children which were priuately baptized if they liued béene afterwards brought to your Church that the Congregation and the Minister of the Parish in case they were not baptised by him might be certified whether they were lawfully baptised or no 7 Haue the children that haue béene borne to any Popish Recusant in your Parish béene publikely baptised in your Parish Church by your owne Parson Vicar or Curate Or by whom else were they baptised or where to your knowledge or as you haue heard you are to giue all the notice you can both of them and of their Parents 8 Hath the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper béene duly and reuerently administred in your Church or Chappell so often and at such conuenient times that at least thrice euery yéere whereof once at Easter euery Parishioner within your Parish being of the age of 16 yéeres or vpwards might receiue the same 9 Hath the said blessed Sacrament béen deliuered vnto any or receiued by any the Communicants within your Parish that did vnrcuerently either sit stand or leane or that did not deuoutly and humbly knéele vpon their knées in plaine and open view without collusion or hypocrisie 10 Haue any of your Parish which are openly knowne to liue in notorious sinne without repentance or any excommunicate persons or schismaticks common and notorious deprauers of the Religion and Gouernment of this Realme without vnfained sorrow shewed by them for their impiety and wickednesse béene admitted to be partakers of the holy Communion 11 Hath any of your Parish béen debarred from the said holy Communion without iust cause or without intimation presently giuen to the Ordinarie or Bishop of the Dioces Name euery such person and the person that debarred him or them Chap. 3. Concerning the Church the furniture and possessions thereof 1 HAue you a Parish Church and Chancell now standing and in vse or is the same prophaned or demolished in part or in whole 2 Haue you in your Church or Chappell the whole Bible in the largest Volume of the last translation the Booke of Common Prayer the two Bookes of Homilies and Bishop Iewels Works all well and fairely bound And haue you also in your Church the forme of the Diuine Seruice for the 5th day of Nouember and for the 27th day of March and the Book of Constitutions or Canons Ecclesiasticall 3 Haue you in your Church or Chappell a Font of stone set and fastened in the ancient vsuall place whole and cleane and fit to hold water A conuenient and decent Communion Table with a carpet of silke or some other decent stuffe continually laid vpon the Table at the time of diuine Seruice and a faire linnen cloth thereon laid at the time of administring the Communion what did either of them cost what be they now worth in value And is the same Table placed conueniently so as the Minister may best be heard in his administration and the greatest number may reuerently communicate To that end doth it ordinarily stand vp at the East end of the Chancell where the Altar in former times stood the ends thereof being placed North and South Is it at any time vsed vnreuerently by leaning or sitting on it throwing hats or any thing else vpon it or writing on it or is it abused to any other prophane or common vse Are there any steps or ascents in your Chancell vp to the Communion Table Haue you also a decent raile of wood or some other comely inclosure couered with cloth or silk placed handsomely aboue those steps before the Holy Table néere one yard high and reaching crosse from the North wall to the South except by the order of the Diocesan it be made with the ends returning vnto the East wall with two conuenient doores to open before the Table And if it be a Raile are the Pillars or Ballisters thereof so close that doggs may not any where get in Also are the ten Commandements set vp in your Church or Chappell where the people may see and read them and other chosen sentences written vpon the wals of your said Church or Chappell in places conuenient for the same purpose 4 Haue you in your said Church or Chappell a conuenient seat for your Minister to read diuine Seruice in Where and in what part of the Church doth it stand how farre from the Chancell and which way doth the standing thereof cause the Minister to turne his face when he knéeleth therein at prayer Haue you also a comely Pulpit set vp in a conuenient place with a decent Cloth or Cushion for the same Haue you a comely large Surplice what cost it by the yard and how long haue you had the same Haue you also a faire Communion Cup of siluer and a couer agréeable to the same a Flagon of siluer or pewter with all other things and Ornaments necessary for the celebration of diuine Seruice and administration of the Sacraments And haue you a chest wherein to put the almes for the poore with thrée lockes and keyes vnto it and another Chest for the kéeping of the Bookes and the Communion Vessels and Ornaments of the Church Or where are they kept ordinarily 5 In the said Chest haue you a Register booke in Parchment wherein to register the Christenings Weddings and Burials And is the same booke written and kept in all points according to the Canon And is the