ARTICLES TO BE ENQVIRED OF BY THE CHVRCHwardens and Sworne-men within the Arch-Deaconrie of Worcester, in the Visitation of the Worshipfull Mr. Edward Thornburgh, Arch-Deacon of Worcester.
Anno Domini.
LONDON, Printed for IOHN GRISMOND.
A note of Directions.
1. THe old Church-vvardens and Side-men of euery Parish Church and Chappell are to ioyne together in appearance, & presentment vpon the Articles formerly deliuered in this behalfe, and the Minister also may ioyn in presentment with them if hee will, or othervvise the Minister may present alone. And the nevv elected Church-vvardens and Side-men are to appeare, and to take their oaths, and to exhibit their presentments afterwards when they shall be assigned, as by the 118 and 119 Canons is required. The presentments are to be plainely and particularly set downe to ansvver euery part and branch of euery seuerall Article follovving, and to be subscribed and testifyed vnder the hands and markes of all and singular the Presenters.
2 The Proprietaries, Parsons, Vicars, Curats, and Sequestrators of Ecclesiasticall Benefices, and their respectiue Farmers, and all publike Lecturers, Schoolemasters, Vshers, and Vnder-Schoolemasters, &c. within euery Parish, are also to appeare, and to exhibite their Letters of Orders, Institutions, and Inductions, and all other their Dispensations, Licenses, and faculties vvhatsoeuer, not being formerly exhibited in the Visitation of the moderne Arch-Deacon novv visiting. And they are also to make reall payment of all such procurations and Synodalls, and other dueties as are respectually due and payable by euery of them seuerally in this Visitation.
THE TENOVR OF THE Oath to be ministred to all and euery the Church-wardens and Sidemen, or Assistants in the said Visitation.
YOu and euery of you shall sweare by almighty God, that all favour, feare, & affection, and all other sinister corruption whatsoeuer set aside, vpon due consideration of these Articles giuen you in charge, you will make a true, plaine, perfect, and particular answer and presentment in writing to the same articles, and to euery braunch and part thereof, presenting all and euery offenders and offences therein mentioned so as may stand with the glory of God, the discharge of your consciences, and the jurisdiction of the ecclesiasticall Court: wherein you shall deale sincerely, faithfully, & vprightly as before God. So helpe you God in Christ Jesus.
Concerning Church and Church-yard.
WHether is your Church and Chancell in all respects well and sufficiently repayred, and kept sweete and cleane, if not, in whose default? Haue you therein the ten Commandements, the Articles of the beliefe, and other godly sentences fairely written: the Bible of the largest volume, the Bookes of Common prayer, the two volumes of Homilies, the booke entituled God and the King, and all other bookes requisite: a seemely Pulpit, a conuenient seat for the Minister at Prayers, a large and comely Surplesse, whole and vntorne?
2 Haue you in your Church a strong chest for almes, with a hole in the top, and three lockes and keyes thereto: Is the money therein put, imployed to the vse of the poore?
3 Haue you a Register of Christnings, Weddings, and Burials, in a booke of parchement duely kept in a chest with three lockes and keyes?
4 Hath any man pulled downe, or vncouered, or suffered to decay any Parsonage or Vicarage houses, or any Church, Chancell, Chappell Vestry, or Church-houses in part or in all, or imployed them, or any of them to any prophane vses?
5 Whether is your Parsonage, Vicarage, or Ministers house, or any part thereof conuerted, made, vsed, or imployed, to or for any common passege, entry, thorow-fare, or common way for people, or Cattell vsually to passe thorow, forth of the Church-yard into or vnto any Alehouse, Tipling or Victualing house, common Inne or wine Tauerne, and by whom, and by whose sufferance and permission, and how long hath the same béen so made, enioyned, vsed, imployed, or rather misused and misimployed as aforesaid?
6 Whether are the Pales, fences, enclosures, and markes of ancient Founds and Limits of your Parsonage, Vicarage, or Ministers houses, or of the Courts, entries gardens, backsides, or other appurtenances belonging to the same, or any part thereof remooued, or altered, or taken away from their ancient places, bounds, and limits thereof, and layd and vsed to and with any victualling house, common Inne, or wine Tauerne, and by whom, when, and by whose sufferance, & how long time hath the same beene so done and suffered? And whether by the continuance of the vse of the premises, as aforesaid, may not the same in short time growe out of knowledge, and by some prescription to become preiudiciall to the Church or succéeding Incumbent thereof?
