IN primis, whether any haue intruded them selues, & presume to exercise any kynde of ministerie in the Churche of God, without imposition of handes & lawfull calling by ordinarie authori­tie, and whether any admitted but to Deaconrie vsurpe the office of the Minister.

2 Item, whether any laye persons take vpon thē to read openly in the congregation diuine seruice, in any Church, Chappell or oratorie, without they be therunto vpon some vrgent cause, or great ne­cessitie for a tyme licenced by the ordinary. Wher­fore such haue bene allowed, and how long they haue serued, and whether any of them haue taken vpon them to solemnise Matrimonie, or to mini­ster any Sacrament.

3 Item, whether any homicide or felone, any no­toriouslie infamous, & disabled by the Ecclesiasti­call lawes, any ordeined out of the Dioces where they were borne, or by lōg tyme made their abode without letters dimissories from their ordinarie, exercise the ministerie, or any Ecclesiasticall cal­ling in this Dioces.

4 Item, whether any Deacon or minister be re­moued from any other Dioces to serue in this, without letters testimoniall of the ordinarie from whose Dioces he came to testifie the cause of his departyng thence, and of his behauiour.

[Page]5 Item, whether any Deacon or minister in this Dioces go not comely and soberly in apparell ac­cordyng as it is appointed in the Queenes maie­sties Iniunctions, and in the aduertisementes, or lyue disordinatly in riotyng, gamyng, haukyng, huntyng, or beholdyng and garyng at any Idle pastime, or exercisyng any laicall trade, or misterie for gayne and lucre sclaunderous to their callyng in the Church.

6 Item, whether any being once ordeined Priest or minister, doth not still continue in their calling, or frequenteth and resorteth not to the Common prayer, or at times appointed communicateth not, or haue cast of their calling, and go and boast thē selues lyke laye men.

7 Itē, whether any of them say or sing in priuate conuenticles Masse, or any seruice contrary to the lawes of this Realme.

8. Item, whether any be permitted to preach in any place within thys Dioces, not being therunto lawfully lycēsed either by the Queenes Maiestie, or the Archbyshop of the Prouince, or the Byshop of the Dioces, and whether the Parson, Uicare or Curate and Churchwardens of euery Parishe do call for euery such licence, and peruse it before they suffer the party to preach.

9 Item, whether your Preachers set out in their sermons the Queenes Maiesties authoritie ouer all her subiectes, & in all causes, and exhort their [Page] hearers to due obedience vnder the same, to the folowyng of her Maiesties Iniunctions, and o­ther lawes, statutes, orders, aduertismentes and decrees set forth by common authority for the esta­blishyng of Christian Religion and maintenaunce of the Ecclesiasticall pollicie in this Realme, or whether any of them haue done or sayd any thyng to the contrary.

10 Item, whether they likewise in theyr prea­chyng excite and styre vp the people to charitie one with another, to godlynesse of lyfe, often and deuout receauyng of the holy Communion, fre­quentyng diuine seruice, hearyng the worde of God read or taught, and such like, and also to all kynde of Ciuill dutyes meete for subiectes, or be curious in mouing new needelesse doubtes, wher­by the people may be sooner styrred to debates and controuersies, then edified in holsome doc­trine, continued in Christian loue, or prouoked to godly lyfe.

11 Item, whether in their conuersation and be­hauiour, they be modest, graue, and sober, accor­dyng to theyr callyng, and for the better credite of their doctrine, or otherwise.

12 Item, whether your Parsons or Uicars, be continually resident vpon their benefices, if they be absent, where they be: whether in their absence their cures be sufficiently discharged and serued.

13 Item, whether they haue any other or moe be­nefices, [Page] in what coūtrey or Dioces they lye, whe­ther they came to any of them by fraude, guile, de­ceit, or symonie.

14 Item, whether they make or cause to be made their monethly and quarterly Sermons, instruct and examine the youth of theyr Parishes in the Catechisme at Euenyng Prayer on Sondayes and holydayes: whether they moue the Parishio­ners and the Parētes to buy the Catechisme late­ly set forth with additions by the Queenes Ma­iesties authoritie: whether they reade the Homy­lies on Sondayes, when there be no Sermons, and the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions euery quarter.

15 Item, whether and howe long after his In­duction, your Parson or Uicare read openly in your Church at diuine seruice, the Articles of Re­ligion whiche concerne the confession of the true Christian fayth, and the doctrine of the Sacra­mētes appointed to be publiquely read by an Acte of Parliament made in the xiij. yeare of her Ma­iesties reigne.

