LXIV.-Ministers solemnly to bid Holydays.

Every Parson, Vicar or Curate shall in his several charge declare to the people every Sunday at the time appointed in the Communion Book, whether there be any Holydays or Fasting-days the week following. And if any do hereafter wittingly offend herein, and being once admonished thereof by his Ordinary, shall again omit that duty, let him be censured according to law, until he submit himself to the due performance of it.

LXV.-Ministers solemnly to denounce Recusants and Excommunicates. All Ordinaries shall in their several jurisdictions carefully see and give order, that as well those who for obstinate refusing to frequent Divine Service established by public authority within this realm of England, as those also (especially of the better sort and condition) who for notorious contumacy or other notable crimes stand lawfully excommunicate (unless within three months immediately after the said sentence of excommunication pronounced against them, they reform themselves, and obtain the benefit of absolution) be every six months ensuing, as well in the Parish Church as in the Cathedral Church of the Diocese in which they remain, by the Minister openly in time of Divine Service upon some Sunday, denounced and declared excommunicate, that others may be thereby both admonished to refrain their company and society, and excited the rather to procure out a writ De Excommunicato capiendo, thereby to bring and reduce them into due order and obedience. Likewise the Register of every ecclesiastical court, shall yearly between Michaelmas and Christmas, duly certify the Archbishop of the province of all and singular the premises aforesaid.

LXVI.-Ministers to confer with Recusants.

Every Minister being a Preacher, and having any Popish recusant or recusants in his Parish, and thought fit by the Bishop of the Diocese, shall labour diligently with them from time to time, thereby to reclaim them from their errors. And if he be no Preacher, or not such a Preacher, then he shall procure, if he can possibly, some that are Preachers so qualified, to take pains with them for that purpose. If he can procure none, then he shall inform the Bishop of the Diocese thereof, who shall not only appoint some neighbour Preacher or Preachers adjoining to take that labour upon them; but himself also (as his important affairs will permit him) shall use his best endeavour by instruction, persuasion, and all good means he can devise, to reclaim both them and all other within his Diocese so affected.

LXVII.-Ministers to visit the Sick.

When any person is dangerously sick in any Parish, the Minister or Curate (having knowledge thereof) shall resort unto him or her (if the disease be not known, or probably suspected to be infectious) to instruct and comfort them in their distress, according to the order of the Communion Book, if he be no Preacher: or if he be a Preacher, then as he shall think most needful and convenient. And when any is passing out of this life, a bell shall be tolled, and the Minister shall not then slack

to do his last duty. And after the parties death (if it so fall out) there shall be rung no more but one short peal, and one other before the burial, and one other after the burial.

LXVIII.-Ministers not to refuse to Christen or Bury.

No Minister shall refuse or delay to christen any child according to the form of the Book of Common Prayer, that is brought to the Church to him upon Sundays or Holydays to be christened, or to bury any corpse that is brought to the Church or Churchyard (convenient warning being given him thereof before) in such manner and form as is prescribed in the said Book of Common Prayer. And if he shall refuse to christen the one, or bury the other, except the party deceased were denounced excommunicated majori excommunicatione, for some grievous and notorious crime (and no man able to testify of his repentance) he shall be suspended by the Bishop of the Diocese from his Ministry by the space of three months.

LXIX.-Ministers not to defer Christening, if the Child be in danger. If any Minister being duly without any manner of collusion, informed of the weakness and danger of death of any infant unbaptized in his Parish, and thereupon desired to go or come to the place where the said infant remaineth, to baptize the same, shall either wilfully refuse so to do, or of purpose, or of gross negligence shall so defer the time, as when he might conveniently have resorted to the place, and have baptized the said infant, it dieth through such his default unbaptized; the said Minister shall be suspended for three months, and before his restitution shall acknowledge his fault, and promise before his Ordinary, that he will not wittingly incur the like again. Provided, that where there is a Curate or a Substitute, this Constitution shall not extend to the Parson or Vicar himself, but to the Curate or Substitute present.

LXX. -Ministers to keep a Register of Christenings, Weddings, and

Burials.

