ARTICLES to be inquired of, by the Church-wardens and Swornemen, within the archdeaconry of Worcester,  
In the visitation of the right wowshipful WILLIAM SWADDON, Doctor of divinity, Archdeacon of Worcester. ANNO DOM. 1615.  
¶ Imprinted at London, 1615.   

❧ The tenor of the Oath to be ministered to all and every of the Churchwardens and Sidemen or Assistants in the said Visitation.  
YOu, and every of you shall swear by almighty GOD, that all favour, fear, and affection, and all other sinister corruption whatsoever, set aside, vpon due consideration of these Articles given you in charge, you will make a true, plain, perfect, and particular answer and presentment in writing to the same Articles, and to every branch and part thereof, presenting all and every offenders and offences therein mentioned, so as may stand with the glory of God, the discharge of your Consciences, and the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical Court: wherein you shall deal sincerely, faithfully, and uprightly as before GOD; So help you GOD in CHRIST IESVS.   

¶ A Note of Directions.  
1 THe old Church-wardens and Sidemen of every Parish Church, and chapel, are to join together in appearance and presentment vpon the Articles delivered them at the last Visitation; and the Minister also may join in presentment with them, if they will: or otherwise the Minister may present alone. And the new elected Churchwardens and Sidemen are to appear, and to take their oaths, and to exhibit their presentments afterwards when they shalbe assigned, as by the 118. and 119. Canon is required. The presentments to be made, are to be plainly and particularly set down to answer every part and branch of every several Article following, and to bee subscribed and testified under the Haudes and marks of all and singular the presentors.  
2 The Proprietaries, Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and Sequestrators of ecclesiastical benefice, and their respective Farmers, and all schoolmasters, ushers, and Vnder-schoolemasters, &c. of, or within every Parish, Church, and chapel, are also to appear, and to exhibit their Letters of orders, Institutions, and Inductions, and all other their Dispensations, Licences, or Faculties whatsoever; not being formerly exhibited in any Visitation of the modern Archdeacon aforesaid, now visiting. And they are also to make real payment of all such Procurations and Synodals, and other Duties as are respectively due and payable by every of them severally in this Visitation.   

ARTICLES, Concerning Church and Churchyard.  
1 WHether is your Church, and chancel in all respects well and sufficiently repaired, and kept sweet and clean: Haue you therein the ten Commandements, the Articles of the belief, and other Godly sentences, fairly written: The English Bible in the largest Volume, of the last and New Edition, authorised by His majesties special Commandement, and approved to be red in Churches: The books of Common prayer, the two volumes of Homilies, and all other books requisite, a seemly Pulpit, a convenient seat for the Minister at Prayers, a large and comely surplice whole and vntorne:  
2 Haue you in your said Church a strong Chest for alms, with a hole in the top, and three locks and keys thereto: Is the money therein put, employed to the use of the poor:  
3 Haue you a Register of Christinings, Weddings, and Burials, in a book of Parchment duly kept in a Chest with three locks and Reyes:  
4 Hath any man pulled down or vncouered any Church, chancel, chapel, Vestery, or Church-house, in part, or in all:  
5 Are your bells, Belropes, and clock, in good repair, and well ordered: Is your Churchyard wellfenced and decently kept: Is it not profaned with fighting, brawling, chiding, game, dancing, playing, or with unlawful cattle, or otherwise; and how, and by whom, and in whose default:  

Ministers and Curates.  
6 Is your Minister a licented Preacher, doth he diligently preach sound Doctrine, reverently administer the holy Sacraments, and for matters of government, seriously teach and maintain the Kings supremacy under God within His majesties Dominions, over all persons, and in causes as well ecclesiastical as civil, and the aholishing of all foreign Power:  
7 Hath your Minister more benefice then one; if two, or more, doth he reside vpon one of them himself, and maintain a licenced Preacher on the other: If he hath but one, is he resident, and dwelling thereupon, is he painful in his vocation, of sober and good conversation, and given to hospitality:  
8 Doth your Minister use decency of Apparel, a well in the Church as else where: And in time of divine prayer and administration of the Sacraments, doth he use to wear the surplice; and if he be a Graduate, such a Hood as is agreeable to his calling:  
9 Is your Minister a peacemaker, and no sour of discord, or is he suspected, famed, or noted of any notorious crime; or giveth he any ill example: or do any Ministers with you forsake their callings:  
10 Doth any preach in your Parish, that refuseth to conform himself to the laws, ordinances, and rites of the Church of England:  
11 Hath your Minister a Curate, and how is he licenced; doth he serve two Cures, and doth he bid the Fasting dayes, and Holy dayes, commanded and allowed:  
12 If your Minister be not a Preacher allowed, doth he procure monthly sermons; and when there is no Sermon, doth he red an Homily; doth he take vpon him to expound any text of Scripture:  
13 What Preachers haue come from any other place and preached in your Parish; haue you their names written in a book kept for that purpose; hath such Preacher subscribed his name thereto, and set down the day when he preached, and by whom licenced;  
14 Hath your Minister obtained his bnfice by any Sinooncall compace either directly or indirectly:  
15 Hath any of your Parish, or of any other Parish, vnteuerently used your Minister, laid violent hands on him, or disgraced his office, and function, by word or dead:   

