Touching the place of Common Praier in the Church.

WHether the Chauncell, Church and Chappell bée sufficiently repaired as well in stone, Timber, Leade, Tyle, Glasse, as all other necessary things, & if they bée not, through whose default this is omitted.

2 Whether your Churchyarde bée sufficiently fenced and decently kept, & the trées therein growing not spoiled.

3 Whether the walles of the Church bée within whited, & beautified with fruitfull sentences out of the holy Scriptures: and paued comely in the bodie of the Church & the Chancell.

4 Whether you haue in your parish Church & Chappell, all thinges necessarie for the setting forth of common praier and administration of the Sacraments, namely the booke of Com­mon praier, two Psalters in prose and méeter: the English Bible in the largest volume, which now is authorised by con­sent of the Bishops of this Realme: the two tomes of Home­lies: the Paraphrases of Erasmus in English: the table of the ten Commandements of God: a conuenient Pulpit well placed, a decent table standing on a frame, for the holy Com­munion, with a faire linnen cloth to lay vpon the same, and some couering of silke, buccharam, or other such like, for the kéeping cleane thereof, a comely Communion Cup of siluer, with a couer of siluer for the same, which may serue for the ad­ministration of the Communion Bread: a decent Surplus with large sléeues: a Regester booke in parchment of Christ­nings, weddings, & burials: a sure cofer with thrée lockes & keies for the kéeping of the said register booke.

5 Whether all monuments of supersticion bée defaced and cleane remoued: as Alters, Roodeloftes, Copes, Vestments, [Page] Holy water, Stockes, Images, and all popish bookes either Latine or English.

6 Whether you haue a Clarke, Sexten, or decon, to asist your priest dutifully in reading the psalmes, first lesson, the Epistle, and such other seruices: & also to kéepe the bookes and orna­ments of the Church, the Church it selfe, the quier, the Com­munion table, the Pulpit & the Font, faire cleane and decent, against the time of seruice of the Communion, Sermon and Baptisme, and by whom he is chosen.

Touching seruice vsed in the Church.

7 Whether there bée any within your parish, or else where néere about the same, and within this Diocesse, to your know­ledge or as you haue heard, that commeth not to Church, but is a recusant in that point: or that commeth, but vseth not to stay during the time of deuine seruice and Sermons, or doth not receiue the Communion in his parish Church, thrée times yéerely at the least.

8 Whether doe you know or haue heard any within your parish, or néere about the same, within this diocesse, to heare or say Masse, or any other seruice not publiquely allowed, or to receiue, entertaine, or lodge any priests, seminaries, Iesu­ites, or other deprauers or mistikers of the Ecclesiasticall state or gouernment, and what bée their names.

9 Whether you doe know or haue heard of any, within your parish or néere about the same, within this Diocesse that vseth to diswade any person from the Religion now professed, or to perswade any to the Romish religion.

10 Whether doth your Parson, Vicar, or Curat, or the Par­son, Vicar, or Curat, or any other of any other parish within this Diocesse, néere vnto you, to your knowledge, or as you haue heard, vpon sundaies and holidaies, vse to say morning and Euening Praier, and the Letanie distinctly, and in such manner & forme, and vnder such words as are set forth and prescribed in and by the booke of Common Praier: if no, then what other forme or manner, hath he or doth he or they vse, & what hath he or they omitted or added in any of the premi­ses, other then is in the saide booke expressed.

[Page]11 Whether doth your Parson, Vicar or Curat, or the Par­son, Vicar, or Curat, or any other of any other parish, with­in this Diocesse, and néere about you, to your knowledge or as you haue heard, vse the ministration of the Lords Supper and Baptisme, the instruction of children, solemnization of Matrimonie, the visitation of the sicke, the buriall of the dead, and the churching of women, in such manner and forme, and vnder such words, rites and ceremonies, as are set forth and prescribed in & by the said booke of Common praier: if no, then what other forme doth hée or they vse, and what hath hée or they vsed to adde or omit of, in or about the premises, or any of them: & doth he or they vse to omit the Ring in Marriage, and crossing the Childs head in Baptisme.

12. Whether hath your Parson, Vicar or Curat, or any o­ther within your parish, or else where néere about the same, & within this Diocesse, to your knowledge, or as you haue heard, preached, declared, vttered, or found fault with, or spo­ken any thing against the said booke of Common praier, or a­ny thing in the said booke expressed, or against any doctrine, office, function, or calling Ecclesiasticall, within this Realme by publique authoritie established: or against the ordinance & election of Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Decons, or any of them, and what was the same thing or fault so found, vttered declared, or preached, and by whom.

