ARTICLES TO BE ENQVIRED OF BY THE CHVRCHwardens in the Visitation of the Right Worshipful, Master ROBERT JOHNSON, Bachelor in Divinity, and of Leicester, In the year of our Lord God. 1622. LONDON, Printed for JOHN GRISMAND. 1622. The Tenor of the Oath ministered to all and every the Churchwardens and Sworne-men, chosen for this present year. YOu, and every of you shall swear by Almighty GOD, that all affection set aside, you shall, upon due consideration of these Articles given you in charge, present unto Master Robert johnson aforesaid, and his Official, every such person and persons, of, or within your Parish, as hath committed any offence, or made any default mentioned in the same Articles, or which are vehemently suspected, or otherwise defamed of any such offence, fault, or default; wherein you and every of you shall deal uprightly, as before God. So help you God. A short Admonition to the Churchwardens, and Sidemen. YOu which shall be sworn consider well of this Oath, and make your Presentments in writing, under your hands, to every Article severally in this Book, bringing the same with you to Master Archdeacon of Leicester his Visitation, there to be delivered upon your Oaths. Articles concerning Churchmen, as Parsons, Vicars, Curates, etc. INprimis, Whether your Parson, Vicar, A Preacher. or Curate be a Preacher of God's word, a favourer and furthered of true Religion now established in this Realm of England by public authority, or not? 2 Whether your Parson or Vicar have preached, or caused to be preached in your Church, In preaching monthly Sermons, etc. ●o many Sermons as by the late Canons are required: and whether before all Sermons, Lectures, & Homilies, useth that form of Prayer which is set down in the late Canon, and what be the names of them, who have preached for him, and whether he hath admitted any man to preach not having sufficient licence. 3 Whether any person or persons, Say Service unordered. not being ordered at the least for a Deacon, do say Common Prayer openly in your Church or Chapel? 4 Whether the Parson, Vicar, Serve unlicensed. or Farmer of your Benefice, do cause or suffer any Curate or Minister to serve your Church, before he be examined and admitted by the Ordinary, or his Deputy, in writing, and do show his Licence to the Church wardens: and whether any Curate do serve two Cures Two Cures. at one time, or not? 5 Whether any Parson, Vicar, or Curate, Read Homilies do every Sunday, when there is no Sermon, read distingly and plainly some part of the Homilies, as is prescribed by the Canons: and whether any Minister, not admitted by lawful authority, do expound any scripture, or matter of doctrine by the way of exhortation, or otherwise, and thereby omit and leave off the reading of the Homilies, contrary to the Canons? 6 Whether any Lectures, Conventicles, Private Conventicles. or private Meetings be read or used within your parish, either publicly in the church, or private in the house, or in any other place whatsoever, by any person not sufficiently licenced thereunto by the Ordinary, or whether any Ecclesiastical person do teach any doctrine of Innovation, to withdraw the people from due obedience to the ordinances of the Church, set forth by public authority, or cause them to forbear participating in Prayer and Sacraments with our Church? Catechise. 7 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, do every Sunday and Holiday, openly in the Church, call for, hear, and instruct all children, apprentices, and servants of both sexes, that be of convenient age within your parish, or at the least so many of them by course as the time will serve, & as he may well hear and instruct, for one hour at the least, before or after Evening prayer, in the ten Commandments, the Articles of the belief, and the Lord's prayer, and diligently examine and teach them the Catechism, as is now allowed, and set forth in the Book of Common prayer, or M. Nowel's Catechism, with the understanding thereof: and fail not to present the offender herein, together with such as are negligent comers to the said Catechism? 8 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, or other Minister in your Church or chapel hath admitted to the holy Communion any open and notorious fornicator, adulterer, or evil liver, by whom public offence is given, without due Penance first done, to the satisfaction of the congregation, enjoined him by his Ordinary: or any other malicious person, notoriously known and detected to be out of charity, or hath done any open wrong to his neighbour by word or deed, without due reconciliation first made to the party that is wronged? Communion with ordinary bread. 9 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, do administer the holy Communion with any other then common bread, apppointed in the Book of Common Prayer? Ignorant persons admitted to the Communion. 