preach at both his Benefices usually And if he be most-while absent what order doth he take for hospitality or relief of the poor declare it particularly And whether doth he give the fourtieth part of the profits of his Benefice to the poor during his absence or what provision doth he make otherwise for them 9 Doth your Minister or Curate serve any more Cures then one If yea then what other Cure doth he serve and how far are they distant 10 Doth your Minister or Curate every Sunday and Holiday before Evening prayer for half an hour or more examine and instruct the youth and ignorant persons of his Parish in the ten Commandments Articles of the Belief and in the Lords Prayer and the Sacraments according as it is prescribed in the Catechisme set forth in the book of Common prayer And doth he expound and shew forth the meaning and sense of the said Catechisme And if he do not where is the fault either in the parents and masters of the children or in the Curate neglecting his dutie And is he carefull to tender all such youth of his Parish as have been well instructed in their Catechisme to be Confirmed by the Bishop in his Visitation or at any other convenient time as is appointed by the book aforesaid And you are to warn the Ministers to prepare them against this present Visitation 11 Doth your Minister endeavour and labour diligently to reclaim the Popish Recusants in his parish from their errours if there be any such abiding in your parish Or whether is your Parson Vicar or Curate over-conversant with or a favourer of Recusants whereby he is suspected not to be sincere in Religion 12 Hath your Minister taken upon him to appoint any publike or private fasts prophesies or exercises not approved by Law or publike Authority or hath he used to meet in any private house or place with any person or persons there to consult how to impeach or deprave the book of Common prayer or the doctrine or discipline of the Church of England If yea then you shall present them all 13 Is your Minister noted or defamed to have obtained his Benefice or his Orders by simony or any other way defamed to be a simoniacall person or any way noted to be a schismatick or schismatically affected or reputed to be an incontinent person Or doth he table or lodge any such in his house Or is he a frequenter of taverns innes or ale-houses or any place suspected for ill rule Or is he a common drunkard a common gamester or player at dice a swearer or one that applieth not himself to his study or is otherwise offensive and scandalous to his function and ministery especially is he one that useth uncharitably to curse scandal and revile his own parishioners in his heats and choler If yea then present it 14 Do you know any Minister that doth perform or any other person that doth hear Divine service otherwise performed then as it is now appointed by the Acts of Parliament of this Realm And do you know of any that hath or doth disturb that wholsom Order so appointed by the Law to be observed in Divine service If you do you must present their names 15 Do you know of any persons that deny Archbishops Bishops Priests and Deacons consecrated according to the Order prescribed by the Statute to be rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated and ordered If you do you are to present their names 16 When any person hath been dangerously sick in your Parish hath your Minister neglected to visit him and when any have been parting out of this life hath he omitted to do his last dutie in that behalf being sent for and desired 17 Doth your Minister Curate or Lecturer in his or their sermons deliver such doctrine as tends to obedience and the edifying of their auditorie in faith religion and good life without intermedling with particular matters of State not fit to be handled in the Pulpit but to be discussed by the wisdome of His Majestie and his Councel And if you finde any faultie herein you shall present them Or doth he spend most of the hour in points of controversie and new start-up questions of Arminianisme debarred by the Kings authority from the Pulpit 18 Whether doth your Minister misbehave himself in preaching or praying so that the congregation are offended thereat And whether doth he teach publickly opposite doctrine against the Articles and Homilies prescribed by Law in the Church of England Doth he preach and maintain or palliate with distinctions and limitations any points of Poperie Declare the points as neer as you can Or doth he make any personall invectives in the Pulpit to the offence of particular men and the scandall of the Parish 19 Whether hath the form of Commination against impenitent sinners been read in your Church to the people according to the book of Common Prayer Concerning Schoolmasters 1 Doth any in your Parish openly or privately take upon him to teach School without licence of the Ordinary And is he conformable to the religion now established And doth he bring his scholars to the Church to hear Divine service and sermons And doth he instruct his scholars in the grounds of the religion now established in this Church of England and is he carefull and diligent to benefit his scholars in learning 2 Doth your schoolmaster teach and instruct his youth in the Catechisme or grounds of Religion and doth he instruct them in any other Grammar Accidence or any other Catechisme then is allowed by publick Authority and what Grammar Accidence or Catechisme is it that he so teacheth Parish-Clerks and Sextons HAve you a fit Parish-Clerk aged twenty yeers at the least of honest conversation able to read and write Whether are his and the Sextons