Concerning Church and Church-yard .

WHether is your Church and Chancell in all respects well and sufficiently repaired , and kept swéet and cleane , if not , in whose default ? Haue you therein the ten Commandements , the Articles of the Beliefe , and other godly sentences fairely written : the Bible of the largest volume , the Bookes of Common prayer , the two volumes of Homilies , the booke intituled God and the King , and all other bookes requisite : a séemely Pulpit , a conuenient seat for the Minister at prayers , a large and comely Surplesse , whole and vntorne ?

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

3 Haue you a Register of Christnings , Weddings , and Burials , in a booke of Parchment duely 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 , Vestry , or Church houses , in part or in all , or imployed them , or any of them to any prophane vses ?

5 Whether is your Parsonage , Vicarage , or Ministers house , or any part thereof conuerted , made , vsed , or imployed , to or for any common passage , entry , thorow fare , or common way for people , or cattell vsually to passe thorow , forth of the Churchyard into or vnto any Alehouse , Tipling , or victualling house , common Inne or Wine-Tauerne . And by whom , and by whose sufferance and permission , and how long hath the same béen so made , enioyned , vsed , imployed , or rather misused and misimployed as aforesaid ?

6 Whether are the pales , fences , enclosures , and markes of ancient bounds and limits of your Parsonage , Vicarage , or Ministers houses , 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 , and laid and vsed to and with any victualling-house , common Inne , or Wine-Tauerne ? And by ●hom when , and by whose sufferance , and how long time hath the same ●●ene so done and suffered ? And whether by the continuance of the vse of ●he premises as aforesaid , may not the same in short time grow out of ●nowledge , and by some prescription to become preiudiciall to the Church or succéeding Incumbent thereof ?

7 Are your Bels , Bell-ropes , and Clocke in good repaire , 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 .

8 Doth your Minister reade or say the whole diuine Seruice euery Sunday and Holy-day , and administer the holy Sacraments according to the booke of Common Prayer . Is your Minister a licenced Preacher , doth he diligently preach sound doctrine , and for matters of gouernement seriously teach and maintaine the Kings supremacy vnder God within his Maiesties dominions ouer all persons , and in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill , and the abolishing of all forraigne power ?

9 Hath your Minister more Benefices than 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 painefull in his vocation , of sober and good conuersation , and giuen to hospitality ?

10 Doth your Minister vse decencie of Apparell as well in the Church as else-where . And in the 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 ?

11 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 , in his cariage or demeanour ?

12 Doth any preach in your Parish , that refuseth to conforme himselfe to the lawes , ordinances , and rites of the Church of England ?

13 Hath your Minister a Curate , and how is he licenced ? doth he serue two Cures , and doth he giue notice of the fasting dayes and Holy-dayes commanded and allowed ? and amongst others of the fifth of Nouember ?

14 If your Minister be not a Preacher allowed , doth he procure monethly Sermons ? and when there is no Sermon , doth hée reade an H●mily , doth he take vpon him to expound any text of Scriptures ?

15 What Preachers haue come from any other place , and Preach in your Parish : haue you their names written in a booke kept for th●● purpose ? hath such a Preacher subscribed his name thereto , and set dow● the day when he preached , and by whom licenced ?

16 Hath your Minister obtained his Benefice by any Symontacall compact , either directly , or indirectly ?

17 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 déede ?

Diuine Seruice .

18 Is diuine Seruice in due time on Sundayes , Holydayes , & their Eeues , and at other times appointed , reuerently said or sung in your Church or Chappell , with the Letany on Wednesdayes and Fridayes , and all other rites and ceremonies , according to the prescript forme of Common prayer in the Communion booke ?

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

20 do any men , young or old , vse to weare their hats in the Church or Chappell in time of diuine Seruice , or are there any that behaue themselues disorderly in the Church , Chappell , or Churchyard , or any disturbers of diuine Seruice or Sermons ?

