ARTICLES ⧠To be enquired of within the Archdeaconry of Midlesex by the Church-wardens Sworne-men in euery Parish And presentment to be made thereof to the Arch-deacon With particular Answeres vnto euery Article LONDON Printed by EDW ALLDE 1615. The tenor of the Oath ministred to the Church-Wardens and Sworne-men YE shall sweare that all affections fauour hatred hope of reward or gaine or feare of displeasure or malice set aside you shall vpon due consideration of the Articles giuen you in charge present all and euery such person of or within your Parish as hath committed any offence or fault or made any default mentioned in any of these Articles or which are vehemently suspected or otherwise defamed of any such offence fault or default wherein you shall deale vprightly and according to equitie neither of malice presenting any contrary to Truth nor of corrupt affection sparing to present any and so conceale the Truth hauing in this action God before your eyes with an earnest zeale to maintaine truth and to suppresse vice So helpe you God and his faithfull promises in Christ Iesus ¶ Articles to be enquired of within the Archdeaconarie of Midlesex for this present yeere of our Lord God 1615. Articles concerning the Church WHether haue you in your seuerall Churches and Chappell 's the Booke of Constitutions or Canons Ecclesiasticall ready to be read by your Minister according to his Maiesties pleasure published by his highnes authority vnder the great Seale of England 2 Whether is there in your Church or Chappell one parchment register Booke prouided for Christnings Marriages and Burialls and whether is the same duely and exactly kept according to the Constitutions in that case prouided and a transcript thereof brought in yearely within one moneth after Easter into my Lord Bishops principall Registers office and whether doth your Minister vpon euery Sunday reade the names of all such as haue béene married christned or buried the wéeke before 3 Whether haue you prouided the Booke of Common Prayer lately commaunded by his Maiesties authority onely to be vsed and the Booke of Homilies and two Psalters and whether haue you in your Church or Chappell a Font of stone set vp in the antient vsuall place a conuenient and decent Communion table standing vpon a frame with a Carpet of silke or some other decent stuffe and a faire Linnen cloth to lay thereon at the Communion time and whether is the same then placed in such conuenient sort within the Chancell or Church as that the Minister may be best heard in his Prayer and administration and that the greater number may communicate and whether are the ten Commaundements set vp on the East end of your Church or Chappell where the people may best sée and reade them and other sentences of holy Scriptures written on the walls likewise for the same purpose 4 Whether haue you a conuenient seate for the Minister to reade seruice in together with a comely Pulpit set vp in a conuenient place with a decent cloth or Cushion for the same a comely large Surples a 〈◊〉 Communion Cup of Siluer and a couer agreable for the same with all other things and ornaments necessary for the celebration of diuine Seruice and administration of the Sacraments and a strong chest for the almes of the poore with thrée lockes and keyes and another chest for the kéeping of the ornaments of the Church and Register Booke 5 How many Bells are there at this present hanging in the Belfrée of your parish Church and how many haue there béene heretofore whether any of your said Bells haue béene taken downe and sold or made away and what other Church goods are now wanting in your Church 6 Whether are your Church or Chappell 's with the Chancells thereof and your Parsonage or Vicarage house and all other housing thereto belonging in good reparations and decently and comely kept aswell within as without the seates well maintained your Churchyards well fenced and kept without abuse according to the 85. Canon if not then through whose default and what defects are All these things in these Articles to be prepared according to the Canons vnder the title appertaining to Churches Articles concerning the Clergie VVHether hath your Minister read the Constitutions set foorth by his Maiesty once euery yeare vpon some Sundayes or Holidayes in the afternoone before diuine seruice according as by the Canons he is bound 2 Whether doth your Minister vse to pray for the Kings Maiesty King Iames and for the Quéenes Maiesty Prince Charles Fredericke Count Palatine of the Rheine with the Lady Elizabeth his Wife giuing vnto his highnesse such stile and title of Supreme Gouernour of all causes and ouer all persons as well Ecclesiasticall as temporall as by lawe are due vnto him exhorting their Parishioners to yealde him obedience according to the same and also in their said Sermons doe pray for all Arch-bishops Bishops and other Ecclesiasticall persons according to the 55. Canon 3 Whether is the prescript forme of diuine seruice vsed by your Minister vpon Sundayes Holydayes Wednesdayes and Fridayes according to the booke of Cōmon prayer And whether doth your Minister duly obserue all the orders rites and ceremonies prescribed in the said booke of Common Prayer as well in reading publike prayers the Letany as also in administring the Sacraments in such manner and forme wearing the Surples as by the booke of Common Prayer by law now established is inioyed 4 Whether doth your Minister administer the holy Communion so often and at such times as that euery