ARTICLES TO BE ENQVIRED OF In the Generall Visitation of the ARCHDEACON of the Diocesse of GLOCESTER Holden in the yeare of our Lord 1635. POST TENEBRAS LVX Printed at London 1635. Directions to be followed by the Church-wardens and Sidemen for the orderly and legall making of their presentments LEt the Church-wardens and Sidemen upon the receipt of the Booke of Articles addresse themselves to the Minister of their Parish or in his absence to some other Clerke that can reade and write in case they themselves be ignorant and let the Clerke write in a faire sheete of paper the head of the Presentment thus The Presentment of the Church-wardens and Sidemen of _____ exhibited in the Visitation of the Arch Deacon of Glocester held at _____ the _____ day of _____ Anno Dom. 1635. Then taking the booke of Articles and distinctly reading the same from Article to Article as by the tenor of their oath they are bound to doe at the end of every Article let the Clerke enquire what they can say to that Article If they have ought to say then let him write thus To the first Article concerning the Church wee present that c. And so proceeding in the severall enquiries set downe in the Booke let them not faile impartially with due respect unto their oath to answere to every Article negatively or affirmatively as truth shall lead them and to present the severall Offences and Offenders within their Parish therein enquired after seriously considering how dreadfull and damnable a sinne it is to profane Gods most holy Name by perjury and forswearing themselves especially in such a case where they make themselves accessary and liable to those sinnes and the punishments of the same which by their connivence and concealing they suffer to passe unpunished in others The Tenor of the Oath to be ministred to the Church-wardens and Sidemen YOu shall Sweare that upon due consideration of the Articles delivered you in charge all affection of hatred favour hope and feare being lay'd aside you shall present all and every such person that now is or of late was within your Parish as hath committed any offence or made any default mentioned or meant in those or any of those Articles or which is vehemently suspected or defamed for any such offence or default wherein you shall deale faithfully and fully so helpe you God according to the Contents of this Booke ARTICLES Concerning the Church 1 IMprimis Whether have you in your severall Churches and Chappell 's a faire great Bible of the last Translation the Bookes of Common Prayer and Homilies the Booke of Constitutions or Cannons Ecclesiasticall and a parchment Register booke provided for Christnings Marriages and Burialls duely and exactly kept according to the constitutions in that case provided and a transcript thereof brought in yearely within one moneth after Easter in the Lord Bishops principall Register his Office 2. Item have you a cenvenient seate for the Minister to reade Service in together with a comely Pulpit set up in a convenient place with a decent Cloth or Cushion for the same a comely large surplesse A Font of stone in the ancient usuall place a convenient and decent Communion Table with a carpet of silke or some other decent stuff◠layed upon the same in time of Divine Service and a faire linnen cloth thereon at the Communion time a faire Communion Cup with a cover both of silver with all other things and Ornaments necessary for the celebration of Divine Service and administration of the Sacraments and a strong chest for kéeping of the Ornaments of the Church Register book with another chest for the almes of the poore both having thrée lockes and keyes Have you the ten Commandements set upon the East end of your Church or Chappell where the people may best sée and read them and other sentences of holy Scriptures written on the wals for the same purpose A Table of the degrées wherein by law men are prohibited to marry set up and fastned in some convenient place 3. Whether is your Church or Chappell with the Chancles thereof and your Parsonage or Vicarage house and all other housing thereto belonging in good reparations and decently and comely kept as well within as without the seates well maintained your Church-yards well fenced and kept entire from encroachment and without abuse If not then through whose default 4 Are any of your Bells or other Church-goods wanting any glasse windowes defaced or ancient Monuments of your Church spoyled and by whose fault 5. Have the Church-wardens there suffered any playes feasts banquets Church-ales drinkings or any other profane usages to be kept in your Church Chappell or Church-yard or bells to be rung either unseasonably or superstitiously contrary to the 88 Cannon 6. Is there a true Terriar of all the glebe-land houses Tenements Orchards Gardens and portions of Tythes whether within your Parish or without belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage delivered into the Office of the Register of this Diocesse Concerning the Clergie FIrst Whether doth your Minister distinctly and reverently reade Divine Service upon Sundayes Holydayes and their Eeves upon Wednesdaies also and Fridaies according to the booke of Common Prayer at fit and usuall times And doth he duly observe all the orders rites and ceremonies prescribed in the said Booke of Common Prayer as well in reading publicke Prayers and the Letany as also in administring the Sacraments solemnizing of Matrimony visiting the sicke burying the dead Churching of women and all other like Rites and Offices of the Church in such manner and forme as by the booke of Common Prayer is enjoyned without any omission or addition