bee there any that perswade others to forbeare and abstaine comming to their parish Church to heare Divine Service and to receive the holy Communion according to his Majesties Law in that behalfe enacted 3. Item whether be there any in your parish that hath beene or is vehemently suspected to have been present at any unlawfull assemblies conventicles or meetings under colour or pretence of any exercise of Religion or doth any affirme or maintaine such meetings to be lawfull 4. Item whether be there any within your parish that deny or perswade any to deny or impugne the Kings Majesties authority and supremacy in causes Ecclesiasticall 5. Item whether be there any abiding or resorting to your parish that be or are commonly reputed or taken to be ill affected in matters of Religion professed in our Church or taken to be Recusant papists refusing to repaire to Church to heare Divine Service and receive the holy Communion and disobedient to his Highnesse lawes in that behalfe established present their names qualities and conditions Doth any papist keepe a Schoole-master in his house which repaireth not to your parish Church as is required what is his name and how long hath he so taught there or elsewhere 6. Item is there any in your parish who in the manner of preaching hath taken upon him to repeat any Sermon in any privat house in any assembling or meeting together of people Articles concerning publique Praier and administration of the Sacraments Tit. 4. FIrst whether any of your parish hath spoken or declared anything in derogation or depraving of the forme of Gods Worship in the Church of England and administration of the Sacraments rites ceremonies set forth and prescribed in the Booke of Common prayer by the Kings Majesty authorized and confirmed Do any preach speake or declare that it containeth any thing which is not agreeable to the holy Scriptures 2. Item whether hath any in your parish caused procured or maintained any Minister to say any common or publique prayer or to administer either of the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper otherwise or in any other manner and forme than is mentioned in the said Booke of Common prayer or whether hath any interrupted hindred let or disturbed the Minister to reade divine service administer the Sacraments in such maner and forme as is mentioned in the said booke or interrupted him in his sermons 3. Item whether is the Sacrament of Baptisme rightly and duely administred according to the prescript forme expressed in the Booke of Common Prayer with due observation of all rites and Ceremonies prescribed in the administration of the same without adding or altering any part or parcell of any prayers interrogatories or not using the signe of the Crosse in the administration of the same 4. Item whether is the administration of the Sacrament of Baptisme deferred longer than the next Sunday or Holy-day immediatly following the birth of the childe 5. Item whether is the Sacrament of Baptisme 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 offered unto him to be baptized or have any such children dyed unbaptized 6. Item whether be the parents of any childe to be baptized admitted to be God-fathers and God-mothers to the same 7. Item whether have there any children been baptized in privat houses by any Lay person or Midwife or popish Priest or by any other Minister without urgent occasion when the childe was in danger of death 8. Item whether have the children which have been borne to any popish Recusants or begotten by them beene publiquely baptized in your Parish Church by your Parson Vicar or Curate or by whom were they so baptized or where to your knowledge 9. Item whether hath the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper beene duly and reverently administred every moneth or thrice every yeare at least whereof once at Easter within your Parish Church to every Parishioner being of the age of 16 yeares or upwards 10. Item whether is the said holy Sacrament delivered unto or received by any of the Communicants within your Parish that unreverently sit or stand and do not devoutly and humbly kneele upon their knees at the time of the administration of the same 11. Item whether have any excommunicate persons or Schismatickes common and notorious depravers of the Religion and government of this Realme without unfained sorrow shewn for their impiety and wickednesse been admitted to receive the holy Communion within your Parish present their names 12. Item whether hath any of your Parish been debarred from receiving the said holy Communion without just cause and without intimation first given to the Ordinary viz. the Bishop of the Diocese Chancellor or Commissary and by whose default 13. Item whether hath any affirmed that any of the 39. Articles agreed upon by the Archbishop and Bishops in the yeare of our Lord God 1562. for the avoiding of diversities of opinions are in any part superstitious or erroneous or such as he may not with a good conscience subscribe unto Articles concerning Ministers and Preachers Tit. â— FIrst whether doth your Minister distinctly and reverently say Divine service upon Sundaies and Holy-daies and other dayes appointed to bee observed by the Booke of Common Praiers at fit and usuall houres of the day and doth your Minister duly observe the Orders Rites and Ceremonies prescribed in the Booke of Common Prayer as well in reading all publique Prayers the Letany as also in administring of the Sacraments solemnization of Matrimony visitation of the sick burying the dead churching of women and all other like Rites and Offices of the Church in such manner and forme as in the said Booke of Common Prayer is injoyned without any omission