ARTICLES To bee enquired of by the Church-wardens and Sworne-men within the Arch-deaconrie of Barnestaple, in the Diocesse of Exeter, in the Visitation there holden in the yeare of our Lord God. 1617.
AT LONDON, ❧ Printed by Thomas Purfoot. An. Dom. 1617. (*⁎*)
THE Church-wardens and their Assistants are straightly required to read, or heare red, all these Articles, and diligently to consider of them betweene the time of the deliuery hereof vnto them, and the making of their presentments, for the better discharge of the Oath which they shall receiue.
❧ The Oath to be ministred vnto the Church-wardens, and their Assistants.
YOu and euery of you shall make diligent Inquisition and true presentment of al such crimes, offences and enormtties, which are to be reformed and corrected by authority of the Kings M. Ecclesiasticall lawes of this Realme, and which by confession of the party or parties notorietie of the facts, or by common fame, haue beene committed within your parish or hamlet, by any person or persons, and haue not yet beene duely reformed, presented and punished according to the said Ecclesiasticall Lawes: and you shall present the names and Surmames of euery of the said offenders, as you shal be directed by the Articles now deliuered vnto you. So helpe you God in Christ Iesus.
Articles concerning the Cleargie.
WHETHER your Minister hath said and vsed in your Church or Chappell, vpon all Sundaies and holi-daies and their Eeues, and other daies prescribed by publike authoritie, common and open Morning and Euening prayer, and hath administred the Sacraments in such order and forme, as is prescribed in the booke of Common praier established by publike authoritie, and that, plainely, distinctly, and reuerently, as by the said Booke is appointed, and at due and conuenient howers, without any innouation or change of any part thereof?
2 Item, whether your Minister vpon all Wednesdaies and Fridaies, not being holi-daies, hath said in your Church at the accustomed howers of seruice the Letany prescribed in the booke of Common prayer?
3 Item, whether your Minister hath administred the holy Communion in your Church twice a yeare at the least in his owne person, and so often, and at such times as euery parishioner might cōmunicate at the least thrice in the yeare (whereof once at the Feast of Easter) according as by the booke of Common praier is appointed? And whether as often as hée so administred the Communion, hée reuerently knéeling, did first receiue the Sacrament himselfe? And whether hée hath vsed any Bread or Wine newly brought, not first rehearsing the words of Institution, when the said bread and wine is set vpon the Communion Table? And whether hée hath deliuered the bread and wine to euery Communicant seuerally?
4 Item, whether your Minister hath giuen warning to his Parishioners publikely in the Church at Morning praier the Sunday before euery time of administring that holy Sacrament, for their better preparation of themselues, and for all holy daies and fasting daies?
5 Item, whether your Minister hath admitted to receiue the holy Communion, any of his Cure, who haue béene openly knowne to liue in notorious sinne, or any who haue maliciously & openly contended with their neighbours, vntill they were reconciled? Or any Churchwardens or swornemen, who wittingly and ignorantly refused or neglected to present to their Ordinary all such publike offences as they themselves did know to haue béene committed in their Parish, or to haue béene notoriously offensiue to the congregation there?
6 Item, whether your Minister, when he hath celebrated the Communion [Page]in your Church, hath wittingly administred the same to any person not kneeling, or to any that then refused to be present at publike prayers, according to the order of the Church of England, or to any that then were common and notorious Adulterers, fornicators, blasphemers, excommunicate or suspected persons of incontinency, common swearers, common gammesters or suchlike?
7 Item, whether your Minister hath adminitted any parent to answere as Godfather for his owne child? or hath admitted any person to be Godfather or Godmother to any child at christening, before the said person so vndertaking, hath receiued the holy communion, or doth not vse the signe of the crosse in baptisme, or baptizeth in any Bason, any child not borne in the parish?