In every parish Church and Chapel within this realm, shall be provided one parchment book, at the charge of the parish, wherein shall be written the day and year of every christening, wedding, and burial, which have been in that Parish since the time that the law was first made in that behalf, so far as the ancient books thereof can be procured, but especially since the beginning of the reign of the late Queen. And for the safe keeping of the said book, the Churchwardens, at the charge of the Parish, shall provide one sure coffer with three locks and keys; whereof the one to remain with the Minister, and the other two with the Churchwardens severally; so that neither the Minister without the two Churchwardens, nor the Churchwardens without the Minister, shall at any time take that book out of the said coffer. And henceforth upon every Sabbath-day, immediately after Morning or Evening Prayer, the Minister, and Churchwardens, shall take the said parchment book out of the said coffer, and the Minister, in the presence of the Churchwardens, shall write and record in the said book, the names of all persons christened, together with the names and sirnames of their parents, and also the names of all persons married and buried in that Parish, in the week

before, and the day and year of every such christening, marriage, and burial: and that done, they shall lay up that book in the coffer as before: and the Minister and Churchwardens unto every page of that book, when it shall be filled with such inscriptions, shall subscribe their names. And the Churchwardens shall once every year, within one month after the five and twentieth day of March, transmit unto the Bishop of the Diocese or his Chancellor, a true copy of the names of all persons christened, married, or buried in their Parish in the year before (ended the said five and twentieth day of March) and the certain days and months in which every such christening, marriage, and burial was had, to be subscribed with the hands of the said Minister and Churchwardens, to the end the same may faithfully be preserved in the Registry of the said Bishop: which certificate shall be received without fee. And if the Minister or Churchwardens shall be negligent in performance of any thing herein contained, it shall be lawful for the Bishop or his Chancellor to convent them, and proceed against every of them as contemners of this our Constitution.

LXXI.-Ministers not to Preach or Administer the Communion in private Houses.

No minister shall preach or administer the holy Communion in any private house, except it be in times of necessity, when any being either so impotent, as he cannot go to the Church, or very dangerously sick, are desirous to be partakers of the holy Sacrament, upon pain of suspension for the first offence, and excommunication for the second. Provided, that houses are here reputed for private houses, wherein are no Chapels dedicated and allowed by the ecclesiastical laws of this realm. And provided also under the pains before expressed, that no Chaplains do preach or administer the Communion in any other places, but in the Chapels of the said houses, and that also they do the same very seldom upon Sundays and holydays: so that both the lords and masters of the said houses and their families shall at other times resort to their own parish Churches, and there receive the holy Communion at the least

once every year.

LXXII.—Ministers not to appoint public or private Fasts or Prophecies ; or to Exorcize, but by authority.

No Minister or Ministers shall, without the licence and direction of the Bishop of the Diocese first obtained and had under his hand and seal, appoint or keep any solemn fasts, either publicly or in any private houses, other than such as by law are, or by public authority shall be appointed, nor shall be wittingly present at any of them, under pain of suspension for the first fault, of excommunication for the second, and of deposition from the ministry for the third. Neither shall any Minister not licensed, as is aforesaid, presume to appoint or hold any Meetings for Sermons, commonly termed by some, Prophecies or Exercises, in market towns or other places, under the said pains: nor without such licence to attempt upon any pretence whatsoever, either of possession or obsession, by fasting and prayer to cast out any devil or devils, under pain of the imputation of imposure or cosenage, and deposition from the ministry.

LXXIII.-Ministers not to hold Private Conventicles.

Forasmuch as all conventicles and secret meetings of Priests and Ministers, have been ever justly accounted very hurtful to the state of the Church wherein they live: We do now ordain and constitute, That no Priests or Ministers of the Word of God, nor any other persons, shall meet together in any private house or elsewhere, to consult upon any matter or course to be taken by them, or upon their motion or direction by any other, which may any way tend to the impeaching or depraving of the doctrine of the Church of England, or of the Book of Common Prayer, or of any part of the government and discipline now established in the Church of England, under pain of excommunication ipso facto.

