and suffered them againe to depart without pennance first inflicted vpon them by their Ordinarie you shall truly present as well the partie harbouring as harboured and who is suspected to haue committed incontinencie with her 30 Whether any person or persons suspected or detected heretofore of incontinencie and therefore departing out of your Parish for a season is now returned againe or in what place else is he or she now abiding to your knowledge or as you haue heard you shall not faile to present the whole truth in that behalfe 31 Whether there be any person or persons Ecclesiasticall or Temporall within your Parish or elsewhere within the Dioces that haue retayned and kept in their custodie or that reade sell vtter disperse carrie or deliuer to others any English or Latine Bookes or Libels set foorth or printed either on this side or beyond the Seas by Papists or Sectaries against the Kings Supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall or tending to Popery Puritanisme or any other Sect Errour or Heresie against true Religion and Catholike doctrine now publikely protessed in this Church or the gouernment or discipline of the Church of England now within this Realme receiued and established by common authoritie that you know or haue heard of what their names and sir names are 32 Whether there be any in your Parish who are knowne or suspected to conceale or kéepe hidden in their houses any Masse Bookes Portesses Breuiaries or other Bookes of Popery or superstition or any Challices Copes Vestments Athes or other ornaments of superstition vncancelled or vndefaced which is to be coniectured that they doe kéepe for a day as they call it 33 Whether any of your Parishioners hauing a Preacher to their Parson Vicar or Curate doe absent themselues from his Sermons and resort to any other place to heare other Preachers 34 Whether there be any Inne-kéepers Alewiues Victuallers or Tiplers that suffér or doe admit any person or persons in their houses to eate drinke or play at Dice Cards Tables Bowles or such like games in the time of Common prayer or Sermon on Sundaies or Holy-daies Or any Butchers or other that commonly vse to sell meate or other things in the time of Common prayer Preaching or reading of Homilies and whether in any Fayres or common Markets falling vpon Sundaies there be shewing of any wares before morning prayer be done And whether any Markets or selling of wares be vsed or suffered in any Church-yards on the Subbath day by common pack men and Pedlers going about or any Butchers 35 Whether hath your Minister or any of the parish without the consent or priuitie of the Ordinarie caused any to doe penance or to be punished either openly or otherwise by any Vestrie méetings or taken money for any crime punishable by the Ecclesiastical lawes onely and what be the names of the parties that haue béene so punished and in what manner 36 Whether there be any in your parish who will come to heare the Sermon but will not come to the publike prayer appointed by the Booke of common prayer making a schisme or diuision as it were betwéene the vse of publike prayer and preaching and whether there be any who being present at publike prayer doe not deuoutly and humbly knéele vpon their knées at such times as by the Booke of common prayer they are appointed to wit when they make a generall confession of their sinnes when all prayers and Collects are read in the time of the Letanie when the ten Commandements are read at the receiuing of the holy Communion c. And what be their names that haue af any time shewed themselues vndutifull and vnreuerent in that behalfe 37 Whether there be any married women or others within your parish which after childe-birth refuse contemne or neglect to come to the Church to giue God thanks for their safe deliuerie to haue the prayers publikely appointed in that behalfe by the Booke of common prayer 38 Whether any within your parish doe resort into Barnes Fields Woods priuate houses to any extraordinary exposition of Scriptures or conferences together or that be drawers or perswaders of others to any such schismaticall conuenticle 39 Whether any doe kéepe their children vnbaptized longer then is conuenient vnlesse that it be for the sicknesse of the childe or other vrgent occasion And whether any doe carry their childe or children from the parish they are borne in to other parishes to be baptized and so refuse their owne parish and to what other parish or doe bring strange Ministers into their own houses to baptize their children priuately according to their owne fantasies 40 Item Setting downe the full summe of the Communicants within your Parish you shall present euery one who hath béene defectiue at this feast of Easter last past in receiuing the holy Communion vpon neglect contempt or any other pretence and excuse 41 Whether doe