❧For the Cleargie.
INPRIMIS, you must trauell diligently and painefully to sette forth Gods true religion, and adourne the same wyth example of godlye lyfe, being circumspect that you offende no man, eyther by light behauiour, or by light apparell.
2 Item, vpon euery Sunday and holyday, ye shall in your Churche at conuenient houres reuerently and distinctly say or sing the Common prayer appoynted by the lawes of thys Realme, both in the fore noone and after noone, so turning and placing your selues, as the people may best heare the same, and vpon euerye Wednesday and Fridaye (not beyng holydaye) ye shall say the Letanie and other Prayers appoynted for the day, and shall also at all tymes requisite and
conuenient, duely and reuerently minister the two holy Sacraments according to such order as is set forth in the booke of Common prayer, and administration of the Sacraments. &c.
3 Item, ye shall euery Sunday, and euerye holye day openly in the Churche, heare and instruct the children and seruauntes of both sexes within your parish, at the least so many of them at once by course as the tyme will serue, and as ye may well heare and instruct for an houre at the least before Euening prayer, in the ten commaundements, the Articles of the beliefe, and the Lordes prayer, and diligently examine and teach them the Cathechisme, set forth in the booke of common prayer.
4 Item, to the intent this thing maye bee more effectuallye executed, ye shall take the names of all the children and seruaunts of both sexes in your parish that be aboue sixe yeres of age, and vnder twentie, which can not saye the Catechisine, and shall call by course certaine of them by name, euery Sunday and euery holye day to come to the Catechisme, whereby you may easilye note and obserue, what parentes or maisters be negligent in sendyng theyr children and seruauntes to be instructed, and take occasion thereof both priuately and openly to exhort them to send their youth as they are appointed.
5 Item, you shall not admitte to the receyuing of the holy Communion any of your Parishe, whiche be openly knowne to liue in anye notorious sinne without repentance, vnlesse the same person do first openly reconcile him or hirselfe again to ye sati
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ction of the congregation, nor any malicious person
that is notoriously out of charitye, without priuate reconciliation first made to the party agaynst whom the malice shall be conceyued and borne.
6 Item, you shall not admit to the holy Communion any of your parishe, men, or women, beyng aboue twentie yeares of age, that can not say by heart the ten commaundements, the Articles of the fayth, and the Lordes prayer, nor any beyng aboue twelue yeres, and vnder twentie yeres of age, that can not saye by heart the Catechisme that is set forth in the booke of common prayer.
7 Item, for that purpose ye shal before Easter and all other times of the yeare when the holy Communion is to be by you ministred, giue warning before vnto your parishoners to come vnto you, eyther in the after noone of some Sunday or holy day, or the day before they purpose to receyue, or at some other times before, as necessitie shall cause you to appoint, if there be any multitude, or in the morning at the furthest, before they shall receyue, so that it be afore the beginning of Morning prayer, so many of them as intende to receyue, and not onelye to signifie vnto you their names, to thintent ye may keepe a register or note of all such persons as from time to time shall communicate, but also to be by you examined, whether they can say by hart the ten commaundements, the articles of the fayth, the Lordes prayer, and the Catechisme, according as after the diuersitie of their ages is aboue required, and such of them as either can not or will not recite the same by heart vnto you, ye shall repell and put backe from the holy Communion, vntill they shall be able and willing to learne,
and by heart recite the same vnto you. For your better assistance wherein, ye shall call vpon and require the Churchwardens and sworne men of your parish to be present, one of them at the least, at euery suche examination to thintent they maye helpe to put this good order in practise, and take a note of such wilfull and negligent persons, as shall be founde faultie in this behalfe, & so present the same to the Ordinarie.
8 Item, ye shall not admit to aunswere as Godfathers or Godmothers at the christening of anye childe, any person or persons, except he, she, and they haue before receyued the holy Communion, and can say by hart the articles of the christian faith, and will recite the same before the Minister, if he, she, or they be therevnto required.
9 Item, ye shall euery Sunday when there is no sermon in your Churche, distinctly and plainely read one of the Homelies set forth by the Queenes Maiesties authoritie or one part thereof at the least, in such sort as the same is appoynted to be read.
10 Item, ye shall not take vpon you to expounde any scripture or matter of doctrine by way of exhortation or otherwise, in your owne Churche or other where, vnlesse ye be admitted so to doe, by the Ordinarie, or be licenced to preach.
11 Item, you shall reade openly in your Church in time of diuine seruice, twice euery yeare vpon some of the Sundayes within one moneth next after the feastes of Easter and Saint Michaell tharchaungell, plainly without addition or chaunge: A declaration of certaine principall articles of religion, set forth by both the Archbishops and the rest of the Bishops
of this realme, for the vnitie of doctrine.