13 Whether hath your Parson, Vicar, or Curat, or any o­ther within your parish or else where, néere about the same, and within this Diocesse, to your knowledge or as you haue heard, preached, declared, vttered, spoken, or signified in writ­ing, word or déede, any thing in liking, maintayning, extolling, commending, or perswading, of any other doctrine, discipline or any other forme of Common praier, election or ordination of any other offices, officers Decons, Pastors, Elders, presbi­teries or Ecclesiasticall Censures, then are by the lawes and statutes of this Realme established.

14 Whether you haue on Wednesdaies and Frydaies ser­uice in your church and chappell, according to order appoin­ted for all our necessities set forth by authoritie.

[Page]15 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curat, doe euery sun­day when ther is no sermon, read plainely some part of the Homelies prescribed to be read: or whether any of them not being found to haue sufficient abilitie to preach, or not law­fully admitted therevnto, doe take vpon them to expound any part of the scripture & therby omit the reading of the homelies.

16 Whether the Communion bée administred euery mo­neth, where there be forty households in the parish otherwise once euery quarter at the least at the discretion of the Mini­ster.

17 Whether your Minister, or any other within the parish or else where in this Diocesse, to your knowledge or as you haue heard, hath published, spread abroad, deliuered, solde, or vttered, or receiued, retained, or kept any English bookes set forth by an English papist beyond the seas, either against the Quéenes Maiesties supremacie in matters Ecclesiasticall: or against true Religion and Catholike doctrine, now receyued or set forth by any other within this Realme or else where, a­gainst the state of the Archbishops, Bishops, and Clergie of this Realme: or against the doctrine, orders & ceremonies now retained by publique authoritie.

18 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curat, doe preach or cause to bée preached, euery moneth one Sermon at the least, and whether there-in they doe foure times in the yéere, teach the people that all forraine vsurped authorytie is iustly abolished: and that the Quéenes Maiestie is and ought to bée the supreame gouernour ouer all persons, & in all causes, as well Ecclesiasticall as ciuile, within hir dominions.

Baptisme.

19 Whether your Children that bée in no great perill of death, bée baptised after the last lesson of Morning prayer at the Font, vpon the sunday or holy day next after the birth thereof, with Godfathers and Godmothers that can say the Catechisme, the Lords Prayer, the Articles of the Christian faith, & the ten Commandements, and whether your Minister hath refused to baptise any child at any day in the wéeke, in case of great weakenesse.

[Page]20 Whether any child borne within your parish, hath not béene baptised in your parish Church.

21 Whether your children baptised at home in cases of ex­treame weakenesse and infirmitie, bée brought to the Church after their recouery, that the Minister may examine whether they be lawfully Baptised or no.

Matrimonie.

22 Whether they haue married any maner of persons with out the banes asking thrée seuerall sundaies or holy daies in time of deuine seruice, in the presence of the people.

23 Whether they haue solemnized any marriage in the night season, or at vnlawfull time of the day.

24 Whether they haue married any of diuers parishes with out a certificat of the banes asking, from the Minister or Cu­rat, where the parties dwell, or else doe solemnize any marri­age out of their owne Church, or marrie any in their owne Church, which be not of their owne parish.

25 Whether your Minister or Curat exhorteth yong persons not to make any contract of marriage priuatly or openly, with out the consent of their parents & friends that haue authoritie ouer them, according to Gods law and mans law.

26 Whether they marry any that cannot say perfectly the Lords praier, the articles of a Christian mans faith, and the ten commandements of God.

27 Whether any man haue two wiues, or any woman two husbands.

Visiting the sicke.

28 Whether they haue béene dilligent according to theyr duety, in visiting and adminstring vnto the sicke, to call the lost shéepe to Christes fold by repentance, comforting them with godly and wholesome sentences out of the sacred scrip­ture & Gods word, whereby they may put their whole trust in the mercies of God in Christes death our Sauiour, con­temning the world, and in forgiuing all men as they would be forgiuen at Gods hand.

29 Whether they haue exhorted all persons, aswell in health as in sicknesse, to make their Testaments, and dis­pose [Page] their goods, for the discharging of their consciences, the quietnes of their wiues and children, & satisfieng of the world.

30 Whether they doe exhort their parishioners to cause a bell to be tolled for them & their families in the time of their sicknesse, to the intent they may be commended vnto Gods mercy by the praiers of other men.

