ARTICLES OF VISITATION and ENQUIRY Within the Diocess of ELY IN THE Second Episcopal Visitation OF THE Right Reverend FATHER in GOD PETER By Divine Permission LORD BISHOP of ELY In the fifth Year of his Translation LONDON Printed by S. Roycroft 1679. The Tenour of the Oath to be administred to the Church-wardens and Side-men YOU shall Swear diligently to Enquire and true Presentment make of every person now or lately of your Parish which hath made any default or offence enquirable by the King's Laws Ecclesiastical and become known unto you So help you God and the Contents of his Holy Gospel Articles of Instruction and Direction to the Church-wardens and Side-men of what they are to take more especial Notice in their Presentments Concerning Religion and the Government of the Church Established in this Realm IMprimis Is there any in your Parish who are guilty of Atheistical or blasphemous Speeches against the Majesty of Almighty God or Scoffers at Religion and the Souls future immortal state Is there any guilty of Speeches of Infidelity against the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ Any who in their communication or otherwise defend the Socinian or Arrian Heresie denying the Eternal Godhead of the Lord Iesus or Pelagian denying the necessity of his Grace and of Baptism for the washing away of Original Sin II. Is there any one that doth affirm or teach and who is he that the holy Scripture doth not contain all things necessary to Salvation or that what is contained in the 3 Creeds ought not throughly to be received and believed or that the Church hath not Authority in Controversies of Faith III. Is there any that doth affirm and teach that the Church of England by law established is not a true and Apostolical Church and a true member of the Catholick Church having in her all things necessary to Salvation Or is there any that doth affirm and teach that the XXXIX Articles agreed upon by the Arch-bishops and Bishops of both Provinces and the whole Clergy in the Convocation holden at London A.D. 1562. are in any part erroneous or superstitious or such as may not with a good conscience be subscribed unto IV. Is there any in your Parish that doth affirm and teach that the Form of God's Worship in the Church of England established by law and contained in the Book of Common Prayer and Administration of Sacraments is a corrupt Popish or any way superstitious or unlawful Worship of God or containeth any thing in it that is repugnant to Scripture or to the Doctrine and Worship in the Catholick or Primitive Church V. Is there any that doth affirm or teach and who is he that Baptism of Infants according as is practised in the Church of England is unlawful or unnecessary or better to be delayed or not appointed for the Remission of Sins or that it may be repeated or that Infants duly baptized according to the Churches Order and dying before they commit actual sin are not saved everlastingly through God's grace given them in Baptism VI. Is there any who doth affirm or teach that the king's Majesty hath not the same Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical which we see hath been given always to all godly Princes by God himself both among the Iews and in the Christian Church Or that doth any way deny or impugn the king's Majesties Royal Authority or Supremacy in Causes Ecclesiastical in this Realm Or who denies that within his Majesties Realms of England Scotland and Ireland and all other his Dominions and Countries our Lord the king is the highest Power under God to whom the chief Government of all Estates whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all Causes doth appertain without any subjection due from Him or his Subjects to any foreign Iurisdiction VII Is there any who doth affirm and teach and who is he that the Government of the Church of England under his Majesty by Arch-bishops Bishops Deans Arch-Deacons or other chief Ministers bearing office in the same or that the forms or manner of Ordaining and Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons established by law contains any thing that is Antichristian or repugnant to the word of God or to the practice of the Catholick Church Or that persons so ordained Bishops Priests or Deacons have not sufficient external calling or that they ought not to be accounted truly Bishops Priests or Deacons till they have some other external calling unto those divine Offices or that teaches that those three holy Orders abovesaid have not been ever in Christ's Church even from the Apostles time VIII Is there any in your Parish and who is he that separating himself from this Church and from the Communion of Saints therein joyning himself to Conventicles breaks the Communion of the Church of England and so the Communion of the Catholick Church of whose Communion hers is a part or accounts of others as prophane and none of the godly for their orderly conforming themselves to the Church of England as established by law Or that any combining themselves in Assemblies or Congregations of the king's born Subjects within this Land other then such as by the Laws of this Land are held and allowed may truly take unto themselves the name of another purer Church or of the Church of England IX Is there any who doth affirm and teach and who is he that the Rites and Ceremonies and the Rules of the Church of England by law established are