ARTICLES To be enquired of, by the Churchwardens, and Sworne-men, in the Visitation of the Right Worshipful, the Archdeacon of SURREY Printed at London by Miles Flesher. Anno Dom. 1626. The tenor of the Oath of the Churchwardens and Sworne-men. YOu shall swear, that upon due consideration of these Articles given you in charge, you shall present every such person of or within your Parish, as you shall know to have committed any offence, or omitted any duty mentioned in any of these Articles, or which are publicly defamed, or vehemently suspected of any such offence or negligence: So help you God, by contents of his holy Gospel. ARTICLES Touching the Church. WHether is your Church or Chapel, with the Chancel thereof, and every part of either of them, well and sufficiently repaired, glazed, paved, or any thing noisome or unseemly? 2 Whether is your Churchyard well fenced, as hath been accustomed? if not, whose default is it? 3 Whether hath there been any fight, chiding, brawling, or quarrelling in your Church or Church-yard: and by whom? 4 Whether is the mansion house of your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, with all the building thereunto belonging, and Church-house sufficiently repaired, maintained, and to their right uses, employed? 5 Whether have you in your Church the Bible in the largest Volume, the book of common prayer lately authorized by his majesty, the books of Homilies allowed, the two Psalters, a convenient Pulpit for the Preaching, a decent seat for the Minister to say Service in, conveniently placed, a strong chest with an hole in the lid, & three locks and keys, one for the Minister, the other for the Churchwardens, for the Alms of the poor, & the keeping the Register Book of the Christen, Marriages and burials? 6 Whether have you in your Church a Font of stone for Baptism, set in the ancient usual place, a decent Table for the Communion conveniently placed, covered with silk or other decent stuff in time of divine Service, and with a fair Linen cloth over that, at the administration of the Communion? 7 Whether have you all such Bells, ornaments, and other utensils as have anciently belonged unto your Church: a Communion cup of silver with a cover; a fair standing pot or stoop of silver or pewter for the Wine upon the Communion Table, a comely surplice with large sléeves, a Register book of parchment for Christen, Marriages, & Burials, a book for the names of all strange Preachers, subscribed with their names, & the names of the Bishop or others by whom they had Licence? 8 Whether are wéekly the names and surnames of all persons married, christened, and buried, and of their parents, with the day and year, entered into your said parchment book, and every leaf being full, subscribed by you the Ministers and Churchwardens? 9 Whether are all your seats in your Church in good repair, cleanly kept, conveniently placed, & the parishioners in them, or elsewhere orderly set & is there any contention or striving for any seat or place amongst them? 10 Whether in any of your Churches the partition between the Chancel and the body of the Church, be taken away? And how long since, and by whom? have you a Terrier of all the gleab-land, and other appurtinancies belonging to your Church? Touching the Ministry, service, and Sacraments. WHether is the whole Common prayer said or sung by your Minister both morning and evening, distinctly and reverently every Sunday and holiday, and on their Eues, and at convenient & usual times of those days and in most convenient place of the Church, for the edifying of the people? 2 Whether doth your Minister observe the orders, rites, and ceremonies prescribed in the book of Common prayer, in reading the holy Scriptures, prayers and administration of the Sacraments, without diminishing in regard of preaching, or any other respect, or adding any thing in the matter or form thereof? doth he baptise in any basin or other vessel, and not in the ordinary Font? 3 Whether doth your Minister on Wednesdays and fridays, not being holidays at the accustomed hours of service, resort to the Church, and say the Litany prescribed, & doth your Clerk or Sexton give warning before, by foulling of a bell on those days? 4 Whether doth your Minister, as oft, as he administereth the Communion wear the Surplice & first receive it himself? Whether doth he use any bread or wine newly brought, before the words of institution be rehearsed, and the bread and wine present on the table? whether doth he deliver the bread and wine to every communicant severally? 5 Whether doth your Minister give warning publicly in the Church at morning prayer, the Sunday before he administereth the Communion for the better preparation of the Parishioners? 6 Whether hath your Minister admitted to the Communion any notorious sinner openly known or defamed, or any who hath openly and maliciously contended with his neighbour, before repentance and reconciliation made and done by appointment of the Ordinary? 7 Whether hath your Minister admitted to the Communion any Churchwarden or Sideman, who hath wittingly and willingly neglected( contrary to his oath) to present any public offence or scandal, being moved to present either by some of his neighbours, the Minister, or his Ordinary? 