divine service.  
16 Is divine service in due time on sundays, holidays, and at other times appoynted, reverently said or sung in your Church or chapel, with the litany, on wednesdays, and fridays; and all other rites and ceremonies, according to the prescript form of Common prayer in the Communion book:  
17 Whetherdoth any not being licenced( or any not orvered at least for a Deacon) say Common prayer openly in your Church or chapel:  
18 do any Men( young or old) use to were their hats in the Church or chapel, in time of divine service; or are there any that behave themselves disorderly in the Church, Ceappell, or Churchyard, or any disturbers of divine service or Sermons?  
19 Whether do any victuallers( or others in your Parish) suffer any drinking, or game in their houses on sundays or holidays, especially in time of divine service, or Sermons?  
20 Whether any in your Parish vpon the sabbath dayes, or holidays, do use their Trade, or do any other work or labour, as Brewing, Baking, Washing, or such like, or do open their shops for sale of wears vpon those dayes, or do hedge, ditch, carry, or draw burdens by themselves, their Seruants, Horses, or other cattle whatsoever on such dayes?   

The holy Communion.  
21 Haue you a decent Communion Table on a frame, with a seemly Carpet, and a cloth of linen, a Communion cup and cover of silver, a faire flagon of Pewter or purer mettall for the wine, a Plate for the Bread, and a towel to lay over it?  
22 Whether is there any in your Parish, which being full sixteen yeeres of age and upwards, hath not received the holy Communion three several times in the year past at the least, in his or her Parish Church, whereof Easter to be one of the three times?  
23 Doth your Minister instruct and examine his parishioners couceruing the Sacraments at convenient times, before he 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?  
24 Is your Communion ministered with Bread and Wine, consecrated in such order as in the book of Common prayer is appoynted? And doth your Minister deliver both kindes to every several Communicant, with the blessing prescribed in the book of Common prayer?  
25 Doth any in your Parish receive the holy Communion either sitting, standing, or otherwise then kneeling, as is prescribed in the book of Common prayer; or do any refuse to receive the same kneeling; and doth your Minister admit any to receive the Communion otherwise then kneeling?  
26 Doth your Minister admit any notorious offendoures, or any schismatics to the holy Communion before due penance enjoined by the ordinary, be ducly performed by them: or doth he admit any notorously known to be out of charity; or any that hath done any open wrong to his Neighbour before reconciliation made to the party wronged?  
27 Whether doth your Minister appoint and observe so many Communions in one year, as that the parishioners may conveniently receive all of them there three several times in the year: And doth he use to give public notice thereof in the Church, the sabbath day next going before every such Communions, that the Parishioners may prepare themselves to be partakers thereof?   

baptism.  
28 Haue you in your Church a convenient Font of ston, well kept, and covered, standing in the ancient place; doth your Minister baptize therein, or in any basin, or other thing, or with any other ceremonies then such as are allowed in the book of common prayer; or doth he omit, neglect, or not use all the ceremonies therein prescribed; and doth he use the sign of the cross in baptism?  
29 Doth your Minister refuse to baptize any Children of christian parentes, that are brought to the Church?  
30 Are Parents urged to be present at the baptizing of their Children; or be any admitted to be God-fathers or God-mothers that haue not received the holy Communion; or do any parents refuse to haue their Children signed with the sign of the cross in their baptism?  
31 Haue any children that were born in your parish been carried out of the parish to be baptized else where; or haue any not been baptized at all, or in places and by parties unknown?  
32 Whether hath your Minister refused, deferred, or delayed to come unto, and to christen any Child being in weakness or in danger of death, being thereunto required, by reason whereof such child hath( through his negligence, or by his fault) dyed vnbaptized?   