21 Whether doe any Victualers ( or others in your Parish ) suffer any drinking or gaming in their houses on Sundayes or Holydayes , especially in time of diuine Seruice or Sermons ?

22 Whether any in your parish , vpon Sabboth dayes or Holydayes , doe vse their Trade , or doe any other worke or labour , as Brewing , Baking , Washing , Barbing , or such like , or doe any Mercers , Drapers , Shoomakers , Butchers , or others whatsoeuer , open their shops for sale of Wares vpon those dayes , or doe hedge , ditch , digge , carry , or draw burthens by themselues , their seruants , horses , or other cattell whatsoeuer on such dayes ? And is the fifth day of Nouember obserued , according as is ordained in that behalfe ?

The holy Communion .

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

24 Whether is there any in your parish , which being full sixtéene yéeres of age and vpward , hath not receiued the holy Communion thrée seuerall times in the yéere past at least , in his or her parish Church , wher●f Easter to be one of the thrée times ?

25 Doth your Minister instruct or 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 Prayer , the Articles of the Christian Faith , and the ten Commandements ?

26 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 ?

27 Doth any receiue the holy Communion either sitting , standing , or otherwise than 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 than kneeling ?

28 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 knowne to be out of charity ?

29 Whether doth your Minister appoint and obserue so many Communions in one yéere , as that the Parishioners may conueniently receiue all of them thrée seuerall times in the yéere . And doth he vse to giue publique notice thereof in the Church , the Sabbath day next going before euery such Communions , that the Parishioners may prepare themselues to be partakers thereof ?

Baptisme .

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

31 Doth your Minister refuse to Baptize any children of Christian Parents that are brought to the Church vnbaptized ?

32 Are Parents vrged to be present at the baptizing 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 Baptisme .

33 Haue any children that were borne in your Parish béene caried ou● of the Parish to be baptized else , where : or haue any not béen baptized all , or in places , or by parties vnknowne .

34 Whether hath your Minister refused , deferred , or delayed to c●r● vnto , and to christen any childe being in weaknesse , or in danger of deat● being thereunto required , by reason whereof such a childe hath ( throng , his negligence , or by his default ) died vnbaptized .

Catechisme .

35 Doth your Minister or his Curate , duly Catechize according to the late Canons 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 serue ?

56 Doe Parents and Housholders bring , or send their children and seruants to the Church euery Sunday duly to be catech●zed , according as the Canons require , and who are negligent therein ?

Matrimonie .

37 Whether is Matrimony solemnized in your Church or Chappell , according to the booke of Common Prayer ?

38 Haue you in your Church a Table of the degrées of Mariage ? are any maried within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity therein forbidden : or doe any children vnder the age of twenty one yéeres , contract themselues , or marrie without consent of their Parents or Guardians ?

39 Haue any béene married without the Banes thrice asked in the Church thrée seuerall Sundayes or Holy-dayes ( vnlesse by Licence of the Ordinary granted vnder seale ) or at any time of the day , than betwixt the houres of eight and twelue in the fore-noone , or at any time prohibited , that is to say , from Aduent Sunday to the Octanes of Epiphanie , from Septuagesima Sunday , to the Octanes of Easter , from Rogation Sunday , to Trinity Sunday ?

40 Haue any that dwell in your Parish , béene married in any other Parish , or any of another Parish béen married in your Parish ? Or haue any béen married priuately out of the Church or face of the Congregation : when , where , by whom , and who were present at such marriages ?

41 Haue any women not well knowne to be married , béene deliuered of any childe in your Parish , and in whose house ? Or hath any woman in your Parish béene carnally knowne , or begotten with childe before marriage , and by whom ?

42 Haue any forsaken their Wiues or husbands , and married others ? Haue any married againe after they haue béene diuorced : Or doe any which haue béene diuozced , kéepe company stil together ?

43 Doe any married couples liue asunder and not together , and doe either of them kéepe in their house , or secretly resort to any other , to the ●●ising of suspition or fame of incontinency ?

