ARTICLES COLLECTED Out of the Rubric of the BOOK of Common-Prayer, and other Ecclesiastical Laws now in force. For the help and assistance of the Churchwardens and Sidemen (with the Assistance of their Ministers) of every Parish within the ARCH-DEACONRY OF NORFOLK. IN The VISITATION of the Reverend Edward Reynolds M. A. Archdeacon of the Arch-Deaconry of Norfolk. In the Year of our Lord God, 167 Sir JUSTINIAN LEWYN Knight. and Dr. of Laws, OFFICIAL. London, Printed for William Crook at the Green-Dragon without Temple-Barr, 1671. The Form of the Oath. YOu shall swear, that you will well and truly execute the Office of Churchwarden, to which you are lawfully Elected within your Parish for this present year, in all things agreeable to a good Conscience, and as far as by Law you are bound. So help you God, by the contents of his Holy Gospel. The sidemen's Oath. YOu shall swear that you will well and truly execute the Office of Side-man or Questman within your Parish, that is to say, you shall assist the Churchwardens for this year in Inquiry and Presentment of all Offenders and Offences against His Majesty's Laws Ecclesiastical, in all things agreeable to a good Conscience, and as far as by Law you are bound. ARTICLES OF VISITATION and ENQUIRY within the Arch-Deaconry of NORFOLK. TIT. I. Concerning Churches, Chapels, with the Ornaments and Furniture thereunto belonging. IS your Parish Church or Chapel in good and sufficient repair, both for the Roof, Windows, Floor, and Seats? 2. Hath any part of your Church, Chappel or Steeple been demolished, or pulled down? what part, and how long since? or any of the Lead, Timber or Bells thereunto formerly belonging, any way embezzled or sold, and by whom? 3. Is there a decent Font of Stone with a cover, and doth the same stand at or near the nether end of your Church, in such manner as anciently & usually Fonts have stood for the baptising of children? Is there a decent Communion-table in your Chancel, with a decent Carpet, and another covering of white linen, to be spread thereon at the time of the Administration of the Lords Supper? and have you a seemly Chalice or Communion cup, with a cover, and one or more Flagons? 4. Have you a convenient Seat or Pew wherein to read Divine Service, a Pulpit with a decent cloth or cushion, a large Bible of the last translation, and a book of Common-prayer lately published, Anno 1662. the book of Homilies set forth by authority, and a printed table of the degrees within which marriages are prohibited, and a book of Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiastical, and a decent Surplice and Hood for the Minister to Officiate in, and are the ten Commandments set up on the Cast end of your Church or Chappel, and are the King's Arms set up in some fitting place of your Church or Chancel. 5, Have you a Register-book in parchment of Christen, Burials and Marriages? and is the same kept in all points according to the ancient use? 6. Have you a book for the Churchwardens accounts? as also a chest with 3 locks and keys, wherein to keep the said Book? together with the other books and vestments and utensils of your Church. TIT. II. Concerning the Churchyard, the Houses, Glebes and Tithes belonging to the Church. 1. IS your Churchyard sufficiently fenced, and decently kept? Hath any person encroached upon the same, or made any door into it, and how long since? 2. Is the House of your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, and the Outhouses in good repair? have any of them been defaced or pulled down without licence? have there been any encroachments made upon the same, or any of the ancient marks or bounds removed or changed? and by whom? 3. Have you a true and perfect Terrier of all the Glebe-lands, Gardens, Orchards, Tenements or Cottages belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage? As also a note of such Pen●ions, Rate-tythes, and Portions of Tyches, or other yearly profits (either within or without your Parish) as belong thereunto? Have any of the same been withheld from your Minister? and by whom, as you know, or have heard. TIT. III. Concerning Ministers. 1. IS your Minister a Priest or Deacon, Episcopally ordained, according to the Laws of the Church of England? and hath he been legally instituted and inducted into his Benefice? 2. Is he resident among you? how many weeks hath he béns absent from you without urgent necessity? 3. Doth your Parson, Vicar, Curate or Lecturer, if you have any, perform his Office in all things according to the Rubric of the book of Common-prayer lately established, and the Act of Uniformity published therewith? 4. Doth he observe the Holidays and Fasting-days, the Ember-wéeks, and the yearly Perambulation in Rogation week, as is appointed by the Rubric? particularly the 5. of Novemb. the 30. of Jan. and 29. of May. 5. Doth he neglect or delay to visit the sick, or to Baptise any Infant that is in danger of death? Doth he baptise any without Godfathers and Godmothers, or admit either of the Parents to be Godfather or Godmother to their own Children? 