[Page]7 Are your Bells, Bel-ropes, and Clocke in good repayre, and well ordered? Is your Churchyard well fenced, and decently kept? Is it not prophaned with fighting, brawling, chiding, gaming, danceing, playing, or with vnlawfull Cattell, or otherwise; and how, and by whom, and by whose default?
Ministers, and Curates.
8 Doeth your Minister reade or say the whole diuine Seruice euery Sunday and Holyday, and administer the holy Sacraments according to the Booke of Common Prayer? Is your Minister a licensed Preacher, doth he diligently preach sound doctrine, and for matters of gouernment seriously teach and maintaine the Kings supremacy vnder God within his Maiesties dominions ouer all persons, and in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill, and the abolishing of all forraigne power?
9 Hath your Minister more Benefices than one; if two, or more, doth he reside vpon one of them himselfe, and maintaine a licensed Preacher on the other? If he haue but one, is he resident and dwelling thereupon, is he painefull in his vocation, of sober and good conuersation, and giuen to hospitality?
10 Doth your Minister vse decency of Aparrel as well in the Church as elsewhere, and in the time of diuine Prayers, and administration of the Sacraments, doth he vse to weare the Surplesse? and if he be a Graduate, such a hood as is agreeable to his calling?
11 Is your Minister a peace-maker, and no sower of discord, or is hee suspected, famed, or noted of any notorious crime, or giueth he any ill example, in his carriage or demenour.
12 Doth any preach in your Parish, that refuseth to conforme himselfe to the lawes, ordinances, and rises of the Church of England?
13 Hath your Minister a Curate, and how is hee licensed? doth hee serue two Cures, and doth he giue notice of the Fasting dayes and Holy-dayes commanded and allowed? and amongst others of the fifth of Nouember?
14 If your Minister bee not a Preacher allowed, doeth hee procure monethly Sermons? and when there is no Sermon, doth he reade an Homily, doth he take vpon him to expound any text of Scriptures?
15 What Preachers haue come from any other place, and preached in your Parish? haue you their names written in a booke kept for that purpose? hath such a Preacher subscribed his name thereto, and set downe the day when he preached, and by whom licensed?
16 Hath your Minister obtayn [...]d his Benefice by any Symonicall compact, either directly, or indirectly.
[Page]17 Hath any of your Parish, or of any other Parish, vnreuerently vsed your Minister, layd violent hands on him, or disgraced his office and function by word, or déed?
Diuine Seruice.
18 Is diuine Seruice in due time on Sundayes, Holy-dayes and their Eues, and at other times appoynted, reuerently said or sung in your Church or Chappell, with the Letany on Wednesdayes and Frydayes, and all other rites and ceremonies, according to the prescript forme of common Prayer in the Communion Booke?
19 Whether doth any, not being licensed (or any not ordered, at least for a Deacon) say common Prayer openly in your Church or Chappell?
20 Doe any men, young or old, vse to weare their hats in the Church or Chappell in time of diuine Seruice, or are there any that behaue themselues disorderly in the Church, Chappell, or Churchyard, or any disturbers of diuine Seruice or Sermons?
21 Whether doe any Victualers (or others in your Parish) suffer any drinking or gaming in their houses on Sundayes or Holy-dayes, especially in time of diuine Seruice or Sermons?
22 Whether any in your Parish vpon Sabbath dayes or Holy-dayes, doe vse their trade, or doe any other worke or labour, as Brewing, Baking, Washing, Barbing, or such like, or doe any Mercers Drapers, Shoomakers, Butchers, or others whatsoeuer open their shops for sale of Wares vpon those dayes, or doe hedge, ditch, dig, carry, or draw burdens by themselues, their seruants, horses, or other cattell whatsoeuer on such dayes? And is the fifth day of Nouember obserued, according as is ordayned in that behalfe?
The holy Communion.
23 Haue you a decent Communion Table on a frame, with a séemely Carpet, and a cloth of Linnen, a Communion cup and couer of siluer, a faire Flagon of Pewter, or purer mettall for the Wiue, a plate for the Bread, and a Towell to lay ouer it?
24 Whether is there any in your Parish, which being full sixteene yeares of age and vpward, hath not receiued the holy Communion thrée seuerall times in the yeare past, at least in his or her Parish Church, whereof Easter to be one of the thrée times?
25 Doth your Minister instruct, or examine his Parishioners concerning the Sacraments at conuenient times before he administer the Communion? And doeth hee admit any thereto, that cannot say at least the Lords Prayer, the Articles of the Christian faith, and the ten Commandements?