catechism.  
33 Doth your Minister, or his Curate, duly catechize according to the late Canon every Sunday, such children and servants of both sexes, as are of convenient age, or at least so many of them by course, as the time will serve?  
34 do Parentes and Householders bring or sand their Children and Seruants, to the Church every Sunday duly to be catechises, accordingly as the late Canons require, and who are negligent therein:   

matrimony.  
35 Whether is matrimony solemnized in your Church or chapel, according to the book of Common prayer?  
36 Haue you in your Church a Table of Degrees of marriage; are any married within the degrees of Consanguinity or Affinity therein forbidden; or do any Children under the age of twenty one yeares, contract themselves, or mary without consent of their Parents or guardians?  
37 Haue any been Married without Banes thrice asked in the Church three several sundays or holidays( unless by licence of the Ordinary granted under seal) or at any time of the day, then betwixt the houres of eight and twelve in the forenoon; or at any times prohibited, that is to say, from advent sunday, to the octaves of the Epiphany from Septuagesima Sunday, to the octaves of Easter: from Rogation sunday, to trinity sunday?  
38 Haue any that dwell in your Parish, been married in any other Parish, or any of an other Parish been married in your Parish; or haue any been married privately out of the Church or face of the Congregation, when, where, by whom, and who were present at such marriages?  
39 Hath any Woman not well known to be married, been delivered of any Child in your Parish, and in whose house: or hath any Woman in pour Parish been carnally known, or begotten with Child before Marriage, and by whom?  
40 Haue any forsaken their wives or husbands, and married others; haue any married again after they haue been divorced: Or do any which haue been divorced, keep company still together?  
41 do any married couples live a sunder and not together, and do either of them keep in their house, or secretly resort to any other, to the raising of suspicion or famed of incontinency?  
42 Hath any in your Parish for money or reward, Married any Woman that committed Fornication or Adultery with an other man? Or hath any unmarried Woman begotten with child, goue out of your Parish before she hath done penance enjoined her by the ordinary; where was she, or is she received or harboured, at whose charge, and who conveyed her away;   

Visitation of the sick.  
43 Doth your Minister or Curate visit the sick, doth he admonish them to repentance, comfort the Penitent, and exhort them to Charitable and alms deeds?   

burial of the Dead.  
44 Are your Dead butted according to the form of burial set down in the book of Common prayer; or haue any been butted secretly or in the night, who, and by whom, and who were present thereat?  
45 do the Executors or Administrators, or other friends of them that are butted in Church or chancel, repair again the pavements, and give any thing to the Church?   

Churching of Women.  
46 do any Women refuse to give God thankes openly in the Church, or( as wee term it) to be Churched at convenient times after Childbirth; or doth any Minister refuse to Church them, or Church them any other wise then is prescribed in the book of Common prayer?  
47 Hath any Woman unlawfully begotten with Child, been admitted to public thanksgiving in the Church, before she hath performed such penance as was enjoined her by the Ordinary, or at least been Churched in a White sheet, and confessed her fault penitently before sufficient witnesses, and undertaken to stand to the censurt of her Ordinary for her said offence?   

Parish clerks.  
48 Haue you a Parish clerk chosen by the Minister, is he of honest conversation, hath he competent skill in reading, writing, and singing: And doth any withhold or detain his Wages or duties from him?   

whoremasters.  
49 Haue you any Schoole-house, and how is it repaired: And haue you any schoolmaster in your Parish that teacheth publicly or privately, is he lawfully licenced; doth he come duly to the Church and receive the holy Communion: Doth he instruct his Schollers in the catechism allowed, causeth he them to repair to divine Prayers in the Church, and to hear and note Sermons: Teacheth he any other grammar then that which is allowed?  
50 Is any schoolmaster known or suspected publicly or privately to red to their scholars, or suffer them to red any book that may confirm them in popery, superstition, or disobedience to the Kings majesty, or to his laws ecclesiastical or civil?   