Parishioner may receiue the same at the least thrice euery yeare whereof one at Easter as by the booke of Common Prayer is appointed And whether doth your Minister receiue the same himselfe on euery day that he administreth it to others knéeling at the same and administreth it to none but to such as doe knéels at the receiuing thereof and vse the words of the Institution according to the Booke at euery time that the bread and wine is receiued in such manner and forme as by the prouiso of the 21. Canon is directed or wherein is he faulty and whether is warning giuen by him before hand for the Commuion as the 22. Canon requireth 5 Whether hath your Minister admitted any notorious offenders or Schismatickes to the Communion contrary to the 26. and 27. Constitutions without satisfaction by due course of law before enioyned them or reiected any from the Communion who were not by publike presentment or other open scandall infamous and detected of some notorious crime by common fame published in the Parish 6 Whether the Minister together with the Churchwardens and Questmen doe take diligent héed and care that not onely all and euery of your owne Parishioners doe receiue thrice in euery yeare as aforesaid but also that no strangers of any other Parish doe forsake their owne Minister and Parish to receiue with you contrary to the 28. Canon 7 Whether doth your Minister vse to signe
the Children with the signe of the Crosse when they are baptized according to the booke of Common Prayer and the 30. Canon and whether he hath deferred or wilfully refoled to baptize any infant in his Parish being in danger hauing béene onely inforâ—â— the weaknesse thereof and whether the childe hath died by him default without baptisme contrary to the 68. and 69. Canons 8 Whether is your Minister continually resident with you vpon his benefice or for how long time hath he béene absent and where is he resident for the most part and what other be 〈…〉 9 Whether doth ydlâ—â— Minister being a Preacher preach vsually according to the constitutions eyther in his owne thee with your once euery sunday or else in some other Church or Chappell néere adioyning where no Preacher is according to the 45. Canon or how hath he bene negligent in that behalfe 10 Whether is your Minister a Preacher allowed if yea then by whome if no whether doth he procure Sermons to be preached among you once in euery moneth at the least by such as are lawfully licensed according to the 46. Canon or doth contribute toward a licensed Preacher if his liuing will beare it 11 Whether hath your Minister another benefice and whether doth he supply his absence by a Curate that is sufficiently licensed to preach in that cure of his whereon he himselfe is not resident or otherwise in case he doe not finde a preaching Minister there by reason of the smalnesse thereof whether doth he preach at both his benefices vsually himselfe according to the 47. Canon 12 Whether is your Preacher or Curate licensed to preach or serue the Cure by the Bishop of this Dioces or by any other and by whom whether doth your Minister or Curate serue more cures then one contrary to the 48. Canon If yea then what other cure doth he also serue 13 If your Minister be not licensed to preach as aforesaid whether doth he reade Homilies or rather take vpon him to expound the Scriptures either in his owne cure or else where contrary to the 49. Canon If yea then you are to present him and spot me the place where he so hath preached 14 Whether hath any person béen admitted to preach within your Church or Chappell but such as you haue well knowne to be sufficiently licensed whome haue you so admitted you shall present their names and how often haue any such béene admitted to preach and by whose procurement and whether haue you caused euery strange Preacher licensed or not licensed to subscribe his name together with the day when he preached according to the 50. and 51. Canons and if he were licensed then by whom he was licensed And whether haue they or any other preached in your Church not being soberly and decently apparrelled according to the 47. Canon 15 Whether doth your Lecturer and Preacher reade diuine Seruice and administer the Sacraments in his owne person twice euery yeare obseruing all the Ceremonies in the booke of Common Prayer established according to the 56. Canon 16 Whether doth your Minister weare the Surples whilest he is saying the publike prayers and administring the Sacraments And if he be any Graduate whether then doth 〈◊〉 we are vpon his Surples during the times aforesaid such a hood as by the â—â—ders of his Vniuersitie is agréeable to his degrée according to then 58. Canon 17 Whether doth your Minister euery Sunday and Holyday before Euening Prayer for halfe an houre or more examine and instruct the youth and ignorant persons of his Parish in the ten Commandements the Articles of beliefe and the Lords Prayer as also in the Catechisme last set forth in the booke of Common prayer whereby the chidren of the Parish may be prepared for confirmation according to the 90. Canon 18 Whether hath your Minister without license from the Archbishop the Bishop of the Diocesse or his Chancelor or without Lycence vnder the seale of office of the Archdeacon or his Officiall solemnized mariage betwixt any parties the Banes not being three seuerall Sundayes or Holly-dayes first published in time of diuine seruice in the seuerall Churches or Chappels of their seuerall abode according to the booke of common Prayer And the 62. Canon