Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	england_n	homily_n	1,679	5	11.5743	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32967	Articles of visitation & enquiry concerning matters ecclesiastical exhibited to the ministers, church-wardens, and side-men, of every parish within the diocess of Oxon, in the first episcopal visitation of the Right Reverend Father in God, Walter, by divine permission, Lord Bishop of Oxon.	Church of England. Diocese of Oxford. Bishop (1665-1671 : Blandford); Blandford, Walter, 1619-1675.	1666 (1666)	Wing C4074; ESTC R41875	7,806	13

ARTICLES OF Visitation Enquiry Concerning MATTERS ECCLESIASTICAL EXHIBITED To the Ministers Church-wardens and Side-men of every Parish within the Diocess of OXON In the first EPISCOPAL VISITATION OF THE Right Reverend Father in God WALTER By Divine Permission Lord Bishop of OXON OXFORD Printed by William Hall Anno. Dom. 1666. The Tenor of the Oath to be Administred to the Church-wardens and Side-men of every Parish YOU shall Swear diligently to enquire and to make a true Answer unto every Article in this Book now given you in Charge and to Present every Person that now is or of late was inhabiting within your Parish that hath done any Offence or omitted any Duty therein mentioned And this you shall do uprightly and truly without Favour or Malice Hope of Reward or Fear of Displeasure so far as by the Laws you are bound So Help You God ARTICLES OF VISITATION and ENQUIRY Within the DIOCESSE of OXON TITUL. I. Concerning Churches and Chappels with the Ornaments and Furniture thereunto belonging IS your Parish Church or Chappel kept in good and sufficient repair Are the Roofs thereof well covered with Lead Tile or Slat the Windows well Glazed the Floors well paved the Seats well fastned and conveniently placed and all things so decently ordered as becometh the House of God II. HATH the Steeple or Tower of your Church or Chappel or any part thereof been pulled down or any of the Lead or Bells formerly belonging thereunto been imbezelled sold or made away In whose hands or custody doth the same or any part thereof remain Declare what you know or have heard therein III. IS there a Font of Stone with a good Cover thereunto standing in a convenient place towards the lower part of your Church for the Administration of Baptism And is there in your Chancel a decent Communion Table for the Administration of the Lords Supper with a Carpet of Silk Stuff or fine Woollen-Cloath and another Covering of white and pure Linnen to spread thereupon And have you a fair Communion-Cup or Chalice with a Cover of Silver and one or more Flagons of Silver or Pewter thereunto belonging IV. HAVE you in your said Church or Chappel a convenient Seat or Pew for your Minister to read Divine Service in A Pulpit with a comely Cloth or Cushion for the same A Bible of the last Translation in a large Volume and two Books of Common-Prayer one for the Minister and the other for the Clerk all well and substantially bound Have you likewise the Book of Homilies set forth by Authority A Book of Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiastical the Book of the Thirty nine Articles of Religion And a Printed Table of the Degrees wherein Marriage is prohibited Have you also his Majesties Proclamation commanded to be read Yearly upon the Sunday before the Thirtieth day of January V. HAVE you a comely large Surplice for the Minister to wear at all times of his Publick Ministration in the Church provided and to be duely washed at the Charge of your Parish VI. HAVE you a register-Register-Book of Parchment wherein to Register the Names and Sirnames of all such persons as are Married Christened or Buried within your Parish together with the Names and Sirnames of both the Parents of the Children so Christened expressing the day moneth and year of all such Christenings Marriages and Burials And is the transcript thereof yearly within one Moneth next after the 25 of March brought into the Bishops Registry VII HAVE you likewise another Book of Paper wherein to record the Names and Licenses of all such Strangers as are admitted at any time to Preach in your Church or Chappel As also a third Book wherein to write down the Church-wardens Accounts and such summs of money as have been collected in your Parish upon any Briefs that have come unto it together with a strong Chest with Locks and Keys wherein to keep the aforesaid Books and all other the afore mentioned Furniture in safe Custody And lastly have you a Bier with a black Hearse-cloth for the Burial of the Dead TIT. II. Concerning the Church-yard the Houses Glebes and Tithes belonging to the Church I. IS your Church-yard sufficiently fenced and kept from the annoyance of Swine Hath any person encroached upon the same or made any Door into it out of his own Grounds or Habitation without allowance from the Ordinary Have any Trees there growing been cut down How long since by whom and to whose use and benefit II. IS the house of your Parson Vicar or Curate with all the out-houses thereunto belonging kept in good and sufficient repair Or have any of the said Houses or Out-houses been defaced or pulled down without licence from the Ordinary and by whom Hath any person encroached upon any Garden Yard or Close belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage House or cut up any Trees growing thereon or changed or removed the ancient Marks and Bounds of the same Or is there any House belonging to your Minister or any part of his Glebe detained from him by the Patron or any other III. HAVE you a true and perfect Terrier of all the Glebe-lands Gardens Orchards Tenements