dayes appointed to be observed by the Book of common-Common-Prayer as Wednesdayes and Fridayes and the Eves of every Sunday and Holy-day at fit and usual times And doth he duly observe the Orders Rites and Ceremonies prescribed in the said New Book of common-Common-Prayer as well in reading publick Prayers as the Letany as also in administring the Sacraments solemnization of Matrimony visiting the sick burying the dead Churching of women and all other the Rites and Offices of the Church in such manner and form as in the said Book of common-Common-Prayer he is injoyned without any omission or addition And doth he read the Book of the last Canons yearly and wear a Surpllice according to the said Canons 2. Doth your Minister bid Holy Dayes and Fasting dayes as by the Book of common-Common-Prayer is appointed And doth he give warning before-hand to the Parishioners for the receiving of the holy Communion as the two and twentieth Canon requireth and whether he doth administer the holy Communion so often and at such times as that every Parishioner may receive the same at the least thrice in every year whereof once at Easter as by the Book of Common-prayer is appointed And doth your Minister receive the same himself on every day that he administreth it to others and use the words of institution according to the Book at every time that the Bread and Wine is renewed accordingly as by the proviso of the 21 Canon is directed And doth he deliver the Bread and Wine to every Communicant severally and knéeling Whether he hath admitted to the holy Communion any notorious Offender or Schismatick contrary to the 26. and 27. constitutions or put any from the Communion who are not publikely infamous for any notorious crime Doth he use the sign of the Cross in Baptism or baptize in any bason or other Vessel and not in the usual Font or admit any Father to be God-father to his own child or such who have not received the holy Communion or baptize any children that were not born in the parish or wilfully refuse to baptize any Infant in his parish being in danger having been informed of the weakness of the said child and whether the Child dyeth through his default without Baptism 3. Whether hath your Minister married any without a Ring or without Banes published thrée several Sundayes or Holy-dayes in time of Divine Service in the several Churches or Chappels of their several abode according to the Book of Common-prayer or in times prohibited albeit the Banes were thrice published without a License or Dispensation from the Arch-bishop the Bishop of the Diocess or his Chancellor first obtained in that behalf Or not betwixt the hours of eight and twelve in the forenoon or have married any in any private house or if the parties be under the age of 21. years before their Parents or Governours have signified their consent unto them 4. Doth he refuse to bury any which ought to be interred in Christian burial or defer the same longer then he should or bury any in Christian buririal which by the constitutions of the Church of England or Laws of the Land ought not to be so interred 5. Is your Minister a Preacher allowed by licence from the Bishop 6. Doth your Minister being licensed preach usually according to the Canons either in his own Cure or in some other Church or Chappel near adjoyning where no other Preacher is and how often he hath been negligent in that behalf and doth Preach standing and with his hat off Or whether doth he or his Curate upon every Sunday when there is no Sermon read an Homily or some part thereof or Catechise the yongar sort according as he ought to do or in case he be not licensed to Preach doth he take upon him to Preach or expound the Scriptures in his own Cure or elsewhere If so then you are to present the same the time and place when and where he did it 7. Doth your Minister use to pray for the Kings Majesty King Charles and for the Queens Majesty and all the Royal Progeny with addition of such Stile and Titles as are due to their Hignesses and exhort the people to obedience to his Majesty and all Magistrates in authority under him And doth he also pray for all Arch-bishops Bishops and other Ecclesiastical persons 8. Is your Minister constantly resident unto his Benefice and how long time hath he béen absent and in case he be licensed to be absent whether doth he cause his Cure to be sufficiently supplyed according to the Canons Or in case he hath another Benefice whether doth he supply his absence by a Curate sufficiently licensed to preach in that Cure where he himself is not resident Or otherwise in case the smallness of the living cannot find a preaching Minister doth he preach at both his Benefices usually 9. Doth your Minister or Curate every Sunday or Holy day before Evening-Prayer for half an hour or more examine and instruct the youth and ignorant persons of his Parish in the ten Commandments Articles of the Belief and in the Lords Prayer and the Sacraments according as it is prescribed in the Catechism set forth in the book of Common-Prayer only And if he do not where is the fault either in the Parents and Masters of the children or in the Curare neglecting his duty And is he careful to tender all such youth of his Parish as have béen well instructed in their Catechism to be confirmed by the Bishop in his Visitation or any other convenient time as is appointed by the book aforesaid 10. Doth your Minister in the Rogation dayes go in perambulation of the circuit of the Parish saying and using the prayers