Articles concerning the Church .

WHether have you in your parish-Churches and Chap●●● all things necessarie and requisite for common-Pr●●●● and administration of the Sacraments , especially 〈◊〉 booke of common Prayer , with the new Kalender , 〈◊〉 Homilies both first and second Tome , a decent Sur●●●● a Table shewing what degrées of Consanguinty and ●●finity are forbiden in Marriage , set forth by authorit● 〈◊〉 the yéere of our Lord God 1563. a faire paper book , wherein every Preac●●● ( which is a stranger and not Parson , Vicar , or Curate , or ordinary preac● there ) shall write his name , the day he preacheth and by whose authority is Licensed ; the table of the ten Commandements ; a convenient P●●●● well placed ? A comely and decent Table , for the holy Communion , wi●● faire linnen cloath and some covering of Silke , or comely Carpet to lay● on the same ; a faire and comely Communion-Cup of silver , and a cover of ●●●ver for the same , which may serve also for the ministration of Communi● bread ; a comely pot to fetch Wine to serve the Lords Table , reserved & k●●● cleane to that use only , and a strong Chest or Box for the almes of the po● with thrée locks and keyes to the same , and all other things necessary in 〈◊〉 to the premisses ?

2 Whether are the afternoone Sermons in your severall Parishes ●●●ned into Catechising by question and answer ; according to the forme ●●●scribed in the booke of common Prayer ; and whether doth every Lectu●●● read divine Service according to the Liturgy printed by authority in Surplice and hood before the Lecture ? and whether are his Majesties ●●●structions in all things fully observed ?

3 Whether any hath pulled down or uncovered your Church , Chan●●● or Chappell , or any part of them , or hath pulled down the Bels ? whethe● your Church or Chappell and the Chancell , well and sufficiently repaire● whether doth your Parson , Vicar , or Curate of your Parsonage or Vicar● in your parish , kéep the Parsonage or Vicarage-house ( with all other the●●es thereunto apperteining ) in good and sufficient reparations ? And whe●●● is your Church-yard well fenced and cleanly kept , without any la●stall 〈◊〉 ●ther annoyances ?

Whether your Fonts or Baptisteries be removed from the place where 〈◊〉 were wont to stand ? or whether any Parsons ( leaving the use of them ) Christen in Basons , or other vessels , or have taken down the old usuall ●at , heretofore used in your parish ? and whether you have decent Fonts 〈◊〉 coverings for them ?

Whether is therin your parish a sufficient Register book of parchment Christnings Mariages and Burials , provided at the charge of the parish ? ●●●ther are all the names of those that have béen either Christened , Maried , Buried since the begining of her late Majesties reigne , newly written into said parchment booke ? whether doth the Minister every Sunday read the ●●●nes publiquely , of those that were either Christened , Married or Buries wéek before ? whether have you a publique Chest with thrée locks , for the ●●●nister and the two Church-wardens to kéep the said book in , and whether ●●●●e you brought a Transcript of all the names of such as have béen Christe●●● , Married , and Buried this last yéere , into the Registers office , as you are ●●●nd to do every yéere hereafter ( within a moneth after the feast of Easter ) ●●●he Constitutions ?

6 Is your Church or Chappell decently paved and is your Church-yard ●●●ll and orderly kept without abuse ? are the bones of the dead decently in●●●red , or layd up in some place fit , as beséemeth Christians ; and is the ●●●ole consecrated ground kept frée from Swine and all other nastines as be●●●nes the place so dedicated .

7 Whether your Communion Table be decently rayled in whereby the ●●●mmunicant and may receive the holy Sacrament knéeling in an humble man● have you a carpet of silke or some other decent stuffe and a faire linnen ●●●th to lay thereon at the Communion time , and is the same table ei●●●r out of the time of divine Service , or in it abused by sitting , writing , ●●●●wing Hatts on it ; or any other wayes prophaned .

Whether have any Monuments or Glasse windowes béen defaced or ●●●●se inscriptions , lead , stones or any thing else belonging to your Church , Chapell béene at any time purloyned and by whom ?

