ARTICLES TO BE enquired of by the CHVRCH-WARDENS and QUEST MEN of every Parish, in the ordinary Visitation of the Right Reverend Father in God GEORGE by divine Providence Lord Bishop of CLOYNE.  
DUBLIN, Imprinted by the Society of Stationers, Printers to the Kings most excellent majesty. 1639.   

The form of the Oath to be taken by the Churchwardens and Questmen in every Parish immediately before their presentments.  
you, and every of you shall swear, that you shall due inquiry and true presentment make according to the Articles given you in charge, of all such crimes, faults, and defaults, as have been committed in your Parish: And of all such persons, as are or have been vehemently suspected, or defamed to have committed any such crimes, faults, or defaults. You shall neither present any for hatred, malice, or any other sinister respect, nor spare any for fear, favour, or reward, but discharge your Consciences, as men fearing God, for the reformation of sin and wickedness, and the advancement of godliness and virtue. So help you God.   


I. Concerning Religion and Church-governement.  
INprimis. do you know any that do refuse to receive or approve the Articles of Religion agreed upon in the Convocation holden at London, Anno Domini 1562. and received here in the Convocation begun at Dublin Anno Domini 1634? or have you heard of any, who have traduced or spoken against the same?  
2. Also do you know or have you heard of any person within your Parish, that doth aclowledge any manner of obedience or subiection to be due to any foreign power in causes ecclesiastical? or that either by word or writing hath maintained, that the Kings power within this realm of Ireland and all other his dominions and countries is not the highest power under God, to whom all men by Gods laws owe all loyalty and obedience; and to no other power or potentate upon earth?  
3. Are there in your Parish any, who have traduced or spoken against the prescript form of Divine Service contained in the Book of Common-Prayer? or against the form of consecrating and ordering our Bishops and other Ministers? or have maintained that the Churches established under this government be not true Churches; or do refuse to join with them in Christian profession?  
4. Is the Lords-day, and other holidays appointed by the orders of this Church, duly kept and observed? And are any other holidays observed, beside those which are appointed by the book of Common-Prayer?   

II. Concerning Parish Churches and chapels.  
5. Is your Parish Church or chapel kept in due reparation; the windows well glazed, and the floors kept plain and even? and is your Church-yard well and sufficiently fenced, and maintained with walls, rails or pales, as hath been heretofore accustomend?  
6. Have you in your said Church or chapel a fit Seats for the Minister to red Divine Service in, a decent Pulpit with a comely Pulpit-Cloth and Cushion, a Font-stone with a cover, a faire Communion Table with a decent Carpet and a faire saith for the covering of the same, a Silver Cup with a cover, and a Stoops or Flagon of Pewter( if not of purer mettall) for the celebration of the holy Communion?  
7. Have you in your Church or chapel two books of Common-prayer( one for the Minister, and another for the clerk) a Bible of the last Translation, the book of Canons agreed upon in the Convocation begun at Dublin Anno 1634. and a Table of the degrees of Marriage prohibited by the laws of God?  
8. Have you a sure Coffer, with three locks and keys( whereof one remaineth with the Minister, the other two with the Churchwardens) and a Parchment-booke therein to be kept for the registering of every Christening, Wedding and burial within your Parish? And doth the Minister every Sabbath-day, in the presence of the Church-wardens record in the said book the names and surnames of all persons christened in the said Parish( together with the names and surnames of their Parents) and also the names and surnames of all persons married or butted the week before; together with the day and year of every such Marriage, christening, and burial?  
9. Have you a strong Chest, with a hole in the upper part thereof( having three keys, to be kept as aforesaid) fastened in the most convenient place, that the Parishioners may put thereinto their alms for their poor neighbours?  
10. do you know of any that hath  shed blood, or strike, or quarreled with any person in your Church or Church-yard?  
11. Are all monuments of idolatry and superstition abolished in your Church or Church-yard? Hath there been any profane usage kept therein; either plays, feasts, banquets, Church-Ales, drinkings, exposing any wears to sale, temporal Courts or Leets, Layiuries, Musters, Commissions( other then for causes ecclesiastical) playing at Ball, or any other unseemly actions or misbehaviour?   

