INprimis, Whether your Parson, Vicar,A Preacher. or Curate be a Preacher of Gods word, a fauou­rer and furthered of true Religion now esta­blished in this Realme of England by publike authoritie, or not?

2 Whether your Parson or Vicar haue preached, or caused to be preached in your Church,In preaching monethly Ser­mons, &c. [...]o many Ser­mons as by the late Canons are required: and whether before all Sermons, Lectures, & Homilies, vseth that form of Prayer which is set downe in the late Canon, and what be the names of them, who haue preached for him, and whether he hath admit­ted any man to preach not hauing sufficient licence.

3 Whether any person or persons,Say Seruice vnordered. not being ordered at the least for a Deacon, doe say Common Prayer openly in your Church or Chappell?

4 Whether the Parson, Vicar,Serue vnli­censed. or Farmer of your Bene­fice, doe cause or suffer any Curate or Minister to serue your Church, before he be examined and admitted by the Ordinary, or his Deputie, in writing, and doe shew his Licence to the Church wardens: and whether any Curate doe serue two CuresTwo Cures. at one time, or not?

5 Whether any Parson, Vicar, or Curate,Read Homilies doe euery Sun­day, when there is no Sermon, read distingly and plainly some part of the Homilies, as is prescribed by the Canons: and whe­ther any Minister, not admitted by lawfull authoritie, doe ex­pound any scripture, or matter of doctrine by the way of exhor­tation, or otherwise, and thereby omit and leaue off the reading of the Homilies, contrary to the Canons?

6 Whether any Lectures, Conuenticles,Priuate Con­uenticles. or priuate Mee­tings [Page] be read or vsed within your parish, either publikely in the church, or priuat in the house, or in any other place whatsoeuer, by any person not sufficiently licensed thereunto by the Ordi­nary, or whether any Ecclesiastical person do teach any doctrine of Innouation, to withdraw the people from due obedience to the ordinances of the Church, set foorth by publike authoritie, or cause them to forbeare participating in Prayer and Sacra­ments with our Church?

Catechise.7 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, do euery Sun­day and Holyday, openly in the Church, call for, heare, and in­struct all children, apprentices, and seruants of both sexes, that be of conuenient age within your parish, or at the least so many of them by course as the time will serue, & as he may wel heare and instruct, for one houre at the least, before or after Euening prayer, in the ten Commandements, the Articles of the beléefe, and the Lordes prayer, and diligently examine and teach them the Catechisme, as is now allowed, and set forth in the Booke of Common prayer, or M. Nowels Catechisme, with the vnder­standing thereof: and faile not to present the offender heerein, together with such as are negligent commers to the said Ca­techisme?

8 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, or other Mini­ster in your Church or chappell hath admitted to the holy Com­munion any open and notorious fornicator, adulterer, or euill liuer, by whom publike offence is giuen, without due Penance first done, to the satisfaction of the congregation, inioyned him by his Ordinary: or any other malicious person, notoriously known and detected to be out of charity, or hath done any open wrong to his neighbour by word or déed, without due reconcili­ation first made to the party that is wronged?

Communion with ordinary bread.9 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, doe administer the holy Communion with any other then common bread, ap­poynted in the Booke of Common Prayer?

Ignorant per­sons admitted to the Com­munion.10 Whether your Parson, Vicar, Curate or Minister, hath admitted to the holy Communion any of his parish that cannot say the ten Commandements, the Articles of the Faith, the Lords Prayer in English, and whether he marry any persons which were single before, and cannot say the Catechisme, and [Page] whether hee vseth to examine his Parishioners at conuenient times, before he administer the Sacrament vnto them, to the in­tent hee may know whether they can say by heart the same which is required in that behalfe, or no?

11 Whether your Preachers & Ministers be peace-makers,Ministers di­sturbers. no brawlers, no sowers of discord: whether they be diligent in visiting the sicke, and comforting them, and doe moue them ear­nestly (specially when they make their Testaments) to consider the necessity of the poore, and to giue to their boxe, or Church their charitable deuotion and almes?

12 Whether any doe preach, declare or speake any thing in derogation of the Booke of Common prayer,Impugne the Booke of Common prayer. set foorth by the Lawes of this Realme, dispraising the same, or any thing ther­in contained, or against the Preachers or Ministers of the Word and Sacraments?

