ARTICLES To be enquired of by the Churchwardens and Swornmen within the Diocese of WORCESTER. In the Visitation of the Right Reverend Father in God, JOHN, Lord Bishop of Worcester, Holden in the year of our Lord God, 1626.  
LONDON, Printed for JOHN GRISMAND, 1626.   

The tenor of the Oath to be ministered to all and every the Churchwardens and Sidemen or Assistants in the said Visitation.  
YOu, and every of you shall swear by Almighty God, that all favour, fear and affection, and all other sinister corruption whatsoever set aside, upon due consideration of these Articles given you in charge, you will make a true, plain, perfect, and particular answer and presentment in writing to the same Articles, and to every branch and part thereof, presenting all and every offenders and offences therein mentioned, so as may stand with the glory of God, the discharge of your consciences, and the jurisdiction of the Ecclesiastical Court, wherein you shall deal sincerely, faithfully, and uprightly, as before God: So help you God in Christ jesus.   

ARTICLES Concerning Church and Church-yard.  
WHether is your Church and Chancel in all respects well and sufficiently repaired, and kept sweet and clean: have you therein the ten Commandments, the Articles of the Belief, & other godly sentences fairly written: the Bible of the largest volume, the books of common Prayer, the two volumes of Homilies, the book entitled God and the King, and all other books requisite: a seemly Pulpit, a convenient seat for the Minister at prayers, a large and comely Surplice whole and untorne? These things you must make enquiry of, and present the wants, and especially the want of the Bible of the largest volume, commanded by our late Sovereign King james to be had and used in every Church within the Kingdom.  
2 Have you in your said Church a strong chest for Alms, with a hole in the top, and three locks and keys thereto? Is the money therein put, employed to the use of the poor?  
3 Have you a Register of Christen, Weddings, and Burials in a book of parchment duly kept in a chest with three locks and keys?  
4 Hath any man pulled down or uncovered, or suffered to decay any parsonage or vicarage houses, or any Church, Chancel, Chapel, Vestery, or Church-house, in part or in all: or employed them or any of them to any profane uses?  
5 Whether are the pales, fences, enclosures, and marks of the ancient bounds and limits of your parsonage, vicarage, or ministers house, or of the courts, entries, gardens, backsides, or other appurtenances belonging to the same, or any part thereof removed or altered, or taken away from their ancient places, bounds, and limits thereof: so that in time it may grow out of knowledge, and by some prescription become prejudicial to the Church, or succeeding Incumbent thereof?  
6 Are your Bells, Bell-ropes, and Clock in good repair, and well ordered? Is your Churchyard well fenced and decently kept? Is it not profaned with fight, brawling, chiding, gaming, dancing, playing, or with unlawful cattles, or otherwise: and how, and by whom, and by whose default?   

Ministers and Curates.  
7 Doth he read or say the whole divine Service every Sunday and Holiday, and administer the holy Sacraments according to the book of common Prayer: Is your Minister a licenced preacher: doth he diligently preach sound doctrine, and for matters of government seriously teach and maintain the King's Supremacy under God within his Majesty's dominions, over all persons, and in causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil, and the abolishing of all foreign power?  
8 Hath your Minister more Benefices than one? if two or more, doth he reside upon one of them himself, and maintain a licenced Preacher on the other? If he have but one, is he resident and dwelling thereupon: is he painful in his vocation, of sober and good conversation, and given to hospitality?  
9 Doth your Minister use decency of apparel, as well in the Church, as elsewhere: and in time of divine prayers and administration of the Sacraments, doth he use to wear the Surplice: and if he be a Graduate, such a hood as is agreeable to his calling?  
10 Is your Minister a peacemaker, and no sour of discord, or is he suspected, famed, or noted of any notorious crime: or giveth he any ill example: or doth any Minister with you forsake his calling?  
11 Doth any preach in your parish, that refuseth to conform himself to the laws, ordinances, and rites of the Church of England?  
12 Hath your Minister a Curate, & how is he licenced, doth he serve two Cures, and doth he bid the Fasting days, and Holidays commanded and allowed?  
13 If your Minister be not a Preacher allowed, doth he procure monthly Sermons, and when there is no Sermon, doth he read an Homily, doth he take upon him to expound any text of Scripture?  
14 What Preachers have come from any other place and preached in your parish, have you their names written in a book kept for that purpose, hath such a preacher subscribed his name thereto, and set down the day when he preached, and by whom licenced?  
15 Hath your Minister obtained his Benefice by any Symonicall compact, either directly, or indirectly?  
16 Hath any of your parish, or of any other Parish, unreverently used your Minister, laid violent hands on him, or disgraced his office and function by word or deed?   