you know of any other matter of Ecclesiasticall cognizance worthy the presentment in your iudgement heretofore in these Articles not expressed and which is fit to be reformed in Ecclesiasticall censure If you doe you shall likewise present the same by vertue of your oathes 42 Whether hath your Minister kept any Excommunication in hie custodie vnpublished against any of his Parishioners aboue the space of xx dayes next after the receit thereof without some lawfull certificat of the absolution of any such excommunicate person or of some lawfull warrant for the stay of the same Excommunication 43 Whether hath your Minister admitted any excommunicate person to the holy Communion before he hath receiued a certificat of the absolution of the same partie And whether haue you permitted any excommunicate person either of your owne parish or of any other parish to heare diuine Seruice in your parish Church since the time you tooke vpon you the office of Church wardens within your saide parish If yea set downe the names of the same parties 44 Whether hath your Minister absolued any excommunicate person or persons of your parish or of any other parish within the Archdeaconry of Essex within the space of a yéere last past without a speciall warrant in writing vnder the hands of the Iudge and Register of this Court or of one of them If yea what are the names of such person or persons which he haâ—h so absolued 45 Whether hath your Minister your selues or your predecessors Church-wardens of your parish for the yéere last past presented any person or persons of your said parish to the Chancellor of the reuerend Father in God the Lord Bishop of London sauing in the Visitation of the sayd Lord Bishop And whether hath your Minister your selues or your predecessors Church-wardens of your said parish for the yéer last past presented any person or persons to the Commissarie of the said reuerend Father in God If yea what are the names of such person or persons which you or they haue so presented and for what cause did you or they present any such person or persons Articles to be inquired of by the Minister Church-wardens Sworne-man of euery Parish within the Archdeaconrie of Essex according to the speciall direction of certaine letters heretofore sent to the Lord Bishop of London from the right Honourable the Lords of the Priuie Counsell IN primis Whether there be any in your Parish either Parishioners Soiourners or such as be late come out of other Countries into your Parish which do refuse to come to diuine Seruice to the Parish Church or elsewhere and what be their names and sir-names and how long they haue refused so to doe 2 Item How many of their wiues and children aboue the age of sixe séene yéeres seruants and other soiourners abiding in their houses doe likewise refuse so to doe and what be their names and sir-names and how long they haue refused so to doe 3 Item Whether there be any in your Parish which be suspected to haue béene reconciled to the Popish Religion or to haue béene absolued or any that procured or councelled any thereunto and what be their names and sir-names 4 Item Whether there be any in your Parish which be suspected to be Massing Priests Reconcilers Iesuits Seminaries or other persons which haue receiued any orders or authoritie from the Romish Church to vse the like and what be their names and sir-names 5 Item Whether there be any Schoole-masters within your Parish which doe not bring vp their youth in the Religion now professed or be not themselues diligent in repayring to diuine Seruice or bringing their Scholers to it
any woman or ministred the holy Communion in any priuate house or houses if yea then where whome and how often hath he so offended in any of the premises 27 Whether hath your Minister taken vpon him to appoint any publike or priuate fasts or prophesies not approoued and established by lawe or publike authority or hath he attempted vpon any pretence either of possession by fasting and prayer to cast out deuills contrary vnto the 72. Canon 28 Whether hath your Minister or any other person or persons within your Parish vsed to méete in any priuate house or other place and to hold priuate conuenticles contrary to the 73. Canon if yea then you shall present them all and euery one of them 29 Whether doth your Minister vse such decencie and comelinesse in his apparrell as by the 74. constitution is enioyned him as well at home as whâ—â— he goeth abroad 30 Whether doe you know in your Parish any that hauing heretofore taken vpon him or them the order of Priest-hood or of a Deacon hath sinâ—â— relinquished the same and betaken himselfe to the course of his life a Law man neglecting his vocation if yea then you shall present his name anâ— the place of his abode 31 Whether is your Minister noted or defamed to haue obtained hâ—â— Benefice by Symony or