ARTICLES OF ENQUIRY CONCERNING MATTERS ECCLESIASTICAL Within the DIOCESE of LANDAFFE IN THE EPISCOPAL VISITATION Of the Right Reverend Father in God, FRANCIS, Lord Bishop of LANDAFFE.  
Anno. Dom. 1671.  
LONDON: Printed for James Collins in Westminster-Hall. M.DC.LXXI.   

The Tenor of the Oath to be Tendered to the Churchwardens and Sidemen.  
YOu shall Swear diligently to Inquire, and true Presentment make of all Defaults and Offences, as are Inquirable by the Laws Ecclesiastical of this Realm. So God you help.   

ARTICLES OF ENQUIRY within the DIOCESE OF LANDAFFE.  

TIT. I. Concerning Churches or Chapels, with the Ornaments, Furniture and Possessions belonging to them.  
1. IS the Fabric of your Church (or Chapel) with all things appertaining to it, kept in good repair within and without, in such order and decency, as becometh the House dedicated to the Public Worship of God?  
2. IS there any Chapel of Ease within your Parish? What Consecration hath it had, or what Instruments of its Allowance to be so: Can you produce?  
3. IS there in the Church (or Chapel) a Font of Stone standing in the usual, ancient place, with a Cover to it, for the Administration of Baptism? Is there also a convenient Communion Table covered with a fair Carpet of Silk, or other decent Stuff, in time of Divine Service; and with a fair Linen Cloth at the time of Administering the Sacrament? What Cup, Chaiice, Paten, or Flagons, have you belonging to that Service?  
4. HAVE you in your Church (or Chapel) a convenient Seat for the Minister to read Divine Service in? And a Pulpit, with a decent Cloth or Cushion for the same? Have any Pews or Seats been erected by any private person of his own authority without leave from the Ordinary?  
5. HAVE you a large Folio Bible of the last Translation, with two Books of Common-Prayer well bound, one for the Minister, the other for the Clerk? Have you the Book of Homiles set forth by Authority, the Book of Canons, and the Table of Degrees allowed and prohibited in Marriage?  
6. HAVE you a Register Book of Parchment for all who are Christened, married, and buried in the Parish, in which are set down the names of the parties, with the day, month, and year of each Christening, marriage and burial? Is the Transcript thereof every year, within one month after the Twenty fifth of March, carried into the Bishop's Registry?  
7. HAVE you a Paper book, in which the names of Strangers, who Preach or Officiate in the Church (or Chapel) are set down; and another Book for the Churchwardens accounts?  
8. HAVE you a fair Surplice for the Minister to wear at all times of his public Ministration, provided at the charge of the Parish?  
9 HAVE you a Chest for Alms, with three Locks and Keys, and another Chest to keep the Books and Ornaments of the Church? Have you a Bier with a black Hearse-cloth for the burial of the Dead?  
10. IS the Churchyard sufficiently fenced with Walls, Pales, or Rails, and decently kept from all annoyance or encroachments? Are the Trees therein preserved?  
11. IS the Mansion-house of your Minister, with all other houses thereto belonging, kept in good Repair? Have any of them been pulled down, or defaced? Have any encroached upon the Land thereto belonging, or felled the Trees thereon growing?  
12. HAVE you a perfect Terrier of all Glebe-lands, Gardens, Orchards and Tenements, belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage; also a particular List of such Pensions, Tithes, or other yearly profits (either within, or without the Parish) as belong thereunto? Are any of them withheld from your Minister, as you know, or have heard, and by whom?  
13. HAVE any of the ancient Glebe-lands belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage, been taken away or alienated by Safe or Exchange, without Licence from the Ordinary, and free consent of the Incumbent?   