10 Whether your Parson, Vicar, Curate or Minister, hath admitted to the holy Communion any of his parish that cannot say the ten Commandments, the Articles of the Faith, the Lords Prayer in English, and whether he marry any persons which were single before, and cannot say the Catechism, and whether he useth to examine his Parishioners at convenient times, before he administer the Sacrament unto them, to the intent he may know whether they can say by heart the same which is required in that behalf, or no? 11 Whether your Preachers & Ministers be peacemakers, Minister's disturbers. no brawlers, no sowers of discord: whether they be diligent in visiting the sick, and comforting them, and do move them earnestly (specially when they make their Testaments) to consider the necessity of the poor, and to give to their box, or Church their charitable devotion and alms? 12 Whether any do preach, declare or speak any thing in derogation of the Book of Common prayer, Impugn the Book of Common prayer. set forth by the Laws of this Realm, dispraising the same, or any thing therein contained, or against the Preachers or Ministers of the Word and Sacraments? 13 Whether your Parsons, Vicars, Curates, Register Book or Ministers, keep well their Registers of all Weddings, Burials, and Christen within your Parish, according the Order published lately? 14 Whether they or any of them, Ministers offend in any thing. keep any suspected woman in their houses, or be incontinent persons, given to drunkenness, idleness, or to be haunters of Taverns, Alehouses, or suspected places, or be Hunters, Hawkers, Dicers, Carders, Table-players, Swearers, Liars, False dissemblers, Dancers or otherwise suspected of any notorious crime, or give any evil example of life, or use disordered or unseemly apparel, either in colours, guards, or light fashion: or do not observe the order prescribed in the seventy fourth Canon, touching decency in Apparel? 15 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate have married any person within the times prohibited contrary to the Canon lately published in that behalf? 16 Whether any contention hath grown among the Preachers in these parts for any matter of Doctrine or ceremonies, Contention of Doctrine, or Pewes. and what, & who was the cause thereof: and whether any strife hath grown about pews or seats in the Church, and between whom it was; and whether any new pewes have been built in your Church, and by whom, and what authority? ●ester Book. 17 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, do keep a just and perfect note of all such as do communicate in their several Parishes? Strangers communicate 18 Item, Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, do admit to the holy Communion any stranger, or any of the next, or any other near parish, without licence of the Ordinary, & leave of his Minister that is so admitted, or any that do not reverently kneel upon their knees. Can. 23. or any notorious drunkard, adulterer, and public offender, or any Churchwarden that have omitted to present such offenders. Can. 109. 19 Item, Whether any of your parishioners having been formerly admitted a Minister or Deacon, doth now relinquish his calling, using and carrying himself in the course of his life as a lay man. Can. 76. ¶ Articles concerning the Church. All books and ornaments of the Church. WHether you have in your parish Churches & Chapels all things necessary and requisite for Common prayer, and administration of the Sacraments, specially the Book of Common prayer, published since his Majesty's time that now is, the English Bible in the largest volume, the two Tomes of Homilies, the Table of the Commandments, the Book lately set forth by his Majesty, the Book called God and the King, the works of the right reverend Father in God, john jewel, late Bishop of Sarisbury, a convenient Pulpit well placed, a comely and decent table standing on a frame for the holy Communion, with a fair linen cloth to lay upon the same, & some covering of silk, buckram, or other such like, for the clean keeping thereof, a fair and comely cup of silver, & a cover of silver for the same, which may serve also for the ministration of the Communion bread, a decent large Surplice with sléeves, a sure Coffer with two locks and keys, for the keeping of the Register book, a strong Chest or box for the alms of the poor, with three locks and keys to the same, and all other things necessary in and to the premises? Church and Churchyard in reparations. 2 Whether your Churches and chapels, with the Chancel thereof, be well and sufficiently repaired, and kept without abuse of any thing: and whether your Churchyards be well fenced, and cleanly kept; and if any part be in decay, through whose default it is so? 3 Whether any man have pulled down or uncovered any Church, Chancel, or Chapel, or any part of any of them, Sell Church goods. any Church-porch, Vestry, or Steeple, Almshouse, or such like, or have pulled down the Bells, Chimes, Clocks, or have felled or spoilt any wood or timber in any Churchyard. ¶ Articles concerning Schoolmasters. WHether the Schoolmasters which teach within your parish, openly or privately, Teach unlicensed. in any Noble or Gentleman's house, or in any other place, be of good and sincere Religion, life & conversation, and be diligent in teaching and bringing up of Youth: and whether they have been examined, allowed, and licenced for Schoolmasters in such order, as is required by the Statutes and Canons in this behalf? 