16 Item, whether they pronounce diuine seruice and other thynges to be read at common prayer playnely and distinctly to the hearyng and intel­ligence of the people, & minister the Sacramentes reuerently, in such sort as is set forth by the lawes of this Realme, the Queenes Maiesties Iniunc­tions, and the aduertismentes, without any kinde of variation.

[Page]17 Item, in the tyme of celebration of diuine ser­uice whether they weare surplisses, or celebrate the sayd seruice in the Chauncell or in the Church, Baptise in Basons or in the Fontes standyng in the places accustomed, minister the holy Commu­nion in water bread, or cōmon bread, in prophane Cuppes, dishes, bowles, old massing Challices, or in a decent communion cuppe prouided and kept for the same onely of purpose, & whether the Com­municantes receaue stādyng, sittyng, or kneeling.

18 Item, whether they haue entred into their be­nefices without lawfull ingresse therunto by In­stitution, or Collation & Induction, whether they maintaine their mansions houses, Chauncels and other edifices pertainyng to their benefices and Churches in sufficient reparations, and whether they make spoyle or wast of any thing partaining to them.

19 Item, whether such of them as may dispend an C. pound in spirituall liuynges by the yeare, al­loweth to the exhibitiō of some Scholler in Cam­bridge or Oxford iij. pounds vi. s. viij. pence yeare­ly, and what scholler receaueth it.

20 Item, whether any of thē haue demysed any of their benefices, or any part of them otherwise then is appointed in an Act of Parliament. an. 13. of the Queenes maiesties reigne cap. 17. or in de­fraude thereof conuey the fruites of the same by some other shiftes any other wayes.

[Page]21 Item, whether they recorde from time to time in a Register all mariages, Christening and Buri­als, and yearely deliuer the copies of them to the Byshop by Indenture.

22 Item, whether in the dayes of perambulatiō they vse any other rite or Ceremonie then to sing or say in English the ij. Psalmes beginnyng. Be­nedic anima mea. &c. with the Letanie and Suf­frages thereto, and one Homely of thākes giuyng set forth and deuided into foure partes, without any other superstitious ceremonie heretofore vsed, whether womē go about with them, and to what valew there was heretofore wont to be bestowed at the stādyng and restyng places of the sayd Ro­gations to be bestowed.

23 Item, whether they vse to comfort the sicke specially at the tyme of their passyng out of this transitorie world, and what textes of Scripture they haue ready for the same purpose.

24 Item, whether any of them or their Curates not being lawfully authorised to preach take vp­on them to expound any Scripture, or by the way of exhortation moue any matter of doctrine, but be content onely to read grauely & aptely the ser­uice, lessons, and Homelies set forth without any glosing or addition to the same.

25 Item, whether they admit any notorious sin­ners or vncharitable persons to the holy Commu­nion, any that can not say without booke the Lordes Prayer, the Articles of Christian Fayth, [Page] and the x. Commaundementes, or suffer any chil­dren to aunswere as Godfather or Godmother at Baptisme except they haue receaued the holy Cō ­munion, and can say the Catechisme.

26 Item, whether they keepe competent hospita­lity, accordyng to theyr lyuinges, and if they be not resident, whether they bestow the xl. part of their liuyng yearely amongest the poore, if theyr lyuing be aboue xx. l. a yeare.

27 Item, whether such beneficed men, or enioy­ing any spirituall lyuing, as be not residēt at their liuinges, if they pretend studye at any of the Vni­uersities, be once in the yeare called home to the Ordinary to be examyned how they profite in learnyng, whether any be suffred wyth the liuing of the Church to become seruing or wayting men, Lawyers clarkes, or otherwyse to lyue dissolute­ly or in a mere lay vocation therwith.

28 Item, whether your Parson, or Vicar was inducted into possession of your parsonage or vi­caredge since the xiij. yeare of the Queenes maie­sties raigne, whether he was then Deacon or mi­nister, and in what yeare of hys age: whether he was an able preacher lycensed thereunto, and by whom: whether, and how long after his inducti­on he read opēly in your Church at diuine seruice, the declaration of vniformity in Religion set forth by the two Archbyshoppes of Canterbury and Yorke.

29 Item, whether any parsonage or vicarege, or [Page] any other spirituall liuing in thys Dioces be hol­den by the name and title of any beyond the seas, and whether the cause of hys beyng there be law­fully approued and allowed.