suffrages and thanksgiving to God appointed by Law according to his duty thanking God for his blessings if there be plenty on the earth Or otherwise to pray for his grace and favour if there be a fear of scarcity 11. Hath your Minister admitted any Woman gotten with child in adultery or fornication to be Churched without license of the Ordinary 12. Hath your Minister or any other Preacher Baptized children Churched any Woman or Ministred the holy Communion in any private house otherwise then by Law is allowed 13. Doth your Minister carefully look to the relief of the poor and from time to time call upon his Parishoners to give somewhat as they can spare to godly and charitable uses especially when they make their Testaments 14. Doth your Minister use such decency and comliness in his apparel as by the 47 Canon is enjoyned is he of sober behaviour and one that doth not use such bodily labour as it is not séemly for his function and calling 15. When any person hath been dangerously sick in your Parish hath he neglected to visit him and when any have béen parting out of this life hath he omitted to do his last dury in that behalf 16. Doth your Minister Curate or Lecturer in his or their Sermons deliver such
doctrine as tends to obedience and the edifying of their Auditory in Faith and Religion without intermedling with matters of State not fit to be handled in the Pulpit but to be discussed by the wisdom of his Majesty and his Council And if you find any fault herein you shall present them School-Masters 1. DOth any in your Parish openly or privately take upon him to teach School without a license of the Ordinary and is he conformable to the Religion now established And doth he bring his Schollars to the Church to hear Divine Service and Sermons And doth he instruct his Schollars in in the grounds of the Religion now established in this Church of England and is he careful and diligent to benefit his Schollars in learning 2. Doth your School-master teach and instruct his youth in any other Catechism than is allowed by publick Authority And what Catechism is it that he so teacheth 3. Is any Living or means given towards the erection or maintenance of any School with-holden back or otherwise employed and by whom 4. Doth any kéep School in the Chancel or Church by which means that holy place and the Communion-Table are many wayes profaned and the windows broken Parish Clerks and Sextons 1. HAve you a fit Parish Clerk aged twenty years at least of honest conversation able to read and write Whether are his and the Sextons wages paid without fraud according to the custome of your Parish if not then by whom are they so defrauded and denyed by whom are they chosen and whether the said Clerk be approved by the Ordinary And hath he taken an Oath as in such cases is fit and required and is he diligent in his Office and serviceable to the Minister and doth he take upon him to meddle with any thing above his Office as Churching of Women burying the dead or such like 2. Doth your Clerk or Sexton kéep the Church clean the doors locked at fit times Is any thing lost or spoyled in the Church through his default Are the Communion-Table Font Books and other Ornaments of the Church kept fair and clean Doth he suffer any unseasonable Ringing or any prophane exercise in your Church Or doth he when any is passing out of this life neglect to toll a bell having notice thereof Concerning the Parishioners 1. VVHether any of your Parishioners being sixtéen years of age or upwards or others lodging or commonly resorting to any house within your Parish do absent themselves from your Parish Church upon Sundayes or Holydayes at Morning and Evening Prayer Or who come late to Church and depart from Church before Service be done upon the said dayes Or who do not reverently behave themselves during the time of Divine Service devoutly knéeling when the general confession of sins the Letany the ten Commandements and all Prayers and Coflects are read and standing up when the Articles of the Belief are read or who do cover their heads in the Church during the time of Divine Service unless it be in case of necessity in which case they may wear a Night-cap or Coife Or who do give themselves to babling talking or walking and are not attentive to hear the Word preached or read Whether any of your Parish being of sixtéen years of age and upwards do not receive the holy Communion in your Church thrice every year whereof once at Easter and whether you do not devoutly knéel at the receiving thereof And whether any having divers houses of remove do shift from place to place of purpose to defeat the performance of their Christian duties in that behalf 2. Whether any of your Parishioners being admonished thereof do not send their Children Servants and Apprentices to the Minister to be Catechized upon such Sundayes and Holydaies as are appointed Or whether any of them do refuse to come or if they come refuse to learn those instructions set forth in the Book of Common-Prayer 3. Whether any of your Parish do entertain within their house any sojourner common guests or other persons who refuse to frequent Divine Service or receive the holy Communion as aforesaid present their names their qualities or conditions 4. What Recusant Papists are there in your Parish or other Sectaries present their names qualities or conditions Whether they kéep any School-master in their house which commeth not to Church to hear Divine-Service and receive the Communion What is his Name and how long hath he taught there or elsewhere 5. Whether any of the said Popish Recusants or other Schismaticks do labour to seduce and with-draw other from the Religion now established Or instruct their families or children in Popish Religion or refuse to entertain any especially in place of greatest service or trust but such as concur with them in their opinions 6. How long have the said Popish Recusants abstained from Divine Service or from the Communion as aforesaid 7. Whether have you any in your Parish which heretofore being Popish Recusants or Sectaries have since reformed themselves and come to Church to hear Divine Service and receive the Sacraments If yea then who are they And how long since have they so reformed themselves And whether they still remain and abide in that conformity 8. 