Parith-churches and Chapels where the faid parties dwell, according to the Book of Common Prayer. Neither shall any Minifter, upon the like pain, under any pretence whatsoever, join any perfons fo licenfed in marriage at any unfeasonable times, but only between the hours of eight and twelve in the forenoon, nor in any private place, but either in the faid Churches or Chapels where one of them dwelleth, and likewife in time of Divine Service; nor when Banns are thrice asked, and no licence in that respect neceffary, before the parents or governors of the parties to be married, being under the age of twenty and one years, fhall either perfonally, or by fufficient teftimony, fignify to him their confents given to the said Marriage. 63. Minifters of exempt Churches not to marry without Banns, or Licence. EY VERY Minister, who shall hereafter celebrate Marriage between any perfons contrary to our faid Conftitutions, or any part of them, under colour of any peculiar liberty or privilege claimed to appertain to certain Churches and Chapels, fhall be fufpended per triennium by the Ordinary of the place where the offence fhall be committed. And if any fuch Minister fhall afterwards remove from the place where he hath committed that fault, before he be fufpended, as is aforefaid, then fhall the Bishop of the diocefe, or Ordinary of the place where he remaineth, upon certificate under the hand and feal of the other Ordinary, from whofe jurifdiction he removed, execute that cenfure upon him. 64. Minifters folemnly to bid Holy-days. E VERY Parfon, Vicar, or Curate, fhall in his several charge declare to the people, every Sunday at the time appointed in the Communion-book, whether there be any Holy-days or Fafting-days the week following. And if any do hereafter wittingly offend herein, and being once admonished thereof by his Ordinary, thall again omit that duty, let him be cenfured according to law, until he fubmit himself to the due performance of it 65. Minifters folemnly to denounce Recufants and Excommu ·A1 nicates. LL Ordinaries fhall, in their several jurisdictions, carefully fee and give order, that as well thofe who for ob ftinate refufing to frequent Divine Service eftablished by public authority within this realm of England, as thofe alfo (especially of the better fort and condition) who for notorious contumacy, or other notable crimes, ftand lawfully excommunicate, (unlefs within three months immediately after the said sentence of Excommunication pronounced against them, they reform themselves, and obtain the benefit of abfolution,) be every fix 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 fome Sunday, denounced and declared excommunicate, that others may be thereby both admonished to refrain their company and fociety, and excited the rather to procure out a writ De excommunicato capiendo, thereby to bring and reduce them into due order and obedience. Likewife the Registrar of every Ecclefiaftical Court fhall yearly between Michaelmas and Christmas duly certify the Archbishop of the province of all and fingular the premises aforesaid. EVE 66. Minifters to confer with Recufants. VERY Minifter being a Preacher, and having any Popish Recufant or Recufants in his parish, and thought fit by the Bishop of the diocefe, fhall labour diligently with them from time to time, thereby to reclaim them from their errors. And if he be no Preacher, or not fuch a Preacher, then he fhall procure, if he can poffibly, fome that are Preachers fo qualified, to take pains with them for that purpose. If he can procure none, then he shall inform the Bishop of the diocefe thereof, who shall not only appoint fome neighbour Preacher or Preachers adjoining to take that labour upon them, but himself alfo, as his important affairs will permit him, fhall use his best endeavour, by inftruction, perfuafion, and all good means he can devife, to reclaim both them and all other within his diocese fo affected. 67. Minifters 67. Minifters to vifit the Sick. WHEN any perfon is dangerously fick in any parish, the Minifter, or Curate, having knowledge thereof, fhall refort unto him or her, (if the difeafe be not known, or probably fufpected, 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 fhall think most needful and convenient. And when any is paffing out of this life, a bell fhall be tolled, and the Minister shall not then flack to do his last duty. And after the party's death, if it so fall out, there fhall be rung no more than one short peal, and one other before the burial, and one other after the burial. 68. Minifters not to refuse to christen or bury. No Minifter fhall refuse or delay to chriften any child according to the form of the Book of Common Prayer, that is brought to the Church to him upon Sundays or Holy-days to be chriftened, or to bury any corpfe that is brought to the Church or Church-yard, convenient warning being given him thereof before, in fuch manner and form as is prefcribed in the faid Book of Common Prayer. And if he fhall refufe to chriften the one, or bury the other, (except the party deceased were denounced excommunicated majori excommunicatione, for fome grievous and notorious crime, and no man able to testify of his repentance,) he fhall be fufpended by the Bishop of the diocese from his miniftry by the space of three months. 