[Page]26 Is your Communion ministred with Bread and Wine, consecrated in such order, as in the Booke of common Prayer is appoynted? And doth your Minister deliuer both kindes to euery seuerall Communicant, with the blessing prescribed in the booke of common Prayer?
27 Doth any receiue the holy Communion either sitting, standing, or otherwise then knéeling, as is prescribed in the booke of common Prayer? Or doe any refuse to receiue the same kneeling? and doth your Minister admit any to receiue the Communion otherwise then kneeling?
28 Doth your Minister admit any notorious Offenders, or any Schismaticks to the holy Communion, before one penance enioyned 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?
29 Whether doth your Minister appoynt and obserue so many Communions euery yeare, as that the Parishioners may conueniently receiue all of them thrée seuerall times in the yeare. And doth he use to giue publike notice thereof in the Church, the Sabbath day next going before euery such Communion, that the Parishioners may prepare themselues to be partakers thereof?
Baptisme.
30 Haue you in your Church a conuenient Font of stone, well kept; and couered, standing in the ancient place? Doth your Minister baptize therein, or in a Bason, or other thing, or with any other ceremonies than such as are allowed in the Booke of common Prayer; or doth he omit, neglect, or not vse all the ceremonies therein prescribed, and doeth hee vse the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme?
31 Doth your Minister refuse to baptize any children of Christian parents, that are brought to the Church?
32 Are parents vrged to be present at the baptizing of their children? or be any admitted to be God-fathers or Godmothers, that haue not receiued the holy Communion? or do any parents refuse to haue their children signed with the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme?
33 Haue any children that were borne in your parish, béen carried out of the parish to bee baptized elsewhere? or haue any not been baptized at all, or in places, or by parties vnknowne?
34 Whether hath your Minister refused, deferred, or delayed to co [...] vnto and to christen any child being in weakenesse, or in danger of death, being thereunto required, by reason whereof such a child hath (through his negligence, or by his default) dyed vnbaptized?
Cathechisme.
35 Doth your Minister, or his Curate, duely catechize according to the late Canons euery Sunday, such children and seruants of both sexes, as are of conuenient age, or at least so many of them by course, as the time will serue?
36 Doe Parents and Housholders bring, or send their children and seruants to the Church euery Sunday duely to be catechized, according as the late Canons require, and who are negligent therein?
Matrimonie.
37 Whether is Matrimonie solemnized in your Church or Chappel, according to the booke of common Prayer?
38 Haue you in your Church a Table of the degrees of Marriage? are any married within the degrées of consanguinity or affinity therein forbidden? or doe any children vnder the age of twenty one yeares contract themselues or marry without consent of their parents, or Guardians?
39 Haue any beene marryed without the Banes thrice asked in the Church thrée seuerall Sundayes, or Holy-dayes (vnlesse by Licence of the Ordinary granted vnder Seale) or at any time of the day, than betwixt the houres of eight and twelue in the forenoone, or at any times prohibited that is to say, from Aduent Sunday to the Octaues of Epiphany, from Septuagesima Sunday to the Octaues of Easter; from Rogation Sunday to Trinity Sunday?
40 Haue any that dwell in your Parish, beene married in any other Parish, or any of another Parish, béene married in your Parish? or haue any béene married priuately out of the Church, or face of the Congregation, when, where, by whom, and who were present at such marriages?
41 Haue any women, not well knowne to be married, béen deliuered of any Child in your Parish and in whose house? or hath any woman in your Parish béene carnally knowne, or begotten with child before marriage, and by whom?
42 Haue any forsaken their Wiues or husbands, and married others? Haue any married againe after they haue béene diuorced? Or doe any which haue beene diuorced keep company still together?
43 Doe any married couples liue asunder and not together, and doe either of them keepe in their house, or secretly resort to any other, to the raising of suspition or fame of incontinency?
44 Hath any in your Parish, for money or reward, marryed any woman that committed fornication or adultery with another man? Or hath any vnmarried Woman, begotten with Childe, gone out of your Parish before shee hath done penance enioyned by the Ordinary, where [Page] was she, or is she receiued or harboured, at whose charge, and who conveyed her away?
Visitation of the sicke.
45 Doth your Minister or Curate visite the sicke, doth hee admonish them to repentance, comfort the Penitent, and exhort them to charitable almes déedes?
Buriall of the Dead.
46 Are your dead buryed according to the forme of Buriall set downe in the Booke of Common Prayer; or haue any been buryed secretly, or in the night, who and by whom, and who were present thereat?