8 Whether hath your Minister administered the Communion to any but such as kneel, or do any refuse to kneel? hath he administered to any who refuse to be present at public Prayer? or is there any who hath depraved the Book of common Prayer, administration of the Sacraments, or the Rites and Ceremonies prescribed, or the Articles of Religion agreed upon anno Dom. 1562. or the book of ordering Priests and Bishops: or spoken against his Majesty's Supremacy: or have any been for these causes repelled, and what be their names? 9 Whether hath your Minister more Benefices than one? if he have, how far distant are they; how often is he absent in the year? when he is absent, hath he an allowed Preacher for his Curate? 10 Whether is your Minister and allowed Preacher? if he be, doth he every Sunday in your Church, or some other near adjoining where no Preacher is, preach one Sermon every Sunday? 11 Whether doth your Minister being no Preacher allowed presume to expound the Scripture in his own Cure, or elsewhere? doth he procure every Month a Sermon to be preached in his Cure by preachers lawfully licenced, and on every Sunday when there is no Sermon, doth he or his Curate read some one of the Homilies prescribed? 12 Whether is your Curate allowed by the Ordinary under his hand and seal, to serve in your Cure, and whether doth he serve two Churches or Chapels in one day? 13 Whether doth your Minister in saying the public prayers & usually administering the Sacraments, wear a decent Surplice with sléeves? and being Graduate, doth he wear therewith a hood by the order of the Universities, agreeable to his degree? 14 Whether hath your Minister or any other Preacher in your Church, preached any thing to confute or impugn any doctrine delivered by any other preacher, and hath he and they used the prayer for Christ's Catholic Church, as is prescribed by the Canon? 15 Whether hath or doth any preach in your Church which refuseth to conform himself to the Laws, Rites and Ordinances established, or which hath not first showed a sufficient Licence? 16 Whether doth your Minister in his Sermons four times in the year at the least, teach and declare the King's Majesty's power within his Realms to be the highest power under God, to whom, all within the same owe most loyalty & obedience, & that all foreign power is justly taken away? 17 Whether doth your Minister every Sunday and Holiday half an hour before Evening prayer or more, eramine and instruct the youth in the ten Commandments, the Belief, the Lords Prayer, and the Catechism set forth in the book of Common Prayer? 18 Whether hath your Minister married any which have not been three several Sundays or holidays asked in your Church in the time of Divine service, without Licence? and hath he without Licence, married any, or with any Licence but only from the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of the Diocese, or his Chancellor? 19 Whether hath your Minister either with Licence or without, married any at other times then between the hours of Eight and Twelve in the forenoon, or in any private house, or before their Parents or Governors( the parties being under the age of 21. years) have testified their consents? 20 Whether doth your Minister declare to the people every Sunday at the time appointed, what holidays and fasting days be the week following? doth he being a Preacher confer with all Recusants, and persons excommunicate or suspended in his parish: being no Preacher, doth he procure a sufficient Preacher to reclaim them thereby? 21 Whether doth your Minister keep a note of all persons excommunicate, and once every six months doth he denounce them which have not obtained their absolution, on some Sunday in service time, that others may be admonished to refrain their company? 22 Whether death your Minister having notice given him diligently visit the sick( the Disease not being infectious) doth he instruct and comfort them, doth he then move them to make their Testaments, and remember the poor, and other works of charity? 23 Whether hath your Minister refused to baptise any child brought to the Church upon any Sunday or Holiday, or to bury any corpse brought into the Church or Churchyard, or to Church any woman, having had convenient warning thereof? 24 Whether hath your Minister, being truly informed of the danger of death of any infant unbaptized, and being desired to go to the place where the child is, to baptise it, neglected to go, by means whereof the child died unbaptized? 25 Whether doth your Minister at any time preach or administer the Communion in any private house, or church any women except when any are so impotent that they cannot go to Church, or are very dangerously sick, where and how often hath he so done? 26 Whether hath your Minister held or appointed any public Fast, or been present at any? doth he or any other person in your Parish hold any Lecture or exercise, without the Licence of the Bishop, under his hand or seal, or attempt by fasting, or other wise to cast out any devils? 27 Whether hath there been any secret conventicles or meetings in your Parish, by any Priest, Minister, or others, tending to the depraving of the form of Prayer, Doctrine, or the government of the Church? 