44 Hath any in your Parish , for money or reward , married any Woman that committed Fornication or Adulterie with another man ? Or ●ath any vnmarried Woman begotten with childe , gone out of your Parish before shée hath done penance enioyned by the Ordinarie , where was she or is she receiued or harbored , at whose charge , and who conueyed her away ?

Visitation of the sick .

42 Doth your Minister or Curate visite the sicke , doth he admonish them to repentance , comfort the penitent , and exhort them to charitable Almes-déeds ?

Buriall of the dead .

45 Are your dead buried according to the forme of buriall set downe in the Booke of Common prayer : or haue any béene buried secretly or in the night , who , and by whom , and who were present thereat ?

47 Doe the Executors or Administrators , or other friends of them that are buried in Church or Chancell , repaire againe the pauement , and giue any thing to the Church , or in whose default is the same neglected and not repaired ?

Churching of women .

48 Doth any woman refuse to giue God thanks openly in the Church , or ( as we terme it ) to be churched at conuenient times after Childbirth , or doth any Minister refuse to church them , or church them any otherwise then is prescribed in the booke of Common prayer ?

49 Hath any woman vnlawfully begotten with child , bin admitted to publique thanksgiuing in the Church , before shee hath performed such pennance as was enioyned 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 her Ordinary for her said offence ?

Parish Clearks .

50 Haue you a Parish Clearke chosen by the Minister , is he of honest conuersation , hath he a competent skill , in reading , writing , and singing : And doth any with-hold or detaine his Wages or duties from him ?

Scoolemasters .

51 Haue you any Schoole-house , and how is it repaired ? And haue you any Schoolemaster in your Parish that teacheth publikely , or priuately , is he lawfully licenced ? doth hée come duely to the Church and receiue the holy Communion ? doth he instruct his Schollers in the Catechism● allowed , and in the booke intituled God and the King ? causeth hée them to repaire to diuine Prayers in the Church , and to heare and note S●●mons ? Teacheth he any other Grammar than that which is allowed ▪

52 Is any Schoolemaster knowne or suspected publiquely or priu●●●ly to reade to his Schollers , or suffer them to reade any booke that 〈◊〉 confirme them in Popery , superstition , or disobedience to the Kings Maiestie , or to his lawes Ecclesiasticall or ciuill , & how many either men or women , doe teach children in your Parish , and what be their names ?

Schismaticks and Recusants of all sorts :

53 Doe you know any that teach or maintaine any doctrine contrary to the Articles agréed vpon in the conuocation , Anno Dom. 1562.

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

55 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 and lawfull cause , is the forfeiture of twelue pence taken euery Sunday , and conuerted to the vse of the poore , according to the Statute , Eliza. 1.

56 In your Parish where there is a Preacher , doe any vse to absent themselues from his Sermon , and resort to any other ?

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

58 Haue you in your parish any Popish Recusants , and 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 , family , or friends , not to come ?

59 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 ?

60 Know you any that by writing , talke , or argument , impugne the Kings Supremacie , or any that haue kept in their custody ▪ that sell , disperse , carry , or deliuer vnto others any vnlawfull Bookes against the Religion and gouernment established , or in defence of any forraigne power , or domesticall Consistory ?

Excommunicated persons :

61 Are all excommunicated persons kept out of the Church from diuine prayers , and receiuing the holy Communion , vntill they be lawfully absolued : And are there any in your parish which haue stoode excommunicated forty dayes and vpwards , are such persons as stand excommunicated , once in euery sixe moneths denounced in your Church in time of diuine Seruice vpon some Sunday ?

62 Hath any Excommunicated person not absolued ( at least in his extremity ) not giuing any testimony of his repentance before his departure , béene burled in Christian buriall , who buried him , her , or them ? where and when , and who were present at such burials ?

63 Doe any retaine or kéepe in their house or seruice , any person denounced excommunicate , or doe any way encourage them therein , or conuerse with them in buying , selling , eating drinking , or otherwise , kéepe company with them in any sort .