13 Whether your Parsons, Vicars, Curates,Register Book or Mini­sters, keepe well their Registers of all Weddings, Burials, and Christenings within your Parish, according the Order published lately?

14 Whether they or any of them,Ministers of­fend in any thing. keepe any suspected wo­man in their houses, or bee incontinent persons, giuen to drun­kennesse, idlenesse, or to be haunters of Tauernes, Ale-houses, or suspected places, or be Hunters, Hawkers, Dicers, Carders, Table-players, Swearers, Liars, False dissemblers, Daun­cers or otherwise suspected of any notorious crime, or giue any euill example of life, or vse disordered or vnseemly apparell, ei­ther in colours, gards, or light fashion: or doe not obserue the order prescribed in the seuentie fourth Canon, touching decen­cie in Apparell?

15 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate haue married any person within the times prohibited contrary to the Canon lately published in that behalfe?

16 Whether any contention hath growen among the Prea­chers in these parts for any matter of Doctrine or ceremonies,Contention of Doctrine, or Pewes. and what, & who was the cause thereof: and whether any strife hath growen about pewes or seats in the Church, and betwéen whom it was; and whether any new pewes haue been built in your Church, and by whom, and what authoritie?

[Page] [...]ester Booke.17 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curat, do kéepe a iust and perfect note of all such as doe communicate in their seue­rall Parishes?

Strangers communicate18 Item, Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, doe ad­mit to the holy Communion any stranger, or any of the next, or any other néere parish, without licence of the Ordinary, & leaue of his Minister that is so admitted, or any that do not reuerent­ly knéele vpon their knées. Can. 23. or any notorious drunkard, adulterer, and publike offender, or any Churchwarden that haue omitted to present such offenders. Can. 109.

19 Item, Whether any of your parishioners hauing beene formerly admitted a Minister or Deacon, doth now relinquish his calling, vsing and carrying himselfe in the course of his life as a lay man. Can. 76.

All books and ornaments of the Church.WHether you haue in your parish Churches & Chappels all things necessary and requisit for Common prayer, and administration of the Sacraments, specially the Booke of Common prayer, published since his Maiesties time that now is, the English Bible in the largest volume, the two Tomes of Homilies, the Table of the Commandements, the Booke late­ly set forth by his Maiesty, the Booke called God and the King, the works of the right reuerend Father in God, Iohn Iewell, late Bishop of Sarisbury, a conuenient Pulpit well placed, a comely and decent table standing on a frame for the holy Com­munion, with a faire linnen cloth to lay vpon the same, & some couering of silke, buckram, or other such like, for the cleane kée­ping thereof, a faire and comely cup of siluer, & a couer of siluer for the same, which may serue also for the ministration of the Communion bread, a decent large Surplice with sléeues, a sure Coffer with two lockes and keyes, for the kéeping of the Regi­ster booke, a strong Chest or box for the almes of the poore, with thrée locks and keyes to the same, and all other things necessa­ry in and to the premisses?

Church and Church-yard in reparations.2 Whether your Churches and chappels, with the Chancell therof, be wel and sufficiently repaired, and kept without abuse of any thing: and whether your Church-yards be well fenced, [Page] and cleanly kept; and if any part be in decay, through whose de­fault it is so?

3 Whether any man haue pulled downe or vncouered any Church, Chancell, or Chappell, or any part of any of them,Sell Church goods. any Church-porch, Vestry, or Stéeple, Almes-house, or such like, or haue pulled downe the Bels, Chimes, Clocks, or haue felled or spoyled any wood or timber in any Church-yard.

VVHether the Schoolmasters which teach within your parish, openly or priuately,Teach vnli­censed. in any Noble or Gentle­mans house, or in any other place, be of good and sincere Religi­on, life & conuersation, and be diligent in teaching and bringing vp of Youth: and whether they haue been examined, allowed, and licenced for Schoolemasters in such order, as is required by the Statutes and Canons in this behalfe?

2 Whether your Schoolemasters doe themselues come to the Church, and receiue the holy Communion as oft as they ought: and whether they bring with them so many of their Schollers, as are of knowledge, and age sufficient, to receiue the Lords Supper?

