ARTICLES ECCLESIASTICAL TO BE INQVIRED OF BY THE CHURCHWARDENS AND THE SWORNE-MEN WITHIN THE diocese of Hereford in the first visitation of the reverend father in God, Harbart Bishop of the said diocese: this present year M.D.LXXXVI. and in the XXVIII. year of the reign of our most gracious sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth, etc.  
And so hereafter, till the next visitation, & from time to time to be presented.  
Imprinted at Oxford by joseph Barnes Printer to the university.   

ARTICLES TO BE INQVIRED of, in the Diocese of Hereford.  
FIRST ye shall inquire & truly present upon your oaths taken, whether you do know of any, which hath thrust himself into any function Ecclesiastical without ordinary calling, as, to say public service in Church or chapel, not being lawfully ordered Deacon at the least.  
2 Whether your Parson or Vicar be known, suspected or reported to have bought his benefice, or come to it by any simoniacal compact, made either by himself, or others, directly, or indirectly: or do let out his living or any part thereof to any, in consideration that he hath obtained the same▪  
3 Whether your Parson, Vicar, curate, or minister, or any other Priest or lay-man or woman do wilfully maintain or defend any heresies, false opinions or popish errors, contrary to the laws of almighty God, and true doctrine, by public authority now set forth in this realm, and what be their names?  
4 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or curate, do not say common prayer in your church, or chapel, distinctly & reverently, & in such order, as it is set forth by public authority, without any kind of alteration, & at due & convenient hours: & whether your minister do not so turn himself, & stand in such place of your church or chancel, as the people may best hear the same, and whether the sacraments be not likewise ministered reverently in such manner as by the laws of this realm is appointed: & whether upon wednesdays and fridays the Litany and other prayers appointed for the day be not said accordingly?  
5 Whether your Minister or any other not being licensed take upon him to expound scripture, & thereby omit upon any sunday the reading of a part of an Homily at the least, or upon any other occasion do omit the same?  
6 Whether your Minister do not read the commination against sinners, with certain prayers appointed, at the least thrice a year besides the lent time: and whether he doth not read the Queen's majesties injunctions quarterly in the Church?  
7 Whether he have preached or caused to be preached his monthly or quarterly Sermons at the least, and who they be that preached them, and whether he have suffered any not licensed to preach, or forbidden any that was licensed?  
8 Whether any notorious offender, or which is out of charity, or excommunicate, or a stranger of an other parish, be admitted to the communion by your minister, or such as being above twenty years of age have not been able to say at the least the Lords prayer, ten commandments, and Articles of the belief, or being above fourteen years, & under twenty, that could not say the Catechism: & whether your minister at times convenient before he administer unto them, and namely before Easter, do use to examine his Parishioners, whether they can say by heart the same which is required in this behalf: & whether he marry any persons, that were single before, that cannot say the Catechism?  
9 Whether your Ministers on every Sunday and Holiday in the afternoon before evening prayer do not instruct all the youth within your parish of convenient age of both sexes, in the Catechism, or at the least so many of them by course as time will serve, & as he may well hear & instruce for half an hour space at the least, & present to the Ordinary such quarterly as refuse to come to be catechized?  
10 Whether he do diligently visit the sick & comfort them with exhortation to contribute by will for the relief of the Poor, as their ability shall serve?  
11 Whether he be diligent in study of the holy Scriptures for further increase in knowledge, and for that purpose hath (if he be under the degree of a Master of Art) at the least, the new Testament in Latin, & English, and whether he doth daily confer certain Chapters thereof together, using at vacant times such good and seemly exercises as may keep him from sluggishness and idleness?  
12 Whether any minister have married any in times forbidden by the Ecclesiastical Laws, or without bannes thrice asked, otherwise than by licence of the ordinary, or hath used the form of thanks giving, for a woman after childbirth, being unlawfully begotten with child otherwise than in form of a peninent person, viz. in a white sheet or other habit prescribed by the ordinary, or upon any other day than on a Sunday, or Holiday: or before sufficient caution taken, that she should not departed the Parish, till she should perform such penance, as should be enjoined by the Ordinary?  
13 Whether your Minister use any other Rite, or Ceremony in the Church than is prescribed by the book of Common Prayer, and whether he or any other, keep or use any secret Conventicles, Preachings, Lectures, or Readings contrary to the Law, and what be their names?  
