ARTICLES OF Visitation and Enquiry, EXHIBITED To the Ministers, Churchwardens and Sidemen of every Parish in the DIOCESS OF GLOUCESTER; In the Second Triennial VISITATION of the Right Reverend Father in GOD, EDWARD LORD BISHOP of GLOUCESTER, An. Dom. MDCXCVIII.

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OXFORD, Printed by Leonard Lichfield, An. Dom. 1698.

The Oath of the Churchwardens.

YOU shall Swear truly and faithfully to execute the Office of a Churchwarden within your Parish, according to the best of your Skill and Knowledge, and present such Things and Persons, as you know to be Presentable by the Ecclesiastical Laws of this Realm.
So help you God.

The Sidemens Oath.

YOU shall Swear that you will be assistant to your Churchwardens in the execution of their Office, so far as by Law you are bound.
So help you God.

ARTICLES of ENQUIRY for the Visitation of the DIOCESS of GLOUCESTER, 1698.

TIT. I. Concerning Churches and Chapels.
  • 1. IS your Church or Chapel in good and sufficient Repair, in the Roof, Walls, Windows, Floor, Seats and Dores? And also the Chancel, to whomsoever it belongeth?
  • 2. Is there a stone Font with a Cover, standing in the usual place? Is there a decent Communion-Table standing in your Chancel, covered with a Carpet in time of Divine Service, and with a fair linnen Cloth when the Communion is admi­nistred? And have you a silver Communion-Cup with a Cover, and one or more Flagons, and these only kept for that Use?
  • 3. Have you a large Bible of the last Translation, two Books of Common-Prayer as Revised 1662, a Book of Ho­milies, a Printed Table of Degrees of Marriage, a Book of Ca­nons made 1603, and a decent Surplice, with other Necessaries for your Church, provided at the Charge of your Parish?
  • 4. Have you a Parchment Book, for Registering all Christ­nings, Weddings and Burials, and are they duly Registered, and the Book kept according to the Direction of the Canon? And is there a Transcript thereof sent Yearly to the Chan­cellor's Office, as the Law directs?
  • 5. Have you a Book for entering Parish Accounts, and are they yearly audited? Have you an Inventory of the Plate, Books, and other Utensils belonging to your Church? And is this duly transferred from one Churchwarden to another?
TIT. II. Concerning the Churchyard, Houses, Glebe and Tythes belonging to your Church.
  • 1. IS your Churchyard well fenced with a Wall or Rayles, decently kept free from Anoyance? Have there any Incroachments been made, or new Dores opened into it? And when?
  • [Page 2] 2. Is your Minister's House, and the Out-houses belonging thereto, in good and sufficient Repair? Have any of them been demolished or damaged, or the Bounds of them changed, or removed, without Authority from the Bishop?
  • 3. Have you an exact Terrier kept in your Parish-Chest of all the Houses, Out-houses, Glebe-lands, and other Dues be­longing to your Minister, according to the Rules sent you by the Chancellor? And is there a true Copy thereof in Parch­ment sent into the Bishop's Registry, attested under the Hands of the Minister and Parishioners?
TIT. III. Concerning Ministers.
  • 1. IS your Minister Resident among you? If not, doth he keep a sufficient Curate? And what Salary doth he al­low him?
  • 2. Doth your Minister serve more than one Church in a Day? If so, how far distant is each from the other? And are the Incombes of each Church so small as not to afford a Competency for two distinct Ministers? Express the Value of each Church.
  • 3. Is your Minister a Person of sober and godly Life?
  • 4. Doth your Minister reverently read Divine Service on Sundays and Holy days, and doth he Preach at least once every Sunday?
  • 5. Doth your Minister administer the Lord's Supper so often, that every Parishioner may receive it at least three times every Year, giving Notice of it the Lord's Day before? Doth he keep wicked Livers, and such as appear not to be in Charity with their Neighbours, from the Sacrament, giving an Account thereof to the Ordinary?
  • 6. Doth he diligently instruct the Youth of your Parish in the Church-Catechism, and endeavour to prepare them for Confirmation? Is he careful to visit the Sick, baptize Children, bury the Dead? And doth he use the Form and [Page 3] Words, the Rites and Habit prescrib'd in the Common-Prayer, in the Administration of the Holy Sacrament?
  • 7. Hath your Minister knowingly Married any under Age, without the consent of Parents, or without Publication of Banes, or Licence legally obtain'd from the Chancellor of the Diocess?
  • 8. Doth your Minister duly read in time of Divine Service the late Act against profane Swearing and Cursing, on the 4 Lord's Days appointed by the Act of Parliament, and hath he openly read the KING'S late Proclamation against De­bauchery and Profaneness?
TIT. IV. Concerning Parishioners.
  • 1. DO your Parishioners reverently demean themselves in the Church, during the time of Divine Service, and Preaching God's Word?
  • 2. Do any of your Parish lie under a notorious Fame, or common Suspicion of Adultery, Fornication, or Incest? Are there any common Drunkards, Swearers, Cursers or Blasphemers of God's Holy Name; any filthy Talkers, Re­vilers, sowers of Sedition among their Neighbours?