12 Item, you shal preach, or by such as are lawfully licensed, shall cause to be preached in the Churches where ye are Persons or Uicars, one sermon euery quarter of the yeare at the least.
13 Item, none of you shal serue. ij. cures at one time without speciall licence vnder your ordinaries seale.
14 Item, no Curate shall serue anye cure within this Diocesse, without speciall licence in writing vnder the Ordinaries seale.
15 Item, for the putting of the Churchewardens and sworne men better in remembraunce of theyr dutie, in obseruing and noting all such as do offende in not comming to diuine seruice, ye shall openlye euery sunday after ye haue read the second lesson at Morning and Euening prayer, monish and warne the Churchwardens and sworn men of your parish, to loke to their charge in this behalfe, and to obserue who contrary to the lawe doe that day offende, eyther in absenting themselues negligentlye or wilfully from their parish Church or Chappel, or vnreuerently vse themselues in the time of diuine seruice and so note the same, to the entent they may eyther present such offenders to the Ordinarie, when they shall be required therevnto, or leuie and take by way of distresse to the vse of the poore, such forfeytures as are appoynted by a statute made in that behalfe.
16 Item, ye shall from time to tyme diligently call vpon and exhort your Parishioners to conferre and giue towardes the reliefe of the poore as they maye well spare, and speciallye when ye visite them that be sicke, and make their testaments, and for your
owne partes also shall charitablye relieue the poore to your habilitie.
17 Item, ye shall dayly read at the least one chapter of the olde testament, and another of the newe, with good aduisement, and such of you as be vnder the degree of a Maister of Arte, shall prouide and haue of your owne, according to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions at the least the newe testament, both in Latin and Englishe conferring the one with the other, euery day one Chapter therof at the least, so that vpon the examination of the Archdeacon, Cō
missary or their officers, in synodes and visitations, it may appeare how ye profite in the studie of holy Scripture.
18 Finally, any of you shall not keepe any suspected woman in your house, or be an incontinent liuer, giuen to drunkennesse or ydlenesse, or be a haunter of Tauernes, Alehouses, or suspected places, or a hunter, hawker, dicer, carder, tabler, swearer, or otherwise giue any euill example of life, but contrariwise at all times when ye shall haue leysure, ye shall heare or read somwhat of holy scripture, or shall occupie your selues with some other honest studie or exercise, and oftentymes giue your selues to earnest prayer. And shall alway doe the thinges which appertaine to honestie, and moue your Parishioners to quiet and concorde, helping to reconcile them which shall happen to be at variance at any time, and by all meanes ye can, endeuor to profite the common wealth, hauing alwayes in mind that ye ought to excel all other in puritie of life, and should be examples to the people to liue well & christianly, not giuing any way iust cause of offence.
¶ For the Churchwardens and
enquirers, commonly called the sworne men of euery Parish.
INprimis, yt you the Church wardens and enquirers in euerye Parish within the Diocesse of Sarum shall vpon your othes duly and truly certifie and present in writing vnto the Ordinarie, Archedcacon of the place, or Commissarie, or to other officers appoynted in this behalfe, once or oftener in euery yere as hereafter is appoynted, at such certaine dayes and places as shall bee signified vnto you from time to tyme, all such matters as hereafter ensue. That is to say.
1 First, ye shall certifie and present once in euerye quarter of a yeare, whether your Personnes, Uicars, and Curates, doe diligentlye, obedientlye, and duly obserue and keepe all the sayde Iniunctions giuen vnto them, as is aboue mencioned, so far forth as the same doe anye maner of way concerne them or any of them, and if they doe not, then which and how many of the said Iniunctions do they not kepe, and in what poynts doe they violate and breake the same.
2 Item, whether the Queenes maiesties Iniunctions be quarterly read by your Persons, Uicars, or Curates.
3 Item, to certifie and present quarterly whether there be any among you, that is a hinderer of true
religion, or a fauourer of the Romish power, or that stubbornely refuseth to conforme himselfe to vnitie and godly religion, set forth by common aucthoritie, or anye that wilfully and obstinatelye defende or maintaine any herisies, or false doctrine, contrary to the holye scriptures, and what his or their names are.
4 Item, to present quarterly, whether any parish Clark or any other persō not being ordred at ye least for a Deacon, doe presume to solemnise matrimonie or minister the sacrament of baptisme, or deliuer to the communicants the Lordes cup at the celebration of the holy communion, and what he or they be, that so doe. And whether anye person not beyng a Minister, Deacon, or at the least tollerated by the Ordinarie in writyng, doe attempt to say the common prayer, and other diuine seruice openlye in the Churche, and what he is that so doth.
5 Item, to certify quarterly, whether your Curate presume to serue in your Parishe Churche without licence from the Ordinarie in writing, and vnder seale, or whether anye serue twoo cures without licence.