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 taking exception against him and what causes or exceptions do they alledge or have any married Wives refused to come to Church according to the Book of common-Common-Prayer to give God thanks after their child-birth for their safe deliverance And whether do any of or in your Parish refuse to have their children Baptized in your Parish Church according to the form prescribed in the Book of common-Common-Prayer 9. Do any of your Parish usually go to other parish-Parish-Churches to hear Divine Service or Sermons Or do they communicate or Baptize their Children in any other Parish 10. Whether there be any in your Parish who will come to hear the Sermon but will not come to publick prayers appointed by the Book of common-Common-Prayer making a Schism or division as it were betwéen the use of publick prayer and preaching 11. Hath any person in your Parish quarrelled or stricken or used any violence to your Minister or have stricken or quarrelled with any other person within your Church or Church-yard or demeaned himself disorderly in the Church by filthy or prophane talk or any other base or immodest behaviour Or hath disturbed the Minister in the time of Divine Service or Sermon or hath libelled or spoken slanderous words against your Minister to the scandal of his vocation or defamed any of his Neighbours touching any crime of Ecclesiastical Cognisance 12. Whether any person in your Parish do exercise any Trade or labour buy or sell or kéep open Shops or Ware-houses upon any Sunday by themselves their servants or Apprentices or have otherwise prophaned the said dayes contrary to the Orders of the Church of England And
ARTICLES Given by _____ and delivered to the Church-wardens to be considered and Answered in his Visitation holden in the year of our Lord God _____ Whereunto the said Church-wardens and Side-men are upon their Oaths to answer truly and particularly LONDON Printed for George Dawes at the Sign of the White Horse in Chancery Lane near Lincolns Inn. 1664. THe Minister and Church-wardens are to call unto them the Neighbours of the Parish and out of them to make choice according to the custome of the place of two of the discreetest Parishioners to be Side-men and they altogether are to read over these Articles divers times Then after they have duly considered of them they are to write their answer or presentment unto every Article particularly and truly according to their consciences Lastly they are all of them to bring their presentments to the Visitation and there the Church-wardens and Side-men upon their Oaths but the Ministers according to the Canon in that behalf are to deliver them up under their hands The Oath ministred to the Church-wardens and Sworn men YOu shall swear that all affection favour hatred hope of reward and gain or fear of displeasure or malice set aside You shall upon due consideration of the Articles given you in charge present all and every such person of or within your Parish as hath committed any offence or fault or made any default mentioned in these or any of these Articles Or which are vehemently suspected and defamed of any such offence or default wherein you shall deal uprightly and according to truth neither of malice presenting any contrary to truth nor of corrupt affection sparing to present any and so conceal the truth Having in this action God before your eyes with an earnest zeal to maintain truth and to suppress vice So help you God and by the Contents of this Book Concerning the Church the Ornaments thereof and the Churches Possessions IMprimis Whether have you in your several Churches and Chappels the whole Bible of the largest volume and newest Translation and the Book of Common-Prayer lately set forth by Act of Parliament both fairly and substantially bound A font of stone set up in the antient usual place A convenient and decent Communion Table with a Carpet of silk or some other decent stuff continually laid upon the same at time of Divine Service and a fair linnen cloth thereon at the time of receiving of the holy Communion And whether is the same Table placed in such convenient sort within the Chancel or Church as that the Minister may be best heard in his Prayer and Administration and that the greatest number may communicate And whether it is so used out of time of Divine Service as is not agréeable to the holy use of it as by sitting on it throwing hats on it writing on it or is it abused to other prophaner uses and are the ten Commandments set upon the East-end of your Church or Chappel where the people may best see and read them and other sentences of holy Scripture written on the walls likewise for that purpose 2. Whether