Concerning the Ministrie, Service and Sacraments.

1 WHether are the common Prayers said or sung by your Minister, both Morning and Euening distinctly, and reuerently euery sunday and [Page] holy-day, and on their Eues, and at couenient and vsuall times of those dayes, and in most conuenient place for the edifying of the people?

2 Whether doth your Minister obserue the orders Rites and Ceremonies pre­scribed in the Booke of common Prayer, in reading the Holy Scriptures prayers and administration of Sacraments, without diminishing, or adding any thing in the matter or forme thereof?

3 Whether doth your Minister on wednesdayes and frydayes not being holy­dayes, at the accustomed houres of seruice resorte to the Church and say the Le­tany: and other prayers prescribed? And doth your Clerke or Sexton giue warn­ing before by tolling of a Bell on those dayes, and doth one person of euery house repaire to the Church at those times usually, and there stay according to the Cannon?

4 Whether doth your Minister leauing the use of the Font Christen or bap­tize in any Bason or other prophane vessels? doth your Minister baptize or Christen any out of the face of the Church and Congregation, or at any other time then upon sundayes or holy-dayes without speciall cause, or without Godfa­thers and God-mothers? Are any persons admitted to answer as God-fathers or God-mothers at the Christning of any Child, except he or she haue before recei­ued the Holy Communion? doth your Minister in Baptizing of Children obserue the orders, Rites and Ceremonies, appointed in the Booke of Common prayer without addition omission or innovation?

5 Doe you know any Parents that deferre the Christning of their Children, or any that haue not had their Children Christned at their owne Parish Church or Chappell? what is the cause that they keepe them so long vnchristned? doe you know of any parents that haue had their children priuatly Baptized, either by a Popish priest contrary to the Lawes of the Church of England, or by an uncon­formable Minister omitting any part of the forme of Baptizing Children con­tained in the Booke of common prayer?

6 Doth your Minister giue warning publikly in the Church at Morning prayer, the sunday before he administreth the Communion for the better prepa­ration of the parishioners?

7 Doth your Minister as oft as he administreth the Communion, first receiue it himselfe? doth he use any bread or wine newly brought, before the words of in­stitution be rehearsed and the bread and wine present on the Communion table? doth he not deliuer the bread and wine to euery Communicant seuerally?

8 Hath your Minister admitted to the Cōmunion any that be openly knowne to liue in some notorious offence or Crime without repentance or satisfaction of the Congregatio [...], or who hath openly and maliciously contended with his or her Neighbours, before hée or shée haue openly and charitably reconciled them­selues againe and remitted all rancour and malice, whatsoeuer Controuersie hath beene betweene them?

[Page]9 Doth your Minister administer the Communion to any but such as knéele, or doe any refuse to knéele? hath he administred to any who refuse to be present at publick prayer, or who hath depraued the Booke of Common Prayer, admini­stration of the Sacraments or the Rites and Ceremonies prescribed, or the Ar­ticles of Religion agréed upon, or the Booke of Ordering Priests and Bishops, or against his Maiesties supremacy? haue any béene for these causes repelled, and haue they repented in writing or otherwise and what be their names?

10 Hath your Minister more benefices then one? if he hath how farre distant are they? and whether serues he two Cures or not? when he is absent, hath he an allowed Preacher for his Curat?

11 Hath your Church or Chappell béene destitute of a Curate, and how long, and by whose default? hath any Curate serued or doth any Curate serue without lycence of the Ordinary?

12 Doe you know any Popish Priests, Seminaries, Iesuits, or Runnagate persons that doe preach, say Masse or minister any Popish Sacraments or Cere­monies, or else doe resort secretly or openly unto your parish, and what be their names, and unto whose houses doe they resort, and of whome are they harboured and reléeued? set downe their Names and Sir-names?

