falling bands downe to his shoulders or any other vnséemely garments not proper to his Ministery 6 Doth your Minister vse such servile bodily labour as is not fit for one set apart by Imposition of hands for Divine Imployments Is he a defamed Vsurer or Broker a Chopper of Church-Liuings a frader in Faires or Markets doth he idely vague vp and downs a fault so often censured in ancient Councels or doth he any way else so entangle himselfe in secular affaires as to neglect the duties of his calling 7 Is your Minister so zealous of the good of his Flock as diligently to labour the reclaiming of Recusants of all sorts within their charge whether they be such as with periil of their soules superstitiously adhere to the Church of Rome or such in the other extreame who having perversly relinquish'd our Communion find nothing to adhere to but their owne private fancies 8 Is Divine Service orderly perform'd in your Church by your Minister or Curate vpon appointed times as the Booke of Common Prayer prescribeth without any kind of alteration addition or omission particularly doth he read the Letany on Wednesdays and Fridayes 9 Is he entirely conformable to all Orders Rites Ceremonies of the Church or vsing them onely for a shew doth he privately or publikely speake any thing in derogation of them 10 Doth he in celebration of divine Service vse such vestments as are enjoyned by authority doth he constantly in performing that Duty weare a Surplice and an Hood if he be a Graduate sutable to his degrée 11 Doth he before his Sermon vse such forme of Prayers as is prescribed by the Ecclesiasticall Canon for the prevention of the indiscréet flying out of some in their extemporary Prayers 12 Doth he preach in such a solemne habit as becomes him in a long Gowne and Cassocke not in a riding or ambulatory Cloake 13 Doth he in his Sermons preach Christ and him crucified abstaining from those high points of speculation which haue in severall ages raised combustion in Christian Churches and therefore to preserue peace among vs forbidden by his sacred Majesty in his late Declaration 14 Doth he sometimes take occasion in his Sermons to teach obedience to the King as supreme to all Magistrates substituted vnder him to all Lawes of the State all Canons and Constitutions of the Church which being lawfully enioyn'd we are to obey not onely for feare but for conscience sake 15 Hath your Minister at any time reveal'd the Confession of any made to him in secret contrary to the 113. Canon and so hath brought a scandall vpon that ancient Remedy of sinne and sinners 16 Doth he at any time from the Pulpit point out particular men damning some and saving others and in his inuectiues against vice doth he fall from the generall and particularly designe such as hée thinkes delinquents 17 Doth your Preacher or Lecturer read divine Service before his Sermon or Lecture doth he besides twice a yeare at least administer the Sacraments in his owne person 18 Doth he in Rogation wéeke yearely vse the accustomed perambulation informing his Parishioners not onely of the cill vse of that custome but also of the religious to pray to God for his blessing on the fruits of the earth and to deprecate his anger 19 Hath your Minister taken vpon him to appoint any publike or private Fasts Prophesies or exercises not approved by Law or publike Authority or hath he béene present at any Conventicle where either the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church hath béene traduced 20 Doth he in the time of divine Service vse due and lowly reverence at the mention of the blessed name of JESUS instructing others to doe the like not as an adoration of the bare sound of the word but as an humble acknowledgement that there is not either in heauen or earth any name by which we shall be saved but that alone 21 Is your Minister a Preacher licenced by lawfull Authorityor not if he be having no lawfull impediment doth he preach ordinarily in his Cure If he be not doth he procure Sermons once a moneth at least to be preached by such as are lawfully licensed 22 Doth your Minister vpon every Sunday when there is no Sermon read on Homily out of the Booke appointed 23 Doth he once in the yeare vpon some Sundayes or Holidayes read over the Booke of Canons before Evening Prayer that euery one may the better know what the Church requires of them Of the Sacrament of Baptisme DOth your Minister or Curate in their Sermons or otherwise or any other teach or maintaine that Baptisme in Gods ordinary dispensation with man is not the doore that lets vs into the Church nor any way necessary to salvation doth he not admonish you that are his Parishioners not to deferre it beyond the accustomed time least some suddaine sicknesse should take away the infant without the seale of the new couenant 2 Doth your Minister baptize the child at the Font the place assign'd for it doth he doe it in cleane pure water Doth he take it in his armes signe it with the sign of the Crosse asking such Questions and vsing such Prayers as are enjoyned 3 Doth he baptize any without any Godfathers or Godmothers to answer for them Or doth he not giue to them such directions as are