Divine Service.  
17 Is divine service in due time on Sundays, Holidays, and at other times appointed, reverently said or sung in your Church or Chappel, with the Litany on Wednesdays and Fridays: and all other rites and ceremonies, according to the prescript form of common prayer in the Communion Book?  
18 Whether doth any not being licenced (or any not ordered at least for a Deacon) say Common prayer openly in your Church, or Chapel?  
19 Do any men, young or old, use to wear their Hats in the Church or Chapel in the time of divine Service, or are there any that behave themselves disorderly in the Church, chapel, or Churchyard, or any disturbers of Divine service or sermons?  
20 Whether do any victuallers (or others in your parish) suffer any drinking or gaming in their houses on Sundays or Holidays, especially in time of Divine service or sermons?  
21 Whether any in your parish upon the sabbath days, or holidays do use their Trade, or do any other work or labour, as Brewing, Baking, Washing Barbing, or such like, or do any Mercers, Drapers, Shoemakers, Butchers, or others whatsoever open their shops for sale of wares upon those days, or do hedge, ditch, dig, carry, or draw burdens by themselves, their servants, horses, or other cattle whatsoever on such days?   

The holy Communion.  
22 Have you a decent Communion Table on a frame, with a seemly carpet, and a cloth of Linen, a communion cup and cover of silver, a fair Flagon of pewter or purer mettle for the Wine, a plate for the Bread, & a Towel to lay over it?  
23 Whether is there any in your parish, which being full sixteen years of age and upward, hath not received the holy communion three several times in the year passed at least, in his or her parish church: whereof Easter to be one of the three times?  
24 Doth your Minister instruct and examine his Parishioners concerning the Sacraments at convenient times, before he administer the Communion. And doth he admit any thereto that cannot say at least the Lords prayer, the Articles of the Christian faith, and the ten Commandments?  
25 Is your Communion ministered with Bread and wine, consecrated in such order as in the book of common prayer is appointed? And doth your Minister deliver both kinds to every several Communicant, with the blessing prescribed in the book of common prayer?  
26 Doth any in your parish receive the holy Communion either sitting, standing, or otherwise then kneeling, as is prescribed in the book of common prayer: or do any refuse to receive the same kneeling, and doth your Minister admit any to receive the Communion otherwise then kneeling?  
27 Doth your Minister admit any notorious offenders, or any Schismatics to the holy Communion, before due penance enjoined by the Ordinary, be duly performed by them, or doth he admit any notoriously known to be out of charity: or any that hath done any open wrong to his neighbour, before reconciliation made to the party wronged?  
28 Whether doth your Minister appoint and observe so many Communions in one year, as that the parishioners may conveniently receive all of them there three several times in the year: And doth he use to give public notice thereof in the Church, the Sabbath day next going before every such Communions, that the parishioners may prepare themselves to be partakers thereof?   

Baptism.  
29 Have you in your Church a convenient Font of stone, well kept, and covered, standing in the ancient place: Doth your Minister baptise therein, or in any Basin or other thing, or with any other ceremonies than such as are allowed in the book of common prayer: or doth he omit, neglect, or not use all the ceremonies therein prescribed: and doth he use the sign of the Cross in Baptism?  
30 Doth your Minister refuse to baptise any children of Christian parents, that are brought to the Church?  
31 Are Parents urged to be present at the baptising of their children: or be any admitted to be Godfathers, or Godmothers that have not received the holy Communion: or do any parents refuse to have their children signed with the sign of the Cross in their Baptism?  
32 Have any children that were borne in your parish been carried out of the parish to be baptised elsewher: or have any not been baptised at all, or in places, or by parties unknown?  
33 Whether hath your Minister refused, deferred, or delayed to come unto, and to christian any child being in weakness, or in danger of death, being thereunto required, by reason whereof such a child hath (through his negligence, or by his default) died unbaptized?   

Catechism.  
34 Doth your Minister or his Curate duly Catechise according to the late Canon every Sunday, such children and servants of both sexes, as are of convenient age, or at least so many of them by course, as the time will permit?  
35 Do parents and householders bring, or send their children and servants to the Church every Sunday duly to be catechised, according as the late Canons require, and who are negligent therein?   