13 Is your Parson Vicar or Curate or any other parson in your parish a fa­uourer of the Romish Church or Religion, or of any other sect or Schismaticall opinion, or hath he or doth he maintaine or teach any doctrine contrary or repug­nant to any of the Articles agréed vpon by the Clergie in the Conuocation holden at London Anno Dom. 1562? haue they taught publikly or secretly any doctrine tending to the discredit and dispraise either of the Booke of Common prayer, or of the Preachers and Ministers of the word and Sacraments, or of the recei­ued order for gouernment by Arch-Bishops, Bishops Deanes, Arch-deacons and o­ther Officers in the Church of England, or make any other innouation? Or haue they permitted any man so teaching, or making innouation in such manner?

14 Is your Minister an allowed Preacher, if he be not, doth he procure euery moneth a Sermon to be Preached in his Cure by Preachers lawfully licenced? And on euery Sunday when there is no Sermon, doth he or his Curate reade some one of the homilies prescribed?

15 Doth your Minister alwaies in saying the publike prayers and admini­string the Sacraments weare a decent Surplice with sleeues, and being a Gra­duate, doth he weare alwaies there-with an Hoode by the order of the Vniuersi­ties agréeable to his degrée?

16 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 doth he alwaies before the Sermon, Lecture, and homilie pray for Christs Catholike Church, The Kings Majesty, and our Gracious Queene Mary, the Noble Prince Charles, the Lady Mary, the Lady Elizabeth, and Her Princely Issue, [Page] The Ministers of Gods Holy word, as well Arch-Bishops and Bishops, as other Pastours and Curats, for the Kings most Honourable Councell, the Nobility and Magistrates of this Realme and the Commons? And doth he alwaies con­clude his prayer with the Lords prayer, According to the Cannon 55?

17 Hath or doth any strange Preacher 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?

18 Doth your Minister in his Sermons 4 times in the yeare at least, teach and declare the Kings Maiesties power within his Realmes to be the highest power vnder God, to whom all within the same owe iust loyalty & obedience, and that all forraine power is iustly taken away?

19 Doth your Minister euery Sunday halfe an hower before euening prayer or more, examine and instruct the youth of the parish in the Catechisme set forth in the Booke of Common prayer? And doe the Church-wardens assist the Mini­ster héerein? and who be they that refuse to be Catechized? and what Parents haue not diligently sent their Children and seruants to be Catechized?

20 Hath your Minister Married any without licence in the times prohibited, and hath he married any without licence whose banes haue not béene openly pub­lished in the Church 3 seuerall sundayes or holydayes? if any of the parties dwell out of the parish, hath he married them without Certificate vnder the Ministers hand of the other parish, that the banes of matrimony haue béene lawfully asked and published without contradiction? hath he married any at any other times of the day, then betwéene the howers of 8 and 12 in the forenoone, or in any priuate house, or when there is no licence before the Parents and Gouerners (the parties being vnder the age of 21 yeares) haue testified their consent?

21 Hath your Minister declared euery sunday to the people at the time ap­pointed what holy-dayes and fasting dayes be the weeke following? doth he, being a Preacher, conferre with all Recusants and persons Excommunicated and su­spected, to reduce them to the vnity of the Church?

22 Doth your Minister kéepe a note of all Excommunicated persons within your Parish, and once euery six months 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?

23 Is your Parson, Vicar, or Curate dilligent in visiting the sicke and com­forting them? doe they bury your dead in such Christian and comely manner, as is prescribed in the booke of Common prayer? hath any layman, other then a lawfull Minister taken vpon him to bury the dead contrary to order?

24 Hath your Minister refused to baptize any child brought to the Church, or to bury any Corps brought to the Church, or Churchyard, or to Church any wo­man hauing had conuenient warning thereof?

25 Hath your Minister, being truly informed of the danger of death of any [Page] Child vnbaptized, and being desired to goe to the place where the Childe is, to Baptize it, neglected to goe, by meanes whereof the Child dyed vnbaptized?

26 Haue you any Lecture in your Parish continued without lawfull licence of the Bishop? doth your Lecturer obserue all the rites specified in the 56 Canon?