thereunto 2 Doth your Minister administer the holy Communion so often and at such times as that every Parishioner may receive the same at the least thrice in every yéere whereof once at Easter And doth he receive the same himselfe on every day that he administreth so others And doth he deliver the Bread and Wine to every Communicant severally and knéeling and use the words of institution according to the Booke at every time that the Bread and Wine is renewed Can. 21 And is warning given by him before hand for the Communion Can. 22 as likewise for Holydayes and Fasting dayes Can. 64 3. Whether hath your Minister admitted to the holy Communion any strangers of another Parish any scismatickes any which be openly knowne to live in sinne without repentance or have maliciously and openly contended with their neighbours before reconcilement or lastly any Church-wardens that in their presentments have notoriously and wilfully forsworne themselves Or hath your Minister rejected from the Communion any without such just cases 4. Hath your Minister Curate or Lecturer publickely or privately affirmed or maintained any thing repugnant contrary or derogatory to the 39 Articles Canons of the Church Bookes of Common Prayer Homilies or consecrating of Bishops and Priests or the forme of Government by Bishops and others in this Church
holy Communion Or hath he baptized any children that were not borne in the Parish or buryed any in Christian buriall that dyed excommunicate or wilfully destroyed himselfe 22. Hath your Minister admitted any woman to be Churched that was begotten with childe in adultery or fornication without licence of his Ordinary 23. Whether doth your Minister use such decency and comlinesse in his apparell as by the 74 Can. is enioyned him as well at home as abroad And is he of sober behaviour and one that doth not use such bodily labour as is not séemely for his Function and calling 24. Is your Minister noted or defamed to have obtained his Benefice or his Orders by Simonye or otherwise to be Simoniacall or scismaticall or reputed to be an incontinent person or doth he kéepe any man or woman in his house that are suspected to be either of evill Religion or bad life Or is he a common drunkard or a common haunter of Tavernes Alehouses or other suspected places a common gamester or player at dice or other unlawfull game a common swearer or one that neglecteth his study or is any other way notorious whereby he is offensive and scandalous to his Function or Ministry 25. Doe you know in your Parish any that having heretofore taken upon him the Order of Priesthood or Deacon hath since relinquished the same living as a Lay man and neglecting his Vocation 26. Whether hath your Minister Curate and Lecturer duly observed the Kings Maiesties Instructions and his Declaration for setling of Questions in difference set before the Articles of Religion Printed 1629 And hath your Minister read the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiasticall once every yeare upon some Sundayes or Holidaies in the afternoone before divine Service Concerning Schoolemasters 1 HOw many Schoolemasters or Teachers of Youth have you in your Parish either publicke or private and what be their severall names Whether be they of good and sincere Religion life and conversation and diligent in teaching and bringing up of Youth Have they béene licensed for Schoolemasters by the Ordinary 2. Whether your Schoolemasters doe come themselves and bring their Scholers to the Church to heare divine Service and Sermons and such as are of age to receive the Communion Doe they instruct their Scholers in the grounds of the Religion now established in this Church of England and no other or doe they teach them any other Catechisme than is authorized by publicke authority or not examine them therein once every wéeke at the least And what Catechisme is it they doe so teach 3. Whether your Schoolemaster or Schoolemasters doe teach his or their Scholers any other Grammer than that which is called the Kings Grammer set forth by the authority of King Henry the eighth teaching the Prescript forme thereof whereby the Scholers may perfectly understand their Grammar rules and constructions Parish Clarkes and Sextons 1 VVHether have you a fit Parish Clarke aged twenty yeares at least of honest conversation able to reade and write And whether he and the Sexton be payd their wages without fraud according to the ancient custome of your Parish if not then by whom is it so defrauded and denied by whom are they chosen Is the Clarke approved by the Ordinary diligent in his Office and serviceable to the Minister And doth he meddle with nothing above his place as Reading of Prayers Churching of women burying the dead or such like 2 Doth your Clarke or Sexton kéepe the Church cleane the doores lock't at fit times Is any thing lost or spoyled in the Church through his default Are the Communion Table Font Bookes and other Ornaments of the Church kept faire and cleane Doth he suffer any unseasonable ringing or any profane exercise in your Church or Chancell or doth he when any is passing out of this life neglect to toll a hell having notice thereof Concerning the Parishoners 1 VVHether is there any within your Parish that hath or doth impugne or impeach any way the Kings Maiesties Supremacy in causes Ecclesiasticall or the oath of Supremacy or of Allegiance or that denieth the Church of England by law established under the Kings most excellent Majesty to be a true Apostolicall Church teaching and maintaining the doctrine of the Apostles or that impugneth and speaketh against the Booke of Common Prayer any