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
Certificate of his absolution from his Ordinary vnder the seale of the office and not by any note or Ticket only under the hand of the Register or any other Clerk Or hath hee stayed or forborne to denounce any excommunication or suspension or absolution that hath béene sent him from his Ordinary further then the next Sunday or Holyday after receipt thereof under Seale 34 Hath your Minister béene at any priuate méetings or conuenticies to consult there about the impeachment or deprauing of the doctrine of the Church of England or of the Book of Common Prayer or of any part of the gouernment and discipline of the Church or to practise any forme of their owne either for worship or discipline 35 Doth your Minister vpon Sundayes at Morning Prayer declare vnto the Parishioners what Fasting-dayes and Holy dayes are to bee kept the wéek following 36 Doth your Minister in the Rogation dayes go the perambulation of the circuit of your Parish saying and using the Prayers Suffrages and Thanksgiuing unto God appointed by Law according to his duty thanking God for his blessings and praying for his grace and fauour 37 Doth your Parson or Vicar maintaine and kéepe in due reparation the Mansion-houses and all other edifices and fenses belonging to his Parsonage or Vicarage without suffering them to grow into ruine or decay 38 Hath your Minister taken upon him to appoint or to hold or continue any private or publike fasts or méetings for preaching or lecturing on any working-day in his owne Parish or elsewhere or prophesies or exercise or any other such thing not being approued by his Ordinary for the time being 39 Is your Minister studious in holy Scripture and abstaineth from mechanicall trades bodily labour soliciting of causes in Law common buying or selling of Horses or other Cattell and all other imployments not besitting his calling and holy Function Doth he vsually weare a Gowne with a standing coller and sléeues strait at the hands and a square Cap Doth he in iourneying vse a cloak with sléeues commonly called a Priests-cloake without guards buttons or cuts Doth he at any time in publike weare any coife or wrought night-cap but only a plaine cap of black silke satten or veluet and of a decent fashion and proper for Diuines Doth he at any time goe abroad in his dublet and hose without a Coat or Cassock or weare any light coloured stockings long haire deep bands great ruffled booted or any other vndecent thing Or is hee any way excessiue in apparrell either himselfe or his wife 40 Is your Minister suspected or knowne to haue obtained his Benefice by any Simoniacall compact directly or indirectly Or is he reputed to bée an incontinent person a frequenter of Tauernes Innes or Ale-houses a common gamester or player at dice or cards a common swearer or drunkard a brabler or brawler giuen to contention vsury brocage or common merchandizing or otherwise faulty in any other kind that is scandalous to his function 41 Hath your Minister publikely in your Parish Church or Chappell once euery yéere read ouer the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiasticall agréed upon by the Clergy of both Prouinces An. Dom 1603 in such manner as the same is commanded to be done 42 Is there any in your Parish or resorting thereunto who hauing taken holy Orders of Priest or Deacon doth uoluntarily relinquish and forsake his calling and liues in the course of his life as a lay man Or any that hauing béene silenced or suspended by authority so remaineth without conforming himself in due obedience to the Church And how doth he imploy his time and where or whence hath he his maintenance as you know or haue heard 43 Haue any béene admitted to preach in your Church who doe not before the Church-wardens subscribe their names in your booke prouided for that purpose and the day when he or they preached and the name of the Bishop or Bishops of whom they had license to preach 44 Hath any Preacher particularly impugned and confuted any doctrine deliuered by any other Preacher in the same Church or in any Church néere adioyning before he acquainted the Bishop of the Dioces therewith and receiued order from him what to do in that case 45 Haue you any Lecturer in your Parish and on what day is your Lecture If any such be doth he twice at the least euery yéere read diuine Seruice both morning and euening two seuerall Sundaies publikely in his Surplice and Hood And also twice in the yéere administer both Sacraments with such Rites and Ceremonies as are prescribed in the book of Common Prayer 46 Doth the Lecturer whosoeuer he be reade the diuine Seruice according to the Liturgie printed by authority in his Surplice and Hood before euery Lecture 47 Doth your Preacher or Lecturer behaue himselfe in his Lectures and Sermons as he ought to doe teaching obedience and edifying his auditory in matters of faith and good life without intermedling with matters of State or newes or other discourses not fit for the Pulpit and also without fauouring or abetting Schismaticks or Separatists that