and that also betwixt the houres of eight and twelue in the forenoone contrary to the 102. Canon And whether hath your minister in the times prohibited marryed any without such Licence notwithstanding the banes haue bene asked as you doe knowe beléeue or haue heard say 19 Whether hath your Minister since the last Canons published solemnized any marryage betwixt any persons being vnder the age of 21. yéeres alchough the Banes be thrice asked before such time as the parents haue made knowne vnto him their consent thereunto contrary to the 99. and 100. Canons and whether hath he married any of another Diocosse and who are they and by what authoritie and when 20 Whether doth your Minister vpon Sundayes at morning prayer declare vnto the Parishioners what holy dayes and fasting dayes are appointed to be kept the wéeke following according to the 64. Canon whereby they may be put in minde to prepare themselues accordingly and to repaire to the Church to publike prayer as by law they are bound 21 Whether doth your Minister in the Rogation dayes vse the perambulation of the circuit of the parish appointed by law and in the same perambulation moue the people to giue thankes to God for his benefits vsing such Psalmes Prayers Homilies as are to that end set forth 22 Whether doth any man being neither Minister nor Deacon reade Common-prayer openly in your Church or Chappell or administer the Sacrament of Baptisme or solemnize Matrimonie or take vpon him to practise any other ministeriall dutie in the Church that is prescribed to be executed particularly by such as are either Ministers or Deacons and what is his name that so doth 23 Whether doth your Minister euery sixe moneths denounce in his parish all such of his parish as doe perseuer in the sentence of excommunication not séeking to be absolued and whether hath he admitted any person excommunicate into the Church without a Certificate of his absolution from the Ordinarie or other competent Iudge vnder his seale according to the Canons 24 Whether doth your Minister being a Preacher endeuour and labour diligently with mildenes and temperance to conferre with and thereby to reclaime the Popish Recusants in his parish from their errours if there be any such there being and whether is he painefull in visitation of the sicke according to the booke of Common-prayer and the Canons in that case prouided 25 Whether is your Parson Vicar Lecturer or Curate too much frequent or ouer conuersant with or a fauourer or Recusants whereby he may be suspected not to be sincere in Religion 26 Whether hath your Minister or any other taking vpon him the place of a Minister preached baptized children vnlesse in case of necessitie solemnized marriage churched any woman
prescribed in that behalfe 10 Whether hath any person in your parish quarrelled stricken or vsed any violence vnto or with your Minister or any other in the Church or Church yard or vsed himselfe disorderly in the Church by filthie and prophane talke or any other rude and immodest behauiour 11 Whether is that due reuerence and humble submission vsed within your Church or Chappel in the time of diuine Seruice as by the eightéenth Constitution is prescribed and whether each one in the Church or Chappell doe apply and order himselfe there in the time of diuine Seruice as by the latter part of the same Constitution is most commendably enioyned 12 Whether the Church-wardens and Quest-men doe euery Sunday and Holy-day diligently search who absenteth himselfe or her selfe from Church and whether doe they suffer any to abide in the Church-porch or Church-yard in the time of Common prayer or Sermon 13 Whether the Church-wardens doe prouide against euery Communion with the aduice of the Minister a sufficient quantitie of fine white bread and of good wholsome wine for the number of the Communicants that shall receiue that to be brought in a cleane and swéete standing Pot of Pewter or other pure Mettall 14 Whether haue any in your parish béene God fathers or God-mothers to their owne children Or whether your Minister or any God-fathers or God-mothers haue vsed or doe vse any other forme answere or spéech in Baptisme then is in the Booke of Common prayer appoynted Or whether any which haue not Communicated be admitted to be God-fathers or God-mothers contrarie to the 29. Canone 15 Whether is there any in your parish that doe refuse to haue their children baptized or themselues to receiue the Communion at the hands of your Minister because he is no Preacher you shall present their names And if your Minister sithence the publishing of the said Booke of Canons haue receiued any such persons being not of his owne Cure to the Communion or baptized any of their children you shall likewise present him 16 Whether doe all Fathers Mothers Masters and Mistresses cause their Children Seruants and Apprentises to come to the Catechisme vpon the Sundayes and Holy-dayes before euening prayer to heare and to be instructed and taught therein and those that doe not their duties herein you shall present their names 17 Whether haue you or your Predecessors Church-wardens there suffered since the last pardon any Playes Feasts Banquets Church-ales Drinkings or any other prophane vsages to be kept in your Church Chappels or Church yard or Bels to be rung superstitiously vpon Holy-dayes or Eues abrogated by the Booke of Common Prayer contrarie to the 68. Canon 18 How many Inhabitants within your Parish Men or Women aboue the age of sixtéene yéeres doe refuse to frequent diuine