reputed to be an incontinent person or doth kéepe anâ— man or woman in his house that are suspected either to be of euill religion oâ— bad life himselfe to be a common drunkard or to be a common hunter of Tâ—uernes Alehouses or other suspected places a common gamester or player at dice or other vnlawfull games a common swearer or notorious personâ— or faulty in any other crime punishable by Ecclesiasticall censures whereby he is offensiue and scandalous to his function or ministery 32 Whether doth your Minister vse the forme of thankesgiuing to women after their childbirth and whether hath he admitted any thereunto that was begotten with childe in adultery or fornication without license of his Ordinary and whether haue any married wiues refused to come to Church according to the booke of Common Prayer to giue God thankes after childe-birth if any be faulty herein you shall present their names 33 Whether doth your Minister baptize any children in any Bason or other vessells then in the ordinary Font being placed in the Church according to the 81. Canon or doth vse to put any bason into it 34 Whether in the time of diuine Seruice and of euer part thereof all due reuerence is vsed no man then couering his head all manner of persons knéeling when Prayers are read and standing vp at the saying of the Beliefe according to the order prescribed Articles concerning Schoolemasters VVHether the Schoolemaster or Schoolemasters within your Parish openly or priuately in any Noble or Gentlemans house or in any other place be of good and sincere Religion life and conuersation be diligent in the teaching and bringing vp of youth and whether they haue béene examined allowed and licensed for Schoole-masters by the Ordinarie in that behalfe and how many seuerall Schoole masters haue you and what be their names 2 Whether your Schoole-master or Schoole-masters doe themselues receiue the holy Communion as often as they ought to doe and whether doe all their Schollers which be of age sufficient and of capacitie by instruction to receiue the Lords Supper come to the Communion either in your Church or where their Parents dwell once euery yeere and be diligent to heare Common Prayer 3 Whether the Schoole-master or Schoole masters either priuate or publike doe teach their Schollers the Catechisme authorized by publike authoritie at the least once euery wéeke and doe instruct examine them in the same or doe teach any other Catechisme and what Catechisme it is that they doe teach 4 Whether your Schoole master or Schoole-masters or any of them be knowne or suspected to reade vnto their Schollers priuately any vnlawfull Bookes or priuately to instruct them in their young yeeres either in Popery supersition disobedience or contempt to his Maiestie and his Lawes Ecclesiasticall by publike authoritie allowed 5 What recusant Papists are there in your Parish and whether doe they or any of them keèpe 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 6 Whether the Schoole-master or Schoole-masters within your Parish doe teach his or their Schollers any other Grammer then that which is â—alled the Kings Grammer set forth by the authoritie of King Henry the eight teaching the prescript forme thereof whereby the Schollers may perfectly vnderstand their Grammer rules and constructions Articles concerning Parishioners Ecclesiasticall Officers and others of the Laytie 1 VVHether is there any within your Parish that hath or doth impugne the Kings Maiesties supremacie and authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall or doe any way or in any part impeach the same being restored to the Crowne by the lawes of this Realme established on that behalfe 2 Whether is there any in your parish that denieth the Church of England by law established vnder the Kings most excelleÌ„t Maiestie to be a true Apostolicall Church teaching maintaining the doctrine of the Apostles 3 Whether is there any in your Parish that doth impugne any of the Articles of Religion agréed vpon in An. 1562. established in the Church of England 4 Whether is there any in your Parish that doe impugne or speake against the rites and ceremonies established in the Church of England or the lawfull vse of them you shall present their names 5 Whether are there any in your Parish that doe impugne the gouernment of the Church of England vnder the Kings most excellent Maiestie by Archbishops Bishops Deanes Archdeacons and the rest that beare office in the same affirming that he same is Antichristian or repugnant to the word of God 6 Whether is there any in your parish that impugne the forme of consecration and ordayning of Archbishops Bishops Priests or Deacons affirming that the same is repugnant to the word of God or that they who are so ordered in the same forme are not lawfully made 7 Whether is there any in your parish that doth hold or frequent any conuenticles or priuate méetings and there doe conferre or agrée vpon any priuate orders other then such as are by the Canons set forth by publike authority to be by them or any others in Church gouernment obserued 8 Whether any persons haue luched or tipled in Tauerns or Ale-houses on Sundaies or other Holy-dayes or vsed his or their manuall craft trade or mysterie or any bodylie labour or kéept their shops open vpon the saide dayes or any of them especially in the time of diuine seruice 9 Whether are there any in your parish that doe or haue prophaned sinâ—e his Maiesties last generall pardon the Lords day called Sunday or other Holy-day contrary to the orders of the Church of