14 Whether your Parson, or Vicar: doth not in his own person at the Church, sometimes in the Year, both say Public Prayers himself, and also administer the holy Communion, according to the book of Common Prayer?  
15 Whether your Minister use the days of Perambulations accustomed, and that without wearing of any Surples, or any other Rite, or staying at any old Cross, and also without using any other Prayers, than the 103. and 104. Psalms, an Homily for that purpose, the Litany, and such sentences of the Scripture as are appointed by Injunction in that behalf?  
16 Whether any do serve as a Minister, or Deacon not licensed under the Ordinaries Seal, or serve two cures, and whether any Minister coming out of an other Dioces hath not the Ordinaries letters testimonial concerning aswell the cause of his departure as his behaviour, and what stipend your Curate hath by year?  
17 Whether is your minister a peacemaker and exhorter of his Parishioners to Christian love, & concord, and such a one as is no sour of discord amongst Neighbours?  
18 Whether your Parson or Vicar suffer his buildings or Chancel to fall to ruin or decay, and whether he or any other have taken away or discovered any Church, chapel, or Chancel, or any part of them: any Church porch, vestry, spittle, alms house, or such like: or hath pulled down the bells, or hath made any spoil or waste upon his benefice, either in his timber, or woods, or by felling trees in the Churchyard?  
19 Whether the Minister and Churchwardens (according to her majesties Injunctions) do keep well the Register book, & therein register all Weddings, buryings, & Christenings, and once every year exhibit a Copy thereof by Indenture to the office of thordinaries Register: and if it be not done, through whose default?  
20 Whether your Minister hath put in ure such orders concerning catechizing of youth, etc. and executed all other such things as hath from time to time since the last visitation, been sent unto him from the Ordinary, as processes, & such like: And whether he hath made any certificates of penance orderly & penitently done, which hath indeed been scoffingly, or impenitently performed, or else not done at all?  
21 Whether your Parson, or Vicar hath at any time since the thirteenth year of the Queen's majesties reign, made any manner of lease, or grant, of his Parsonage, or Vicarage, or any part thereof (he being absent, and not resident upon the same) to any other then to his Curate that did, or doth serve his Cure in his absence?  
22 Whether is your Parson, or Vicar absent from among you above eighty days in any one year in all, not being lawfully qualified and dispensed withal, and being so licensed, whether is the Cure served by an honest learned Curate, whether doth he not at the least for one month in the year, keep hospitality at his living, and also give, if his benefice be above twenty pounds a year, the fortieth part thereof to the Poor?  
23 Whether any Minister do forsake his function & give himself to any other trade of life than is fit, or may be incident with that calling?  
24 Whether doth your Minister keep any suspected woman in his house, or (being not married) any woman not of near kindred unto him, or doth he live in any tavern, or alehowse, or commonly resort thither, or is he a hawker, or hunter, or a gamester, at any game, other then at shooting, or otherwise suspected of any notorious crime, or any evil example of life?  
25 Whether doth your Minister keep, or suffer to be kept any Alehouse, Tavern, or Victualling house in his Parsonage or Vicarage house?  
26 Whether doth your Minister use any excessive or unseemly kind of apparel not commendable in that calling?  
27 Whether doth the Patron suffer the Church to lie void without incumbent, and take any the profits thereof, and how long he hath so done?  
28 Whether the Patron have freely bestowed the benefice without any Simony, directly, or indirectly, between him & the incumbent, or any other: And whether he doth not retain his own tithes, or hath the benefice whereof he is Patron, or some part thereof in farm?  
29 Whether your Schoolmaster teaching within your Parish openly, or within any Gentleman's house be licensed thereunto by the ordinary: whether doth he teach such books as be commanded to be taught, and that diligently? And whether is he reputed of sincere Religion, and conversation, and frequenteth Divine service, or no?  
30 Whether have you in your Parish Church, or Chapel the book of Common Prayer, with the new Rallender, two Psalters, the great English Bible, the two Volumes of Homilies, the Paraphrase of Erasmus in English, the Table of the Ten commandments, whole, and untorn, a convenient Pulpit, a decent Communion Table on a frame, a Linen Cloth to cover the same, with some other covering of Silk or such like, a Communion Cup, and a cover of Silver, a decent Surplese with sleeves, a sure Coffer with two locks for the Register book, a strong Chest for the Alms Bore, with three locks thereunto, and all other things requisite?  