31 Whether they haue called vppon them that haue made their testaments, to bestow according to their abilitie some part of their goods vpon the true workes of mercy: as vpon the poore and néedie, vpon the fatherlesse and motherles, vpon desolate widowes and marriages of poore maidens, vpon the maintenance of the ministrie & Schooles, vpon the reparati­ons of the Church, high waies and such like, and whether the Churchwardens call for the same.

32 Whether they haue béene diligent to bury the dead being brought to the Churchyard, vsing no other ceremony then is appointed for burialls.

33 Whether after the decease of any person there is any more ringing then one short peale before the buriall, and an other after the buriall.

34 Whether there bée any excessiue ringing or toling vsed vpon sundaies or hollidayes, or their euens, sauing to com­mon prayer, and to a Sermon, or such as doe not tend to su­persticion, and to the maintenance of popish purgatorie and of praier for the dead.

Commination.

35 Whether they vse out of the pulpit in a publique as­sembly to read the commination against sinners once euery quarter, immediatly after the Letanie is said vpon some sun­day or holliday.

Touching the Function of Ministers.

36 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, doe trauaile diligently & painefully, according to their abilitie to set foorth true religion, to adorne the same with the examples of good life, to beate downe, vice, supersticion, Idolatry, papistrie, & all manner of heresies: to exhort all men to vnity, peace, and bro­therly loue, & to their dutifull obedience to their Prince & such [Page] as hée in authoritie vnder hir, vnto the diligent hearing, reading, and teaching of Gods word.

37. Whether they indeauour to haue the parishioners to say seruice and sing Psalmes in prose and méeter with them in the Church.

38. Whether they say the common prayers, reade their Psalmes and Chapters, and other prayers, so audibly plain­ly and distinctly, in conuenient time, and at such a place, as all the people may well heare, and vnderstand the sence ther­of to their edifying.

39. Whether they vse after morning and euening prayer sayd, to bestow themselues in godly meditation of good lear­ning, and instructing of youth.

40. Whether they vse the exhortation set foorth in the ad­ministration of the Lords Supper, thereby to stir vp theyr parishioners to the oftner receiuing of the same.

41. Whether they haue admitted any notorious offendour or malicious person, or any notoriously knowen to bée out of charitie, or that hath done any open wrong to his neighbour eyther by word or by déede, to the holy Communion, with­out open acknowledging of their fault and reconciliation.

42. Whether there be any in your parish, that readeth any priuate Lectures in the same, or vseth exposition of scriptures in any priuate mans house whatsoeuer, or that preacheth any Doctrine of innouation, to with-draw the people from theyr due obedience: and whether any Preacheth, and doth not at certaine times in the yéere, minister the Sacra­ments, and say seruice according to order. Also whether any new presbiterie or consistorie of Elders bée in the parish ere­cted, or any priuate Conuenticle of those whose eares ich with singularities, and impertinent matters, in the which schisma­ticall Ministers bée admitted to deale in the Ecclesiasticall function and such as despise rulers & speake euill of them that are in authoritie, or whether any of your parish contribute to such schismaticall dealings and conuenticles.

43. Whether doth your minister or any other, vse any solemne Feastes or publique exercise, vpon any day not ap­poynted [Page] by publique authoritie: and who were at the sayde feast or exercise.

44. Item, whether doth your Parson, Vicar, or Curat or any other, preach, expound, interpret, exercise or Catechise, in any priuat méetings or conuenticles within your parish wher are the same held, and who resort thereto.

45. Whether doth your Parson, Vicar, & Curate, at their Sermons, Lectures, or exercises, pronounce all that forme of prayer for hir Maiestie and the whole Realme, set foorth in the end of the Quéenes Iniunctions.

46. Whether doth your Minister bid all such holydayes and fasting dayes, as are appointed by the booke of common prayer, and say seruice vpon the same holidayes, and vpon e­uery Wednesday and Friday: and doth any of your pari­shioners worke vpon any of the sayd holidayes.

47. Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curat, doe Preach, expound the Scriptures in his owne cure, or in any other place, not being lycenced so to doe by the Ordinarie.

48. Whether any Curat or Minister bée suffered to serue in the Church, before hée bée examined and admitted by the ordinary in writing vnder the seale of his office, and before he shew his lycence vnto the Churchwardens.

49. Whether the Register of all weddings, burialls, and christnings within your parish, be well kept, and a coppie of them once euery yéere, within one moneth after Easter, trans­mitted to the register, and whether the Quéenes Maiesties Iniunctions be quarterly read.