TIT. II. Concerning Ministers.  
1. IS your Minister Episcopally Ordained Deacon or Priest, according to the Laws of the Realm of England? Is he defamed, or suspected to have obtained his Orders or Benefice by any Simoniacal Compact? hath he been Legally Instituted and Inducted unto his Benefice? and did he within two months after his Induction, publicly read in the Church, in the time of Divine Service, the thirty nine Articles of Religion, established in the Church of England? And did he then and there declare his assent thereunto?  
2. HATH your Minister been Licenced to Preach by the Archbishop, Bishop of this Diocese, or either of the two Universities? Doth he diligently read Divine Service, and Preach every Lord's day in the Church, unless hindered by sickness, or reasonable absence? And in such cases, doth he procure some lawful Minister to read Prayers to Preach and perform other Ministerial Duties?  
3. HATH your Minister (or any other who Preached in your Church) published in his Sermons any Doctrine which is new:, strange, and disagreeing from the Word of God, and the Articles of the Christian Faith, or any thing against the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England, or the Government of it, as it is now established? Doth he use before his Sermon, the Form of Prayer prescribed by the Fifty fifth Canon?  
4. DOTH your Minister in the morning and evening Service, in the Administration of the Sacraments, and in performing other Religious offices appointed by the Church of England, use the respective Forms in the Book of Common-Prayer, together with all those Rites and Ceremonies which are enjoined in this Church? And doth he make use of the Surplice and the Hood proper for him, if a Graduate, when he reads Divine Service; or administers the Sacraments?  
5. DOTH your Minister diligently Catechise the Youth of his Parish every Sunday and Holiday before Evening Service? Doth he prepare and procure them (as occasion is offered) to come and be confirmed by the Bishop? And doth he endeavour to reclaim all Popish Recusants, and all Sectaries in your Parish, to the true Religion?  
6. IS your Minister a man of a sober, unblameable, and exemplary life? Is he grave, modest, and regular in his outward demeanour and apparel, according to the Constitutions of the Church? Or is his carriage, conversation, or company in any kind whatsoever, disorderly or scandalous, and unbeseeming his Calling and Charge?  
7. IS your Minister ready to visit the Sick, and to baptise Infants in danger of death, being so desired? Is any Infant or more aged person in the Parish yet unbaptised by his default? Have those Children which have been baptised inprivate Houses by the Minister of the Parish, afterward been brought into the Church; and did the Minister there certify the Congregation, That the true Form of Baptism was by him privately before used? Or if any children in the Parish have been baptised privately by any other lawful Minister, have those Children been brought to your Church? and hath the Minister of the Parish there examined, whether such children were lawfully baptised or not? Doth your Minister refuse to give the Sacrament to any in the Parish, and for what cause? Or doth he give it to such as are scandalous, or notorious sinners, or to any Excommunicated persons? Doth he duly administer the blessed Sacrament three times every year at the least, whereof Easter to be one?  
8. DOTH your Minister, or any other Minister, Mary any persons within your Parish, in private Houses, or such as are under age, not having the consent of their Parents and Guardians? Doth he, or any other Minister, marry any within your Parish without Banes first published three Sundays or holidays in the Church? or Banes being not so published, without Licence? or at prohibited times or hours, without Licence so to do?  
9 DOTH your Minister duly bid and observe holiday and Fasting days as is appointed? and doth he then use the Form of Prayer prescribed by the Church? Hath he taken upon him to appoint any private Fasts, or Religious Exercises, without lawful Authority? Doth he, or any other (Minister, or Lay person) in your Parish, hold any Conventicles, or Religious Meetings for people of several Families to resort unto, contrary to the Laws in that case provided?  
10. IS your Minister constantly resident among you, and how many weeks in the year hath he been absent from his Benefice? Hath he a Curate to assist him in his absence or presence? Is that Curate in holy Orders and hath he a Licence from the Bishop to serve the said Cure? Doth he carry himself in all things, as an able and discreet Minister, and Conformable to the Church of England? Doth he serve any more Cures besides that of your Parish, and at what distance? and doth any Laymen, not being in Holy Orders, presume to read Public Prayers in the Church?  
11. IS there in your Parish any Lecturer? Is he in Orders, and duly Licenced? Doth he read Divine Service before his Lecture? and is he conformable to the Discipline of the Church of England?  
2. DOTH your Minister every six Months publicly denounce all such as persevere in the Sentence of Excommunication, not seeking to be absolved? Have any excommunicate person been received into the Church, without a Certificate from the Ordinary of their Absolution? Or any so dying, buried with Christian Burial?   

