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.