The Elizabethan Parish in its Ecclesiastical and Financial Aspects | Page 7

disbursed, concerns us here. When the Ealing wardens were "detected" to the chancellor of the bishop of London because they had no pulpit-cloth, no poor-box, nor the Paraphrases of Erasmus, they appeared and declared in court that they had not provided these things "nor can do it, for that there is no churche stock wherewith to do it." Hereupon they were admonished that the judge's pleasure was that they should procure Mr. Fleetwood and Mr. Knight (evidently two prominent parishioners) to make an assessment on the parish in order to purchase these articles, and further that they (the wardens) should certify to the court at a later day fixed that the rate had been laid and the missing requisites bought, unless, indeed, some refused to pay, in which case their names should be handed into court.[81] So, again, when rector and wardens of Sutton were presented in the same court for letting their church go to ruin, they protested that the reason was that ��40 "will skant repayre it, and that so mutch cannot be levied of all the land in the p[ar]ishe." But this excuse was not for a moment admitted, and they were warned to appear in the next consistory court to take out a warrant for the assessment of the lands.[82]
Though the wardens did not themselves in practice always make the rate directed by the archdeacon, yet they were held responsible for its making. So true was this that if, after a duly called parish meeting for the purpose of laying the rate in obedience to the archdeacon's orders, no parishioners appear, then, in the words of the archdeacon's official to the wardens of Ramsden Bellhouse (Essex): "if the inhabitants of the said p[ar]ish will not join with the said church wardens &c., that then the said churchwardens shall themselves make a rate for the leveinge of the said charges [etc.] ..."[83]
Finally, the archdeacons or their officials always stood ready to enforce an accounting by the outgoing wardens to the parishioners or their representatives. If the accounting was delayed too long, or if the surplus was not promptly handed over to the incoming (or newly elected) wardens, then the delinquent officers were cited before the court. Numerous instances are found in the court records of the enforcing of this duty. [84]
A permanent parish officer and one over whose appointment the parishioners had usually no control [85] was the parish minister, whether officiating rector, vicar or curate. [86] Elizabethan statutes and canons sought to increase the dignity of the incumbents of cures, [87] but royal greed did yet more to lower it. [88]
The minister was usually addressed by his parishioners as "Sir" John, or "Sir" George, etc., quite irrespective of his actual rank,[89] and this in an age of punctilious distinctions in forms of address. In the small country parishes the incumbent was often the only, or almost the only, educated man in the community. His advice had naturally considerable weight in parish affairs, and his pen was often required in the drawing up of official or legal documents, certifications or testimonials, the casting up of parish accounts and the like.[90]
We find in the act-books officiating rectors or vicars presented for non-residence upon their cures;[91] while rectors and other recipients of great tithes are "detected" at visitations for not repairing the chancels in their churches; or not maintaining their vicarage buildings with barns and dove-cotes;[92] or for not providing quarter sermons where the clergyman serving the cure was not himself licenced to preach;[93] beneficed men not resident are arraigned for not giving the fortieth part of their revenue to the parish poor;[94] resident ministers indicted for not keeping hospitality,[95] or for not visiting the sick.[96]
Just as the wardens were to look after the conduct of their minister, so the minister was required to fill the office of a censor upon the behavior of the wardens and to report to the ordinary their delinquencies--as, indeed, the trespasses of any among his congregation, though the latter task was more particularly assigned to the wardens and sidemen.[97] Furthermore the minister was the vehicle through which the commands of the authorities, lay or ecclesiastical, were conveyed to the parishioners. He was compelled to read these commands or injunctions at stated times and exhort his hearers 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