2 Whether your Schoolmasters do themselves come to the Church, and receive the holy Communion as oft as they ought: and whether they bring with them so many of their Scholars, as are of knowledge, and age sufficient, to receive the Lords Supper? 3 Whether the Schoolmasters, either private or public, Teach Nowels Catechism. do teach their Scholars M. nowel's Catechism or some other publicly authorized, at the least once every week? 4 Whether any of your Schoolmasters, Teach Popery, or Seditions. be known or suspected to read to their Scholars in private any unlawful books, privately to instruct them in their young years, either in Popery, superstition, disobedience, or contempt to his Majesty and his laws, either Ecclesiastical or Temporal? 5 Item, whether any Schoolmasters do teach and instruct children in the Book called God and the King? ¶ Articles concerning Executors, and Administrators. IN primis, What children under the age of 21. years, or other persons have died in your Parish since Michaelmas last, that had any goods, rights, chattels or legacies belonging unto them at the time of their death, and whether administration be takers of the said goods, yea or no; and what be the names of such persons as are so deceased? 2 Item, whether any in your Parish do meddle with any goods of any person deceased before the will be proved, or administration be granted by the Ordinary? 3 Item, whether any person in your parish have administered or meddled with the goods of any deceased, by colour of proving the Will, or obtaining administration elsewhere, having not also first taken administration from the Ordinary of the Diocese of Lincoln, for all the goods of the said deceased being within the said Diocese, and whose will hath been so proved, or administration granted, and by whom? Articles concerning Ecclesiastical Officers. IN primis, whether hath any Ecclesiastical judge, Register, Procurator, Apparitor, or other Minister belonging to any Ecclesiastical Courts within this Country, extorted or taken (by colour of his or their Offices) any greater fees for probate of wills, and granting Letters of Administration, or otherwise then heretofore hath been accustomed to be taken, or then are allowed by the laws of this Realm? 2 Item, whether any of the said Officers belonging to such Ecclesiastical Courts, do take upon them the office of Informers and Promoters? Can. 138. 3 Item, whether do you know or have heard, that any person of your parish hath paid, or promised to pay any sum of money, or other reward directly or indirectly, by himself or others to any Officer of the said Ecclesiastical Courts for the avoiding of punishment for Incest, adultery, fornication, or other crime punishable in the said courts, if so, declare to whom, when and what sums, etc. 4 Item, whether any Apparator, or other Messenger have summoned any person to appear in any Ecclesiastical Court without a lawful process, having the name of every person so summoned to appear expressly entered in the said Process subscribed and sealed by the judge or his Deputy. Can. 120. ¶ Articles concerning Churchwardens. IN primis, whether were you the Churchwardens and Sidemen chosen by the consent of the Minister and Parishioners: and whether do you serve in your own right, or as Deputies to others? Can. 90. 2 Item, whether have the Churchwardens before you given up a just and true account of their time, and delivered unto you whatsoever money, or other goods or stock belonging to your Church, which was in their hands? Can. 89. 3 Item, whether have you a terrar of the Glebe lands belonging to your Church, either such as concerneth the Ministers right, or such as hath been given to any School, or other religious uses? 4 Item, whether any part of such Glebe lands be encroached by any of the neighbours, and by them detained from the Church, and right uses? 5 Item, whether your Parsonage, or Vicarage houses, or any part thereof be suffered to fall to decay, or be used and converted to common Inns, Alehouses, or tippling houses? 