ARTICLES TO BE INQVIRED OF VVITHIN THE DIOCES OF ELY In the first Visitation of the R. Reverend Father in God MATTHEVV LORD BISHOP OF ELY Printed at London by Richard Badger 1638. The Tenour of the Oath to be ministred to the Church-wardens and any other of every Parish that shall be sworne to make Presentments YOu shall sweare that you and every one of you shall and will truly consider and diligently enquire of every one of these Articles here given you in charge and of all the branches thereof and make true answer to all particulars therein demanded and that all affection or favour or hatred or hope of reward or gaine or feare of displeasure or malice of any person and all other pretences set aside you shall and will present every such person of your Parish or within it as hath committed any offence or fault or made any default mentioned in any of these Articles or which is vehemently suspected or otherwise defamed of any such offence fault or default wherein you shall deale uprightly and fully according to the truth neither presenting nor sparing to present any contrary to the truth Having in this action God before your eyes with an earnest zeale to maintaine truth and vertue and to suppresse vice and to discharge your owne consciences So help you God and the Holy Contents of this Booke GOD SAVE THE KING Articles to be inquired of in the Dioces of Ely at the Visitation holden in the yeare of our LORD 1638. Chap. 1. Concerning Religion Doctrine and Church-government ARE there any abiding in your Parish or resorting to it who as farre as you know or haue credibly heard from persons of déeper iudgment do at any time preach teach deliuer publish or maintaine any heresie or any erroneous false opinion contrary to the faith of CHRIST or any sentence matter or cause which hath heretofore béene determined ordered or adiudged to be heresie by the authority of the Canonicall Scriptures or by the first foure generall Councels or any of them or by any other generall Councell determining the same to be heresie by the expresse words of holy Scripture Or are there any which do deny or impugne any of the 39 Articles of Religion agréed vpon in Anno 1562. and established in the Church of England And is the Declaration which the Kings Maiesty prefixed before those 39 Articles concerning the selling of the questions late in difference duly obserued by all within your Parish according to His Maiesties commandement 2 Be there any in your Parish that haue denied or perswaded any other to deny withstand or impugne the Kings Maiesties authority and supremacy in causes Ecclesiasticall within this Realme 3 Be there any in your Parish that haue affirmed that the Forme of consecrating Bishops and making Priests and Deacons as it is vsed in the Church of England is not holy right true and lawfull Or that the Gouernment of this Church vnder the Kings Maiestie by Archbishops Bishops Deanes Archdeacons and other Ecclesiasticall Officers is vnlawfull or antichristian 4 Is there in your Parish any that hath béene or is vehemently suspected to have béene present at any vnlawfull assemblies conuenticles or méetings vnder colour or pretence of any exercise of Religion or do any affirme and maintaine such méetings to be lawfull 5 Be there any abiding in or resorting to your Parish that are commonly reputed to be ill affected in matter of the religion professed in our Church or taken to be Recusant Papists or factious separatists refusing to repaire vnto the Church to heare diuine Seruice and to receiue the holy Communion Or that haue or do publish sell or disperse or conueigh to others any superstitious seditious or schismaticall Bookes Libels or Writings touching the Religion State or Ecclesiasticall gouernment of this Kingdome of England Present their names qualities and conditions if you know or haue heard of any 6 Haue any in your Parish spoken or declared anything in derogation or deprauation of the forme of Gods worship and the set forme of common prayer prescribed and established in the Church of England or in dislike of the administration of the Sacraments or of the other Rites and Ceremonies set forth and prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer and the Canons Ecclesiasticall Or do any preach speak and declare that the Booke of Common Prayer containeth any thing that is repugnant to the holy Scripture or not meet to be vsed Or do vse any scomfull words against those godly Sermons called the Homilies of the Church Chap. 2. Concerning Publike Prayer and the Administration of the Holy Sacraments c. 1 HAth any in your Parish caused procured or maintained any Minister to say any common or publike prayer or to administer the Sacrament of Baptisme or of the Lords Supper otherwise or in any other maner than is mentioned in the Book of Common Prayer Or hath any interrupted hindered let or disturbed the Minister in reading of diuine Seruice or administring the Sacraments in such manner as is mentioned in the said booke Or hath any interrupted him in his preaching or reading the Homilies 2 Is the Sacrament of Baptisme