¶ARTICLES given in charge to be inquired upon and presented too, by the Churchwardens, Side-men, Quest-men and Inquisitors in every parish within the Province of Ardmagh, in the course of the Metropoliticall visitation of the same, in this present yeare begun, by the most reverend Father in God, Christopher, by the mercie of God, Lo: Archbishop of Ardmagh, Primate and Metropolitane of all Ireland. The said presentments to be made upon their and every their corporall Oathes; whereunto the Parson, Vicar, Curate, and Parish-clarke in every of the said Parishes, are to be assisting, so farre as they and every of them can, respectively in their knowledge or understanding.
INprimis, whether is your Parson, Vicar or Curate resident continually in, at, and upon his Benefice, doing his duetie in reading distinctly the divine Service, preaching the word, and duly administring the holy Sacraments, according to the booke of Common Prayer?
2 Item, whether doth your Parson or Vicar (being lawfully absent from his Cure at any time) leave in his place a sufficient and conformable Curat, to celebrate divine Service, administer the Sacraments, and teach and preach the Scriptures?
3 Item, whether is your Parson, Vicar, or Curate a common resorter to Tavernes or Alchouses, giving himselfe to drinking, ryoting, & playing at Cards, dyce, or other unlawfull games: or is he a Striker, dueller, dancer or hunter; or so reported?
4 Item, whether is your Parson or Vicar, or anie other of or in your parish, an Usurer, or lender of his money for unlawfull gaine, or whether is he, or are they taken or reputed so to be?
5 Item, whether do the Proprietaries, Parsons, vicars & other possessors of the Churches, Chappells and their mansions within your parish, keep the chancels of their rectories & vicarages, & other their houses & buildings belonging to the same, in due reparations?
6 Item, whether hath your Parson, Vicar or Curate received anie persons to the holy communion, being openly knowne to be at debate and out of charitie with their neighbours, or defamed with anie notorious crime and not reformed?
7 Item, whether hath your Parson, Vicar or Curate denied or neglected to visite the sicke, or burie the dead, being brought to the Church, and having thereof notice?
8 Item, how many Benefices or ecclesiasticall promotions hath your Parson or vicar, and how farre distant are they the one from thother? what chappels hath he to his Cures belonging? by what names are they called, and how and by whom are they served?
9 Item, whether doth your parson, vicar or curate minister the holy communion anie otherwise then onely after such forme and maner as is set forth in the booke of common prayer?
10 Item, whether doth your Parson, Vicar or Curate (being no Preacher allowed) presume to expound the Scriptures, in his owne Cure, or elsewhere? or doth hee procure (once in a moneth at the least) a Sermon to be preached in his Cure, by Preachers lawfully licensed? and upon everie Sunday, when there is no Sermon, doth he or his Curate reade some one of the Homilies prescribed?
11 Item, whether doth your Minister every Sunday and Holy-day, halfe an houre at the least, before Evening prayer, examine and instruct the youth of your parish in the Catechisme, set forth by Authoritie in the booke of common prayer; and whether doth he call them thereunto in course, and whether do the Churchwardens of the parish assist him therein?
12 Item, what Schoolemasters have you in your parish, that eyther teach privatly or publickly, and not licensed thereunto, and by whom be they harboured?
13 Item, whether be there in your parish anie persons that contemne or abuse, by word or deed, the Ministers of the Church?
14 Item, whether the Service of your Church be begun and ended at due and convenient houres, and whether the same be celebrated by your Parson, Vicar or Curate according to the booke of common prayer?
15 Item, whether any person within your parish doe wilfully maintaine and defend anie heresie, error, or opinion contrary or repugnant to the Scriptures and doctrine of the Church?
16 Item, whether there be anie in your parish that be common drunkards, swearers, or blasphemers of the name of God?
17 Item, whether be there anie in your parish who have committed adulterie, fornication or incest, or be common baudes or receivers of such lewd and evill persons, or that be vehemently suspected thereof, or of anie of the like crimes?
18 Item, who they be (if any such there be in your parish) that be braulers, slanderers, chiders, scholders, make-bates, and sowets of discords betweene one person and another, and especially betweene man and wife, parents and their children, masters & their servants?
19 Item, whether be there anie in your parish that doe use and exercise charmes, sorceries, inchantmēts, invocations, circles, witchcrafts, soothsayings, or anie like arts invented by the divell, and especially in or at the time of womens travaile?
20 Item, whether is your Church sufficiently repaired, & therein your Pulpit and Communion-table decently furnished and appointed; if not, whose default the same is?
21 Item, whether there be in your parish any that (in contēpt of their own parish church) do resort to any other church or chappell?
22 Item, whether any In holders or Alchouse-keepers within your parish do commonly use to sell meat & drink within the time of cōmon prayer, preaching or reading of the Homilies aforesaid?
23 Item, whether any in your parish under government of their parents or others, have made privie contracts of matrimonie, not calling thereunto two or mo witnesses, nor having the consent of their parents, or such others under whose government they are?
24 Item, whether such persons, or other in your parish, have married the banes not first solemnly asked, or at unseasonable houres?
25 Item, whether you know in your parish any executors of dead mens goods, which doe not bestow or have not bestowed the same, especially such of the said goods as were bequeathed or appointed to be distributed among the poore, repayring of high-waies, finding of poore schollers, or marrying of poore maydens, or such other charitable deeds accordingly?
26 Item, whether any in your parish do use to keep abrogate holy-dayes, or other then by order of the Churches of England and Ireland are appointed for holy-daies by the book of cōmon praier?
CHANCELLORS.
27 Item, whether is your Chancellor, Commissarie or Officiall learned in the Ecclesiasticall and civill lawes, and such an one as is xxvj. years old at the least, and hath taken some degree in Schooles, and is reasonably well practised in the course of those lawes, & touching whose life and conversation, no evill report hath gone?
28 Item, whether your Chancellor, Commissarie, or anie other exercising Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in this Diocesse, their Registers, actuaries, Apparitors or Sumners have at anie time wincked at, & suffered adulteries, fornications, incests, or other like offences to passe and remaine unpunished, or have commuted anie penance without the speciall license of the Lord Bishop of the Diocesse?
29 Item, what persons are there in your parish that have beene married that have beene divorced, and have married with others, for these three yeares last past? by whose sentence were they divorsed, and by whose license, and by whom were they so married? Declare your knowledge in the premisses, and what you have credibly heard.
30 Item, whether doth your Chancellor, Cōmissarie or Officiall for his exercising the Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction of the Diocesse, give any yearely rent, summe or summes of money, or other consideration for the same, to any person or persons whatsoever?
31 Item, is there in our parish any other matter or cause of the cognizance of the Church above not expressed, worthy presentment in your iudgement? if any such matter or cause there be, you are charged likewise to present the same, as you are the rest by vertue of the same Oath.
Imprinted at Dublin by the Societie of Stationers. Anno 1623.