6 Item, whether have you suffered any strange Preacher to preach in your parish Church, or Chapel, but such as are licenced by lawful authority, and whether have you a book to enter the names of such Preachers, according to the 52. Canon? ¶ Articles concerning the Parishioners, and others of the Laity. WHether all fathers and mothers, Receiving the Communion. and governors of youth within your Parish, cause their children, servants, and apprentices, both mankind and womankind (above 7. years of age, and under twenty) which have not learned the Catechism, to come to the Church on Sundays & Holidays at the times apppointed, & there diligently and obediently hear and be ordered by the Minister, till such time as they have learned the same Catechism: and what be the names of those that cause not their children, servants and apprentices, so to come to Church to be instructed and examined? 2 Whether you yourselves, Whores depart unpunished. or the Churchwardens in the years before you, have suffered any unmarried woman, gotten with child, to go out of the parish before she hath done penance apppointed by the Ordinary, and out of whose houses they have gone away with child unpunished: & how many unmarried women have been delivered of child within your parish these 3. years last passed, having gone away without doing penance; and whether any married couples within your parish do live asunder? Papists. 3 Whether there be any man or woman in your parish, that resorteth to any Popish priest for shrift, or auricular confession, or receiveth instructions from them for any the like cause? 4 Whether there be any person or persons, Ecclesiastical or temporal, Popish Books within your parish, or elsewhere within this Archdeaconry, that have retained, or kept in their custody, or that read, sell, utter, disperse, carry, or deliver to others, any English Books, set forth of late years in any other place beyond the seas, by Papists, jesuites, or Seminary Priests, either against the King's Majesty's supremacy in matters Ecclesiastical, or against the true Religion and Catholic doctrine, now received and established by common Authority within this Realm, and what their names, and surnames are? Papists. 5 Whether there be any in your Parish that useth to pray in English, or in Latin upon Beads, or any such like thing, or upon any superstitious Popish Primer, or other such like Book? Absent from Sermon. 6 Whether any of your parishioners, having a Preacher to their Parson, Vicar, or Curate, do absent themselves from his Sermons, and resort to any other place, to learn or follow after such innovasions as are there taught? 7 Whether the people of your parish, especially householders having no lawful excuse to be absent, Resort to Church. do faithfully and diligently endeavour themselves to resort with their children and servants to their parish Church or Chapel on the Holidays, and chief on the Sundays, to Morning & Evening Prayer, at the beginning, and not departed until the end thereof, without urgent occasion? 12. d. for absents levied. 8 Whether the forfeiture of twelve pence for every such offence, apppointed by a statute made in the first year of the late Queen's Majesties reign, be levied and taken according to the same Statute, by the Churchwardens, of every person that offendeth, and by them be put to the use of the poor of the parish: if it be not, by whose default it is not levied? Baptised in other Parishes. 9 Whether any children that be borne in your Parish, be carried forth of the Parish to be baptised elsewhere, or with any Popish Ceremony, or otherwise then is apppointed by the Book of Common Prayer, or whether any have not been baptised at all, or in places unknown? 10 Whether there be any Inne-kéepers, Alewives, Sell in Service time. Victuallers or Tiplers, that suffer, or do admit any person or persons in their houses, to eat, drink or play at Dice, Cards, Tables, Tennis, Bowles, or such like Games, in the time of Common prayer, or Sermon on Sundays or holidays: or any Butcher or other that commonly use to sell meat, or other things in the time of Common prayer, preaching, or reading of Homilies: and whether in any Fairs, or common Markets, falling upon the Sunday, there be any showing of wares before Morning prayer be done: and whether any Markets or selling of wares be used or suffered in any Churchyards, by common packmen, or Pedlars going about, to any such people either of your Parish, or not of the same Parish? 11 Whether the late Churchwardens and Sworne-men have concealed any crime or disorder in their time done in your parish, & have not presented the same, Concealed offences. and whether they or any of them, at any such time as they should have been at divine service on sundays or holidays, and should there have observed others that were obsent, have been away themselves, at home, or in some Tavern, or Alehouse, or else about some worldly business, or at bowls, cards, tables, dice, or other gaming, without regard of their office and duty in that behalf? 12 Whether any of your Parish, being of convenient age, Receive the Communion. hath not received the holy Communion thrice this last year at the least, and namely at Easter day last, or thereabout for once, and what their names are, or which receiving, have not signified the same before to your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, that he might conveniently examine them, and who have refused to come to him to be examined: and herein you shall exhibit a schedule from your Minister, containing all the names of the offenders within your Parish? 