6 Item, to certifie yearely at the visitation, whether your Parishe haue a Bible of their owne, the booke of common prayer, a Psalter, the two bookes of Homilies, the boke called the Paraphrases of Erasmus, and other bookes requisite, and a fayre and comly Communion cup of siluer with a couer of siluer for the same, which couer may serue for the ministration of the Lordes breade.
7 Item, to certifie likewise, whether your Quiere
be comlye and orderly kept, whether ye haue a faire and comly Communion table standing vpō a frame with a faire linnen cloth to lay vpon the same, and some carpet or couering of silke, Buckeram, or suche like for the cleane keping thereof, and a decent large Surples with sleeues for the Minister, to be vsed of him in all his ministration within the Church, and also a chist or boxe for the almose of the poore.
8 Item, to certifie quarterly, whether your register booke of christenings, mariages and burials, be duly kept, and the same christenings, mariages, and burials as they happen from time to time, be entred by your Minister into the same booke, in the presence of you the Churchwardens or one of you.
9 Item, to certifie quarterly, whether whē any christian body is in passing, the bell be tolled, & the Minister called to comfort the sicke person, and after the time of his or hir passing, there be any more ringing but one short peale before the buriall, and another short peale after the buriall. And whether on all Saints day after Euening prayer there be any ringing in your Church, or other superstitious ceremonies vsed, tending to the maintenance of the popish purgatorie, or of praying for the dead, and who they be that vse or doe the same. And whether there be any ringing or tolling of Belles on Sundayes or holy dayes betweene Morning prayer and the Letanie, or in any time of diuine seruice, or reading of ye homilies or preaching, except one bel, in cōuenient time to be rong or tolled before the sermon. And who they be that so do ring, or toll the belles otherwise.
10 Item, to present yearelye at the visitation,
whether there be anye in your parish, man or woman, being of conuenient age, that hath not receiued the holy communion thrise at the least in euery yere, and namelye at Easter or thereabout for once, and what their names are. And whether yearely before Easter at such conuenient times (and namelye on Sundayes in Lent at after noone) as the Person, Uicar, or Curate shall appoint and require his parishioners to recite vnto him the Catechisme, or at the least the Lordes prayer, the Articles of the christian beliefe, & the ten commaundements by hart in English, if any wilfully & stubbornly refuse to recite the same, whether you the Churchwardens & sworn mē, or some of you, do assist & aid the minister therin.
11 Item, to present quarterly, whether such scholemaisters as teach in your parish, be of a sincere and sounde religion, and be diligent in teaching and bringyng vp of your youth godly, and whether also they be allowed by the Ordinarie to teach.
12 Item, to certifie and present quarterly, whether all fathers, mothers, and maisters of your Parishe cause their children and seruauntes both mankinde and womankind, being aboue sixe yeares of age, and vnder twentie yeres, which haue not learned the catechisme, or at the least such & so many of thē as your minister shall appoint, diligently to come to ye church euery sunday & euery holyday at the time appointed, and there obediently to heare, learne, & be ordred by your Minister, vntill such tyme as they haue learned all the sayd catechisme by hart, & what be the names of those that do not cause their children and seruants so to come to the church to be instructed & examined.
13 Item, to certifie and present quarterly, whether the lay people of your Parish especially housholders hauing no lawfull excuse to be absent, doe faithfully and diligently endeuor themselues to resort to their parish church or Chappel on the holy dayes, & chiefly on the Sundaies, to Morning and Euening praier, and vpon reasonable let thereof, to some other vsuall place where common prayer is vsed, & then, & there abide orderly & soberly, during all the time of cōmon praier, Homilies, preachings, & other seruice of God there vsed, and what bee the names of those that negligentlye or wilfully absent themselues, or come very late to the Church vpon the Sundaies and holy dayes, but especially vpon the Sundayes.
14 Item, to certifie & present quarterly the names of such of your parishioners as walke, talk, or otherwise vnreuerently behaue themselues in the church, or vse any gaming abroade, or in any house, or sit in the streates or churchyarde, or in anye Tauerne or Alehouse, vpon the Sunday or other holy day in the time of common prayer, sermon, or reading of any of the Homilies.
15 Item, to certifie and present quarterly, whether you the Churchwardens and sworne men doe leuie and gather of euery person that wilfully or negligently absenteth him or hir selfe from their Parishe church, or vnreuerently behaueth him or hir selfe in the church in time of diuine seruice vpon the Sundaies and other holy daies, the forfaiture of. xij. d. for euery such offence, according to a statute made in the first yere of the Queenes maiesties raign that now is, and haue put the same forfaitures to the vse of
the poore of the parish, and what particuler sūmes of money are quarterlye forfayted that way, and by whome, and howe much thereof is leuied and deliuered to the Collectors of the poore. And if any such forfaitures be not leuied incase of such offences, by whose default it happeneth, that the same are not leuied, and what be the names of such as offende that way, and doe not pay the saide forfaiture.
