❧ Articles to be enquired of by the Minister, Churchwardens, and Sidemen of every Parish and Chapelry within the Deanery of _____ in the year of our Lord God _____ And presentment to be made by them containing a particular Answer to every Article. The form of the OATH taken by the Churchwardens and Sidemen. YOu shall swear, that you and every of you shall duly consider and diligently inform yourselves of these Articles given you in charge, and that all favour, hatred, hope, fear, or any other corrupt affection set aside, you shall present all and every such person now or lately of your Parish, which have committed any offence comprised in any of these Articles, or which ar● vehemently suspected or defamed of any such offence. Wherein you shall deal according to an upright conscience, neither presenting nor sparing t● present any person contrary to truth, So help you God, and his faithful promises in jesus Christ. WHETHER have you in your Church all things requisite for the common Prayer, 〈…〉ing 〈…〉 rch. and due administration of the Sacraments? Canon. And namely a fair Bible, the Book of common Prayer, 80. 81. 82. 83. 84, 70. lately ordained only to be used? A Font of sto●e set up in the ancient usual place? A decent Communion table standing upon a frame, with a carpet of silk or some other seemly stuff, and a fair linen clot● to lay thereon at the time of communion? A fair communion Cup with a cover of silver: a decent Pulpit with a cloth and Cushion for the same: a conueni●…t seat to read service in: a comely large surplice: a strong chest for alms for the poor with three locks and keys, and another chest for keeping the Ornaments of the Church and Register book: and whether have you a Register book in parchment of all Christen, Weddings, and Burials: and whether is the 〈…〉 ept according to the Canons, and a transcript thereof brought yearly into the Office of principal registry of the L. Archb. of Canterbury? And whether 〈…〉 Minister upon every Sunday read the names of such as have been christened, married, or buried in the week before? 2 Whether your Church, 85. 88 Chancel and Churchyard be kept in good reparation 〈…〉 without: whether any profanation be or hath been used in them: or whether any man hath encroached upon them: And whether your personage or vicarage ● thereunto belonging, be likewise maintained in sufficient reparations: If not, through whose default, and what is the defect? 3 Whether have you a Terrier of all the glebe Landes, 87. Meadows, Gardens, ●…des, Houses, Stocks, Implements, Tenements, and portions of Tithes lying within or without your Parish which belong to your Parsonage or Vicarage, and in whose ha' 〈…〉 oeth it remain: If not, you shall together with your Minister make diligent enquiry of all the premises, and exhibit with your next presentment a true note of them in 〈…〉ent subscribed with your hands, specifying how they are buttalled or bounded, and in whose occupation at this present they are? 4 Whether divine service be said in your Church by your Minister distinctly and reverently, 〈…〉ing 〈…〉 upon Sundays and such holidays as are appointed to be observed by the book of Common prayer, 14. 15. 58. and their Eues, and upon Wednesdays and Fridays at emuenient and usual times: and whether doth he in ministering the Sacraments, solemnising of matrimony, visitation of the sick, burying the dead, churching of women, or any other rites and offices of the Church, use the forms of prayers prescribed in the same book, without any omission or addition: And whether doth he read the book of Canons once yearly, and wear a Surplice according to the Canon? 5 Whether doth your Minister solemnly give warning to his Parishioners for the holy Communion, 22. 64. 67. 84. 66. 26. 27. 28. 29. 62. 63. 68 69. 62. 100 and for all Holidays & fasting days? And whether doth he visit the sick when he is thereunto desired to comfort and instruct them? And whether doth he offer to confere with Recusants in your Parish if there be any? And whether doth he admit to the holy Communion any notorious offenders, schismatics, or strangers of other Parishes; or reject any, who are not by presentment or public scandal infamous for some notorious crime? And whether doth he admit any Father to be Godfather to his own Child; or any to be Godfathers and Godmothers which have not received the holy Communion? or doth not use the sign of the Cross in baptism? or doth baptise in any basin or other vessel, and not in the usual Font? or doth baptise any children that were not borne within the Parish? And whether doth he marry any in any exempt place, or without banes published three, several Sundays or Holidays, or without a sufficient dispensation or licence, or without licence in times prohibited, albeit the banes were thrice published, or not betwixt the hours of 8. and 12. in the forenoon, or if the parties be under the age of 21. years, before their parents have signified their consent unto him? or whether doth he refuse to christian, or to bury, or doth defer the same longer than he should? and whether by his default any Child hath died without baptism in your Parish? 6 Whether doth he preach, minister the communion, baptise children, 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. or church women (unless in case of necessity) or in any case without a faculty solemnize matrimony in private houses? Or doth keep or suffer any Fasts, Prophecies, Exercises, or Exorcisms without lawful authority; or doth hold or suffer any private conventicles? And whether doth he frequent Taverns: Alchouses, or any place suspected for incontinency, or doth table or ledge in any such house? or is he a common gamester at Dice, Cards, Tables, or any other unlawful game; a Swearer or Drunkard, or one that applieth not himself to his studi●… Or doth not use decency in his apparel? Or is otherwise offensive or scandalous to his function and ministry? 