Touching the Church.

WHETHER is your Church or Chappell with the Chauncell thereof, and euery part of either of them, well and sufficiently repayred, the windowes well glased, the floores paued plaine and euen, without dust, or any thing noysome, or vnséemely.

2 Whether is your Churchyard well fenced with walles, rayles, pales, as hath béene accustomed; if not, whose de­fault is it.

3 Whether hath there bin any fighting, chiding, brawling or quar­relling, any playes, feasts, temporall Courts or Leets, lay Iuries, Musters, or other prophane vsage in your Church or churchyard any Bels superstitiously rung on Holy-daies, or their Eeues, or at any o­ther time without good cause, allowed by the Minister, & Churchwar­dens: haue any trées bin felled in your churchyard, & by whom?

4 Whether is the Mansion house of your Parson, Vicar, or Cu­rate, with al the buildings thereunto belonging, your Parish, Almes-house, and Church-house sufficiently repayred, maintayned, and to godly, and their right vses employed.

5 Whether haue you in your Church, the Bible in the largest vo­lume, the Booke of common Prayer lately authorised by his Maiestie, the bookes of Homilies allowed, y^e two Psalters, a conuenient Pulpit for the preaching, a decent seat for the Minister to read seruice in, con­uenientlie placed, a strong chest with a hole in the lid, and thrée locks and keyes, one for the Minister, the other for the Church-wardens for the almes of the poore, and the kéeping of the Register Booke of the Christenings, Marriages, and Burials.

6 Whether haue you in your Church, a Font of stone for baptisme set in the ancient vsuall place, a decent Table for y^e Communion con­uenientlie placed, couered with silke, or other decent stuffe in time of diuine Seruice, and with a faire linnen cloth ouer that, at the admi­nistration of the Communion.

7 Whether haue you all such Bels, Ornaments, & other Vtensils as haue ancientlie belonged to your Church, a cōmunion cup of siluer with a couer, a faire standing pot or stoape of pewter or purer mettall, for the wine vpon the cōmunion table, a comely surples with sléeues, a Register Booke of parchment of christenings, marriages, & buri­als, [Page] a booke for y^e names of al strange Preachers subscribed with their names and the name of the Bishop or others where they had license?

8 Whether is the almes for your poore quarterly at the least distri­buted by you the Churchwardens and the Minister in the presence of sixe of the chiefe Parishioners, to your poore? And are weekely the names and surnames of all persons married, christened and buried and of their Parents with the day & yeare entred in your said parch­ment booke, and is euery leafe being full, subscribed by you the Mini­ster and Churchwardens.

9 Whether are the ten Commandements set vp in the East end of the Church and other chosen Sentences of holy Scripture vpon the wals in conuenient places, are all your seates in your Church in good repaire cleanlie kept conuenientlie placed, and the parishioners in thē or elsewhere or o [...]ly set, and is there no contention or striuing for any seat or place amongst them?

Touching the Ministrie, Seruice, and Sacrament.

WHether is the common prayer said or sung by your Minister both morning and euening distinctly and reuerently euery Sunday and Holy-day, and on their Eeues, and at conuenient and v­suall times of those daies, and in most conuenient place of the Church for the edifying of the people?

2 Whether doth your Minister obserue the orders, rightes, and ce­remonies prescribed in the booke of common prayer, in reading the ho­ly Scriptures, Prayers & administration of the Sacraments, with­out diminishing in regard of preaching or any other respect, or adding any thing in the matter or forme thereof.

3 Whether doth your Minister on wednesdaies and fridaies not béeing holy daies at the accustomed houres of Seruice, resort to the Church and say the Letanie prescribed, and doth your Clarke or Sex­ton giue warning before by tolling of a bell on those daies.

4 Whether doth your Minister as oft as he administreth the cōmu­nion, first receiue it himselfe? whether doth he vse any bread or wine newly brought, before the words of Institution be rehearsed, and the bread and wine present on the table, doth he not deliuer the bread and wine to euery communicant seuerally?

5 Whether doth your Minister giue warning publikly in y^e church at morning prayer on the Sunday before [...]ée administreth the Com­munion, for the better preparation of the Parishioners?

