ARTICLES Concerning Church and Church-yard .

WHether is your Church and Chancell in all respects well and sufficiently repayred , and kept swéet and cleane : haue you therein the ten Commandements , the Articles of the Beléefe , & other godly sentences fairly written : the Bible of the largest volume , the bookes of common Prayer , the two volumes of Homilies , the booke entituled God and the King , and all other bookes requisite : a seemly Pulpit , a conuenient seat for the Minister at prayers , a large and comely Surplesse whole and vntorne ? These things you must make enquiry of , and present the wants , and especially the want of the Bible of the largest volume , commanded by our late Soueraigne King Iames to be had and vsed in euery Church within the Kingdome .

2 Haue you in your said Church a strong chest for Almes , with a hole in the top , and thrée lockes and keyes thereto ? Is the mony therein put , imployed to the vse of the poore ?

3 Haue you a Register of Christnings , Weddings , and Burialls in a booke of parchment duly kept in a chest with thrée locks and keyes ?

4 Hath any man pulled downe or vncouered , or suffered to decay any parsonage or vicarage houses , or any Church , Chancell , Chappell , Vestery , or Church-house , in part or in all : or imployed them or any of them to any prophane vses ?

5 Whether are the pales , fences , enclosures , and markes of the ancient bounds and limits of your parsonage , vicarage , or ministers house , or of the courts , entries , gardens , backsides , or other appurtenances belonging to the same , or any part thereof remoued or altered , or taken away from their ancient places , bounds , and limits thereof : so that in time it may grow out of knowledge , and by some prescription become preiudiciall to the Church , or succéeding Incumbent thereof ?

6 Are your Bells , Bell-ropes , and Clocke in good repayre , and well ordered ? Is your Churchyard well fenced and decently kept ? Is it not prophaned with fighting , brawling , chiding , gaming , dancing , playing , or with vnlawfull cattell , or otherwise : and how , and by whom , and by whose default ?

Ministers and Curates .

7 Doth he reade or say the whole diuine Seruice euery Sunday and Holiday , and administer the holy Sacraments according to the booke of common Prayer : Is your Minister a licensed preacher : doth he diligently preach sound doctrine , and for matters of gouernment seriously teach and maintaine the Kings Supremacie vnder God within his Maiesties dominions , ouer all persons , and in causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill , and the abolishing of all foraigne power ?

8 Hath your Minister more Benefices then one ? if two or more , doth he reside vpon one of them himselfe , and maintaine a licenced Preacher on the other ? If he haue but one , is he resident and dwelling thereupon : is he painfull in his vocation , of sober and good conuersation , and giuen to hospitalitie ?

9 Doth your Minister vse decencie of apparel , as well in the Church , as elsewhere : and in time of diuine prayers and administration of the Sacraments , doth he vse to weare the Surplesse : and if he be a Graduate , such a hood as is agréeable to his calling ?

10 Is your Minister a peace-maker , and no sower of discord , or is hée suspected , famed , or noted of any notorious crime : or giueth he any ill example : or doth any Minister with you forsake his calling ?

11 Doth any preach in your parish , that refuseth to conforme himself to the lawes , ordinances , and rites of the Church of England ?

12 Hath your Minister a Curate , & how is he licenced , doth he serue two Cures , and doth he bid the Fasting dayes , and Holidayes commanded and allowed ?

13 If your Minister be not a Preacher allowed , doth he procure monethly Sermons , and when there is no Sermon , doth he reade an Homily , doth he take vpon him to expound any text of Scripture ?

14 What Preachers haue come from any other place and preached in your parish , haue you their names written in a booke kept for that purpose , hath such a preacher subscribed his name thereto , and set downe the day when he preached , and by whom licenced ?

15 Hath your Minister obtained his Benefice by any Symonicall compact , eyther directly , or indirectly ?

16 Hath any of your parish , or of any other Parish , vnreuerently vsed your Minister , laid violent hands on him , or disgraced his office and function by word or déed ?

Diuine Service .

17 Is diuine seruice in due time on Sundaies , Holydaies , and at other times appointed , reuerently said or sung in your Church or Chappel , with the Letany on Wednesdaies and Fridaies : and all other rites and ceremonies , according to the prescript forme of common prayer in the Communion Booke ?

18 Whether doth any not being licensed ( or any not ordered at least for a Deacon ) say Common prayer openly in your Church , or Chappell ?

19 Doe any men , young or old , vse to weare their Hattes in the Church or Chappel in the time of diuine Service , or are there any that behaue themselues disorderly in the Church , Chappell , or Churchyard , or any disturbers of Diuine seruice or sermons ?