Antichristian superstitious or frivolous or any way unlawful or such as may not be subscribed unto and practised with a good conscience or that the Church hath no power to decree any such Rites and Ceremonies Concerning the Clergy their Duty and Office I. IS your Parson Vicar or also Curate in holy Orders by Episcopal Ordination a Priest ordained according to the laws of the Church of England hath he been legally instituted and inducted into his Benefice or is he known or suspected to have obtained his Parsonage or Vicarage by any Symoniacal Contract II. Did he within two Months after his Induction publickly in your Church or Chappel upon some Sunday or Holy day in the time of Divine Service openly read the XXXIX Articles ' established by Authority in this Church A. D. 1562. and then profess and publish his assent and subscribe his name thereto in the presence of the Church-wardens Do you not know or have you not heard that in his reading or pretending to read those XXXIX Articles he passed over some one or more of them or some part of one or more and what part of the Articles was it that he left unread Did your Parson Vicar or Curate upon some Lord's-day within two Months after his Induction solemnly read in your Church or Chappel both the Morning and Evening Prayer as it is appointed in the Book of Common-Prayer by law established And did he after such reading
publickly before the Congregation declare his unfeigned assent and consent to the use of all things in the said Book contained as is prescribed in the Act of Parliament made for the Uniformity of publick Prayers And did he within three Months after his Induction in your Church or Chappel in publick upon some Lord's day read a Certificate under the hand and seal of the Arch-bishop or Bishop Ordinary of the Diocess that he the said Parson Vicar or Curate did before his admission to be Incumbent subscribe a declaration of the unlawfulness to take up arms against the king and of his conforming to the Liturgy of this Church and of his disavowing the unlawful Oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant according as is prescribed in the aforesaid Act for Uniformity III. Or after his lawful Entrance is your Parson or Vicar resident upon his benefice or if his residence be legally dispensed with is his place supplied by a Curate allowed by the Bishop and a licensed Preacher and constantly resident among you and what yearly stipend doth your Minister allow him And if your Parson or Vicar be both resident himself and keep a Curate also doth he notwithstanding himself at least once a Month openly read Common Prayer in your Church or Chappel and if there be occasion administer each Sacrament in such order manner and form as is prescribed in the Liturgy and Canons of this Church IV. Having both lawful Entrance and Residence among you is he your Parson Vicar or also Curate of blameless conversation the Husband of one Wife sober grave not double tongu'd not given to much wine not greedy of filthy lucre ruling his Children and his own house well sound in faith in charity in patience Or on the contrary is he a frequenter of Taverns or Ale-houses a common Gamester a prophane or obscene jester a swearer railer scoffer or quarreller Doth he set his Neighbours at variance one with another Doth he familiarly converse with persons Excommunicate ungodly or vicious Doth he resort to suspected and infamous houses Or is he himself vehemently suspected of Incontinency with any person within or without your Parish Or doth your Curate or Minister lodge or board at any Tavern Inn Ale-house or house of any ill report V. Doth your Minister or Curate plainly audibly distinctly and reverently read the Divine Service of Morning and Evening-Prayer without any diminution in regard of Preaching or any other respect addition or alteration upon all Sundays and Holy-days not omitting also other days appointed by the Book of Common-Prayer as fit and usual times as Wednesdays and Fridays with the Litanies added and the Eves of every Sunday and Holy day with Ember and Rogation days And moreover when he is at home and not otherwise reasonably hindred himself and able to get two or three gathered together doth he every day say Divine Service Morning and Evening in the Parish-Church where he ministers and cause a bell to be toll'd thereunto that the People may come to hear God's Word and to pray with him VI. Doth your Minister reverently and publickly at the Font only and that without the use of a Basin Administer the holy Sacrament of Baptism Or doth he refuse or delay to Christen any Child that is brought to him to Church on any Sunday or Holy-day knowledge thereof being given to him over Night or in the Morning before Morning Prayer or neglect to persuade all these who have the use of Reason and are still unbaptiz'd having been seduced by Anabaptists to come to holy Baptism and doth he take care for their Baptism as in the Common-Prayer-Book is prescribed In the solemn Publick Baptism doth he Baptize any without God-fathers or God-mothers Or doth he then refuse or neglect to sign the Child baptized with the sign of the Cross Or doth he admit such to be a God-father or God mother who are either one of the Parents of the Child or who have not themselves received the holy Communion VII Doth your Minister duly and reverently Administer the holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ our Lord so often at least and at such times as every Parishioner may communicate at the least three times in every year in publick whereof the Feast of Easter to be one And doth he reverently and carefully in all things observe all the Churches Order in the Celebration Doth he give warning publickly in the Church at Morning-Prayer the Sunday before for the better preparation of his Parishioners And do such as purpose to Communicate signifie their Names at least some time the day before and when he seeth the People negligent to come to the Communion doth he use the Churches second Exhortation and when there is no Communion doth your Minister every Sunday and Holy-day throughout the year read so much of the Communion Service as is appointed to be read by the Book of Common-Prayer and at the place appointed if he can thence be well heard of all thereby professing his and the Churches readiness to the more frequent Celebration of the Holy Eucharist if Communicants were not wanting VIII Doth your Minister wittingly admit to the receiving the Holy Communion any one such who is known to live in open and notorious sin without Repentance or that has wronged his Neighbour by word or deed so as that the Congregation is thereby offended or any such betwixt whom he perceives malice or hatred to reign and will not be reduced by him to a reconcilement or to any who refuse to be present at the other publick Prayers of the Church or to any that be common or notorious depravers of the Book of Common-Prayer or of any thing contained in the XXXIX Articles or in the Book of Ordaining Bishops Priests and Deacons or to any that has spoken against His Majesties Supreme Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical except such persons do first acknowledge to the Minister before you the Church-Wardens his Repentance for the same and promise under his hand if he can write or otherwise by word of mouth that he will do so no more Or lastly to any that refuse to receive the said Holy Communion kneeling And of all such persons by him put from the Communion doth he give an account to his Ordinary according to Law IX Doth he at the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the due places appointed by the Liturgy take the Paten into his hands and break the Bread and lay his hand upon all the Bread and after likewise take the Cup into his hand and lay his hand upon it and every Vessel in which there is any Wine to be Consecrated and when that which was Consecrated is spent doth he communicate to any persons without Consecrating more according to the form prescribed and doth he severally deliver the Bread and Wine to every Communicant and at his delivering the same
doth he rehearse the whole form prescribed in the Communion-Book saying The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ c. And The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed c. Or doth he use only some part thereof as he listeth himself And when all have communicated doth he cover what remaineth of the consecrated Elements with a fair Linnen-cloth and what remains is it reverently eaten and drunken by some of the Communicants within your Church X. If any person sick or in health especially before the Receiving the holyCommunion finding his conscience troubled with any weighty matters doth for the quieting thereof and for further comfort and counsel unburden his conscience to his Priest or Minister doth then the said Priest or Minister upon special confession of his sins made together with fruits meet for repentance having been perform'd to both which also he is by the Minister to be moved upon his Repentance administer unto him Absolution together with Ghostly counsel and advice and have you ever heard that the said Priest or Minister hath revealed or made known at any time to any person whatsoever directly or indirectly any crime or offence confessed to him in secret by any such Penitents whatsoever except they be such crimes as by the Laws of this Realm for the publick concern the Life of the said Priest may and ought to be called in question for concealing of them XI Is your Minister a licensed Preacher by the Bishop or either of the two Universities and if so doth he then constantly unless in case of sickness necessary absence or other reasonable impediment himself preach in your Church or Chappel or in some other near adjoyning where no Preacher is one Sermon every Lords-day or in such cases of impediment or himself not being licensed doth he procure some lawful Minister and licensed Preacher to preach one Sermon and to perform other Ministerial Duties each such day besides the days of Christ's Nativity Passion and Ascension at the least or if no Sermon be take care that one of the Homilies set forth by Authority be there read by a Priest or Deacon lawfully ordained on every Sunday and Holy-day in the Year hath he in his own Sermons at any time or in other Discourse as you know or have heard of preached or maintained any unsound Heretical Seditious or Schismatical Doctrine so far as you can judge or spoken ought privately in contempt of Religion or that Religion or any part of it which he by his office in this Church professeth XII Doth he or any other admitted to preach in your Church omit before his Sermon or Homily briefly to move and exhort the people in the form laid down in the 55. Canon