47 Doe the Executors, or Administrators, or other friends of them that are buried in Church or Chancell, repaire againe the Pauement, and giue any thing to the Church, or in whose default is the same so neglected and not repayred?
Churching of women.
48 Doth any woman refuse to giue God thanks openly in the Church or (as we tearme it) to be churched at conuenient times after Childbirth, or doth any Minister refuse to church them, or church them any otherwise than is prescribed in the Booke of Common prayer?
49 Hath any woman vnlawfully begotten with child bin admitted to publique thankesgiuing in the Church before shee hath performed such pennance as was enioyned her by the Ordinary or at least been churched in a white sheete, and confessed her fault penitently before sufficient witnesses, and vndertaken to stand to the censure of her Ordinary for her said offence?
Parish Clarkes.
50 Haue you a Parish Clarke chosen by the Minister, is he of honest conuersation, hath hee competent skill in reading, writing, and singing: And doth any with-hold or detaine his Wages or dueties from him?
Schoolemasters.
51 Haue you any School-house, and how is it repayred: And haue you any Schoolemaster in your Parish that teacheth publikely, or priuately, is he lawfully licensed? Doth he come duely to the Church, and receiue the holy Communion? Doth hee instruct his Schollers in the Catechisme allowed, and in the booke entituled God and the King? Causeth he them to repayre to diuine prayers in the Church, & to hear and note Sermons? Teacheth he any other Grammar than that which is allowed?
52 Is any Schoolemaster knowne, or suspected, publikely, or priuately to reade to his Schollers, or suffer them to reade any booke that may confirme them in Popery, superstition, or disobedience to the Kings [Page] Maiesty, or to his lawes ecclesiasticall or ciuill, and how many, either men or women, doe teach children in your Parish, and what be their names?
Schismaticks and Recusants of all sorts.
53 Doe you know any that teach or maintaine any doctrine contrary to the Articles agreed vpon in the Conuocation Anno Dom 1562.
54 Doth any preach, minister the Communion, baptize children, or church women in priuate houses, or other-where than in the Church, except it be in cases of necessity?
55 Know you any that absent themselues from the Church negligently, or wilfu [...]ly how long haue they so done? And of them that are absent without a sufficient & lawfull cause, is the forfeiture of xii d. taken euery Sunday, & conuerted to the vse of the poore, according to the statute Eliz. 1
56 In your Parish where there is a Preacher, doe any vse to absent themselues from his Sermon, and resort to any other?
57 Know you any that forbeare to participate with the Church of England in prayer, or Sacraments, either denying the Church to be Apostolicall or condemning the ceremonies thereof as superstitious?
58 Haue you in your Parish any Popish Recusants, any halfe Papists that come to the Church, and receiue not the Communion, any Church-Papists that come and receiue themselues, but either perswade oth [...]rs, or maintaine their wiues, children, family, or friends not to come?
59 Doth any Seminary Priest or Iesuite resort to any place within this Diocesse or suspect you any such: Or doe you know any that resort to any Popish Priest or Iesuite?
60 Know you any that by writing talke, or argument, impugne the Kings supremacy, or any that haue kept in their custody, that sell disperse, carry, or deliuer vnto others any vnlawfull Bookes against the Religion and gouernement established, or in defence of any forraigne power, or domesticall consistory?
Excommunicated p [...]rsons.
61 Are all excommunicated persons kept out of the Church from diuine prayers, and receiuing of the holy Communion, vntill they be lawfully absolued: And are there any in your Parish which haue stood excommunicated forty dayes and vpwards, are such persons as stand excommunicated, once in euery six months denounced in your Church in time of diuine Seruice vpon some Sunday?
62 Hath any excommunicated person not absolued (at least in his extremity) not giuing any testimony of his repentance before his departure, beene buryed in christian buryall, who buryed him, her, or them, where, and when, and who were present at such burialls?
[Page]63 Doe any retain or kéep in their house, or seruice, any person denaunced excommunicate, or doe any way encourage them therein, or conuerse with them in buying, selling, eating, drinking, or otherwise kéep company with them in any sort?
Wills, Testaments, and Administrations.
64 Doe any in your Parish administer the goods of the dead, or any way intermeddle therewith, without lawfull authority committed vnto them vnder the Ordinaries seale?
65 Know you any in your Parish that suppresse the last Will of the Dead, or any that forge or alter any Wills, or any Executors that fulfill not the Testators will; or any that detaine Legacies giuen to any charitable vses?
Seuerall Articles.
66 Doe any in your Parish prophane the Sabbath dayes: or not duly obserue the Holy-dayes appoynted? Are Ember Fasts orderly obserued at the foure times of the yeare appoynted?