or addition of any thing 2. Item whether doth your Minister alwayes viz. every Sunday and Holy-day both Morning and Evening reading Divine Service administring the Sacraments and other Rites of the Church weare the Surplesse according to the Canons and doth he never omit the wearing thereof at the times aforesaid if at any time he have omitted specifie the times 3. Item whether doth your Minister bid Holy-dayes and fasting dayes as is appointed Doth he administer the holy communion every moneth or thrice in the yeare at least whereof once at Easter to every parishioner doth he receive the same himselfe on every day that he doth administer the same to others and doth he use the words of institution according to the Book of Common Prayer without alteration at every time that the Bread Wine is renewed doth he use and never omit the Signe of the Crosse in Baptisme or doth he ever baptize in any bason or any other thing but the usuall Font If yea then is the bason set within the Font and doth hee baptize out of the same bason standing in the Font Doth he marry any couple without a ring or in times prohibited or without
ARTICLES TO BE ENQVIRED OF IN THE ORDINARY VISITATION OF THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL MASTER DOCTOR PEARSON Archdeacon of Suffolke Anno Domini 1637. F K PAX OPVLENTIAM SAPIENTIA PACEM LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kingston 1627 The Tenor of the Oath of the Church-wardens and Sworne-men YOu shall sweare that after due consideration had of these articles given you now in charge that you will diligently enquire and true presentment make of all and every such Person of or within your Parish which you shall know to have committed any offence or omitted any duty mentioned in the said Articles or which are publiquely defamed or vehemently suspected of any such offence or negligence So helpe you God by the Contents of the holy Gospell Answere distinctly and severally to every Article The Minister be he Parson Vicar Lecturer Preacher or Curate may ioyne with the Sworne-men in their Presentments and he is to informe the Ordinary under his hand of such faults as the Sworne-men shall leave unpresented It is lawfull for the Minister alone or for the Sworne Officers to present as often as occasion requireth and it is meet that notorious offences should in due time be presented and punished ARTICLES TO BE ENQVIRED OF BY THE CHVRCHWARDENS AND QUESTMEN IN THE ordinary Visitation of the right Worshipfull M. ROBERT PEARSON Doctor of Divinity and Arch-Deacon of Suffolke or his Officiall Anno Dom. 1637 Articles concerning the Church the Ornaments thereof and the Churches Possessions Tit. 1. FIrst whether have you in your Church or Chappell the whole Bible of the largest Volume and of the last Translation the Booke of Common Prayer lately set forth by his Majesties authority the two Bookes of Homilies and Bishop Iewels Apology all well and fairely bound a Font of stone set up in the antientusuall place with a hole in the bottome of it to convey away the water a convenient and decent Communion Table with a Carpet of silke or some other decent stuffe continually laid upon the Table at time of Divine Service and a faire linnen cloth at the time of administring the holy Communion and whether is the same Table placed conveniently as it ought and whether is it so used in or out of the time of Divine Service or Sermon as is not agreeable to the holy use of it as by sitting on it or throwing hats thereon or is it abused by any other prophane uses Are the ten Commandements set up on the East end of your parish Church with other sentences of Scripture about them 2 Item whether have you in your Church or Chappell a convenient feat for your Minister to reade Divine 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 and faire Surplesse a faire Communion cup a Flagon of Silver or pewter with all other things and ornaments fit and necessary for the celebration of Divine Service and administration of the sacraments And whether have you a Chest for almes with the lockes and keys and another chest for keeping the Books and ornaments of the Church the register Book and have you a Register Booke in Parchment for Christenings Weddings and Burials and is the same kept in all points according to the Canons and have you a Table set in your Church of the degrees wherein by Law men are prohibited to marry 3. Item whether is your Church or Chappell with the Chancell therof and all your Parsonage or Vicarage houses in good reparations and are they imployed to godly and their right holy uses if any of them be ruinated and wasted in whom is the default Is your Church or Chappell or Chancell decently and comely kept as well within as without and are the seates well maintained the windowes well glazed the floore kept paved plaine and even and all things in decent sort without dust or any thing that is either noisome or unseemly for the house of God as is prescribed in a Homily to that effect and the 85. Canon 4. Item whether be your Church-yard well fenced and kept without abuse If not whose default is it Hath any person incroched upon the ground of the Church-yard have any used a place consecrated to holy use prophanely or wickedly have any quarrelled or stricken another in the Church or Church-yard have any annoyed your Church-yard or the fence thereof by putting in of cattell by hanging of clothes or by laying there any dust dung or other filthinesse 5. Item what Legacies have bin given to the use and benefit of your Church how they have been bestowed who received them and detaineth them without due imployment Doth any detaine or embezell any of the Church goods or any other gifts given to charitable uses 