28 Whether doth your Minister in his journey, wear a cloak with sléeves, called a Priest's cloak? 29 Whether doth your Minister resort to any Taverns or Alehouses, or doth he board or lodge in any such place? or doth use any base or servile labour, drinking, riot, dice, cards, tables, or any other unlawful games? Is he contentious, a hunter hawker, dancer, swearer, suspected of any incontinency, or hath given any evil example of life? 30 Whether is there in your Parish any Minister or Deacon, who hath forsaken his calling, using himself in his course of life as a Gentleman or other Lay man? Or any that is not in holy Orders, read Common prayer or use any ministerial duty in your Church or Chapel? Touching Schoolmasters. Whether have you in your Parish any Schoolmaster, who teacheth either in public School, or private house, is he of sound religion, or doth he give any evil example of life? is he allowed by the Ordinary? or doth your Minister or Curate teach? and is he allowed in like manner? 2 Whether doth your Minister or Schoolmaster who teacheth, teach the Catechism by authority set forth? Touching the Parish Clarke, and Sexton. WHether have you a Parish Clarke sufficient for his place, of the age of 20 years at the least? is he of honest conversation, can he read, write, and sing? is he diligent in his office, and serviceable to his Minister, and not given to overmuch drink, or any other vice? is he chosen by the Parson or Vicar, doth he take upon him his Clarkeship before he hath taken the Oath of Supremacy before the Lord Bishop, or his Commissary? 2 Whether doth your Clerk meddle with any thing above his office, as churching of women, burying of the dead, reading of prayers, or the like? 3 Whether doth your Clerk or Sexton keep your Church clean, the doors fast locked, is any thing by his default lost or spoiled in the Church? doth he suffer any unseasonable ringing, or any profane exercise in your Church? 4 Whether doth your Clerk or Sexton, when any is passing out of this life, neglect to toll a Bell, having notice thereof, or the party being dead, doth he suffer any more than one short peal, and before his huriall one, and after the same another? 5 Whether doth any in your Parish refuse to pay unto the parish Clark or Sexton, such wages as are unto them due, and have been accustomably paid? Touching Parishioners. Whether hath any in your Parish spoken against or any way impugned the King's Majesty's Supremacy in causes Ecclesiastical, the truth and doctrine of the Church of England, the form of God's worship contained in the Book of Common prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments? 2 Whether hath any in your parish spoken against or impugned the rites & ceremonies established in the Church, the government by Archbishops, Bishops, Deans, Archdeacon's, and others that bear office in the same? 3 Whether any have in your parish spoken against or impugned the form of making & consecrating Bishops, Priests or Deacons, or have any separated themselves from the society of the congregation, & combined in a new Frotherhood, or depraved the Synod lately held by the King's authority? 4 Whether doth any in your Parish profane, violate, or misspend he Sunday or holiday, or any part of them, using any offensive conversation, or worldly labour in those days? 5 Whether have any in your Parish in the time of Divine Service, covered his head, albeit he hath no infirmity, in which case a cap or night-coyfe is allowed: or is there any who hath not reverently kneeled when the general confession, Let any, or other prayers are read, and which do not stand up at the saying of the Belief? 6 Whether hath any in your Parish disturbed the Service or Sermon by walking, talking, or any other way, or departed out of the Church during the Service or Sermon, without some urgent cause, or loitered about the Church or Church-porch? 7 Whether do all Parishioners receive the holy Communion thrice every year at the least, whereof the feast of Easter to be one, & have all being of the age of xvii years duly received, or not? 8 Whether hath any Parent been urged to be present, or admitted to answer as Godfather for his own child, or hath any Godfather or Godmother made any other answer or speech than is prescribed by the Book, or have any been admitted for such a baptism, who have not first received the Communion, do any keep their children longer than is convenient? 9 Whether do all Fathers, Mothers, Masters and Mistresses, come & cause their children, servants and Aprentices to come duly to the Church, and according to the Ministers directions to be instructed or catechised? 10 Whether have any persons married together within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity prohibited, set forth in a Table, appointed to be placed in every Church? 11 Whether have any persons once lawfully married, forsaken each other, or do live asunder without the authority of the Ordinary, or do any being divorced or separated, marry again the former wife or husband yet living? 