ARTICLES ⧠To be enquired of within the Archdeaconry of Essexx by the Church-wardens Sworne-men in euery Parish And presentment to be made thereof to the Arch-deacon With partciular Answeres vnto euery Article LONDON Printed by EDW ALLDE 1615. The tenor of the Oath ministred to the Church-Wardens and Sworne-men YE shall sweare that all affections fauour hatred hope of reward or gaine or feare of displeasure or malice set aside you shall vpon due consideration of the Atticles giuen you in charge present all and euery such person of or within your Parish as hath committed any offence or fault or made any default mentioned in any of these Articles or which are vehemently suspected or otherwise defamed of any such offence fault or default wherein you shall deale vprightly and according to equitie neither of malice presenting any contrary to Truth nor of corrupt affection sparing to present any and so conceale the Truth hauing in this action God before your eyes with an earnest zeale to maintaine truth and to suppresse vice So helpe you God and his faithfull promises in Christ Iesus ¶ Articles to be enquired of within the Archdeaconarie of Essex for this present yeere of our Lord God 1615. Articles concerning the Church WHether haue you in your seuerall Churches and Chappell 's the Booke of Constitutions or Canons Ecclesiasticall ready to be read by your Minister according to his Maiesties pleasure published by his highnes authority vnder the great Seale of England 2 Whether is there in your Church or Chappell one parchment register Booke prouided for Christnings Marriages and Burialls and whether is the same duely and exactly kept according to the Constitutions in that case prouided and a transcript thereof brought in yearely within one moneth after Easter into my Lord Bishops principall Registers office and whether doth your Minister vpon euery Sunday reade the names of all such as haue béene married christned or buried the wéeke before 3 Whether haue you prouided the Booke of Common Prayer lately commaunded by his Maiesties authority onely to be vsed and the Booke of Homilies and two Psalters and whether haue you in your Church or Chappell a Font of stone set vp in the antient vsuall place a conuenient and decent Communion table standing vpon a frame with a Carpet of silke or some other decent stuffe and a faire Linnen cloth to lay thereon at the Communion time and whether is the same then placed in such conuenient sort within the Chancell or Church as that the Minister may be best heard in his Prayer and administration and that the greater number may communicate and whether are the ten Commaundements set vp on the East end of your Church or Chappell where the people may best sée and reade them and other sentences of holy Scriptures written on the walls likewise for the same purpose 4 Whether haue you a conuenient seate for the Minister to reade seruice in together with a comely Pulpit set vp in a conuenient place with a decent cloth or Cushion for the same a comely large Surples a fayre Communion Cup of Siluer and a couer agreable for the same with all other things and ornaments necessary for the celebration of diuine Seruice and administration of the Sacraments and a strong chest for the almes of the poore with three lockes and keyes and another chest for the kéeping of the ornaments of the Church and Register Booke 5 How many Bells are there at this present hanging in the Belfrée of your parish Church and how many haue there béene heretofore whether any of your said Bells haue béene taken downe and sold or made away and what other Church goods are now wanting in your Church 6 Whether are your Church or Chappell 's with the Chancells thereof and your Parsonage or Vicarage house and all other housing thereto belonging in good reparations and decently and comely kept aswell within as without the seates well maintained your Churchyards well fenced and kept without abuse according to the 85. Canon if not then through whose default and what defects are All these things in these Articles to be prepared according to the Canons vnder the title appertaining to Churches Articles