6 Whether hath your Minister admitted to the Communion any [Page] notorious sinner openly knowne or defamed, or any who hath openly and maliciouslie contended with his neighbour, before repentance and reconciltation made and done by appointment of the ordinary?

7 Whether hath your Minister admitted to the Communion any Church-warden or Side-man, who hath wittingly and willing­ly neglected contrary to his oath, to present any publike offence or scandall, being mooued to present either by some of his Neighbours, the Minister, or his Ordinarie?

8 Whether hath your Minister administred the communion to any but such as kneele? or doe any refuse to kneele? hath he administred to any who refuseth to be present at publike Prayer: or who hath de­praued the Booke of common Prayer? administration of the Sacra­ments, or the rights and ceremonies prescribed or the Articles of Re­ligion agreed vpon, or the Booke of ordering Priests, and Bishops? or against his Maiesties Supremacie? or haue any beene for these causes repelled, and haue they repented in writing, or otherwise, and what be their names?

9 Whether hath your Minister more Benefices thē one? if he haue, how farre distant are they, how often is hee absent in the yeare? when he is absent, hath he an allowed Preacher for his Curate?

10 Whether is your Minister an allowed Preacher? if he be, doth he euery Sunday in your Church, or some other néere adioyning where no Preacher is, preach one Sermon euery Sunday?

11 Whether doth your Minister being no Preacher allowed, pre­sume to expound the Scripture in his owne Cure, or else where doth he procure euery moneth a Sermon to bee preached in his Cure by Preachers lawfully licensed, and on euery Sunday when there is no Sermō doth he or his Curat read some one of y^e Homilies prescribed?

12 Whether is your Curate allowed by the Ordinary vnder his hand and seale to serue in your Cure, and whether doth he serue two churches or chappels in one day?

13 Whether doth your Minister alwaies in saying the publike Prayers and administring the Sacraments, weare a decent surplesse with sleeues, and being a Graduate, doth he alwaies weare therewith a Hoode by the order of the Vniuersities, agréeably to his degrée.

14 Whether hath your Minister or any other Preacher in your Church, preached any thing to confute or impugne any doctrine deli­uered by any other Preacher, and hath he and they prayed for Christs Catholike Church, as is prescribed by the Canon?

[Page]15 Whether hath, or doth any preach in your Church which re­fuseth to conforme himselfe to the Lawes, Rites, and Ordinances e­stablished, or which hath not first shewed a sufficient licence?

16 Whether doth your minister in his sermons foure times in the yeare at the least, teach and declare the Kings Maiesties power with­in his Realmes, to be the highest power vnder God, to whom al with­in the same, owe most loyaltie and obedience, and that all forraigne power is iustlie taken away?

17 Whether doth your Minister euery Sunday & Holy-day halfe an houre before Euening prayer or more, examine and instruct the youth in the ten Commandements, the Beléefe, the Lords prayer, and the Catechisme, set forth in the Booke of common prayer?

18 Whether hath your Minister married any which haue not bin thrée seueral Sundaies or Holy-daies asked in your Church in y^t time of diuine Seruice without license, or hath he with licence or without married any whereof neither dwelt in your Parish?

19 Whether hath your Minister with licence or without, married any at any other times than betwéene the houres of Eight & Twelue in the fore-noone, or in any priuate house, or when there is no license, before their Parents or Gouernours, (the parties being vnder y^e age of 21) haue testified their consents?

20 Whether doth your Minister declare to the people euery Sun­day at the time appointed, what Holy-daies or Fasting daies bée in the wéeke following? doth he being a Preacher confer with all Recu­sants and persons excommunicate or suspended? beeing no Preacher doth he procure a sufficint Preacher to reclaime them thereby?

21 Whether doth your Minister kéepe a Note of all persons excō ­muicate, and once euery sixe moneths, doth he denounce them which haue not obtained their absolution, on some Sunday in seruice time, that others may be admonished to refraine their company?

22 Whether doth your Minister hauing notice giuen him, dili­gently visite the sicke (the disease not being infections) doth hée in­struct and comfort them, doth he then mooue them to make their Te­staments, and remember the poore, and other workes of charity, and the passing-bell tolling, doth he then neglect his last dutie?