6. Hath your Minister married any person without publishing the Banes on three Sundays or Holydays without licence first obtained, or hash he married any in private Houses, or not between the hours of Eight and Twelve in the morning? 7. Doth your Minister Catechise the Youth and ignorant Persons of his Parish, according to the Canon in that behalf? and if not by whose default is the same not done? 8. Is your Parson, Vicar, Curate or Lecturer, a man of a sober life and conversation? or is his carriage in any kind disorderly or scandalous, and unbeséeming a Minister, and wherein doth he so misdemean himself? TIT. IU. Concerning the Parishioners. 1. IS there any in your Parish that refuse to come unto the public Assemblies, Prayers or Service of the Church? If there be any, what are their names? 2. Is there any person in your Parish, that lieth under a common fame, or suspicion of Adultery, Fornication, or Incest? Are there any common Drunkards within your Parish, or common Swearers, or Blasphemers of God's name, or any that are noted to be Railers, unclean or filthy talkers or sowers of sedition, faction and discord amongst their neighbours? 3. Doth every person in your Parish duly resort to your Church or Chapel upon Sundays and holidays, and there decently and orderly, as well during Divine Service, as Preaching the Word of God, demean themselves reverently, uncovering their heads, kneeling at Prayers, standing up when the creed and Gospel are read? 4. Is there any in your Parish that refuse to send their Infant-childrens to be baptised in the Church, unless in case of urgent danger? or do they send them to be baptised in other Parishes? or are they baptised after other form than is appointed? or are they kept unbaptised longer than is allowed? or is there any Infants or more aged persons as yet unbaptised? 5. Is there any person in your Parish of 16 years of age who doth not receive the Sacrament three times in the year, of which Easter is always to be one? Doth any refuse to receive it kneeling? 6. Are there any in your Yarish that be denounced and declared excommunicate for any crime committed, How long have they been so excommunicated? 7. Are there any living in your Parish who have been unlawfully married, viz. without publication of Banes, or Licence first obtained, or within the degrees prohibited. 8. Are there any married women in your Parish who after their delivery from the peril of Child birth, refuse or neglect to make their public thanksgiving to God in the Church at times convenient for the same, and who by name? 9 Are there any that refuse to pay their duty for Easter offerings, or refuse to contribute to the Rates made for the repair of your Church or Chappel, or any thing thereunto belonging? 10. Do any refuse to bury their dead according to the Rites of the Church of England? and are there any Wills and Testaments of persons dead in your Parish, that be yet unproved? or any Goods administered without a due grant from the Ordinary? did any dying in your Parish, or elsewhere, leave any Legacy to your Church or Chappel, or to the use of the Poor, or to any other pious and charitable purposes? What were those Legacies, and how have they been bestowed? 11. Are there any in your Parish guilty of Ante-nuptial Fornication? that is, which have used carnal copulation together before lawful marriage, and who they are? 12. Is there any strife and contention among any of your Parish for their Pews or Seats in your Church? have any new Pews been erected in your Chancel, or in the body of your Church or Chappel, without leave from the Ordinary. TIT. V. Concerning Parish-Clerks, and Sextons. 1. HAve you belonging to your Church or Chappel a Parish-clark, aged 21 years at the least? is he of honest life and conversation? and sufficient or able to perform his duty in reading, writing and singing? Is he chosen by your Minister, and doth he duly attend him in all Divine Services at the Church? Are his wages duly paid unto him? or who withholdeth the same from him? 2. Doth he diligently do his duty in keeping the Church clean and decent, in toking and ringing the Bells before Divine Service, and when any person is passing out of this life, doth he upon notice toll a Bell, that the neighbours may thereby be warned to recommend the dying person to the grace and favour of God? TIT. VI Concerning Churchwardens and Sidemen. 1. ARe the Churchwardens of your Parish yearly and duly chosen by the joint consent of your Minister and Parishioners, or one of them by your Minister, and the other by the Parishioners? 2. Have the former and last Churchwardens given up their accounts to the Parish, and delivered up to the succeeding Churchwardens the moneys remaining in their hands, together with all ●ther things belonging to your Church or Chappel? 3. You are further to understand, That according to your Office, you are to provide against every Communion appointed in your Church or Chappel, a sufficient quantity of fine white Bread, and of good Wive, according to the number of Communicants. FINIS.