Articles concerning Ministers and Preachers of Gods holy Word. Titul. 2

FIrst,Observation of the forme of Common-Prayer. whether doth your Minister say or sing divine Service (according to the prescript forme confirmed by his Maie­sties Authority) distinctly and reverently on Sundaies and [Page] Holi-dayes, Wednesdayes & Fridayes, and the Eves of every Sunday and holiday, and at convenient & usefull times of those dayes, and in such place as is méetest for the hearing of the peo­ple: and whether your Minister doe observe the Orders, Rites, and Ceremonies, prescribed in the Book of Common prayer, as well in reading of the holy Scripture, and Prayers, as in administration of the Sacraments, without either adding or diminishing to or from the Booke of Common Prayer?

Diligent in execution of his office.2 Item, Whether he be diligent, and carefull, faithfully to execute his Pastorall Office and Function by reading of the holy Scriptures: and (in case he be an allowed Preacher) whether having no lawfull impediment, he doth preach ordi­narily: And being not allowed, doth procure Sermons in his Cure, once in every moneth at the least?

Residence of the Minister.3 Item, Is he a licened Preacher and by whom; is he resi­dent upon his Benefice or not: if not, then by whom is the cure served, is your Curate licensed to serve the said Cure, if yea, then by whom: doth your Curate preach, if yea, then by whom is he licensed so to preach?

Prayer for his Maiesty.4 Item, whether your Minister before his Sermon, Lecture, or Homily, doe pray for his Maiestie, giving him his lawfull title, as in his iust stile, and commend his Highnesse, and our Royall Quéene & Prince, in his prayers to Almighty God?

5 Item, Whether doth your Minister admit any to the holy Communion,Notorious of­fenders not Communi­cants. Sober conver­sation in Mi­nisters. that are knowne to be notorious offenders, or any malicious or openly contentious persons, untill they be recon­ciled?

6 Item, Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, do kéep any suspected woman in his house, or be an incontinent person, gi­ven to drunkennesse, or idlenesse, a haunter of Tavernes, Ale­houses, or suspected places, or one that doth board or lodge in any such place; a dicer, carder, tabler, swearer, or given to base or servile labour, or otherwise doth give any evill example of life, and whether his apparell be comely and grave, as becommeth his function and calling?

A Register of Christnings. Weddings and Burials. Ministers ha­nts.7 Item, Whether your Minister and Church-wardens kéep a Register of the Christinings, weddings, and Burialls, accor­ding to the prescript forme?

8 Item, Whether your Minister in time of Divine service or ministring the Sacraments (being a Graduate) doth wear [Page] a decent and comely surplice with sléeves, and upon it a Hood sutable to his Degrée in the Vniversity: and if he be no Gra­duate, then doth he weare at such times such a surplice, as is a­bove mentioned?Perambulati­ons.

9 Whether doe your Minister and parishioners yearely in Rogation wéeke, walke the bounds of your parish, according to the accident custome?

10 Whether he doth Catechise duely, according to the order set downe in the booke of Common Prayer, and whether your parishioners doe duely send their children and servants (espe­cially such as be no Communicants) to the catechizing: if not, to certifie the Parents and Masters names of such chil­dren and servants, that a reformation may be had of the great defect in that Religious exercise?

11 Whether all such houses, out-houses, barnes, stables, and other buildings belonging to your Parson, Vicar, or curate, be kept in sufficient reparations or no? if not, what are the de­cayes and defects hereof?

Articles concerning the Church.

FIrst, whether have you in your Church or Chappell,Bookes and o­ther imple­ments of the Church. the Titul. 3 book of Common Prayer, by the Kings Maiestie confir­med, according to the Lawes of this Realme; a Bible of the largest Volume and last translation; the booke of Homilies allowed by authority; a decent Communion Table with a decent cloath and cover for the sme, a comely pulpit, a cloath and cushion for the same: a faire Communion Cup, a decent font-stone, wherein Baptisme onely is administred; a fine large surplice, a coffer with two lockes, and keyes, for the Register booke to be safely kept? and whether one key be kept by the Minister, and the other by the Church-wardens?

2 Item, Whether your Church-yard be kept swéete and cleane, and swine and other cattle kept out of the same, and whether it be well and sufficiently repaired, fenced and main­tained with walles, Railes, or Pales, as hath béene in each place accustomed?

3 Item, Whether your Church or Chappel,Church to be repared. with all parts belonging thereunto be decently kept in good and sufficient Reparation as becommeth the House of God, and are the de­cayes thereof prevented, so much as may be: if not, by whose default is the same hindred, or not done?

Articles concerning the Church-wardens and Side-men.

Titul. 4 The choise of Church-war­dens, and their accounts.FIrst, whether your Church-wardens and Side-men be chosen yearely in some day of the Easter wéeke, according to the Canon, and whether the Church-wardens and Side­men, at the end of the yeare, or within one moneth after, doe give a iust and true account (before the Minister and the pa­rishioners) of such money, and other things, as they have recei­ved and disbursed?

