ARTICLES TO BE ENQVIRED OF IN THE ORDINARIE Visitation of the most Reuerend Father in God GEORGE by Gods Providence Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitan in and for the Cities and Diocesse of COVENTRY and LICHFIELD the See there being voyd Holden in the yeere of our Lord God 1632. and in the two and twenty yeere of his Graces Translation Imprinted at London for Robert Milbourne 1632. The Tenor of the Oath to bee ministred to the Church-wardens and Side-men YOu shall sweare That you and every of you shall duely consider and diligently enquire of all and every of these Articles given you in charge and that all affection favour hatred hope of reward and gaine or feare of displeasure or malice set aside you shall present all and euery such person of or within your Parish as hath committed any offence or made any default mentioned in these or any of these Articles or which are vehemently suspected or defamed of any such offence or default wherein you shall deale vprightly and full neither presenting nor sparing to present any contrary to trueth hauing in this action God before your eyes with an earnest zeale to maintaine trueth and to suppresse vice So helpe you God and the holy Contents of this booke I. Concerning the Ministers INprimis Whether doeth your Minister distinctly and reuerendly say diuine Seruice vpon Sundayes and Holy-dayes and other dayes appoynted to be obserued by the Booke of Common Prayer Wednesdayes and Frydayes and the Eues of euery Sunday and Holy-day at fit and vsuall times And doth your Minister duly obserue the Orders Rites and Ceremonies prescribed in the said Book of Common Prayer as well in reading pulibke Prayers and the Letany as also in administring the Sacraments solemnization of Matrimony Uisiting the sick Burying the dead Churching of women and all other like Rites and offices of the Church in such maner and forme as in the Book of Common prayer is enioyned And doth he reade the booke of the last Canons once yéerely and weare a Surplice according to the sayd Canons 2 Item whether doth your Minister bid Holydayes Fasting dayes as by the Booke of Common Prayer is appointed And doth hee giue warning beforehand to the parishoners for the receiuing of the holy Cōmunion as the 22. canon requireth And whether doth he administer the holy Cōmunion so often at such times as that euery parishioner may receiue the same at the least thrice in euery yere wherof once at Easter as by the Booke of Common Prayer is appointed And doeth your Minister receiue the same himselfe on euery day that hee administreth it to others and vse the words of Institution according to the Booke at euery time that the Bread and Wine is renewed accordingly as by the Prouiso of the 21 Canon is directed And doeth háe deliuer the Bread and Wine to euery Cōmunicant seuerally Whether hath he admitted to the holy Communion any offender or Schismaticke contrary to the 26. and 27. constitutions or receiued any to the Communion being not of his owne Cure or put any from the Communion not being publikely infamous for some notorious crime Doeth he vse the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme or Baptize in any Bason or other Uessell and not in the vsuall Font or admit any Father to be Godfather to his own child or such who haue not receiued the holy Cōmunion or Baptize any children that were not borne in the parish or wilfully refuse to Baptize any Infant in his Parish being in danger hauing bene enformed of the weakenesse of the sayd child and whether hath the child dyed through his default without Baptisme 3 Item whether hath your Minister married any without a Ring or without Banes published thrée seueral Sundayes or Holydayes in time of diuine Seruice in the seueral Churches or Chappels of their seuerall 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 Archbishop the Bishop of the Diocesse or his Chancellor first obtained in that behalfe or not betwixt the houres of eight and twelue in the forenoone or married in any priuate house or if the parties be vnder the age of 21. yeres before their parents or gouernors haue signified their consent vnto him 4 Item whether doth he refuse to bury any which ought to be interred in Christian buriall or deferre the same longer then he should or bury any in Christian burial which by the Constitutions of the Church of England ought not to be so interred 5 Item whether the body of any excommunicate person dying within your parish hath bin buried by any of your parishioners disorderly your Minister iustly refusing to bury it within your Church or Churchyard or haue the body or bodies of any such excommunicate person or persons bin carried out of your Parish to be buried in another Parish without consent of your Minister or Ordinary first had and obtained and what are their seuerall names and sirnames 6 Item whether is your Minister a Preacher allowed If so then by whom If not whether doth he procure some who are lawfully licensed to preach amongst you monethly at the least 7 Item whether doth your Minister being licensed preach vsually according to the Canons either in his owne Cure or in some other Church or Chappell neere adioyning where no Preacher is and how often hath he bin