ARTICLES, TO BE ENQVIRED OF, AND ANSWERED UNTO BY THE CHURCHWARDENS AND SWORN MEN IN THE Visitation of the Right Worshipful the Archdeacon of NORWICH.  
Anno Domini. 163   printer's or publisher's device 
LONDON, Printed by John Raworth.   

The tenor of the oath of the Churchwardens, and Sworne-men.  
YOu shall swear, that you, and every of you, shall diligently inquire of all and every of these Articles given you in Charge: And that all favour, affection, hatred, fear of displeasure, or hope of reward set aside; you shall faithfully present to this Court all, and every such person, which now, or lately was in your Parish, that have committed any crime or offence, or omitted any duty mentioned in these Articles, or which are vehemently suspected, or defamed of any such Crime, offence, or default. So help you God and the contents of his holy Gospel.   

Articles to be inquired of, and answered unto by the Churchwardens, Questmen, or Sidemen in the visitation of the right worshipful the Archdeacon of NORWICH. Anno Domini 163  

CHAP. 1. Concerning Religion and Doctrine.  
FIrst, have any within your Parish Preached, maintained, or held any heretical, or schismatical opinions? impugned the King's Majesty's supremacy in causes Ecclesiastical? or the Articles of Religion established in the Church of England: and is the King's Majesty's Declaration prefixed before those Articles, duly observed?  
2. Have any person within your Parish, affirmed that the Church of England is not a true Church, or that the form of God's worship contained in the book of Common Prayer, the administration of the Sacraments, and other religious duties therein prescribed are corrupt, or contrary to the holy Scriptures; Or that the government of the Church of England, under his Majesty's Archbishops, Bishops, Deans, Archdeacon's and others that bear office in the Church, is Antichristian or repugnant to God's holy word, or that the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England now established, are superstitious, or not to be used: or have any such spoken against the King's Majesty's Courts Ecclesiastical, or the proceedings thereof?  
3. Are there any in your Parish, that have been, or are vehemently suspected to be present at Convinticles or private meetings under colour or pretence of any exercise of Religion, to repeat Sermons or expound the Scriptures; and do any affirm that such meetings are lawful?   

CHAP. 2. Concerning the Church, the Ornaments and possessions thereof.  
1. IS your Church or Chapel, with the Chancel in good reparation, the windows in no part stopped up, but well glazed the walls thereof within comely whited and adorned with sentences of holy Scripture, the floors paved & even the Steeple, Bells, and frames, with the Bell-rores well maintained? if otherwise by whose default?  
2. Have you in your Church or Chapel, a Bible of the largest volume, and last translation, the book of common prayer, the two Tomes of Homilies, and Bishop jewels works, fair and well bound? have you a Table of the degrees of Marriage set up in some eminent part of your Church; the King's Majesty's arms, and a table of the Ten Commandments of God, set up in the East end of your Church or Chancel; have you the Prayer books appointed for the fift of November, and twenty seven of March; & the book of Canons or Constitutions Ecclesiastical?  
3. Have you a comely Communion Table, placed in the East end of the Chancel, the ends thereof North and South, and upon an assent? is the same railed in from anoyances, or otherwise, as was lately enjoined by publque authority; have you a comely carpet of Silk, or other decent cloth or stuff, continually laid upon it in time of Divine Service; and a fair fine linen cloth laid on it at the administration of the holy Communion; is it at any time profaned by sitting, or laying of hats, leaning, or writing on it, or otherwise, and by whom? have you a Communion cup with a cover of silver, a flagon or stoop of silver or pewter sufficient to contain the wine used at every Communion? have you a comely Font of Stone with a cover, set in the ancient usual place of the Church, is it whole and clean, have you a strong and comely Bier for burials, and a hearse-cloth suitable?  
4. Have you in your Church or Chapel, a convenient desk for your Minister to read Divine Service, a comely Pulpit with a round bo●rd, are they so placed, as the Minister reading the Divine Service, do not stand or kneel with his back towards the Communion Table, as hath been enjoined? have you a convenient cloth and cushion for the Pulpit, have you a fair linners' Surplice for your Minister, with a hood fitting his degree in the University? have you a Register book of Parchment, wherein all Christen, Marriages, and Burials within your Parish are duly recorded, and every page thereof being full suscribed by your Minister and Churchwardens, according to the Cannon? have you a paper book to insert the names of all strange Preathers in your Church or Chapel, with the name of the Bishop by whom they were licenced? have you a chest with three locks and keys for the safe keeping of the goods, books, and ornaments of the Church? and are they so kept, and have you also a poor-man's boar, for the alms of the poor?  
