ARTICLES TO BE Ministered, Enquired of, and Answered, CONCERNING Matters Ecclesiastical: IN THE VISITATION OF JOHN FIELDING, Archdeacon of the Arch-Deaconry OF DORSET. 1683:  
LONDON, Printed for Obadiah Blakegrave. 1683.   

The Churchwardens Oath.  
YOUR Oath is, That you the Churchwardens for your parts, and you the Sides-men for your parts, shall well and faithfully execute your several Offices for your Parish (so long as you shall continue in your Offices) according to the Use and Custom there, and the Law in that behalf; and also duly and truly present such Crimes and Offences punishable by the Laws Ecclesiastical of this Land, which shall come to your knowledge or notice; all Favour and Affection, Hatred and Malice, or sinister Respect set apart, so help you God, etc.  
And We deliver you these Articles for your Directions.   

ARTICLES TO BE Ministered, Enquired of, and Answered unto, CONCERNING Matters Ecclesiastical: In the VISITATION of JOHN FIELDING, Archdeacon of the Arch-Deaconry of DORSET, 1683.  

Concerning the King's Majesty's Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical.  
HAVE You any in your Parish that oppose, or gainsay any part of His Majesty's Supremacy in all Causes Ecclesiastical, as set forth inch second Canon?   

Articles of the Church of England.  
1. HAVE you any in your Parish that affirm, that the Church of England, as now by Law established, is not a True and Apostolical Church; and that it doth not teach and maintain the Doctrine of the Apostles, as set down in the 3 Canon?  
2. HAVE you any in your Parish that oppugn or speaketh against the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England, or the lawful use of them, as coutrary to the 6 Canon? You shall present their Names.  
3. HAVE you any in your Parish that impugn the Government of the Church of England, under the Kings Most Excellent Majesty, by Archbishops and Bishops, as at present established, and that it is contrary to the Word of God, as contrary to the 7 Canon?  
4. HAVE you any in your Parish that affirm. That the Book of Common Prayer, as now by Law is established, containeth in it any thing that is Superstitions, and contrary to the Word of God, and therefore that Godly Men ought not to approve and subscribe to the same, contrary to the 4 Canon? You shall present their Names.  
5. WHETHER have you any in your Parish that Separate from the Church of England, and the Public Worship thereof, and that come not to Church until Divine Service be ended, and the Psalm or Sermon do begin, as contrary to the 9 and 12 Canons?  
6. IS there any in your Parish that doth maintain such unlicensed Preachers that refuse to subscribe the Forms of God's Worship prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer, contrary to the 10 Canon? And whether have you any in your Parish that of late have followed any strange Preacher unlicensed, Suspended, or Schismatical, from Parish to Parish? Present their Names, and the Places to which they go and resort.   

Of Divine Service.  
1. IS the present Form of Divine Service used by your Minister upon Sundays and Holidays? And are the Lords days and other holiday kept in your Parish, according to the Orders of the Church of England prescribed in that behalf, by frequenting the Public Worship, as is enjoined in the 13 and 14 Canons?  
2. WHETHER is there any Man or Woman that useth not due reverence in the Church in time of Divine Service and Sermon? And whether is there any Man that covereth his head in the time of Divine Service, except for some Infirmity? And, whether do all persons present in the Church or Chappel, kneel reverently upon their Knees when the General Confession, Litany, and Prayers are read, and stand up at the saying of the Creed, according to the 18 Canon?  
3. IS there any in your Parish that lurk or tipple in Taverns, Alehouses, or that stand idle and loiter in the Churchyard in time of Divine Service, as forbidden in the 19 Canon?   

Of the Sacraments.  
1. IS the Sacrament of the Lords Supper duly administered in your Parish, at the least thrice a year, Easter being one? And doth the Minister give warning thereof at Morning Prayer the Sunday before such time? And do the Churchwardens provide a sufficient quantity of Bread and Wine for the same, as by the 20, 21, 22 Canons is required?  
2. HAVE you in your Church a convenient Table, with a fine Linen Cloth to cover the same in time of Administration of the Lords Supper, as Cannon the second? And is the Wine brought to the table in a clean Flagon or Pot, of Pewter or purer Metal, as is required in the said Canon?  
3. DOTH your Minister admit any notorious Offenders, or Schismatics, or any Excommunicate persons, for such as live in open contention with their Neighbours, to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, contrary to the 26 and 27 Canons? Or, doth any refuse to come to the Sacrament, contrary to the 57 Canon?  
4. IS the Sacrament of Baptism duly administered in your Church or Chappel, according to the form thereof, and the direction of the Book of Common Prayers? And is there a Font of Stone placed at the lower end of the Church for that purpose, as required in the 81 Canon?  
5. HAVE you any in your Parish that refuse to bring their Children to be Baptised by the Minister, according to the Book of Common Prayer? Declare their Names, and how long they have done so.  
6. WHETHER doth your Minister refuse to sign the Children with the Sign of the Cross, when they are Baptised, according to the Book of Common Prayer, as is required by the 30 Canon? And doth he christian and Bury as is required by the 68 and 69 Canons?   