Christian name of the mother as well as of the father therein duly registred And is there a transcript thereof tranâ—mitted euery yéere into the Bishops principall Registry Haue you also a faire Paxer-booke wherein euery Preacher which is a stranger is to subscribe his name the day when he preached and by whose authority he is licensed And haue you also a Table set vp in your Church of the degrées wherein by Law men are prohibited to marrie 6 Is your Church or Chappell with the Chancell thereof as also the Vestrey and the Church Porch if you haue any and your Parsonage house or Vtcarage-house and all other houses thereto belonging your Parish Almes-house and Church-house in good reparations And are they imployed to godly and their right holy vses And if any of them be ruinated and wasted in whom is the default And is your Church Chancell and Chappell decently and comely kept as well within as without and are the seats in them well maintained and the bottomes of them either boarded or paued the Stéeple and Bels preserued the windowes in no part stopt vp but well glazed the roofe and wals cleane the whole floore kept paued plaine and euen and all things there in orderly and decent sort without dust rubbish straw or litter or any thing that may he either noysome or vnséemly for the house of God The Parishioners vsing none but Pesses and fast matts in their seats as néed shall require 7 Are there any armes and furniture for souldiers or other munition ladders buckets timber or any other implements for publike or priuate vse stored and kept in
ARTICLES TO BE INQVIRED OF VVITHIN THE DIOCES OF ELY In the first Visitation of the R. Reverend Father in God MATTHEVV LORD BISHOP OF ELY Printed at London by Richard Badger 1638. The Tenour of the Oath to be ministred to the Church-wardens and any other of every Parish that shall be sworne to make Presentments YOu shall sweare that you and every one of you shall and will truly consider and diligently enquire of every one of these Articles here given you in charge and of all the branches thereof and make true answer to all particulars therein demanded and that all affection or favour or hatred or hope of reward or gaine or feare of displeasure or malice of any person and all other pretences set aside you shall and will present every such person of your Parish or within it as hath committed any offence or fault or made any default mentioned in any of these Articles or which is vehemently suspected or otherwise defamed of any such offence fault or default wherein you shall deale uprightly and fully according to the truth neither presenting nor sparing to present any contrary to the truth Having in this action God before your eyes with an earnest zeale to maintaine truth and vertue and to suppresse vice and to discharge your owne consciences So help you God and the Holy Contents of this Booke GOD SAVE THE KING Articles to be inquired of in the Dioces of Ely at the Visitation holden in the yeare of our LORD 1638. Chap. 1. Concerning Religion Doctrine and Church-government ARE there any abiding in your Parish or resorting to it who as farre as you know or haue credibly heard from persons of déeper iudgment do at any time preach teach deliuer publish or maintaine any heresie or any erroneous false opinion contrary to the faith of CHRIST or any sentence matter or cause which hath heretofore béene determined ordered or adiudged to be heresie by the authority of the Canonicall Scriptures or by the first foure generall Councels or any of them or by any other generall Councell determining the same to be heresie by the expresse words of holy Scripture Or are there any which do deny or impugne any of the 39 Articles of Religion agréed vpon in Anno 1562. and established in the Church of England And is the Declaration which the Kings Maiesty prefixed before those 39 Articles concerning the selling of the questions late in difference duly obserued by all within your Parish according to His Maiesties commandement 2 Be there any in your Parish that haue denied or perswaded any other to deny withstand or impugne the Kings Maiesties authority and supremacy in causes Ecclesiasticall within this Realme 3 Be there any in your Parish that haue affirmed that the Forme of consecrating Bishops and making Priests and Deacons as it is vsed in the Church of England is not holy right true and lawfull Or that the Gouernment of this Church vnder the Kings Maiestie by Archbishops Bishops Deanes Archdeacons and other Ecclesiasticall Officers is vnlawfull or antichristian 4 Is there in your Parish any that hath béene or is vehemently suspected to have béene present at any vnlawfull assemblies conuenticles or méetings vnder colour or pretence of any exercise of Religion or do any affirme and maintaine such méetings to be lawfull 5 Be there any abiding in or resorting to your Parish that are commonly reputed to be ill affected in matter of the religion professed in our Church or taken to be Recusant Papists or factious separatists refusing to repaire vnto the Church to heare diuine Seruice and to receiue the holy Communion Or that haue or do publish sell or disperse or