3 Whether the Schoolemasters, either priuate or publike,Teach Novvels Catechisme. do teach their Schollers M. Nowels Catechisme or some other publikely authorized, at the least once euery wéeke?

4 Whether any of your Schoolemasters,Teach Popery, or Seditions. be knowne or sus­pected to read to their Schollers in priuat any vnlawful books, priuatly to instruct them in their young yéeres, either in Pope­ry, superstition, disobedience, or contempt to his Maiestie and his lawes, either Ecclesiasticall or Temporall?

5 Item, whether any Schoolemasters doe teach and instruct children in the Booke called God and the King?

IN primis, What children vnder the age of 21. yéeres, or other persons haue died in your Parish since Michaelmas last, that had any goods, rights, chattels or legacies belonging vnto them at the time of their death, and whether administration be takers of the said goods, yea or no; and what be the names of such per­sons as are so deceased?

[Page]2 Item, whether any in your Parish doe meddle with any goods of any person deceased before the will be proued, or admi­nistration be granted by the Ordinary?

3 Item, whether any person in your parish haue administred or medled with the goods of any deceased, by colour of proouing the Wil, or obtaining administration elswhere, hauing not also first taken administration from the Ordinary of the Dioces of Lincolne, for all the goods of the said deceased being within the said Diocesse, and whose will hath been so prooued, or admini­stration granted, and by whom?

IN primis, whether hath any Ecclesiasticall Iudge, Register, Procurator, Apparitor, or other Minister belonging to any Ecclesiasticall Courts within this Countrey, extorted or taken (by colour of his or their Offices) any greater fees for probate of wils, and granting Letters of Administration, or otherwise then héeretofore hath been accustomed to bee taken, or then are allowed by the lawes of this Realme?

2 Item, whether any of the said Officers belonging to such Ecclesiasticall Courts, doe take vpon them the office of Infor­mers and Promoters? Can. 138.

3 Item, whether do you know or haue heard, that any person of your parish hath paid, or promised to pay any summe of mo­ney, or other reward directly or indirectly, by himselfe or others to any Officer of the said Ecclesiasticall Courts for the auoy­ding of punishment for Incest, adultery, fornication, or other crime punishable in the said courts, if so, declare to whom, when and what summes, &c.

4 Item, whether any Apparator, or other Messenger haue summoned any person to appeare in any Ecclesiasticall Court without a lawfull processe, hauing the name of euery person so summoned to appeare expressely entred in the said Processe subscribed and sealed by the Iudge or his Deputy. Can. 120.

IN primis, whether were you the Churchwardens and Side­men chosen by the consent of the Minister and Parishioners: and whether do you serue in your owne right, or as Deputies to others? Can. 90.

[Page]2 Item, whether haue the Churchwardens before you giuen vp a iust and true account of their time, and deliuered vnto you whatsoeuer money, or other goods or stocke belonging to your Church, which was in their hands? Can. 89.

3 Item, whether haue you a terrar of the Gleabe lands be­longing to your Church, eyther such as concerneth the Mini­sters right, or such as hath been giuen to any Schoole, or other religious vses?

4 Item, whether any part of such Gleabe lands be encroa­ched by any of the neighbours, and by them detayned from the Church, and right vses?

5 Item, whether your Parsonage, or Vicarage houses, or any part thereof be suffered to fall to decay, or be vsed and con­uerted to common Innes, Alehouses, or tipling houses?

6 Item, whether haue you suffered any strange Preacher to preach in your parish Church, or Chappel, but such as are licen­ced by lawfull authority, and whether haue you a booke to enter the names of such Preachers, according to the 52. Canon?

WHether all fathers and mothers,Receiuing the Communion. and gouernours of youth within your Parish, cause their children, ser­uants, and apprentises, both mankind and womankinde (aboue 7. yéeres of age, and vnder twenty) which haue not learned the Catechisme, to come to the Church on Sundayes & Holydayes at the times appoynted, & there diligently and obediently heare and be ordered by the Minister, till such time as they haue lear­ned the same Catechisme: and what be the names of those that cause not their children, seruants and apprentises, so to come to Church to be instructed and examined?