rightly and duly administred according to the forme prescribed in the Booke of Common Prayer with due obseruation of all Rites and Ceremonies prescribed to be vsed in the same without adding or altering of any part of any prayers or interrogatories Is the signe of the Crosse euery time vsed and the Surplice neuer but worne in the administring of it 3 Hath the administration of the Sacrament of Baptisme béene at any time deferred longer than till the next Sunday or Holiday immediately following the birth of the childe And do they all come to Church when a child is to be baptized at or about the beginning of diuine Seruice And is the baptizing performed immediately after the second Lesson 4 Hath the Sacrament of Baptisme béen refused to be administred to any children borne in or out of wedlock their birth being made known to the Minister of the Parish and they offered vnto him to be baptized Or haue any such children died vnbaptized 5 Haue the parents of the childe baptised béene at any time admitted to be Godfathers or Godmothers to the same Or haue any béene admitted to be Godfathers or Godmothers to any childe before they haue receiued the holy Communion Or haue there béene admitted more or lesse than two Godfathers and one Godmother for a male child and two Godmothers and one Godfather for a female Or haue any Godfathers or Godmothers vsed any other answers or spéech in Baptisme than is by the Book of Common Prayer appointed Or haue they giuen to the children baptised any name that is absurd or inconuenient for so holy an action 6 Haue any children béene baptised in priuate houses except vpon great necessity and if so what was the same or by any Lay-person or Midwife or Popish Priest or by any other than your owne Minister And haue all
Certificate of his absolution from his Ordinary vnder the seale of the office and not by any note or Ticket only under the hand of the Register or any other Clerk Or hath hee stayed or forborne to denounce any excommunication or suspension or absolution that hath béene sent him from his Ordinary further then the next Sunday or Holyday after receipt thereof under Seale 34 Hath your Minister béene at any priuate méetings or conuenticies to consult there about the impeachment or deprauing of the doctrine of the Church of England or of the Book of Common Prayer or of any part of the gouernment and discipline of the Church or to practise any forme of their owne either for worship or discipline 35 Doth your Minister vpon Sundayes at Morning Prayer declare vnto the Parishioners what Fasting-dayes and Holy dayes are to bee kept the wéek following 36 Doth your Minister in the Rogation dayes go the perambulation of the circuit of your Parish saying and using the Prayers Suffrages and Thanksgiuing unto God appointed by Law according to his duty thanking God for his blessings and praying for his grace and fauour 37 Doth your Parson or Vicar maintaine and kéepe in due reparation the Mansion-houses and all other edifices and fenses belonging to his Parsonage or Vicarage without suffering them to grow into ruine or decay 38 Hath your Minister taken upon him to appoint or to hold or continue any private or publike fasts or méetings for preaching or lecturing on any working-day in his owne Parish or elsewhere or prophesies or exercise or any other such thing not being approued by his Ordinary for the time being 39 Is your Minister studious in holy Scripture and abstaineth from mechanicall trades bodily labour soliciting of causes in Law common buying or selling of Horses or other Cattell and all other imployments not besitting his calling and holy Function Doth he vsually weare a Gowne with a standing coller and sléeues strait at the hands and a square Cap Doth he in iourneying vse a cloak with sléeues commonly called a Priests-cloake without guards buttons or cuts Doth he at any time in publike weare any coife or wrought night-cap but only a plaine cap of black silke satten or veluet and of a decent fashion and proper for Diuines Doth he at any time goe abroad in his dublet and hose without a Coat or Cassock or weare any light coloured stockings long haire deep bands great ruffled booted or any other vndecent thing Or is hee any way excessiue in apparrell either himselfe or his wife 40 Is your Minister suspected or knowne to haue obtained his Benefice by any Simoniacall compact directly or indirectly Or is he reputed to bée an incontinent person a frequenter of Tauernes Innes or Ale-houses a common gamester or player at dice or cards a common swearer or drunkard a brabler or brawler giuen to contention vsury brocage or common merchandizing or otherwise faulty in any other kind that is scandalous to his function 41 Hath your Minister publikely in your Parish Church or Chappell once euery yéere read ouer the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiasticall agréed upon by the Clergy of both Prouinces An. Dom 1603 in such manner as the same is commanded to be done 42 Is there any in your Parish or resorting thereunto who hauing taken holy Orders of Priest or Deacon doth