negligent in that behalfe and doth he preach standing and with his hat off Or whether doth he or his Curate vpon euery Sunday when there is no Sermon reade an Homily or some part thereof according as he ought to doe or in case hee bee not licensed to Preach doth he take vpon him to preach or expound the Scriptures in his owne Cure or elsewhere If so then you are to present the same the time and place when and where he did it 8 Item whether doth your Minister in his Sermons Lectures and other exercises vse to pray for the Kings Maiesty King Charles and for our gracious Quéene Mary and all the Royal Progeny with addition of such Stile and Titles as are due to his Highnes and exhort the people to obedience to his Maiestie and all Magistrates in authority vnder him not omitting particular mencion of the Bishop of the Diocesse according to his Maiesties late direction in that behalfe 9 Item whether is your Minister continually resident vpon his Benifice and how long time hath he bin absent 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 hee hath another Benefice whether doth he supply his absence by a Curate sufficiently licensed to preach in that Cure where he himselfe is not resident Or otherwise in case the smallnesse of the liuing cannot finde a preaching Minister doeth hee preach at both his Benefices vsually 10 Item whether doeth your Minister or Curate serue
may weare a Night cap or Coyse Or who doe giue themselues to babling talking or walking and are not attentiue to the word preached or read or reading or praying during the time aforesaid Whether any of your Parish being of sixteene yeares of age and vpwards do not receiue the holy Communion in your Church thrice euery yéere wherof once at Easter and whether they doe not deuoutly kneele at the receiuing thereof 39 Item whether any of your Parishioners being admonished therof doe not send their children seruants and apprentises to the Minister to be catechised vpon such Sundayes and Holidayes as are appointed or whether any of them do refuse to come or if they come refuse to learne the Catechisme set foorth in the booke of Common Prayer 40 Item how many of the sayd Catechismes haue bin dispersed in your Parish or Chappell according to the number of such children and seruants as can reade and are to learne the same according to the late Iniunction of your Ordinary and who they bee that haue refused to obey that order so enioyned and what are their seuerall names 41 Item whether any of your Parish doe entertaine within their house any soiournier common guests or other persons who refuse to frequent diuine Seruice or receiue the holy Communion as aforesayd Present their names their qualities or conditions 42 Item what recusaÌ„t Papists are there in your parish or haue dwelt or made vsuall abode there within the space of two or thrée yéeres last past and whether they still dwell or remaine there or where doe they dwell or make their abode Present their names qualities or conditions And whether keepe they any Schoole-master in their house which commeth not to Church to heare Diuine Seruice and receiue the Communion What is his name and how long hath he taught there or else where 43 Item whether doe any of the sayd Popish Recusants labor to seduce and withdraw others from the Religion now established or instruct their Families or children in Popish Religion or refuse to entertaine any especially in place of greatest seruice or trust but such as concurre with them in their Papistry 44 Item whether the tuition of the children of any of your Parishioners dying within your Parish be committed to any Popish Recusants conuict contrary to the Stat. 3 Iâ—â— Cap. 5. and if so to present and certifie the names both of such children and of the Tutors or Guardians to whose tuition and education they are committed 45 Item how long haue the sayd Popish Recusants abstained from Diuine Seruice or from the Communion as aforesayd 46 Item whether is there any in your parish that retaine vndefaced or sell vtter or disperse any Popish Bookes or Writings or other Bookes Libels or writings of any Seetaries touching the Religion State or Gouernment Ecclesiasticall of this Kingdome of England or kéepe any Ornaments of superstition vncancelled or vndefaced 48 Item whether haue you any in your parish which hertofore being Popish Recusants or Sectaries haue since reformed themselues and come to Church to heare Diuine Seruice and receiue the Sacraments If yea then who they are how long since haue they so reformed themselues And whether they still remaine and abide in that conformitie 49 Item whether is there any in your parish that refuse to haue their children baptized or themselues to receiue the CoÌ„munion at the hands of your Minister taking exception against him and what causes or exceptious doe they alledge Or haue any married wiues refused to come to Church according to the book of Common prayer to giue God thanks after their Child-birth for their safe deliuerance And whether doe any of or in your Parish refuse to haue their children Baptized in your parish Church according to the forme prescribed in the booke of coÌ„mon prayer 50 Item whether any in your parish hauing a Preacher to your Parson Uicar or