6. Item whether is there any erecting of pues or minuating of seates in your Church by any privat man of his owne authority and what seats have been so built and by whose procurement and by what authority 7. Item whether hath any popish Recusant being lawfully excommunicated beene interred or buried in the Church or Church-yard before absolution of the censure and excommunication if yea then by whom when Articles touching the Steeple Tit. 2. FIrst have you a Steeple belonging unto your Church and is it well covered with lead or some other good and sufficient tecture are the walls thereof in sufficient reparations 2. Item how many Bels have you in your Steeple and of what weight are they and are they all wel hanged up in frames in the Steeple have they good ropes belonging to them wherewith to ring them and are they tuneable 3. Item are the frames and wheels of the said Bels sound and strong are the planchers of your steeple good not broken and are there a good paire of stairs or good ladders wherwith to go up readily into the said steeple 4. Item whether have any of your Bels within this twenty yeres or more last past been alienated or sold If yea by whom and to whom and of what weight were the said Bels and of what value by common estimation 5. Item have your Bels or any of them been made lesse upon the last yoating of them If yea by whose default and what is become of the metall that was so saved out of them Articles concerning Religion and Doctrine Tit. 3. FIrst whether there be any abiding in or resorting to your parish that have or doe maintaine or defend any heresies errours or false opinions contrary to the faith of Christ and the holy Scripture 2. Item whether doth any in your parish being sixteene yeares of age and upwards or others lodging or commonly resorting to any house in your parish absent themselves from the parish Church Chappell or Oratory upon Sundayes and Holy daies and other dayes appointed at morning and Evening prayer Or what person doth usually come late to Church or depart from Church before Divine Service Sermon be ended Or whether
the Banes three times published without a speciall licence from the Archbishop or the Bishop of the Diocesse or his Chancellour or Commissary first had and attained 4. Item whether doth your Minister being learned sufficient confer with the popish Recusants of your parish if any there be endevour to reclaime them from their errors and present them being obstinat for their recusancy 5. Item whether doth your Minister in the Rogation weeke goe the perambulation of the circuit and bounds of your Parish saying and using the praiers and suffrages thanksgiving to God appointed by law according to his duty And did he give warning the Sunday before when the Parishioners should meet to go 6. Item hath your Minister or any other Preacher within your parish made any Sermons in any private house administred the Sacraments or churched women in any private houses otherwise than by law is allowed 7. Item what Preachers and Curates do reade prayers or administer the Sacraments within your parish without lawfull licence from the Bishop of the diocese his chancellor or commissary or doth any Lay man not having holy Orders presume to reade publique prayers in the Church 8. Item whether have you any Preacher or Lecturer in your parish If yea whether doth he twice at the least every yeare reade himselfe Divine Service both Morning and Evening two severall Sundaies publiquely in his Surplesse and also twice in every yeare administer both the Sacraments with such rites and ceremonies as are prescribed in the Booke of Common Prayer according to the 46. Canon 9. Item whether is your Parson Vicar Curate or Preacher given to drunkennesse or idlenesse of life a hunter of Tavernes Alehouses or suspected places a Dicer Carder Tabler Swearer given to base and servile labour or otherwise giveth any ill example of life 10. Item whether is the Parson Vicar Curate or Preacher of any other Parish knowne to be a frequenter of Tavernes Innes Alehouses which are situated within your own or any other Parish Or is he publiquely defamed of such resorting and frequenting as is aforesaid 11. Item whether doth your Parson Vicar or Curate upon every Sunday and Holy day before Evening Prayer halfe an houre or more examine and instruct the youth and ignorant persons of his parish in the Commandements the Articles of Beliefe and in the Lords prayer And doth he usually upon the said daies diligently heare instruct teach them the Catechisme set forth in the Booke of Common prayer and none other 12. Item whether have your Preachers Readers of Divinity Lectures declared foure times at the least every yeare in their Sermons or other collations and Lectures that all usurped and forreigne power is for most just causes taken away and abolished that therefore no manner of obedience or subjection within his Majesties Realms is due unto any forreigne power 13. Item whether have your Ministers used continually before their Sermons and Lectures the forme of prayer prescribed in the 55. Canon especially in praying for the Kings Majesty and the Archbishops and Bishops and in ending with the Lords prayer 14. Item whether hath your Minister after that he had received any letters of Excommunication under the seale of an Ecclesiasticall Iudge suffered the party excommunicated to abide in the Church or Chancell in the time of Divine Service or Sermon 15. Item whether hath your Minister in any of his sermons or Lectures preached against any of the ceremonies cōmanded to be used by the Church of England or hath so preached against ceremonies in generall that by common acceptation at the least of the weaker his words might be taken to