uoluntarily relinquish and forsake his calling and liues in the course of his life as a lay man Or any that hauing béene silenced or suspended by authority so remaineth without conforming himself in due obedience to the Church And how doth he imploy his time and where or whence hath he his maintenance as you know or haue heard 43 Haue any béene admitted to preach in your Church who doe not before the Church-wardens subscribe their names in your booke prouided for that purpose and the day when he or they preached and the name of the Bishop or Bishops of whom they had license to preach 44 Hath any Preacher particularly impugned and confuted any doctrine deliuered by any other Preacher in the same Church or in any Church néere adioyning before he acquainted the Bishop of the Dioces therewith and receiued order from him what to do in that case 45 Haue you any Lecturer in your Parish and on what day is your Lecture If any such be doth he twice at the least euery yéere read diuine Seruice both morning and euening two seuerall Sundaies publikely in his Surplice and Hood And also twice in the yéere administer both Sacraments with such Rites and Ceremonies as are prescribed in the book of Common Prayer 46 Doth the Lecturer whosoeuer he be reade the diuine Seruice according to the Liturgie printed by authority in his Surplice and Hood before euery Lecture 47 Doth your Preacher or Lecturer behaue himselfe in his Lectures and Sermons as he ought to doe teaching obedience and edifying his auditory in matters of faith and good life without intermedling with matters of State or newes or other discourses not fit for the Pulpit and also without fauouring or abetting Schismaticks or Separatists that are at home or are gone abroad either by a speciall prayer for them or by any other approbation of them and their schismaticall courses 48 Haue you any Lecture of Combination set vp in your Parish And if so is it read by a company of graue and orthodor Diuines néere adioyning and in the same Dioces And doth euery one of them Preach in a Gown and not in a Cloake And when and by whom were they appointed And what be their names 49 Is any single Lecture maintained by your Towne or otherwise suffered to preach he not first professing his willingnesse to take vpon him the cure of soules nor actually taking a Benefice or Cure so soone as it may be fairely procured for him What is his 〈…〉 at licence hath he And hath he a setled contribution affixed to the Lecture 〈…〉 is it arbitrary and for this Lecturer onely What summe doth it amount to ordinarilly By whom is it usually paid or collected or of late yéeres hath béene 50 If any Psalmes be vsed to be sung in your Church before or after the morning and euening prayer or before or after the Sermons vpon which occasions only they are allowed to be sung in Churches is it done according to that graue manner which first was in vse that such doe sing as can read the Psalmes or haue learned them by heart and not after that vncouth and vndecent custome of late taken vp to haue every line first read by one alone and then sung by the people Chap. 5. Concerning Matrimony BE there any in your Parish that haue maried within the degrées of affinity or consanguinity by the Law of God forbidden as is expressed in a certaine Table published by authority in Anno 1563. And if any haue so maried what be their names and where were they maried and by whom 2 Hath any béene maried secretly in private houses or
children which were priuately baptized if they liued béene afterwards brought to your Church that the Congregation and the Minister of the Parish in case they were not baptised by him might be certified whether they were lawfully baptised or no 7 Haue the children that haue béene borne to any Popish Recusant in your Parish béene publikely baptised in your Parish Church by your owne Parson Vicar or Curate Or by whom else were they baptised or where to your knowledge or as you haue heard you are to giue all the notice you can both of them and of their Parents 8 Hath the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper béene duly and reuerently administred in your Church or Chappell so often and at such conuenient times that at least thrice euery yéere whereof once at Easter euery Parishioner within your Parish being of the age of 16 yéeres or vpwards might receiue the same 9 Hath the said blessed Sacrament béen deliuered vnto any or receiued by any the Communicants within your Parish that did vnrcuerently either sit stand or leane or that did not deuoutly and humbly knéele vpon their knées in plaine and open view without collusion or hypocrisie 10 Haue any of your Parish which are openly knowne to liue in notorious sinne without repentance or any excommunicate persons or schismaticks common and notorious deprauers of the Religion and Gouernment of this Realme without vnfained sorrow shewed by them for their impiety and wickednesse béene admitted to be partakers of the holy Communion 11 Hath any of your Parish béen debarred from the said holy Communion without iust cause or without intimation presently