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 sufpected 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 professed 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 Albes 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 suffer 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 Sabbath 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 meetings or taken money for any crime punishable by the Ecclesiasticall 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 at 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 his 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 looke 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 Archdeaconey 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 hath so absolued 45 Whether hath your Minister your selues or your predecessors Church-wardens of your parish for the yeere 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 yourselues 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
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 prophesses 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 when 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 since relinquished the same and betaken himselfe to the course of his life a Lay-man neglecting his vocation if yea then you shall present his name and the place of his abode 31 Whether is your Minister noted or defamed to haue obtained his Benefice by Symony or reputed to be an incontinent person or doth kéepe any man or woman in his house that are suspected either to be of euill religion or bad life himselfe to be a common drunkard or to be a common hunter of Tauernes Alchouses or other suspected places a common gamester or player at dice or other vnlawfull games a common swearer or notorious person 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 or 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 feare 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 yéeres either in Popery superstition 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 kéepe 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 Srhollers any other Grammer then that which is called 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 WHether 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 excellēt 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 other in Church gouernment obserued 8 Whether any persons haue lurked 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 since his Maiesties last generall pardon the Lords day called Sunday or other Holy-day contrary to the orders of the Church of England
ARTICLES ⧠To be enquired of within the Archdeaconry of Midlesex by the Church-wardens Sworne-men in euery Parish And presentment to be made thereof to the Arch-deacon With particular 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 Articles 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 Midlesex 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 〈◊〉 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 thrée 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 is 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 all 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 and 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 the booke of Cōmon prayer And whether doth your Minister duly obserue all the orders rites and ceremonies prescribed in the said booke of Common Prayer as well in reading publike prayers the Letany as also in administring the Sacraments in such manner and forme wearing the Surples as by the booke of Common Prayer by law now established is inioyed 4 Whether doth your Minister administer the holy Communion so often and at such times as that euery Parishioner may receiue the same 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 knéels 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 faulty 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 Churchwardens and Questmen 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