are at home or are gone abroad either by a speciall prayer for them or by any other approbation of them and their schismaticall courses 48 Haue you any Lecture of Combination set vp in your Parish And if so is it read by a company of graue and orthodor Diuines néere adioyning and in the same Dioces And doth euery one of them Preach in a Gown and not in a Cloake And when and by whom were they appointed And what be their names 49 Is any single Lecture maintained by your Towne or otherwise suffered to preach he not first professing his willingnesse to take vpon him the cure of soules nor actually taking a Benefice or Cure so soone as it may be fairely procured for him What is his 〈…〉 at licence hath he And hath he a setled contribution affixed to the Lecture 〈…〉 is it arbitrary and for this Lecturer onely What summe doth it amount to ordinarilly By whom is it usually paid or collected or of late yéeres hath béene 50 If any Psalmes be vsed to be sung in your Church before or after the morning and euening prayer or before or after the Sermons vpon which occasions only they are allowed to be sung in Churches is it done according to that graue manner which first was in vse that such doe sing as can read the Psalmes or haue learned them by heart and not after that vncouth and vndecent custome of late taken vp to haue every line first read by one alone and then sung by the people Chap. 5. Concerning Matrimony BE there any in your Parish that haue maried within the degrées of affinity or consanguinity by the Law of God forbidden as is expressed in a certaine Table published by authority in Anno 1563. And if any haue so maried what be their names and where were they maried and by whom 2 Hath any béene maried secretly in private houses or
without their Parents be Gouernours consent signified being under the age of twenty one yéeres 3 Haue any persons béene maried in your Parish the Banes hauing not béene thrice published thrée seuerall Sundayes or Holydayes in time of diuine Seruice Who were the parties and who were present at such mariages and what Minister maried them 4 Haue any persons by licence or without béene maried in your parish Church neither of them at that time dwelling in your Towne Or hath any mariage that you know or haue heard of béene made at any time by licence or without but betwéene the houres of eight and twelue in the morning Or was not the diuine Seruice then openly and duly said the Assembly being called together by the tolling or ringing of the Bels as is at other times of diuine Seruice used Or hath the Minister solemnized any mariage without Banes published by vertue of any licence granted by the Arch-deacon or his Officiall or by any other licence then of the Arch-bishop or Bishop of this Dioces or their Chancellors or Vicars general or the Commissary for faculties And hath any Licence béene granted by any to such persons as were not of good state and quality Name the persons and all particulars as farre as you know or can remember 5 What popish Recusants or their Children haue béene maried in your Parish In what sort was the matrimony solemnized when and by whom 6 Do any person being lawfully maried liue asunder and in whom is the default as far as you know or belieue 7 Doe any heretofore diuorced or not kéep company at bed and board with any other man or woman then with the person that hée or shée were maried to what be their names when and where were they maried and how long haue they continued so together 8 Haue you any in your Parish which liue together as man and wife and yet not known by whom where or when they were maried 9 Haue all new maried persons the same day of their mariage duly receiued the holy Communion If not by whose default was it as you conceive 10 When any Mariage is solemnized in your Parish Church is there any thing accustomed to bée said or done in the Church or Chancell at the Church doore or in the Church-yard either by the parties themselues or any other that accompany them or that are then and there present which is not prescribed by the Rubricks of the Booke of Common Prayer or the Canons of the Church and which is impertinent or uncomely for that holy businesse and not befitting the reuerence of that sacred place in which they are assembled specifie what it is and present the parties Chap. 6. Concerning the Church-wardens and Side-men BE the Church-wardens chosen by the Minister and Parishioners yéerely in Easter-wéek according to the 89. Canon And hath any taken vpon him to bée Church-warden not being so chosen Or hath any continued aboue one yeare in his office without a new choice 2 Haue any of the Churchwardens retained any of the Church-goods in their hands and not made a iust account at the going out of their office of what they haue receiued and exâ—ended or not deliuered to their successors by Bill indented betwéene them whatsoeuer money or other things belonging to the Church that remained in their hands 3 Are there in your Parish yéerely two thrée or more discréet persons either chosen by the Minister and Parishioners in Easter-wéeke