seruice established by publike authoritie of this Realme or to receiue the holy Communion or are negligent therein what be their names and of what degrée state or trade of life are they you are to present them all of each sort 19 Whether doe any of the Inhabitants within your saide Parish entertaine within their house any soiourners ledgers or any common resorters and guests who refuse to frequent diuine Seruice or receiue the holy Communion as aforesaid what be their names and of what qualitie or condition are they 20 whether any of the said Popish Recusants be of insolent behauiour not without publike offence or doe boldly busie themselues in seducing or withdrawing others either abroad or in their owne families by instructing their children in Popish religiō or by refusing to entertaine any especially in place of greatest seruice or trust but such as concur with them in opinion of Religion and what be their names that so doe 21 How long the said Popish Recusants haue obstinately abstained eyther from diuine Seruice or from the Communion as is aforesayd whether of any long time or onely since his Maiesties raigne and how long 22 What persons aforesaid within your Parish either for the offence aforesaid or for any other contumacie or crime doe remaine excommunicated what be their names and for what cause and how long haue they so stood excommunicated 23 Whether were you the Church wardens and Quest-men chosen by the consent of the Minister and Parishioners in Easter wéeke according vnto the 89. and 90. Canon And whether haue the Church-wardens before you giuen vp a iust account for their time and deliuered to you their successors whatsoeuer money or other thing of right belonging to the Church which was in their hands according to the 89. Canon 24 Whether doe all persons aboue the age of sixetéene yoores vsually resort to heare diuine Seruice vpon Sundaies and Holy-daies approoued and whether hath each one of your Parishioners being aboue the age of sixtéene yéeres as aforesaid receiued the holy Communion thrice this last yéere chiefely once at Easter in your Parish Church knéeling If no then you shall present their name which haue not so done 25 Whether haue you a fit Parish Clarke aged twentie yéeres at the least of honest conuersation and sufficient for reading and writing and whether he be paide his wages without fraude according to the most ancient custome of your Parish if not then by whom is he so defrauded and denyed and whether he be chosen by the Parson or Vicar or by whom according to the 91. Canon 26 Whether haue any in your Parish béene marryed within the prohibited degrées forbidden by the law and expressed in a certaine Table published by authority in Anno. 1563. If yea then you shall present their names and whether haue you the saide Table publikely set vp in your Church and fastned to some conuenient place 27 Whether doth any heretofore diuorced or married and not diuorced kéepe company at bed and boord as man and wife with any other man or woman then with the person that he or she was married vnto and what be their names If the parties now so liuing together say that they be marryed when and where were they marryed and how long haue they so continued together 28 Whether haue you in your Parish to your knowledge or by common fame and report any which haue committed Adultery Fornication or Incest or any Bawdes harborers or receiuers of such persons or publikely suspected thereof which haue not béene publikely punished to your knowledge if yea then with whome And whether are there any which are by common fame and report reputed and taken to be common Drunkards Blasphemers of Gods holy Name common and vsuall swearers filthy speakers raylers sowers of discord among their Neighbours or speakers against Ministers marriages Vsurers contrarie to the Statute made in the seauen and thirtieth yéere of King Henry the eight Symonicall persons fighters brawlers or quarrellers in Church or Church-yard you shall not faile to present their names 29 Whether haue any in your Parish receiued or harboured any woman gotten with childe out of wedlock and suffered them againe
to depart without pennance first inflicted vpon them by their Ordinarie you shall truly present as well the partie harbouring as harboured and who is sufpected to haue committed incontinencie with her 30 Whether any person or persons suspected or detected heretofore of incontinencie and therefore departing out of your Parish for a season is now returned againe or in what place else is he or she now abiding to your knowledge or as you haue heard you shall not faile to present the whole truth in that behalfe 31 Whether there be any person or persons Ecclesiasticall or Temporall within your Parish or elsewhere within the Dioces that haue retayned and kept in their custodie or that reade sell vtter disperse carrie or deliuer to others any English or Latine Bookes or Libels set foorth or printed either on this side or beyond the Seas by Papists or Sectaries against the Kings Supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall or tending to Popery Puritanisme or any other Sect Errour or Heresie against true Religion and Catholike doctrine now publikely professed in this Church or the gouernment or discipline of the Church of England now within this Realme receiued and established by common authoritie that you know or haue heard of what their names and sir names are 32 Whether there be any in your Parish who are knowne or suspected to conceale or kéepe