23 Whether hath your Minister refused to baptize anie Childe brought to the Church vpon any Sunday or Holy-day, or to burie any Corps brought into the Church or churchyard; or to church any wo­men, hauing had warning thereof.

[Page]24 Whether hath your Minister being truely enformed of the dan­ger of death of any Infant vnbaptized, and being desired to go to the place where the child is, to baptise it, neglected to goe, by meanes whereof the child died vnbaptized?

25 Whether doth your Minister at any time preach or administer the communion in any priuate house, except when any are so impo­tent, that they cannot goe to Church, or very dangerouslie sicke.

26 Whether do any Chaplens, in your parish preach or administer the Sacrament in any Chappell not consecrated, or in any house ha­uing no Chappell allowed by law, and doe the Lords and Maisters where such chappels are, resort often to the parish Church, and there receiue the communion once at the least euery yeare?

27 Whether hath your Minister held or appointed any publike fast, or béene present at such, doth he or any other in your parish hold any Lecture or Exercise, or attempt by fasting or prayer, or otherwise to cast out any Diuels, without the license of the Bishop vnder his hand and seale?

28 Whether hath there béene any secret conuenticles or méetings in your parish by any Priests, Ministers, or others, tending to the de­prauing of the forme of prayer, doctrine, or gouernment of the Church?

29 Whether doth your Minister and Preacher, being at the least a Master of Arts, or Bachelor of Law, vsually weare his Gowne with a standing coller, and sléeues straight at the hand, or wide sléeues, and therewithall a Hood or tippet of silke or sarcenet, and a square cap?

30 Whether doth your Minister hauing not attained those degree, weare the like Gowne, and square cap with a tippet?

31 Whether doth your Minister in his iourney weare a cloak with sléeues called a priests cloak with gards, welts, long buttons, or cuts?

32 Whether doth your Minister weare a wrought night-cap at a­ny time, or doth he weare any cut or pinkt apparell, doth he in pub­like goe in his Dublet and Hose without a coat or cassocke, and doth he weare any light coloured stockings?

33 Whether doth your Minister resort to any Tauerns, or Ale-houses, except for his honest necessities, or doth hée boorde or lodge in any such place, doth he vse any base or seruile labour, drinking, ryot, dice, cardes, tables, or any other vnlawfull games? is hee contenu­ous, a hunter, hawker, swearer, dauncer, suspected of incontinencie, or giue euill example of lift?

34 Whether is there in your Parish any Minister or Deacon who [Page] hath forsakē his calling, vsing himself in his course of life as a lay mā?

Touching Schoole-masters.

WHether haue you in your Parish any Schoole-master, who teacheth either in publike Schoole, or priuate house? doth hée giue any euill example of life, is hee allowed by the Ordinary vnder his hand and seale, or doth your minister or Curate teach, and is hee allowed in like manner?

2 Whether doth your minister or Schoolemaster, who teacheth, teach the Catechisme by authority set forth, doth he when there is a­ny Sermon, or diuine seruice, bring his Schollers to Church, and sée them quietly and soberly ordered, doth he examine them after their re­turne what they haue learned of the sermon?

3 Whether doth he at other times teach them such sentences of ho­ly Scripture, as may indure them to all godlinesse, doth he teach the Grammer set foorth by King Henry the Eight, continued by King Ed­ward the sixt, and Quéene Elizabeth?

4 Whether hath your Schoolemaster an Vsher vnder him, are they both diligent, is your Vsher allowed by the Ordinary, doth your Schoolemaster direct his Vsher y^e forme & manner of teaching and doth he wéekly take account of him & the Schollers vnder his charge how they haue profited, & what they haue learned & out of what author?

5 Whether hath either of them spoken, writ, or taught against any thing whereunto he formerly subscribed as y^e Kings supremacy, y^e Ar­ticles of religiō, book of cōmon prayer, or any thing therin contained?

Touching the Parish Clarke and Sexton.

WHether haue you a parish Clarke sufficient for his place of y^e age of 20. yeares at the least, is he of honest conuersation, can he reade, write, and sing, is he diligent in his office, and seruiceable to his minister?