schismatics and Recusants of all sorts.  
51 do you know any that teach or maintain any doctrine contrary to the Articles agreed vpon in the convocation. Anno Dom. 1562.  
52 Doth any Preach, minister the Communion, baptize Children, or church Women, in private Houses, or other where then in the Church, except it be in cases of necessity?  
53 Know you any that absent themselves from the Church negligently or wilfully, how long haue they so done: And of them that are absent without a sufficient and lawful cause, is the forfeiture of xii. d. taken every Sunday, and converted to the use of the poor, according to the Statute. Eliza. 1?  
54 In your Parish where there is a Preacher, do any use to absent themselves from his Sermon, and resort to any other?  
55 Know you any that forbear to participate with the Church of England in Prayer or Sacraments, either denying the Church to be apostolical, or condemning the Ceremonies thereof as superstitious?  
56 Haue you in your Parish any popish Recusants, any half papists that come t● the Church and receive not the Communion, any Church Papists that come and receive themselves, but either persuade others, or maintain their wives, children, family, or friends not to come?  
57 doth any Seminary Priest or Iesuite resort to any place within this Dioces, or suspect you any such: Or do you know any that resort to any Popish Priest or Iesuite?  
58 Know you any that by writing, talk, or argument, impugn the Kings supremacy, or any that haue kept in their custody, that sell, disperse, carry, or deliver unto others, any unlawful books against the Religion and government established, or in defence of any foreign power or domestical consistory?   

Excommunicated persons.  
59 Are all Excommunicate persons kept out of the Church from divine prayers, and receiving of the holy Communion until they bee lawfully absolved? And are there any in your Parish which haue stood excommunicate forty dayes and upward; are such persons as stand excommunicated, once in eurey six moneths denounced in your Church in time of divine service vpon some Sunday?  
60 Hath any Excommunicated person not absolved,( at least in his extremity) nor giuing any testimony of his repentance before his departure, been butted in christian burials, who butted him, her, or them; where, and when, and who were present at such burials?  
61 do any retain or ke●pe in their house or service any person denounced excommunicate, or do any way encourage them therein, or converse with them in buying, felling, eating, drinking, or otherwise?   

wills, Testaments, and Administrations.  
62 do any in your parish administer the Goods of the dead, or any way intermeddle therewith, without lawful authority committed unto them under the Ordinaries seal?  
63 know you any in your parish that suppress the last Will of the Dead; or any that forge or altar any wills; or any Executors that fulfil not the Testators will; or any that detain Legacies given to any charitable uses?   

several Articles.  
64 do any in your parish profane the Sabath dayes, or not duly observe the Holy dayes appointed: Are the Ember-fastes orderly observed at the four times of the year appointed?  
65 Are the dayes and orders of Perambulation duly observed in the Rogation week: if not in whose default?  
66 Are the Canons, Constitutions, and Orders, made and agreed vpon in the convocation house Anno Dom. 1603. read over once every year in your Church vpon sundays or holidays, according to his majesties commandement in that behalf?  
67 Doth your Minister yearly present, and give up in writing to the ordinary the names of all Recusants, and half Recusants, men and women, as well sojourners as parishioners, and common guests in your parish above the age of thirteen yeeres, according to the 114. Canon, or not?  
68 do any in your parish take vpon them to practise physic or chirurgery, not being lawfully licenced?  
69 Are any in your parish( or which were of your parish & are now departed) known, suspected, famed, or reported, to haue offended in Fornication, Adultery, Incest, Witchcraft, sorcery, Charming, usury, Swearing, drunkenness, common Slandering, Sowing of discord, Brawling, scolding, or any other uncleanness of life, or bad manners?  
70 Haue any Apparators, or others, taken any reward to compound or conceal any offence presentable or punishable in the ecclesiastical Court?   

Churchwardens and Sidemen.  
71 Are your Churchwardens and Sidemen chosen yearly in the Easter week according to the Canons: And do the Churchwardens yearly, truly make and deliver up in writing their account of all their receipts and disbursements whatsoever, by them received and laid out for the Parish: and of all the Church goods, books, and other things, as the Canons require?  
72 do your Churchwardens themselves come duly to the Church to divine Prayers and Sermons; and do they their beast endeavours, especially on sundays and holidays, to cause all parishioners to do the like?  
73 Whether is there a transcript or copy of the Register book of the Church of christenings, Weddings, and Burials, yearly exhibited and delivered up into the Regestrie of the ordinary, or not?  
74 Haue the late Churchwardens 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, or vex the Minister, Churchwardens or Sidemen, for being presented by them; and who be they that so do?  
75 Haue you advisedly and diligently perused, red, or heard others read and peruse this book of Articles, and every particular Article and branch thereof; and haue you framed your answers and Presentments to the same accordingly?  
76 Generally, whether do you know any of the Canons( lately set forth and approved by his majesty) broken, or any other ecclesiastical matter worthy to bee presented, or not; and if you do, you shall truly present the same by the Oath you haue taken?  
FINIS.  
God save the King.