31 Whether doth your Parson, Vicar, Curate, or Minister wear any Cope in your Parish Church or Chapel, or minister the holy Communion in any Chalice heretofore used at Mass, or in any profane Cup or Glass?  
32 Whether are all Altars taken down, to the very foundation, and the place Whited, and paved underneath, and the Roode-lofte down to the Cross-beam, all superstitious books used either in the Church or otherwise defaced, together with all monuments of Superstition and Idolatry, as Vestments, etc. And if not, in whose custody are they, or any of them?  
33 Whether any Churchwardens since the last visitation have suffered any unmarried woman begotten with child to departed their Parish before such penance done as was enjoined?  
34 Whether is your Church, chapel, or chancel sufficiently repaired, and churchyard decently and sufficiently fenced, and kept clean: if not, in whose default?  
35 Whether have your churchwardens from time to time truly levied xii. pence for every day, of those who absent themselves from church, and whether hath the same been bestowed upon the poor as it ought, or no: And whether the churchwardens themselves have absented themselves, or been negligent in their duty, or in frequenting divine service, and whether doth your Minister admonish the churchwardens openly in the church after the second lesson at morning and evening prayer to look to their charge in this behalf?  
36 Whether have any churchwardens or swornmen, since the last visitation or inquisition, or at any time, concealed any disorder or crime done in your Parish, or not presented the same to be reform?  
37 Whether any churchwardens without just cause delaieth to give account every year of the church goods, or detaineth any of the church goods, or common stock, and whether is the stock of the poor man's box faithfully, and indifferently distributed to the poor without any partial affection?  
38 Whether any churchwardens have continued in that office, at any time above one year without a new election?  
39 Whether the clerk be appointed, according to the custom of your Parish, whether is he obedient to the minister in such things, as belong to his office, & useth diligence in keeping all such things as belong to his charge, decent & clean: whether is he able to read distinctly, & to answer as appertaineth to him in the church, & whether is he suffered to read any thing in the church, save the one lesson and the epistle?  
40 Whether when any man is passing out of this life, the Bel be not touled, to move the people to pray for the sick person, and whether there be any ringing for any that died out of the parish, & whether in the parish there be any more ringing than one short peal before, & an other after the burial: & whether on Allsoules even or day, or any Saints even, or upon any abrogate holidays, there be any other ringing than is usual, on common working dates, or other than ringing to common prayer, or sermons, & that but moderate: & whether there be any ringing at all in time of common prayer, reading of homilies, or of preaching?  
41 Whether any Lords of misrule, dancers, players, or any other disguised persons do dance, or play any unseemly parts in the Church, Church-yard, or Chappel-yard, or whether are there any plays or common drinking kept in church, or Churchyard, who maintain & accompany such?  
42 Whether any person in your parish hath remained excommunicated by the space of forty days, & whether any such do intrude himself to divine service, the Sacrament, or public assemblies, and who are encoragers and keepers of company with such as so remain excommunicate?  
43 Whether any holy days, or fishdays abrogated by authority, are either by your minister bidden, or by any other observed superstitiously, or any festival days used a new by any without lawful authority?  
44 Whether all superiors, as parents, masters, etc. do as much as in them lieth to bring to the church to be catechized on holy days & Sundays in the afternoon before evening prayer, their children, servants, and apprentices both mankind and womankind being above seven years of age, and under twenty, or at the least such & so many, as your minister shall think meet to be sent thither for that purpose: and there diligently & obediently to hear and to be ordered by the minister until such time as they have learned the same Catechism: & what their names be that neglect so to do: and who betwixt the said ages cannot say the Catechism?  
45 Whether there be any that refuse to come to divine service in their parish Church, or Chapel, or do not frequent the same, or do not being of convenient age communicate thrice a year at the least, & namely once about Easter, or receiving have not signified the same to the minister in time convenient, that he might examine them how they were instructed for partaking of so high mysteries: and whether there be any strangers, that sojourn in your parish, especially about Easter, and do absent themselves from Church: or any that be hinderers or deriders of true religion, or of those which profess it?  
46 Whether there be any lay or temporal man, not being within orders, or any child, that hath or enjoyeth any benefice or spiritual promotion?  