2 Item, Whether have the Church-wardens and Sidemen béene diligent and carefull in the execution of their office, to sée decency and comelinesse observed in the Church, in the time of common Prayer, and administration of the Sacraments, and that every parishioner behave himselfe orderly and soberly in the Church without disturbing the Minister and Preacher: and suffered no idle person to abide in the Church-yard, or the porch, during the time of divine Service or Sermon?

Legacies gi­ven to godly uses, by whom detained.3 Item, Whether, do you know of any Legacies given in the last Will and Testament of any person deceased, out of his moveable goods, to the use of the poore, or reparations of the Chu [...]ch, or to either of the Vniversities, Oxford and Cam­bridge, or Schooles of Learning, or Colledges for increase of vertue and knowledge, or to any other charitable end? what be those bequests? by whom were they given? and whether they have béene paid (to the use aforesaid) by the Executors of any Testators deceased? If not, in whose possession or charge they be now remaining?

Titul. 5 Articles concerning Matrimony.

Marriage with­in the Leviti­call Degrees forbidden Marriagge in private. Mariage with­out Banes or Licence.FIrst, Whether be there any in your parish that have mar­ried within the degrées of affinity or consanguinity, by the Lawes of God forbidden?

2 Item, Whether have any Matrimony béen secretly cele­brated or solemnized within any private house, the banes being not thrée severall Sundayes or holidaies (in the time of divine service) asked? or in the Parish Church, or any private house in time prohibited, without licence in that behalfe obtained, who so married them, and what are their names that were so maried?

Married per­sons living a­part without Divorce.3 Item, Whether be there any persons coupled together in lawfull manner, that doe kéepe apart? and live asunder without lawfull divorce?

Articles concerning Schoole-masters and Curates. Titul. 6,

FIrst,Schoolema­sters not repai­ing to church, by whom is your Schoolemaster (if you haue any) licenced to teach, doth he repaire to his parish Church in time of Common Prayer, and instruct and teach his schollers in the Principles of true Religion?

2 Item, Schoolema­sters not to be Popish, or con­temners of or­ders. Whether doth your Schoolemaster teach or is he suspected to teach any of his schollers, in Popery, superstition, disobedience, or contempt of the truth and Christian Religion, now established-within this Realme, or to contemne the or­ders Ecclesiasticall? and is he carefull to sée that his schollers doe duely and orderly frequent the Church?

Articles concerning the Parishioners, and others of the Laitie.Diligence of Churchwar­dens and Side­men.

FIrst, whether be there any in your parish which do affirme, that the forme of Gods worship in the Church of England, established by the Law, and contained in the Booke of Com­mon Prayer, is corrupt, superstitious, or unlawfull, or contem­neth any thing in it, and what be their names?

2 Item, Whether be there any that mislike of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England, Impugners of Rites and Ce­remonies. by authority confir­med, or doe affirme them to be wicked, Antichristian, super­stitious, or such as godly and zealous men may not with a good conscience aproue?

3 Item, whether be there any that haue used themselves unreverent towards your Minister, or any other of the Cler­gie, either by unreverent spéeches, or other unséemely behaviour to your knowledge, as you have credibly heard?

4 Item, Whether be there any in your Parish,Contention, Drunkennesse, Vncleannesse. that be ma­licious, contentious, or uncharitable persons, séeking the uniust vexation of their neighbours, common swearers, or blasphemers of the name of God, fornicators, adulterers, incestuous persons, bawds, or receivers of such incontinent persons, or harbourers of women with childe unmarried, drunkards, ribaulds, or any that be not of good name and fame touching crimes or faults?

5 Item, Whether be there any man or woman in your pa­rish that useth witch-crafts, sorceriesSorcerie. charmes, or unlawfull prayer, or invocation, in Latine or English, or otherwise, or a­ny that resorteth to such persons for counsell or for helpe, and what be their names, and who doth practise Physicke or Chy­rurgerie in the parish unlicensed thereunto?

[Page]6 Is there any of your Parish having a preacher to their Minister, that doe absent themselves from his sermons and re­sort to other places, to heare other Preachers, or doe any dwel­ling in your Parish communicate or baptize their children in any other Parish?

7 Have any in your Parish administred the goods of any person dying intestate, without lawfull authority to them granted by the Ordinary, or before they have proved the Will or Testament of any person deseased that made any Will or Testament? Are there any Wills unproved, or goods not ad­ministred in your Parish?

8 What persons be communicate in your Parish, for what cause were they so excommunicate, how long have they so stood excommunicate? and doe any of them repaire to your parish Church, or to any other parish Church (to your know­ledge) in time of Prayer unabsolved?

9 Have any excommunicate person or persons béene buried in your Church or Chappell, or Church-yard, if yea, what were their names so buried, by whom were they so buried, and who were present at the same burials?

10 Doe you know of any other matter worthy of present­ment, or any person or persons that have committed any fault or offence contrary to any other his Maiesties Ecclesiasticall lawes, not set downe or expressed in these Articles? or doe you know of any person or persons that are vehemently suspected for committing any such fault or offence, by vertue of your oathes present the said faults, and the names of the persons that have committed, or are vehemently suspected for commit­ting the same offences?