2 Whether you your selues,Whores depart vnpunished. or the Churchwardens in the yéeres before you, haue suffered any vnmaryed woman, gotten with child, to go out of the parish before she hath done penance appoynted by the Ordinary, and out of whose houses they haue gone away with child vnpunished: & how many vnmaried wo­men haue bin deliuered of child within your parish these 3. yéers last past, hauing gone away without doing penance; and whe­ther any maried couples within your parish doe liue asunder?

[Page] Papists.3 Whether there be any man or woman in your parish, that resorteth to any Popish priest for shrift, or auricular confession, or receiueth instructions from them for any the like cause?

4 Whether there bee any person or persons, Ecclesiasticall or temporall,Popish Bookes within your parish, or elswhere within this Arch­deaconry, that haue retained, or kept in their custody, or that read, sell, vtter, disperse, carry, or deliuer to others, any English Bookes, set foorth of late yéeres in any other place beyond the seas, by Papists, Iesuites, or Seminary Priests, either against the Kings Maiesties supremacy in matters Ecclesiasticall, or a­gainst the true Religion and Catholike doctrine, now receiued and established by common Authority within this Realme, and what their names, and surnames are?

Papists.5 Whether there be any in your Parish that vseth to pray in English, or in Latine vpon Beades, or any such like thing, or vpon any superstitious Popish Primer, or other such like Booke?

Absent from Sermon.6 Whether any of your parishioners, having a Preacher to their Parson, Vicar, or Curate, do absent themselues from his Sermons, and resort to any other place, to learne or follow af­ter such innouasions as are there taught?

7 Whether the people of your parish, especially housholders hauing no lawfull excuse to bee absent,Resort to Church. doe faithfully and dili­gently endeuour themselues to resort with their children and seruants to their parish Church or Chappell on the Holidayes, and chiefly on the Sundayes, to Morning & Euening Prayer, at the beginning, and not depart vntill the end thereof, without vrgent occasion?

12. d. for ab­sents leuied.8 Whether the forfeiture of twelue pence for euery such offence, appoynted by a statute made in the first yéere of the late Quéenes Maiesties reigne, bee leuyed and taken according to the same Statute, by the Church-wardens, of euery person that offendeth, and by them be put to the vse of the poore of the parish: if it be not, by whose default it is not leuied?

Baptized in o­ther Parishes.9 Whether any children that be borne in your Parish, bee carried foorth of the Parish to be baptized elsewhere, or with any Popish Ceremony, or otherwise then is appoynted by the Booke of Common Prayer, or whether any haue not [Page] beene baptized at all, or in places vnknowne?

10 Whether there be any Inne-kéepers, Ale-wiues,Sell in Seruice time. Victu­allers or Tiplers, that suffer, or do admit any person or persons in their houses, to eate, drinke or play at Dice, Cards, Tables, Tennis, Bowles, or such like Games, in the time of Common prayer, or Sermon on Sundayes or holydayes: or any Butcher or other that commonly vse to sell meate, or other things in the time of Common prayer, preaching, or reading of Homilies: and whether in any Faires, or common Markets, falling vpon the Sunday, there bee any shewing of wares before Morning prayer be done: and whether any Markets or selling of wares be vsed or suffered in any Church-yards, by common packmen, or Pedlers going about, to any such people either of your Pa­rish, or not of the same Parish?

11 Whether the late Church-wardens and Sworne-men haue concealed any crime or disorder in their time done in your parish, & haue not presented the same,Concealed of­fences. and whether they or any of them, at any such time as they should haue béen at diuine ser­uice on sundayes or holydayes, and should there haue obserued others that were obsent, haue been away themselues, at home, or in some Tauerne, or Alehouse, or else about some worldly businesse, or at bowles, cardes, tables, dice, or other gaming, without regard of their office and duty in that behalfe?

12 Whether any of your Parish, being of conuenient age,Receiue the Communion. hath not receiued the holy Communion thrice this last yeere at the least, and namely at Easter day last, or thereabout for once, and what their names are, or which receiuing, haue not signi­fied the same before to your Parson, Vicar, or Curate, that hee might conueniently examine them, and who haue refused to come to him to bee examined: and héerein you shall exhibite a scedule from your Minister, containing all the names of the of­fenders within your Parish?