30 Item, besides benefices wyth cure of soule, what other dignities, promotions, prebendes or spirituall lyuinges your Parson or Vicar hath, what be theyr names, and where they lye.

31 Item, whether the proprietaryes of parsona­ges wyth vycariges endowed, leaue a sufficient portion of the fruites, or annuitye to the Vicares to discharge the cure of soules, and to keepe hospi­talitye: whether they helpe and assist them in the preaching and settyng forth of Gods worde, and seyng the Queenes maiesties Iniunctions, and o­ther statutes, orders, and aduertismentes set forth by publicke authoritye well obserued: Whether they wythhold from theyr Vicares theyr due por­tions of fruites or monye, or ouercharge thē with reparations of Chauncels, dutyes for visitations and synods, or other paymentes, and whether for the ease of the sayd Vicares, they pay such dutyes as by composition or custome hath heretofore bene due.

32 Item, whether the parishe clarkes be admit­ted without the consent of the Parson or Vicar: whether they be not obedient to the Parsons, Vi­cars, or their Curates, specially in matters tou­chyng the celebration of diuine seruice, and the Church busines: whether they keepe the bookes & [Page] ornamentes of the Church, the quyer or the place where diuine seruice is appointed to be done, the Communion table, the Pulpit, and the Font fayre and decent, for diuine seruice, administration of the Sacramentes and preachyng: whether any withhold from the sayd Clarkes their accustomed wages, reliefe and beneuolence.

33 Item, whether any Scholemaster teach open­ly or priuately within thys Dioces, in any noble or gentlemans house, or any where els not beyng allowed and examyned by y^e Ordinary for syncere Religion, honest conuersation, and sufficient lear­nyng: whether they teach any other Grammer, or any other Catechisme then is set forth by the Queenes maiesties authority: whether they suf­fer theyr schollers to read any bookes tendyng to the impugnyng and derogation of the order of re­ligion now set forth, or propounde to them any Themes, vulgares, or subtill questions, wherby matters of Religion concluded and establyshed myght be made doubtfull vnto them, or they in­duced to deryde or scoffe at any godly order, Ryte or Ceremony now set forth and allowed.

34 IN primis, whether any parishioner is negli­gent or obstinate in commyng to his owne parishe Church or Chappell for diuine seruice, and their receauyng the holy Communion at the least [Page] thrise a yeare, contempne the word of God, or indeede or worde despiseth or setteth lyght by the publike order of Religion set forth & establyshed.

35 Item, whether any contempne, hurt, stryke, or any wayes abuse any minister or Deacon, spe­cially in the tyme of celebration of diuine seruice, administration of the Sacraments, or preaching of Gods worde, or whether any of them neglect or refuse to bryng or send their children and ser­uauntes to be catechysed.

36 Item, whether Innes, Tauernes, victayling and typling houses or gamyng places be patent or entred into, in seruice or preachyng tyme, whe­ther there be any adulterers, drunckards, baudes, scoldes and brawlers, priuy and crafty sowers of discorde, open and manifest vsurers, sorcerers, in­chaunters, or any hauing confidence in any such deuilishe imaginations in your parishes.

37 Item, whether you Churchwardēs & sworne men, and such as were before you, haue according to the acte of Parliamēt therfore in the first yeare of the Queenes maiesties raigne prouided, leuied of euery one that wilfully or negligently is absent from Church, or vnreuerently behaueth hymselfe at common prayer as is in the sayd acte appoyn­ted xij. d. for euery such offence. Wherunto the said forfayture is applyed, what accompt therof yearly is made, & whether your poore mans box be accor­dingly kept, and the almes therof accompted year­ly to your parishe.

[Page]38 Item, whether all Images, altars, Shrynes, and other monumentes of Idolatry and supersti­on be vtterly defaced & put out in your parishes: whether your Churches and Churchyardes be well repayred, adorned and fenced: whether the Roode loftes be pulled downe, and a partition made and kept betwixt the Chauncell and the Church, according to the aduertisments. Whether likewise all masse bookes, Antiphoners, Grayles, & other such bookes which serued for superstitious Latin seruice, be defaced and abolished.