5. Have you a fair and comely partition between the Church and the Chancel, are your chancels or allies of your Church encroached upon by building of Seats, or otherwise; have you any close Pewes or Galleries; have you any Seats or pews so high to hinder the prospect of the Chancel? are they in good repair and decent; are they planched or matted, is there any straw brought into them, are the Parishioners conveniently placed in them according to their ranks and qualities, and do any contend for seats in the Church or Chancel, have any erected any new pewes, seats or monuments without authority from the Ordinary, present the persons that have so erected them in the Church or Churchyard?  
6. Have your Church or Church-yard been at any time employed to any profane use, by keeping of Feasts, Church-ales, Temporal Courts or Leets, Musters, exercises of Dancing, Stooleball, Football or the like? is your Churchyard well fenced, with stone walls, rails or pales, as have been accustomed? have any encroached upon your churchyard, or annoyed the same by feeding of noisome cattles, hanging or laying of , or leaving of any dust, rubbish or filth therein, by opening their doors into it, & making by paths or ways through it? have any person brawled, quarrelled, or fought in your Church or Church-yard, or otherwise behaved him or herself rudely & disoredrly therein, by profane or filthy talk or otherwise; when any grave is digged, are the bones or corpses of the dead piously used, & have any convict, or any excommunicated person been buried in yours Church or Churchyard; and by whom, and who have been present at it?  
7. Are your Parsonage or Vicarage Houses in good reparations; are yours Alms Houses employed to a godly and the right holy uses; if not, by whose default? Have you a terrier of all the houses and glebe lands and portions of tithes belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage, taken by the view of honest and discreet men, is it safely kept, and a copy brought into the Register of the Bishop.   

CHAP. 3. Concerning Ministers and Preachers.  
FIrst, do your Minister or Curate distinctly and reverently read the whole Divine Service by the book of common prayer prescribed, every forenoon and afternoon, upon every Sunday and holiday, and their eves: and upon wednesedayes and fridays, and every day of the holy week next before Easter in your Church or Chapel at fit and convenient times for the same, and also for Preaching, and administration of the Sacraments, Marriages, Burials, Christen, and visiture of the sick according to the prescript form of the said book; doth he observe all the rites and ceremonies therein prescribed, without omission, alteration, or addition? doth he at all times of performing his Priestly duties wear the Surplice with a hood suitable to his degree, never omitting the same? doth he read the common service called the second service at the holy Table with an audible voice unto the end of the Nicean Creed. And doth he then begin his sermon or Homely, and doth he before his sermon or Homely, read or use any other form of prayer than is prescribed by the 55. Cannon; and doth he conclude his sermon with Gloriae patri etc. and doth he or whosoever officiates proceed to read the remainder of the divine service and conclude with the blessing called the peace of God, as he hath been enjoined by public authority?  
2. Doth your Minister or Curate read all those Psalms and lessons and no other, with the Epistle and Gospel appointed for the day, and at the end of every Psalm do he and all the people standing, say Gloria patri, etc. and after the lessons doth he use any other Psalm or Hymn but those appointed in the book of Common Prayer; doth he read the Creed of Athanasius on all those days prescribed, and the Commination on Ash-wednesday, and the Litany on every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday?  
3. Doth your Minister or Lecturer, having a Curate under him, read Divine Service himself upon two several Sundays in the year publicly, and at the usual times both forenoon and afternoon, in the Church which he possesseth▪ and administer the Sacraments as often in every year in such manuer and with such observations of Rites and Ceremonies as are prescribed in the book of Common Prayer?  
4. Is your Minister resident upon his benefice? if absent, how long hath he been so and where? if he have another benefice, doth he supply his absence by a Curate lawfully licenced to Preach, and a competent allowance; if your Minister be a licenced Preacher, doth he Preach once every Sunday in his own Church, or some other where there is no Preacher, & if he be not a licenced Preacher, doth he take upon him in his own Cure or elsewhere to Preach; and doth he upon every Sunday, when there is no Sermon, read one of the Homilies published by authority, and procure monthly Sermons by such as are licenced? and doth your Minister or Curate serve more cures than one, if yea, how fare distant are the said Cures the one from the other? and do any take upon him to be Curate, not being licenced by the Ordinary, or is not a Minister or Deacon, or being but Deacon to administer the holy Communion alone in your Church or Chapel?  