27 Doth your Minister at any time preach or administer the Communion in any priuate house, except when any are so impotent that they cānot go to Church, or are very dangerously sicke?

28 Doe any Chaplaines in your parish preach or administer the Communion in any Chappell not consecrated, or in any house hauing no Chappell allowed by law? doe the Lords and Masters that haue priuate Chappels of their owne, resort often to the parish Church and there receiue the Communion, at the least once euery yeare?

29 Doth your Minister reside vpon his Parsonage or Vicarage house?

30 Hath there béene any secret Conuenticles or méetings in your parish by any Priests, Ministers, or others, tending to the deprauation of the forme of prayer, doctrine, or gouerment of this Church of England?

Concerning the Church, Church-yard, Parsonage, and Vicarage house.

1 WHether is your Church, Chappell, and Chancell, well and sufficiently repaired in the walls and roofe, the seates conuenient, the floore paued, the windowes glazed, and all these cleanely kept? Is the Mansion house of your Parson or Vicar with the buildings thereunto belonging, well and sufficiently repaired, and your Church-yard walls, Railes or pales kept in good repare?

2 Hath your Church or Church-yard béene abused & prophaned by any fighting, chiding, brawling, or quarelling, any playes, lords of mis-rule, Summer lords, Morris-dauncers, Pedlers, Bowlers, Bearewards, Butchers, Feasts, Schooles, Temporall Courts or Léets, Lay Iuries, Musters, or other prophane vsage? Haue any Bells béene superstitiously rung on holy-dayes, or their Eues, or at any other times, without good cause allowed by the Minister and Church-wardens? haue any trées béene fell'd in the Church-yard and by whom?

3 Are your Almes-houses, Church-houses & schoole-houses or other houses and buildings set vpon the soile of the Church or Church-yard sufficiently repaired maintained and to godly and right vse imployed?

4 Haue you in your Church or Chappell all things necessary for Common prayer and other Rites of the Church, as the Bible in the largest volume, the Booke of Comon Prayer lately authorized by his Maiesty, the Bookes of homi­lies allowed, a conuenient Pulpit for preaching, a decent seate for the Minister to reade seruice in, conueniently placed, a strong Chest with thrée lockes and thrée keyes, one for the Minister, the other for the Church-wardens for the kéeping of the Register Booke of the Christnings, marriages and Burials, and a poore mans box conueniently set néere the Church doore?

5 Haue you in your Church a Font of stone, for Baptisme set in the ancient, [Page] vsuall place, a decent Table for the Communion, conueniently 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?

6 Haue you all such Bells, Ornaments and other Vtensils as haue anciently belonged to your Church, a Communion Cup of Siluer with a Couer, a faire standing Pot of Pewter or purer mettal for the wine vpon the Communion table a comely Surplesse with sleeues, and a Booke of the names of all strange Prea­chers subscribed with their names, and the name of the Bishop or others where they had licence?

7 Haue you a booke of parchment for a Register books, of Mariages, Christ­nings and Burials? Are wéekely the names and Sur-names of all persons mar­ried, christned, and buried, and of their parents with the day and yeare written fairely in the sayd parchment booke? Is euery leafe (being full) subscribed by you the Minister and Church-wardens?

8 Haue you in the East-end of the Church the tenne Commandements fairly written and set up, and other chosen sentences of the holy Scripture written vp­on conuenient places of the wals? Is there a table of the degrees of mariage sett up? Haue you seates enough in the Church for the parishioners to fit on, and are they in good repaire?

Concerning Ecclesiasticall Courts.

1 HAth the Officiall, or his surrogate, or any other exercising Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in this Archdeaconrie, their Registers, or Actuaries, Appari­tors, or Sumners, at any time wincked at, and suffered any Adulteries, Forni­cations, Incests, or other faults or offences to passe and remaine vnpunished and vncorrected, or haue they commuted any pennance of such offendors?

