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