or to the same effect declaring for whom and for what mercies they are to pray and to give God thanks to joyn with him finally in Prayer for all those mercies in that most holy and comprehensive Prayer of our Lord XIII Doth your Minister diligently Catechize the Youth of your Parish every Sunday and Holy-day by way of Question and Answer accordingto the Churches publick Catechism or also further instruct them in the sense thereof as he shall think fit and this after the second Lesson at Evening Service openly in the Church Doth he by this and all other good means and admonitions prepare and procure them as occasion is offered devoutly to come and seek to be confirmed by the Bishop and himself either bring or send in writing under his hand the names of all such persons in his Parish as he shall find by his Examination fit to be presented to the Bishop humbly to seek and ask that benefit of Confirmation XIV Doth your Minister if he be thought fit by his Ordinary endeavour privately to reclaim and reduce all Popish Recusants and all Sectaries in your Parish to the Communion in the publick and established worship of God in this Church Is he also ready without delay to visit the sick And doth he call upon them to receive the holy Sacrament in their sickness And doth he administer it to them And is he also ready being called without delay to baptize Infants in danger of death Is any Infant or more aged person in the Parish yet unbaptized by his default And those Children that have been baptized in private houses have they been so baptized by any Popish Priest on pretended necessity or if at home for true cause of necessity have they been by your Minister or other lawful Minister baptized and afterward brought into the Church and the Order of the Church concerning them there duly observed XV. Hath your Minister or any other baptized Children churched any Women or ministred the holy Communion in any private house where they have any Church or Chappel in the Parish otherwise then by Law is allowed in cases of necessity XVI Doth your Minister on the three Rogation days before the Feast of the holy Ascension go in perambulation of the Circuit of the Parish And when he so goeth doth he exhort the people to give thanks to God in the beholding of his benefits for the increase and abundance of his fruits upon the face of the Earth And when there appears any fear of scarcity doth he move them to pray unto God for his mercy and favour unto the Land going into the Church with them and reading the Litany and one part of the Homily set forth and appointed for that purpose of the Rogations XVII Doth he bid and observe the Holy-days and Fasting-days and days of Abstinence and other solemn days for which particular Services are appointed as they occur or return from time to time giving notice to the Parishioners of every of the same in the Church in the time of the Morning Service the Sunday next before XVIII Doth your Minister always at the reading or celebrating any Divine Office constantly wear the Surplice and other Scholastical Habit according to his degree if he be a Graduate and without a Hood only instead thereof a Tipet of black Stuff not Silk being permitted him if he be no Graduate And doth he wear his hair of a moderate and comly length Is his usual Apparel decent in fashion and in colour such as is enjoyned him by the Canons of the Church XIX Doth he in the presence of the Church-wardens write and record in your Register Book the Names and Surnames of all persons baptized married and buried in your Parish from time to time yearly transmitting a Copy of those Christnings Marryings and Buryings subscribed with his own the Church-wardens or Overseers hands into the Bishops Registry XX. Doth your Minister permit any strange Minister to preach in your Church who is not sufficiently licensed and Authorized thereto or that doth not subscribe his name in your book provided for that purpose and by whom he was so licensed to Preach and the day of his Preaching XXI
of Child-bearing refuse in convenient time to return a publick Thanksgiving to God according to the Order of the Church Or are there any that neglect to obtain the Christian burial of their dead according to the Rites of the Church of England IV. Do any in your Parish entertain in their house any Sojourner common Guests or other persons who refuse to frequent Divine Service or receive the holy Communion as aforesaid and what are the names qualities and conditions of such Sajourners V. Do any refuse to be uncovered during the time of Divine Service or Sermon or Homily prescribed therein or devoutly to kneel when by the Common-Prayer-Book they are commanded so to do or to stand up at the Glory be to the Father c. and at the Creeds and holy Gospel and to make answer at all the Responsals appointed by the said Book and due reverence when the Name of our Lord Jesus is mentioned or to say the Creed and the Lord's Prayer in a loud voice with the Minister Or do any in time of Divine Service or Sermon or Homily behave themselves rudely by walking talking whispering laughing or sleeping VI. Do any persons excommunicate intrude into your Church in time of Divine Service or doth any other person disturb your Minister doing any part of his Ministerial Office or do any brawl quarrel challenge one another fight or strike in the Church or Church-yard Or are any Plays