concerning the Clergie VVHether hath your Minister read the Constitutions set foorth by his Maiesty once euery yeare vpon some Sundayes or Holidayes in the afternoone before diuine seruice according as by the Canons he iâ— bound 2 Whether doth your Minister vse to pray for the Kings Maiesty King Iames and for the Quéenes Maiesty Prince Charles Fredericke Count Palatine of the Rheine with the Lady Elizabeth his Wife giuing vnto his highnesse such stile and title of Supreme Gouernour of all causes and ouer aâ—l persons as well Ecclesiasticall as temporall as by lawe are due vnto him exhorting their Parishioners to yealde him obedience according to the same and also in their said Sermons doe pray for all Arch-bishops Bishops aâ—â— other Ecclesiasticall persons according to the 55. Canon 3 Whether is the prescript forme of diuine seruice vsed by your Minister vpon Sundayes Holydayes Wednesdayes and Fridayes according to tâ—â— booke of CoÌ„mon prayer And whether doth your Minister duly obserue all tâ—â— orders rites and ceremonies prescribed in the said booke of Common Prayeâ— as well in reading publike prayers the Letany as also in administring tâ—â— Sacraments in such manner and forme wearing the Surples as by the booâ— of Common Prayer by law now established is inioyned 4 Whether doth your Minister administer the holy Communion often and at such times as that euery Parishioner may receiue the samâ— at the least thrice euery yeare whereof one at Easter as by the booke of Common Prayer is appointed And whether doth your Minister receiue the same himselfe on euery day that he administreth it to others knéeling at the same and administreth it to none but to such as doe knéele at the receiuing thereof and vse the words of the Institution according to the Booke at euery time that the bread and wine is receiued in such manner and forme as by the prouiso of the 21. Canon is directed or wherein is he â—aulty and whether is warning giuen by him before hand for the Commuion as the 22. Canon requireth 5 Whether hath your Minister admitted any notorious offenders or Schismatickes to the Communion contrary to the 26. and 27. Constitutions without satisfaction by due course of law before enioyned them or reiected any from the Communion who were not by publike presentment or other open scandall infamous and detected of some notorious crime by common fame published in the Parish 6 Whether the Minister together with the Church wardens and Quest-men doe take diligent héed and care that not onely all and euery of your owne Parishioners doe receiue thrice in euery yeare as aforesaid but also that no strangers of any other Parish doe forsake their owne Minister and Parish to receiue with you contrary to the 28. Canon 7 Whether doth your Minister vse to signe
England prescribed in that behalfe 10 Whether hath any person in your parish quarrelled stricken or vsed any violence vnto or with your Minister or any other in the Church or Church yard or vsed himselfe disorderly in the Church by filthie and prophane talke or any other rude and immodest behauiour 11 Whether is that due reuerence and humble submission vsed within your Church or Chappel in the time of diuine Seruice as by the eightéenth Constitution is prescribed and whether each one in the Church or Chappell doe apply and order himselfe there in the time of diuine Seruice as by the latter part of the same Constitutions is most commendably enioyned 12 Whether the Church-wardens and Quest-men doe euery Sunday and Holy-day diligently search who absenteth himselfe or her selfe from Church and whether doe they suffer any to abide in the Church porch or Church-yard in the time of Common prayer or Sermon 13 Whether the Church-wardens doe prouide against euery Communion with the aduice of the Minister a sufficient quantite of fine white bread and of good wholsome wine for the number of the Communicants that shall receiue that to be brought in a cleane and swéete standing Pot of Pewter or other pure Mottall 14 Whether haue any in your parish béene God fathers or God-mothers to their owne children Or whether your Minister or any God-fathers of God-mothers haue vsed or doe vse any other forme answere or spéech in Baptisme then is in the Booke of Common prayer appoynted Or whether any which haue not Communicated be admitted to be God-fathers or God mothers contrarie to the 29. Canon 15 Whether is there any in your parish that doe refuse to haue their children baptized or themselues to recciue the Communion at the hands of your Minister because he is no Preacher you shall present their names And if your Minister sithence the publishing of the said Booke of Canons haue receiued any such persons being not of his owne Cure to the Communion or baptized any of their children you shall likewise present him 16 Whether doe all Fathers Mothers Masters and