1 FIrste, that you doe with all diligence trauell to re­duce the state of the clergye vnto one vniforme or­der in their ministration and preaching: and that w ^t ­out any parciall respect you will put in dew execution the Queenes maiesties Ecclesiasticall lawes, Statutes, In­iunctions, and her highnes other commandements gyuen and published in that behalf.

2 Item, y ^t in all places in your cyrcuite, you giue in charge not onely vnto the curates and ministers, but also vnto the Churchwardens of euery church & chappell, that they doe not admitte and suffer anye person to preache or minister in their seuerall church or chappel, before they shall firste see their seuerall lycences vnder seal in due forme, vnder the payne that may followe thereof.

3 Item, you shall take diligent heede, that no fees but due & of olde accustomed, be exacted or taken of any of y ^t people by anye register, clerke, somner, or anye other youre mini­sters or attendantes.

4 Item, for the better certainty & knowledge of all dutyes and fees vnto suche as should pay the same, you shall note the certaine some thereof with one of your hands at the leaste in some parte of euery Instrument or writinge that shall passe your seale or graunt.

5 Item, that you foresee y ^t no greater price be taken for the Articles which you shall inquire of, together bound with y ^e Aduertisements then iiij. d. & for y ^e table of y ^e degrees ij. d.

6 Item, when you haue fynished your visitation & cyrcuite, (the charges of your vyage being borne and discharged) if any parte of the dew procurations by you receyued of the clergy, do remaine vnspent, all the same you shal distribute to the moste poore and needye of the clergye that be resi­dentes, and keepe hospitality vpon theyre benefices in the sayde dyoces

IN primis, whether Diuine seruice 1 be sayde or longe by youre Minister or Ministers in your seuerall Churches, duelye and reuerently, as it is set forth by the lawes of this realme, with out any kinde of variation. And whether the holy Sa­cramentes be likewise ministred reuerently, in such manner as by the lawes of this Realme and by the Quenes Maiesties iniunctions, and by thaduertis­ments set forthe by publike authority, is appointed and prescribed.

Item, whether you haue in youre paryshe chur­ches 2 all things necessary & requisite for Common prayer and administration of the Sacraments, spe cially the booke of Common prayer, the Bible in y ^e largest volume, the Homilyes, with the Paraphra­ses of Erasmus: A conuenient Pulpit wel placed: A comly and decent table for the holy Communion, co uered decently, & set in place prescribed by y ^e Quenes maiesties Iniunctions. The Chest or boxe for the poore men, and al other things necessary in and to the premisses. And whether your Aulters bee taken downe, accordinge to the commaundemente in that behalfe geuen.

Item, whether youre Prestes, Curates, or mini­sters 3 do vse in the time of the celebracion of diuine seruice to weare a surples, prescribed by y ^e Quenes maiesties Iniunctions and the boke of Common [Page] prayer. And whether they do celebrate the same di­uine seruice in the chauncell or in the Churche, and do vse all Rites and orders prescribed in the boke of Common prayer, &c. and none other.

4 Item, whether your Curates or ministers do publiquely in theire open Churches reade in māner ap­poynted, the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions an [...] Homelies: The aduertisementes latelye sette forth by publique authoritie. And whether the same in al poyntes be duely obserued.

Item, whether youre Curates or ministers or 5 [...]ny of them doe vse to minister the Sacramente of Baptisme in basons, or els in the Fonte standing in the place accustomed. And whether the same fonte be decently kepte. ¶ And whether they do vse to minister the holye Communion in wafer bread ac­cording to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions, or els in common bread. ¶ And also whether they do minister in any prophane Cuppes, Bowles, dis­shes, or Chalices heretofore vsed at Masse, or els in a decent Communion Cuppe prouided and kept for the same purpose only. And whether the communi­cants do vse to receyue the holy Communion stan­dinge, sittinge, or els knealinge.

Item, whether ymages and al other monuments 6 of ydolatry and superstition be destroyed and abo­lyshed in your seuerall parishes: And whether your Churches and Chauncels be well adorned and conueniently kept without waste, destruction, or abuse of anye thinge. Whether the roode lofte bee pulled [Page] downe, according to the order prescribed: and of the partition betweene the Chauncell and the Churche be kepte. Whether youre Churchyardes be well fen sed and cleanly kepte. Whether anye sale haue bene made of youre Churche goods, by whome and to whome, and what hathe been don with the monye thereof comming. Whether youre Chauncels and Parsonages be well and sufficiently repaired: Whether any man haue pulled downe or discouered any [...], Chauncel, Chappel, Almes house, or suche [...]e, or haue plucked downe y ^e bells, or haue felled or [...]yled any wood or timber in any Church yarde.