tend to the depraving of the ceremonies established by the Church of England 16. Item whether hath any one in his Sermon or Lecture declared limited or bounded out by way of positive Doctrine the power prerogative authority and duties of Soveraigne princes or otherwise intermedled with matters of State 17. Item whether hath any Preacher in his Sermon used any undecent rayling speeches or bitter invectives against the person of either Papist or Puritanes 18. Item whether hath your Minister when a dead body is brought to be buried met the corps at the Church doore and when the corps was making ready to be laid into the earth Hath he stood by the grave or hath he read the Praiers or Psalmes appointed to be read by the Booke of Common prayer standing or sitting in his Deske 19. Item whether hath your Minister churched any woman but when he himselfe stood by the Communion Table and she kneeled downe by the said Table or neere unto it Articles concerning Matrimony Tit. 6. FIrst whether be there any in your Parish that have married within the degrees of Consanguinity or Affinity by the Law of God forbidden and what be their names 2. Item whether have any within your Parish beene married secretly in private houses or without their parents or governors consent signified being under the age of 21. yeares 3. Item whether do any married Couples live asunder unlawfully and do not cohabit together as becommeth Man and wife And if yea what bee their names and in whom is the default 4. Item whether any persons the banes not thrice published in the Church have been married without licence who were present at such Marriage and what Minister married them 5. Item what popish Recusants or their children have bin married within your parish in what sort was their matrimony solemnized whē by whom 6. Item whether have there been any persons married in your Church in the times prohibited by the Lawes viz. from Advent Sunday untill eight dayes after the Epiphany from Septuagesima untill eight dayes after Easter day from three dayes before the Ascension untill Trinity Sunday without a lawfull licence or dispensation first obtained from the Bishop of the diocese his Chancellor or Commissary 7. Item whether hath the Minister said all the Praiers Psalmes appointed to be said by the Booke of Common Praier at the time of the solemnization of Marriage and hath the Minister standing by the Lords Table the married couple kneeling before the same said those praiers which follow next after the Psalm Deus miserere and hath he omitted any part of them if yea then specifie the parties betweene whom marriage was solemnized and the time when the minister did omit any part of his said duty therein Articles concerning the keeping of Christenings Weddings and Burials Tit 7. FIrst is there in your parish Church or Chappell a parchment Booke for the Registring of Christenings Weddings and Burials 2. Item hath the said booke been kept in your parish Church or Chappell in a Coffer with three lockes and keies and hath one of the said keies beene kept by the Minister and the other two with the Church-wardens severally 3. Item hath the Minister without the Church-wardens or have the Church-wardens without the Minister at any time taken out the said Book out of the
said Coffer or hath the Minister kept the said Booke in his privat house 4. Item hath your Minister in the presence of the Church-wardens upon every Sabbath day immediatly after Morning or Evening Prayer written and recorded in the said Book the names of all persons Christened together with the names and sirnames of their parents and also the names of all persons married and buried in that parish in the weeke before Articles concerning Schoolemasters Tit. 8. FIrst doth any in your parish openly or privatly take upon him to teach schoole without licence of the Ordinary and is he conformable to the religion now established and doth he bring his Schollers to the Church to heare Divine Service and Sermons and doth he instruct his Schollers in the grounds of the Religion now established in the Church of England and is he carefull and diligent to benefit his Schollers in learning 2. Item doth your Schoole-master teach and instruct his youth in any Catechisme than is allowed by publique Authority and what Catechisme it is that he so teacheth 3. Item doth any keepe Schoole in the Chauncell or Church by which meanes that holy place and the Communion Table are many waies profaned and the windowes broken Articles concerning the Parishioners Tit. 9. FIrst whether doe any of your Parish or any other that hath resorted or doth resort to your parish prophane the Sabbath day or Holy-dayes by drinking and tipling in Iunes or Ale-houses or by playing at unlawfull games 2. Item is there any in your parish that doe impugne or speak against the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England or the lawfull use of them and the governement of this Church under his Majesty by Arch-bishops Bishops and other Ecclesiasticall Officers 3. Item who in your parish do come to the Sermon onely and not to divine Service and who do not reverently behave themselves during the time of Divine Service kneeling when the generall confession of sinnes the Letany the ten Commandements and all praiers and Collects are read and using all due and lowly reverence when the blessed name of the Lord Iesus is mentioned in the time of Divine Service standing up when the Articles of the beleefe and the Gospell are read And who do cover their heads in time of Divine service unlesse it be in case of necessity in which case they may weare a night cap And who do give themselves to babbling talking or walking and are not attentive to heare the Word read and