ARTICLES To be inquired of Within the DIOCESE of LINCOLN, In the general and triennial Visitation of the right Reverend Father in God, JOHN, By God's providence, Lord Bishop of LINCOLN, to be held in the year of our Lord God 1641.  
LONDON Printed by M. F. 1641.   

Concerning the Church, the utensils and Ornaments thereof.  
1. INprimis, whether have you in your several Churches and chapels, the whole Bible of the largest volume, and the book of common Prayer, both fairly and substantially bound, the book of Homilies, a Font of stone set up in the ancient usual place, a convenient and decent Communion-table, with a carpet of silk, or some other decent stuff, continually laid upon the same at time of Divine service, and a fair linen cloth thereon at the time of the receiving of the holy Communion? And whether is the same Table placed in such convenient sort within the chancel or Church, as that the Minister may be best heard in his prayer and administration, and that the greatest number may communicate? Doth your said Communion ta●le stand in the ancient place where it ought to do, or where it hath done for the greatest part of these sixty years' last past, or hath it been removed to the East end, and placed altarwise, and by whom, and whose authority hath it been so placed? And whether are the ten Commandments set upon the East end of your Church or chapel where the people may best see and read them, and other sentences of holy Scriptu●e written on the walls likewise for that purpose?  
2. Item, whether have you afternoon Sermons in your several Parish●s turned into catechising, and an exposition of the same catechism and the heads thereof, and according to the form prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer, and otherwise, and whether doth every Vicar, Parson, and Curate read Divine service according to the liturgy printed by Authority?  
3 Item, whether have you in your said Church or chapel, a convenient seat for your Minister to read Service in, together with a comely Pulpit set up in a convenient place, with a decent cloth or cushion for the same, a comely large surplice, a fair Communion-cup, with a cover of silver, a flagon of silver, tin, or pewter, to put the wine in, whereby it may be set upon the Communion-table, at the time of the blessing thereof, with all other things and ornaments necessary for the celebration of Divine Service, and administration of the Sacraments? And whether have you a strong chest for alms for the poor, with three locks and keys, and another chest for keeping the books and ornaments of the Church, and the Register-book? And whether have you a Register-book in parchment for christenings, Weddings, and Burials, according to the former custom and practice?  
4 Is your Church or chapel decently paved, and is your churchyard well and orderly kept without abuse? Are the bones of the dead decently interred, or laid up in some fit place, as beseemeth Christians? And is the whole consecrated ground kept free from swine and all other nastiness, as becometh the place so dedicated for praying, preaching, and the service of God?   

