Page [unnumbered]
❧Articles to be enquired of by the Minister, Church-wardens, and Sidemen of euery Pari•…•… within the Archdeaconrie of London: And Presentment to be made by them to Maister Archdeacon of London, or his Officiall, Contayning a particular Answere to euery Article.
The forme of the Oath taken by the Churchwardens and Sidemen.
YOu shall sweare, that you & euery of you shal duly consider & diligently enquire of these Articles giuen you in charge, and that al fauour, hatred, hope, feare, or any other corrupt affection set aside, you shall present all and euery such person which now is, or lately was in your Parish, as haue committed any offence or default comprized in any of these Articles, or which are vehemently suspected or defamed of any such offence or default. Wherein you shall deale according to an vpright conscience, neither presenting nor sparing to present any person contrary to truth. So helpe you God, and his faithfull promises in Iesus Christ.
WHETHER haue you in your Church all things requisite for the common Prayer, and due administration of the Sacraments, according to his Maiesties Laws and Canons Ecclesiasticall lately established: And namely a faire Bible, the booke of common Prayer, lately ordained onely to be vsed? A Font of stone set vp in the ancient vsuall place? A decent Communion table standing vpon a frame, with a Carpet of silke or some other séemely stuffe, and a faire linnen cloth to lay thereon at the time of communion? A faire communion Cup with a couer of Siluer? a decent Pulpit with a cloath and Cushion for the same? a conuenient seat to read seruice in? a comely large surplice? a strong chest for almes for the poore with thrée locks & keyes, and another chest for kéeping the Ornaments of the Church and Register booke? And whether haue you a Register booke in parchment of all Christenings, Weddings, and Burials? and whether is the same kept according to the said Canons? and whether doth your Minister vpon euery Sunday read the names of such as haue béen christend, married, or buried the wéeke before?
2 Whether your Church, Chancell, and Churchyard be kept in good reparatoms aswell within as without? whether any prophanation be vsed in them, or any man hath incroached vpon them? And whether your Prisonage or vicarage house, and all housing therevnto belonging, be likewise maintained in sufficient reparations? If not, through whose default, and what is the defect?
3 Whether haue you a Terrier of all the gleabes, lands, medows, gardens, orchards, houses, stocks, ymplements, Tenements, & portions of Tythes lying within or without your Pa∣rish, which belong vnto your Parsonage or Vicarage, & in whose hands, it doth remaine? If not, you shall together with your Minister make diligent enquirie of all the premises, and exhi∣bite with your next presentment a true note of them in parchment subscribed with your hands, specifying how they are but alled or bounded, & in whose occupation at this present they are?
4 WHether diuine seruice be said in your Church by your Minister distinctly and reuerently, vppon Sundaies and such holy daies as are appointed to bee obserued by the booke of common Prayer, and their Eeues, and vpon Wednesdaies and Fridaies at conuenient and vsuall times? And whether doth he in ministring the sacraments, solemnizing of matrimonie, visitation of the sicke, burying the deade, churching of women, and all other rites and offices of the Church, vse the formes of prayers prescribed in the said booke without any omission or additton? And whether doth he read the booke of Canons once yearely and weare a Surplice according to the said Canon?
5 Whether doth your Minister solemnly giue warning to his parishioners for the holy cammunion, and for all holydaies and fasting daies? And whether doth he visite the sicke and ex∣hort them to giue to the poore? And whether doth he conferre with recusants in your Parish (if there be any) according to the Canons? And whether doth he admit to the holy communion any notorious offenders, scismaticks, or strangers: or reiect any, who are not by presentment or publike scandall infamous for some notorious crime? And whether doth he admit any Father to be Godfather to his owne child, or any to be Godfathers & Godmothers which haue not receiued the holy communion, or doth not vse the signe of the crosse in baptisme: or doth baptize in any bason or other vestell, and not in the vsuall Font, or doth baptize any children that were not borne within the parish? And whether doth he marrie any in any exempt place, or without banes published thrée seueral Sundaies or holidaies, or without a sufficient dispensation or licence, or without licence in times prohibited, albeit the banes were thrice published, or not betwéene the houres of 8. and 12. in the forenoone, or if the parties bee vnder the age of 21. yéeres, before their parents haue signified their consent vnto him, or whether doth he refuse to christen, or to burie, or doth deferre the same longer than he should, and whether by his default any child hath dyed without baptisme in your parish?
6 Whether doth he preach, minister the communion, baptize children, (vnlesse in case of necessitie) solemnize marriage, or church women in priuate houses? Or doth kéepe or suffer any Fastes, Prophesies, Exercises, or exercismes without lawfull authority: or doth hold or suffer any priuate conuenticles contrary to the Canons? And whether doth he frequent Tauernes, Alehouses, or any place suspected for incontinency, or doth table or lodge in any such house: or is he a common Gamester at Dice, Cards, Tables, or any other vnlawfull game, a swearer or drunkard, or one that applyeth not himselfe to his study, or is otherwise offensiue and scandalous to his function and ministery, or doth not vse decency in his apparell, as by the Canons he is enioyned?