Mistresses cause their Children Seruants and Apprentises to come to the Catechisme vpon the Sundayes and Holy-dayes before euening prayer to heare and to be instructed and taught therein and those that doe not their duties herein you shall present their names 17 Whether haue you or your Predecessors Church-wardens there suffered since the last pardon any Playes Feasts Banquets Church-ales Drinkings or any other prophane vsages to be kept in your Church Chappels or Church yard or Bels to be rung superstitiously vpon Holy-dayes or Eues abrogated by the Booke of Common Prayer contrarie to the 68. Canon 18 How many Inhabitants within your Parish Men or Women aboue the age of sixtéene yéeres doe refuse to frequent diuine seruice established by publike authoritie of this Realme or to receiue the holy Communion or are negligent therein what be their names and of what degrée state or trade of life are they you are to present them all of each sort 19 Whether doe any of the Inhabitants within your saide Parish entertaine within their house any soiourners lodgers or any common resorters and guests who refuse to frequent diuine Seruice or receiue the holy Communion as aforesaid what be their names and of what qualitie or condition are they 20 Whether any of the said Popish Recusants be of insolent behauiour not without publike offence or doe boldly busie themselues in seducing or withdrawing others either abroad or in their owne families by instructing their children in Popish religioÌ„ or by refusing to entertaine any especially in place of greatest seruice or trust but such as concur with them in opinion of Religion and what be their names that so doe 21 How long the said Popish Recusants haue obstinately abstained eyther from diuine Seruice or from the Communion as is afore sayd whether of any long time or onely since his Maiesties raigne and how long 22 What persons aforesaid within your Parish either for the offence aforesaid or for any other contumacie or crime doe remaine excommunicated what be their names and for what cause and how long haue they so stood excommunicated 23 Whether were you the Church wardens and Quest-men chosen by the consent of the Minister and Parishioners in Easter weeke according vnto the 89. and 90. Canon And whether haue the Church-wardens before you giuen vp a iust account for their time and deliuered to you their successors whatsoeuer money or other thing of right belonging to the Church which was in their hands according to the 89. Canon 24 Whether doe all persons aboue the age of sixetéene yoores vsually cesort to heare diuine Seruice vpon Sundaies and Holy-daies approoued and whether hath each one of your Parishioners being aboue the age of sixtéene yéeres as aforesaid receiued the holy Communion thrice this last yéere chiefely once at Easter in your Parish Church knéeling If no then you shall present their name which haue not so done 25 Whether haue you a fit Parish Clarke aged twentie yéeres at the least of honest conuersation and sufficient for reading and writing and whether he be paide his wages without fraude according to the most ancient custome of your Parish if not then by whom is he so defrauded and denyed and whether he be chosen by the Parson or Vicar or by whom according to the 91. Canon 26 Whether haue any in your Parish béene marryed within the prohibited degrées for bidden by the law and expressed in a â—ertainâ— Table published by authority in Anno. 1563. If yea then you shall present their names and whether haue you the saide Table publikely set vp in your Church and fastned to some conuenient place 27 Whether doth any heretofore diuorced or married and not diuorced kéepe company at bed and boord as man and wife with any other man or woman then with the person that he or she was married vnto and what be their names If the parties now so liuing together say that they be marryed when and where were they marryed and how long haue they so continued together 28 Whether haue you in your Parish to your knowledge or by common fame and report any which haue committed Adultery Fornication or Incest or any Bawdes harborers or receiuers of such persons or publikely suspected thereof which haue not béene publikely punished to your knowledge if yea then with whome And whether are there any which are by common fame and report reputed and taken to be common Drunkards Blasphemers of Gods holy Name common and vsuall swearers filthy speakers raylers sowers of discord among their Neighbours or speakers against Ministers marriages Vsurers contrarie to the Statute made in the seauen and thirtieth yéere of King Henry the eight Symonicall persons fighters brawlers or quarrellers in Church or Church-yard you shall not faile to present their names 29 Whether haue any in your Parish receiued or harboured any woman gotten with childe out of wedlock