Concerning the clergy.  
Whether doth your Parson, Vicar, or Curate distinctly and reverently say Divine Service upon Sundays and holidays, and other days appointed to be observed by the book of Common Prayer, as Wednesdays, and Fridays, and the Eves of every Sunday and Holiday, at fit and usual times? And doth he duly observe the Orders, Rites, and Ceremonies prescribed in the said Book of Common Prayer, as well in reading public Prayers and the litany, as also in administering the Sacraments, solemnization of matrimony, visiting the Sick, burying the Dead, churching of Women, and all other Rites and Offices of the Church, in such manner and form as in the said Book of Common Prayer he is enjoined, without any omission or addition?  
2 Doth your Minister bid holidays and fasting-dais, as by the book of Common Prayer is appointed? And doth he give warning beforehand to the Parishioners for the receiving of the holy Communion? and whether doth he administer the holy Communion reverently as becometh so high a mystery, and so often, and at such times, as that every Parishioner may receive the same at the least thrice in every year, whereof once at Easter, as by the Book of Common Prayer is appointed? And doth your Minister use the words of Institution according to the Book? And doth he deliver the Bread and Wine to every Communicant severally, and kneeling? Whether hath he admitted to the holy Communion any declared notorious offender, or put any from the Communion, who are not publicly known to be infamous for some notorious crime? Doth he use the sign of the cross in baptism?  
3 Whether hath your Minister married any without a Ring, or without Banes published three several Sundays or holidays, in time of Divine Service, in the several Churches or chapels of their several abode, according to the Book of Common Prayer?  
4 Doth he refuse to bury any which ought to be interred in Christian burial, or defer the same longer than he should? or bury any in Christian burial, which by the Constitutions of the Church of England, or Laws of the Land, ought not to be so interred?  
5 Do you know of any Parson, Vicar, or Curata, that hath introduced any offensive Rites or Ceremonies into the Church, not established by the Laws of the Land; as namely, that make three Courtesies towards the Communion-Table, that call the said Table an Altar, that enjoin the people at their coming into the Church to bow towards the East, or towards the Communion-Table, that call upon them to stand up at the Te Deum, Benedictus, Magnificat, the Gloria Patri, or at other times then at the Creed and the Gospel, that refuse to give the Communion to any that will not come up and receive it at the Rails, that never pray before their Sermons, but bid the people pray, or use any other new and voluntary Rite or ceremony not warranted by Law? You are to present then by virtue of your offices and places.  
6 Is your Minister a Preacher allowed? If yea, then by whom? If not, whether doth he procure some who are lawfully licenced, to preach monthly among you at least? and what doth he allow unto him?  
7 Doth your Minister (being licenced) preach usually, either in his own Cure, or in some other Church or chapel near adjoining where no Preacher is? and how often hath he been negligent in that behalf?  
8 Is your Minister continually resident upon his Benefice? or how long time hath he been absent? and in case he be licenced to be absent, whether doth he cause his Cure to be sufficiently supplied with a preaching Minister? Or in case he hath another Benefice, whether doth he supply his absence by a Curate sufficiently licenced to preach in that Cure where he himself is not resident? Or otherwise in case the smallness of the living cannot find a preaching Minister, doth he preach at both his Benefices usually? And if he be most-while absent, what order doth he take for hospitality or relief of the poor? declare it particularly. And whether doth he give the fourtieth part of the profits of his Benefice to the poor, during his absence? or what provision doth he make otherwise for them?  
9 Doth your Minister or Curate serve any more Cures than one? If yea, than what other Cure doth he serve, and how far are they distant?  
10 Doth your Minister or Curate every Sunday and Holiday, before Evening prayer, for half an hour or more, examine and instruct the youth and ignorant persons of his Parish, in the ten Commandments, Articles of the Belief, and in the Lord's Prayer, and the Sacraments, according as it is prescribed in the catechism set forth in the book of Common prayer? And doth he expound and show forth the meaning and sense of the said catechism? And if he do not, where is the fault, either in the parents and masters of the children, or in the Curate neglecting his duty? And is he careful to tender all such youth of his Parish as have been well instructed in their catechism, to be Confirmed by the Bishop in his Visitation, or at any other convenient time, as is appointed by the book aforesaid? And you are to warn the Ministers to prepare them against this present Visitation.  
11 Doth your Minister endeavour and labour diligently to reclaim the Popish Recusants in his parish from their errors (if there be any such abiding in your parish?) Or whether is your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, over-conversant with, or a favourer of Recusants, whereby he is suspected not to be sincere in Religion?  
12 Hath your Minister taken upon him to appoint any public or private fasts, prophecies, or exercises, not approved by Law, or public Authority? or hath he used to meet in any private house or place with any person or persons, there to consult how to impeach or deprave the book of Common prayer, or the doctrine or discipline of the Church of England? If yea, than you shall present them all.  
13 Is your Minister noted or defamed to have obtained his Benefice or his Orders by simony, or any other way defamed to be a simoniacal person, or any way noted to be a schismatic, or schismatically affected, or reputed to be an incontinent person? Or doth he table or lodge any such in his house? Or is he a frequenter of taverns, inns or alehouses, or any place suspected for ill rule? Or is he a common drunkard, a common gamester or player at dice, a swearer, or one that applieth not himself to his study, or is otherwise offensive and scandalous to his function and ministry? especially is he one that useth uncharitably to curse, scandal and revile his own parishioners, in his heats and choler? If yea, then present it.  
14 Do you know any Minister that doth perform, or any other person that doth hear Divine service otherwise performed then as it is now appointed by the Acts of Parliament of this Realm? And do you know of any that hath or doth disturb that wholesome Order so appointed by the Law to be observed in Divine service? If you do, you must present their names.  
15 Do you know of any persons that deny Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, consecrated according to the Order prescribed by the Statute, to be rightly, orderly and lawfully consecrated and ordered? If you do, you are to present their names.  
16 When any person hath been dangerously sick in your Parish, hath your Minister neglected to visit him? and when any have been parting out of this life, hath he omitted to do his last duty in that behalf, being sent for and desired?  
17 Doth your Minister, Curate, or Lecturer, in his or their sermons deliver such doctrine as tends to obedience, and the edifying of their auditory in faith, religion, and good life, without intermeddling with particular matters of State, not fit to be handled in the Pulpit, but to be discussed by the wisdom of His majesty and his council? And if you find any faulty herein, you shall present them. Or doth he spend most of the hour in points of controversy, and new startup questions of Arminianism, debarred by the King's authority from the Pulpit?  
18 Whether doth your Minister misbehave himself in preaching or praying, so that the congregation are offended thereat? And whether doth he teach publicly opposite doctrine against the Articles and Homilies prescribed by Law in the Church of England? Doth he preach and maintain, or palliate with distinctions and limitations, any points of popery? Declare the points as near as you can. Or doth he make any personal invectives in the Pulpit, to the offence of particular men, and the scandal of the Parish?  
19 Whether hath the form of Commination against impenitent sinners, been read in your Church to the people, according to the book of Common Prayer?   