7 Whether is he continually resident vpon his benefice, and how long time hath he been absent) from the same? And (in case he be lycenced to be absent whether doth hee cause his cure to be sufficiently supplyed, according to the Canons? And whether (if he be allowed a preacher) doth he preach one sermon euery Sunday: or (if not so allowed) doth procure monthly sermons and read homilies? And whether (not being so allowed) doth he expound any scripture, or suffer any man to preach in your Church, whom you haue not well knowne to haue béen sufficiently yeeneed, and who hath not first subscribed his name, together with the day when he did preach, and who was not severly and decently apparelled?
8 Whether doth your Preacher and Lecturer read diuine seruice, and minister the Sacraments twice a yéere at the least in his owne person, according to the said Canons? And whether doth he vse the forme of Prayer before his Sermons for the Kings most excellent Maiestie, exhorting the people to obedience to his Maiestie, and other Magistrates in au∣thoritie vnder him?
9 Whether doth your Minister on Sundaies & holydaies catechize the youth & ignorant persons in your parish according to the order prescribed in the booke of common prayer, and ac∣cording to the said Canons? And whether doth he in the Rogation daies vse the perambulation of the circuite of the parish appointed by law, according to his dutie?
10 Whether doth he euery six moneths denonce in his parish Church all such of his parish as doe perseuer in the sentence of excommunication, not seeking to be absolued? And whether hath he admitted any such excommunicate person to the Communion, or to the church without certificate of his absolution? And whether doth he or any of your parish familiarly frequent the company of any such excommunicate person?
11 WHether any of your parishioners doe not cause their Children, Seruants, and Apprentices, to come to their Minister vpon Sundaies and holydaies to be instructed in the Catechisme by him? And whether any of them refuse to come, or if they come, refuse to learne those instructions set forth in the said booke of common prayer? And what bee the names of them so not causing, or refusing?
12 Whether any of your parishioners, or other strangers soiourning, lodging, or commonly resorting to any house within your parish, aboue 16. yéeres of age, doe wilfully or negligently absent themselues from your parish Church, vpon Sundaies or holydaies at morning and euening prayer, or who come very late to church vpon the said dayes, or who depart from church before seruice be finished: Or who doe not reuerently behaue themselues during the tune of diuine seruice, deuoutly knéeling at such times as the generall confession of sins, the Letany, the Ten commandements, and all prayers and collects are read: Or who doe vse any gaining or pastime abroad, or in any house, or doe sit in the stréet, or Churchyard, or in any Tauerne, or Victualling house vpon any of those dayes in the time of diuine seruice, or who haue quarrelled, brawled, or vsed violence to any person within your Church or Churchyard: Or who haue vsed filthy & prophane talke, or other rude and immodest behauiour?
13 Whether there be any of or within your parish being sixtéene yéeres of age and vpwards, that doe not receiue the holy Communion in your Church thrice in this yéere at the least, and chiefly once at Easter next: And whether any of your Parish doth not deuoutly knéele at the receiuing thereof? And whether doth not your Minister receiue it himselfe on euery day that he administreth it to others, and vse the words of institution at euery time that the bread & wine is administred? And whether doe your selues diligently obserue your office, in marking what persons of or within your parish offend against this and the next precedent Article, and in due presenting their names?
14 Whether any in your parish hauing a Preacher to their Parson, Vicar, or Curate, doe absent themselues from his sermons, and resort to other places to heare other preachers? And whether any hauing béen ordayned Priest or Deacon hath relinquished the same and betaken himselfe to a course of life as a lay man? Or whether any not being in orders, doth o∣penly read common prayer, or execute any ministeriall dutie in your church, and what be their names?
15 Whether there be any that doe publikely or priuately speake against the Booke of common Prayer, deprauing the same or any thing therein contained: or against any of the sayd Articles of Religion agréed vpon in Anno. 1562. Or against the Kings Royall supremacie in causes ecclesiasticall, or against any of the rites or ceremonies of the Church of England: Or against the gouernement of the said church of England vnder the Kings most excellent Maiestie, by Archbishops, Bishops, Deanes, Archdeacons, and other officers in the same, af∣firming that the same is repugnant to the word of God, and that the said ecclesiasticall Officers are not lawfully ordayned? Or whether there bee any that be Authors or maintay∣ners of scisme or frequenters of any priuate conuenticles or méetings: Or that be, or be suspected to be Anabaptists, Libertines, Brownists, of the Family of Loue, or of any other he∣risie or scisme: And what be their names?