5. Doth your Minister or Curate every Sunday before evening prayer, standing in his D●ske half an hour or more, Catechise the youth and ignorant persons of your Parish in the Catechism set forth in the book of common prayer, and is it performed by questions and answers? doth your Minister go to the administration of holy Baptism presently after the second lesson? doth he ask first whether the child be baptised or no; doth he take the child in his arms, and doth he touching the child's forehead, sign it with the sign of the Cross? or doth he at any time omit the same, hath he at any time deferred or refused to baptise any infant within the Parish being in danger of death, after notice given or request made unto him; and hath any child died unbaptised by his default; and hath he before the Godfathers and Godmothers, admonished them to bring the child to the Bishop to be confirmed, when it shall be fitted for the same; and hath he used any other vessel than the Fontonely? hath he admitted any to answer as godfather or godmother, any parents, or such as have not received the holy communion or any more than two godfathers and one godmother for a male child, and two goodmothers and one godfather for a female, and hath he baptised any child at home, or upon any day, but on a Sunday or holy day without great necessity?  
6. Doth your Minister administer the holy Communion so often in the year as that every Parishioner may receive thrice in the year, whereof Easter to be one; doth he first receive the same himself kneeling, or doth he administer it to any not kneeling; doth he always use the words of Institution set down in the book without alteration, at every time the bread and wine is received, and doth he repeats the words prescribed to every one severally at the delivery of the bread and wine, and not omit any part of the words, or saying them to many at once? and doth he give public warning in the Church at morning prayer the Sunday before every Communion to been administered, and admonish the Parishioners to prepare themselves accordingly?  
7. Hath your Minister admitted to the holy Communion any notorious offenders, or that have maliciously and openly contended with their neighbours, or to any strangers that do commonly come to your Church from other Parishes, or doth he administer the Communion to any in private houses without great necessity?  
8. Doth you Minister use the form of thanksgiving for married women after childbirth, immediately before the Communion service, doth he use it to any not being vailed according to the ancient custom of the Church, without a hat, or that doth not come and kneel near the Communion table, as hath been enjoined by public authority?  
9 Hath your Minister given warning for the keeping of holidays, and fasting days happening the week following on Sunday in time of morning prayer, immediately after the Sermon or Homily, as hath been enjoined?  
10. Doth your Minister or Curafe resort unto such as be dangerously sick in your Parish, notice thereof being given to him, is instruct and comfort them, and doth he earnestly exhort them to be liberal to the poor, and if any (being sick,) desire the prayers of the congregation, is it done in the Church according to the form in the Liturgy, at the time of divine service, and in the reading desk?  
11. Hath your Minister ever refused or deferred to bury the dead of your Parish in christian burial, doth he go before the corpses to the grave, and there say the whole service appointed, not omitting the lesson or any part of it, doth he devoutly kneel when he saith the prayers and collect, or hath he admitted to Christian burial any which be excommunicated, or otherwise ought not to be buried in Christian burial?  
12. Hath your Minister taken upon him to appoint hold or continue in your Parish or elsewhere, any private fasts or meetings for Preaching or praying, for prophecies or other religions exercises not approved; or have he at such meetings consulted about depraving the doctrine or discipline of the Church of England?  
13. Hath your Minister or Curate read the book of cannons Ecclesiastical set forth by public authority, Anno Domini 1603. once every year as is enjoined?  
14. Hath your Minister at any time taken upon him in the Church, to confuse the doctrine of any other Preacher in the same Church, without order from the Bishop; doth he (standing excommunicated or suspended by his Ordinary) intermeddle with reading divine service preaching, administering the Sacraments, or any other part of his Priestly office; if not, doth he seek to be absolved and desire to conform himself in obedience to the Church? Is there any that being once admitted to the holy orders of Priest or Deacon, doth voluntarily relinquish his calling, and become as a lay man?  
15. Hath your Minister with the rest of your Parishioners, gone the Peramblation of your Parish yearly upon the Regation days, viz. Monday, Tuseday or Weddenseday before Ascention, and no other time, hath he used the prayers and thanksgivings, Psalms and sentences of Scripture at that time, and doth he return to the Church, and there read divine service as was lately enjoined by public authority?  
16. Hath your Minister admitted any excommunicated or suspended person into the Church in time of divine service, or hath he read the prayers while any such person hath been present, hath he deferred the publishing of any excommunication or suspension under the seal of any Ecclesiastical judge, the next Sunday or holiday after the same is brought or showed unto him; doth he every six months denounce and publish in the Church by name all Recusants, Convict, or Excommunicated persons that do persevere in that sentence and not seek to be absolved?  