prescribed in the Rituall for the education of the child in true Religion 4 In case of necessity where the child is in danger of death doth the Minister being sent for refuse or delay to come to giue it private Baptisme or doth he privately baptize where there is no necessity 5 Haue any children in your Parish died vnbaptized how long remained they so before they died and by whose default was it that they were deprived of that holy Sacrament Of Confirmation and Chatechisme preparatory to it 1 IS your Minister carefull in examining and instructing the youth and ignorant persons of the Parish by teaching them Principles and grounds of Christian Religion delivered in that short Catechisme approved by the Church and insorted in the Common Prayer Booke 2 Doth he according to his Majesties Instructions convert the popular afternoone Sermons on the Sunday into catechizing by Question and Answer 3 When children by the benefit of thus catechizing are able to giue an account of their faith doth he admonish their Parents to bring them to the Bishop to receiue by Prayer such confirmation as may strengthen them in Captismall Grace received Of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 1 IS this blessed Sacrament administred in the Church every moneth vpon the first Sunday or at least thrice in the yeare whereof Easter to be one 2 Is it administred in that reverend and decent manner as becomes so high a mystery are the words of Consecration solemnly pronounced the Elements reverently touched and handled 3 Doth your Minister deliver this Sacrament to any standing or sitting or in any other posture than vpon the knée doth he first receiue it
such as absent themselues on Sundayes Holidayes times of Letany Doe you diligently enquire of such as remaine in Tavernes Innes Ale houses in the time of Prayers or Sermons as also such as forbeare comming to the holy Sacrament thrice in the yeare being aboue sixtéene years of age 4 Haue you suffered any strange Preacher to preach in your Church without séeing his licence by which you might know how he is authorized doe you note the names of such strangers as doe preach in a Booke for that purpose and by whom they are licensed 5 Is any Legacy withholden being given to the Church or the poore for the mending of high-wayes or otherwise by the Testators 6 Doth any man trouble threaten or revile you for doing your duty Hath any gone about to tempt you to leaue vnpresented any offences committed contrary to the Articles given you in charge or to perswade you that you may dispense with your oathes by vsing equivocation mentall reservation or double meaning in making your presentments 7 Doe you know of any thing complained of that is not yet redressed Concerning the Parishioners DOe your Parishioners frequent the Church in all times of divine Service doe they behaue themselues reverently in that holy place doe they kéepe their Hats off doe they devoutely knéele when the Confession the ten Commandements and all Prayers and Collects are read doe they stand vp at the reading of the Créeds and the holy Gospell and doe they vse due and lowly reverence when they heare the blessed name of JESUS 2 Doe all the Parishioners aboue sixtéene yeares of age receiue the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper in your Church thrice every yeare whereof once at Easter and doe they all none expected devoutly knéele at the receiving thereof 3 Doe any of the Parishioners being admonished thereof neglect or refuse to send their Children Servants Apprentises to the Minister to be catechized on Sundayes and Holidays at such times as are appointed Doe any so sent refuss to come or being come refuse to be catechized 4 Doe any of your Parish entertaine within their house any sojourner common guest or other persons who refuse to frequent divine Service or receiue the holy Communion as aforesaid present their names their quality or condition 5 What Popish Recusants are there in your Parish or other Sectaries how long haue they abstain'd from the divine Service or Communion present their names and their quality and whether they be excommunicate or not 6 Whether any of the said Recusants doe labour to seduce or withdraw others from the Religion professed in the Church of England doe they instruct their families or children in their owne errours or haue any of them at any time being called to it refused to take the Oath of Allegiance 7 Are there any in your Parish who hold or frequent private conventicles or who publikely or privately speake against the Book of Common Prayer against the Rites and Ceremonies against the Articles published and maintained by the Church of England against the Church government vnder his Majesty by the Hierarchy of Bishops Are there any Authors maintainers or favourers of heresie or schisme or that be suspected probably to be Anabaptists Libertines Brownists of the Family of Loue or of any other heresie or schisme present their names 8 Are there any in your Parish who retaine sell vtter or disperse any Popish bookes or writings or other bookes writings defamatory Libels of any Sectaries touching the Religion State and Government either Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill of this Kingdome of England 9 Doe any of your Parishioners vsually goe to any other Churches to heare divine Service or Sermons or to receiue the holy Communion doe any of them procure their children to be baptized in another Parish or doe any strangers resort to your Church in divine Service to heare Sermons or to receiue the holy Communion 10 Are there any in your Parish who will come to Church to heare the Sermon but will not heare the publike Service appointed in the Booke of Common Prayer making a schisme or division betwéene the vse of publike Prayer and Preaching 11 What persons within your Parish for any offence contumacy or crime of Ecclesiasticall cognisance to stand excommunicate how long haue they so stood doe they presume not withstanding that censure to be present with you in time of diuine Seruice and what persons doe wittingly and vsually kéepe them company 12 Hath any in your Parish exercised any trade or labor bought or sold or kept open shops vpon any Sunday or Holiday by themselues or their servants or haue otherwise profaned the said day by gaming drinking or dancing in time of divine Service you are to present the names of such delinquents with the names of the parties in whose house the offence hath béene committed 13 Is the fift of November kept holy according to the ordinance in that behalfe that the memory may never dye of the great mercy shewed to this State and Church in that wonderfull deliverance 14 Hath any of your Parish strucken or laid violent hands either vpon your Minister or vpon any other in your Church or Church-yard Hath any quarrelled or given oppobrious spéeches within those precincts hath any slandered your Minister to the scandall of his vocation or defamed any of his neighbours touching any crime of Ecclesiasticall cognisance 15 Are there any who not being in Orders doe exercise any Priestly or Ministeriall Office in the Church Chappell or Church-yard or on the other side are there any who having taken vpon them the order of Priesthood or Deacon haue since relinquished the same vsing any other kind of life 16 Haue any of your Parish suppressed the lost will of the dead or administred the goods of the dead without lawfull authority Are there any goods not administred or any Wils vnproved Faile not to present the Executors with all others faulty therein 17 Haue any in your Parish harboured any woman vnlawfully begotten with child and suffered her to depart away before she hath béene punished for her offence 18 Are there any in your Parish to your knowledge or by common fame or report which haue committed incest adultery or fornication or that haue attempted or sollicited the chastity of any woman or which are reputed to be common Drunkards Swearers Blasphemers Bawdes or are there any in your Parish vehemently suspected for any of these crimes There must be a full and severall answer made to every one of these Articles else the presentment will be returned backe againe and the Church-wardens compelled to make a better Memorandum It is lawfull for every Minister be hee Parson Vicar or Curate to presentany enormity or common fame of any enormous crime that shall arise within his Parish And whereas it seemeth by the Canon that the Church officers are not to present oftner then twise a yeere It is to be understood as in that Canon Appeareth of presentments in generall But it is lawfull and meet for every Minister Church-wardens and Sidemen to make notorious offenders knowne to their Ordinaries as often as occasion is offered to the end that such offences may be punished and reformed FINIS
ARTICLES TO BE ENQVIRED OF IN THE ORDINARY Visitation of the Right WORSHIPFULL IAMES MARSH Dr. of Divinity Arch-Deacon of Chichester Holden Anno Dom. 1640 LONDON Printed by B. A. for RICHARD MEIGHEN 1640 The forme of the Oath to be ministred to the Church-wardens and Side-men YOu shall sweare that you and every of you shall duly consider and diligently inquire of all and every of these Articles given you in charge and that without affection malice favour feare of displeasure or hope of â—aine or reward you shall present all and every such person â—hat now is or of late was abiding or inhabiting within your Parish who hath committed or is suspected to have committed any offence or made any default mentioned in these â—r any of these Articles wherein you shall deale uprightly â—ully plainely and truely neither presenting nor sparing to resent any contrary to truth having GOD before our eyes with an earnest zeale to maintaine truth and to suppresse â—â—nne and errour So God you helpe and the holy Contents â—f this Booke Articles concerning Consecrated places Churches Church-yards Chappels of Ease 1 WHat Church haue you for Divine Servine Service what Chappels of ease belonging to them is any part of such Church or Chappell demolished or put to any prophane vse 2 In what repaire is your Church and Chappels and every part of them are the walls and roofe firme the windowes fairely glazed and vnbroken the floores decently paved 3 What kind of covering hath the Church or Chappell is it of lead or tiles or how else