2 Whether doth your Clarke meddle with any thing aboue his Office, as churching of women, burying the dead, reading of pray­ers, or such like?

3 Whether doth your Clarke or Sexton kéepe your Church clean, the doores safe locked, is any thing by his default lost or spoyled in the Church, doth he suffer any vnreasonable ringing, or any prophane exercise in your church?

4 Whether doth your clarke or Sexton, when any is passing out of this life, neglect to toll a bell hauing notice thereof, or the party be­ing dead, doth he suffer any more than one short peale, and before his [Page] buriall one, and after the same another?

5 Whether doth any of your Parish refuse to pay vnto the Parish clarke or Sexton such wages as are vnto them due, and haue béen ac­customablie paid.

Touching Parishioners.

WHether hath any in your parish spoken against, or any way impugned the Kings Maiesties supremacie in causes Eccle­siasticall, the Truth and Doctrine of the Church of England, y^e forme of Gods worship contained in the Booke of common Prayer, and ad­ministration of Sacraments?

2 Whether hath any in your parish spoken against or impugned y^e Articles of religion, agreed vpon in An. 1602. the rites, & ceremonies established in the church, the gouernment by Archbishops, Bishops, Deanes, Archdeacons and others that beare office in the same?

3 Whether hath any in your parish spoken against, or impugned the forme of making and consecrating Bishops, Priests, or Deacons, or haue any separated themselues from the society of the congregati­on and combined in a new Brotherhood, or depraued y^e Synod lately held by th Kings authority?

4 Whether hath any in your parish maintained or defended any such Ministers or Schoolemasters as refuse to subscribe to the order of the Church, haue they affirmed that such Ministers, and their adhe­rents may make rules, and order in causes Ecclesiasticall without the Kings authority?

5 Whether doth any in your parish prophane, violate, or mispend the Sabboth, or holy-daie, or any part of them vsing any offensiue con­uersation, or worldly labour in those daies, or any of them?

6 Whether hath any in your parish, in time of diuine seruice coue­red his head, albeit he haue infirmity, in which case a cap or night-coyfe is allowed, or is there any who hath not reuerently knéeled when the generall Confession, Letanie, and other prayers are read, and which haue not stood vp at the saying of the Beléefe?

7 Whether hath any in your parish disturbed the Seruice or Ser­mon by walking, talking, or any other way, or departed out of the Church, during the seruice or sermon without some vrgent cause, or loytered about the Church, or church-porch?

8 Whether doe all parishioners receiue the holy communiō thrise euery yeare at the least, whereof the Feast of Easter to be one, & haue all being of the age of 16. yeares dulie receaued, or not?

[Page]9 Whether hath any Parent béen vrged to be present, or admitted to answere as God-father for his owne child, or hath any God-father or God-mother made any other answere or spéech, than is prescribed by the Booke, or haue any béene admitted for such at baptisme, who haue not first receiued the Communion?

10 Whether doth all fathers, mothers, masters, mistresses come and cause their children, seruants, and apprentises to come dulie to the church, according to the ministers direction, to be instructed and catechised, or who be they that haue not obeyed the minister herein?

11 Whether haue any persons married together within the degrées of consanguinitie or affinitie prohibited, set forth in a Table appoin­ted to bée placed in euery church, or haue any married or contracted themselues vnder the age of 21. yeares, without the consent of their Parents, or Gouernours, if their Parents be dead?

12 Whether haue any persons once lawfully married, forsaken each other, or doe liue a sunder without the authority of the Ordina­ry, or doe any being diuorced or separated, marrie againe the former wife or husband yet liuing?

13 VVhether haue any béene maried in y^e times wherein mariage is by law restrayned, without lawfull license, viz. From the Satur­day next before Aduent Sunday, vntill the Fouretéenth of Ianuarie: and from the Saturday next before Septuagesima sunday vntill the Munday next after lowe Sunday: and from the Sunday before the Rogation wéeke, vntill Trinitie Sunday?

14 Whether hath any of your parish vnreuerentlie vsed your mi­nister, or haue any laid violent hands vpon him, or disgraced his Of­fice and Calling by word or déede?