of the Articles of Religion agreed upon in Anno 1562 or the Rites and ceremonies established in the Church of England or the lawfull use of them or the government of the Church of England by Arch-bishops Bishops Archdeacons and the rest that beare office in the same affirming the same to be Antichristian or repugnant to Gods Word or lastly that doth impugne the forme of consecrating and ordaining of Archbishops Bishops Priests and Deacons affirming that the same is repugnant to the Word of God or that they who are so ordered are not lawfully made 2 Is there any in your parish that doth hold or frequent any Conventicles or private congregations or make or maintaine any private orders or constitutions agreed upon in any such private assemblies other than are in the Cannons set forth by publicke authority Or have you any Schismatickes that separate themselves from the Church of England or any that maintaine Scismatickes 3. Whether any of your Parish have profaned the Lords day commonly called Sunday or other Holydayes by working or labouring in their manuall trades by selling or buying or kéeping open their shops for sale of wares by lurking and tippling in Tavernes or Alehouses especially in the time of Divine Service And whether any Inne-kéepers Alehouse-kéepers Victualers or others permit any person or persons in their houses to eate drinke or play in the time of Common Prayer or Sermon on Sundayes or Holydaies 4 Whether any of your Parish disturbe let or discourage others from lawfull sports and recreations upon the Lords day so farre as they are allowed by the Kings declaration in that behalfe Or doe any of your Parish abuse that liberty allowed them by using unlawfull sports as Beare-bayting Bull-bayting Interludes or Bowling upon the Lords day or by using lawfull recreations before the end of all Divine Services for that day or having absented themselves from the same 5 Whether any of your Parish being sixtéene yéeres of age or upwards or others lodging or commonly resorting to any house within your Parish have wilfully absented themselves from your Parish Church upon Sundayes or Holidayes at Morning or Evening prayers or came late to Church or departed out of Church before the end of Service and Sermon without some great cause Or have any behaved themselves irreverently during the time of divine Service covering their heads or not knéeling when the generall confession Let any and other Prayers are read and standing up at the Beleefe or not doing lowly reverence at the name of our Lord Iesus or talking walking sléeping or any other way busying themselves in the Church then in quiet attendance unto Gods Service Or have
any disturbed the Minister either praying or preaching by word or déede 6 Whether any of your Parish being siixtéene yéeres old and upwards have not received the holy Communion in your Church thrice this last yéere whereof once at Easter and that knéeling And who are they 7. Is there any in your Parish that refuse to have their children Baptized or themselves to receive the Communion at the hands of your Minister for some exceptions against him And what exceptions doe they alledge And doe any of or in your Parish refuse to have their children Baptized in your Parish Church according to the forme prescribed in the booke of Common Prayer 8 Whether any of your Parishioners being warned thereof have not sent their children servants and apprentices to the Catechisme upon Sundayes and Holydayes before evening Prayer to heare and to be instructed therein you shall present their names 9. How many Inhabitants within your Parish men or women above the age of 16 yéeres doe refuse to frequent Divine Service established by publicke authority of this Realme or to receive the holy Communion present their names and of what degrée state or trade of life they are 10 Doe any of the Inhabitants of your sayd Parish entertaine within their house any sojourners lodgers or any common resorters and guests who refuse to frequent Divine Service or receive the holy Communion as aforesayd What be their names of what quality or condition are they 11. Whether any of the said Popish Recusants or other Sectaries are of insolent behaviour or doe boldly busy themselves in seducing and withdrawing of others 12. How long the said Recusants have abstained either from Divine Service or from the Communion as aforesaid And if any of them have lately reformed themselves what be their names 13. What persons within your Parish either for the offence aforesaid or for any other contumacy or crime doe remaine excommunicated What be their names and for what cause and how long have they stood excommunicated and what person or persons doe wittingly and usually kéepe them company 14. Have any in your Parish married within the degrées forbidden by law Where and by whom Or doth any couple married lawfully now live apart without due separation by the Law or any heretofore divorced kéepe company with any other at bed or board as man and wife 15. Whether have you any in your Parish to your knowledge or by common fame and report which have committed adultery fornication or incest or any Bawds harbourers or receivers of such persons Or which are by common same reputed for common drunkards blasphemers of Gods holy name common swearers filthy speakers raylers slanderers sowers of discord among their neighbours or speakers against Ministers Marriages Vsurers contrary to the Statute made in the two and twentieth yeare of our late Soveraine King Iames. Simoniacall persons or periured in any Court Ecclesiasticall or any that use Inchantments Sorceries Charmes or Witch-crafts which are