wages paid without fraud according to the ancient custome of your Parish if not then by whom are they so defrauded or denied 2 Doth your Clerk or Sexton keep the Church clean the doors locked at fit times Is any thing lost or spoiled in the Church through his default Are the Communion-table Font Books and other Ornaments of the Church kept fair and lean Doth he suffer any unseasonable ringing or any proane exercise in your Church or doth he when any is weak â—nd assured to him to be passing out of this life neglect to toll bell to give notice thereof to all devout Christians Concerning the Parishioners WHether do any of your Parishioners being sixteen yeers of age or upwards or others lodging or commonly resorting to any house within your Parish wilfully â—bsent themselves from your Parish-Church upon Sundayes and Holy-dayes at Morning and Evening prayers or who come late to Church and depart from Church before Service be done upon the said dayes or who do not reverently behave themselves during the time of Divine Service devoutly kneeling when the generall Confession of sins the Letanie the ten Commandments and all Prayers and Collects are upon any Sunday or
ARTICLES To be enquired of Within the DIOCESE of LINCOLN In the generall and trienniall Visitation of the right Reverend Father in God JOHN By Gods providence Lord Bishop of LINCOLN to be held in the yeer of our Lord God 1641. LONDON Printed by M. F. 1641. Concerning the Church the Vtensils and Ornaments thereof 1. INprimis whether have you in your severall Churches and Chappels the whole Bible of the largest volume and the book of common Prayer both fairly and substantially bound the book of Homilies a Font of stone set up in the ancient usuall place a convenient and decent Communion-table with a carpet of silk or some other decent stuffe continually laid upon the same at time of Divine service and a fair linen cloth thereon at the time of the receiving of the holy Communion And whether is the same Table placed in such convenient sort within the Chancell or Church as that the Minister may be best heard in his prayer and administration and that the greatest number may communicate Doth your said Communion taâ—le stand in the ancient place where it ought to do or where it hath done for the greatest part of these sixty years last past or hath it been removed to the East end and placed Altar-wise and by whom and whose authority hath it been so placed And whether are the ten Commandments set upon the East end of your Church or Chappel where the people may best see and read them and other sentences of holy Scriptuâ—e written on the walls likewise for that purpose 2. Item whether have you afternoon Sermons in your severall Parishâ—s turned into Catechizing and an exposition of the same Catechisme and the heads thereof and according to the form prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer and otherwise and whether doth every Vicar Parson and Curate read Divine service according to the Liturgie printed by Authority 3 Item whether have you in your said Church or Chappel a convenient seat for your Minister to read Service in together with a comely Pulpit set up in a convenient place with a decent cloth or cushion for the same a comely large surplice a fair Communion-cup with a cover of silver a flagon of silver tin or pewter to put the wine in whereby it may be set upon the Communion-table at the time of the blessing thereof with all other things and ornaments necessary for the celebration of Divine Service and administration of the Sacraments And whether have you a strong chest for alms for the poor with three locks and keyes and another chest for keeping the books and ornaments of the Church and the Register-book And whether have you a Register-book in parchment for Christnings Weddings and Burials according to the former custome and practise 4 Is your Church or Chappell decently paved and is your Church-yard well and orderly kept without abuse Are the bones of the dead decently interred or laid up in some fit place as beseemeth Christians And is the whole consecrated ground kept free from swine and all other nastinesse as becometh the place so dedicated for praying preaching and the service of God Concerning the Clergie VVHether doth your Parson Vicar or Curate distinctly and reverently say Divine Service upon Sundayes and Holidayes and other dayes appointed to be observed by the book of Common Prayer as Wednesdayes and Fridayes and the Eves of every Sunday and Holiday at fit and usuall times And doth he duly observe the Orders Rites and Ceremonies prescribed in the said Book of Common Prayer as well in reading publike Prayers and the Letany as also in administring the Sacraments solemnization of Matrimonie visiting the Sick burying the Dead churching of Women and all other Rites and Offices of the Church in such manner and form as in the said Book of Common Prayer he is enjoyned without any omission or addition 2 Doth your Minister bid Holydayes and Fasting-Dayes as by the book of Common Prayer is appointed And doth he give warning before-hand to the Parishioners for the receiving of the holy Communion and whether doth he administer the holy Communion reverently as becometh so high a mysterie and so often and at such times as that every Parishioner may receive the same at the least thrice in every yeer whereof once at Easter as by the Book of Common Prayer is appointed And doth your Minister use the words of Institution according to the Book And doth he deliver the Bread and Wine to every Communicant severally and kneeling Whether hath he admitted