20 Whether doe any victualers ( or others in your parish ) suffer any drinking or gaming in their houses on Sundaies or Holidaies , especially in time of Diuine seruice or sermons ?

21 Whether any in your parish vpon the sabbath daies , or holidaies doe vse their Trade , or doe any other worke or labour , as Brewing , Baking , Washing Barbing , or such like , or doe any Mercers , Drapers , Shomakers , Butchers , or others whatsoeuer open their shops for sale of wares vpon those dayes , or doe hedge , ditch , digge , carry , or drawe burdens by themselues , their seruants , horses , or other cattle whatsoeuer on such daies ?

The holy Communion .

22 Haue you a decent Communion Table on a frame , with a seemly carpet , and a cloth of Linnen , a communion cup and couer of siluer , a faire Flagon of pewter or purer mettle for the Wine , a plate for the Bread , & a Towell to lay ouer it ?

23 Whether is there any in your parish , which being full sixteene yeares of age and vpward , hath not receaued the holy communion thrée seuerall times in the yéere past at least , in his or her parish church : whereof Easter to be one of the thrée times ?

24 Doth your Minister instruct and examine his Parishioners concerning the Sacraments at conuenient times , before hee administer the Communion . And doth he admit any thereto that cannot say at least the Lords praier , the Articles of the Christian faith , and the ten Commandements ?

25 Is your Communion ministred with Bread and wine , consecrated in such order as in the booke of common prayer is appointed ? And doth your Minister deliuer both kindes to euery seuerall Communicant , with the blessing prescribed in the booke of common prayer ?

26 Doth any in your parish receiue the holy Communion either sitting , standing , or otherwise then knéeling , as is prescribed in the booke of common prayer : or doe any refuse to receiue the same knéeling , and doth your Minister admit any to receiue the Communion otherwise then knéeling ?

27 Doth your Minister admit any notorious offenders , or any Schismaticks to the holy Communion , before due penance enioyned by the Ordinary , be duly performed by them , or doth he admit any notoriously known to be out of charitie : or any that hath done any open wrong to his neighbour , before reconciliation made to the party wronged ?

28 Whether doth your Minister appoint and obserue so many Communions in one yeare , as that the parishioners may conueniently receiue all of them there thrée seuerall times in the yeare : And doth he vse to giue publike notice therof in the Church , the Sabbath day next going before euery such Communions , that the parishioners may prepare themselues to be partakers thereof ?

Baptisme .

29 Haue you in your Church a conuenient Font of stone , well kept , and couered , standing in the ancient place : Doth your Minister baptise therein , or in any Bason or other thing , or with any other ceremonies then such as are allowed in the booke of common prayer : or doth he omit , neglect , or not vse all the ceremonies therein prescribed : and doth he vse the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme ?

30 Doth your Minister refuse to baptise any children of Christian parents , that are brought to the Church ?

31 Are Parents vrged to be present at the baptising of their children : or be any admitted to be Godfathers , or Godmothers that haue not receiued the holy Communion : or doe any parents refuse to haue their children signed with the signe of the Crosse in their Baptisme ?

32 Haue any children that were borne in your parish béen caryed out of the parish to be baptised elsewher : or haue any not béen baptised at all , or in places , or by parties vnknowne ?

33 Whether hath your Minister refused , deferred , or delayed to come vnto , and to christen any child being in weaknesse , or in danger of death , being thereunto required , by reason whereof such a child hath ( through his negligence , or by his default ) dyed vnbaptised ?

Catechisme .

34 Doth your Minister or his Curate duly Catechise according to the late Canon euery Sunday , such children and seruants of both sexes , as are of conuenient age , or at least so many of them by course , as the time will permit ?

35 Do parents and housholders bring , or send their children and seruants to the Church euery Sunday duely to be catechised , according as the late Canons require , and who are negligent therein ?

Matrimony .

36 Whether is Matrimony solemnized in your Church or chappell , according to the booke of common Prayer ?

37 Haue you in your church a Table of degrées of Mariage , are any maried within the degrées of consanguinity or affinity therin forbidden : or doe any children vnder the age of twenty one yeares , contract themselues , or marry without consent of their Parents or Gardians ?

38 Haue any béen maried without Fanes thrice asked in the church thrée seuerall sundaies or Holidaies ( vnlesse by License of the Ordinary , granted vnder seale ) or at any time of the day , then betwixt the houres of eight and twelue in the forenoone , or at any times prohibited , that is to say , from Advent Sunday to the Octaues of the Epiphany , from Septuagefima Sunday to the Octaues of Easter , from Rogation Sunday , to Trinitie Sunday ?

39 Haue any that dwell in your parish , béen maried in any other parish , or any of another parish béen maried in your parish : or haue any bin maried priuately out of the Church or face of the congregation , when , where , by whom , and who were present at such mariages ?