not made felony by the Statutes of this Realme or any that seeke to such for helpe You shall not faile to present them all 16. Have any in your Parish harboured any woman with childe unmarried conveying or suffering her againe to depart without due pennance You shall truely present as well the party harbouring as harboured and who is suspected to hauâ—e committed the incontinency with her Or is any heretofore suspected or detected of incontinency and therefore departing out of your Parish returned now againe Or in what place else is he or shée now abiding to your knowledge or at you have heard You shall not faile to present the whole truth in that behalfe 17. Be there any in your Parish that retaine or sell utter disperse carry or deliver to others any English Bookes or Writings either of Papists or Sectaries touching and against the Religion State or Government Ecclesiasticall of this Realme or kéepe any monuments of superstition uncancelled or undefaced 18. Whether any of your Parishoners have usually gone to heare Prayers or Sermons in other Churches Or have they communicated or baptized their children in any other Parish or brought strange Ministers into their owne houses to baptize their children privately according to their owne fantasies 19. Hath any of your Parish behaved himselfe irreverently in word or déed towards your Minister or his Vocation by quarrelling striking slanderous spéeches or libels Or hath any offered violence or quarrelled with any other in the Church or Churchyard or used himselfe disorderly in the Church by filthy or profane talke or any other rude or immodest behaviour 20. Whether hath your Minister or any else of your Parish without the privily and consent of the Ordinary caused any to doe penance or be punished either openly or otherwise for any crime punishable by Ecclesiasticall lawes only And what be the names of the parties that have punished and have béene so punished in what maner and for what cause 21. Be there any in your Parish who will come to heare the Sermon but not to the publicke Prayers according to the Booke making a scisme or division as it were betwéene the use of publicke Prayer and Preaching 22. Doe any Women of your Parish after Child-birth refuse to come to the Church to give God thankes for their safe delivery according to the Booke of Common Prayer Or do any neglect to kéepe the fasting daies appointed by the lawes 23. Whether have you knowne or heard of any Fidlers or Minstrels or any which goe under the name of Musitians within this Diocesse that either at Weddings Churchings or any other Feasts or meetings have sung or use to sing any songs ballads or rimes tending to the disgrace of Religion or the Ministers thereof or tending to profanenesse or the corruption of good manners You shall truely present the names of such if you know or can learne them as also the names of the housholder or housholders where they have sung such songs as also the particular names of them before whom they have sung them 24 Whether doe the Surveiers of your high wayes looke diligently to the mending of the Church-wayes that the Parishioners may conveniently come to Church from all places of the Parish in Winter time Concerning the Churchwardens and Sidemen 1 VVHether doe yée the Churchwardens and Sidemen from time to time take care that no idle persons or loyterers abide either in the Churchyard or Church porch in Service or Sermon time but cause them either to come into the Church to heare Divine Service or to depart and not disturbe such as be hearers there And doe ye take care that the Parishioners duely resort to the Church every Sunday and Holyday and there so remaine during Divine Service and Sermon And that none be tippling or drinking in any Ale-house Inne Taverne or Victualling house of your Parish during the times aforesayd as farre as you are able to hinder it 2 Doe ye assist your Minister diligently in bringing the youth of your Parish to Catechizing in the Perambulation the Rogation dayes and such other things as send to the furtherance and advancement of Gods Service especially in taking diligent héede and care that 〈…〉 or somtyme 〈◊〉 5. Doth any man trouble or molest you for doing your duties 6. If you know of any other matter of Ecclesiasticall cognizance worthy presentment in your iudgement above not expressed you shall likewise present the same by vertue of your oath FINIS
of England 5. Hath your Parish beene any time destitute of a Curate and by whose default And is your Parson or Vicar continually resident with you upon his Benefice or if he be lawfully absent or reside upon another Benefice doth he supply his absence by a Curate that is a licensed Preacher for that cure or if the smalnesse of the Living will not beare a Preaching Curate doth he Preach himselfe usually at both his Benefices Can. 47 6. Whether is your Minister a Preacher allowed if so doth hée Preach every Sunday having no lawfull impediment either in his owne cure with you or some other néere adjoyning where no Preacher is If he be not an allowed Preacher doth he procure Sermons to be preached amongst you monethly at least by Preachers lawfully licensed if his Living will beare it and on every Sunday when there is no Sermon Preached doth he read some one of the Homilies prescribed by authority 7 Doth your Minister or Curate serve more Cures than one If so what are they and how farre distant And whether being no Preacher allowed he take upon him to expound the Scriptures openly 8. Hath any person béene admitted to Preach within your Church or Chappell but such as you have well knowne to be sufficiently licensed whom have