The Elizabethan Parish in its Ecclesiastical and Financial Aspects | Page 8

to obey them. For failure to
comply with this duty, he might be cited before the official,[98] and
punished by that officer.[99]
The curate of East Hanningfield, Essex, is presented in 1587 for "that
he hathe not geven warninge to the church-wardens to looke to there
dutie in service tyme, for such as are absent from service."[100] The
curate of Monkton, Kent, is brought before the court in 1569 for that he
"doth not call upon fathers and mothers and masters of youths to bring
them up in the fear of God."[101] When the archdeacon sent down an
excommunication against any one of the parish, it was delivered to the
minister to be solemnly proclaimed by him from the pulpit,[102] and
thereafter he had to see that the excommunicate person remained away
from service until absolution was granted[103] by the ordinary, which
absolution was then publicly pronounced from the pulpit.[104] When
penance had to be done in church by an offender, it was the duty of the
parson to superintend the performance; to say, if necessary, before the
congregation the formula of confession prescribed for the offence, in
order that the guilty person might repeat it after him;[105] to exhort the
persons present to refrain from similar transgressions; to read, on

occasion, some homily bearing upon the subject;[106] and finally to
make out a certificate (together with the wardens, if necessary) that the
penance had been carried out as enjoined by the judge.
Besides the celebration of the rites pertaining to his priestly office,
which need not detain us here, there were many other duties which the
ecclesiastical courts enjoined on the parish incumbent. Some of these
have already been referred to.[107] Others will appear as we view the
discipline of the courts Christian when exercised over the parishioners
at large, to which subject we shall now address ourselves.
Foremost among the requirements exacted by the ordinaries from all
alike was the duty of attending church. Every one had to frequent
service on Sundays and on feast-days, and to be present at evening as
well as at morning prayer.[108] Nor might a man repair to a church in
another parish because it was nearer than his own.[109] Should his own
minister be unlicenced to preach--and only about one incumbent out of
four or five was licenced[110]--he was not permitted, except under
special authorization,[111] to hear a sermon in another church while
service was going on in his own.[112] If, however, a man were able to
pay the statutory[113] fine of 12d. for each absence on holy days he
could, it would seem, in practice resort to his parish church only on
occasions, say once a month, and yet not get himself written down as a
recusant.[114]
Heads of families were made responsible for the attendance of their
children and servants; innkeepers or victuallers for their guests.[115]
If it was not permissible to frequent service in another place of worship,
neither was it optional with a parishioner to get married elsewhere than
in his own church.[116] There, too, his marriage banns had to be
published--and it was a presentable offence to marry without
banns;[117] there he had to have his children christened[118] and his
wife churched;[119] there he was compelled to send sons, daughters or
apprentices to be catechized,[120] and there himself learn the principles
of religion (if he were ignorant of them), for without a knowledge of
the Catechism and the Ten Commandments he could not receive
communion.[121]
All persons over fourteen had to receive communion at Easter, and at
least on two other occasions during the year.[122] In fact readiness to
receive according to the Anglican rites became the test of a loyal

subject.[123]
The strict requirement to report all non-communicants to the official
resulted in the keeping of books in which were written the names of the
parish communicants.[124]
Next in importance to church attendance and the observance of the
sacraments came the duty of all parishioners to contribute to the parish
expenses. We have viewed church courts at work, compelling wardens
to levy church rates; we have now to see how the judges forced
recalcitrant ratepayers to pay the sums assessed upon them to the
wardens or other collectors.
Among the earliest vestry minutes of the parish of St.
Christopher-le-Stocks, London, is one which, after ordering that an
assessment be made for the clerk's wages and for pews, decreed that
any rebellious persons should be summoned before themselves, the
vestry, to be reformed. But if the rebel would not appear, or, on
appearance, remain stubborn to reason, then the churchwardens should
sue him before the ordinary at the parish costs "vntill suche tyme as he
be reduced vnto a good order, and hath paid bothe the costys of the sute
and the chargs that he owith vnto the church...."[125]