8 Item, whether your Parson or Vicar (not being allowed to bée a Preacher) hath procured sermons to be preached in his Cure once in euery moneth at the least, by preachers lawfully licensed? and whether vpon euery Sunday when there hath not béene a sermon, he or his Curate hath read some one of the Homilies prescribed by authority?
9 Item, whether your Parson or Vicar, being licensed by the lawes of this Realme not to reside vpon his Benifice, hath not in his absence caused his Cure from time to time to bée supplyed by a Curate that is a sufficient and licensed Preacher?
10 Item, whether the Minister or Churchwardens haue suffered any man to preach in your Church, but such as haue first shewed their Licences to preach, viz. from the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, or from the Lord Bishop of Exeter, or one of the Vniuersities in writting vnder their seale?
11 Item, whether in the beginning of all Sermons, Lectures, and Homilies, your Preacher or Lecturer hath wittingly omitted to mooue the people to ioyne with them in praier, for Christs holy Catholique Church, and therein for the Kings most excellent Maiestie, our gratious Quéene, the Noble Prince Charles, and the rest of the King and Quéenes Royall Issue, in the forme, or to the effect of the 55 Canon Ecclesiasticall, agréed vpon in the Conuocation, Anno, 1603.
12 Item, whether your Parson or Vicar, stipendary Preacher, or Lecturer in your Church (though chiefly hée attend to preaching) hath twice at the least euery yeare, read himselfe the diuine seruice in your Church vpon the seuerall Sundaies publikely, and at the vsuall times, both in the forenoone and afternoone, and hath likewise as often in euery yeare administred the Sacraments of Baptise (if there haue béene any to haue béene baptised) and of the Lords Supper, in such manner and forme and with the obseruation [Page]of all such Rites and Ceremonies, as are prescribed by the Booke of Common praier in that behalfe?
13 Item, whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate hath either receiued to the Communion any person or persons, which haue not béene of your Church & Parish, or any child dyed without Baptisme through his default?
14 Item, whether your Parson, Vicar or Minister, saying the publiks praiers, or ministring the sacraments or other rites of the Church, hath wittingly omitted or neglected to weare a decent & comely Surplice with sléeus, prouided at the charge of the Parish? And further whether such of them as are graduats haue omitted to weare vpō their Surplices at such times, such hoods as by the orders of the Vniuersities are agréeable to their degrée?
15 Item, whether your Minister hath neglected vpon euery Sunday and Holi-day before euening praier by the space of halfe an hower, or more, to examine & instruct the youth and ignorant persons of your parish in the ten commandements, the Articles of the beléefe, & in the Lords praier, and diligently instructed and taught them the Catechime set forth in the booke of Common prayer?
16 Item, whether your Parson, Vicar, Curate, or Minister, hath celebrated Matrimony betwéene any persons without any faculty or license granted by such as haue Episcopall authority, or by the Comissary for faculties, or by the Vicars generall of the Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury, or the Lord Bishop of Exeter, except the Banes of Matrimony haue béen first published thrée seuerall Sundaies, or Holidaes in the time of diuine seruice in the parish Church or Chappell where the said parties then dwelled, according to the booke of Common prayer, or at any other time, then betwéen the howers of eight and twelue in the forenoone, or any other place, then in the Church or Chappell where one of the parties dwelled, or at at any time whē Banes haue béen so thrice asked, before the parents or gouernors of the parties to be maried being vnder the age of 21 yeares haue signified their consent, or maried any Adulterer, fornicator, or incontinent person, or any womankind with child before mariage?
17 Item, whether your Parson, Vicar or curate, hath in his cure neglected to declare to the people euery sunday at the time appointed in ye communion booke, such Holidaies & fasting daies as haue béen in the wéeke following?
18 Item, whether when any person hath béen dangerously sick in your Parish, your Minister (hauing knowledg thereof) hath not resorted to euery of them (if the disease were not probably suspected to bée infectious) to instruct and comfort them in their distresse according to the manner and forme appinted in the Communion Booke if hée were no Preacher, and [Page]if he were a Preacher, then as he thought most néedfull and conuenient?