13 Whether there be any in your Parish that administer the goods of those that bee dead without lawfull Authority,Willes. or any that suppresse the last will of the dead, or any Executors that haue not fulfilled their Testators will, especially in paying Le­gacies giuen to the Church, or any other good and godly vses, as the reléefe of Orphanes, or poore Schollers, Maydens ma­riages, [Page] mariages, Highwayes, Schooles, and such like, and by whom they are so deteined?

Married after Popish orders.14 Whether any couples that haue bin maried within these two yéeres last, haue béene knowen or suspected to haue béene maried without the ring, or after the Popish order, or any other order then is appoynted by the Church of England, by reason that the one party or the other are noted to be such as refuse to come to the Church?

Swearers, Bawdes, &c.15 Whether there be among you any Blasphemers of the name of God, great or often swearers, adulterers, fornicators, incestuous persons, bawds, or receiuers of naughty and inconti­nent persons, or harbourers of women with child, which be vn­maried, conueying or suffring them to go away before they doe any penance, or make satisfaction to the congregation: or any that be vehemently suspected of any such faults, or that bee not of good name & fame touching any such crime & fault, any drun­kards or ribauds, or any that bee malicious, contentious, or vn­charitable persons, common slanderers of their neighbors, ray­lers, scolds, or sowers of discord betwéene neighbors, and speci­ally raylers against Ministers, and against their mariages?

Marry within degrees.16 Whether there be any in these parts that haue married within the degrées of affinity, or consanguinity, by the lawes of God forbidden, set out in an admonition in a table appointed to be fixed in euery parish Church within this Archdeconry, whe­ther you haue the said table so fixed in your Church, or any that being diuorced or separated from the same, doe yet notwithstan­ding cohabit and kéepe company still together, or any that being married without those degrées, haue vnlawfully forsaken their wiues or husbands, and that being diuorced & separated asun­der, haue maried againe, and that haue maried and contracted themselues without the consent of their parents, tutors, or go­uernors: any that haue maried without banes thrise solemnely asked, and out of their owne parish Church.

Marry forni­cators.17 Item, whether your Parson, Vicar or Curate, haue wit­tingly maried together any couples, whereof the woman hath beene begot with child, or carnally knowen before mariage: or whether the man for money or reward hath maried any woman that hath cōmitted adultery with another man, without publike [Page] acknowledgement of their offences, & reconciliation to the pa­rish: what are the names of all such as haue bin so maried in a­ny such case & when, & by whom they were so maried together?

18 Item, whether there be any in your parish that doth and hath stood fortie dayes excommunicate:Excommuni­cants. whether any doth kéepe company, eat or drink, buy, sell, or contract with any excommu­nicate person, and who they be that doe so?

19 Item, whether any dying excommunicate,Dead excom­municants bu­ried. hath béen bu­ried in Christian buriall for this last yéere past, and who they be that were so buried, who buried them, and who were present at their buriall?

20 Whether your Register book of Christnings,Register booke Weddings and Burials, be orderly and duly kept: and whether, according to the late Canon in that behalfe made, it bee put into Parch­ment, containing the names and surnames of all such as haue béene christened, maried, and buried?

21 Whether doe the Minister & Churchwardens subscribe their names, or their seueral marks to the end of euery page of the said Register booke: and whether is the said booke kept vn­der thrée locks, and thrée keyes, as by the Canon it is required?

22 Whether all the Canons & Constitutions lately publi­shed be duly and respectiuely obserued on the part of the Clear­gy or Laity, as is in them required,All Canons obserued. and whether you haue the said Booke of Canons in your Church?

23 Whether any of your parish do practise Phisick or Chi­rurgery without license, and what be their names?

24 Whether any woman in your parish execute the office of a Midwife, without licence from the Ordinary?

25 Whether any in your parish doe vse Sorcery, or Witch­craft, and Charming, or such like bad practises, taking vpon them to cast out deuils, or any that resort vnto them for their helpe, and counsell?

26 Whether your Parson, Vicar, or Curate haue two Be­nefices in this Diocesse, or one in this Diocesse, and another in another?

27 Whether you haue any Recusants in your Parish, and what they be?