to the holy Communion any declared notorious offender or put any from the Communion who are not publikely known to be infamous for some notorious crime Doth he use the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme 3 Whether hath your Minister married any without a Ring or without Banes published three severall Sundayes or Holy-dayes in time of Divine Service in the severall Churches or Chappels of their severall abode according to the Book of Common Prayer 4 Doth he refuse to bury any which ought to be interred in Christian buriall or defer the same longer then he should or bury any in Christian buriall which by the Constitutions of the Church of England or Laws of the Land ought not to be so interred 5 Do you know of any Parson Vicar or Curata that hath introduced any offensive Rites or Ceremonies into the Church not established by the Laws of the Land as namely that make three Courtesies towards the Communion-Table that call the said Table an Altar that enjoyn the people at their coming into the Church to bow towards the East or towards the Communion-Table that call upon them to stand up at the Te Deum Benedictus Magnificat the Gloria Patri or at other times then at the Creed and the Gospel that refuse to give the Communion to any that will not come up and receive it at the Rails that never pray before their Sermons but bid the people pray or use any other new and voluntary Rite or Ceremonie not warranted by Law You are to present then by vertue of your offices and places 6 Is your Minister a Preacher allowed If yea then by whom If not whether doth he procure some who are lawfully licenced to preach monethly among you at least and what doth he allow unto him 7 Doth your Minister being licensed preach usually either in his own Cure or in some other Church or Chappell neer adjoyning where no Preacher is and how often hath he been negligent in that behalf 8 Is your Minister continually resident upon his Benefice or how long time hath he been absent and in case he be licenced to be absent whether doth he cause his Cure to be sufficiently supplied with a preaching Minister Or in case he hath another Benefice whether doth he supply his absence by a Curate sufficiently licensed to preach in that Cure where he himself is not resident Or otherwise in case the smalnesse of the living cannot finde a preaching Minister doth he
Holiday by themselves their servants or apprentises or have otherwise profaned the said dayes contrary to the Orders of the Church of England And whether be there any Inne-keepers Alehouse-keepers Victuallers or other persons that permit any persons in their houses to eat drink or play during the time of Divine Service or Sermon in the forenoon or afternoon upon those dayes 14 Whether is the fifth day of November kept holy and thanksgiving made to God for his Majesties and this States happy deliverance according to the Ordinance in that behalf 15 Whether do any of your Parish otherwise then fathers and mothers in their own families hold or frequent any conventicles or private congregations or make or maintain any Constitutions agreed upon in any such Assemblies Or be there any that do write or publikely or privately speak against the Book of Common Prayer or any thing therein contained or against any of the Articles of Religion agreed upon Anno 1562. or against the Kings Supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall or against the oath of Supremacie or of Allegeance as pretending the same to be unlawfull and not warrantable by the word of God or against any of the Rites or Ceremonies of the Church of England now established or against the government of the Church of England under the Kings most Excellent Majestie by Bishops affirming that the same is repugnant to the word of God and that the said Ecclesiasticall Officers are not lawfully ordained Or whether be there any Authours Maintainers or Favourers of Heresie or Schisme or that be suspected to be Anabaptists Libertines Brownists of the Family of Love or of any other Heresie or Schisme Present their names 16 Whether do any withhold the stock of the church or any goods or things given to good and charitable uses 17 Whether your Hospitalls Almes-houses and other such houses and Corporations founded to good and charitable uses and the lands possessions and goods of the same ordered and disposed of as they should be And do the Masters Governours Fellows and others of the said houses and Corporations behave and demean themselves according to the godly ordinances and statutes of their severall foundations 18 Whether have any Inne-Keepers Ale-wives Victuallers or Tiplers received harboured or suffered any person to eat drink stay or play in their houses in time of Common prayer or Sermon on Sundayes or Holidayes And what persons were so received harboured or suffered And have they sold forth any drink or victualls at the like time And have any of your parish loytered or been gaming abroad at the same time 19 Whether have any laboured wrought or gone to cart on the Sunday or Holiday And have any artificers shoe-makers chandlers mercers butchers and the like set open their shop-windows or doors or used their trade or any manuall occupation upon any of those dayes or sold any wares or goods belonging to their trade in the time of prayer sermon or homilie upon any Sunday or Holiday and who were the same that did so Physicians Chirurgians and Midwives HOw many Physicians Chirurgians and Midwives have you in your parish How long have they used their severall sciences or offices and by what authoritie and how have they demeaned themselves