preached 4. Item is there any in your parish that refuse to have their children baptized or themselves to receive the Communion of your Minister taking exception against him because he is no preacher Or have any wives refused to come to Church to give thankes to God for their safe deliverance in a decent habit with a rayle as hath been anciently accustomed 5. Item have any of your parish spoken slanderous and reprochful words against your Minister to the scandal of his vocation or against their marriage or wives or defaming him touching any crime of Ecclesiastical cognizance 6. Item whether do any in your parish exercise any trade or labour buy or sell or keepe open their shops or set out any wares to be sold upon Sundaies and Holy-dayes by themselves their servants or apprentises or have otherwise prophaned the Sunday or Holy-dayes 7. Item is there any in your parish that be or are commonly knowne or reputed to be blasphemers of Gods holy Name or accustomed swearers or to use any ribaldry in their talke or be drunkards adulterers fornicators incestuous persons And have any been detected of any such notorious crimes and offences and whether have they done penance for the same 8. Item is there any in your parish who is publiquely defamed or vehemently suspected of getting his or their wives with childe before Marriage 9. Item whether have any persons dyed within your parish whose Will and Testament if any were made is not proved or administration of their goods taken according to law and whether is there any in your parish who do administer the goods of any person deceased without lawfull authority and before he or they have proved the Will and Testament of the party deceased or have obtained Commission from the Ordinary viz. the Bishops Chancellor or Commissary to dispose the said moveable goods 10. Item what excommunicate persons be within your parish and for what causes are they excommunicate to your knowledge And whether do any such excommunicate persons repaire to your parish Church in time of Divine service or sermon not being absolved 11. Item if there be any persons excommunicate within your parish which is made notorious by denouncing them excommunicate in the face of the Church who and what person and persons do keepe or frequent their company eat or drinke or have any thing to do with any such excommunicate person present their names for it is not lawfull for them so to doe so long as they remaine under the sentence of excommunication 12. Item whether do all Fathers Mothers Masters and Mistresses cause their Children Servants and Apprentises both males females which have not learned their Catechisme to come to the Church upon Sundayes and Holy-daies before Evening Prayer obediently to heare and to be ordered by the Minister untill they have learned the same 13. Item is there any House-holder within your parish that doth not duly goe in perambulation with the Minister and the rest of the parishioners the circuit and bounds of your parish What are the names of such as made or suffered default to be made therein 14. Item do the old Church-wardens or any other persons that were Church-wardens retaine any goods belonging to the Church and have not made the just account of their receits and expences about the executing of their office 15. Item what person or persons is or are chosen Chuch-warden or Church-wardens of your parish for this yere 1637 and when were they so chosen and by whom 16. Item whether is there a Booke in your Parish wherein the name of every strange Preacher that preacheth in your parish should subscribe his name the day when he preached and the name of the Bishop of whom hee had licence to preach whether hath every Preacher that was a stranger so subscribed before he preached in your Church 17. Item whether doth not every one dwelling within your Parish observe all those days for fasting daies which are appointed by a statute made in the fifth and sixth yeare of Edw. 6. or shall eat flesh upon those dayes 18. Item whether you the Church-wardens and Assistants have according to the 28. Canon marked whether all and every of your parishioners in your parish come so often every yere to the holy Communion as the law and his Majesties Constitutions Ecclesiasticall do require And whether any stranger have come often commonly from other parishes to your church and whether have you shewed your Minister of them least they should bee admitted there to the Lords table and whether such person or persons have been forbidden and remitted home to his or their own parish church there to receive the communion or hath he or they notwithstanding received the same in your Church Declare their names and who admitted them thereunto 19. Item whether do the people say audibly with the Minister the Confession the Lords Praier and the Creed and make such other answers to the publique Praiers as are appointed in the Book of Common Praiers or who faileth therein 20. Item whether hath any one in your Parish answered as God-father for his owne childe Or hath any been a Godfather or God-mother before he or she have received the holy Communion Declare their names 21. Item whether there be any married women in your parish who after Childe-birth have refused to come to the Church to give God thanks for their safe deliverance and to have the praiers publiquely appointed on that behalfe by the Booke of Common prayer to be used 22. Item whether hath any woman been churched sitting in her seat and not kneeling downe in some covenient place nigh unto the place where the Communion Table standeth 23. Item How many have you in your parish that do practise as Physicians or Chirurgians and by what authority specifie their severall names FINIS