40 Haue any women not well knowne to be maried , béene deliuered of any child in your Parish , and in whose house : or hath any woman in your parish béene carnally knowne , or begotten with child before mariage , and by whom ?

41 Haue any forsaken their wiues or husbands , and maried others : haue any maried againe after they haue béen diuorced or doe any which haue béen diuorced , kéepe company still together ?

42 Doe any maried couples liue asunder , and not together , and doe eyther of them kéepe in their house , or secretly resort to any other , to the raising of suspition or fame of incontinency ?

43 Hath any in your parish for mony or reward , maryed any woman , that committed fornication or adultery with another man ? Or hath any vnmaried woman begotten with child , gone out of your parish before she hath done penance enioyned her by the Ordinary , where was she , or is she receiued or harbored , at whose charge , and who converyed her away ?

Visitation of the Sicke .

44 Doth your Minister or curate visit the sicke , doth he admonish them to Repentance , comfort the penitent , and exhort them to charitable and almes déeds ?

Buriall of the Dead .

45 Are your Dead buryed according to the forme of Buriall set down in the booke of common prayer : or haue any béene buryed secretly or in the night , who and by whom , and who were present thereat ?

46 Doe the Executors or Administrators , or other friends of them that are buried in church or chancell , repayre againe the pauements , and giue any thing to the Church ?

Churching of Women .

47 Doe any Women refuse to giue God thanks openly in the church or ( as we terme it ) to be churched at conuenient times after child-byrth , or doth any Minister refuse to church them , or church them any otherwise then is prescribed in the booke of common prayer ?

48 Hath any Woman vnlawfully begotten with child , béen admitted to publike thanksgiuing in the church , before she hath performed such penance as was inioyned her by the Ordinary , or at least béen churched in a white shéet , and confessed her fault penitently before sufficient witnesses , and vndertaken to stand to the censure of the Ordinary for her said offence ?

Parish Clarkes .

49 Haue you a parish Clarke chosen by the Minister , is he of honest conuersation , hath he competent skill in reading , writing , and singing : And doth any with hold or detaine his wages or duties from him ?

Schoolmasters .

50 Haue you any School house , and how is it repayred : And haue you any Schoolmaster in your parish that teacheth publikely , or priuately : is he lawfully licenced : Doth he come duly to Church , and receiue the holy Communion : doth he instruct his Schollers in the Catechisme allowed , and in the book entituled God and the King : causeth he them to repayre to diuine prayers in the Church , and to heare and note Sermons : Teacheth he any other Grammar then that which is allowed ?

51 Is any Schoolmaster knowne or suspected , publikely or priuately to reade to his Schollers , or suffer them to read any booke that may confirme them in popery , superstition or disobedience to the Kings Maiesty , or to his lawes Ecclesiasticall or ciuill , and how many either men or women doe teach children in your parish , and what be their names ?

Schismatickes and Recusants of all sorts .

52 Do you know any that teach or maintaine any doctrine contrary to the Articles agréed vpon in the Convocation , Anno Dom. 1562.

53 Doth any preach , minister the Communion , baptise children , or church women in priuate houses , or other where then in the Church , except it be in cases of necessitie ?

54 Know you any that absent themselues from the Church negligently or wilfully , how long haue they so done : And of them that are absent without a sufficient & lawfull cause , is the forfeiture of xii d. taken euery sunday , & conuerted to the vse of the poor , according to the statute Eliz. 1.

55 In your parish where there is a preacher , doe any vse to absent themselues from his sermon , and resort to any other ?

56 Know you any that forbeare to participate with the church of England in Praier or Sacraments , either denying the Church to be Apostolicall , or condemning the ceremonies thereof as superstitious ?

57 Haue you in your parish any popish Recusants , any halfe Papists that come to the church , and receiue not the Communion , any church papists that come and receiue themselues , but either perswade others , or maintaine their wiues , children , familie or friends not to come ? All such you must present by their names and surnames , with their additions also whether Esquires , Gentlemen , Yeomen , Husbandmen , Laborers , or of any other trade of liuing .

58 Doth any Seminary priest or Iesuite , resort to any place within this Diocesse , or suspect you any such : or doe you know any that resort to any popish Priest or Iesuite ?

59 Know you any that by writing , talke or argument , impugne the kings supremacie : or any that haue kept in their custody , that sel , disperse cary , or deliuer vnto others any vnlawfull bookes against the Religion and gouernment established , or in defence of any foraigne power , or domesticall Consistorie ?

Excommunicated persons .