47 Whether any in your Parish be suspected to resort to any Mass, or other kind of service than is received by authority, or to be reconciled to the Church of Rome, or do go up & down in secretwise or disguised, or that have been not long sithence beyond the Seas, being no merchants, using traffic, or otherwise lawfully licensed?  
48 Whether any do pray in an unknown tongue, or upon beads, or do any way number their prayers superstitiously, or do read, sell, or deliver, any popish books come from beyond the seas.  
49 Whether any be in your parish which at time of divine prayers do use any jangling, talking, walking, or other unseemly behaviour in church or churchyard, or do any way disturb common prayer, or any part of the divine service, or do use any game, or pastime abroad at those times, or sit in the tavern, or alehouse, or streets at such times, or which do work on Sundays, any handicraft work, or which keep open any shops for sale of wares till evening prayer be finished, or which depart before prayers be finished, or cometh late without cause sufficient, or which be brawlers, or fighters in the church or churchyard:  
50 Whether any in your parish be known, or suspected to use any witchcraft, or sorcery, charm, enchantment, or unlawful invocation, and namely, Midwives at the labour of women, or any who do take upon them to tell destinies, or to guide men to things lost, or any that resorteth unto such for help & counsel, or finally any blasphemers of the name of God, or swearers among you:  
51 Whether any be known, or suspected to be adulterers, fornicators, incestuous persons, bawds, or recettors of incontinent persons into their houses, or which convey or suffer them to go away before they do make satisfaction to the congregation offended, any drunkards, ribalds, malicious, contentious, and uncharitable persons, common slanderers, railers, scoulders, or sowers of discord amongst you:  
52 Whether any child being born since the 13. year of the Queen's majesties reign hath not been brought to be baptized to your parish church, but hath been baptized at home, or their baptism differred:  
53 Whether your hospitales, spitals, & alms-houses be well & godly used, according to the foundation, & ancient ordinances of the same. Whether there be any other placed in them then poor, impotent, & needy persons, that have not whereby, or wherewith to live.  
54 Whether there be any man that hath, or hath had at one time two wives, or a woman two husbands, any married within degrees of consanguinity, or affinity, set forth in a table for that purpose, any divorced keeping company still together, any married without the degrees forbidden, which without law have forsaken their wives or husbands, or live not together, any married that have made precontracts to other, any that have made privy contracts, or married without consent of their parents, or governors, any married without bannes thrice solemnly asked, or out of the parish church where the solemnisation ought to have been, without the Ordinaries licence under his seal:  
55 Whether there be any that directly, or indirectly, do take any usury, or interest, who they be & what is the manner of their usury:  
56 Whether any set down in the last will and testament, of any, as executors, do presume to execute, or deal with the deads' goods before the will be proved, or any presume to administer before administration committed unto them, any hinderers of the performance of such will, any forgers, or changers of wills, or any executors which have not fulfilled their testators will, especially in not paying legacies given to good and godly uses:  
57 Whether doth your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, churchwardens & sworn-men, & every of them certify in writing under their hands & seals to their Ordinary of the Diocese, or his Vicar general the names & surnames of all those persons that absent themselves from hearing the divine service (contrary to her majesties laws) according to the injunction given in that behalf, quarterly to be made, or at the leastwise in time convenient before each the assizes, or quarter sessions to be held within the said diocese of Hereford:  
58 Whether do you know, or have you hard of any man or woman that hath practised, or doth practise Physic or surgery within this diocese of Hereford, not being licensed so to do by th'ordinary of the same, under his hand and seal, according to the Statute in that case provided, & what is his, or her name which doth, or hath so done:  
59 Whether the Archdeacon, Chancellor, commissary, Official, or any other using ecclesiastical jurisdiction in this diocese, their registrars, or arctuaries, apparitors, or summoners, have at any time winked at & suffered any adulteries, fornications, incests, or other faults & offences, to pass & remain unpunished, & uncorrected, for money, rewards, bribes, pleasure, friendship, or any other partial or affectionate respect, or any of them have been burdensome to any in this diocese, by exacting or taking excessive fees, excessive procurations, any rewards, or commodities, by the way of promotion, gift, contribution, help, redemption of penance, omission of quarter sermons, obtaining of any benefices or office, or any other like ways or means:  
60 How many Adulteries, Incests, and Fornications, are notoriously known to have been committed in your Parish, since Easter. 1585. how many offenders in any such faults have been put to open penance, & openly corrected: and how many have had their penance or any part thereof commuted, without consent of the Bishop himself first had, and what sums of money laid by that means upon the offenders have been bestowed upon the poor of that Parish, or other godly uses: and how many have been winked at, & borne withal, or have fined and paid money to the Archdeacon, chancellor, commissary, Official, or their deputies, or to the Deans, Registrares, or Summoners, or any of them, for to escape open punishment & correction: & what their names & surnames be:  
61 Whether the Deans Rurals, & Sunners, or any of them do pay any annual rent, fee, or pension for their offices, & what they pay, and to whom:  
62 Whether any have been licensed to marry without the ask of bannes at all, or thrice ask, no sufficient caution being taken before, that there was no impediment of precontract, consanguinity, affinity, or any other lawful cause: & that at time of granting the said Licence there was no controversy, matter, or complaint moved or depending before any ecclesiastical or civil judge touching any such lawful impediment of contracting matrimony between such persons: and that the same parties should not come to solemnize their marriage before they had obtained the express assent & consent of their parents or guardians: & further that the marriage of them should be publicly solemnized in the face of the church in meet & convenient time.  