or Cottages belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage As also a note of such Pensions Rate-tithes and Portions of Tithes or other yearly Profits either within or without your Parish as belong thereunto Have any of the same been withheld from your Minister and by whom as you know or have heard IV. HAVE any of the ancient Glebe-lands belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage been taken away or exchanged for other without the free consent of the Incumbent and License from the Ordinarie Hath any Inclosure been made in your Parish to the detriment of the Church by converting Arable lands into Pasture By whom hath the same been done and how much is your Parsonage or Vicarage damnified thereby in the yearly value thereof as you know believe or have heard TIT. III. Concerning Ministers I. IS your Minister defamed or suspected to have obtained either his Benefice or Orders by any Simoniacal compact II. HATH he been legally Inducted into his Benefice III. DID he within two months after his Induction publickly in the Church upon some Sunday or Holy-day in the time of Divine Service read the 39 Articles of the Church of England established by Authority and there publickly declare his assent thereunto And hath be published the Bishops Certificate of his subscribing the declaration for the Book of Common Prayer and against the Covenant openly in the Church at the time of Divine Service IV. HATH he any other Ecclesiastical Benefice Is he constantly resident upon his Benefice among you How many weeks in any one year hath he been absent from it V. HATH your Minister a Curate to assist him Who is that Curate Is he conformable to the Laws and Orders of the Church of England and doth be serve in any other Church beside and what yearly stipend doth your Minister allow him VI. DOTH your Parson

Vicar or Curate in reading the daily Morning and Evening Service Administration of the holy Sacraments celebration of Marriage Churching of Women after Child-birth Visitation of the Sick Burial of the Dead and pronouncing Gods Commination against impenitent Sinners use the form and words prescribed in the Book of Common-Prayer without any addition omission or alteration of the same And doth he use all such Rites and Ceremonies in all parts of Divine Service as are appointed in the said Book so far as you have observed VII DOTH your Minister at the Reading or Celebrating the Divine Offices in your Church or Chappel wear the Surplice VIII DOTH be observe the Holy-days and Fasting-days as also the Ember-weeks and the yearly Perambulation in Rogation-week as in the Common-Prayer book is appointed giving notice to the Parishioners of every of the same in the Church in the time of Divine Service upon the Sunday next before IX HATH your Minister been licensed to preach by the Bishop If so doth he then constantly unless in case of Sickness necessary absence or other reasonable impediment himselfe Preach in your Church or Chappel one Sermon every Sunday Or if he be not a Licensed Preacher or being so Licensed he hindred by Sickness or otherwise as aforesaid doth he procure a Sermon to be so preached by some other Minister a Licensed preacher or one of the Homilies set forth by Authority to be there read by a Priest or Deacon X. DOTH your Minister diligently instruct the Youth of your Parish in the Church Catechism and doth he prepare and present them being so instructed to be Confirmed by the Bishop And doth he endeavour to reclaim all Popish Recusants and other Sectaries if any such be inhabiting within your Parish to the true Religion established in the Church of England and to their bounden duty in obeying the Laws and submitting to the Government thereof XI DOTH he neglect or refuse to visit the Sick or delay the Baptism of any Infant that is in danger of death Is there any Child past Infancy or other person of more years through your Ministers default yet remaining unbaptized in your Parish Doth he use to baptize any without Godfathers and Godmothers or admit either of the Parents to be Godfather or Godmother to their own Children XII HATH he at any time as you know or have heard preached any False Heretical Seditious or Schismatical Doctrine thereby to seduce the people into parties and factions to the disturbance of the publick peace and unity either of Church or State XIII HATH he presumed to Marry any persons in private houses or such as being under age have not the consent of their Parents or without the Banes first published on three Sundays or Holy-days in the Church or at any other hours then between Eight and Twelve in the Morning unless he had a License or Dispensation so to do Or hath he buried with Christian Burial any who died Vnbaptized or Excommunicated or that have laid violent hands upon themselves XIV DOTH any person Preach in your Parish as a Lecturer Hath he allowance from the Bishop for so doing Doth he before his Lecture read Divine Service according to the Book of Common-prayer and is he in all respects conformable to the Laws and Orders of the Church of England XV. HATH your Minister taken upon him to appoint any publick or private Fasts Prophecyings or Exercises not appointed by Authority or doth he or any other either Minister or Lay-person hold any Conventicles or Meetings in private houses within your Parish for people of several Families to resort unto under the pretence of Preaching Praying Thanksgiving or Humiliation contrary to the Laws and Canons in that case provided XVI IS your Parson Vicar Curate or Lecturer a man of a sover unblamable and exemplary life Doth he familiarly converse with ungodly vicious and