Whether have you the Terrier of all the Gleab-lands , meadowes , gar●●●s , orchards , houses , stocke , implements , tenements and portions of tithes ●●ther within your Parish or without , belonging to your Parsonage or Vi●●●●g taken by the view of honest men in your said parish ? & whether the same ●●rrier be laid up in the Registry of the Bishop and in whose hands any of ●●●n now are ? and if you have already no Terrier made in Parchment the Church-wardens and Side-men together with the Parson or Vicar or in his absence with your Minister are to make deligent inquire , and sentment of the premises , and make , subscribe , and signe the said Terrie aforesaid ?

Concerning the Clergy .

Whether is the whole Service or Common-prayer read in your Chu●●● or Chappell , distinctly and reverently , upon all Sundayes and H●●●dayes in such order as is set down in the booke of common Prayer , with●●● any kinde of alteration or omission , and at due and convenient houres ?

2 Whether have you any Lecturer in your parish who will not prof● his willingnes to take upon him a Living or Benefice with Cure of so●● or who hath refused a Benefice when it hath béene offered unto him .

3 Hath your Minister or any other Preacher baptized children churc●●● any woman , or ministred the holy Communion in any privat house otherw● then by Law is alowed ?

4 Doth your Minister endeavour and labour diligently to reclaime 〈◊〉 popish Recusants in his Parish from their errours if there be any such a●ding in your parish ? or whether is your Parson , Vicar or Curate over-c●●versant with , or a●●vourer of Recusants whereby he is suspected not to sincere in Religion .

5 Hath your Minister taken upon him to appoint any publike or priv●●● fasts prophecies or exercises not approved by Law or publike authority or ha●● used to méet in any privat house or place with any person or persons , the● to consult how to impeach or deprave the booke of common Prayer , or the d●ctrine , or discipline of the Church of England .

6 Whether doth your Minister upon Wednesdaies and Fridaies ( not b●●ing holy dayes ) read in your Church or Chappell the Letany and other Pra●ers appointed in the said booke for those dayes ? And whether doth he som●time reade the Commination against Sinners , in such order and forme 〈◊〉 is there prescribed

7 Whether doth your Parson , Vicar or Curat , in the administration the Lords Supper , of Baptisme , in the solemnization of Marriage Buriall the dead , churching of Women , &c. use the formes prayers and ceremoni● prescribed in the Communion book ; as namely , whether doth he adminis● the Communinon to none but such as do knéele at the receiving thereof ; ma●● the signe of the Crosse upon the Childes fore-head , in the administration 〈◊〉 Baptisme ; baptize any without Godfathers and Godmothers ; use the Ri●● in Mariage ; and generally , whether doth he in the dischargeing of all the●● duties ( and when he readeth common-Prayer upon Sundayes & Holy-daie● weare a Surplice ?

8 Whether doth your Minister or Curate refuse to baptize Children pri●●ly that are in danger of death , if they be thereunto required ; and have any ●●●ldren died without Baptisme by their default , or do they refuse to ad●●nister the holy Communion to those that lie on their death-beds and desire 〈◊〉 same ?

9 Whether doth your Minister or Curat , in their Sermons or otherwise ●ny other , speake against the necessitie or benefit of the Sacraments , If ●●y may conveniently be had ?

10 Whether doth your Minister upon Sundayes at Morning prayer ; de●●●re unto the Parishioners what Holy-dayes & Fasting-dayes are appointed ●e kept the wéek following , according to the Lawes of this Realme ?

11 Whether doth your Minister in the Rogation wéek use the perambula●●●n of the circuit of your Parish , appointed by the Law ?

12. Whether doth any man , being neither Minister nor Deacon , reade ●●mmon-Prayer openly in your Church or Chappell , or administer the Sacra●●nts or solemnize Matrimonie , or take upon him to practise any other mini●●●riall duty in the Church , which is prescribed to be executed particularly by ●●●h as are either Ministers or Deacons , and what is his name that so doth ?

13 Whether is your Parson Vicar or Curat a Preacher , licensed to preach 〈◊〉 lawfull authority ? if he be , how many Sermons doth he preach yéerly ? if 〈◊〉 be not , how many doth he procure to be preached by others ? who hath ●ached them ? and whether were they Preachers licensed , as is before e●●●●●ssed ?