hidden in their houses any Masse Bookes Portesses Breuiaries or other Bookes of Popery or superstition or any Challices Copes Vestments Albes or other ornaments of superstition vncancelled or vndefaced which is to be coniectured that they doe kéepe for a day as they call it 33 Whether any of your Parishioners hauing a Preacher to their Parson Vicar or Curate doe absent themselues from his Sermons and resort to any other place to heare other Preachers 34 Whether there be any Inne-kéepers Alewiues Victuallers or Tiplers that suffer or doe admit any person or persons in their houses to eate drinke or play at Dice Cards Tables Bowles or such like games in the time of Common prayer or Sermon on Sundaies or Holy-daies Or any Butchers or other that commonly vse to sell meate or other things in the time of Common prayer Preaching or reading of Homilies and whether in any Fayres or common Markets falling vpon Sundaies there be shewing of any wares before morning prayer be done And whether any Markets or selling of wares be vsed or suffered in any Church-yards on the Sabbath day by common pack-men and Pedlers going about or any Butchers 35 Whether hath your Minister or any of the parish without the consent or priuitie of the Ordinarie caused any to doe penance or to be punished either openly or otherwise by any Vestrie meetings or taken money for any crime punishable by the Ecclesiasticall lawes onely and what be the names of the parties that haue béene so punished and in what manner 36 Whether there be any in your parish who will come to heare the Sermon but will not come to the publike prayer appointed by the Booke of common prayer making a schisme or diuision as it were betwéene the vse of publike prayer and preaching and whether there be any who being present at publike prayer doe not deuoutly and humbly knéele vpon their knées at such times as by the Booke of common prayer they are appointed to wit when they make a generall confession of their sinnes when all Prayers and Collects are read in the time of the Letanie when the ten Commandements are read at the receiuing of the holy Communion c. And what be their names that haue at any time shewed themselues vndutifull and vnreuerent in that behalfe 37 Whether there be any married women or others within your parish which after childe-birth refuse contemne or neglect to come to the Church to giue God thanks for their safe deliuerie to haue the prayers publikely appointed in that behalfe by the Booke of common prayer 38 Whether any within your parish doe resort into Barnes Fields Woods priuate houses to any extraordinary exposition of Scriptures or conferences together or that be drawers or perswaders of others to any such schismaticall conuenticle 39 Whether any doe kéepe their children vnbaptized longer then is conuenient vnlesse that it be for the sicknesse of the childe or other vrgent occasion And whether any doe carry their childe or children from the parish they are borne in to other parishes to be baptized and so refuse their owne parish and to what other parish or doe bring strange Ministers into their own houses to baptize their children priuately according to their owne fantasies 40 Item Setting downe the full summe of the Communicants within your Parish you shall present euery one who hath béene defectiue at this feast of Easter last past in receiuing the holy Communion vpon neglect contempt or any other pretence and excuse 41 Whether doe you know of any other matter of Ecclesiasticall cognizance worthy the presentment in your iudgement heretofore in these Articles not expressed and which is fit to be reformed in Ecclesiasticall censure If you doe you shall likewise present the same by vertue of your oathes 42 Whether hath your Minister kept any Excommunication in his custodie vnpublished against any of his Parishioners aboue the space of xx dayes next after the receit thereof without some lawfull certificat of the absolution of any such excommunicate person or of some lawfull warrant for the stay of the same Excommunication 43 Whether hath your Minister admitted any excommunicate person to the holy Communion before he hath receiued a certificat of the absolution of the same partie And whether haue you permitted any excommunicate person either of your owne parish or of any other parish to heare diuine Seruice in your parish Church since the time you looke vpon you the office of Church wardens within your saide parish If yea set downe the names of the same parties 44 Whether hath your Minister absolued any excommunicate person or persons of your parish or of any other parish within the Archdeaconey of Essex within the space of a yéere last past without a speciall warrant in writing vnder the hands of the Iudge and Register of this Court or of one of them If yea what are the names of such person or persons which he hath so absolued 45 Whether hath your Minister your selues or your predecessors Church-wardens of your parish for the yeere last past presented any person or persons of your said parish to the Chancellor of the reuerend Father in God the Lord Bishop of London sauing in the Visitation of the sayd Lord Bishop And whether hath your Minister yourselues or your predecessors Church-wardens of your said parish for the yéer last past presented any person or persons to the Commissarie of the said reuerend Father in God If yea what are the names of such person or persons which you or they haue so presented and for what cause did you or they present any such person or persons