Curate doe absent themselues from his Sermons and resort to other places to heare other Preachers or whether any of your parish doe Communicate or Baptize their children in any other parish 51 Item what persons within your parish for any offence contumacy or crime of Ecclesiasticall conusance doe stand Excommunicate Present their names and for what cause they are Excommunicated and how long they haue so stood and what person and persons doe wittingly and vsually kéepe them company 52 Item whether doe any not being in Orders execute any Priestly or Ministeriall office in your Church Chappell or Churchyard and what be their names 53 Item whether is there any in your parish that hauing hertofore taken vpon him the Order of Priesthood or Deacon hath since relinquished the same and liues a Lay-man neglecting his vocation 54 Item whether hath any person or persens in your parish quarrelled or stricken or vsed any violence to your Minister or hath strucken or quarreld with any other persoÌ„ within your Church or Churchyard or demeaned himselfe disorderly in the Church by filthy or prophane talke or any other lewd or immodest behauior Or haue disturbed the Minister in time of diuine Seruice or Sermon or haue libelled or spoken slanderous words against your Minister to the scandall of his vocation or defamed any of his neighbours touching any crime of Ecclesiasticall conusance 55 Item whether haue any of or in your parish without consent of the Ordinary or other lawfull authoritie caused any to doe penance or to be censured or punished for any matter of Ecclesiastical conusance by any Uestry-meetings or otherwise by their own authority or haue takeÌ„ any money or coÌ„mutatioÌ„ for the same present their names that haue don it and who haue béen so punished in what manner and vpon what cause 56. Item whether any person in your parish do exercise any trade or labour buy or sell or keepe open shops or ware-houses vpon any Sunday or Holiday by theÌ„selues their seruants or apprentices or haue otherwise profaned the said daies contrary to the orders of the Church of EnglaÌ„d And whether there be any Inne keepers Ale-house-kéepers Uictualers or other persons that permit any persons in their houses to eate drinke or play during the time of Diuine Seruice or Sermon or reading the Homilies in the forenoone or after-noone vpon these dayes 57 Item whether hath the fift day of Nouember bin kept holy and thanksgiuing made to God for his Maiesties this States happy deliuerance according to the Ordinance in that behalfe And whether haue you in your Parish Church or Chappell the bookes in this behalfe set foorth and commanded by publike authority 58 Item whether doth any of your parish hold or frequent any conueÌ„ticles or priuate congregations or make or maintain any constitutions agreed vpon in any such assemblies Or are there any that do write or publikely or priuately speake against the booke of Common prayer or any thing therein contained or against any of the Articles of Religion agréed vpon in Anno 1562. or against the Kings Supremacy in causes
any more Cures then one If so then what other Cure doth he serue and how farre are they distant 11 Item 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 Articles of the Beliefe and in the Lords prayer and the Sacraments according as it is prescribed in the Catechisme and set foorth in the Book of Common Prayer and also strictly enioyned by our late Soueraigne King Iames of blessed memory in his directions to the Bishops of each Diocesse 12 Item whether doth your Minister in the Rogation dayes goe in perambulation of the circuit of the parish saying and vsing the prayers and thanksgiuing 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 fauour if there be a feare of scarcity 13 Item whether hath your Minister admitted any woman begotten with child in adultery or fornication to be churched without license of the Ordinary 14 Item whether hath your Minister or any other Preacher Baptized children churched any woman or ministred the holy Communion in any priuate house otherwise then by Law is allowed 15 Item whether doth your Minister being a Preacher endeauour labor diligently to reclaime the Popish Recusants in his parish from their errors if there be any such abiding in your Parish Or whether is your Parson Uicar or Curate ouerconuersant with or a fauourer of Recusants whereby he is suspected not to be sincere in Religion 16 Item whether hath your Minister taken vpon him to appoint any Publike or priuate Fasts Prophecies or exercises not approued by Law or publike authority or hath vsed to méete in any priuate house or place with any person or persons there to consult how to impeach or depraue the book of Common prayer or the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church of England If so then you shall present them all 67 Item whether hath your Minister stayed the publication of any excommunications or suspensions or doth he euery halfe yere denounce in his parish Church all such of his parish as are excommunicated perseuere therin without séeking to be absolued or doth he wittingly willingly keep company with such as are excommunicate And hath he admitted into your Church any person excommunicate