Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	common_a	minister_n	prayer_n	5,723	5	6.5785	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79647	Articles of visitation and enquiry concerning matters ecclesiastical, exhibited to the ministers, church-wardens, and side-men of every parish within the Diocess of VVorchester, in the episcopal visitation of the Right Reverend Father in God VValter by divine permission Lord Bishop of Worcester.	Church of England. Diocese of Worcester. Bishop (1671-1675 : Blandford); Blandford, Walter, 1619-1675.	1674 (1674)	Wing C4091bA; ESTC R173916	6,977	12

ARTICLES OF VISITATION and ENQUIRY Concerning Matters ECCLESIASTICAL EXHIBITED To the Ministers Church-Wardens and Side-men of every Parish within the Diocess of VVORCESTER IN THE Episcopal Visitation Of the Right Reverend Father in God VVALTER By Divine Permission Lord Bishop of WORCESTER OXFORD Printed by L. LICHFIELD Printer to the Vniversity Anno Domini 1674. Bibliography THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE HENRY STEVENS of Vermont FSA c. 4 Trafalgar Square London 1882 The Tenor of the Oath to be tendered to the Church-Wardens and Side-men of every Parish in the Diocess of WORCESTER YOU shall Swear after diligent enquiry to make a true answer according to your knowledge unto the Articles in this Book now given you in charge and to present such of your Parish as are Offenders therein contrary to the duty they owe to God and the Lawes Ecclesiastical And this you shall do as in the sight of God uprightly and truly So help you God ARTICLES of Visitation and Enquiry within the Diocess of WORCESTER TIT. I. Concerning Churches and Chappels with the Ornaments and Furniture thereunto belonging I. IS your Parish Church or Chappel kept in good repair in all parts of it with such cleanliness decency and order as becometh a house dedicated to the publick worship and service of God II. Hath any thing belonging to them as Bells Lead c. been sold or embezelled When and by whom III. Is there a Font of Stone with a good Cover to it standing in a convenient place towards the lower part of your Church for the Administration of Baptisme And is there in your Chancell a decent Communion Table with a fair Carper of Silk or fine Cloath with another of Fine Linnen to spread thereon at the Administration of the Lords Supper And have you a fair Communion Cup or Chalice with a Cover of Silver and one or more Flagons of Silver or Pewter belonging to that Service IIII. 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 Cloath 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 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 and other Ornaments for your Minister according to his Degree to wear in his publick Administrations for outward decency and distinction VI. Have you a book of Parchment wherein are Registred the names of all such persons as are Married Christened and Buried within your Parish And is the Transcript thereof yearly within a moneth next after the 25th of March brought into the Bishops Registry VII Have you likewise another book of Paper wherein to record 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 writ down the Church-wardens Accounts and such summes of money as have been collected into your Parish upon any briefs that have come unto it together with a strong Chest with locks and keyes wherein to keep the aforesaid books and all other the aforementioned Furniture in safe custody And lastly have you a Bier with a black hersecloath for the burial of the dead TIT. II. Concerning the Church-yard the Houses Glebe and Tithes belonging to the Church I. IS your Church-yard sufficiently fenced and kept from all annoyance Hath any person encroached upon the same or cut down the Trees therein II. Is the Mansion house of your Minister with all other houses thereunto belonging kept in good repair Have any of them bin pulled down or defaced Have any encroached upon the land thereto belonging or fell'd the Trees thereon growing III. Have you a perfect Terrier of all Glebe-lands Gardens Orchards and Tenements belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage Also a particular List of such Pensions Tithes Rents Customs and other yearly profits within or without your Parish as belong thereto Are any of them withheld from your Minister And by whom IIII. Have any of the Antient Glebe-lands belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage bin taken away or alienated by Lease Sale or Exchange without Licence from the Ordinary and the free consent of the Incumbent Have any Enclosures bin made in your Parish to the detriment of the Church TIT. III. Concerning Ministers I. IS your Minister Episcopally Ordained Priest or Deacon according to the Laws of the Church of England II. Is he defamed or suspected to have obtained either his Benefice or Orders by any Simoniacal compact III. Hath he bin legally Instituted and Inducted into his Benefice and did he within two moneths after his Induction publickly in the Church upon some Sunday or Holyday in the time of Divine Service read the 39 Articles of the Church of England and there pulickly declare his assent thereunto IIII. Hath he any Ecclesiastical Benefice or doth he supply any other Church besides his own Is he constantly resident among you or is he at any time for any long season absent Hath he a setled Curate to assist him in his absence Is that Curate an able discreet and conformable person licenced by the Bishop residing and attending only upon that Cure And hath he a competent allowance according to the Value of the Living V. Doth your Parson Vicar or Curate read the daily morning and Evening Service with the Second Service as it is prescribed on Sundaies and Holydaies Doth he read also the Litany on Sundaies as likewise on Wednesdaies and Fridaies And doth he in reading the Services and in the 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 Praier 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 VI. Doth your Minster at the reading and celebrating the Divine offices in your Church or Chappel constantly weare the Surplice together with such other Scholastical habit as is suitable to his Degree VII Doth your Minister give you notice of and duly observe Holydaies Festivalls or Feasts with other Solemn times as Ember and Rogation Weekes according as it is by Laws and Canons of this Church appointed VIII Hath your Minister bin licenced to officiate the Bishop of this Diocese or either of the two Universities Doth he being thus licenced diligently read Divine Service and Preach every Lords-day in your Church or