Feasts Drinkings or Church-Ales kept in your Church or Church-yard VII Do any Housholders Fathers Masters Mothers Mistresses in your Parish neglect to cause their Children and Servants Apprentices or other Persons living in their House which have not yet learnt the Churches Catechism to learn the same and to come to Church on Sundays and Holy-days in the Afternoon there to be examined by their Minister and instructed therein VIII Is there any in your Parish Master or Servant Sojourner or Inhabiter Man or Woman that lieth under a common fame or suspicion or notoriety of Adultery Fornication or Incest or other Incontinency having married within the degrees prohibited by God and expressed in a Table set forth by Authority A.D. 1563. Or have you any that live together in your Parish as a man and wife who refuse to make known when where or by whom they were married Or any that being lawfully married do yet live asunder without separation in due form of Law Or have you any Bawds Entertainers or Concealers of incontinent persons or any common Drunkards Extortioners Swearers or Blasphemers of God's Name any sowers of Sedition Faction or Discord among their Neighbours any Railers Revilers common Slanderers of their Neighbours filthy and lascivious talkers or which have sollicited any person to unchastity or any which have used any Charms Inchantments or consultations of those called Wizards Witches or cunning men or any Sorceries not including here such as are made Felony by the Laws of this Realm or which have committed perjury in any Ecclesiastical Court and Cause IX Are there any Recusants in your Parish or other Schismatically affected who refuse communion with the Church in her Prayers and Sacraments who keep in their Houses any that take upon them to be spiritual guides and instructers or any School-master in their Family which come not to Church to hear Divine Service and to receive the holy Communion or that labour to seduce and withdraw others within or without the Family from the Religion in this Church established or any in your Parish that retain sell or disperse any Popish books or writings or other books or writings of any Sectaries touching the Religion State or Government Ecclesiastical of this kingdom of England or Books of Heresie X. Have you any in your Parish that are suspected to be Antinomians Anabaptists Familists Libertines Brownists Quakers Muggletonians Independents or Presbyterian opposers of Episcopal Government XI Did any dying in your Parish or elsewhere leave any Legacy to your Church or Chappel or to the Poor or to any other pious or charitable purposes What were the Legacies and how have they been bestowed Are there any in your Parish living that do to your knowledge or as you have heard with-hold any part of the stock goods or legacies given to any Church or Pious and Charitable use any provision for free Schools Alms-houses or Hospitals not including here such as are of his Majesties Foundation or Patronage or that employ them otherwise then according to the intent of their several foundations and the allowance of the Laws Are there any Testaments or Wills by any concealed or unproved or any Goods unadministred or administred without a due grant from the Ordinary XII Have you any in your Parish that refuse to pay their duty for Easter offerrings to your Minister or to reckon with him then or that refuse to contribute and pay the Rate cessed upon them for the repair of your Church or Chappel or for the providing of such Books Furniture or necessary Ornaments as are requisite for the performance of any of the Divine Offices there XIII Do you know of any person in your Parish having the Presentation or gift of any Ecclesiastical Benefice who hath presented a Minister to it upon any Bargain either for Mony or Pension or Lease or reserve of Tythes or Glebe or any part thereof or upon any other Symonical contract whatsoever Concerning Church-wardens Side-men Parish-Clerks and Sextons I. ARe the Church-wardens of your Parish yearly and duly chosen by the joint consent of your Minister and Parishioners or one of them by your Minister and the other by the Parishioners and are they sworn Have the last Church-wardens given up their Accounts before the Minister and Parishioners delivering up also the money remaining into your hands and other things of right belonging to your Church or Chappel and is the same delivered to you by bill indented II. Doth any person or persons trouble or molest you the Church-wardens for presenting any offenders in any of the premises or for performing the duty that lies upon you in executing any part of your office and who are they that do so molest and trouble you III. Do you the Church-wardens against every Communion provide a sufficient quantity of fine white Bread and good and wholsome Wine according to the number of the Communicants and do you bring the Wine so provided in a clean and sweet standing Flagon of Pewter or other purer Metal kept for that use IV. Do you suffer the Table for the holy Communion to be applied at any time to any prophane or common use as of writing setting dead Corps upon it at Funerals or others in the Church to sit upon it or irreverently to make it a place to lay their arms or hats upon it V. Do you the Church-wardens note them that come late to Church after Divine Service is begun or depart before it be ended and do you