14 Whether doth your Parson Vicar or Curat , every Sunday and Holy-●●y ( when there is no Sermon ) reade , distinctly and plainly , some part of the ●omilies prescribed and set forth by authority ?

15 Whether doth the Parson or Vicar or your Parish , cause or suffer any ●●●rat or minister , either to read Service , &c. or to preach , before he the 〈◊〉 Curate , be examined and admitted by the Ordinary in writing , and before 〈◊〉 the said Curate be thereunto admitted according to law ?

16 Whether doth your Preacher in his prayer which he maketh at his ●●rmon , use to pray for his Maiesty , with his whol Title , for our gracious ●●éene , the Prince , and whether doth he in like manner , then pray for the ●●●h-Bishops and Bishops , as by Law is also appointed ?

17 Whether doth your Minister serve two Cures in one day ?

18 Whether your Minister or any other having taking holy orders , hold 〈◊〉 conventicles or doth preach in any place , or doth use any other forme of ●●●●ne Service then is appointed in the booke of common Prayer ?

19 Doth your Minister Curat or Lecturer in his or their Sermons de●●●●r such Doctrine as may tend to obedience and edifying their audito●● 〈◊〉 faith and religion without intermedling with matters of state not fit to be handled in the Pulpit but to be discussed by the wisdome of his Mo●●● and his Councell , and if you finde any herein faulty yée shall present th●●

20 Whether doth your Parson Vicar or Curat , every Sunday and l● day , openly in the Church earnestly call for , heare and instruct all the chil● apprentices and servant , of both seres , that be of convenient age within 〈◊〉 parish , or at the least so many of them by course as the time will serve , a● be may well heare and instruct before Evening Prayer , in the ten Com●dements , the Articles of the Beliefe , and the Lord Prayer , & diligently 〈◊〉 mine , and teach them the Catechisme , as if is now alowed and set forth , i● book of common Prayer ?

21 Whether is ther any man in your Parish , being neither your Pa● Vicar , nor Curat , that taketh upon him to Preach or reade Lectures , 〈◊〉 is not licensed thereunto , or who doth not once a yéere ( at the least ) reade● whole Service as it is prescribed in the book of common-Prayer , and ad●nister both the Sacraments in your said Church or Chappell where h● preacheth or readeth , according to the booke of common-Prayer ?

22 Whether your Minister hath or doth receive to the holy-Commun● any persons that be not of his own parish , and whether they be Sectuarie● otherwise infamous , or stained in Religion ?

23 Whether doth your Parson , Vicar or Curate , reject any from the h● Communion , and for what causes ?

24 Whether hath your Parson , Vicar or Curat , or any other Minister● party whatsoever , publiquely or privatly preached , or spoken any thing in●rogation of the booke of common-Prayer , by dispraysing or depraving 〈◊〉 same , or any thing therein conteined , or against the present estate of the Ec●siasticall government established by authority , or against any office , funct● or part thereof , affirming the same to be unlawfull , popish , or antichristian 〈◊〉

25 Whether hath your Parson or Vicar more benefices then one ? I● hath not , whether is he resident upon that one ? If he be not resident , wh●● doth he remaine ? And whether doth he leave a sufficient Minister and Pr●cher to supply his abbsence , allowing something yéerly towards the relief the poore ? And what doth he so allow ,

26 Whether is your Parson or Vicar , who hath two benefices within 〈◊〉 Dioces , or one Benefice in this Dioces , and another forth of the same , resid● one halfe of the yéere on one of them , and the other halfe yéere , or the grea● part thereof upon his other Benefice ? And whether doth he leave the Be●fice in your parish provided of a sufficient Preacher to serve it , and hath a● speciall care of some convenient hospitaility to be kept in his absence , ac●●ding to his ability and the proportion of his living ?