Excommunicate persons Is he a frequenter of Taverns or Ale-houses a common Gamester a Swearer Railer or Quarreller Doth he set Neighbours at variance one with another or encourage them to Suits and Contention Is he noted to be an intemperate Drinker or vehemently suspected of Incontinencie with any persons either within your Parish or without Is his apparel grave and decent as the Canons of the Church require Or is his Carriage and Conversation in any kind whatsoever Disorderly or Scandalous and unbeseeming a Minister of Iesus Christ TIT. IV. Concerning the Parishioners I. IS there in your Parish any person a known or reputed Heretick or Schismatick any Papist Familist Anabaptist Quaker or other Sectarie that refuse to come unto the publick Assemblies Prayers or Services of the Church or that makes profession of any other Religion then what is established in the Church of England and if there be any such of what Sect are they and what are their Names II. IS there any person in your Parish that lieth under a common fame or vehement suspicion of Adultery Fornication or Incest Are there any common Drunkards within your Parish or common Swearers or blasphemers of Gods Name or any that are noted to be railers unclean or filthy talkers or sowers of sedition faction and discord amongst their neighbours III. DO any of your Parish upon Sundays or Holy-days follow their bodily or ordinary labour or permit their servants so to do Are any shops kept open or wares sold or do any Vintners Inn-keepers or other Victualers and sellers of Beer or Ale suffer any persons to tipple or game in their houses upon those days IV. DOTH every person inhabiting and so journing within your Parish duly resort unto your Church or Chappel upon every Sunday and Holy-day appointed for Divine Service Do they then and there abide quietly with Reverence Order and Decency during all the whole time of Common-Prayer Preaching or other Service of God there used and are there any among you that come only to the Preaching and not to the Common Prayers of the Church V. DOTH every person Reverently uncover his Head and so continue all the time of Divine Service in the Church Do they all Reverently Kneel at the Prayers and stand up when the Creed and Gospel are Read making due Reverence when the Name of our Lord Iesus is mentioned VI. ARE there any in your Parish that refuse to send their Infant children to be Baptized publickly in the Church unless in case of urgent danger in which case the Child may be Baptized at home by a lawful Minister after the Form and Rites appointed in the Liturgy Or do they send them from their own Minister to be Baptized in any other Parishes or after other Form then is appointed Or do they keep them unbaptized any longer time then the Church alloweth And are there any Infants or more aged persons in your Parish as yet unbaptized VII DOTH every Housholder in your Parish cause their children and servants to come to Church to learn their Catechism and to give an account thereof unto your Minister as he

shall require it of them openly in the Church upon Sundays and Holy-days as in the Book of Common-Prayer is appointed that when they are well Instructed in the same they may be confirmed by the Bishop VIII IS there any person in your Parish who being 16 years of age doth not receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper at least three times in the year of which Easter is always to be one Doth any in your Parish refuse to receive the same kneeling or from the hands of your own Minister repairing for it to other Parishes and Ministers abroad Or are there any strangers not of your Parish that forsake their own Churches and usually repair to yours for it IX HAVE you any among you that be denounced and declared Excommunicate for any crime committed How long have they been so Excommunicated And do any of your Parish keep society with them before they be reconciled to the Church and absolved X. ARE there any living in your Parish as man and wife who are within the degrees prohibited Or any that being lawfully divorced have married again Or any that being lawfully married and not separated or divorced by course of Law do not cohabit together XI ARE there any married women in your Parish who after their delivery from the peril of Child-birth refuse to make their publick thanksgiving to God in the Church And when they come so to do do they come decently apparelled make their offerings according to custom XII ARE there any belonging to your Parish who refuse to pay their dutie for Easter-Offerings to your Minister Or any that refuse to contribute and pay the rate assessed upon them for the repair of your Church or Chappel and for the providing of such Books Furniture and Ornaments as be requisite for the performance of all Divine Offices there Have you a Rate for the reparation of your Church confirmed by my Lord Bishop or his Ordinary XIII DO any refuse to bury their dead according to the Rites of the Church of England and are there any Wills or Testaments of persons dead in your Parish that be yet unproved Or any Goods administred without a due grant from the Ordinary Did any dying in your Parish or elsewhere leave any Legacy to your Church or Chappel or to the use of the poor or to any other pious and charitable purposes what were those Legacies and how have they been bestowed XIV IS there any strife and contention among any of your Parish for their Pews or Seats in your Church Have any new Pews been erected in your Chancel or in the Body of your Church or Chappel without leave from the Ordinary TIT. V. Concerning Parish-Clerks and Sextons I. HAVE you belonging to