Concerning Schoolmasters.  
1 Doth any in your Parish openly or privately take upon him to teach School without licence of the Ordinary? And is he conformable to the religion now established? And doth he bring his scholars to the Church to hear Divine service and sermons? And doth he instruct his scholars in the grounds of the religion now established in this Church of England? and is he careful and diligent to benefit his scholars in learning?  
2 Doth your schoolmaster teach and instruct his youth in the catechism or grounds of Religion? and doth he instruct them in any other Grammar, Accidence, or any other catechism than is allowed by public Authority? and what Grammar, Accidence, or catechism is it that he so teacheth?   

Parish-Clerks and Sextons.  
HAve you a fit Parish-Clerk, aged twenty years at the least, of honest conversation, able to read and write? Whether are his and the sexton's wages paid without fraud, according to the ancient custom of your Parish? if not, then by whom are they so defrauded or denied?  
2 Doth your Clerk or Sexton keep the Church clean, the doors locked at fit times? Is any thing lost or spoiled in the Church through his default? Are the Communion-table, Font, Books, and other Ornaments of the Church kept fair and lean? Doth he suffer any unseasonable ringing, or any prone exercise in your Church? or doth he (when any is weak ●nd assured to him to be passing out of this life) neglect to toll bell, to give notice thereof to all devout Christians.   

Concerning the Parishioners.  
WHether do any of your Parishioners, being sixteen years of age or upwards, or others lodging or commonly resorting to any house within your Parish, wilfully ●bsent themselves from your Parish-Church, upon Sundays and holidays, at Morning and Evening prayers; or who come late to Church, and depart from Church before Service be done upon the said days; or who do not reverently behave themselves during the time of Divine Service, devoutly kneeling when the general Confession of sins, the litany, the ten Commandments, and all Prayers and Collects are upon any Sunday or Holiday, by themselves, their servants or apprentices, or have otherwise profaned the said days, contrary to the Orders of the Church of England? And whether be there any innkeepers, Alehouse-keepers, Victuallers or other persons, that permit any persons in their houses to eat, drink, or play during the time of Divine Service or Sermon, in the forenoon or afternoon upon those days?  
14 Whether is the fifth day of November kept holy, and thanksgiving made to God for his Majesties and this States happy deliverance, according to the Ordinance in that behalf?  
15 Whether do any of your Parish (otherwise then fathers and mothers in their own families) hold or frequent any conventicles or private congregations, or make or maintain any Constitutions, agreed upon in any such Assemblies? Or be there any that do write, or publicly or privately speak against the Book of Common Prayer, or any thing therein contained, or against any of the Articles of Religion agreed upon Anno 1562. or against the King's supremacy in causes ecclesiastical, or against the oath of supremacy, or of allegiance, as pretending the same to be unlawful and not warrantable by the word of God; or against any of the Rites or Ceremonies of the Church of England now established; or against the government of the Church of England under the Kings most Excellent majesty, by Bishops, affirming that the same is repugnant to the word of God, and that the said ecclesiastical Officers are not lawfully ordained? Or whether be there any authors, Maintainers, or Favourers of heresy or schism, or that be suspected to be Anabaptists, Libertines, Brownists, of the Family of Love, or of any other heresy or schism: Present their names.  
16 Whether do any withhold the stock of the church, or any goods or things given to good and charitable uses?  
17 Whether your hospitals, almshouses, and other such houses and Corporations, founded to good and charitable uses, and the lands, possessions and goods of the same, ordered and disposed of as they should be? And do the Masters, governors, Fellows, and others of the said houses and Corporations, behave and demean themselves according to the godly ordinances and statutes of their several foundations?  
18 Whether have any innkeepers, alewives, Victuallers, or Tiplers, received, harboured, or suffered any person to eat, drink, stay, or play in their houses in time of Common prayer or Sermon, on Sundays or holidays? And what persons were so received, harboured, or suffered? And have they sold forth any drink or victuals at the like time? And have any of your parish loitered or been gaming abroad at the same time?  
19 Whether have any laboured, wrought, or gone to cart on the Sunday or Holiday? And have any artificers, shoemakers, chandlers, mercers, butchers, and the like, set open their shop-windows or doors, or used their trade or any manual occupation upon any of those days, or sold any wares or goods belonging to their trade, in the time of prayer, sermon, or homily, upon any Sunday or Holiday? and who were the same that did so?   