conueigh to others any superstitious seditious or schismaticall Bookes Libels or Writings touching the Religion State or Ecclesiasticall gouernment of this Kingdome of England Present their names qualities and conditions if you know or haue heard of any 6 Haue any in your Parish spoken or declared anything in derogation or deprauation of the forme of Gods worship and the set forme of common prayer prescribed and established in the Church of England or in dislike of the administration of the Sacraments or of the other Rites and Ceremonies set forth and prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer and the Canons Ecclesiasticall Or do any preach speak and declare that the Booke of Common Prayer containeth any thing that is repugnant to the holy Scripture or not meet to be vsed Or do vse any scomfull words against those godly Sermons called the Homilies of the Church Chap. 2. Concerning Publike Prayer and the Administration of the Holy Sacraments c. 1 HAth any in your Parish caused procured or maintained any Minister to say any common or publike prayer or to administer the Sacrament of Baptisme or of the Lords Supper otherwise or in any other maner than is mentioned in the Book of Common Prayer Or hath any interrupted hindered let or disturbed the Minister in reading of diuine Seruice or administring the Sacraments in such manner as is mentioned in the said booke Or hath any interrupted him in his preaching or reading the Homilies 2 Is the Sacrament of Baptisme rightly and duly administred according to the forme prescribed in the Booke of Common Prayer with due obseruation of all Rites and Ceremonies prescribed to be vsed in the same without adding or altering of any part of any prayers or interrogatories Is the signe of the Crosse euery time vsed and the Surplice neuer but worne in the administring of it 3 Hath the administration of the Sacrament of Baptisme béene at any time deferred longer than till the next Sunday or Holiday immediately following the birth of the childe And do they all come to Church when a child is to be baptized at or about the beginning of diuine Seruice And is the baptizing performed immediately after the second Lesson 4 Hath the Sacrament of Baptisme béen refused to be administred to any children borne in or out of wedlock their birth being made known to the Minister of the Parish and they offered vnto him to be baptized Or haue any such children died vnbaptized 5 Haue the parents of the childe baptised béene at any time admitted to be Godfathers or Godmothers to the same Or haue any béene admitted to be Godfathers or Godmothers to any childe before they haue receiued the holy Communion Or haue there béene admitted more or lesse than two Godfathers and one Godmother for a male child and two Godmothers and one Godfather for a female Or haue any Godfathers or Godmothers vsed any other answers or spéech in Baptisme than is by the Book of Common Prayer appointed Or haue they giuen to the children baptised any name that is absurd or inconuenient for so holy an action 6 Haue any children béene baptised in priuate houses except vpon great necessity and if so what was the same or by any Lay-person or Midwife or Popish Priest or by any other than your owne Minister And haue all
defaced or purloyned any Monuments or Ornaments in your Church or any Inscriptions of Brasse any Lead or Stones there or any part of the Glasse-windowes or the Organs When was it done and by whom 19 Hath any Popish Recusant being lawfully excommunicate or any other excommunicated person béen buried in your Church or Church-yard before absolution from that censure and excommunication obtained And if yea then by whom and when 20 Be the profits tithes or any commodities Ecclesiasticall belonging to the Parsonage or Vicarage of your Parish conuerted to the vse and benefit of the Patrons or of any other but the Incumbent and by them receiued and detained And how long haue they béene so And is there but a Curate or slipendary Priest kept in any place where you haue heard or do belieue an Incumbent should be possessed and what allowance hath be 21 Is there any other Cure annexed to your Parish or any Chappell of ease belonging to the same How are they serued by whom and vpon what allowance Is there any other kind of Chappell or Chappels within the precincts of your Parish To whom do they belong When were they erected and when consecrated Haue you in your Parish any house or houses whereof any roome is ordinarily vsed for Preaching or saying the diuine Seruice and administring the holy Communion How long hath it béene so and by what authority or licence 22 Haue you a true Terrier of all the Glebe-lands Meadowes Gardens Orchards Houses Stockes Implements Tenements and portions of Tithes within your Parish or without belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage taken by the view of honest men in your said Parish appointed by the Ordinary And is it safely kept and preserued and in whose hands And hath there a true copie thereof vnder the hands of the Minister and Church-wardens béene transmitted and laid vp in the Bishops Registry there to continue for a perpetuall