Matrimony.  
36 Whether is Matrimony solemnised in your Church or chapel, according to the book of common Prayer?  
37 Have you in your church a Table of degrees of Marriage, are any married within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity therein forbidden: or do any children under the age of twenty one years, contract themselves, or marry without consent of their Parents or Guardians?  
38 Have any been married without Fanes thrice asked in the church three several sundays or Holidays (unless by Licence of the Ordinary, granted under seal) or at any time of the day, then betwixt the hours of eight and twelve in the forenoon, or at any times prohibited, that is to say, from Advent Sunday to the Octaves of the Epiphany, from Septuagefima Sunday to the Octaves of Easter, from Rogation Sunday, to Trinity Sunday?  
39 Have any that dwell in your parish, been married in any other parish, or any of another parish been married in your parish: or have any been married privately out of the Church or face of the congregation, when, where, by whom, and who were present at such marriages?  
40 Have any women not well known to be married, been delivered of any child in your Parish, and in whose house: or hath any woman in your parish been carnally known, or begotten with child before marriage, and by whom?  
41 Have any forsaken their wives or husbands, and married others: have any married again after they have been divorced or do any which have been divorced, keep company still together?  
42 Do any married couples live asunder, and not together, and do either of them keep in their house, or secretly resort to any other, to the raising of suspicion or fame of incontinency?  
43 Hath any in your parish for money or reward, married any woman, that committed fornication or adultery with another man? Or hath any unmarried woman begotten with child, gone out of your parish before she hath done penance enjoined her by the Ordinary, where was she, or is she received or harboured, at whose charge, and who converyed her away?   

Visitation of the Sick.  
44 Doth your Minister or curate visit the sick, doth he admonish them to Repentance, comfort the penitent, and exhort them to charitable and alms deeds?   

Burial of the Dead.  
45 Are your Dead buried according to the form of Burial set down in the book of common prayer: or have any been buried secretly or in the night, who and by whom, and who were present thereat?  
46 Do the Executors or Administrators, or other friends of them that are buried in church or chancel, repair again the pavements, and give any thing to the Church?   

Churching of Women.  
47 Do any Women refuse to give God thanks openly in the church or (as we term it) to be churched at convenient times after childbyrth, or doth any Minister refuse to church them, or church them any otherwise then is prescribed in the book of common prayer?  
48 Hath any Woman unlawfully begotten with child, been admitted to public thanksgiving in the church, before she hath performed such penance as was enjoined her by the Ordinary, or at least been churched in a white shéet, and confessed her fault penitently before sufficient witnesses, and undertaken to stand to the censure of the Ordinary for her said offence?   

Parish Clerks.  
49 Have you a parish Clarke chosen by the Minister, is he of honest conversation, hath he competent skill in reading, writing, and singing: And doth any withhold or detain his wages or duties from him?   

Schoolmasters.  
50 Have you any School house, and how is it repaired: And have you any Schoolmaster in your parish that teacheth publicly, or privately: is he lawfully licenced: Doth he come duly to Church, and receive the holy Communion: doth he instruct his Scholars in the Catechism allowed, and in the book entitled God and the King: causeth he them to repair to divine prayers in the Church, and to hear and note Sermons: Teacheth he any other Grammar then that which is allowed?  
51 Is any Schoolmaster known or suspected, publicly or privately to read to his Scholars, or suffer them to read any book that may confirm them in popery, superstition or disobedience to the King's Majesty, or to his laws Ecclesiastical or civil, and how many either men or women do teach children in your parish, and what be their names?   

schismatics and Recusants of all sorts.  
52 Do you know any that teach or maintain any doctrine contrary to the Articles agreed upon in the Convocation, Anno Dom. 1562.  
53 Doth any preach, minister the Communion, baptise children, or church women in private houses, or other where then in the Church, except it be in cases of necessity?  
54 Know you any that absent themselves from the Church negligently or wilfully, how long have they so done: And of them that are absent without a sufficient & lawful cause, is the forfeiture of xii d. taken every sunday, & converted to the use of the poor, according to the statute Eliz. 1.  
55 In your parish where there is a preacher, do any use to absent themselves from his sermon, and resort to any other?  
56 Know you any that forbear to participate with the church of England in Prayer or Sacraments, either denying the Church to be Apostolical, or condemning the ceremonies thereof as superstitious?  
57 Have you in your parish any popish Recusants, any half Papists that come to the church, and receive not the Communion, any church papists that come and receive themselves, but either persuade others, or maintain their wives, children, family or friends not to come? All such you must present by their names and surnames, with their additions also whether Esquires, Gentlemen, Yeomen, Husbandmen, Laborers, or of any other trade of living.  
58 Doth any Seminary priest or jesuite, resort to any place within this Diocese, or suspect you any such: or do you know any that resort to any popish Priest or jesuite?  
59 Know you any that by writing, talk or argument, impugn the king's supremacy: or any that have kept in their custody, that sell, disperse carry, or deliver unto others any unlawful books against the Religion and government established, or in defence of any foreign power, or domestical Consistory?   

