68. 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 Church-yard, 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.

69. 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.

70. 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 Church-wardens, at the charge of the parish, shall provide one sure coffer, with three locks and keys: whereof the one

E

to remain with the Minister, and the other two with the Church-wardens, severally; so that neither the Minister without the two Church-wardens, nor the Church-wardens 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 Church-wardens shall take the said parchment book out of the said coffer, and the Minister, in the presence of the Church-wardens, shall write and record in the said book the names of all persons christened, together with the names and surnames 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 Church-wardens 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 Church-wardens, 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 Church-wardens 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.

71. 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.

72. Ministers not to appoint public or private Fasts or Prophecies, or to exorcise, 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 markettowns, 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 imposture or cosenage, and deposition from the ministry.

73. 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, or 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.

74. 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 pre

script 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 newfangleness of apparel in some factious persons will die of itself, do constitute and appoint, That the Archbishops 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 journeys Cloaks with Sleeves, commonly called Priest's Cloaks, without guards, welts, long buttons, or cuts. And no ecclesiastical person shall wear any Coif or wrought Night-cap, but only plain Night-caps 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 Persons ecclesiastical may use any comely and scholar-like apparel, provided that it be not cut or pinkt; and that in public they go not in their Doublet and Hose, without Coats or Cassocks; and that they wear not any lightcoloured Stockings. Likewise poor beneficed Men and Curates (not being able to provide themselves long Gowns) may go in short Gowns of the fashion aforesaid.

75. Sober Conversation required in Ministers.

NO ecclesiastical person shall at any time, other than for their honest 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 games: but at all times convenient they shall hear or read somewhat of the holy Scriptures, or shall oc

cupy 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.

76. 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 Church-wardens of the parish where they dwell shall present to the Bishop of the diocese, or to the Ordinary of the place, having episcopal jurisdiction.

Schoolmasters.

77. 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 aforementioned simply, and to the two first clauses of the second Article.

78. 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.