giuen to the Ordinarie or Bishop of the Dioces Name euery such person and the person that debarred him or them Chap. 3. Concerning the Church the furniture and possessions thereof 1 HAue you a Parish Church and Chancell now standing and in vse or is the same prophaned or demolished in part or in whole 2 Haue you in your Church or Chappell the whole Bible in the largest Volume of the last translation the Booke of Common Prayer the two Bookes of Homilies and Bishop Iewels Works all well and fairely bound And haue you also in your Church the forme of the Diuine Seruice for the 5th day of Nouember and for the 27th day of March and the Book of Constitutions or Canons Ecclesiasticall 3 Haue you in your Church or Chappell a Font of stone set and fastened in the ancient vsuall place whole and cleane and fit to hold water A conuenient and decent Communion Table with a carpet of silke or some other decent stuffe continually laid vpon the Table at the time of diuine Seruice and a faire linnen cloth thereon laid at the time of administring the Communion what did either of them cost what be they now worth in value And is the same Table placed conueniently so as the Minister may best be heard in his administration and the greatest number may reuerently communicate To that end doth it ordinarily stand vp at the East end of the Chancell where the Altar in former times stood the ends thereof being placed North and South Is it at any time vsed vnreuerently by leaning or sitting on it throwing hats or any thing else vpon it or writing on it or is it abused to any other prophane or common vse Are there any steps or ascents in your Chancell vp to the Communion Table Haue you also a decent raile of wood or some other comely inclosure couered with cloth or silk placed handsomely aboue those steps before the Holy Table néere one yard high and reaching crosse from the North wall to the South except by the order of the Diocesan it be made with the ends returning vnto the East wall with two conuenient doores to open before the Table And if it be a Raile are the Pillars or Ballisters thereof so close that doggs may not any where get in Also are the ten Commandements set vp in your Church or Chappell where the people may see and read them and other chosen sentences written vpon the wals of your said Church or Chappell in places conuenient for the same purpose 4 Haue you in your said Church or Chappell a conuenient seat for your Minister to read diuine Seruice in Where and in what part of the Church doth it stand how farre from the Chancell and which way doth the standing thereof cause the Minister to turne his face when he knéeleth therein at prayer Haue you also a comely Pulpit set vp in a conuenient place with a decent Cloth or Cushion for the same Haue you a comely large Surplice what cost it by the yard and how long haue you had the same Haue you also a faire Communion Cup of siluer and a couer agréeable to the same a Flagon of siluer or pewter with all other things and Ornaments necessary for the celebration of diuine Seruice and administration of the Sacraments And haue you a chest wherein to put the almes for the poore with thrée lockes and keyes vnto it and another Chest for the kéeping of the Bookes and the Communion Vessels and Ornaments of the Church Or where are they kept ordinarily 5 In the said Chest haue you a Register booke in Parchment wherein to register the Christenings Weddings and Burials And is the same booke written and kept in all points according to the Canon And is the Christian name of the mother as well as of the father therein duly registred And is there a transcript thereof tranâ—mitted euery yéere into the Bishops principall Registry Haue you also a faire Paxer-booke wherein euery Preacher which is a stranger is to subscribe his name the day when he preached and by whose authority he is licensed And haue you also a Table set vp in your Church of the degrées wherein by Law men are prohibited to marrie 6 Is your Church or Chappell with the Chancell thereof as also the Vestrey and the Church Porch if you haue any and your Parsonage house or Vtcarage-house and all other houses thereto belonging your Parish Almes-house and Church-house in good reparations And are they imployed to godly and their right holy vses And if any of them be ruinated and wasted in whom is the default And is your Church Chancell and Chappell decently and comely kept as well within as without and are the seats in them well maintained and the bottomes of them either boarded or paued the Stéeple and Bels preserued the windowes in no part stopt vp but well glazed the roofe and wals cleane the whole floore kept paued plaine and euen and all things there in orderly and decent sort without dust rubbish straw or litter or any thing that may he either noysome or vnséemly for the house of God The Parishioners vsing none but Pesses and fast matts in their seats as néed shall require 7 Are there any armes and furniture for souldiers or other munition ladders buckets timber or any other implements for publike or priuate vse stored and kept in