III. Concerning Ministers.  
12. Is the bnfice within your Parish a parsonage, Vicarage, or Prebend? who is the Incumbent there? What tithes, Glebelands, or other rights or possessions are thereunto belonging? You are to bring a true note, or Terrier of the same into the Bishops Registry, there to be safely preserved.  
13. Doth your Person or Vicar keep his Manse-house, with all the buildings thereunto belonging, in due reparation? Doth he reside, and keep hospitality therein? If not, where doth he reside? and how, and by whom is the charge supplied?  
14. Doth your Person, Vicar or Curate duly every Sunday, and holiday, and other times appointed do his duty, in reading distinctly Divine Service, and( as occasion requireth) administering the Sacraments; according to the form prescribed in the book of Common Prayer?  
15. Doth your Minister begin and end Divine Service at due and convenient houres? and doth he examine and instruct the youth of the Parish every Sunday in the catechism set forth in the book of Common-Prayer, for half an hour before Evening Prayer?  
16. Doth he, for the fuller information of the people in the body of Christian Religion, divide the heads thereof into so many parts as there are sundays in the year? and in the handling and explaining thereof doth he use such moderation, that he doth not run into curious questions and unnecessary controversses, but shortly declare and confirm the doctrine proposed, and make application thereof to the behoof of the hearers?  
17. How many benefice or ecclesiastical promotions hath your Person or Vicar; and how far distant are they the one from the other? What chapels hath he to his Cures belonging? by what names are they called? and how and by whom are they served?  
18. Doth your Minister preach every Sunday in that Church where he is resident? and if not; do you know that he hath any just impediment for the same?  
19. Doth your Minister teach any vain opinions, heresies, or Popish errors, disagreeing from the Articles of Religion generally received in the Churches of England and Ireland? And do you know or have you heard any Preacher in the Pulpit particularly impugn or confute any doctrine delivered by any other Preacher in the same Church, or in any other near adjoining; or otherwise make any public opposition unto him? And have you acquainted the Bishop of the Diocese therewith?  
20. Doth your Minister, or Proprietary( if the bnfice be impropriate) allow a competent maintenance to the Curate, who supplieth that charge? and what doth he allow him? Is the Curate licenced by the Bishop? And how many Churches or chapels doth he serve in one day; and how far distant are they one from the other?  
21. Hath your Minister denied or neglected to visit the sick, or to Christen or bury any, when he hath been lawfully and conveniently required thereunto?  
22. Hath he married any in any other place, save in the face of the Church; and at any other time, then between the houres of eight and twelve in the forencone?  
23. Doth your Minister give warning publicly in the Church at Morning Prayer the Sunday before the Communion is to be administered; to the end the Communicants may the better prepare themselves thereunto? or hath he admitted any known impenitent notorious offenders to the participation of the same? And doth he celebrate the holy Communion so often, that every Parishioner may receive thrice in the year at the least?  
24. Hath he admitted any to be married, or to be Godfather or Godmother at the baptism of any child, or to receive the holy Communion; before they can say the Articles of the belief, the Lords Prayer, and the ten Commandements in such a Language as they understand?  
25. Doth your Minister confer with Recusants within his Parish, to seek to recall them from their ignorance and errors? Is be of a good and sober conversation? Or otherwise doth he give himself to any base or servile labour, to playing at Dice, Cards or Tables, or any other game unbeseeming his function? Is he a common resorter to taverns or Alehouses, a great drinker, a simoniacal person, a known usurer, a quarrelous or contentious person, or otherwise defamed? Doth he also go gravely and decently in his apparel; according as the Canons do prescribe?   