[...]em, whether there be any Parsons that intrude 7 [...]m selfe, and presume to exercise any kinde of my­ [...]stery in the churche of God, without imposition of handes & ordinary aucthoritie. Whether theire Churche or Chappell be serued with any readers. Or whether any Minister do remoue from any o­ther diocese to serue in this, without letters testi­moniall of thordinary from whome he came, to tes tify the cause of his departinge thence, and of hys behauiour. Or any beinge once preist or Minister, that dothe not minister, or frequente and resorte to the Common prayer now vsed, and at tymes ap­poynted communicate. And whether anye suche do goe and boaste himselfe lyke a lay man.

Item, whether youre Parsons and Uicars be re­sidente 8 continually vpon their benefices: Whether they giue themselues to deuoute prayer, discreate re­ding of the Scripture, and godly contemplacion, & [Page] releaue the poore charitably to their hability, accordinge to the Queenes Iniunctions. Whether they pray for the prosperous estate of the Quenes Ma­iestye, as is prescribed in her graces Iniunctions.

Item, whether anye of youre ministers dothe or 9 hathe admitted any notoriouse sinner or malicious person out of Charitie, without iuste penance done and reconciliatiō had, to receaue the holy Communion: or any that hath not receaued the same accor­dinge as to a Christian appertayneth, and by [...] lawes it is appointed. And whether you do hea [...] or knowe any y ^t doth vse to say or heare the priua [...] Masse, or doe vse any other seruice then is prescri­bed by the lawes of this Realme.

Item, whether your ministers doe call vppon fa­thers, 10 mothers, and maisters of youthe, to bringe them vp in the feare of almighty God, in obediēce and in conuenient occupations. Whether they bee peacemakers, and exhorte the people to obediēce to their Prince, & to all other that be in authoritie, to charity and mutual loue among themselues. Whe­ther they geue themselues to superstition, and bee maintainers of the vnlearned people in ignoraūce.

Item, whether your Persons, Uicars, & Curates 11 be cōmon gameners, hunters, haunters of tauerns or alehouses: Suspected of anye notable crime: Fauters of forrein poures, letters of good religion, preachers of corrupt doctrine: stubborne or disobe­dient to lawes and orders. Whether they be geuē to filthy lucre. Whether they be light either in exaum­ple [Page] of life, or in vnwont and vnsemely apparrell.

Item, whether anye of your benefices be vacant, 12 how longe they haue ben vacant: who is Patrone. Whether there be any laye or temporall men, (not beinge within orders) or children, or anye other (with in age) that hathe or enioyeth ani benefice or spiritual promotion: any Patron that suffereth any benefice to be vacante, and taketh the tithes and o­ther fructes to himselfe.

Item, whether your Ministers keepe their regis­ters 13 well, and do present the copy of them once eue­ry yeare by Indenture, to the Ordinary or his officers. And teache the Articles of the fayth, and the Tenne commaundementes, and the Lordes pray­er. as is prescribed them in the Catechisme.

Item, whether youre Parsons and Uicars haue 14 any other or mo benefices, where & in what Coun­try they bee: Whether they came by them by Sy­mony, or other vnlawful meanes. Whether they do let their benefice to farme, or els kepe them in their owne handes. Whether they keepe hospitalitye or not. Whether in their absēce they leaue their cures to honest, learned, or expert Curates. Whether they make their ordinarye Sermons, accordinge to the Queenes maiestes Iniunctions. Whether they ad mitte any to preache vnlicensed, or put by any that hath license. Whether they reade the Queenes ma iesties Iniunctions as they oughte to do, and saye theire Seruice sensibly and distinctly.

Item, whether the laye people be diligent in com­minge 15 [Page] to the Churche on the holy dayes, and with all humblenes, reuerently and deuoutelye doe geue themselues to the hearinge of Commune prayer in the time thereof, and otherwise occupy themselues in priuate praiers, readinge of Scriptures, or other vertuouse exercise. Yf anye be negligente or wilfull. Whether the forfaiture be leued on their goods to the vse of the poore, according to the lawes of this Realm in y ^t behalfe prouided. And what mony hath nen gathered by the Churchewardēs of the forfets.

Item, whether there be in your quarters any that 16 openly or priuily vse or frequēt any kinde of diuine seruice or common prayer, other then is set forth by the lawes of this Realme: and disturbers of cōmon prayers, or letters of the worde of God to be reade, preached or hearde: Any that by couerte or craftye meanes depraue or contemne y ^e same: or that speake to y ^e derogatiō of y ^e Queenes maiesties aucthority & power, or of y ^e lawes set out by publike aucthority.