13 Whether there be any in your Parish that administer the goods of those that be dead without lawful Authority, wiles. or any that suppress the last will of the dead, or any Executors that have not fulfilled their Testators will, especially in paying Legacies given to the Church, or any other good and godly uses, as the relief of Orphans, or poor Scholars, Maiden's marriages, marriages, Highways, Schools, and such like, and by whom they are so detained? Married after Popish orders. 14 Whether any couples that have been married within these two years last, have been known or suspected to have been married without the ring, or after the Popish order, or any other order than is apppointed by the Church of England, by reason that the one party or the other are noted to be such as refuse to come to the Church? Swearers, Bawds, etc. 15 Whether there be among you any Blasphemers of the name of God, great or often swearers, adulterers, fornicators, incestuous persons, bawds, or receivers of naughty and incontinent persons, or harbourers of women with child, which be unmarried, conveying or suffering them to go away before they do any penance, or make satisfaction to the congregation: or any that be vehemently suspected of any such faults, or that be not of good name & fame touching any such crime & fault, any drunkards or ribauds, or any that be malicious, contentious, or uncharitable persons, common slanderers of their neighbours, railers, scolds, or sowers of discord between neighbours, and specially railers against Ministers, and against their marriages? Marry within degrees. 16 Whether there be any in these parts that have married within the degrees of affinity, or consanguinity, by the laws of God forbidden, set out in an admonition in a table appointed to be fixed in every parish Church within this Archdeconry, whether you have the said table so fixed in your Church, or any that being divorced or separated from the same, do yet notwithstanding cohabit and keep company still together, or any that being married without those degrees, have unlawfully forsaken their wives or husbands, and that being divorced & separated asunder, have married again, and that have married and contracted themselves without the consent of their parents, tutors, or governors: any that have married without banes thrice solemnly asked, and out of their own parish Church. Marry fornicators. 17 Item, whether your Parson, Vicar or Curate, have wittingly married together any couples, whereof the woman hath been begot with child, or carnally known before marriage: or whether the man for money or reward hath married any woman that hath committed adultery with another man, without public acknowledgement of their offences, & reconciliation to the parish: what are the names of all such as have been so married in any such case & when, & by whom they were so married together? 18 Item, whether there be any in your parish that doth and hath stood forty days excommunicate: Excommunicants. whether any doth keep company, eat or drink, buy, sell, or contract with any excommunicate person, and who they be that do so? 19 Item, whether any dying excommunicate, Dead excommunicants buried. hath been buried in Christian burial for this last year past, and who they be that were so buried, who buried them, and who were present at their burial? 20 Whether your Register book of Christen, Register book Weddings and Burials, be orderly and duly kept: and whether, according to the late Canon in that behalf made, it be put into Parchment, containing the names and surnames of all such as have been christened, married, and buried? 21 Whether do the Minister & Churchwardens subscribe their names, or their several marks to the end of every page of the said Register book: and whether is the said book kept under three locks, and three keys, as by the Canon it is required? 22 Whether all the Canons & Constitutions lately published be duly and respectively observed on the part of the Clergy or Laity, as is in them required, All Canons observed. and whether you have the said Book of Canons in your Church? 23 Whether any of your parish do practise Physic or Chirurgery without licence, and what be their names? 24 Whether any woman in your parish execute the office of a Midwife, without licence from the Ordinary? 25 Whether any in your parish do use Sorcery, or Witchcraft, and Charming, or such like bad practices, taking upon them to cast out devils, or any that resort unto them for their help, and counsel? 26 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate have two Benefices in this Diocese, or one in this Diocese, and another in another? 27 Whether you have any Recusants in your Parish, and what they be? FINIS.