50. Whether yéerely in the Rogation wéeke, for the better knowing and retayning of the circuite of your parish, & for the obtayning of gods blessing vpon y ^e fruits of the ground, the Parson, Vicar, or Curat, the Churchwardens and cer­taine other of the substantiall of the parish, with other of the younger sort, walk the accustomed bounds of the parish, say­ing or singing in English the hundred and third, the hundred and fourth psalmes, the Letanie with an homily deuised for that purpose, and other deuout prayers.

Beehauiour of Ministers.

[Page]51. Whether your Parson or Vicar be resident vpon his benefice, and kéepe hospitalitie according to his abilitie.

52. Whether they kéepe their mansion houses and chaun­cels in good sufficient reparations.

53. Whether they kéepe in their houses any persons, men or women suspected of euill life, or of euill religion.

54. Whether your Minister or Curat be suspected of any notorious crime, as of filthie lucre, couetousnesse, adulterie, blasphemie, periurie, drunkennesse, idlenesse, filthie and vaine talke, or else is flaunderous in any part of his conuersation, thorow brawling, fighting, quarrell picking, & peace breaking.

55. Whether they haunt ale-houses, tauerns, Innes, or a­ny suspected place, or vse any vnlawfull gaming, as daun­cing, carding, dicing, hawking and hunting.

56. Whether your Minister and Curate doe vse at home and abroad such apparell as publick order appoynteth to bée decent for them to weare, and that their wiues, children and families, bée appareled handsomly without vanity, and great charges fit for the calling of their husbands, and doe vse the Surples at the time of common prayer.

57. Whether your Parson or Vicar hath at any time since the thirtéenth yéere of the Quéenes Maiesties raigne, made any manner of lease or graunt of his Parsonage or Vica­ridge, or any part thereof, he being absent and not risident vpon the same, to any other then to his Curat that dyd or doth serue his cure in his absence.

Schooles.

58. Whether the Schoolemaisters & Teachers within your parish, be examined, allowed or licensed by the Ordinarie vn­der his seale, whether they teach the Grammer set foorth by King Henry the eyght, and no other: whether they teach a­ny thing contrarie or repugnant to the order, Doctrine, and ceremonies of this church of England by publique authoritie established, and whether they teach the Catechisme in Latin, set foorth Anno. 1570. and allowed, and such other Godly learning, as may induce them to godlinesse, true religion and good conuersation.

[Page]59 Whether they doe encourage the youth committed to their charge, to the loue of true religion, and godlines, causing them daily, comming and departing from the schole, to pray vnto God for increase of learning & godly life, and also teach­ing them such sentences of the holy scriptures, as may frame them to feare God & liue vertuously, and also causing them to say grace in English before meat & after, and to giue thanks to God for all his benefites that they at any time receiue of his mercy, and not of their deserts.

60 Whether your Scholemaisters be negligent in teaching, or else be common officers, farmers, artificers, or otherwise intangled in other affaires, that they cannot benefit their scho­lers in learning, and what schoolemaisters be in any priuate house.

61 Whether aswell the Schoolemaister as the scholers doe come to schoole and leaue it in due time and houres.

Hospitalls.

62 Whether your Hospitals, spittles, and Almes houses, be well repaired and godly vsed, according to the foundation & auncient ordinaunces of the same, and whether there bée any other placed in them, then poore impotent and néedy persons, that haue not wherewith or whereby to liue.

Churchwardens.

63 Whether your Churchwardens be chosen yéerely one by the parish or the maior part thereof, and the other by the Minister, vpon the day accustomed.

64 Whether at any time héeretofore, the Churchwardens, or the Minister, or the parishioners, or any of them to your knowledge, or as you haue heard, haue with-held or detained in their custody, or haue sold, wasted, spent, or otherwise alie­nated any of the Church goods or stocke.

65 Whether the Churchwardens yéerely in writing, make their accounts to the parish, as well of all receipts as of their necessary expences.

66 Whether they doe leuy for not comming to the Church to heare deuine seruice vpon sundaies & holidaies, xii. pence, for euery person absent without lawfull cause, or present euery [Page] such person.

67 Whether they doe wast or spoile any part of the church goods & whether they call for all manner of legaces giuen to the poore of the parish, to the reparations of the Church, and such other good vses, & whether they call for the mony due to be paid for those that are buried in the Church.