19 Item, whether your Minister hath at any time refused or delayed to christen according to the booke of Common praier, any Child that hath béen brought to the Church to him vpon Sundaies or Holi-daies to be christened or to bury any corps that hath béene brought to the Church or Churchyard, (conuenient warning hauing béene giuen him thereof before) in such manner and forme as is prescribed in the booke of Common prayer.
20 Item, whether your Minister hath preached, and administred the holy Communion in any priuate house, except it hath béene in times of necessity, when any of your parish by reason of impotencie could not come to Church, or being very dangerously sicke, were desirous to bée partakers of that holy Sacrament in their house? And in that case, whether without a conuenient number of thrée, foure, or more, to communicate with the sicke person?
21 Item, whether your Minister without license of his Diocesan first obtained vnder his hand and seale, hath appointed or kept any solemne fasts either publikely, or in any priuate houses, other then such as by publike authority haue béen appointed? Or hath béene present at any such?
22 Item, whether your Minister hath at any time (other then for honest necessity) resorted to any Tauerne or Alehouse, or hath boorded or lodged in any such place, or hath giuen himselfe to any seruile or base labor, or to drinking or ryot, spending his time idlely by day or by night, at Dice, Cardes, Tables, or any other vnlawfull games? Or hath béene suspected of any notorious crime, or hath giuen any euill example of life?
23 Item, whether your Minister hath from time to time diligently called vpon his parishioners, especially when they make their testaments, and earnestly mooued and exhorted them to conferre and giue somewhat as they may spare, to the necessity of the poore?
24 Item, whether your Minister hath once in this last yéere read in your Church and Chappell all the Canons, Orders, Ordinances, and Constitutions Ecclesiasticall agréed vpon with his Maiesties license, in the Synod holden at London An. Dom. 1603. according to the Kings Maiesties commandement?
25 Item, whether any Parson not being ordered at the least a Deacon, hath said or read common praier openly in your Church or Chappell, or hath solemnized Matrimonie, or administred the Sacrament of Baptisme?
26 Item, whether your Minister hath reiected any maried woman, which hath come to Church to giue thankes after child-birth, according to the order set downe in the booke of Common praier, or vseth not the prayers [Page]appointed for the visitation of the sicke, burying the dead, and churching of women?
27 Item, whether the Chancell, Mansion house, and other edifices belonging to your Parsonage or Vicarage, be in any ruine or decay, and how long they haue remained so decayed or ruinated? and to what value, as you are verily perswaded in your consciences?
28 Item, whether any Curate or Minister haue serued your Church before hee was examined and admitted by the Bishop of Exeter, or his Chancellor in writing, and did shew his, or his Chancellors licence vnder seale vnto the Churchwardens, and whether any Curate hath serued Two Cures in one day?
29 Item, whether for the retaining of the perambulation of the circuit of your parish, the Minister, Churchwardens, and certaine substantiall men of the parish in the daies of the Rogations (commonly called Gang daies) haue walked the accustomed bounds of your parish? whether in the same they haue vsed any superstitious or popish ceremonie?
Articles concerning the Church-wardens and their Assistants.
ITem, whether they haue suffered any idle persons to abide either in the Church-yard, or in the Church porch vpon any Sundaies or Holidaies during the time of diuine Seruice or Preaching, and haue not either caused them to come into the Church at that time, or to depart thence?
2 Item, whether against the time of euery Communion, they haue neglected or omitted at any time to prouide a sufficient quantity of fine white bread, and of good and wholesome wine for the number of Communicants, and the same brought to the Communion Table in a cleane and swéet standing pot or stoope of pewter, if not of purer mettall?
