ENQUIRIES FOR A PAROCHIAL VISITATION IN LONDON.

I. IS there, or was there before the Fire within your Parish, or within the Parish or Parishes since annexed to it a Parso­nage or Vicaridge House or Houses for the Dwelling of your Minister? If it or they were burn down, are they since leas'd out and rebuilt? To whom? At what Ground-Rent, and for what Term? Have you a Survey or Map of it or them, and of the Yards and Gardens (if any) containing the exact Dimensions of them? Is the Lease or Lea­ses confirmed in due Form of Law? And where [Page 2] are they registred? And have you any other Houses (besides your Residence House or Houses) or any other Glebes belonging to your Benefice; and what are they?

II. IS the Annual Revenue (or Sum of Mo­ney in lieu of Tythes) which was settled by Act of Parliament 22 & 23 Car. II. cap. 15. for the cer­tain Annual Maintenance of your Minister, as­sessed and ascertain'd, in such manner by such persons, and within such time as the said Act li­mits and appoints? And if not, thro whose de­fault was it? If the Assessment be made, are there Three Transcripts of it in Parchment subscribed by the Assessors, and sent to be laid up among the Records of the City, in the Registry of the Bi­shop of London, and in the Vestry of your Church? And what other Perquisites, Gifts, or Bequests (be­sides the said settled Maintenance) are, or were, be­fore that Settlement, due to your Minister and his Successors, from the Impropriator or any other persons?

III. ARE there in the Re-building of the Ci­ty, or otherwise, any Encroachment made upon your Church or Church-Yard, or upon the Soil of the Church or Churches left unbuilt, or the Church-yards belonging to them? Is any part of [Page 3] either put to common use? Or any part of them, or of the Ministers House, Houses, or Glebes, taken into any other Persons House, Yard or Passage? By whom, and by what Authority was it done?

IV. WHAT Plate, Books, Bells, and other Furniture or Ornaments, have you belonging to your Church? Have you all such (at least) as the Rubrick and Canon expresly require? Are there true Inventaries of them kept, and from time to time duly examin'd? If any Church or Churches have been lately united to your present Parish-Church, what is become of the Plate, Books, Bells, and other Furniture of the Churches left unbuilt? As also of the Lead, Glass, Stone, Iron, or other Materials that remain'd after the Fire? And to what use is the Site or Soil of the unbuilt Churches now employ'd?

V. HATH your Minister any other Benefice, with Cure of Souls, besides that of your Parish? Where and at what distance, and of what value is it? How doth he divide, and apportion his resi­dence to his several Cures? And when he is Resi­dent hereabouts, doth he constantly live in his Incumbent House, if there be one not leas'd out (or if he can conveniently hire it of the Lessee) or at least some where within the bounds of the Parish?

VI. IF your Minister keeps a Curate to assist him, whether is he such an one as hath no Benefice of his own with Cure of Souls, from which he ab­sents himself? Is he duly licens'd by the Bishop? What Salary doth your Minister allow him? And when he reads Prayers, is your Minister himself constantly present at them?

VII. Have you a Lecturer in your Church, and who is it? Was he before he entred upon his Le­cture, approv'd and licens'd according to the late Act of Uniformity? Doth he upon the first Sun­day in every Month, duly perform all that the said Act requires of him? Hath he any Benefice of his own with Cure of Souls elsewhere? What Sa­lary doth he receive from your Minister or Parish?

VIII. Doth your Minister or his Curate (di­ligently and openly in the Church) catechise the Youth of your Parish on every Sunday in the Af­ternoon and Holydays, as the Rubrick and Canon require?

IX. Is the different Use and Ministration of Publick and Private Baptisme duly observed by your Minister and Curate, according to the Dire­ctions in the Liturgy? Or do they make a com­mon practice of baptising Children in private [Page 5] Houses? Or do it at any time without great cause and necessity, as the Rubrick limits it, that is (as the 69th Canon explains it) when they are duly without any manner of Collusion, informed of the weakness and danger of Death, of any Infant to be baptized? And when such need compels them to perform this great and solemn Office in private, do they use only the Form of Private Baptisme prescribed by the Liturgy? And as soon as the said necessity ceaseth, and it may safely be done, do they cause the Child so baptized, to be brought to Church, that the Congregation may be certified what Form of Baptisme was privately used, and that such supply may be made to the Office as is needful and appointed?

X. Is the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Sup­per duly administred in your Church on the First Sunday in every Month, and especially at Easter, Whitsontide, and Christmass? And do your Church-wardens, or (in case they refuse or neg­lect) your Minister, present to the Ordinary faith­fully and impartially all such of your Parish as be­ing above the age of 16 years, do not receive that Holy Sacrament in your Parish Church, as is by Law directed?

XI. When the Holy Communion is admini­stred, are the Alms and Oblations of Devout Per­sons [Page 6] duly collected or received? Are they con­stantly disposed of to Pious and Charitable Uses, by the consent of the Minister and Churchward­ens; or if they disagree, by the appointment of the Ordinary? Is there an exact Account taken and kept in Writing of all such Sums as are given and received at the Offertory, or upon other Occasi­ons, put into the Chest for Alms? And how much hath been the last Year so given and received, and how is it disposed of?

XII. What Bequests and Legacies, or other Charitable Gifts, have been by Will or otherwise, given to your Church or Poor, or to any Publick Use, within your Parish? How are they settled, and in whose hands? Is there a Memorial or Register kept of the Names of such Benefactors, and a par­ticular of the Sums by them given? And hath not their Charity been mis-imploy'd and diverted to other Uses?

XIII. Have you a Register Book of Parch­ment, wherein the Names and Surnames of all Persons Christned, Married, or Buried, within your Parish; together with the Names and Surnames of both the Parents of the Children so Christned, and the Day, Month, and Year, of all such Christnings, Marriages, and Burials, are from time to time, du­ly [Page 7] registred every Sunday, as the 70th Canon en­joyns? Have your Minister and Churchwardens subscribed their Names unto every Page of the said Book? Is it safely kept in a sure Coffer with Three Locks and Keys, so that neither the Mini­ster without the Churchwardens, nor the Church­wardens without the Minister, may at any time take it out of the said Coffer? And hath the Tran­script or true Copy thereof (subscribed as before) once every Year within One Month after the 25th of March, been transmitted unto the Ordinary to be faithfully preserved in the Registry of the Bishop?

XIV. Doth your Minister or Curate presume to Marry any Persons in private Houses, or at un­due or uncanonical Hours? Or any whose Banns have not been first publish'd on Three Sundays or Holydays in the Church, unless he hath a Licence or Dispensation so to do? How many such Li­cences have they or either of them received and made use of within the Year last past? And (to su­persede all farther Questions about the regularity and validity of such Licences) let them be all pro­duced, that they may be view'd and examin'd by the Canons.

LONDON, Printed by Tho. James at the Printing-Press in Mincing-Lane. 1685.

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