60 Are all excommunicated persons kept out of the church from diuine praiers and receiuing of the holy communion , vntill they be lawfully absolued : and are there any in your parish which haue stood excommunicated forty daies and vpwards : are such persons as stand excommunicated once in euery six moneths denounced in your Church in time of diuine seruice vpon some Sunday ?

61 Hath any excommunicated person not absolued ( at least in his extremitie ) not giuing any testimonie of his repentance before his departure , béen buried in Christian buriall , who buried him , her , or them , where and when , and who were present at such burialls ?

62 Doe any retaine or keepe in their house or seruice , any person denounced excommunicate , or doe any way incourage them therin , or conuerse with them in buying selling , eating , drinking , or otherwise kéepe company with any such excommunicate person in any sort ?

Wills , Testaments , and Administrations .

63 Doe any in your parish administer the goods of the dead , or any way intermeddle therewith without lawfull authoritie committed vnto them vnder the Ordinaries seale ?

64 Know you any in your parish that suppresse the last Will of the dead , or any that forge or alter any Wills , or any Executors that fulfill not the Testators will : or any that detaine Legacies giuen to any charitable vses ?

Seuerall Articles .

65 Doe any in your parish prophane the Sabbath dayes or not duely obserue the Holidaies appointed ? Are the Ember Fasts orderly obserued at the foure times of the yeare appointed ?

66 Are the dayes and orders of Perambulation duly obserued in the Rogation wéeke : if not in whose default ?

67 Are the Canons , Constitutions , and Orders made and agréed vpon in the Conuocation house , Anno Dom. 1603. read ouer once euery yeare in your Church vpon Sundaies or Holy-dayes , according to his Maiesties commandement in that behalfe ?

68 Doth your Minister yearly present , and giue vp in writing to the Ordinary , the names of all Recusants , and halfe Recusants ▪ men & women , as well soiourners , as parishioners , and common guests in your parish , aboue the age of thirtéen yeares , according to the 114 Canon , or not ?

69 Doe any in your parish take vpon them to practise physicke or chirurgery , not being lawfully licenced ?

70 Are any in your parish ( or which were of your parish , and are now departed ) knowne , suspected , famed , or reported to haue offended in fornication , adultery , incest , witchcraft , sorcery , charming , vsury , swearing , drunkennes , common slandering , sowing of discord , brawling , scolding , or any other vncleannes of life or bad manners ?

71 Are any Housholders in your parish ( in whose house there is any one that can reade ) which haue not the booke intituled God & the King , and who be they which want the same ?

72 Haue any Apparators , or others , taken reward to compound or conceale any offence presentable or punishable in the Ecclesiastical court let this be manifested , and information and presentment made for euery offence accordingly ?

73 You shall further present whether any in your parish vpon Sundaies or holidayes , do vse any dancing , plaies , or other sports or pastimes whatsoeuer , before all Seruice on those daies be fully ended : And are the same vsed by any of another parish , or by any which haue not the same day béen at diuine prayers in their owne parish church , who be they that haue offended in any of the premises ?

Church wardens and Sidemen .

74 Are your Churchwardens & Sidemen chosen yearly in the Easter wéek according to the Canons : And do the Churchwardens yearly , truly make & deliuer vp in writing their accompt of all their receipts & disbursments whatsoeuer , by them receiued & laid out for the parish , & of all the Church goods , Bookes and other things , as the Canons require ?

75 Doe your Churchwardens themselues come duely to the Church to diuine Praiers & sermons : & do they their best endeuors , especiallie vpon Sundaies and holidaies , to cause all Parishioners to doe the like ?

76 Whether is there a transcript or copie of the Register booke of the Church , of christnings , weddings & burials , yearlie exhibited & deliuered vp into the Registrie of the Ordinarie , or not ?

77 Haue the late churchwardens concealed any crime , offence or disorder in their times & not presented the same : what be the matters so concealed : or doth any trouble , molest , or vex the Minister , Churchwardens or Sidemen for being presented by them : & who be they that so doe ? and haue your churchwardens continued in that office aboue one yeare without haue your churchwardens continued in that office aboue one yeare without a new election ?

78 Haue you aduisedly & diligently perused , read , or heard others read & peruse this book of Articles , & euery particular article & branch therof : & haue you framed your answers & presentments to the same accordingly ?

79 Generally , whether doe you know any of the Canons latelie set forth and approued by his Maiestie broken , or any Ecclesiasticall matter worthie to be presented or not ? and if you doe , you shall truly present the same by the Oath you haue taken aswell now as hereafter when it shal come to your knowledge ?

80 Whether any Churchwardens , Questmen or Sidemen of any parish haue béen called & inforced to present any faults committed in their parishes , otherwise then at the Visitations , or time and ▪ times limited in the 116 Canon ?

FINIS .