2 Hath your Register, his deputy, or substitute, set vp two Tables of the rates of Fées; one in the vsuall place or Consistory where the Court is kept, and the other in his Registry; and both of them in such sort, as euery man whom it con­cerneth may come to the view and perusall thereof? Or if such Tables haue heretofore béene set up, hath your Register remoued the same, or suffered them to be remoued, hidden, or any wayes hindred from sight?

3 Doe you know any housholder or other person whatsoeuer, within your Pa­rish or Chappelrie, that is deceased, that haue made their last wills and testa­ments, the same not being yet proued; or if without will, who haue entred vpon their goods without lawfull administration taken from the Ordinary or other Iudge competent?

Concerning Schoole-masters.

1 HAue you in your Parish any Schoole-masters, who teach either in pub­like schoole or in priuate house? Is he reputed to be of sound faith and re­ligion? Doth he giue any euill example of life? Is he allowed by the Ordina­ry vnder his hand and seale? Or doth your Minister or Curate teach, and is he al­lowed in like manner?

[Page]2 Doth your Minister or Schoole-master who teacheth, teach the Catechisme by authority set forth? Doth hee when there is any Sermon, or diuine Seruice bring his schollers to Church, and sée them quietly and soberly ordered? Doth hée examine them after their returne what they haue learned of the Sermon?

Concerning the Parish clarke, and Sexton.

1 HAue you a parish-clerke appointed by the Minister, sufficient for his place, of the age of twenty yeares at least. Is he of honest conuersation? Can he reade, write, and sing? Is he diligent in his office, and seruiceable to the Mi­nister in time of diuine Seruice, and otherwise?

2 Doth your Clerke meddle with any thing aboue his office, as churching of women, burying the dead, reading of prayers, or such like?

3 Doth your Clerk or Sexton kéep your Church cleane, the doores safe locked? Is any thing by his default lost or spoiled in the Church, doth he suffer any vn­reasonable ringing, or any prophane exercise in the Church.

4 Doth any of your Parish refuse to pay vnto the Parish-clerke or Sexton, such wages as are vnto them due, and haue beene accustomably payd?

Concerning parishioners.

1 DOth any in your Parish prophane, violate, or mispend the Sabbath or Ho­lidayes or any part of them, vsing any offensiue conuersation, or worldly labour in those dayes or any of them?

2 Hath any in your Parish in time of diuine Seruice couered his head, albeit he hath infirmity, in which case a Cap is allowed? Is there any who hath not reuerently knéeled when the generall Confession, Letany, and other prayers are read, and which haue not stood vp at the saying of the Beléefe?

3 Hath any in your Parish disturbed diuine Seruice, by walking, talking, or any other way; or departed out of the Church during the Seruice, or Sermon, without some vrgent cause or loitered about the Church or Church-porch?

4 Are there any in your Parish, either man or woman, being aboue sixteene yeares of age, that hath not receiued the holy Communion thrice at least euery yeare, whereof once at Easter? Or haue any receiued the Communion in any other Parish Church or Chappell than their owne?

5 Doth any parent answer as God-father for his owne childe? Hath any God-father or God-mother made any other answer or spéech than is prescribed in the booke?

6 Doe all fathers, mothers, masters, mistrisses, come, and cause their chil­dren, seruants, and Apprentices, to come duly to the Church, and according to the Ministers direction, to be instructed and catechised; or who be they that haue not obeyed the Minister herein?

7 Haue any persons maried together within the degrées prohibited, set forth in a table appointed to be in euery Church?

8 Haue any persons once lawfully maried together forsaken each other, or doe [Page] liue asunder without the authority of the Ordinary? Or doe any being diuor­ced or separated marry againe, the former husband or wife yet liuing?

9 Hath any in your Parish vnreuerently vsed your Minister, or haue any laid violent hands vpon him, or disgraced his office and calling by word or deed?

10 Haue you in your Parish any dweller or soiourner, a maintainer of Po­pish doctrine, or suspected to keepe or disperse schismaticke bookes, or to fauour any heresie or error?