3 Item, whether all and euery of the parishioners of your parish, being of the age of Eightéene yeares or aboue, haue come so often to the holy communion, as the Lawes and constitutions Ecclesiasticall doe require: viz. Thrice a yeare at the least, wherof once at, or about the feast of Easter? And whether any strangers haue come from other parishes to your Church to receiue the communion? And whether the Churchwardens haue obserued such accesse of strangers, and therof aduertised the Minister, to the intent he should not admit them to the Communion?
4 Item, whether they haue caused the names of all Preachers which haue in the time aforesaid preached in their Church, comming from any other place, to be noted in a booke prouided by them for that purpose; and euery preacher to subscribe his name, and the day when he preached, and the name of the Bishop of whom he had license to preach?
5 Item, whether there be any person or persons within your parish, that hath refused to haue his or their children baptised with the signe of the crosse by your Minister, because he is no preacher, or to receiue the holy Communion at his hands in the same respect?
6 Item, whether there be prouided in your Church a parchment booke, and therein haue béene and are written the names of all the children, Men, and women, Baptised, maried, or buried within your parish, contained in your former Register bookes, and especially since the beginning of ye Raigne of the late Quéene Elizabeth?
7 Item, whether you haue in your parish a sure Coffer with thrée lockes and keyes for the safe custodie of that booke? And whether the day & yeare of euery Christening, Wedding, and Buriall, which hath béen in your parish, hath béene wéekely written in the said booke?
8 Item, whether there be prouided in your Church the booke intituled, Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastiall, agréed vpon by the Cleargie of the prouince of Canterbury, with the Kings Maiesties license in their Synod at London, in the yeare of our Lord 1603.
9 Item, whether there be prouided in your Church a faire Bible, the book of Common praier lately ordained to be vsed, a Font of stone within your Church or Chappell, standing or set vp in the ancient & vsuall place, a conuenient and decent Table for the celebration of the holy Communion, a carpet of silke, or other decent stuffe with a faire linnen cloth, at the time of the ministration of the Lords Supper for the same table, and a faire and comely communion cup of siluer, and a couer for the same; the Ten Commandements set vpon the East end of your Church of Chappell, where the people may best sée and read the same, a conuenient seat for your Minister to read Seruice in, and a comely and decent Pulpit set in a conuenient place, and the same séemely kept for the preaching of Gods word, a Pulpit cloath and cushion, a strong Chest with a hole in the vpper part therof, with thrée locks and keys set and fastned in some conuenient place of the Church for the Almes of the poore?
10 Item, whether your Church or Chappell be well and sufficiently repaired and so kept and maintained, the windowes well glased, the floares [Page]kept paued plaine and euen in decent sort, without offence or lo thsownesse of dust, or any other vnséemely thing, as best becommeth the house of God, your Church-yards well and sufficiently repaired, fenced, and maintained with Wals, Railes, or Pales, as haue béen in your parish accustomed, without encrochment vpon the same, or any prophanation vsed in them?
11 Item, whether for the auoiding of incestuous and vngodly mariages, you haue in your Church publikely set vp and fixed in some fit place a table, expressing, that no persons shall marrie within the degrées prohibited by the Lawes of God?
12 Item, whether you do know, or by any common fame and report you haue heard of any person or persons, who within these two yéers last past, or at any time before (being not presented and punished) haue committed the grieuous sinnes of Incest, Adultery, or whoredome, within your parish? Or haue béen bawdes, or receiuers of any such lewd & incontinent persons, or haue béen receiuers or harbourers of women with child, who haue béene vnmaried, or who haue conuaied any such out of your parish before they gaue notice therof to the Ordinary, or before they did publicke penance for such offence? Or whether any person within your parish in the time aforesaid, hath béen vehemently suspected of any such crime? Or hath béene a blaspheof the name of God, or a great and often swearer, and what is the name and surname of euery such offender?
13 Item, whether any offender in any of the crimes afore mentioned within your parish, hath not yet béen presented, and detected to the Ordinary for the same offence? and what is the name of euery of them not yet so presented, or not punished for the same?