Physicians, chirurgeons, and Midwives.  
HOw many Physicians, chirurgeons, and Midwives have you in your parish? How long have they used their several sciences or offices, and by what authority? and how have they demeaned themselves therein? and of what skill are they accounted to be in their profession?   

Touching the Churchwardens and Sidemen.  
Whether you, and the Churchwardens, Questmen, or Sidemen, from time to time, do and have done your diligence, in not suffering any idle person to abide either in the churchyard or churchporch in service or sermon-time, but causing them either to come into the church to hear divine service, or to depart, and not disturb such as be hearers there. And whether they have, and you do diligently see the parishisoners duly resort to the church every Sunday and Holiday, and there remain during Divine Service and Sermon. And whether you, or your predecessors, Churchwardens there, suffer any plays, feasts, drinkings, or any other profane usages, to be kept in your Church, chapel; or Churchyards; or have suffered to your and their uttermost power and endeavour, any person or persons to be tippling or drinking in any inn or victualling-house in your parish, during the time of Divine Service or Sermon on Sundays and holidays.  
2 Whether doth any man trouble or molest you for doing your duties? or are any of the ecclesiastical Judges or their Surrogates over-easy to receive frivolous complaints against you for doing your duties, and to hold you in long and tedious suits concerning the same? If so, you must present, and by what Judge, Surrogate, proctor, or apparitor you have been troubled.  
3 Whether is there any legacy withholden, given to the Church or poor people, or to the mending of high ways, or otherwise by the testators? In whose hands is it, by whom was it given, and by whom is it withholden?   

Concerning ecclesiastical Magistrates and Officers,  
Whether do you know or have heard of any payment, composition or agreement, to or with any ecclesiastical Magistrate, Judge or Officer for winking at or fearing to punish any person for any offence of ecclesiastical cognisance, or for suppressing or concealing of any excommunication or any other ecclesiastical censure of or against any Recusant, or any other offender in the cases aforesaid? What sum of money or other consideration hath been received or promised, by or to any of them, in that respect, by whom, and with whom?  
2 Hath any person within your parish paid or promised any sum of money or other reward, either of late or heretofore, for commutation of penance, for any crime of ecclesiastical cognisance? If so, then with whom, when, and for what sum of money? and how hath the same been employed? You are to present these particularly.  
3 Are your ecclesiastical Judges and their Substitutes bachelors of the Laws, or Masters of Arts at the least, learned and practised in the civil and ecclesiastical Laws, men of good life and fame, zealously affected in religion, and just, upright and diligent in executing their offices? Have they heard any matter of office privately in their chambers, without their sworn registers or their deputies presence?  
4 Do you know or have you heard, that any ecclesiastical Judge, officer, or minister hath received or taken any extraordinary fees, or other rewards or promises, by any ways or means, directly or indirectly, of any person or persons whatsoever, either for the granting of the administration of the goods and chattels of those that have died intestate, to one before another; or for allotting of larger portions of the goods and chattels of those that have died intestate, to one more than to another; or for allowing larger and unreasonable accounts, made by executors or administrators; or for giving them Quictus est, or discharges, without inventory or account, to defraud creditors, Legataries, or those who are to have portions? And what sums of money do you know, or have you heard, that any ecclesiastical Judge or Officer hath taken out of the estate of any, dying intestate, upon pretence to bestow the same in pious uses either of late or heretofore? and how have the same been bestowed?  
5 Hath any ecclesiastical Magistrate, Judge, Officer, or any other exercising ecclesiastical jurisdiction within this Diocese, or any Advocate, Register, proctor, Clerks, apparitors, or other ministers belonging to the same ecclesiastical Courts, exacted or taken by any ways or means, directly or indirectly, extraordinary or greater fees than are due and accustomed? And whether is there a Table for the rates of all fees set up in their several Courts and Offices? And whether have they sent or suffered any process to go out of the ecclesiastical Courts, otherwise then by law they ought? Or have they taken upon them the offices of Informers or promotors to the said Courts, or any other way abused themselves in their places? You are by your office to present the same.  
6 Whether hath any ecclesiastical Judge or his Surrogates, without the allowance of the Bishop, lately taken upon them to set up any new consistories or courts, and to keep courts of concurrency in Peculiars, and other and more places than heretofore hath been accustomed; and to call the people to those concurrent courts unduly without presentments, or other just cause, but only to trouble the country, and to get unjust fees to their own purses? And have they in those new concurrent courts cited the people into Peculiars, and out of the jurisdiction, and for matters whereof they were dismissed by their ordinary Judge before, so that they have been troubled in several places for one and the same thing contrary to the Law? And whether are the same late-erected consistories to the grievance of the people, and by whom have the said new courts been lately set up, and by what authority, and where, and in what places? Declare the same particularly.