TIT. III. Concerning Parishioners.  
1. ARE there any in your Parish who are reputed Heretics, or Schismatics refusing Communion with the Church of England? Any Impugners of the Religion established; of his Majesty's Supremacy, or of any of the Laws, Rites and Ceremonies Ecclesiastical? Have any spoken or declared any thing in derogation, or to the depraving of the Form of God's Worship in the Church of England, and administration of the Sacraments, Rites and Ceremonies prescribed in the Book of Common-prayer, as it is now established by Law? are there any Convicted Papists, known Anabaptists, or Quakers in the Parish?  
2. ARE there any in your Parish, who lie under a common Fame, or vehement suspicion of Adultery, Fornication, or Incest? are there any common Drunkards, Swearers, or Blasphemers of Gods holy Name and Word? are there any Excommunicate persons, or any who countenance or keep company with them?  
3. DO any of your Parish profane the Lords day by neglecting of public holy duties, or by doing the works of their ordinary Calling, or using unlawful Recreations, or permitting their Children and Servants so to do? Do they duly observe other Holy days, Festivals and Fasts appointed by Authority?  
4. DO all those who inhabit in your Parish, duly resort to your Church (or Chapel) and continue there during Divine Service, Sermon, and other holy Duties, with that Reverence, Order and Decency, as befits devout Christians? Or have any occasioned Riot, Clamour, or fight in the Church at any time? Is there any Recusant, Papists, or Sectaries in your Parish? Do they, or any of them keep any Schoolmaster in their house, which cometh not to Church to hear Divine Service, and receive the Holy Communion?  
5. ARE there any in your Parish, who refuse to have their Infant children baptised by your Minister? Or do they keep them unbaptised longer than the Church allows? And what Infants, or more aged persons are there in your Parish unbaptised?  
6. DO all your Householders duly send their Children, Apprentices and Servants to be Catechised? And do they take care (when occasion is offered) they should be Confirmed by the Bishop?  
7. IS there any person in your Parish so confirmed and instructed, and being Sixteen years of age, who refused to receive the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper, at least three times every year, whereof Easter to be one? And do all receive this Sacred Mystery with that outward gesture of humility and reverence, as becomes them, meekly kneeling upon their knees, according to the order and custom of the Church?  
8. ARE there any in your Parish, who are known or suspected to be unlawfully married, contrary to the Laws of God and this Church? Are there any who being lawfully married (and never Divorced) do yet live asunder? Or any, who being lawfully Divorced, do live together again? Or being separated for Adultery, have afterwards Entermarried with any other, during the life of their first Consort?  
9 ARE there any married Women in your Parish, who after their safe Delivery from Childbirth, refuse to make their humble and public Thanksgivings to God, according to the appointment of the Church?  
10. ARE there any of your Church, who refuse to pay their Easter-Offerings, and other Duties to your Minister? Or to pay the rates assessed on them, for the repair and provisions of the Church?  
11. DO you know, or have you heard of any Patron, or other person in your Parish, who having the gift of an Ecclesiastical Benefice, hath made gain thereby upon any bargain, either for Money, Pension, Lease, Reserve of Tithes, or Glebe, or other Simoniacal Compact whatsoever?  
12. DO any among you refuse to Bury their Dead, according to the Rites of the Church of England? Are there any Wills of deceased persons unproved, or Goods not administered? Do you know of any Legacies given to your Church, or the Cathedral Church of Landaffe, or to the Poor, or to other charitable Uses, not yet received by you, or detained from you, or not applied to the charitable Uses appointed:   

TIT. IU. Concerning the Officers belonging to the Church.  
1. ARE the Churchwardens of your Parish, yearly chosen according to Law? and are there Sidemen appointed to assist them, for the due ordering of the Church?  
2. HAVE the former and last Churchwardens given up their accounts to those that succeed them, together with all moneys, and other things belonging to your Church or Chappel?  
3. HAVE you a Parish Clerk aged Twenty years at least, who is of sober life and good Report? Is he chosen by your Minister, and approved by the Parish? and is he able for Reading, Writing, and Singing, as a Clerk? are his wages duly paid him?  
4. DOTH he or your Sexton take care of your Church, to keep it locked and clean: to open the doors, and Ring the Bells in due time, to call the Living to the Worship of God; also to admonish them by Tolling of a Passing-bell for any that are dying, thereby to meditate of their own death and to commend the others weak condition to the mercy of God?   

TIT. V. Concerning Almshouses, Schools and Schoolmasters, Physicians, Surgeons and Midwives.  
1. IS there any Hospital, Alms-house, or Free-School, founded in your Parish? are they so governed and ordered in the use and Revenue as the Founders appointed, according to the Ordinances and Statutes which have been made concerning the same?  
2. DOTH any man keep a public or private School in your Parish? Is he or they licenced and allowed thereunto by the Bishop? Doth he-instruct his Scholars in the Catechism and Religion of the Church of England? Is there any Woman that taketh upon her to instruct and educate any young Maidens? doth she resort duly, and bring with her to Divine Service, upon the Lord's day and Holy days, all such young Maidens as are committed to her care?  
3. DO any in your Parish practise Physic, Chirurgery, or Midwifery, without Licence?   

TIT. VI Touching Ecclesiastical Officers.  
1. ARE there any Ecclesiastical Officers that exercise Ecclesiastical jurisdiction within this Diocese, that take and receive any extraordinary Fees for any Cause? have abuses or offences been presented by Churchwardens and Quest-men? And are such offences being presented, suppressed, or left unpunished?  
2. HAVE any Apparitors taken any Reward for the concealing of any Offence, or the avoiding of the punishment of the Offenders? And do they summon any without a Citation first had? IF you know of any other Default, or Crime of Ecclesiastical Cognizance, you are to present the same.   

THE Minister of every Parish may join in presentments with the Churchwardens and Sidemen; and if they will not Present, than the Ministers themselves (being the persons that have the chief care of the suppressing of sin and Impiety in their Parishes) may present the Crimes aforesaid, and such things as shall want due Reformation, Can. 113.   
FRANCIS C. LANDAVEN.