12 Whether have any been married in the times wherein marriage is by law restrained, without lawful Licence viz. from the Saturday next before Aduent Sunday, until the fourteenth of Januarie: and from the Saturday next before Septuagesima Sunday, until the Monday next after Low Sunday: and from the Sunday next before the Rogation week, until Trinity Sunday? 13 Whether have any in your Parish unreverently used your Minister, or have any laid violent hands upon him, or disgraced his office and calling by word or deed? 14 Whether have you in your Parish any dweller or sojourner, who is a maintainer of popish Doctrine or suspected to keep schismatical books, or to favour any heresy or error? 15 Whether have you any common resorters unto your Church, which are not of your parish, or do any such, hear divine service, and receive the Communion amongst you: what be their names, and of what parish are they? 16 Whether have any in time of divine Service, upon sundays or holidays, opened their shops, exercised their trade, used any gaming, been in Tavern or Alehouse, or otherwise employed? 17 Whether are there in your Parish by common fame and report, any Adulterers, Fornicators, Incestuous persons, Bawds, receivers, close favourers, c●●…iueyers away, or which suffer to depart any incontinent persons unpunished? and blasphemers, common swearers, drunkards, riba●●…s, usurers, malicious slanderers, scolds, or sowers of discord, or any defamed of the said crimes? 18 Whether do any in your Parish administer the goods of the dead without authority, or suppress their will and testament? 19 Whether do any refuse to pay to the reparations, ornaments, and other things required in your Church, as they are indifferently sessed, or any other dwelling out of your parish, which hold land in your parish? 20 Whether hath any person excommunicated, been suffered to hear divine Service or Sermon, to receive the Sacraments, to be married or churched: or have any excommunicate been buried in Christian burial? do any frequent their company, who be they? 21 Whether hath any in your parish been christened, churched, buried, or received the Communion, or been married out of your Church without licence both parties dwelling in your parish? 22 Whether have all women in your Parish delivered of child, come at convenient time after to Church to give thanks, and have they been churched according to the book of common prayer? 23 Whether hath the perambulation of the circuit of the parish been observed once every year: if not whose default is it? 24 Whether have any in your parish given she churchwardens, or Sidemen, or any of them; evil words, for doing their duty according to their oath and conscience? Touching Churchwardens and Sworne-men. Whether do any in your Parish take upon them to be Churchwarden or Sideman, which are not lawfully chosen by the Minister and parishioners according to the canon, or do any continue that office longer than one year, except he be chosen again, and are all such officers chosen yearly in Easter week? 2 Whether do your Churchwardens within one month at most, after their year ended, before the Minister and parishioners, give up a just account of all such money, and other things, as they have received, and bestowed? have they delivered all remaining in their hands belonging to the Church or parish, by bill indented, to the next Churchwarden? 3 Whether have the Churchwardens, with the advice of the Minister from time to time provided a sufficient quantity of fine white bread, and 〈◊〉 wine for the number of Communicants? 4 Whether do the Churchwardens and Sworne-men before every Visitation and at other times, when there is just occasion, meet and confer about their presentments and the answering of their Articles? and who hath( after notice given him of the time and place) carelessly absented himself? 5 Whether the forfeiture of twelve pence for absence from Church, appointed by statute for the use of the poor, be taken & levied by the churchwardens and employed according to the said statute: and whether is the same forfeiture taken of all persons which stand wilfully suspended or excommunicated? 6 Whether have any Churchwardens lost, sold, or detained any goods, Ornaments, Bells, Rents, or implements of the Church? 7 Whether do the Churchwardens and Sidemen, suffer any to say divine Service, or preach, being not lawfully allowed? & do they, about the midst of Divine Service, usually walk out of the Church, and see who are abroad in any Alehouse, or elsewhere absent, or evil employed, and whether have they presented all such to the Ordinary? 8 Whether do you know or have heard a fame of any offence committed, or duty omitted by any of your parish, before your time, and heretofore not presented to the Ordinary, or as yet not reform, and whether have you presented the same? 9 Whether hath any part of your Church been lately altered, new built, or any addition made thereunto, the walls pulled down, new doors made into the Church, or any sollaries built there by any, without allowance of the Ordinary? 10 Whether is any part of your Church employed to any profane use, is your Church-porch, Church walls, and Churchyard, cleanly kept without any annoyance, in whose default is such annoyance? 11 Finally, do you know of any matter or cause, which is a breach of the laws Ecclesiastical, here not expressed? FINIS.