THe ancient and laudable vſe of Viſitations, haue beene to reforme ſuch abuſes, as by tract of time haue crept into the Church; The diſcouery of which abuſes, as by a Booke of Articles is offered vnto you, and you bound by a ſacred oath to preſent the ſame; ſo for the refreſhing of your memories, and diſcharge of mine owne conſcience towards God, I thought fit to denote ſome in particular vnto you.

Firſt, I vnderſtand of a great irreuerence, openly ſhewed in your Churches and Chappels during the time of Diuine Seruice; which is, that yong men miſ-led by the example of their elders, doe ſit couered with their hats on their heads, neither regarding the holineſſe of the houſe of God, nor the greatneſſe of the Diuine Maieſtie, which is to bee worſhipped with feare and reuerence: For a preſent remedie of this abuſe, I require the Churchwardens and Side-men, at the beginning of Diuine Seruice, to looke carefully vpon the Congregation, and if any of the elder ſort offend in this kinde, I require them to goe perſonally vnto them, and to deſire them in gentle termes to remember themſelues, and to ſit vncouered: and if after gentle admonition they doe not forbeare, then I require that they bee preſented at my next Court day, holden in Yorke: and for the yonger ſort, I require the Churchwardens to goe perſonally vnto them, in caſe they offend, and to rebuke them ſharpely for their contempt, and if they perſiſt, and will not obey by vncouering their heads, I will the Churchwardens to pull off their hats, and I require the maſters of ſuch profane ſeruants, and fathers of children, to giue them ſuch priuate chaſtiſement, as the qualitie of their fact requireth.

Secondly, I am giuen to vnderſtand, that it is growen vſuall and familiar for men to walke vp and downe, and to talke before and after Diuine Seruice within the Church, and in ſome Pariſhes to keepe Ales and Drinkings within the Church, and when the Pariſhioners doe make their vſuall rates, that they goe vp to the Communion Table, and there write them, and that about the ſetting of thoſe rates many vnchriſtian and vnſeemely words are exchanged amongſt them, to the great diſhonour of Almighty God, and the profanation of his holy Temple, which if they bee not ſpeedily amended, I ſhall vſe all the ſeuerity againſt the offenders, that any Law, Canon, or Conſtitution Eccleſiaſticall ſhall affoord.

Thirdly, it commeth from the grones and ſighes of the people, that for a booke of Articles containing little more then two leaues in quarto, which may bee printed for the value of a penie, an Archdeacon at his annuall Viſitation, exacteth from euery Pariſh, two ſhillings and ſixe pence, and compelleth them euery yeere to take new bookes, whereas one booke will ſerue for many yeeres, and that the Archbiſhops Chancellour in the Viſitation riſeth higher, and requireth for euery booke of Articles of euery Pariſh, iij. s. Ab initionon fuit ſic; & malus mos, quanto antiquior, tanto nequior. For redreſſe hereof, I require the Archdeacon at his annuall Viſitation to take for euery booke of Articles but ſixe pence, and in ſeuen yeeres following to impoſe no booke at all vpon the ſeuerall Pariſhes, but to let their old bookes to ſerue the turne, except ſuch Pariſhes as haue loſt their old bookes: And for mine owne Viſitation, I command, that no more then twelue pence be required for a booke of Articles, nor no more paid; the diſtribution of which twelue pence amongſt the Apparators and others, I reſerue to my ſelfe.

Fourthly, I heare much complaint of the increaſe and exaction of Fees, by ſeuerall Officers in ſeuerall Courts, much to the ſcandall of our Eccleſiaſticall Iuriſdiction: For remedy whereof I ſtrictly charge my Regiſter to carrie with him, and to affixe in a publique place, that all men may ſee and reade them, a Table containing the ſeuerall, ancient, and accuſtomed Fees for all matters belonging to my Viſitation: and if any of my Officers ſhal directly or indirectly, exact or take any greater Fees, vpon iuſt complaint I ſhal lay ſuſpenſion, or any other greater cenſure vpon him, that the Law Eccleſiaſticall ſhall authorize me to inflict.