63 Whether in all excommunications for Heresy, schism, Simony, perjury, usury, incest, adultery, or any other grievous crime, the sentence have been pronounced against any but in the proper person of a Bishop, Deane, Archdeacon, or Prehendary, & the same being within holy orders, & having ecclesiastical jurisdiction: and whether any Vicar general, official or commissary not being within holy orders have pronounced sentence of excommunication against any for contumacy, but some learned minister, sufficiently authorised thereunto either by the Bishop within his jurisdiction, or by the Archdeacon within his, the Archdeacon being himself also a minister.  
64 Generally whether you know any of the Queen's injunctions, broken, or any other ecclesiastical matter worthy of redress or no? & if you do, by the oaths that you have taken, you shall truly present it, aswell now as hereafter, when it shall come to your knowledge:  

The tenor of the oath ministered to the Churchwardens & swornmen.  
YE shall swear by almighty God, that you shall diligently consider all & every the Articles given to you in charge, & make a true answer unto the same in writing, presenting all and every such person, & persons dwelling within your parish, as have committed any offence, or fault, or made any default mentioned in any of the same Articles, or which are vehemently suspected, or defamed of any such offence, fault, or default, wherein ye shall not present any person or persons, of evil will, malice or hatred, contrary to the truth, nor shall for love, favour, meed, dread, or any corrupt affection spare to present any that be offenders, suspected, or defamed in any of these cases, but shall do uprightly, as men having the fear of god before your eyes, and desirous to maintain virtue and suppress vice, So God help you.   
65 Whether your Parsonage be impropriated, if it be, is it endued with a Vicarage, or is the Parson bound only to give a pension to a curate, and what is the pension: to whom doth the propriety of the Parsonage belong, who is the farmer thereof, and what is it worth yearly by common estimation:  
66 Whether your Parsonage or Vicarage house, the chancel or body of your church or chapel be in any decay and not sufficiently repaired, and by whose default:  
67 Whether your church stock or any part thereof be unthriftily wasted and spent: or other your church goods, as glebe land, rents or annuities, given to the better maintenance of your Church, communion cup, and such like appertaining to the necessary use thereof, be given, sold, or any way alienated & embesled or turned to other use than by the laws of the realm, it ought to be: by any of your Parsons, Vicars, Curates Churchwardens, Sidemen, or other that hath or at any time had the keeping or oversight thereof:  
68 Who is reputed & taken to be the Patron of your parsonage or vicarage: what quantity of gleebland belongeth thereto: how many acres arable, how many of meadow, how many of pasture, what feeding for sheep & other cattle, and what common. Also what houses, what tithes and what privileges belong thereunto: This article shall you in several from the rest present in parchment and subscribe your names.  
69 Whether do you know or have heard of any benefice heretofore in the remembrance of man presentable or presented unto that doth now bear the name of an impropriation donative or any such mixed title whereby the fruits of such livings ecclesiastical is by subtle devise of some greedy bodies challenged and taken without right, or interest, & how long hath the same so continued.  
70 Whether the farmar of any impropriation do challenge the gift or enjoying of the Vicarage thereof, or the tithes or commodities or any part or parcel thereof, and by what title.  
FINIS.