or if they cannot agrée appointed by the Ordinary to bée Side-men or Assistants in ioynt office with the Church-wardens 4 What rates or leuies as you know or haue heard are yéerely or commonly made in your Parish for Church vses What is the vsuall summe thereof ordinarily and what are the particular vses or where are they written down to which the same are for the most part imployed 5 Do the Church-wardens and Side-men or Assistants diligently sée that all the Parishioners do duly resort to the Church vpon all Sundaies and Holidayes and there continue the whole time of diuine Seruice and Sermon suffering no idle persons to walk or talk or stand idle either in the Church Church-yard or Church porch during the time of diuine Seruice or Sermon but causing them either to come into the Church or else to depart And haue they the said Church-wardens and Side-men forborne either for reward fauour or affection to present them that haue béene or are negligent in comming to Church or that vse to walk or talk therein or that haue bin found by them standing idle 〈◊〉 talking abroad either in the Church-yard or stréets in the time of Diuine Seruice or Sermon on Sundaies or Holydayes or that haue not receiued the Communion yéerely at the Feast of Easter or within one moneth before or after 6 Doe you know of any Church-wardens which within forty dayes after Easter in their yéere did not exhibit to the Bishop or his Chancellor the names and surnames of all the Parishioners as well men as women which being of the age of 16. yéeres and upward received not the Communion the Easter before And haue you this last yéere exhibited a bill of them or are you â—…so ready so to doe 7 Do the Church-wardens against euery Communion advise with the Minister about the prouiding of a sufficient quantity of fine white-bread and of good and wholesome wine for the number of Communicants that are to receiue And is the wine brought in a cleane and swéet standing pot of pewter or of other finer mettall Vpon the Communion dayes doe your Church-wardens immediately after the Sermon or Homily and the Ministers exhortation to remember the poore gather the deuotion of the people in a faire and solemne manner and put the same into the poore mans box 8 Do the Church-wardens suffer any one to read divine Seruice in your Church at any time whatsoeuer he pretend himselfe to be till sufficient notice be taken by themselues or some other credible person not only of his being in holy Orders but also of his Licence to read there Or do they suffer any man to preach till hée haue subscribed his name in their Paper book and the day wherin he preached and by whose authority he is licenced 9 Hath the Church-wardens suffered the Church Church-yard or Chappell to bée prophaned by Playes Games Feasts Banquets Suppers Church-ales Drinkings Temporall Courts or Léets Lay-iuries Coroners inquests Parish accounts Musters Wrestlings wasters dancings â—r at any time acted kept or held in them 10 Haue any man that you know or haue heard of by spéech or writing or vpon the assertion of any other man affirmed that men ought not to take the office or the Oath of a Church-warden or of presenting at the Bishops Visitation Or that the said oath is unlawfully giuen them or that being taken it is but of course and binds them not nor néed to be regarded or that the said oath notwithstanding it is free for them neither to make inquiry
euery Sunday and Holiday and their Eues and on the day of the conuersion of Saint Paul Saint Barnabies day and euery day of the holy Wéek next before Easter as also on all Wednesdaies and Fridayes at fit and vsuall times according to the forme prescribed in the Booke of Common Prayer in a reuerent manner ouer and as audibly and distinctly as he vseth to Preach Doth he also read all those Psalmes and Lessons and no other with the Collect Epistle and Gospell which are appointed for the day At the end of euery Psalme due they stand and say Glory be to the Father c. and doth hée leaue out and not read the Contents of the Chapters After the Lessons doth he use no other Psalme or Hymne but those which the Booke of Common Prayer hath appointed Doth hée read the Créed of S. Athanassâ—… called the Quicunque vult on all those dayes for which it is appointed and the Commination on Ash wednesday adding the Letany on euery Wednesday and Friday 9 Doth your Minister and Curate at all times as well in Preaching or reading the Homilies as in reading the Prayers and the Letany in administring the holy Sacraments solemnization of Mariage burying of the dead churching of women and all other offices of the Church duly obserue the Orders and Rites prescribed without omission alteration or addition of any thing And doth he in performing all and euery of these weare the Surplice duly and neuer omit the wearing of the same nor of his Hood if he be a Graduate 10 Doth your Parson or Vicar hauing a Curate vnder him notwithstanding read diuine Seruice himselfe frequently and publikely at the vsuall times both in the forenoone and after noone in the Church which hée