IIII. Concerning the Parishioners.  
26. Are there any in your Parish, who are suspected to be of no Religion, mere Atheists, not adhering to any Church? or any that do wilfully maintain and defend any heresy, error or opinion contrary to the Word of God? and have any gone about to sedu●… others from the truth of Religion taught & professed in our Church  
27. Are there in your Parish any, who seem to profess the Fa●… and Religion of our Church, and formerly did frequent the Church and hear Divine service according to the Book of Common-prayer that do now refuse or neglect diligently to frequent their Paris● Church, and there reverently and devoutly to attend Gods Service and receive the holy Communion thrice in the year at the least, a●… it is required? Especially, you are to present the names of those, wh●… have not communicated at Easter last.  
28. Are there in your Parish any, that( in contempt of their own Parish-church) do resort to any other Church or chapel?  
29. Are there in your Parish any, who upon the Sunday, or other allowed holidays, do use their manual labour? or any that Buy or Sell, or frequent taverns and Ale houses in time of Divine Service and preaching upon those dayes, and at those times?  
30. Is there in your Parish any, that hath disturbed or hindered the Minister in the time of Divine Service or Sermon, or otherwise offended the people by walking, talking laughing, or any other noise or clamour? Or that bring to the Church with them hawks with bells, or ill nurtured children which cannot bee kept quiet in their Seats without running up and down?  
31. Have there any Bastards or base begotten children been born, or are nursed within your Parish since the last Visitation? Present the names of the reputed Parents.  
32. Are there any in your Parish that live together as Man and Wife, and yet are vehemently suspected not to bee married, or to have another Husband or Wise?  
33. Are there any in your Parish, who being under the government of their Parents or others, have made privy Contracts of Matrimony; not calling thereunto two or more witnesses, nor having the censent of their Parents, or such others under whose government they are?  
34. Are there any in your Parish married within the degrees prohibited? or without their Bannes thrice solemnly published in their Parish Church, upon three several sundays or holidays; or a licence first had from the Ordinary? or at any other time, then between the houres of eight and twelve in the forenoon?  
35. What married persons in your Parish have been divorced, and since married with others, for these three yeares last past? By whose sentence were they divorced; and by whose licence, and by whom were they so married? Declare your knowledge in the premises, and what you have credibly heard.  
36. Are there any in your Parish which are excommunicated? and how long have they stood so? Are there any who are reputed, or known to be common Drunkards, Swearers, Blasphemers, Incestuous persons, Adulterers, Fornicators, bawds, perjured persons, Extortioners, or Oppressors; Common scolds, Brawlers, Slanderers, Make-bates, Sowers of discord between party and party, especially between Man and Wife? Or that have used charms, spells, Sorcery or Witchcraft; or are guilty of any other notorious offence belonging to ecclesiastical cognisance, or are suspected or defamed to be guilty of the same?  
37. Hath any person within your Parish contemned, or abused by word or deed, any Minister of the Church?  
38. do any in your Parish deny or detain their payment duly ranted towards the reparation and furnishing of the Church, or any other necessary pious use?  
39. What persons in your Parish, having Goods or Chattels, have died since the last Visitation?  
40. Have any within your Parish meddled with the Goods or Chattels of parties deceased, without licence first had by letters of administration or otherwise from the Ordinary?  
41. do you know in your Parish any Executors of the goods of persons deceased, that have detained any Orphans goods, or legacies bequeathed or appointed for the repairing of Churches or highways, finding of poor Schollers, marrying of poor maidens, or such other Charitable deeds; and not employed the said Goods or Legacies according to their authority given and charge enjoined.   

V. Concerning Parish-Clearkes, Church-wadens, and whoremasters.  
42. Is your Parish clerk of competent age and skill for the executing of his office? Is he resident, and doth he diligently perform his duty in his own person? Is he conformable to the Orders of the Church, and of honest life and sober conversation?  
43. Were your Church-wardens and Sidemen duly chosen at the time, and after the manner appointed; namely upon Monday or Tuesday in Caster week, by the joint consent of the Minister and Parishioners? or otherwise, the one by the Minister, and the other by the Parishioners? And were they sworn the next Consistory day after their election before the Bishop or his Chancellor? Or are there any so chosen, who have refused to undertake that Office?  
44. Have the former Church-wardens, at the going forth out of their Office, given up a true account of what moneys they have received and disbursed? Have they brought in a Register of all Christenings, Marriages and burials, within the year of their Office; that the same may faithfully be preserved in the Bishops Registry?  
45. do the Church-wardens, with the advice and direction of the Minister, provide against every Communion a sufficient quantity of fine white Bread, and of good and wholesome Wine, for the number of the Communicants that shall from time to time receive? And do they perform all other duties, as well in the Church as without, required of them by the Canons and Constitutions of this Church?  
46. What whoremasters or Vsshers have you in your Parish, who teach school either publicly or privately without Licence; and by whom are they harboured?  
47. Is there in your Parish any other matter or cause of the Cognisance of the Church, above not expressed, worthy presentment in your iudgement? If any such matter or cause there be; you are charged likewise to present the same, as you are the rest, by virtue of your Oath.  
FINIS.