without a Certificate of his absolution from the Ordinary or other competent Iudge 18 Item whether doth your Minister carefully looke to the reliefe of the poore and from time to time call vpon his Parishioners to giue somewhat as they can spare to godly and charitable vses especially when they make their Testaments 19 Item whether doth your Minister or any hauing taken the holy Orders being now silenced or suspended or any other person of your knowledge or as you haue heard hold any conuenticles or preach in any place or vse any other forme of Diuine Seruice then is appointed in the Booke of Common Prayer If so then you are to present their names and with whom 20 Item whether is your Curate licensed to serue by the Bishop of this Diocesse or by any other and by whom 21 Item whether doth your Minister vse such decencie and comelinesse in his apparell as by the 47. Canon is enioyned and is he of sober behauiour and one that doth not vse such bodily labor as is not séemely for his function and calling 22 Item whether is your Minister noted or defamed to haue obtained his Benefice or his Orders by Simony or any other way defamed to be a Symoniacall person or any way noted to be a Schismaticke or Schismatically affected or reputed to be an incontinent person or to table or lodge any such in his house or is he a frequenter of Tauernes Innes Alehouses or any place suspected for ill rule or is he a common Drunkard a common Gamester or a player at Dice a Swearer or one that applieth not his Studie or is otherwise offensiue and scandalous to his function or Ministery 23 Item whether are there any Lectures or exercises vsed within your parish Church If so then whether do the sayd Lecturer or Lecturers refuse to conforme themselues to the Lawes and Ordinances of the Church of England and especially to the late instructions for Lectures published by his Sacred Maiesty King Charles and directed to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace and accordingly by his Grace sent to euery Diocesse of his Graces Prouince Anno Dom. 1629. And so by the Lord Bishop of this Diocesse commanded to bee published thorow this Diocesse by his Lordships Arch-deacous at their seuerall visitations after Easter Anno Dom. 1630. And doth your Lecturer or Lecturers and euery of them obserue that Article and instruction of his Maiestie wherein it is prouided precisely that euery Lecturer shall before his Lecture or Sermon reade Diuine Seruice in his Surplice and Hood according to his Degrée If you know of any default or neglect hereof in not obseruing this instruction of his Maiesties or other the Lawes Ecclesiasticall of this Kingdome you are to present it otherwise you are likely to answere for this your contempt 24 Item whether do any Knight or Gentlemen within your Parish maintaine or keepe any Chaplaine contrary to the Lawes of the Land not being thereunto Licensed by the Bishop of this Diocesse 25 Item whether doth your Preacher or Lecturer reade Diuine Seruice and Minister the Sacraments twice a yeere at least in his owne person according to the Canons II. Concerning the Church the Ornaments thereof and the Churches possessions 26 WHether haue you in your seuerall Churches and Chappels the whole Bible of the largest volume and the book of Common Prayer as also the book of Homilies set forth by his Maiesties authority all fairely and substantially bound a Font of stone set vp in the ancient vsuall place a conuenient decent Communion Table with a Carpet of silke or some other decent Stuffe continually layd vpon the Table at the time of Diuine Seruice and a faire linnen cloth vpon the same at the time of the receiuing of the holy Communion And whether is the same Table placed in such conuenient sort within the Chancel or Church as that the Minister may be best heard in his prayer administration and that the greatest number may communicate And whether is it so vsed out of time of diuine Seruice as is not agréeable to the holy vse of it and as by sitting on it throwing hats on it writing on it or is it abused to other prophane vses And are the Ten Commandements set vpon the East end of your Church or Chappell where the people may best see and reade them and other Sentences of holy Scripture written on the walles likewise for that purpose 27 Item whether haue you in your said Church or Chappell a conuenient seate for your Minister to read Seruice in together with
Ecclesiasticall or against the Oath of Supremacy or of Allegiance as pretending the same to be vnlawful 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 gouernment of the Church of England vnder the Kings most excellent Maiestie by Archbishops Bishops Deanes Archdeacons and other Officers of the same affirming that the same is repugnant to the Word of God that the sayd Ecclesiastical Officers are not lawfully ordained Or whether be there any Authors maintainers or fauourers of Heresie or Schisme or that be suspected to be Anabaptists Libertines Brownists of the Familie of Loue or of any other Heresie or Schisme present their names 59 Item whether haue any in your Parish married within the degrées by law prohibited or any couple in your Parish being lawfully married liue apart one from the other without due separation of the Law or any that haue bin diuorced which keepe company with any other at Bed or at Bord and when and where they married 58 Item whether doe any persons administer the goods of the dead without lawfull authoritie or suppresse the last will of the dead Or are there in your Parish any wils not yet proued or goods of the dead dying intestate left vnadministred By authority in that behalfe you shall not faile to present the Executors and all others faulty therein and also how many persons being possessed of any goods and chattels haue dyed within your Parish since the yéere 1617. 