defended from the weather Hath lead béene taken from any part of it and slats Tiles or something else vsed in the place of it if so by whom 4 Is your Steeple furnished with Bels or haue any of them béene taken downe or sold away 5 Is your Church swept and cleansed at least once a weeke the walls whited the windowes and roofe kept cleane from Cobwebs the doores kept locked the Portall not made a Lodging for Beggers 6 What Galleries or Scaffolds haue you in your Church or to what vse whether there be not conveniency of roome for the Parishioners to be present at Sermons or diuine Seruice without them 7 In what manner are your Pewes built are they decent and vniforme are not some so much higher then others as may hinder their neighbours in hearing diuine Service without them 8 Is your Chancell seuered with a Partition from the body of the Church is it decently kept not encombred with Pewes or any other lumber 9 What quantity of ground haue you consecrated for a place of Buriall how is it fenced or mounded hath there béen encrochment made upon any part of it 10 Is the Church yard kept cleane from féeding and dunging of cattell especially from swine rooting vp the graues of dead bodies or what other nusances are there from any houses that abutt vpon it 11 Haue there béene kept in the Church or Chappell or Church-yard any Playes Feastes Suppers Church ales temporall Courte or Léet Lay Iuries Musters méeting for rates taxations levies especially at the Communion Table by the Parishioners Of Church Ornaments Vtensils Possessions 1 HAue you a strong Chest or boxe for almes for the poore with thrée lockes and keyes one for the Rector or Vicar the other for the Church-wardens 2 What Font haue you for the Sacrament of Baptisme of what materials is it made where placed whether towards the entrance of the Church or no is it fixt or moueable is it decently couered cleanely kept or is there any Bason or vessell vsed instead of it 3 Haue you a conuenient pew for him that officiates to read diuine seruice in a Bible of the largest Volume a Common Prayer Booke in folio the Bookes of Homilies allowed by Authority a faire Surplice or two to be vsed by the Minister and him that shall assist him in the administration of the Sacrament 4 Haue you a Pulpit so conueniently placed as the Auditory may best heare is it decently made and accomodated with a faire cloth and Cushion 5 Haue you a Register Booke in Parchment for Christnings Weddings Burials is the same kept in all points according to the Canons is a true transcript thereof brought in yearely to the Bishops Registry within a Moneth after our Lady day in March 6 Is your Communion Table or Altar strong faire and decent is it set according to the practise of the ancient Church vpon an ascent at the East end of the Chancell with the ends of it North and South is it compassed in with an hansome Raile to kéepe it from profanation according to the Order made in the Metropoliticall Visitation 7 What Coverings haue you for the holy Table haue you one of silke or some good stuffe to cover it at all times another of faire cleane linnen for the time of celebration of the Sacrament 8 Haue you a faire Communion Cup and Flagon with a dish for the Bread of what met all are they pewter tin or silver 9 Are the ten Commandements set vpon the East end of your Church or Chappell where the people may best sée to reade them with other well chosen sentences of Scripture vpon the wals 10 Haue any ancient monuments in your Church béene defaced the Brasse pull's off the stones taken away or the Inscriptions raised as also what Historicall representations in windowes haue béene defaced or broken 12 Is there adwelling house and Glebe belonging to the Parsonage or Vicarage Is the House kept in good repaire with all Barnes stables out-houses belonging to it Is there an exact Terrier made of all the Glebe Lands Meadowes Gardens Orchards houses stockes Tenements pensions or portion of Tithes belonging to it Is this Terrier made in Parchment and returned into the Bishops Registry 13 What timber trées grow in the Church-yard or vpon the Glebe Hath any boone fell'd or by whom Concerning the Clergie 1 IS your Minister a Parson Vicar or Curate or haue you besides him any Preacher or Lecturer and how authoriz'd 2 If Parson or Vicar doth he reside vpon his Benefice If not what reliefe doth he giue to the poore how long in the yeare is he absent how dispensed withall by whom is the place supplyed 3 If he be a Curate is he allowed by the Bishop vnder his hand and seale hath he an honest and sufficient salary or doth he serue more then one Church or Chappell in one day 4 Is your Minister of honest sober exemplary life a maintainer and procurer of peace among those that are committed to his charge or doth he giue any just scandall or offence by haunting of Taverus Innes Ale houses by vsing going any other irregular way which may be a staine to his profession and is punishable by the censures of the Church 5 Doth your Minister or Curate vse such decent and comely apparell as becommeth the gravity of his calling and may distinguish him from the Laity or doth he weare long haire déepe ruffes