14 Item, whether any of your Parishioners haue behaued themselues rudely and disorderly in the Church in time of diuine Seruice or Sermon, or by vntimely ringing of Bells, walking, talking, or any other disordered noise, hath hindered the Minister, or Preacher, or frequent the company of excommunicate persons?
15 Item, whether any Church-ales, Drinkings, temporal Courts of léets, Lay Iuries, Musters or any other prophane vsage haue béene kept in your Church, Chappell, or Church-yard, without good cause allowed by the Lawes and Canons Ecclesiastical?
16 Item, whether the Churchwardens of any of the former yeares, did at or within a moneth after the end of euery yeare before the Minister and Parishioners giue vppe a iust account of such money as they in their yeare receiued, and what particularly they bestowed in reparations or otherwise [Page]for the vse of your Church of Chappell, and going out of their Office deliuered vp to the Parishioners whatsoeuer money or other things of right belonged to your Church or Parish which remained in their hands to bée deliued ouer vnto the Churchwardens of the yeare following?
17 Item, whether any man, woman, child, or seruant, or any other person or persons, who haue dwelt, remained, or soiourned within your parish, or haue often repaired thither and remained there by the space of any one Moneth, being of the age of sixtéene yeeres or aboue, hath willingly or purposedly forborne to come to your Church or Chappell, and to be present at diuine Seruice, and common prayer therein celebrated, by the space of any one moneth together within one yeare last past, and what bée their Christian names and Surnames?
18 Item, whether any of your parishioners haue within this yeare last past neglected to resort to your Church vpon any Sundaies of Holi-daies, and to continue the whole time of diuine Seruice, or haue vsed to walke vp and downe in the Church, or to stand idle, or talking in the Church-yard or Church porch during that time, or haue vsed any gaming, or pastime abroad or in any house, or haue sitten idlely in the stréet or in any Tauerne or Alehouse vpon the Saboth or Holiday in the time of common praier, Sermon, or reading of the Homilies either before or afternoone, or any brawlers or quarrellers in Church or Church-yard, or vsers of filthy or prophane talke?
19 Item, whether the Almeshouses, Hospitalls, and Spittles for poore people that are in your Parish, be well and godly vsed according to the foundation, and ancient ordinances of the same, and whether there be any other placed in them then poore, impotent, and néedy persons that haue not wherewith or whereby to liue?
20 Item, whether the Schoolemaisters within your Parish, openly, or priuately in any mans house, be lawfully licensed, and of good and sincere Religion, life and conuersation, and haue béene diligent in teaching & bringing vp of their youth? And whether with their Schollers they haue resorted orderly on Sundaies and Holidaies to Church, and receiued the holy cō munion so oft as they ought to do? and so many of their Schollers as bée of sufficient age and capacity haue receiued the holy communion?
21 Item, whether all housholders in your Parish haue caused their children, seruants and Apprentices, both mankind and womankind, (which haue not learned the Catechisme) to come to the Church on Sundaies and Holidaies, at the times appointed for Catechizing, and there diligently and obediently to heare? and what be the names of those that haue not caused [Page]their Children, seruants, and apprentices so to come to the Church to bée instructed and examined, being thereto appointed by the Minster?
22 Item, whether haue any of your parish wrought, or kept any shop, or any part of their Shop open vpon the Sabboth daies or vpon any Holidaies, (appointed by the Lawes of the Realme to be kept holiday) or haue vsed to doe any vnnecessary worke, or labor, vpon those daies, especially in time of diuine Seruice?
23 Item, whether there be within your parish any Inkéepers, Alewiues, Victuallers, or Tiplers, that haue suffered or admitted any person or persons in their house to eate, drinke, or play at Cards, Tables, or such like games in the time of common praier or Sermon on the Sundaies or Holidaies? And whether any Butchers or others that cōmonly vse to sell meat or other things, haue made sale therof in the time of Common prayer, preaching, or reading of Homilies? And whether in any Faires or common Markets (falling vpon the Sunday) there haue béene any shewing of any wares before Morning praier were done? And whether any Markets and selling of wares haue béen vsed, or suffered in your Church-yard by any common packmen, or Pedlers going about, or any such people either of your Parish, or not?