7 Whether is he continually resident upon his benefice, 45, 46. 47. 74. and how longtime hath he been absent from the same? (in case he belicenced to be absent) whether doth he cause his cure to be sufficiently supplied? And whether (if he be allowed a Preacher) doth he preach one Sermon every Sunday? or (if not so allowed) doth procure monthly sermons, and read Homilies? And whether (not being so allowed) doth he expound any Scripture, or suffer any man to preach in your Church, whom you have not well known, to have been sufficiently licenced, and who hath not first subscribed his name, together with the day when he did preach, and who was not soberly and decently apparelled? 8 Whether doth your Preacher and Lecturer read divine service, 56. 55. and minister the Sacraments twice a year at the least, in his own person? And whether doth he use the form of prayer before his sermons for the Kings most excellent Majesty, exhorting the people to obedience to his Majesty, and other Magistrates in authority under him? 9 Whether doth your Minister on Sundays and Holidays Catechise the Youth and ignorant persons in your Parish? 59 And whether doth he admit any women to be churched who were begotten with child in adultery or fornication, without licence from the Ordinary And whether doth he in the Rogation days use the perambulation of the circuit of the Parish? 10 Whether doth he every six months denounce in his Parish Church all such o 〈…〉 rish as do persever in the sentence of excommunication, not seeking to be absolved? And whether hath he admitted any such excommunicate person to the communion, 〈…〉 Church without certificate of his absolution? And whether doth he or any of your Parish familiarly frequent the company of any such excommunicate person? 11 WHether any of your Parishioners do not cause their 〈…〉 〈…〉 rs. and Apprentices, to come to 〈…〉 upon Sundays and Holidays to be instructed in the Catechism by them? 59 or whether any of them refuse to come? or if they come, refuse to be instructed? And what be the names of them so not causing, or refusing? 12 Whether any of your Parishioners, 13. 14. 18. or other strangers sojourning, lodging, or commonly resorting to any house within your Parish, above 16. years of age, do wilfully or negligently absent themselves from your parish Church, upon Sundays or Holidays at Morning or Evening prayer? or who come very late to Church upon the said days? or who depart from Church before service be finished? or who do not reverently behave themselves during the time of divine Service, devoutly kneeling at such times as the general Confession of sins, the Litany, the ten Commandments, and all prayers and Collects are read? or who do use any gaming or pastime abroad, or in any house, or do sit in the street, or Churchyard, or in any Tavern, or Victualing-house upon any of those days in time of divine Service? or who have quarrelled, brawled, or used violence to any person within your Church, or Churchyard? or who hath used filthy or profane talk, or other rude and in modest behaviour there? 13 Whether there be any of, 21. 22, 28. or within your parish being sixteen years of age, and upwards, that do not receive the holy Communion in your Church thrice in this year at the least, and chief once at Easter? And whether any of your parish doth not devoutly kneel at the receiving thereof? And whether doth not your Minister receive it himself on every day that he administereth it to others, and use the words of institution at every time that the bread and wine is administered? And whether do yourselves diligently observe your office, in marking what persons of or within your parish offend against this, or the next precedent Article, and in due presenting their names? 14 Whether any in your parish have a Preacher to your Parson, 46. 10. 57 9 10. 100 Vicar, or Curate, do absent themselves from his Sermons, and resort to other places to hear other Preacher? And whether any having been ordained Priest, or Deacon, hath relinquished the same, and be ●…en him to a course of life as a lay man? Or whether any not being in Orders, doth openly read Common prayer, or execute any ministerial duty in your Church, and what be their names? 15 Whether there be any that do publicly or privately speak against the Book of Common prayer, depraving the same or any thing therein contained? or against any of the said Articles of Religion agreed upon in. Anno 1562? Or against the King's Royal Supremacy i●… causes Ecclesiastical? Or against any of the rites or ceremonies of the Church of England? Or against the government of the said Church of England under the Kings most excellent Majesty, by Bishops, Archbishops, Deans, Archdeacon's, & other Officers in the same, affirming, that the same is repugnant to the word of God, and that the said Ecclesiastical Officers are not lawfully ordained? Or whether there by any that be Authors or maintainers of Schism, or frequenters of any private conventicles or meetings? or that be, or are suspected to be Anabaptists, Libertines, Brownists, of the Family of Love, other heresy orschisme, And what be their names? 