69. Minifters not to defer christening, if the Child be in danger. IF any Minifter, being duly, without any manner of collufion, informed of the weakness and danger of death of any infant unbaptized in his parish, and thereupon defired to go or come to the place where the faid infant remaineth, to baptize the fame, fhall either wilfully refuse so to do, or of purpose, or of grofs negligence, fhall fo defer the time, as, when he might conveniently have resorted to the place, and have baptized the faid infant, it dieth, through fuch his default, unbaptized; the faid Minifter fhall be fufpended for three months; and before his reftitution 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 Subftitute, this Conftitution fhall not extend to the Parfon or Vicar himself, but to the Curate or Substitute present. 70. Minifters to keep a Register of Christenings, Weddings, and Burials. IN every Parish-church and Chapel within this realm, fhall be provided one parchment book at the charge of the parish, wherein fhall be written the day and year of every Christening, Wedding, and Burial, which have been in that parith fince the time that the law was first made in that behalf, fo far as the ancient books thereof can be procured, but especially fince the beginning of the reign of the late Queen. And for the fafe keeping of the faid book, the Church-wardens, at the charge of the parish, fhall provide one fure coffer, with three locks and keys: whereof the one to remain with the Minister, and the other two with the Church-wardens, feverally; fo that neither the Minifter without the two Church-wardens, nor the Church-wardens without the Minifter, fhall at any time take that book out of the faid coffer. And henceforth upon every Sabbath-day, immediately after Morning or Evening Prayer, the Minifter and Churchwardens fhall take the faid parchment book out of the faid coffer, and the Minifter, in the prefence of the Church-wardens, fhall write and record in the faid book the names of all perfons chriftened, together with the names and furnames of their parents, and also the names of all perfons married and buried in that parish in the week before, and the day and year of every fuch Chriftening, Marriage, and Burial; and, that done, they fhall lay up that book in the coffer, as before, and the Minifter and Church-wardens unto every page of that book, when it fhall be filled with fuch infcriptions, fhall fubscribe their names. And the Church-wardens fhall once every year, within one month after the five and twentieth day of March, tranfmit unto the Bishop of the diocefe, or his Chancellor, a true copy of the names of all perfons christened, married, or buried in their parish in the year before, ended the faid five and twentieth day of March, and the certain days and months in which every fuch Chriftening, Marriage, and Burial was had, to be fubfcribed with the hands of the faid Minifter and Church-wardens, to the end the fame may faithfully be preferved in the Registry giftry of the faid Bishop; which certificate fhall be received without fee. And if the Minifter or Church-wardens fhall 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. 71. Minifters not to preach, or adminifter the Communion, in private Houfes. No Minifter fhall preach, or adminifter the holy Communion, in any private houfe, except it be in times of neceffity, when any being either fo impotent as he cannot go to the Church, or very dangerously fick, are defirous to be partakers of the holy Sacrament, upon pain of fufpenfion for the first offence, and excommunication for the fecond. Provided, that houfes are here reputed for private houses, wherein are no Chapels dedicated and allowed by the Ecclefiaftical Laws of this realm. And provided alfo, under the pains before expreffed, that no Chaplains do preach or adminifter the Communion in any other places, but in the Chapels of the faid houses; and that alfo they do the fame very feldom upon Sundays and Holy-days; fo that both the fords and mafters of the faid houtes, and their families, fhall at other times refort to their own Parish-churches, and there receive the holy Communion at the least once every year. 72. Minifters not to appoint public or private Fafts or Prophecies, or to exorcife, but by authority. NO Minifter or Minifters fhall, without the licence and direction of the Bishop of the diocese first obtained and had under his hand and feal, appoint or keep any folemn Fafts, either publicly or in any private houfes, other than fuch as by law are, or by public authority fhall be appointed, nor fhall be wittingly prefent at any of them, under pain of fufpenfion for the first fault, of excommunication for the fecond, and of depofition from the miniftry for the third. Neither fhall any Minifter not licensed, as is aforefaid, prefume to appoint or hold any meetings for Sermons, commonly termed by fome Prophecies or Exercifes, in market-towns, or other places, under the faid pains: nor, without fuch licence, to attempt upon any pretence whatfoever, either of poffeffion or obfeflion, by fafting and prayer, to caft out any Devil or Devils, under E 4 pain |
