and approbation of the Ordinary and who haue so built them 9 Item whether haue any Pues béene taken vp which were formerly set in any other Church and bee transferred to your Church and there set vp and by whom and by what authority 10 Item whether is there any Church or Chappell wherein there be a competent number of people to the number of ten or aboue dwelling and abiding prophaned and conuerted to any irreligious vse by making of it a Barne Stable or Granary the Parishioners thereof not knowen to resort to any other Church Chappell or Oratorie by lawfull assignation of the Ordinarie 11 Item whether be there in your Stéeple the vsuall and ancient number of Bells still remaining and hanging by whom haue any Bells béene taken out of your Stéeple and to what vse haue they béene conuerted 12 Item whether haue there béene kept in your Church any Playes Feasts Banquets Church-ales drinkings or any other prophane vsages by laying of Drums or Guns in your Church or Stéeple and discharging them there and by whose commandement and appointment 13. Item whether is your Church-yard well and sufficiently repaired by a comely wall of Stone or Pale and whether haue you a grate at the entrance into the said Church-yard to kéepe out Swine and other noisome beasts 14 Item whether be not the Graues and Monuments of the dead broken and rooted vp by Swine in your said Church-yard and whether be not noisome draines and priuies made and suffered within the said Church yard and vnvsuall dores and passages made into the same TIT. 7. Articles concerning Parsonage and Vicaridge-houses FIrst Whether be the Houses Edifices and Buildings belonging to your Parsonage or Vicaridge well and sufficiently repaired and whether be any of them ruinated wasted and dilapidated and by whose default 2 Item whether is the Chancell of your Parish Church ruinated and by whose default is it so decaied TIT. 8. Articles concerning Legacies and Bequests giuen to godly vses FIrst Whether be there any Legacies giuen in the last Will and Testament of any person deceased out of his moueable goods for the reliefe of the poore or to the reparations of the Church or to either of the Vniuersities Cambridge or Oxford or to any Schoole of Learning or Colledge for the increase of vertue and knowledge or to any other charitable vse what be those bequests and by whom were they giuen 2 Item what Legacies giuen to the vses aforesaid haue bin detained by the executor of any person deceased and who be they that doe so detaine them TIT. 9. Articles concerning Churchwardens FIrst Whether be the Church-wardens of your Parish chosen by the Minister and Parishioners according to the 89. Canon and whether hath any taken vpon him to bée Church-warden being not so chosen 2 Item whether haue the Church-wardens béene diligent in the execution of their office to sée decency and comelinesse kept in the Church in the time of diuine seruice and at the administration of the Sacraments 3 Item whether haue any Church-wardens detained any of the Church goods in their hands and not made a iust account of what they haue receiued and expended 4 Item whether haue the Church-wardens at euery Communion prouided sufficient Bread and Wine for the Communicants and set the same vpon the Communion Table in the presence of the Minister before he beginne the administration of the said Sacrament TIT. 10. Articles concerning Schoole-masters Physitions and Chyrurgions FIrst Is there any Schoolemaster within your Parish that teacheth publikely or priuately not licensed by the Bishop of the Diocesse or his Chancellour and that so teacheth and commeth not to Church to heare diuine seruice vpon daies appointed for reading of the same and receiue the Communion thrice in the yeare at the least Or doth hee teach any Papists or Sectaries children that come not to Church in time of publike prayer read 2 Item whether doth he instruct his Schollers in the Catechisme set forth in the Booke of Common Prayer of this Realme and in no other 3 Item whether doth any practise Physicke or Chyrurgerie being not lawfully licensed thereunto or created Doctor of Physicke in either of the Vniuersities of this Realme 4 Item what ignorant persons haue left their manuell trades and taken vpon them to professe Physicke or Chyrurgerie and who be they that so abuse the people TIT. 11. Articles concerning Eclesiasticall Officers FIrst What corporall punishment inioyned for any offence of eclesiasticall cognizance hath béene commuted by any ecclesiasticall Iudge within this dioces into a pecuniary mulct or sum of money and how was the same money imployed 2 Item Whether is there not a table of fées in euery of the courts eclesiasticall within this dioces hung vp in some publique place in the court Registry and no other fées taken receiued by any ecclesiasticall Iudge more or greater then in the said table are expressed 3 Item Whether doth any ecclesiasticall Iudge speed any iudiciall acts priuately himselfe and not in the presence of some publique notary or actuary 4 Item What presentments haue béene made for any offence cognizable punishable in the ecclesiasticall courts within this dioces haue béene suppressed by any iudge or register by them with-drawne and not effectually procéeded in according to the lawes ecclesiasticall of this realme 5 Item whether doe you know any person inioyned by iudiciall decrée or sentence in court to doe publique penance for his sinne or excommunicate for not doing the same that doth still by conniuencie or fauour of the Iudge or Register of that court where the said penance was inioyned still continue winked at vnreformed 6 Item What numbers of apparitors be there to your knowledge within the Arch-deaconry wherein you liue and whether haue any of them vnder colour pretence of their office and authority committed vnto them cited or summoned any person vnlawfully and wrongfully troubled him or for the concealing of any offence or sinne and for the auoiding of punishment in the offenders haue taken any rewarde or guift or otherwise delt corruptly and who be they that haue so offended 7 Lastly whether haue you without affection of loue or hatred to any person presented and detected all offenders mentioned in the precedent articles knowne to be delinquents either in truth or by their owne confession or by lawfull proofe or by common fame and report And whether doe you know any other matter of ecclesiasticall cognizance worthy the presenting in your iudgement which is not héeretofore by you presented FINIS