you have in your said Church or Chappel a convenient seat for your Minister to read Service in together with a compleat Pulpit set up in a convenient place with a decent cloth or cushion for the same a comely large Surplice a fair Communion-cup with a Flagon of Silver Tinn or Pewter to put the Wine in whereby it may be set upon the Communion Table at the time of the blessing thereof with all other things and ornaments necessary for the celebration of Divine Service and administration of the Sacraments And whether have you a strong Chest for Almes for the poor with thrée Locks and Keyes and another Chest for keeping the Books and Ornaments of the Church and the Register Book And whether have you a Register Book in Parchment for Christnings Weddings and Burials and whether the same be kept in all points according to the Canons in that behalf provided And is the Mothers Christian name therein Registred as well as the Fathers and a transcript thereof brought in yearly within one month after the 25. of March unto the Lord Arch-bishop or Bishop of the Diocess his principal Register And whether have you in your Church or Chappel a Table set of the degrées wherein by Law men are prohibited to marry 3. Whether are your Church and Chappels with the Chancells thereof and your Parsonage or Vicarage-house your Almes-house and Church-house in good reparations and are they imployed to godly and their right holy uses Is you Church Chancel and Chappel decently and comely kept as well within as without and the seats well maintained according to the 85. Canon in that behalf provided Or have any Patrons or others decayed the Parsonage houses or kéep a stipendary Priest or Curate in place where an Incumbent should be possessed Whether is your Church-yard well fenced with walls railes or pales and by whom and if not in whose default the same is and what the defect or fault is And whether any persons incroached upon the Ground of the Church-yard or whether any person or persons have used any thing or place consecrated to holy use prophanely or wickedly 4. Is your Church or Chappel decently paved and is your Church-yard well and orderly kept without abuse Are the bones of the dead decently interred or laid up in some fit place as beséemeth Christians And is the whole consecrated ground kept from Swine and all other nastiness as becometh the place so dedicated 5. Whether have you the Terrier of all the Gleab-land Medowes Gardens Orchards Houses Stocks Implements Tenements and portions of Tythes whether within your Parish or without belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage taken by the view of honest men in your said Parish And whether the said Terrier be laid up in the Bishops Registry and in whose hands any of them are now And if you have no Terrier already made in Parchment you the Church-wardens and Side-men together with your Parson or Vicar or in his absence with your Minister are to make diligent inquiry and presentment of the several particulars following and make subscribe and sign the said Terrier as aforesaid 1. How many several parcels of Gleab-land do you know or have you credibly heard to belong unto your Rectory Church Parsonage Vicarage c. and by what names are they or any of them commonly called and known And what yearly Rent have you known or heard to have been paid unto the Parson Vicar or to his or their assigns for every or any of the said parcels 2. In whose occupation are the said parcells at this present How much doth each parcel contain by measure of the 16. foot pole How is each parcel Butted on every part And who is to repair the Fences on each side thereof Concerning the Clergy WHether doth your Parson Vicar or Curate distinctly and reverently say Divine Service upon Sundayes and Holy-dayes and other holy
whether there be any Inn-kéepers Ale-house-kéepers Victuallers or other persons that permit any persons in their Houses to eat drink or play during the time of Divine Service or Sermon or reading the Homilies in the forenoon or afternoon upon those dayes 13. Whether the fifâ—h day of November be kept holy and thanksgiving made to God for his Majesties and this States happy deliverance according to the Ordinance in that behalf And the 30th of January be kept as a day of humiliation for the murthering of King Charles the Martyr 14. Whether any of your Parish hold or frequent any Conventicles or private Congregations or make or maintain any constitutions agréed upon in any such Assemblies Or any that do write or publickly or privately speak against the Book of Common-Prayer or any thing therein contained or against any of the Articles of Religion agréed upon in Anno 1562. or against the Kings Supremacy in causes Ecclesiastical or against the Oath of Supremacy or of Allegiance pretending the same to be unlawful and not warrantable by the Word of God Or against any of the Rites or Ceremonies of the Church of England now established Or against the Government of the Church of England under the Kings most Excellent Majesty by Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans Arch-Deacons and other Officers of the same affirming that the same is repugnant to the Word of God and that the said Ecclesiastical Officers are not lawfully ordained Or whether there be any Authors Maintainers or Favourers of Heresie or Schism or that be suspected to be Anabaptists Libertines Brownists of the Family of Love or any other Heresie or Schism present their names 15. Whether any in your Parish have married