Of Ministers.  
1. DOTH your Minister, when he readeth public Prayers, or adminestreth the Sacraments, wear a comely Surplice with Sleeves, as is required by the 58 Canon?  
2. DOTH your Minister visit the Sick, as is required by the 67 Canon?  
3. DOTH your Minister use the form of Thanksgiving for Women after Childbirth? And whether have any Married Wives refused to come to Church, according to the Book of Common Prayer, to give God Thanks after Childbirth, in such usual and decent manner as hath been anciently accustomed? If any be faulty, you shall present their Names.  
4. DOTH your Minister catechise the Youth and more ignorant persons of the Parish, in the Creed, and Lords Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, as is required in the 59 Canon?  
5. DOTH your Minister pray for King Charles the Second, Queen Catharine, and the rest of the Royal Family, as required by the 55 Canon?  
6. HATH your Minister more Benefices than one with Cure, and upon which doth he reside? And hath he a sufficient and able Curate, to teach and instance the People, as is required in the 41 Canon?  
7. WHETHER doth your Parson, Vicar, or Curate frequent Taverns and Alehouses, or is given to Drunkenness, Dicing, Carding, or other unlawful Games, as are forbidden by the 75 Canon?   

Of the Church and Church yard.  
1. WHETHER have you the Bible provided of the New Translation, and of the large Volume, and the Book of Common Prayers, as now by Law is established, as is in the 8 Canon required?  
2. WHETHER have you a convenient Seat for your Minister to read Divine Service, and a decent Pulpit set up in a convenient Place? Have you also a decent large Surplice? Have you also a fair Cup of Gold, Silver, or other purer Metal, and a Cover agreeable to the same; and all other necessary things for the Celebration of Divine Service, and Administration of the Sacraments, as the 83 Canon requireth?  
3 WHETHER is your Church or Chappel, with the Chancel thereof, and Churchyard, kept in good Reparation, and in a decent and comely fashion, as well within as without, as becometh the House of God, as is required in the 85 Canon?  
4. IS your Parsonage or Vicarage-House kept in good Reparations, and all Houses thereunto belonging?  
5. HAVE you in your Parish a Register-book provided, wherein may be written the day and year of every Christening, Wedding, and Burial, as is required in the 70 Canon?   

Of School Masters.  
HAVE you any Man that teacheth School either in public or private House, not having Licence from the Bishop of the Diocese or his Ordinary, as required in the 77 Canon? And does the Licenced Schoolmaster bring his Scholars to hear Sermons, as in the 79 Canon is required?   

Of Excommunicate Persons.  
HAVE you any Excommunicate Persons in your Parish? And whether doth your Minister read Divine Service or Prayers, when any Persons he knew to be Excommunicated was present in the same Church at that time among the Congregation? And whether hath he not caused the Churchwardens, or some other Person, to put them forth, or to cease from saying any Divine Service during such Excommunicate Persons being thereat?  
2. WHETHER hath your Parson, Vicar, or Curate received any Excommunication, Suspension, or Aggravation from his Ordinary or his Substitute? And hath he published the same according to the tenor thereof, the next Lordsday or Holiday following the receipt.   

Of the Churchwardens and Sidemen.  
WHETHER were your Church wardens chosen in the Easter week, as is required in the Canon? And by the consent of the Minister and Parishioners, as is in the 89 Canon required? ●nd 〈◊〉 they give up a just Account of what Moneys they had received, and how disbursed? And at ●●●ir going out of their Office, did deliver up to the Parishioners what Moneys and other things belonged to them?   

Of Parish Clerks.  
HAVE you a Parish-Clerk, chosen by the Minister, suffi●●ent for his Reading, Writing, and a competent skill in Singing? And doth he receive his accustomed Wages, as is required in the 91 Canon?   

Of Marriages.  
1. IS there any Married in your Parish that are within the degrees prohibited by the Laws of God, and expressed in a Table, and set forth by Authority 1563? And have you the said Table set up in your Church, as is required in the 99 Canon?  
2. HATH your Minister Married any under the Age of One and twenty years, without the consent of their Parents, Guardians, and Governors, as is required in the 100 Canon?  
3. HATH your Minister Married any Person or Persons not having first published the Banns, according to the Book of Common Prayer, or obtained Licence from rich as have Episcopal Authority, or the Vicar-General of the Bishop, as in the 181 Canon?   

Wills.  
WHETHER you have in your Parish any Person or Persons who died and have not their Wills proved? Or whether they died Intestate (that is to say, made no will) as far as you have heard? You shall present such Executors, or such as have been faulty herein.   

Parishioners.  
ARE there any in your Parish that are, or by common Fame or Report are Committers of Aduitery, Fornication, or Incest; or that are common Drunkards, Swearers, and Blasphemers of the Holy Name of God, Simonaical Persons, Fighters, Brawlers, or Quarrellers? You are to present them, as is required in the 106 Canon.   

Burials.  
HAVE you buried in your Parish-Church or Churchyard, any Excommunicated Persons, or known Kecusants, or such as have been Felons de se? And doth your Minister bury the Dead according to the Form prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer, as is required in the 68 Canon?   
All these Things and Persons you are conscionably to present upon your Oaths, knowing that the discharge of your Duty in your several Places, is or may be a means to reform such Disorders and Persons in your Parish, and prevent the Judgdments of God from falling on the same: In which, help you God.  


John Fielding Archdeacon.  
Henry Jones Official.