16 Item, to certifie and present quarterly, whether there be any Innekepers, alehousekepers, Uictuallers, or Tiplers, within your parish, yt admit or suffer any persou or persons in their houses, to eate & drinke, or play at cardes, tables, or other games in time of common prayer, preaching or reading of Homilies on the sundayes or holy dayes, and whether there be any shops open on sundayes or holy dayes, or any Butchers or others, that vse to sell meat or other things vpon the sundayes or holy dayes in lyke tyme of common prayer, preaching, or reading of the Homilies, & what be the names of the persons that so offende. And whether in any Fayres or common Markets falling vpō the sunday, there be any shewing of any wares before Morning prayer be done.
17 Item, to certifie and to present likewise, whether you haue Collectors for the poore of your Parishe, whether they do their duetie in gathering weekely, and distributing the almes of the poore, according to a statute made in the fift yere of the Queenes Maiesties raigne, and make a iust accompt thereof quarterly.
18 Item, to certifie and present likewise all such persons as be of habilitie and doe obstinately or frowardly
refuse to giue reasonablye towardes the reliefe of the poore, or doe wilfullye discourage others from so charitable a dede, and what be their names.
19 Item, to certifie & present at ye least quarterly all swearers and blasphemers of Gods name, all drunkerds, adulterers, fornicators, ribauldes, incestuous persons, bawdes or receiuers of such incōtinent persons, or of straunge women with childe, whose husbands are vnknowen, or any persons that are vehemently suspected of suche faultes, or that be not of good name and fame, touching such crimes and faultes, and all sowers of discorde betweene neighbor and neighbor within your Parish.
20 Item, to certify likewise, whether your church and chauncell be sufficiently repayred, and cleanlye kept, and the mansion house of your Person or Uicar with buyldings therevnto belonging likewyse well repayred, and your Churchyarde well fensed, and cleanly kept, and if any of the same be ruynous, & in decay, through whose default it is so. Whether the Churchwardens of the last yeare were enioyned to haue repayred any part of the Church, or to haue fenced the Churchyard, & did neglect to do the same.
21 Item, to certifie whether the Churchwardens of the last yeare haue giuen to the Parish a iust accompt of the church goodes that were committed to their charge, & what church goodes they haue solde, and to whome
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and whether to the profite of the church or no? And whether any person suppresse the last will of the dead, and performe not Legacies bequethed to the church, or to Orphanes, pore maydes mariages, high wayes, scholes, or to any other godly vse.
22 Item, to certifie & present, whether the churchwardens and sworne men of the last yere haue of any priuate corrupt affection concealed any crime, or other disorder in their tyme done in your parish, and haue not presented the same to the Archdeacon, or Commissarie, or other officers, hauing bene charged and enioyned vpon their othes to present the same, and what crime or disorder the same was. And whether they or any of thē at any such time or times as they shoulde haue bene at diuine seruice in the church vpon the sundayes and holydayes, and should there haue obserued such Persons as then were absent from the Church, haue themselues bene absent frō the church, & haue sit in ye tauerne or alehouse, or haue bene ydle else where, or at ye boules, cards, tables, or other gaming, in time of diuine seruice without regard of their office or dutie in that behalfe.
23 Item, to certifie and present once in the yeare, whether for the retayning of the perambulation of the circuite of your Parish in the Rogation dayes, commonly called the Gang weeke, your Minister, and your Clerke without wearing any Surplesses vpon them, and you the Churchwardens and sworn men, with certaine others of the substanciall men of your Parishe, doe yearelye walke the accustomed boundes of your Parish, with giuing of thanks, and vsing of such order of prayers and Homilies, as be appoynted by the Queenes Maiest
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s aucthoritie in that behalfe, without carying of banners, staying at crosses, or vsing anye other superstitious ceremonies in any of your perambulations.
24 Item, to present likewise, whether there haue
bene any Lordes of misrule, or disguised persons in Christmas, or daunsers, minstrels, or May gamers, at any other time, that haue vnreuerently come into your Church, and there played vuseemely parts, with scoffes, ie
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ts, and ribauldrie talke, or daunsing, and namely in time of Common prayer, and what their names be, and the names also of such others as came with them to maintaine such disorder.
25 Item, to present quarterly, whether ye knowe any to be maryed within the degrees of affinitie or consanguinitie prohibited by the lawes of God, or any that beyng diuorced and seperated for the same, doe yet notwithstanding cohabite and keepe companie still togither, or whether any beyng maryed without those degrees haue vnlawfullye forsaken their Wyues, or Husbandes, or marryed others. For the more certaine knowledge of which degrees, you shall procure, that the Table touching the degrees of Matrimonie
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st set foorth by the most Reuerend father in God Mathew Archbishop of Cantorburye, be fastened in some conuenient place in your Church.