Excommunicated persons.  
60 Are all excommunicated persons kept out of the church from divine prayers and receiving of the holy communion, until they be lawfully absolved: and are there any in your parish which have stood excommunicated forty days and upwards: are such persons as stand excommunicated once in every six months denounced in your Church in time of divine service upon some Sunday?  
61 Hath any excommunicated person not absolved (at least in his extremity) not giving any testimony of his repentance before his departure, been buried in Christian burial, who buried him, her, or them, where and when, and who were present at such burials?  
62 Do any retain or keep in their house or service, any person denounced excommunicate, or do any way encourage them therein, or converse with them in buying selling, eating, drinking, or otherwise keep company with any such excommunicate person in any sort?   

Wills, Testaments, and Administrations.  
63 Do any in your parish administer the goods of the dead, or any way intermeddle therewith without lawful authority committed unto them under the Ordinaries seal?  
64 Know you any in your parish that suppress the last Will of the dead, or any that forge or alter any Wills, or any Executors that fulfil not the Testators will: or any that detain Legacies given to any charitable uses?   

Several Articles.  
65 Do any in your parish profane the Sabbath days or not duly observe the Holidays appointed? Are the Ember Fasts orderly observed at the four times of the year appointed?  
66 Are the days and orders of Perambulation duly observed in the Rogation week: if not in whose default?  
67 Are the Canons, Constitutions, and Orders made and agreed upon in the Convocation house, Anno Dom. 1603. read over once every year in your Church upon Sundays or Holidays, according to his Majesty's commandment in that behalf?  
68 Doth your Minister yearly present, and give up in writing to the Ordinary, the names of all Recusants, and half Recusants▪ men & women, as well sojourners, as parishioners, and common guests in your parish, above the age of thirtéen years, according to the 114 Canon, or not?  
69 Do any in your parish take upon them to practise physic or chirurgery, not being lawfully licenced?  
70 Are any in your parish (or which were of your parish, and are now departed) known, suspected, famed, or reported to have offended in fornication, adultery, incest, witchcraft, sorcery, charming, usury, swearing, drunkenness, common slandering, sowing of discord, brawling, scolding, or any other uncleanness of life or bad manners?  
71 Are any Householders in your parish (in whose house there is any one that can read) which have not the book entitled God & the King, and who be they which want the same?  
72 Have any Apparators, or others, taken reward to compound or conceal any offence presentable or punishable in the Ecclesiastical court let this be manifested, and information and presentment made for every offence accordingly?  
73 You shall further present whether any in your parish upon Sundays or holidays, do use any dancing, plays, or other sports or pastimes whatsoever, before all Service on those days be fully ended: And are the same used by any of another parish, or by any which have not the same day been at divine prayers in their own parish church, who be they that have offended in any of the premises?   

Church wardens and Sidemen.  
74 Are your Churchwardens & Sidemen chosen yearly in the Easter week according to the Canons: And do the Churchwardens yearly, truly make & deliver up in writing their account of all their receipts & disbursments whatsoever, by them received & laid out for the parish, & of all the Church goods, Books and other things, as the Canons require?  
75 Do your Churchwardens themselves come duly to the Church to divine Prayers & sermons: & do they their best endeavours, especially upon Sundays and holidays, to cause all Parishioners to do the like?  
76 Whether is there a transcript or copy of the Register book of the Church, of christen, weddings & burials, yearlie exhibited & delivered up into the registry of the Ordinary, or not?  
77 Have the late churchwardens concealed any crime, offence or disorder in their times & not presented the same: what be the matters so concealed: or doth any trouble, molest, or vex the Minister, Churchwardens or Sidemen for being presented by them: & who be they that so do? and have your churchwardens continued in that office above one year without have your churchwardens continued in that office above one year without a new election?  
78 Have you advisedly & diligently perused, read, or heard others read & peruse this book of Articles, & every particular article & branch thereof: & have you framed your answers & presentments to the same accordingly?  
79 Generally, whether do you know any of the Canons lately set forth and approved by his Majesty broken, or any Ecclesiastical matter worthy to be presented or not? and if you do, you shall truly present the same by the Oath you have taken aswell now as hereafter when it shall come to your knowledge?  
80 Whether any Churchwardens, Questmen or Sidemen of any parish have been called & enforced to present any faults committed in their parishes, otherwise then at the Visitations, or time and▪ times limited in the 116 Canon?  
FINIS.