any day not appoynted 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 the 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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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
ARTICLES MINIstred by the Reuerend Father in God Anthony by the grace of God Bishop of Chichester to the Churchwardens throughout the whole Diocesse of Chichester at the visitation begun there the 6 of September 1600 and to bee enquired of quarterly within the saide Diocesse Imprinted at London for Thomas Charde 1600. Articles to bee enquired of within the Diocesse of Chichester 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 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 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 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