17. Hath your Minister solemnised the marriage of any persons under the age of 21. years without the consent of their parents or godmothers, or of such as do not audibly say and answer in all things appointed by the Liturgy, or of any without a Ring, or of such as have not had their banes published in their several Churches three several Sundays or holidays, or been married in the times prohibited without special licence from the Ordinary? and doth he begin in the body of the Church, and then go up to the table, as is appointed; and doth he as oft as there is a marriage appoint to have a Communion, and doth he read all that is prescribed to be read at matrimony by the book of common prayer?  
18. Is your Minister a man of sober life and conversation? is he reputed to be an incontinent person, a frequenter of Taverns, Inns or Alehouses, a common gamester or player at dice and Cards, a common swearer or drunkard, or guilty of any other scadalous crime or offence; doth he use any mechanical trade or bodily labour, soliciting of causes in law, doth he use common buying & selling, or any other employments not befitting his calling, and is he suspected to have obtained his benefice by Simony directly or indirectly? doth he usually wear a gown when he doth officiate, and doth he in his journeying use a cloak with sléeves? doth he at any time go abroad in his doublet and hose without a Coute or Cassock, or wear any light coloured stockings, or is he or his wife any ways excessive in their apparel?  
19 Lastly, doth your Minister commonly upon Sundays and holidays, after the reading of the second lesson at morning and evening prayer, admonish the Churchwardens and Questmen to note such as without cause do absent themselves from divine service; or do not receive the holy Communion thrice in the year; and if they be negligent in their office, doth he present them to the Ordinary?   

CHAP. 4. Concerning the Parishioners and Leyetie.  
1. HAth any in your Parish profaned any Sunday or Holiday, by unlawful gaming, drinking and tippling in Taverns, Inns or Alehouses, in the time of divine service or sermon, by working in their trades, selling of wares, setting open their shops, by themselves, their servants or apprentices, or any other ways?  
2. Is the fist day of November observed and kept in your Parish, with prayers and thanksgiving unto God, as by the statute is appointed?  
3. Do all and singular persons dwelling in your Parish diligently resort to your Parish Church with their servants and children, to morning and evening prayer upon every Sunday and holiday; do they come at the beginning of prayer, and then with due attention do they orderly abide there the whole time of divine service and Sermon; hath any person in that time presumed to cover his head with his hat, do they all devoutly kneel when the general confession, the Litany, the ten Commandments, and other prayers and collects of the Church, or at Baptism, Marriage, Burial, and visitation of the sick are read? is there any person, that doth not use lowly reverence, when the name jesus is mentioned, or that do not stand up when the Creed is rehearsed, and do all the people say Amen, and make such other answers as are prescribed in the book of common prayer?  
4. Is there any in your Parish that hath rudely behaved themselves in the Church, or disturbed the Minister in time of divine service, by walking, talking, laughing, ringing of bells, or contending for place or seats in the Church, do any sleep in the Church in the said time, or have an● loitered about the Church or Churchyard in the same time, or have any brawled, quarrelled or taught in Church or Churchyard?  
5. Are there any Popish or schismatical persons, or suspected to be popish or scismatically affected, or that have wilfully absented themselves from the parish Church or Chapel in time of morning and evening prayer, or do refuse or neglect to receive the holy Communion, or that do persuade others from the same; are there any that do leave their own Minister, and usually resort to other Preachers or Churches, or that do cause their children to be baptised by any other Minister, or in another Parish, and to what Parish or Church do such usually resort?  
6. Hath every one in your Parish being above 16. years of age and of discretion, received the holy Communion thrice every year, whereof once at the feast of Easter? do all of them of what sort soever, according as the Church expressly commandeth, draw near, and with all reverence come to the Lords table, when they are to receive the holy Communion?  
7. Hath any woman of your Parish after childbirth, neglected to come to Church to give God thankes for her safe deliverance, vailed in a decent manner, without a hat as hath been accustomed, and doth she than kneel in some convenient place nigh the Communion table, and if there be a Communion, doth she receive the same?  
8. Is there any in your Parish that do refuse to have their children baptised, or to receive the holy Communion of their own Minister, without just cause approved by the Ordinary, or do any defer the baptising of their children longer than the next Sunday or holiday after the birth, or do any procure their Children to be baptised by any other Minister or Priest?  
9 Do all parents, masters, and mistresses, or dames, cause their children, servants, and apprentices to come to public catechism, to be instructed and taught therein?  
10. Do any person of what quality soever, keep any Chaplyne Schoolmaster or Scholar in his house, to read divine service, expound the Scripture, or to instruct his family, unless such be licenced by the Ordinary?  
11. Have you any in your Parish that are commonly known or reputed to be blasphemers of Gods holy name; common or usual swearers, common drunkards, usurers, adulterers, incestuous persons, fornicators, bands, concealers or abettors of any such criminous persons; receivers of women unlawfully begotten with child, conveying or suffering them to go away from their due punishment, attempters of women's chastity, lascivious persons, ribalds or incontinent persons before marriage, common scolds and such like?  
