Canons agreed upon by the Convocation for the Province of Canterbury assembled by the king’s licence in their Synod, a.d. 1603, published by His Majesty’s authority under the Great Seal of England.

89. The choice of Churchwardens and their Account.

All Churchwardens or Questmen in every parish shall be chosen by the joint consent of the Minister and parishioners, if it may be; but if they cannot agree upon such a choice, then the Minister shall choose one, and the parishioners another: and without such a joint or several choice none shall take upon them to be Churchwardens: neither shall they continue any longer than one year in that office, except perhaps they be chosen again in like manner. And all Churchwardens at the end of their year, or within a month after at the most, shall before the Minister and the parishioners give up a just account of such money as they have received, and also what particularly they have bestowed in reparations and otherwise, for the use of the Church. And, last of all, going out of their office, they shall truly deliver up to the parishioners whatsoever money or other things of right belonging to the Church or parish, which remaineth in their hands, that it may be delivered over by them to the next Churchwardens by bill indented.

90. The choice of Sidemen, and their joint office with Churchwardens.

The Churchwarden or Questmen of every parish, and two or three or more discreet persons in every parish, to be chosen for Sidemen or Assistants by the Minister and parishioners, if they can agree (otherwise to be appointed by the Ordinary of the diocese), shall diligently see that all the parishioners duly resort to their Church upon all Sundays and Holy-days, and there continue the whole time of Divine Service; and none to walk or to stand idle or talking in the Church, or in the Churchyard, or in the Church-porch, during that time. And all such as shall be found slack or negligent in resorting to the Church (having no great or urgent cause of absence) they shall earnestly call upon them; and after due monition (if they amend not) they shall present them to the Ordinary of the place. The choice of which persons, viz., Churchwardens or Questmen, Sidemen, or Assistants, shall be yearly made in Easter-week.

85. Churches to be kept in sufficient Reparations.

The Churchwarden or Questmen shall take care and provide that the Churches be well and sufficiently repaired, and so from time to time kept and maintained, that the windows be well glazed, and that the floors be kept paved, plain and even, and all things there in such an orderly and decent sort, without dust, or anything that may be either noisome or unseemly, as best becometh the House of God, and is prescribed in an Homily to that effect. The like care they shall take that the Churchyards be well and sufficiently repaired, fenced and maintained with walls, rails, or pales, as have been in each place accustomed, at their charges unto whom by law the same appertaineth: but especially they shall see that in every meeting of the congregation peace be well kept: and that all persons excommunicated, and so denounced, be kept out of the Church.

88. Churches not to be profaned.

The Churchwardens, or Questmen, and their Assistants, shall suffer no plays, feasts, banquets, suppers, church-ales, drinkings, temporal courts, or leets, lay juries, musters, or any other profane usage, to be kept in the Church, Chapel, or Churchyard, neither the bells to be rung superstitiously upon holy days, or eves abrogated by the Book of Common Prayer, nor at any other times without good cause to be allowed by the Minister of the place, and by themselves.

52. The names of strange Preachers to be noted in a book.

That the Bishop may understand (if occasion so require) what sermons are made in every Church of his diocese and who presume to preach without licence, the Churchwardens and Sidemen shall see that the names of all Preachers, which come to their Church from any other place, be noted in a book which they shall have ready for that purpose; wherein every Preacher shall subscribe his name, the day when he preached, and the name of the Bishop of whom he had license to preach.

111. Disturbers of Divine Service to be presented.

In all visitations of Bishops and Archdeacons the Churchwardens, or Questmen, and Sidemen shall truly and personally present the names of all those which behave themselves rudely and disorderly in the Church, or which by untimely ringing of bells, by walking, talking, or other noise, shall hinder the Minister or Preacher.

118. The old Churchwardens to make their presentments before the new be sworn.

The office of all Churchwardens and Sidemen shall be reputed ever hereafter to continue until the new Churchwardens that shall succeed them be sworn, which shall be the first week after Easter or some week following, according to the direction of the Ordinary, which time so appointed shall always be one of the two times in every year, when the Minister, and Churchwardens, and Sidemen of every parish shall exhibit to their several Ordinaries the presentments of such enormities as have happened in their parishes since their last presentments. And this duty they shall perform before the newly-chosen Churchwardens and Sidemen be sworn, and shall not be suffered to pass over the said presentments to those that are newly come into office and are by intendment ignorant of such crimes, under pain of those censures which are appointed for the reformation of such dalliers and dispensers with their own consciences and oaths.