refuse to pay their Eastter Offerings and other Duties to your Minister or to pay the Rates assessed on them for the repair and Provisions of the Church 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 else where 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 bin bestowed XIV Do you know or have you heard of any in your Parish who having the Presentation of an Ecclesiastical Living hath made any Simoniacal compact or gain thereby either in Money or by reserve of any part of the Tithes or Glebe belonging to that Benefice XV. Have any Pewes or Seats been erected in your Church or Chappel without leave from the Ordinary Is there any strife or contention about seats in the Church Have any occasioned Riot Clamour or Fighting in the Church at any time TIT. V. Concerning Parish Clerks and Sextons I. HAve you belonging to your Church or Chappellry a Parssh Clerk of honest life and conversation And doth he 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 your Church And are his wages duely paid unto him II. Doth he or your Sexton take care of the Church to keep it lockt and clean to open the doores and to ring the Bells in due time to call the Living to the worship of God Also to admonish them by tolling of a Passing-bell of any that are Dying thereby to meditate of their own death and to commend the others weak condition to the mercy of God TIT. VI. Concerning Hospitals and Alms-houses Schooles School-masters Physitians Chirurgions and Midwives I. WHat Hospital Alms-house or Free-school hath been founded in your Parish Are they so ordered in the Revenue and Use as the Founders appointed and the Law of the Land allowes II. What School-master private or publick is there in your Parish Is he Licenced by the Bishop Doth he teach his Scholars in the Catechism of Religion set forth by Authority Doth he cause them upon Sundaies and Holydaies orderly to repair to your Church or Chappel And see that they behave themselves there quietly and reverently during the time of divine Service Sermon III. Do any in your Parish practice Physick Chirurgery or Midwifery without Licence from the Ordinary TIT. VII Queries to be put to the Minister concerning the Church-wardens and Side-men 1. ARe the Church-wardens of your Parish yearly and duly chosen by the joint consent of the Minister and Parishioners or one of them by the Minister and the other by the Parishioners 2. Have the former and last Church-wardens given up their Accompts duly to the Parish and delivered up to the succeeding Church-wardens the money remaining in their hands together with all other things belonging to your Church or Chappel 3. Do your Church-wardens and Side-men diligently take notice of their names who without a sufficient cause are absent from Divine Service and Sermons on the Lords daies and other Holydaies Do they by Warrant from the next Justices Levy Twelve-pence by way of Distress according to Law upon their Goods in case they refuse to pay it for their wilful and causeless absence And is the money so Levyed distributed to the Poor of your Parish and kept upon account in a book 4. Do they present them that come late to Church after Divine Service is begun or depart before it be ended Do they suffer any to stand idle or talk together in the Church Porch or walk in the Church or Church-yard during the time of Prayer Preaching or other Sacred Offices 5. 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 6. 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 7. Have they the Church-wardens and Side-men who are to give in a true answer upon their Oathes unto all these Articles of Enquiry in their several Titles taken sufficient time to draw up their Presentments at home before they come to the Visitation And have they therein consulted with you their Minister for your faithful assistance FOR both you and they are seriously to consider that as the faithful discharge of your Trusts according to your Duties or Oathes is a special meanes to repress and reform all sins and disorders in your Parishes and so to preserve the honour of Religion and the peace of this Church to the glory of our God and Saviour which are the great uses and ends of all Church Government and Visitations So if you neglect your duties therein by refusing to present such crimes and faults as either you know to have been committed or otherwise have heard of by publick Fame you will not only sin against God your Consciences and the Churches Prosperity and consequently draw upon your selves the guilt of being accessary to the sad decay of Religion but also become liable to those punishments which in case of wilful omission and Perjury are by the Law to be inflicted on you for your defaults and must expect that the Bishop and his Officers will proceed against you accordingly WALTER WIGORN 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 him to be Confirmed Especially such as having competently learned their Catechism 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 FINIS