16 Whether doe you know any Schoolemaister that doth teach, or Curate that doth read diuine seruice within your parish, without lycence of his Ordinarie vnder his scale? And whe∣ther doth not such Schoolemaister instruct his schollers in the Catechisme, and teach them the grounds of Religion, and bring them to Church to heare diuine seruice & sermons, and whe∣ther is he a common officer or artificer, or any waies reproueable in life? And whether is your parish Clarke also allowed by the Ordinary? And whether doth your Clarke serue more eures than one? And whether doe they demeane themselues according to their seuerall duties?
17 How many Midwiues haue you in your parish which doe exercise that office, how long haue they so done, and by what authority? Also how many in your parish doe practise as Phisitions or Chyrurgions, how long haue they so done, and of what skill are they reputed in their profession?
18 Whether doe you know any persons that doe administer the goods of the dead without lawfull authority, or suppresse the last will of the dead, or with-hold any stocke of the Church, or any legacies giuen to godly and charitable vses: and whether is the Almes of the Church faithfully distributed to the vse of the poore? And whether the late Churchwardens haue giuen a iust accompt according to the Canons?
19 Whether do you know in your parish any common swearers, drunkards, blasphemers, any simonicall persons, or vsurers contrary to the statute 37. of Henrie the eight, any witches, coniurers, soothsayers, charmers, fornicators, adulterers, incestuous persons, braulers, common slaunderers of their neighbors, raylers, scoulds, filthy & lascimous talkers, sowers of dis∣cord betwéene neighbors, or any that receiue or lodge incontinent persons, or harbour women with child which be vnmaried, conneying or suffering them to go away before they haue made satisfaction to the congregation, or any persons that are by common same noted or vehemently suspected of any of these crimes, or that being héertofore suspected, or presented for any of these faults, haue for that cause departed out of your parish, and are now returned againe?
20 Whether there be any persons within your parish that be married within the prohibited degrées of consanguinity or affinity, or their old wines or husbands being yet aliue, albeit diuorced from them, or that being lawfully married, doe liue scandalously apart, or that were married in times prohibited, or without banes thrée seuerall Sundaies or holidaies published hauing no sufficient lycence or dispensation for the same? And whether there be any that doe communicate, or cause their children to be baptized in other Parishes abroad, or kepe their children vnbaptized longer then is conuenient?
21 Whether any woman deliuered of child in your parish, in time conuenient after Childbirth, doe not come to the vsuall place in the Church to giue God thanks, as is appointed by the booke of common Prayer? And whether doth your Clarke lay a Cushion at the said vsuall place? And whether doth your Minister admit any thereto, who was begotten with child in adulterie or fornication, without licence from the Ordinarie?
22 Whether any Inhabitant within your parish doth detaine the Clarks wages, duties for bread and wine, or any other Church duties? Present particularly what be their names, and what and how much those duties be?
23 Whether any person in your parish doe exercise any Trade, Handicraft, or bodily labour, or doe buy & sell, or kéepe open shoppes or Warehouses vpon any Sunday or holiday, by themselues, their seruants or Apprentizes, or haue otherwise prophaned the said da••es contrary to the orders of the Church of England? And whether there be any Inkéepers, Alchouse∣kéepers, or Victuallers, that permit any persons in their houses to eate, drinke, or play at any games during the time of diuine seruice, or Sermon in the forenoone or afternoone vppon those dayes?
24 Whether doe any in your parish familiarly frequent the company of excommunicate persons? And whether doth your Minister or any of your parish without consent of the Ordi∣nary, cause any to doe penance, or to be censured or punished by any Vestry méetings, or otherwise by their owne authority, or do or haue taken any money for any crime or matter punish∣able by the ecclesiasticall Law, who haue béene so punished, in what manner, and vpon what cause?
25 If any one or more of you do know, or haue heard of any fault enquired of in these Articles, or of any other crime, the reformation whereof belongeth to the spirituall iurisdiction, hapning from the _____ _____ day of _____ _____ that then you do enforme one another therof, and you shall likewise present the same by vertue of your oathes?
26 The Minister of euery parish may ioyne in euery presenment with the Churchwardens and Sidemen, who if they will not present, the Minister may himselfe present to the sayd Archdeacon or his Officiall such faults or crimes abouesaid, as shall be thought to require due reformation?
You are charged to specifie the fault or crime, proper name & surname, trade or addition, & place of dwelling of euery person presented. And to bring your first generall presenment vpon all these Articles into Christ-church in London, in the forenoone betweene the howers of viij and xj. of the clocke, the. _____ _____ day of _____ _____ And your last generall presentment on the Tuesday senight immediately ensuing after Easter day next, or else then and there to appeale personally, to shew the cause of your default therein. Intimating further, that you may (besides those generall) present offenders, as oft as you shall thinke meete, as by the said Canons is prescribed.