67 Are the dayes and orders of Perambulation duely obserued in the Rogation weeke, if not, in whose default?
68 Are the Canons, constitutions, and orders made & agréed vpon in the Conuocation-house Anno Dom. 1603. read ouer once euery yeare in your Church vpon Sundays or Holy-dayes according to his Maiesties Commandement in that behalfe?
69 Doth your Minister yearely present, and giue vp in writing to the Ordinary the names of all Recusants, & halfe Recusants men & women as well soiourners as Parishioners & commons guests in your Parish aboue the age of thirtéene, according to the 114 Canon or not?
70 Doe any in your Parish take vpon them to practise Physicke, or Chirurgery, not being lawfully licensed?
71 Are any in your Parish (or which were of your Parish & are now departed) knowne, suspected, famed, or reported to haue offended in Fornication, Adultery, Incest, witchcraft, Sorcery, Charming Vsury, Swearing, Drunkennesse, common slandering, sowing of discord, brawling, scolding, or any other vncleanenesse of life or bad manners?
72 Are any housholders in your Parish (in whose house there is any one that can reade) which haue not the booke intituled God and the King, and who be they that want the same?
73 Haue any Apparators, or others, taken any reward to compound, or conceale any offence Presentable, or punishable in the Ecclesiasticall Court, let this be manifested, and information and presentment made for euery offence accordingly?
[Page]74 You shal further present whether any in your parish vpon Sundaies or Holy-dayes, doe vse any dancing, plaies, or other sports or pastimes whatsoeuer, before all Seruice on those dayes be fully ended? And are the same vsed by any of another parish, or any which haue not the same day béene at diuine Prayers in their owne parish Church, who be they, which haue offended in any of the premises?
Church-wardens, and Sidemen.
75 Are your Churchwardens & Sidemen chosen yearly in the Easter weeke, according to the Canons? And doe the Churchwardens yearely, truely make and deliuer vp in writing, their account of all their receits, & disbursements whatsoeuer by them receiued and laid out for the parish, & of all the Church goods, books, and other things, as the Canons require?
76 Doe your Churchwardens themselues come duly to the Church to diuine prayers and Sermons, and do they theyr best endeauors, especially vpon Sundaies and Holy-daies, to cause all parishioners to do the like?
77 Whether is there a transcript or coppy of the Register booke of the Church, of Christenings weddings and burialls, yearly exhibited and deliuered vp into the Registry of the Ordinary or not?
78 Whether is there a sufficient teriar of the gléebe land and other Rights belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage, truely taken and exhibited into the Registers office, as by law it ought?
79 Haue the late Churchwardens concealed any crime, offence, or disorder in theyr times, and not presented the same; what be the matters so concealed? Or doth any trouble, molest, vexe, or abuse, in words or otherwise, the Ministers, Churchwardens, or Sidemen, for doing their Office according to their Oath and Duety: and who bee they that so doe? And haue the Churchwardens continued in that office aboue one yeare, without a new election?
80 Whether any Churchwardens, Questmen, or Sidemen or any Parish haue bin called and enforced to present any faults committed in their parishes, otherwise than at the Visitations, or time, or times limited in the 116 Canon?
Articles concerning the orders and iniunctions lately inioyned by his Maiesty.
81 Haue you any Lecturer or preaching Minister in your parish, doth he preach in the afternoone on Sabbath dayes, and doth he then vse a catechisticall forme, by question and Answer?
82 Whether doth your Lecturer or preaching minister in your parish before his Sermon, reade diuine prayers in a Surplice, and if hee bee a Graduate, in a hood answerable to his degree, and doeth hee preach in a gown and not in a cloke?
[Page]83 Haue you any in your Parish, either Recusants or others, which [...]e [...]ss, or doe not come to diuine prayers, Lecturers, Sermons, and Cate [...]hizings in your Church, or doe negligently absent themselues, and not [...]equent the same, or any of them?
84 Whether is there any in your Parish, which kéepeth any priuate Chaplaine in his house, and who by name?
85 Haue you aduisedly and diligently perused, read, or heard others [...]eade and peruse this booke of Articles, and euery particular Article and branch thereof, and haue you framed your answers or presentments to the same accordingly?
86 Generally, whether doe you know any of the Canons broken, or any other Ecclesiasticall matter worthy to be presented, or not, and if you [...]oe, you shall truly present the same (by the Oath you haue taken) as well now as hereafter, when it shall come to your knowledge?