therein and of what skill are they accounted to be in their profession Touching the Churchwardens and Sidemen VVHether you and the Churchwardens Questmen or Sidemen from time to time do and have done your diligence in not suffering any idle person to abide either in the churchyard or churchporch in service or sermon-time but causing them either to come into the church to hear diuine service or to depart and not disturb such as be hearers there And whether they have and you do diligently see the parishisoners duly resort to the church every Sunday and Holiday and there remain during Divine Service and Sermon And whether you or your predecessours Churchwardens there suffer any playes feasts drinkings or any other profane usages to be kept in your Church Chappell or Churchyards or have suffered to your and their uttermost power and endeavour any person or persons to be tipling or drinking in any Inne or victualling-house in your parish during the time of Divine Service or Sermon on Sundayes and Holidayes 2 Whether doth any man trouble or molest you for doing your duties or are any of the Ecclesiasticall Judges or their Surrogates over-easie to receive frivolous complaints against you for doing your duties and to hold you in long and tedious suits concerning the same If so you must present and by what Judge Surrogate Proctour or Apparitour you have been troubled 3 Whether is there any Legacie withholden given to the Church or poor people or to the mending of high wayes or otherwise by the Testatours In whose hands is it by whom was it given and by whom is it withholden Concerning Ecclesiasticall Magistrates and Officers VVHether do you know or have heard of any payment composition or agreement to or with any Ecclesiasticall Magistrate Judge or Officer for winking at or fearing to punish any person for any offence of Ecclesiasticall cognisance or for suppressing or concealing of any excommunication or any other Ecclesiasticall censure of or against any Recusant or any other offender in the cases aforesaid What sum of money or other consideration hath been received or promised by or to any of them in that respect by whom and with whom 2 Hath any person within your parish paid or promised any summe of money or other reward either of late or heretofore for commutation of penance for any crime of Ecclesiasticall cognisance If so then with whom when and for what summe of money and how hath the same been imployed You are to present these particularly 3 Are your Ecclesiasticall Judges and their Substitutes Batchelours of the Laws or Masters of Arts at the least learned and practised in the civile and Ecclesiasticall Laws men of good life and fame zealously affected in religion and just upright and diligent in executing their offices Have they heard any matter of office privately in their chambers without their sworn registers or their deputies presence 4 Do you know or have you heard that any Ecclesiasticall Judge officer or minister hath received or taken any extraordinarie fees or other rewards or promises by any wayes or means directly or indirectly of any person or persons whatsoever either for the granting of the administration of the goods and chattels of those that have died intestate to one before another or for allotting of larger portions of the goods and chattels of those that have died intestate to one more then to another or for allowing larger and unreasonable accounts made by Executours or Administratours or for giving them Quictus est or discharges without inventorie or account to defraud Creditours Legataries or those who are to have portions And what summes of money do you know or have you heard that any Ecclesiasticall Judge or Officer hath taken out of the estate of any dying intestate upon pretence to bestow the same in pious uses either of late or heretofore and how have the same been bestowed 5 Hath any Ecclesiasticall Magistrate Judge Officer or any other exercising Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction within this Diocese or any Advocate Register Proctour Clerks Apparitours or other ministers belonging to the same Ecclesiasticall Courts exacted or taken by any wayes or means directly or indirectly extraordinary or greater fees then are due and accustomed And whether is there a Table for the rates of all fees set up in their several Courts and Offices And whether have they sent or suffered any Processe to go out of the Ecclesiasticall Courts otherwise then by law they ought Or have they taken upon them the offices of Informers or Promotours to the said Courts or any other way abused themselves in their places You are by your office to present the same 6 Whether hath any Ecclesiasticall Judge or his Surrogates without the allowance of the Bishop lately taken upon them to set up any new consistories or courts and to keep courts of concurrencie in Peculiars and other and more places then heretofore hath been accustomed and to call the people to those concurrent courts unduly without presentments or other just cause but onely to trouble the countrey and to get unjust fees to their own purses And have they in those new concurrent courts cited the people into Peculiars and out of the jurisdiction and for matters whereof they were dismissed by their ordinary Judge before so that they have been troubled in severall places for one and the same thing contrary to the Law And whether are the same late-erected consistories to the grievance of the people and by whom have the said new courts been lately set up and by what authority and where and in what places Declare the same particularly