68 Whether the Minister of the Church & the Churchwar­dens, doe certifie in writing vnder their hands and seales to the Ordinary at least wise 14. daies before the Assises or quarter Sessions, throughout all the whole yéere, all such per­sons as be absent from hearing diuine and publique seruice in the Church, the space of a moneth together at any time, that the same certificat may be deliuered to the Iustices, and the offenders therin indited according to a statute, what lands tenements, anuities, or goods or chattels are belonging to a­ny vse about the Church and in whose hands the euidences thereof remaine.

Midwiues

69 Whether your Midwiues be honest, sober, and skilfull, void of supersticion, drunkennesse, & vnséemely behauiour.

Of the Parishioners.

70 Whether the Parishioners and euery of them doe come dayly vpon the sundaies and holydaies to church, or kept o­pen his shop, or done any worke vpon any such day, or vsed at any time to braule or fight in the Church or Churchyarde, or vse Maygames, Lords of Misrule, dauncing, on the Sa­baoth day, or holy day in time of deuine seruice.

71 Whether any that kéepeth an Alehouse, Tauerne, or Inne or any other, suffereth any to daunce or play at any vnlaw­full game, or vttereth any meate or drincke, in time of diuine seruice, either of Sunday or holiday.

72 Whether there be any within your parish, or néere about you within this Diocesse, suspected or knowne to tell fortunes, to help men to things lost, vse charmes, witchcraft, sorceries, soothsayings, prophecieng, or any such other supersticious and deuillish illusion: whether any within your parish haue com­mitted adultery, fornication, or incest, or be a common drunc­karde, [Page] or a common swearer, or an vnlawfull vsurer, aboue ten in the hundreth, or is suspected of any of the premisses.

73. Whether any within your parish do entertaine or kéepe in his house, or other place, any woman suspected to bée of lewde life, or any woman with childe, and after hir deliuerie shall suffer hir to depart, before she haue done pennaunce, and how many such haue you knowen or heard of.

74. Whether the people vpon any occasion do eate or drink in the church, or any excommunicate person hath intruded himselfe into the church at the time of common prayer, and who doth kéepe company with any excommunicate person, knowing him so to bée.

75. Whether euery householder, their wiues, children and seruaunts, doe vse to make prayers vnto God euery mor­ning, before they goe to their worke, and euery euening bée­fore they goe to bed.

76. Whether they, their Children and seruaunts, béehaue themselues reuerently in time of common prayer, preaching, or ministring of the Sacraments, without walking, talking, sléeping, or disturbing the congregation.

77. Whether euery Parishioner haue framed himselfe to receiue oft the holy Communion, and hath receiued at least thrise the Communion this yéere, according to the dutie of a Christian man, and namely at Easter last, or receiuing haue not signified the same to the Minister, or haue not come to the Minister to be examined and to be better instructed touching his duety towards God and man.

78 Whether any man woman or child, vse to occupie him­selfe otherwise in the Church in the time of diuine seruice, then in praying and in marking attentiuely, that which is read or preached by the Minister.

79. Whether there bée any in the parish that presume to execute or to minister the goods of those that bée departed out of this world, without an administration or probate of testa­ment, or haue falsified, or suppressed the will of any person, or any executors that haue not fulfilled the testators will, & hath not lawfully proued the same will before the Ordinarie.

[Page]80. Whether any childe being borne since the thirtéeneth yéere of the Quéenes Maiesties raigne, hath not béene brought to be baptized at his parish church.

81. Whether any mis [...]iuer or doer, hath had his pennaunce or any part thereof omitted, without consent of the Bishop himselfe first had.

Patrons of Benefices.

82. Whether your Parson or Vicar, or any other for him, hath for or in respect of any summe of money, reward, gift, profit or benefit directly or indirectly, or for or by reason of a­ny promise, agréement, graunt, bond, couenant, or other, assu­rance, of or for any summe of money, reward, gift, profit, or benefit what so euer, directly or indirectly, procured or obtay­ned the gift or presentation of his benefice.

83. Whether you know any Patrone or any Aduousoner in your parish, that hath made a gaine by any colour, deceit, or simoniacal pack, in bestowing his benefice, or by receiuing money, or promise of the lease of the whole, or of part, or by reseruing his owne tithes, or any pension to himselfe, his childe, seruant or friend.

84. Whether doth your Parson or Vicar, let out, or suffer any to enioy his benefice, or any part thereof, or giue any pension out of the same, or suffer any man to holde or enioy his owne tythes, or to enioy any of the gléebe land.

And you shall make and bring in your presentments touch­ing all the Articles aboue mentioned, within four-teene dayes after the feast of Easter, Saint Iohn the Baptist, S. Michaell the Archangell, and the natiuitie of our Lord.