16 Whether do you know any Schoolmaster that doth teach, 77. 48. 79. or Curate that doth read divine Service within your parish, without licence of his Ordinary under his Scale? And whether doth not such Schoolmaster instruct his scholars in the Catechism, and teach them he grounds of Religion, and bring them to Church to hear divine Service and Sermons? And whether is he a common officer or artificer, or any ways reprooveable in life? And whether is your Clerk also allowed by the Ordinary? And whether doth your clerk serve more cures than one? And whether do they demean themselves according to their several duties? 17 How many Midwives have you in your Parish which do exercise that office? how long ●ue they so done, and by what authority? Also how many in your Parish do practise as Physicians or Surgeons? how long have they so done, and of what skill are they reputed their profession? 18 Whether do you know any persons that do administer the goods of the dead without la●full authority? 86. or suppress the last will of the dead? or withhold any stock of the Church, or any Legacies given to godly and charitable uses? and whether is the alms of the Church faithfully distributed to the use of the poor? And whether the late Churchwardens have given a just account before the Minister and Parishioners at the end of their year, according to the Canon? 19 Whether do you know in your parish any common swearers, drunkards, blasphemers, any ●…oniacal persons, or usuerers contrary to the Statute 37. of Henry the eight, any soothsayers, charmers, fornicators, adulterers, incestuous persons, brawlers, common slanderers of the neighbours, railers, scolds, silthy and lascivious talkers, sowers of discord between neighbours, or any that receive or lodge incontinent persons, or harbour women with child whi●… be unmarried, conveying or suffering them to go away before they have made satisfaction to the congregation? or any persons that are by common fame noted or vehemently ●…ected of any of these crimes? or that being heretofore suspected, or presented for any of these faults, have for that cause departed out of your Parish, and are now returned again? 20 Whether there be any persons within your Parish that be married within the prohibited ●…grees of consanguinity or affininitie, or their old wives or husbands being yet alive, albeit divorced from them; 99 57 or that being lawfully married, do live scandalously apart, 〈…〉 married in times prohibited, or without banes three several Sundays or Holidays published, having no sufficient licence or dispensation for the same? And whether there ●…ar do communicate, or cause their children to be baptised in other Parishes abroad, or keep their children unbaptized longer than is convenient? 21 Whether any woman delivered of child in your Parish, in time convenient after child-b●…th, do not come to the usual place in the Church to give God thanks? And whether doth your Clerk lap a Cushion at the said usual place? 117. whether any inhabitant within your Parish doth detain the Clerks wages, duties for bread and wine, or any other Church duties? present particularly what be their names, and what and how much those duties be? 22 Whether any person in your Parish do exercise any Trade, Handicraft, or bodily labour or do buy and sell, or keep open Shops or warehouses upon any Sunday or Holiday, by themselves, their servants or Apprentizes, or have otherwise profaned the said days contrary to the order of the Church of England? And whether there be any Innkeepers, Alehouse-keepers, or Victuallers, that permit any persons in their houses to eat, drink, or play at any games during the time of divine Service, or Sermon in the forenoon or afternoon upon those days? 23 Whether do any in your Parish familiarly frequent the company of excommunicate persons? And whether doth your Minister or any of your Parish without consent of the Ordinary, cause any to do penance, or to be censured or punished by any Vestry meetings, or otherwise by their own authority, or do, or have taken any money for any crime or matter punishable by the Ecclesiastical Law? who have been so punished? in what manner? an●… upon what cause? 24 If any one or more of you do know, 113. or have heard of any fault inquired of in these Articles or of any other crime, the reformation whereof belongeth to the spiritual iurisdicton, happening from the _____ day of _____ that than you do inform one another thereof, and you shall likewise present the same by virtue of your oaths? 25 The Minister of every Parish may join in every presentment with the Churchwardens and Sidemen, 118. 118. who if they will not present, the Minister may himself present to the said Commissary or his Surrogate such faults or crimes abovesaid, as shall be thought to require due reformation. You are charged to specify the fault or crime, proper name and surname, trade or addition, and place of dwelling of every person presented. And to bring your first general presentment upon all these Articles into Bow Church in Cheapside in the forenoon between the hours of viii. and xi. of the clocks, the 28. day of _____ next coming. And your last general presentment on the _____ day of _____ then next following, or else they and there to appear personally, to show the cause of your default therein. Intimating further, that you may (besides those general days.) present offenders, as oft as you shall think meet, as by the Canonis prescribed, Unto the said Deane, Commissary, or his deputy, sitting at any time in the open court.