you so admitted and how often have any such béene admitted to preach and by whose procurement And have you caused every strange Preacher licensed or not licensed to subscribe his name together with the day when he Preached Can. 50 and 52 And if he were licensed then by whom he was so licensed And whether have they or any other preached in your Church not being soberly and decently apparelled Can. 74. as in a cloake and not in a gowne 9. Doth you Minister and Lecturer use to pray before his Sermons for the Kings Majestie the Quéene Prince Charles and all the Royall Progeny giving unto the King such Style and Titles as by law are due unto his Highnesse exhorting his Parishioners to yéeld him obedience accordingly And also in these sayd Sermons doe they pray for all Arch-bishops Bishops and other Ecclesiasticall persons Can. 55 10. Doth your Lecturer or Lecturers reade Divine Service according to the Common Prayer Booke in his Surplice and Hood before the Lecture And doth every Beneficed man though chiefly attending to Preach and having a Curate under him for other duties yet in his owne person reade divine Service two severall Sundaies both morning and evening every yeere And doe both Lecturer and Preacher themselves administer the Sacraments also twice every yeere observing all the ceremonies in the booke of Common Prayer established Can. 56 11. Whether doth your Minister at the reading of publicke Prayers and administration of the Sacraments weare the Surplice and a Hood thereon agreeable to his degree in the Vniversity if he be a graduate Can. 58. 12. Doth you Minister every Sunday and Holyday before evening Prayer for halfe an houre or more examine and instruct the youth and ignorant persons of the Parish in the ten Commandements the Articles of the Beleefe the Lords Prayer and the Sacraments according to the Catechisme set forth in the booke of Common Prayer onely whereby the children of the Parish may be prepared for Confirmation Can. 59. And are the afternoones Sermons turned into Catechizing by question and answere 13 Whether hath your Minister without licence from the Arch-bishop the Bishop of the Diocesse or his Chancellor solemnized marriage betwixt any parties in a time prohibited or the banes not being three severall Sundaies or Holy dayes first published in time of Divine service in the severall Churches or Chappels of their severall abode Can. 62 or hath he married any not betwixt the houres of eight and twelve in the forenoone or without a ring or the parties being of another Diocesse or when the parties are under the age of one and twenty yeeres before such time as the Parents or Guardians have mâ—de knowne unto him their consent thereunto Can. 100 14. Whether doth your Minister in the Rogation dayes use the perambulation of the circuit of the Parish according to the ancient and laudable custome of the Church and in the same perambulation blesse the fruâ—tes of the earth and move the people to give thankes to God for his benefits using such Psalmes Prayers and Homilies as are to that end set forth 15. Whether doth any man being not in orders take upon him to exercise any part of the Ministeriall duty in the Church and what is his name 16. Doth your Minister every sixe moneths denounce in his Parish-Church all such of his Parish as doe stand contumacious under the sentence of excommunication not séeking to be absolved Or hath he admitted any person excommunicate into the Church without a certificate of his absolution from the Ordinary or other competent Iudge under his Seale or hath he stayed the publication of any excommunications or suspensions 17. Doth your Minister being a Preacher labour diligently from time to time to conferre with and thereby to reclaime the Popish Recusants in his Parish from their errors if any such be there Can. 66 And doth he carefully visite the sicke according to Can. 67 18. Whether is your Parson Vicar Lecturer or Curate too much frequent or over conversant with or a Favourer of Recusants whereby he may be suspected not to be sincere in Religion 19. Hath your Minister or any other taking upon him the place of a Minister Preached Baptized Children Solemnized Marriage Churched any woman or Ministred the holy Communion in any private house or houses otherwise then by Law is allowed If yea then where whom and how often 20. Hath your Minister taken upon him to appoint any publicke or private fasts prophesies or exercises not approved by law or publicke Authority Or hath he attempted under any pretence either of possession or obsession by fasting and prayer to cast out devils Can. 72 Or hath he used to meete with any other person or persons in any private house or any other place there to consult how to impeach or â—eprave the Booke of Common Praier or the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church of England Can. 73 If yea then ye shall present him and all that ioyne with him in any of the premisses 21. Whether hath your Minister refused or delayed to Christen any Child that is brought to the Church to him upon Sundaies or Holidayes or to bury the dead such as ought to be interred in Christian buriall having convenient warning before Especially whether hee hath neglected to baptize any Infant in daâ—ger having béene duly informed of his weakenesse so that the child hath dyed by his default without Baptisme Or hath he neglected to use the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme or baptized any in a Bason or other vessell and not in the ordinary Font or admitted any Father to be God-father to his owne child or such to be God-fathers or God-mothers as have not received the