27 Whether doth your Parson Vicar or Curat , use such decent and co●● 〈…〉

Whether doth your Parson Vicar or Curat , kéepe any man or woman ●●eir houses , who are suspected to be , either of evill Religion , or of bad 〈◊〉 whether be they or any of them negligent persons themselves , or given ●ankennesse , or to be hunters of Taverns , Ale-houses , or suspected places ●●●mon Dicers Swearers , or other wise suspected persons of any notorious ●●●e , or light and unséemly behaviour , or give evill example of life ?

Ecclesiasticall Magistrates and Officers

WHether hath any person within your Parish , promised or paid any summe of money or other reward , directly or indirectly by himselfe or any other , to any Iudge or Officer of the Ecclesiasticall Court , for avoyding punishment for any Incest , Adultry , Forni●n , or any other Ecclesiasticall Crime ; if so , then with whom , when or ●hat summe ?

Item , hath any Chancellor , Arch-Deacon , Officiall or any other exerci●●● Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction within the Dioces ; or any Register Appari●●●●or Minister belonging to the same Ecclesiasticall Court , exacted extraor●●●●rily , or taken greater Fées then heretofore of late hath béen accustomed ? 〈◊〉 whether is there a Table of the Rates of al the Fées set up in their seve●●●● Courts or Offices ; And whether they or any of them , have taken upon 〈◊〉 the Office of Informers or Promoters to the Courts , or any other way ●●ed themselves in their Office , contrary unto the Law and Canons in 〈◊〉 case provided ?

Hath any person within your Parish paied or promised any summe of ●●●ey or other reward for commutation of penance for any crime of Eccle●●●●●●call cognisance ? if so then by whom , when and for what and how hath ●ame béene imployed ?

Have any Ecclesiasticall Iudges , or their substitutes heard any matters 〈◊〉 ●ffice or correction privatly in their Chambers without their sworne Re●●●●rs or their deputies presence ?

Have these other Recusants or any belonging to the Ecclesiasticall ●●●●rt exacted extraordinary or greater fées then heretofore hath béen accu●ed , in what manner ; whether is a table of the rate of fées set up in their ●●●●rall Courts and Offices , or whether they or any of them have any way ●●●●d themselves in their Offices contrary to the Law and Canons in that 〈◊〉 provided ? whether have they threatned any to present them in the said ●●●rt if they would not give them some rewards : and what in thiz or the like ●●●●e have they taken ?

and in what manner is the country overburdened and grieved by the 〈◊〉 Apparitors ?

Physitions and Chyrurgions and Mid-wives

HOw many Physitians , Chirurgions and Mid-wives have you in 〈◊〉 Parish ? how long have they used their severall Sciences or Off● and by what authority ? and how have they demeaned themselves ; the 〈◊〉 and of what skill are they accounted to be in their professions ?

Articles concerning Schoolemasters .

WHether every Schoolemaster within your parish in any Nobl● Gentlemans house , or in any other place , be of good and sin●● Religion , Life and Conversation , and be diligent in teaching 〈◊〉 bringing up of youth ; and whether they have béene examin● allowed and licensed 〈◊〉 Schoolemastrs , by the Ordinary in that behalf ?

2 Whether your Schoolemaster or Schoolmasters , do themselves rece● the holy Communion as often as they ought to do , and whether do all th● Schollers which be of age sufficient , and of capacity , by instructions com● the Communion , either in your own Church , or else where their Pare● dwell , once every yéere , and be diligent to heare common Prayer ?

3 Whether the Schoolemaster or Schoolemasters , either privat or publi● do teach their Schollers the Catechisme authorized by publique Authority 〈◊〉 the least once every wéeke , and do instruct and examine them in the same 〈◊〉 do teach any other Catechisme ? & what Catechisme is that they so do teach ▪

4 Whether your Schoolemaster or Schoolemasters , or any of them 〈◊〉 known or suspected to read unto their Schollers privatly , any unlawfull bo● or privatly to instruct them in their yong yéeres , either in popery , superstio● or disobedience , or contempt to his Majesty and his Lawes Ecclesiasticall● publique authority allowed ?

5 Doth any teach or kéepe Schoole in the Chancell or Church by w● meanes that holy place or the Communion Table may be prophaned , and 〈◊〉 windowes broken ?

Articles concerning the Parishioners , and others of the Laitie .