LXXIV. Decency in Apparel enjoined to Ministers.

The true, ancient and flourishing Churches of Christ being ever desirous that their prelacy and clergy might be had as well in outward reverence, as otherwise regarded for the worthiness of their ministry, did think it fit by a prescript form of decent and comely apparel, to have them known to the people, and thereby to receive the honour and estimation due to the special messengers and Ministers of Almighty God: We therefore following their grave judgment, and the ancient custom of the Church of England, and hoping that in time new-fangleness of apparel in some factious persons will die of itself, do constitute and appoint, That the Archbishop and Bishops shall not intermit to use the accustomed apparel of their degrees. Likewise all Deans, Masters of Colleges, Archdeacons and Prebendaries in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches (being Priests or Deacons) Doctors in Divinity, Law and Physic, Bachelors in Divinity, Masters of Arts and Bachelors of Law having any ecclesiastical living, shall usually wear gowns with standing collars, and sleeves strait at the hands, or wide sleeves as is used in the Universities, with hoods or tippets of silk or sarcenet, and square caps. And that all other Ministers admitted or to be admitted into that function, shall also usually wear the like apparel as is aforesaid, except tippets only. We do further in like manner ordain, that all the said ecclesiastical persons above-mentioned, shall usually wear in their journies cloaks with sleeves, commonly called priests' cloaks, without guards, welts, long bottons or cuts. And no ecclesiastical person shall wear any coif or wrought nightcap, but only plain nightcaps of black silk, satin or velvet, in all which particulars concerning the apparel here prescribed, our meaning is not to attribute any holiness or special worthiness to the said garments but for decency gravity, and order, as is before specified. In private houses, and in their studies, the said sons ecclesiastical may use any comely and scholar-like apparel, provided that it be not cut or pink't; and that in public they go not in their doublet and hose, without coats or cassocks: and that they wear not any light coloured stockings. Likewise poor beneficed men and curates (not being able to provide themselves long gowns) may go in short gowns, of the fashion aforesaid.

LXXV. Sober Conversation required in Ministers. No ecclesiastical person shall at any time, other then for their honest

I

necessities, resort to any taverns or alehouses, neither shall they board or lodge in any such places. Furthermore, they shall not give themselves to any base or servile labour, or to drinking or riot, spending their time idly by day or by night, playing at dice, cards or tables, or any other unlawful game: but at all times convenient, they shall hear or read somewhat of the Holy Scriptures, or shall occupy themselves with some other honest study or exercise, always doing the things which shall appertain to honesty, and endeavouring to profit the Church of God, having always in mind that they ought to excel all others in purity of life, and should be examples to the people to live well and christianly, under pain of ecclesiastical censures to be inflicted with severity according to the qualities of their offences.

LXXVI.-Ministers at no time to forsake their Calling.

No man being admitted a Deacon or Minister, shall from thenceforth voluntarily relinquish the same, nor afterward use himself in the course of his life, as a layman, upon pain of excommunication. And the names of all such men so forsaking their calling, the Churchwardens of the parish where they dwell shall present to the Bishop of the Diocese, or to the Ordinary of the place, having episcopal jurisdiction.

SCHOOL-MASTERS.

LXXVII. None to teach School without Licence.

No man shall teach either in public school, or private house, but such as shall be allowed by the Bishop of the Diocese, or Ordinary of the place under his hand and seal, being found meet as well for his learning and dexterity in teaching, as for sober and honest conversation, and also for right understanding of God's true religion, and also except he shall first subscribe to the first and third Articles before-mentioned simply, and to the two first clauses of the second Article.

LXXVIII.-Curates desirous to teach, to be Licensed before others.

In what Parish Church or Chapel soever there is a Curate which is a Master of Arts, or Bachelor of Arts, or is otherwise well able to teach youth, and will willingly so do, for the better increase of his living, and training up of children in principles of true religion: We will and ordain, That a Licence to teach youth of the parish where he serveth, be granted to none by the Ordinary of that place, but only to the said Curate. Provided always, That this Constitution shall not extend to any Parish or Chapel in country towns, where there is a public school founded already: in which case we think it not meet to allow any to teach grammar, but only him that is allowed for the said public school.

LXXIX. The Duty of School-Masters.

All School-Masters shall teach in English or Latin, as the children are able to bear, the larger or shorter Catechism heretofore by public authority set forth. And as often as any Sermon shall be upon Holy and Festival days, within the Parish where they teach, they shall bring