39 Item, whether you haue in your Churches all thinges requisite for commō prayer & administra­tion of the Sacramentes, and preaching: As à Bible of the largest volume, the booke of common prayer, a table of the x. Commaundements before the Communion bourde, the aduertismentes, the admonition for degrees of matrimony, à conueni­ent pulpit well placed, à comely and decent Com­munion Table stāding vpon a frame wyth à faire couering of some carpet, silke or linnen cloth to lay vpon it, a Communion cuppe wyth à couer of sil­uer, and such lyke.

40 Item, whether any sale of your church goods haue bene made, by whom, and to whom: whe­ther an Inuentory be kept of all such goods as haue from tyme to tyme bene purchased, geuen or bequeathed to the Church, whether an accompt be therof yearly made: whether the sayd goods be encreased or decayed, and by whose default or [Page] negligence: In whose handes the sayd Church goodes or any of them remayne.

41 Item, whether you see that on Sondayes & holydayes, Innes, tauernes, & victualling houses be not frequented at seruice tyme, and shoppes al­so shut vp, & your Parishioners cease from world­ly busines, whether any other holydayes be kept then such as be appointed in the booke of Commō prayer, whether any heresies, false opinions, Po­pish and superstitious doctrine, be mainteined in your Parishes and by whom.

42 Item, whether there be any in these partes, that haue maried within degrees of affinitie or consanguinitie, by the lawes of God forbidden, so set out in a table for an admonitiō. Any man that hath two wiues, or any woman that hath two husbandes. Any that beyng diuorced or separated aside, hath maried agayne. Any maried that haue made precontractes. Any that haue made priuy or secret contractes. And that haue maried without banes thrise solemnely asked. Any couples maried that liue not together, but slaunderously liue a part: Any that haue maried out of the Parishe Churche, where they ought to haue the same so­lemnised.

43 Item, whether therebe any secret or priuy cō ­uenticles or exercises in disputations for matters of Religion in any of your Parishes, whether any superstitious and superfluous ringyng at burials, Saintes euēs, or festiuall dayes be suffered. Whe­ther [Page] any Lordes of misrules, Sommer Lordes or Ladyes, disguised persons come vnreuerently in­to the Church and specially in the seruice tyme to play any games, who they be that cōmit such dis­orders or accompany and mainteyne them.

44 Item, whether any patrones haue by thē sel­ues or by other directly or vndirectly practised for the presentyng of any Clarke to any spirituall ly­uyng before the sayd presentation, or after to haue money or money worth or any other commoditie. Whether the Churche of your Parishe be voyde, how long it hath so bene, who receiueth the tithes and profites therof, and by what authoritie, whe­ther the patrone or any other haue pulled downe any Church, chaūcell or mansion house taking a­way the lead, belles, ornamentes, goodes or glebe landes or conuerted the tithes, reuenues or posses­sions of the sayd Church to his owne priuate vse.

45 Item, whether any conceale the will and te­stamēt of any departed or fulfill not y^e same, chief­ly in Legacies bequethed to good and godly vses, whether any executor haue defrauded any wi­dow, fatherles child, or any other in their minori­tie of their legacies, or any administrator appoin­ted to administer to the vse of any in their minori­tie haue beguiled them and not geuen accompt of their sayd administration. Whether any admini­ster without probate of the Testament or takyng authoritie from the ordinary, and whether any le­gacies heretofore giuen to vses now forbidden, be not conuerted to some godly and lawfull vse.

[Page]46 Item, whether midwiues be of sober life and vncorrupt religiō, not suspected of Papistry, whe­ther any of them vse in the tyme of womens tra­uell any witchcraft, charmes, Latine prayers or inuocations, or take vpon them to Baptise, whe­ther when they be present at the deliuerie of any child knowne or suspected to be begotten in vn­lawfull matrimony, do not streightly charge the mother to declare who is the father and where it was begotten, and immediatly certifie the ordi­narie or at the least the Curate & Churchwardens of the Parish therof.

47 IN primis, whether the Ecclesiastical iurisdic­tion in this Dioces haue bene exercised by expert and hable men such as the law requireth. Whether the Chaūcellor, Archdeacons, or any vn­der them haue at any tyme suffered faultes & trās­gressions to remaine vnpunished for mony, gaine, pleasure, frēdship, or any other affectionat respect, whether in matters of instaunce betwixt partie & partie they haue denyed audience, specially at the complaint of the poore frēdles and fatherles, or by admitting friuolous and vnfit matters, or exclu­dyng and barring reasonable and necessary defen­ces, haue delayed or peruerred iustice or the execu­tion therof. Whether they haue impeached or ma­naced parties in iudgemēt so that they haue bene [Page] stayed or cōpelled to desiste from persecuting their Appeales or complaints to the Queenes maiestic or the Archbishop for iust griefes and wronges to them procured.