WHether all housholders in your parish , cause their Children , Serv● and Apprentices , both mankinde and womankinde , being abo● yéeres of age , and under 21 which have not so learned the Cachisme , to e● ●he Church on Sundayes and Holy-dayes at the time appointed for ●techising , and there diligently and obediently to heare ? and what be the ●nes of those that do not cause their children , servants and apprentices 〈◊〉 come to the Church to be examined ?

Whether there be any in your parish , who will come to heare the Sermon 〈◊〉 will not come to publicke to prayers appointed by the booke of common●●yer making a Schisme or division ( as it were ) betwéene the use of pub● Prayer and Preaching ?

3 Whether any not being in holy Orders do execute any priestly or mini●iall office in your Church Chappell , or Church-yard and what be their ●es

4 Have any libelled or spoken slanderous words against your minister to 〈◊〉 scandall of his vocation ?

5 Whether the fift day of November be kept holy and thanksgiving m●●e 〈◊〉 God for his Majesties and this States happy deliverance according to the ●dinance in that behalfe ?

6 Whether any in your parish have Married within the degrées by Law pro●ited , and where and by whom ? and whether any couple in you ▪ Parish he● lawfully married , live apart one from the other without due separation the Law or any that have béene divorced which kéep company with any ●er at bed or at boord ?

7 Whether any withhold the stock of the Church or any goods or any other ●ngs given to good and charitable uses .

8 Whether there be any person or persons Ecclesiasticall or Temporall ●thin your parish , or elsewhere within this Diocesse , that have reteined and ●●t in their custody , or that read , se●l , utter , dispearce , earry or diliver to o●rs , any English books or Libels set forth either on this side , or beyond the ●as , by Papists or Sectaries against the Kings Supremacy , in causes Ec●siasticall , or against true Religion and Catholique Doctrine now publique● professed in this Church , or the government or discipline of the Church of ●gland , now within this Realme received and established by common autho● , and what their names and sirnames are ?

9 Whether there be in your parish any popish or sectary Recusant or Re●ants , which for any cause whatsoever , forbeare to come to Church or com●n Prayer , and what their severall name or names are , and how long they ●e béen Recusants ?

10 Whether doth any refuse to receive the holy Communion at their own ●nisters hands , either because he is not a Preacher , or because he duely ob●eth the order of administration appointed by the book of common Prayer , 〈◊〉 who they be that do go from their own Parish , to receive at any other Mi● 〈…〉 Parish upon the day which the● have received the blessed Sacrament , use or resort to Ale-houses , or o●●●● places or actions unfit ?

11 Whether any of your parishioners do absent themselves from their 〈◊〉 Church , and resort to any other place to heare other Preachers , and for 〈◊〉 cause ?

12 Whether all the people of your parish above 16 yéeres of age , and e●●●cially houshoulders , having no lawfull excuse to be absent , do resort with 〈◊〉 servants and children to their parish Church or Chappell on the Sundaies 〈◊〉 Holydaies to Morning and Evening-Prayer , & who they be , that either ●●ligently or wilfully absent themselves , or do unreverently behave themsel●●● in the Church as men at the time of Prayers , Sermon , and administra●●● of the Sacraments to sit bare ?

13 Whether there de any In-kéepers , Ale-wives , Victuallers , or Tipl●●● that suffer or do admit any person or persons in their houses , to eate dr●●● or play at Dice , Cards , Tables , Bowles or such like games , in the tim● 〈◊〉 common-Prayer or Sermon , on the Sundaies and Holy-dayes ; or any ●●●chers or other that commonly use to sell meate or other things in the time 〈◊〉 common-Prayer , Preaching , or reading of Homilies : and whether in 〈◊〉 Faires or common Markets , falling upon the Sundayes , there be shew● of any wares : and whether any Markets and selling of wares be used or su●●●red in any Church-yeard on the Sunday ?

14 Whether the Churchwardens and Sworn-men have concealed 〈◊〉 crime or other disorder in their time done in your parish , and have not ●●●sented the same to the Bishops , Chancellor , Arch-Deacon , Commissary , or s● others that had authority to reforme the same ; and whether they or any 〈◊〉 them , at any such time as they should have béene at divine Service on S●●dayes and Holydaies , and should there have observed others that were sent , have béen a way themselves ?