your Church or Chappelry a Parish Clerk aged 21 years at the least Is he of honest life and conversation and sufficient or able to perform his duty in reading writing and singing Is he chosen by your Minister and doth he duly attend him in all Divine Services at the Church Are his wages duly paid unto him or who withholdeth the same from him II. DOTH he or your Sexton if there be any such appointed in your Parish diligently look to the doors of your Church that they be locked and opened at due time And doth he keep your Church or Chappel clean from dust cobwebs and other annoyance Doth he toll or ring the Bells at the due accustomed hours before the beginning of Divine Service Morning and Evening that the people may be warned to come unto the Church And when any person is passing out of this life doth he upon notice given him thereof toll a Bell as hath been accustomed that the neighbours may thereby be warned to recommend the dying person to the grace and favour of God TIT. VI. Concerning Hospitals Schools School-masters Physicians Chirurgions and Midwives I. IS there in your Parish any Hospital Almes house or Free-School not of the Kings Foundation or Patronage Who was the Founder or is now the Patron thereof And what is the yearly Revenue or Stipend belonging to the Governors or Masters of the same Is the same ordered and governed in every respect as it ought to be and are the Revenues thereof rightly employed according to the intention of the Founder and of such grants and ordinances as have been made concerning the same II. DOTH any man keep a publick or private School in your Parish who is not allowed thereunto by the Bishop Doth your Schoolmaster teach his Scholars the Catechism of Religion set forth by Authority Doth he cause them upon Sundays and Holy-days orderly to repair to your Church or Chappel and see that they behave themselves there quietly and reverently during the time of Divine Service and Sermon III. DOTH any man in your Parish practice Physick or Chirurgery or any Woman take upon her to exercise the Office of a Midwife without approbation and license from the Ordinary TIT. VII Quaeries to be put to the Minister concerning the Church-wardens and Side-men I. ARE the Church-wardens of your Parish yearly and duly chosen by the joynt consent of the Minister and parishioners or one of them by the Minister and the other by the Parishioners II. HAVE the former and last Church-wardens given up their due Accompts to the parish and delivered up to the succeeding Churchwardens the moneys remaining in their hands together with all other things belonging to your Church or Chappel III. DO the Church-wardens and Side-men take diligent care and see who of the parishioners be absent from the Divine Service and Sermon in your Church or Chappel upon Sundays and Holy-days And if they find any of them to have absented themselves without a sufficient cause do they by warrant from some of the Iustices of Peace levy of them by way of distress upon their goods the sum of 12 pence for every such day of their absence according to the Act of Parliament in that case provided And do they distribute the several sums so levied among the poor of your Parish according to the Law IV. DO they present them that come late to Church after Divine Service is begun or depart before it be ended Do they suffer none to stand idle or talk together in the Church-porch or to walk in the Church or Church-yard during the time of Prayer Preaching or other Sacred Offices Do they take care and see that all Persons Excommunicated and so denounced be kept out of the Church V. DO they suffer no mis-behaviour or disorder to be done by Men Women or Servants or Children in your Church or Chappel Are they careful that none of them fit lean or lay their Hats upon the Communion-Table Do they permit no Minstrils no Morris-dauncers no Dogs Hawks or Hounds to be brought or come into your Church to the disturbance of the Congregation VI. DO they against every Communion appointed in your Church or Chappel provide a sufficient quantity of fine white Bread and of good Wine according to the number of Communicants VII DO they cause all Strangers that Preach in your Church or Chappel to subscribe their Names the same day in a Book provided for that purpose together with the name of the Bishop that Licensed them to Preach in this Diocess and do they permit no other to Preach VIII HAVE they the Church-wardens and Side-men now sworn to give in a true answer unto all these Articles of Enquiry in all their several Titles taken sufficient time to draw up their Presentments and therein consulted with you their Minister for your faithful assistance FOR know you assuredly That as the true discharging of your Office is the chief means whereby publick Disorders Sins and Offences in your Parish may be reformed and punished So if you wilfully refuse to present such crimes and faults as either you know to have been committed or otherwise have heard of by publick fame That in such cases the Bishop and his Officers are to proceed against you in their Ecclesiastical Courts as in Cases of wilful Omission and Perjury ¶ The Ministers of every Parish are desired to give in the Names of such of the Younger sort in their several Parishes as they shall think fit to receive Confirmation from the Bishop and to present them to the Bishop to be Confirmed Especially such as having competently learned their Chatechism and have not yet received the Holy Communion And every Person that is to be Confirmed is to have a God-father or God-mother as a witness at their Confirmation as is appointed by the Book of Common-Prayer WALTER OXON