24 Item, whether there be any in your Parish that take vpon them to administer the goods of those that be dead, without lawful authority? Or any that haue supressed the last Will of the dead? Or any Executors that haue not fulfilled the Testators will, especially in paying of Legacies giuen to the Church, or to other good and godly vses, as the reliefe of pouerty, helples Orphanes, poore Schollers, poore maidens mariages, high-waies, and such like: and by whom they are so withdrawen?
25 Item, whether there bee any in your Parish noted to bee common drunkards, swearers, suspected persons of bad life, contentious with their neighbors, slacke commers to Church, haunters of Alehouses, or any that hath taken vnlawfull vsury against the lawes of God; and of this Realme, since the last visitation? And what be the names of such offenders?
26 Item, whether your Minister or any of the Parish, without the consent of the Ordinary haue in their vestries or méetings, or otherwise caused any to do penance, or pay any money, or be punished, either openly or otherwise, for any crime punishable by the Ecclesiasticall Lawes onely: and what be the names of the parties that haue so béene punished, and in what manner, and for what cause?
27 Item, whether there bée any in your Parish, that haue vsed sorcerie, or witch-craft, punishable by the Ecclesiasticall Lawes of this Realme, or that bée suspected of the same; And vsed any charmes, or vnlawfull prayers: or haue resorted to any forcerers or witches for helpe and counsaile, and what bée the names both of such as vse it, and of such as resort vnto them for helpe?
28 Item, whether any Inhabitant doe detaine the Clarks wages, or liue apart from husband or wife without order of Lawe, or carry their children out of the Parish to be christened?
29 Item, whether any within your Parish haue resorted vnto barnes, fields, woods, or priuate houses, for any extraordinary expositions of the Scriptures, or conferences together, and so haue (as it were) made a seuerall Church or Sect vnto themselues, to bée drawers or perswaders of others to any such schismaticall Sects, and in whose houses, or in what places haue you heard of any such méetings?
30 Item, whether there bée any of your Parish knowne or suspected to conceale, or to kéepe hidden in their house any Masse-books, or other books of Popery and superstition, or any chalices, copes, vestiments, or other like superstitious ornaments in their forme and fashion vndefaced, for some exercise of their superstition: or whether any bee knowne or suspected to receiue any such books, or like trumperie from beyond the Seas, and to diperse and carry them abroad to others?
31 Item, whether there be any in your Parish, married in any priuate houses, since the last Visitation, or be knowne, or suspected to haue béene married by any Popish Priest, or in any other order then is appointed by the Church of England?
32 Item, whether any Children borne in your Parish, doe remaine vnbaptized, or be suspected to bée baptied by any Popish Priest, Seminary, or Iesuit: and whether any Recusant liue together as man and wife, who are not knowne to bee married accord to the Lawes of this Reame? what Phisitions or Chyrurgions haue you, of what skill ar they reputed in their profession?
33 Item, whether any of the Stocks appertaing to the Church, bée subtracted by any person, and to what value, and by whom, and whether your Parish Clarke and other Church-officer demeane themselues according to their seuerall duties?
Generally, what faults soeuer [...] know to bée within your Parishes, not specified, or mentioned in these [...]rticles, and punishable by the Kings Maiesties Ecclesiasticall Lawes of this Reamle, you shall by vertue of your Oath aforesaid duely and truely present them to your Ordinary, when and as often as occasion is offered, that reformation may bee had accordingly, wherein your Minister may ioyne in Patent?
And to all and euery of these Articles you shall present expresly and articulately, the full truth of your knowledges, or what by common fame you haue heard therein. (*⁎*)