11 Haue any in time of diuine Seruice opened their shops, exercised their trades, vsed any gaming, béene in any Tauerne or Ale-house or otherwise ill imployed?

12 Are there in your Parish any adulterers, fornicators, incestuous persons, bawdes, receiuers, or close fauourers, conueiers away or sufferers of any incon­tinent persons to depart vnpunished; or any which haue their méetings in priuate places in the night time or other vndecent times, and by reason thereof are com­monly defamed or vehemently suspected of any of the said crimes?

13 Is the fifth of Nouember kept holy, and thanksgiuing made to God for his Maiesties and the States happy deliuerance, according to the Ordinance in that behalfe?

14 Are there in your Parish any blasphemers, common swearers, ribaudes, and such as commonly vse bawdy, immodest, vnciuill, and filthy spéeches, mali­cious slanderers, scolds, common drunkards, or any defamed of any of the said crimes?

15 Doe any in your Parish administer the goods of the dead without authori­ty, or suppresse their Will and Testament? Haue any Executors neglected to performe the wils of the dead, especially in paying of Legacies giuen to the Church, to the poore, or to any other charitable or godly vses?

16 Doe any refuse to pay to the reparations, ornaments, and other things re­quired in your Church, as they are cessed or taxed?

17 Haue any in your Parish béene christned, churched, buried, or receiued the Communion; or béene maried out of your Parish, both parties dwelling in your Parish?

18 Haue all women in your Parish deliuered of child, come at conuenient time after to Church to giue thankes? And haue they béene Churched according to the forme of the booke of Common Prayer?

19 Hath the perambulation of the circuit of your Parish béene obserued once euery yeare at the vsuall time? If not, by whose default?

20 Haue any in your Parish giuen to the Church-wardens or Side-men or any of them euill words, for doing their Office according to their Oath, and conscience in making presentment for any default?

21 Is there any man or woman in your Parish that vseth witchcraft, sorcery charmes, or vnlawfull prayer, or incantations in Latine, or English, or other­wise, [Page] vpon any Christen body or beast, or any that resorteth to such persons for counsell or helpe?

Concerning Church-wardens and Sworne-men.

1 DOe any in your Parish take vpon them to bee Church-warden or Sides­man, which is not lawfully chosen by the Minister and Parishioners ac­cording to the Canon? Doe any continue that office longer than one yeare, ex­cept they be chosen againe; and are al such officers chosen yearely in Easter-wéek?

2 Do your Church-wardens within one moneth at the most after their yeare ended, before the Minister and Parishioners, giue vp a iust account of all such money, and other things as they haue receiued and bestowed? Haue they deliue­red all remaining in their hands, belonging to the Church or Parish, to the next Church-wardens?

3 Haue the Church-wardens with the aduice of the Minister from time to time, prouided a sufficient quantity of fine white bread and wholesome wine for the number of communicants? Haue you at euery Communion collected the deuotion of the Communicants, and put it into the poore-mans-box?

4 Doe the Church-wardens and sworne-men before euery visitation, and at other times when there is iust occasion, meete and conferre about their present­ments, and who hath (after notice giuen him of the time and place) carelesly absented himselfe?

5 Is the forfeiture of twelue pence for absence from the Church appointed by state for the vse of the poore, taken and leuyed by the Church-wardens, and im­ployed according to the said statute? Is the same forfeiture taken of all persons which stand wilfully suspended or excommunicated?

6 Haue any Church-wardens lost, sold, changed, or retained, any goods, orna­ments or bels, rents, or implements of the Church, without speciall licence of the Ordinary?

7 Doe you the Church-wardens and Swornemen about the midst of Diuine seruice vsually walke out of the Church, and see who are abroad in any Ale-house or else where absent, or euill imployed: and haue you presented all such to the Or­dinary?

8 Doe you know or haue heard of any fame, or offence committed, or duty o­mitted, by any of your Parish before your time, and heretofore not presented by the former Church-wardens to the Ordinary, and as yet not reformed, and haue you presented the same?