memory thereof And if you haue no such Terrier yet made you the Church-wardens and Side-men together with your Parson or Vicar or in his absence your Curate are now appointed to make diligent inquiry of the premises and to make subscribe and signe the said Terrier and to bring in a true copie of it into the Bishops Registry within thrée moneths after the receit of this booke of Articles Chap. 4. Concerning the Ministers Preachers and Lecturers IS your Minister Parson Vicar or Curate reputed to be a Graduate in either of the Vniuersities yea or no And if he be a Graduate then of what degrée is he what is his Christian and Sire-name 2 Is your Minister a licensed Preacher yea or no And if he be licensed then by whom Doth he preach vsually in his owne Cure or in some other Church or Chappell neare adioyning where there is no Preacher once euery Sunday And how often hath he béene negligent in so doing Doth he also preach standing and in his Câ—… and Gowne not in a Cloak with his Surplice and Hood also if he be a Graduate and with his head vncouered And if hee be not a licenced Preacher doth he take vpon him in his owne Cure or elsewhere to expound any Scripture or matter of doctrine or doth he kéepe himselfe only to the reading of Homilies published by authority and besides procure Sermons to bee preached amongst you once euery moneth at least by such as are lawfully licenced And doth hee or his Curate vpon euery Sunday when there is no Sermon read some one of the Homilies prescribed by authority and before the said Homily vse that forme of exhorting to prayer onely which is prescribed in the fifty fifth Canon and no other prayer of his owne either before or after it 3 Is your Minister resident with you vpon his benefice or if absent how long time hath he béene so and where is he resident for the most part And doth he in his absence make allowance to the poore and what allowance doth he make Hath he any other Benefice and doth he supply his absence by a Curate setled and dwelling in your Parish that is licenced to preach and what allowance doth he make to his Curate and how often in the yéere comes he thither himselfe 4 Is your Curate licenced by the Bishop of the Dioces And doth your Minister or Curate serue any more Cures then one If yea then what other Cure doth he serue and how farre are his Cures distant one from the other 5 Hath any being no Priest or Deacon presumed at any time under pretence of being a graduate or a Scholler of the Vniuersity to read common prayers openly in your Church or Chappell or to serue the Cure of your Parish or to preach there Hath any Deacon not hauing receiued the full order of Priesthood taken vpon him alone to administer the Communion in your Church or Chappell You are to present the names of any that haue herein offended as farre as you know or belieue 6 Doth your Minister Preacher or Lecturer onely read the Communion Seruice commonly called the second Seruice at the Communion Table Doth he begin his Sermon at any time or part of the diuine Seruice but immediately after the Beliefe called the Nicéene-créed Doth hee before his Sermon vse any forme of Prayer which is of his priuate conceiuing or collecting and of his owne inuenting or choosing or doth he containe himselfe within that briefe forme onely which is prescribed by the Church in the 55. Canon thereby only to exhort and moue the people to ioyne with him in Prayer for Christs holy Catholike Church and for the Kings most excellent Maiesty naming him and his royall Titles for the Quéene the Prince and the royall Issue for the Arch-bishops also and the Bishops for the Councell the Nobility the Magistracy and commons of the land and to giue thanks to God for the faithfull departed out of this life And then this mouing to prayer being done as briefly as conuenientlly may be both he alwayes conclude it with the Lords Prayer 7 Doth your Preacher or Minister at the close of his Sermon wholly forbeare to vse any kind or forme of Prayer not being prescribed as also to pronounce the blessing out of the Pulpet wherewith the Church useth to dismisse the people But doth he there conclude only with Glory to God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and then comming from the Pulpit if the Sermon were made within the Church or Chappell doth he or whosoeuer then officiates at the same place where he left before the Sermon proceed to reade the remainder of the divine Seruice and at the close of all to give the Blessing and not before 8 Doth euery Priest and Deacon in your Parish daily say the Morning and Euening prayer either priuately or openly vnlesse 〈◊〉 bée vpon lawfull cause hindered Doth your Curate say the same daily in your Church or Chappell with the tolling of a Bell before hée begin Especially doth your Minister or Curate do it on