15 Whether there be any in your Parish , that have not fulfilled th●●● Testators last Will , in paying of Legacies given to the Church , or to of●●● good and godly uses ; as to the reliefe of poverty or Orphants , poore Schol●●● poore maidens marriages , high wayes and such like , and by whom they a●● denyed ?

16 Whether there be among you any Blasphemers of the name of G●● ▪ great or often Swearers , Adulterers , Fornicators , Harlots or Whormast●●● ▪ Incestuous persons , Bawdes , or receivers of naughty and incontinent sons or harborers of women with childe which be unmarried , conveyin● 〈◊〉 suffering them to go away before they do any penance ; or any that are vi●●montly suspected of any such fault ?

17 Whether the Minister and Churchwardens have suffered any Fe●●● ●mmer Lord or Ladie or any disguised persons , & players of May-games ●ay Morrisdancers , at any time to come irreverently into the Church or ●rch-yeard , and there to dance or play , or shew themselves disguised , and ●t they be that commit such disorder , or that accompanied or maintained ●n , or any Playes disorders or prophanations to be commited in the ●rch ?

18 Whether therebe any married women , or others within your parish ●th after child-birth refuse , to come to the Church in decent sort to give God ●ks for their delivery , and to heare the Prayers publikely appointed in 〈◊〉 behalfe by the book of common-Prayer ?

19 Whether any within your parish do resort unto Barns , Fields , Woods , ●at houses or any other place , for exposition of Scriptures or conferences ●ether , or that be drawers or perswaders of others to any such schismaticall ●venticles ?

20 Whether any do kéepe their childeren unbaptized longer then is con●ient , and whether any do carry their children from the Parish they are ●ne in , to other parishes to be baptized , and to refuse their own parish , or ●ring strange Ministers into their own houses to baptize their children ●atly acording to their own fantasies ?

Concerning Church-wardens and Sidemen .

WHether the Church-wardens and Sidemen do , & have done their best endevors to restrein idle persons from wandring , playing , or tipling the time of divine Service or Sermon , and whether they cause the inha●ants and other in the parish as much as in them is to resort to divine Ser●e and Sermon .

2 Whether the Church-wardens do present all those who do not send ●ir Children and Servants to be Catechised .

3 What unmarried woman being gotten with child is gone out of your ●ish before they might be presented to the Ordinarie or might have done ●ir penance and out of whose houses have they so departed .

4 Whether and how often have yée suffered any to Preach within your ●urch or Chappell who was not sufficiently licenced thereunto ▪ and whe● you take not the best care that every parishioner having passed the 〈◊〉 ●ces of age receive the holy Communion thrice every yeere and that no ●nger usually come to your Church from their own Parish .

5 Have you at every Communion in your Church or Chappell good pro●on of Bread and Wine , and those decently brought preserved and pre●ed .

6 Are there any Legacies with-holden which were given to the Ch●● in whose hands are these by whom , were they given , and by whom are 〈◊〉 with-held ? and are the Almes of the Church faithfully distributed to the●of the poore .

7 Doe yée know of any thing complained of that hath not béene redres●●

Parish Clark and Sexton .

HAve you a fit Parish Clark of honest conversation able to read sing 〈◊〉 write ? are his and the Sextons wages duly payed unto them accord to the antient custome of the Parish ; by whom are they chosen : and be t● approved of by the Ordinary , be they diligent in their Office and Serv●able to the Minister and do either of them take upon them to medle with 〈◊〉 thing above his Office as churching women buring the dead or the like ?

Doth your Clark or Sexton kéep the Church cleane and the dores lock at fit times ? is any thing lost or spoiled in the Church through his defar● are the Communion Table , Font , Books , and other Ornaments of 〈◊〉 Church kept faire and cleane ?

AT the delivery of your Bill of Presentment , you are likewise to set down , Recusants , Men Recusants , Women Non-Communicants of both sexes Communicants of both sexes in the whole Parish To which the Minister , Churchwardens , and Side-men , must put their han●