within the degrées by Law prohibited and where and by whom And whether any couple in your Parish being lawfully married live apart one from the other without due separation by the Law or any that have béen divorced which kéep company with any other at Bed or at Boord 16. Whether do any persons administer the goods of the dead without lawful authority or suppress the last Will of the dead Or are there in your Parish any Wills not yet proved or goods of the dead dying intestate left unadministred by authority in that behalf You shall not fail to present the Executors and all other faulty therein 17. Whether any with-hold the Stock of the Church or any goods or other things given to good and charitable uses 18. Whether your Hospitals and Alms-houses and other such houses and Corporations founded to good and charitable uses and the Lands Possessions and Goods of the same be ordered and disposed of as they should be And do the Masters Governours Fellows and others of the said Houses and Corporations behave and demean themselves according to the Ordinances and Statutes of their several foundations 19. Whether have you any in your Parish to your knowledge or by common fame or report which have committed Adultery Fornication or Incest or any which hath impudently bragged or boasted that he or they have lived incontinently with any person or persons whatsoever or any have attempted the chastitie of any Woman or solicited any Woman to have the carnal knowledge of her body or which are commonly reputed to be common Drunkards Blasphemers of Gods holy Name common Swearers common Slanderers of their Neighbors and sowers of Discord filthy and lascivious Talkers Vsurpers Symonical Persons Bawds or Harborers of Women with child which be unmarried or conveying or suffering them to go away before they have made satisfaction to the Church or any that have heretofore béen presented or suspected of any the aforesaid crimes have for that cause departed the Parish and are not returned again or any which have used any Inchantments Sorceries Incantations or Witchcrafts which are not made Felony by the Statutes of this Realm or any which have committed any perjury in any Ecclesiastical Court in an Ecclesiastical cause or which have committed any forgery punishable by the Ecclesiastical Laws and the procurors and abettors of the said offences you shall truly present the names of all and singular the said offendors and with whom they have committed the said offences in case they have not béen publickly punished to your knowledge for the said crimes Physitians Chirurgions and Midwives HOw many Physitians Chirurgions or Midwives have you in your Parish How long have they used their several Sciences or Offices and by what authority And how have they demeaned themselves therein and of what skill are they accounted to be in their profession And whether have they license from the Ordinary or Chancellor for to practice Touching the Church-Wardens and Side-men 1. VVHether you and the Church-wardens Quest-men or Side-men from time to time do and have done their diligence in not suffering any idle person to abide either in the Church-yard or Church-porch in Service or Sermon-time but causing them either to come into the Church to hear Divine Service or to depart and not disturb such as be hearers there And whether they have and you do diligently sée the Parishoners duly resort to the Church every Sunday and Holiday and there to remain during Divine Service and Sermon And whether you or your predecessors Church-wardens there suffer any playes feasts drinkings or any other prophane usages to be kept in your Church Chappel or Church-yards or have suffered to your and their uttermost power and endeavour any person or persons to lie tipling or drinking in any Inn or Victualling-house in your Parish during the time of Divine Service or Sermon on Sundayes and Holydaies 2. Whether and how often have you admitted any to preach within your Church or Chappel which was not sufficiently licensed And whether you together with your Minister have not taken diligent héed and care that every Parishioner being of sixtéen years of age or upwards have received thrice every year as aforesaid and also that no stranger have usually come to your Church from their own Parish-Church 3. Whether have there béen provided against every Communion a sufficient quantity of fine white bread and good and wholesome wine for the Communicants that shall receive And whether that wine be brought in a clean and swéet standing pot of pewter or of other purer mettal 4. Whether were you chosen by the consent of the Minister and the Parishioners And have the late Church-wardens given up a just account for their time and delivered to their successors by Bill indented the money and other things belonging to the Church which was in their hands And are the Almes of the Church faithfully distributed to the use of the poor 5. Whether do you sée the names of all Preachers which are strangers and preach in your parish-Parish-Churches to be noted in a book for that purpose and whether every Preacher do subscribe his name and of whom he had his License 6. Whether any man do trouble or molest you for doing your duties 7. Whether there be any Legacies withholden given to the Church or poor people or to the mending of High-waies or otherwise by the Testators In whose hands it is by whom it was given and by whom it is withholden 8. Do you know any thing that hath béen complained of that is not redressed FINIS