15 Whether haue you in your parish anie dweller or soiourner, a maintainer of Popish doctrine, or suspected to kéepe scismatical books, or to fauour any heresie or errour?

16 Whether haue you any common resorts to your church, which are not of your parish, or doe anie such receaue the communion a­mongst you: what be their names, and of what parishes are they?

17 VVhether haue anie in the time of seruice, opened their shops, exercised their trade, vsed anie gaming, béene in anie Tauerne, or Ale­house, or otherwise ill employed?

18 Whether are there in your parish any Adulterers, Fornicators, incestuous persons, bawdes, receauers close fauourers, conueyers a­way, or which suffer to depart any incontinēt person vnpunished, any [Page] blasphemers, Common swearers, Drunkards, Rybands, Vsurers, malicious slaunderers, Scolds, or sowers of discord, or any defamed of the said crimes?

19 Whether doe any in your Parish administer the goods of the dead without authoritie, or suppresse their will or Testament, haue any Executors neglected to performe their Wils, especiallie in pay­ing of Legacies giuen to the church, to the poore, or to any other cha­ritable, or godlie vses?

20 Whether doe any refuse to paie to the reparations, ornaments, and other things required in your church, as they are ceassed by a law­full vestrie, or any dwelling out of your parish, which hold land in your Parish?

21 Whether hath any person suspended or excommunicated, béene suffered to heare Diuine seruice, or the sermon, to receiue the sacra­ments, to be maried or churched, or haue any Excommunicants béene buried in christian buriall?

22 Whether haue any in your Parish béene christned, churched, buried, or receiued the communion, or béen maried out of your church, both parties dwelling in your Parish?

23 Whether haue all women in your parish deliuered of child, come at conuenient time after to church to giue thanks, and haue they béene churched according to the Booke of common praier?

24 Whether hath the perambulation of the circuit of your Parish béene obserued once euerie yéere, if not whose default is it?

25 Whether haue any in your Parish giuen the churchwardens or Sidemen, or any of them euill words for doing thier dutie, according to their oath and conscience in making presentment for any fault.

Touching Church-wardens and Swornemen.

WHether doe any in your Parish take vppon them to be church-warden or Sideman, which is not lawfully chosen by the Mi­nister and Parishioners according to the Canon, or doe any continue that Office longer than one yéere, except they bee chosen againe, and are all such Officers chosen yéerelie in Easter wéeke?

2 Whether doe your churchwardens within one Moneth at the most after their yéere ended, before the Minister and Parishioners, giue vp a iust account of all such monie, and other things, as they haue receiued and bestowed? haue they deliuered all remaining in their hands belonging to their church or parish, by bill indented to be deli­uered to the next churchwardens?

[Page]3 Whether haue the Churchwardens with y^e aduise of the Mini­ster from time to time prouided a sufficient quantity of fine white bread, and holsome wine for the number of Communicants?

4 Whether doe the Churchwardens and Swornemen before eue­rie Visitation, and at other times when there is iust occasion, méete and conferre about their presentments, and the answering of these Ar­ticles, and who hath (after notice giuen him of the time and place) carelesly absented himselfe?

5 Whether the forfeiture of xij. d. for absence from Church ap­pointed by Statute to the vse of the poore, bee taken and leuied by the Churchwardens, and employed according to the same Statute: and whether is the same forfeiture taken of all persons which stand wil­fully suspended or excommunicated?

6 Whether haue any churchwardens lost, sold, or detayned anie Goods, Ornaments, Bels, Rents, or Implements of the Church?

7 Whether doe you the Churchwardens and Sidemen about the middest of diuine Seruice vsually walke out of the Church, and sée who are abroad in any Alehouse, or elsewhere absent, or euil employ­ed, and haue you presented all such to the Ordinarie?

8 Whether doe you know, or haue heard a fame of anie offence committed, or dutie omitted by any of your Parish before your time, and heretofore not presented to the Ordinary, or as yet not reformed, and haue you presented the same?

9 Finally, doe you know of any matter or cause which is a breach of the lawes Ecclesiasticall here not expressed, and haue not presented the same?