48 Itē, whether any of them haue bene burden­some to any in this Dioces by exacting & takyng excessiue fees, rewardes or cōmodities by the way of promotion, gift, contribution, redemption of pe­naunce to their owne vse, obteining of any bene­fice or office, or any other like wayes, whether in their visitatiōs and Sinodes they spend the time any otherwise then in diligēt Inquisition and re­formation of disorders, or suffer the Clarkes or ser­uaūtes of their retinue riotousely to behaue them selues.

49 Item, whether Archdeacons in their visita­tions see that all necessary bookes and ornamētes for diuine seruice be had in euery parish, and whe­ther Church goodes and stockes be augmented or empayred, whether Churches, Churchyardes, mā ­sion houses be well repaired and fenced. Whether in their Synodes they take accōpt of the Clargy how they profite in the study of holy Scripture, whether they graunt any licence to celebrate ma­trimony the banes not thrise solēnely asked, either for prohibition of tyme or any other such cause.

50 Item, whether they haue vprightly & vnfey­nedly both obserued in their own persons, and to­wardes all other put in due executiō the Ecclesia­sticall lawes of this Realme the Queenes Maie­sties [Page] Iniunctions & other her highnes cōmaunde­mentes, orders, decrees, and aduertisementes set forth for the publike administration of Gods holy word and Sacramētes. Whether they haue com­mēded and fauored all those that sought the same, and condignely punished all those that sought the contrarie.

51 Item, whether the Deanes of your Deanries be of the best learned sort, and best conuersation, and least suspected for superstitious or schismati­call doctrine & opinions: whether they doe marke the lyfe and study of the clargie, and enforme the Ordinary or Archdeacons therof: whether they be negligent in executing mandates or precepts sent vnto them frō any Ecclesiasticall court: whether they enquire of lyght womē which come into their Deanries to be brought a bed, of Curates and scholemasters not licensed, of priuy cōtractes and mariages, of concealed Images and monuments of superstition, and of other close disorders vsed within their Deanries, certifying the Ordinary therof for due and spedy reformation.

52 Item, whether your peculiar Judges exercise their Jurisdiction by themselues or by learned de­puties, and not by vnable men, as their farmers & such lyke: whether they haue skilfull registers and perfect record of their actes and procedings: whe­ther they winke at such as be harboured in their peculiers for auoyding of processe and correction in thys or any other Dioces, and detect them not to the Ordinary.

[Page]53 Item, whether your apparitors haue taken money or money worth, for concealing or cloking of any vice, or haue conueyed any offenders from one place to an other to escape punishment, or ci­ted any body without due processe, or delay the execution and seruyng of their processe, or geue warnyng to the party cited, to keepe him out of the way, or dispitefully serue their processe in time of diuine seruice, to the disturbance of the parishe: whether they appointe vndersomners or substi­tutes to doe their office, or threaten any with pro­cesse, or without, for bribes in corne, woll, chese, or any thyng els: whether any of them be ouer­chargeable to the Clargie or Layty in trauailyng about the executing of their sayd processes.

54 Item, whether the Registers and Notaries within this Dioces make iust & true recordes of actes done & passed in their presentes, and deliuer at y^e parties request true copyes of the same with­out excessiue taking: whether they or any of them take annuall fees of any of the clergy, or their far­mers, for exhibiting proxies in visitations or sy­nodes, or excusing their absence, and sauing theyr apperance when they should iudicially come in, or any other respect, whereby parcialitie myght grow, and equity be excluded out of iudgement.

55 Item, whether the Proctors of the Ecclesi­asticall court be cōtēted with their ordinary fees: whether any of them incourage their clyentes to persist in euyll and wrongfull causes, or bargayne with them before hand for the gayne of any sute [Page] after the euictiō: whether any of them deuise and obiect friuolous, impertinēt and dilatory matters or allegations, to the intent to prolong sutes, and hinder the expedition of Justice, and specially in causes of Matrimony, alementation of fatherles children, and such lyke summary matters.

56. And generally you shall enquire and present all euill lyuers or offenders of Gods most holy lawes, and specially such as stubburnely refuse to conforme themselues to vnitie and good Religi­on, or that disturbe the same by brutyng abroade rumors of the alteration therof, or seeke new deui­ses and innouations.