possesseth and doth hée also administer both Sacraments euery yéere in such manner and with the obseruation of all such Rites and Ceremonies as are prescribed in the Booke of Common Prayer in that behalfe and how oft in the yéere hath he done it 11 Doth your Minister Preacher and Lecturer euery yéere of purpose and expresly yet not by way of disputation but by plain conclusion determination only teach and declare the lawfull authority which the King hath ouer the State both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill and the iust abolishing of all Popery and forraigne power or iurisdiction over the same 12 Hath your Minister or any Preacher among you published in his Sermons any doctrine which is new and strange and disagréeing from the Word of God and from the Articles of Christian Faith and Religion agréed on and published Anno Domini 1562. Or hath he taught any thing which he would haue the people religiously obserue and belieue but that which is agréeable to the Scriptures and that which the Catholike Fathers and ancient Bishops haue gathered out of that doctrine according to the Canon as you conceiued or haue béene informed by others of better iudgement 13 Doth your Minister goe to the administration of holy Baptisme euer immediately after the second Lesson Doth he alwayes at first aske whether the child bée baptized or no Afterward doth he euer vse and neuer omit both to take the child in his hands and also to make the signe of the Crosse to as to touch the childs forehead in making the same Doth he at any time publikely baptize but in the Font or with any Bason Bucket or Paile or other vessell set into the Font Hath he euer deferred or willingly neglected or refused to baptize any infant within the Parish being in danger of death notice thereof hauing béene giuen to him And hath any child dyed without baptisme by his default 14 Doth your Minister or Curâ—…ten admonish the people that they deferre not the baptisme of their infants any â—…ger after they are borne than is prescribed vnlesse vpon a great and reasonable â—ainâ— declared withe Minister or Curate and approued by him nor that they procure them to bée baptized at home without great necessity 15 Hath your Minister admitted any person to answer as Godfather or Godmother at the christening of a child that hath not before receiued the holy Communion and is not able to recite the Lords Prayer the ten Commandements and the Articles of Beliefe and to answer to the same being required And doth hée at the Font as soone as he hath baptized any child admonish them to bring the child to the Bishop to be confirmed as soone as it hath learned the Catechisme 16 Doth your Minister euery Sunday and Holiday before euening prayer halfe an houre or more catechise and instruct the youth and ignorant persons of your Parish both male and female in the ten Commandements the Articles of Beliefe and the Lords Prayer And doth he vse for that purpose the Catechisme set forth in the Book of Common Prayer and diligently heare instruct and teach them in the said Catechisme Or what other Catechisme doth he vse either in publike or private And be the youth and ignorant persons of your Parish sent in due time vnto your Church by them that ought to send them to be catechized and instructed by the Minister And if not you are to present the names of those that make default in sending them and of all those that vse not to come or care not to learne 17 Are your afternoone-sermons if there were wont to be any turned into catechizing by question and answer where and whensoeuer there is no great cause apparent to the contrary And is this truly and sincerely performed without mockery or in shew only and so without any long or large discourse Sermon-wise vpon the said Questions and Answers but only to explaine the same in few and briefe passages easie to be remembred 18 Doth your Minister vse to administer the holy Communion at least thrice in the yéere whereof once at Gaster to euery parishioner in your Parish that is sixtéene yéeres of age and upwards and first to receive the same himselfe knéeling on euery day that he administreth it to others and to administer it to none but to such as doe knéele at the receiuing thereof And doth he alwayes vse the words of institution according to the Book of Common Prayer without alteration at euery time that the Bread and Wine is renewed Doth hée also vse to deliuer the Bread and Wine to euery Communicant seuerally and with his owne hand repeating to euery one all the words appointed to be said at the distribution of the holy Body and blood of our Lord IESUS and upon no pretence till the Church appoint otherwise omitting any part of the words or saying them all but now and then to many at once And is there warning giuen by him to the Parishioners publikely in the Church at morning prayer the Sunday before euery time of his administring of the Holy Communion for their better preparation thereunto 19 Hath your Minister admitted vnto the holy Communion any of his cure or flocke which he openly known to liue in sinne notorious