Wills , Testaments , and Administrations .

64 Doe any in your Parish administer the goods of the dead , or any way intermeddle therewith , without lawfull authority committed vnto them vnder the Ordinaries seale .

65 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 .

66 Doe any in your Parish prophane the Sabbath-dayes : or not duly obserue the Holy-dayes appointed ? Are Ember Fasts orderly obserued at the foure times of the yeare appointed ?

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

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

69 Doth your Minister yéerely present , and giue vp in writing to the Ordinary , the names of all Recusants , and halfe Recusants men and women , as well sosourners as Parishioners , and common guests in your Parish , aboue the age of thirtéene , according to the 114 , Canon or not ?

70 Doe any in your Parish take vpon them to practise Physicke or Chirurgery , not being lawfully licenced ?

71 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 , drunkennesse , common slandering , sowing of discord , brawling , scolding , or any other vncleannesse of life or had manners ?

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

73 Haue any Apparators , or others , taken any reward to compound or conceals any offence presentable , or punishable in the Ecclesiasticall Court , if so , let the same be presented .

74 You shall further present whether any in your Parish vpon Sundaies or Holy-daies , doe vse any dancing , plaies , or other sports or pastimes whatsoeuer , before all Seruice on those dayes be fully ended ? And are the same vsed by any of another parish , or any which haue not the same day béene at diuine prayers in their owne parish Church , who be they which haue offended in any of the premisses ?

Church wardens and Sidemen .

75 Are your Church wardens and Side-men chosen yearely in the Easter wéeke , according to the Canons : And doe the Church-wardens yearely , truly make and deliuer vp in writing , their account of all their receits and disbursements whatsoeuer , by them receiued and laid out for the parish , and of all the Church goods , Bookes , and other things as the Canons require ?

76 Doe your Church-wardens themselues come duly to the Church to diuine Prayers and Sermons , & doe they their best endeuours especially vpon Sundayes and Holy-dayes to cause all parishioners to doe the like ?

77 Whether is there a transcript or copy of the Register booke of the Church , or christnings , weddings , and burials , yearly exhibited and deliuered vp into the Registry of the Ordinary , or not ?

78 Whether is there a sufficient terriar of the gléebe land and other rites belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage , truly taken and exhibited into the Registers office , as by the law it ought .

79 Haue the late Church-wardens concealed any crime , offence , or disorder in their times , and not presented the same : what be the matters so concealed ? or doth any trouble , molest vex , or abuse , in words or otherwise , the Ministers , Church-wa●rdens , or Sidemen for doing their office according to their Oath and duty : and who be they that so doe ? And haue your Church-wardens continued in that office aboue one yeare , without a new Election ?

Articles concerning the order and iniunctions lately enioyned by his Maiestie .

81 Haue you any Lecturer or preaching Minister in your Parish , doth he preach in the afternoone on Sabboth dayes , and doth he then vse a Catechisticall forme by Question and answer ?

82 Whether doth your Lecturer or preaching Minister in your Parish before his Sermon reade-diuine prayers in a Surplice , and if hée be a Graouate , in a Hood answerable to his Degrée , and doth he Preach in a Gowne , and not in a Cloake .

83 Haue you any in your parish either Rerusants or others , which refuse or doe not come to Diuine prayers , Lectures , Sermons , and Catechiz●ngs in your Church , or doe negligently absent themselues and not frequent the same , or any of them , present the names , and true additions of euery offe●●●r herein .

84 Whether is there any in your parish , which kéepeth any priuate Chaplaine in his house , and who by name ?

85 Haue you aduisedly and diligently perused , read , or heard others reade and peruse this booke of Articles , and euery particular Article and branch thereof , and haue you framed your answers or Presentments to the same accordingly ?

86 Generally , whether doe you know any of the Canons broken , or any other Ecclesiasticall matter worthy to be presented , or not , and if you doe , you shall truly present the same ( by the Oath you haue taken ) as well now as hereafter , when it shall come to your knowledge .