12. Is there any that have unreverently used your Minister by word or deed, or have lated violent hands upon him, or otherwise disgraced and vilified his holy function and calling, or have any railed upon or miscalled any of the Churchwardens or Questmen for doing their duties?  
13. Have any of the Parishioners neglected to go the perambulation or circuit of their Parish in Rogation week?  
14. Have any refused to pay to the reparations of your Church or ornaments thereof, or other charges expended by the Churchwardens in the execution of their office, being lawfully and indifferently rated thereunto?  
15. Hath any person of your Parish administered the goods of any person deceased, without authority, or that do conceal any testament or last will, or that do neglect to pay any legacies or sums of money bequeathed or given to the Church, the poor, or any other charitable uses, or do any detain or convert the goods and stooke of the Church to their private use.  
16. Is there any person within your Parish that do stand excommunicated or suspended, and how long? hath such excommunicated person resorted to Church to hear divine service or sermon, to receive the holy Communion, to be married or churched; & you must present all persons that do keep the company or society of any such person after notice or publication thereof in the Church, their names qualities and conditions?  
17. Are there any in your Parish that have been married, being within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity, prohibited by God's laws, and the table of the degrees of the marriage set forth by public authority, or that are precontracted, or that are under the age of 21. years, without the consent of their parents or governor's, and without licence, have any being divorced been married again their former husband or wife living, or do any married persons separate themselves one from the other, without lawful authority?  
18. Have any person within your Parish been Clandestinely married, viz. there banes not being first published three several Sundays or Holidays in the Churches where they dwell; or in the times prohibited, viz. from Advent Sunday, until the fourteenth of january; from Septuag●sima Sunday, until the Monday next after Low-Sunday; from the Sunday before Rogation week, until the Sunday after Trinity Sunday; or that are married at a lawless Church, priviliged place, or peculiar liberty, and not between the hours of Eight and Twelve of the clock in the forenoon, or in any private house, and without licence from his Ordinary? and who have been present at any such marriages?  
19 Lastly, have all new married persons the same day of their marriage, received the holy Communion?   

CHAP. 5. Concerning Churchwardens and Questmen, Schoolmasters, Physicians, Chirurgeons, and Parish-Clarkes.  
1. HAve you in your Parish, Churchwardens and Questmen Chosen in Easterwéeke, by the joint consent of the Minister and Parishioners, at least the one by the Minister, the other by the Parishioners; have any of them contained longer than one year, unless they be new chosen thereunto?  
2. Have your Churchwardens provided sufficient fine whit Bread, and wholesome wine for the Communicants, every Communion celebrated; have they yielded up their accounts of what they have received and disbursed, have they or any of them detained in their hands any of the money, stock and goods of the Church, and have they suffered any excommunicated person to come into the Church in time of divine service or Sermon?  
3. Have your Churchwardens been diligent to see decency kept in the Church, and all orders for divine service and administration of the Sacraments performed by the Parishioners; if not, have they duly presented them? do they duly upon Sundays and Holidays in time of divine service, walk abroad to or serve all such as are evilly employed in Alehouses or elsewhere, or idly disposed? do they note all such as be absent from Church, or hath not received the holy Communion thrice in the year; have they and the Questmen or Sidemen before every general Court of inquiry or visitation met together to peruse the book of Articles, and to confer about their presentments to be made?  
4. Is there any in your Parish that teacheth any Scholars publicly or privately without licence from the Ordinary, doth he teach to read or write in the Church or Chancel, is he popishly or scismatically affected, doth he use to resort to Church in time of divine service, and bring his Scholars with him; doth he teach them in the Catechism set forth in the book of common prayer, or any other Catechism, is he of honest life and conversation; a graduate in the University, or otherwise sufficient to teach, and diligent to teach and bring up youth committed unto him?  
5. Have you any that practise Physic or Chirurgery without licence from the Ordinary?  
6. Have you a fit Parish Clarke of honest life, able to read and write, chosen by the Minister, is he diligent in his office; doth he keep the Church clean, and Church doors locked? doth he suffer unseasonable ringing of bells, and doth he duly ring the passing bell for such as are dying, or after their departure? and do any refuse to pay the Clerks wages accustomed, and by authority increased?  
7. Have you an Appariter within your Parish, by whom is he authorised; have he taken any bribes directly or indirectly, to conceal any offence, or to forbear the execution of any process against any persons from this Court or any other?  
FINIS.