59 Item whether doth any with-hold the stocke of the Church or any goods or other things giuen to good and charitable vses 60 Item whether are your Hospitalls and Almes-houses and other such houses and Corporations founded to good and charitable vses and the lands possessions and goods of the same ordered and disposed of as they should bee And doe the Masters Gouernours Fellowes and others of the said Houses and Corporations behaue and demeane themselues according to the godly Ordinances and Statutes of their seuerall Foundations 61 Item whether haue you any in your parish to your knowledge or by common fame report which haue committed Adultery Fornication or Incest or any which haue impudētly bragged or boasted that he or she haue liued incontinently with any person or persons whatsoeuer or any that hath attempted the chastity of any woman or solicited any woman to haue the carnall knowledge of her body or which are commonly reputed to bee common Drunkards Blasphemers of Gods holy Name common Swearers common Slanderers of their Neighbours sowers of discord filthy and laciuious talkers Usurers Symonaicall persons Bawds or harbourers of women with child which be vnmarried or conueying or suffering them to goe away before they haue made satisfaction to the congregation or any that hauing heretofore bene presented or suspected of any the aforesaid crimes haue for that cause departed your parish and are now returned again Or any which haue vsed any inchantments sorceries incantations or witchcrafts which are not made fellony by the statutes of this Realme or any which haue cōmitted any periury in any Ecclesiasticall Court in an Ecclesiasticall cause or which haue committed any forgery punishable by the Ecclesiasticall lawes and the procurers and abettors of the sayd offences You shall truely present the names of all and singular the sayd offendors and with whom they haue committed the said offences in case they haue not bin publikely punished to your knowledge for the same crimes 62 Item whether was the publike prayers and fast lately enioyned by authority for the pacifying of Gods wrath and for asswaging the late fearefull Plague béen duely and solemnely performed both by your Minister and Parishioners on the dayes and times appointed as also The day of thankesgiuing for Gods mercy in asswaging that fearefull sicknesse being Religiously obserued according to those publike formes set foorth by authority and whether haue you the sayd Bookes so published as by the same authority you were commanded VIII Concerning Ecclesiasticall Magistrates and Officers 63 WHether doe you know or haue heard of any payment composition or agreement to or with any Ecclesiasticall Magistrate Iudge or Officer for winking at or sparing to punish any person for any offence of Ecclesiastical conusance or for suppressing or concealing of any Recusant or any other offendour in the cases afore-sayd What sum of money or other consideration hath bin receiued or promised by or to any of them in that respect by whom and with whom 64 Item whether hath any person within your parish payd or promised any sum of mony or other reward for communication of penance for any crime of Ecclesiastical conusance If so then with whom when and for what and how hath the same bene imployed 65 Item whether are your Ecclesiasticall Iudges and their Substitutes Masters of Arts or Bachelours of the Law at the least learned and practised in the Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Lawes Men of good life and fame zealously affected in Religion and iust vpright in executing their offices Haue they heard any matter of Office priuately in their chambers without their sworne Registers or their Deputies presence 66 Item whether doe you know or haue you heard that any Ecclesiasticall Iudge Offcer or Minister hath receiued or taken any extraordinary fees or other rewards or promises by any wayes or meanes directly or indirectly of any person or persons whatsoeuer either for the granting of the administration of the goods and chattells of those that haue died intestate to one before another or for allotting of larger portions of the goods and chattells of those that haue dyed intestate to one more then to another or for allowing large and vnreasonable accounts made by Executors or administrators or for giuing them Quietus est or discharges without Inuentory or account to defraud Creditors Legataries or those who are to haue portions And what summes of money do you know or haue you heard that any Ecclesiastical Iudge or Officer hath taken out of the state of any dying intestate vpon pretence