Tables containing the seuerall rates and summes of all fées due to the Iudge and other officers of your Courts one in the usuall place or Consistory where the Court is kept the other in the Regestry in such sort as euery man may come to vew the same without difficulty and doth the Chancellor Arch-deacon or Officiall or any other Minister of the Court exact or extort any other greater fées or summes of money then in the said tables are contained 7 Doth the Arch-deacon his Officiall or Surrogate make commutation of any penance or doth the Chancellor or any Surrogate under him commute or change any penance or corporall punishment for any money without the consent of the Bishop And what money haue they or any of them receiued for such commutation and of whom when and what was the offence for which any such summe of money was receiued or appointed to be paid 8 Doth the Chancellor Arch-deacon or Officiall or any other person vsing Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction spéed any act in any cause priuately of themselues and not in the presence of some publike Notary or Actuary Or for want of them in the presence of two or moe sufficient witnesses and then cause the same act to be registred 9 Is the number of Apparitors increased in this Dioces And wherein and in what manner is the Country ouerburthened or grieued by them Hath any of them under pretence of authority cited or summoned any person unlawfully or hath any of them taken any reward for the concealing of any offence or sin or that the offenders might escape punishment Who bée they that haue so done Or do any of them take any fées that are not vsuall Haue they threatned any to prosecute them if they had no reward giuen them Or do any of them cause any party to appeare in any Ecclesiasticall Court within this Dioces without a citation first obtained from the Iudge of the Court 10 Hath any Ecclesiasticall Iudge or Officer whatsoeuer Aduocate Register Procter Clarke or other such Ministers any way abused themselues in their Offices contrary to the Lawes and Canons in that behalfe prouided that you know of 11 Doth the Registrar or any of the Clarkes in Ecclesiasticall Office when any obtaine Absolution from the Iudge neglect to send forth the same under the Seale of the office or doth any of them presume to giue signification unto the Minister of the Parish only by a Note or Ticket under their hand to the intent that notice therof should be taken or the same be published in the Parish by him 12 Lastly haue you and every of you by your selves read or haue caused to be read to you all these Article Haue you well examined and inquired into euery particular therein intended Haue you sincerely uprightly and without any partial affection or concealement presented and made knowne all and euery of the offendors in any of the particulars either as they are taken in truth to be or by common fame reported If you know of any other matter of Ecclesiasticall cognisance worthy the presentment in your iudgement and fit to be reformed by Ecclesiasticall censure though it be not expressed in these Articles yet you shall likewise present the same by vertue of your oathes The Minister also of every Parish may and ought to ioyne with the Church-wardens or other Sworn-men for the presenting of offences and if they be so irreligious as not to do it the Minister of himselfe may and ought to present either the offences or the Church-wardens and Quest-men for not presenting the same and is required in his Canonical obedience so to do There must be distinct answer made to euery Article and to euery branch thereof as far as they know or haue heard of any offence otherwise the presentment will not be admitted And if their Oath and all this punctuall direction and aduertisement notwithstanding any Church-wardens or other Sworn-men shall follow the customary manner and be carelesse in inquiring and presenting as they ought then shall they not be able hereafter to say that they had not faire warning to the contrary giuen them in the spirit of méeknesse or to complaine that they are hardly dealt with if vpon information and proofe otherwise had they bée called to answer their wilfull periury in some other Court or course of iustice for neglecting to inquire and present to all the particulars herein proposed And to the intent that all things aboue mentioned may by the help of God as well be kept as set in good order the Chancellor of the Dioces and the Officiall and all their Surrogates are hereby required that so far as to them in their seuerall places it shall appertaine they do faithfully inquire after all these things and in all places of their Iurisdictions exact a due observance of the same The Parson Vicar or Curate of this Parish is required to receiue this book and vpon the Sunday next after the receipt hereof immediately after the Morning Seruice to publish the contents of the Processe which is sent forth That all Preachers and Lecturers if there be any in the Parish together with the Church-wardens and two or thrée of the chiefest Parishioners beside as also all Phisitians Schole-masters Chirurgions Midwiues and Sequestrators and all other whom it doth concerne may take notice of the day and place specified in the said Processe for appearance at the Lord Bishops Visitation and after publication so made this book of Articles is to be presently delivered to the said Church-wardens for the vse of themselves and the rest that are to make the presentments Ma. Elien FINIS