  • 3. Are there any that profane the Lord's Day, by follow­ing their Callings, by using of Sports, going to Ale-houses, or lying idly at home in the time of Divine Service, or that under pretence of Liberty of Conscience, totally neglect the Worship of God?
  • 4. Are there any that refuse to pay their Easter-Offerings, or Church-Rates, made by the Churchwardens, after due Notice given?
  • 5. Hath any Legacy left to pious Uses been mispent, con­ceal'd, or embezel'd, by whom?
  • 6. Do you know, or have heard of any in your Parish, that having the Presentation of any Ecclesiastical Living, have made any Contract for Money, or for any part of the Tythes or Glebe belonging thereunto?
  • [Page 4] 7. Are any Wills conceal'd, lost, or neglected to be proved?
  • 8. Have you an Account of pious and charitable Gifts be­longing to your Parish, kept in the Church Chest, according to the Instructions sent you by the Chancellor of the Diocess? And have any been lately given, that are not yet Register'd?
TIT. V. Concerning Parish Clerks and Sextons.
  • 1. IS your Parish Clerk of sober Life and honest Conver­sation? Able to discharge his Duty in reading or singing the Psalms? Doth he duly attend the Minister at Church, and are his Wages justly paid him, according to the Custom of your Parish?
  • 2. Is your Sexton (if any) careful to keep the Church clean and decent, doth he lock up the Church Dores in due time, and toll or ring the Bells as occasion requires?
TIT. VI. Concerning Schools and Hospitals.
  • 1. WHat School-master, publick or private, is in your Parish? Is he Licensed thereunto? Doth he teach his Scholars the Church-Catechism? Doth he bring them to Church on Sundays and Holy days, to be Catechized by the Minister in the publick Congregation?
  • 2. What Hospitals, Alms-Houses, or Free-Schools have been founded in your Parish? Are they manag'd according to the Founder's Gift? Are their Rents and Salaries duly paid, and do you know of any Abuses committed therein?
TIT. VII. Concerning Churchwardens.
  • 1. ARE your Churchwardens duly Chosen according to the Custom of your Parish, with the Consent of the Minister.
  • 2. Have the last Churchwardens given up their Accounts, and delivered the Overplus to the succeeding Officers? With all the other things that belong to your Church?
  • 3. Do they provide against every Communion a sufficient quantity of fine white Bread, and good Wine?
  • 4. Do the Churchwardens dispose of the Offerings at the Communion, with­out the Consent of the Minister? And is that Money enter'd into a Book?
  • 5. Do your Churchwardens lavishly spend the Parish Money at Visitations, in Feasts and Riotous Eating and Drinking?
ADVERTISEMENTS.
  • 1. THE Minister of each Parish, whose Duty it is to endeavour, what lies in him to suppress all Vice and Profaneness, if he sees his Churchwardens to make no Conscience of their Oaths, may, and ought to present Notorious Crimes and Offenders.
  • 2. The Churchwardens are to take Notice, That if they neglect their Duty, in pre­senting Offenders, they are to be proceeded against in the Ecclesiastical Court, as in Cases of wilful Omission and Perjury.
EDW. Gloucester.
Instructions to make new and exact Terriers, at least once in 20 Years, to preserve the Rights of the Clergy from pretended Exemptions, and unjust Compositions; and to ascertain the Bounds of their Glebe, by reason of: Alterations that may hap­pen in that space of time, both in Mens, and Places Names.
  • 1. YOU are to express what Houses belong to your Minister, how many Bays of Building, what Out-houses, Barns or Stables, what Orchards and Gardens, and the quantity thereof?
  • 2. What Glebe-lands belong to your Minister? How butted and bounded? Of what quantity? Whether Arable or Pasture? Whether any have been chan­ged, and for what? By whose Authority, and by whom detain'd? And whether the Church hath suffered any Detriment thereby?
  • 3. What Lands or Estates pretend to be Tythe free, and upon what account as you have heard? What Compositions are there in your Parish? And what do the pay in lieu of full Tythes?
  • 4. What are the Customs of your Parish in Tything? As for Mortuarys, Offerings, Aftermoate, Agistment, Herbage, Milk, Calves, Lambs, and the like? What Beast Pastures, or Right of Common are due to your Minister?
  • 5. What Tythes belong to the Impropriator? What to the Vicar? What Stipend is due from the Impropriator to the Curate? What Portions of Tythes are due to, or from the Church?
  • 6. What Augmentations have been added to your Church, since the 12th Year of K. Charles the Second? How are they continued, and by whom paid according to the Act in the 29th of Charles the Second, for the confirming and perpetuating Augmentations made Ecclesiastical to small Vicaridges and Cu­racies?
  • 7. This Terrier thus made in Parchment, one Copy is to be laid in the Parish Chest, and the other sent into the Bishop's Registry. And the Minister is to take Care herein; for none shall be received without his Approbation, under Hand and Seal.
Richard Parsons, LL. Dr. CHANCELLOR.

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