Item, whether, there be amonge you any 17 blasphemers of the name of almighty God, adulterers, fornicators, baudes, or receauers of such persons. Any suspected of incest or any other notoriouse fault, sin or crime. Any dronkardes, ribaldes, common slaun­derers of their neighboures, raylers or scolders, so­wers of discorde betweene neighboures, by playes, times, famouse libels, or otherwise.

Item, whether there be in your parishes any In­keepers 18 or Alewiues, that admit any resort to their houses in tyme of Commone prayer. Anye that [Page] commonlye absente them selues from theyre owne Churche: or otherwise idely or lewdlye prophaneth the Sabbath day. Any that keepe any secret cōuen­ticles, preachings, lectures or readings, contrary to y ^e lawes. Any suspected of heresy, or that maintain any erronious opinions cōtrary to the lawes of al­mighty God and good religion, by publique autho­ritie in this Realme set forth.

Item, whether there be in these parties which 19 minister the goodes of those whiche be deade, without authoritie: any executors y ^t haue not fulfilled their testators will, specially in paying of legacies geuen to good and godly vses, as to the releife of pouerte, to poore schollers, orphanes, highe waies, mariage of poore maidens, and suche like. Whether youre Ho­spitals & Almes houses be iustly vsed, accordinge to the foundaciō and auncient ordinaūces of the same. Whether ther be any other placed in thē then poore impotent & needy persons, that hath not other wise where with or whereby to liue.

Item, whether there be any which of late haue 20 bequeathed in their testaments, or other waies ther be appointed by ordinaries, any sūmes of mony, Ie­welles, Plate, Ornamēts, or annuities for y ^e erectiō of any obites, diriges, trentals, or any such like vse, now by the lawes of this Realm not permitted: and if there be, that you present the names of such executors, the quantity and quality of the guifte, that or­dre may be taken therein accordingly.

Item, whether there be any mony or stoke apper­taininge 21 to anye parishe churche, in anye mannes [Page] handes, that refuse or differreth to paye the same: or that vseth fraude, deceite or delaye to make anye accompte in the prelence of the Honestye in the pa­rishe, for the same. Whether youre Churche war­dens & others, afore tyme, haue gyuen the yearely accompte, accordinge vnto the custome as it hath been aforetime vsed. whether the store ofthe poore mennes boxe be openlie and indifferentlie giuen where neede is, without parciall affection. whether any stocke of cattel or graine appertaining to your churches, be decaied: by whose negligence, and in whose handes.

Item, whether youre schoolemaisters be of a sin­cere 22 religion, and be diligent in teaching and brin­ging vp of youth. Whether they teache any other Grāmar, then suche as is appointed by y ^e Queenes Maiesties Iniunction annexed to the same, or not.

Item, whether there be any amonge you that vse 23 sorcerte or inchauntment, magike, incantations, or nigromancie, or that be suspected of the same.

Item, whether there bee anye in these partes, that 24 haue maried within degrees of affinitie or consan­guinitie, by the lawes of God forbidden, so set oute in a table for an Admonition. Any man that hath two wiues, or anie woman that hath two husban­des. Anie that beinge diuorced or seperated aside, hath maried againe. Anye maried that haue made precontractes. Any that haue made priuye or secrete contractes. Anye that haue maried without banes thrise solemnelye asked. Anye couples maried that [Page] liue not together, but slaūderouslie liue a part: Any that haue maried out of the parishe churche, wher thei ought to haue the same solemnised.

Item, whether any your Ordinaries within this 25 dioces, theire Chauncellor, Officialls, Cōmissaries, Registrers, & all & singuler others that haue or do exercise any visitation or Iurisdiction ecclesiasticall w ^tin any part of this dioces, haue vprightly, fayth­fully and vnfaynedly to y ^e vttermoste of their pow­ers obserued in theyr owne persons and towards all other, put in due execution the Queenes maiestis ecclesiasticall lawes, Statutes, Iniunctions, and al her highnes other Commandements published for vniformity of doctrine, and due order of the publik ministration of Gods holy word and sacraments, and haue cōmended and fauored all such as sought the same, & condignely punished all suche as sought the contrary.

Item, whether haue any of them at any time wit­tingly 26 suffered faultes & transgressions to remaine vnpunished, for mony, gayne, pleasure, frendshippe, or any other affectionate respecte, or yf any of them be or haue beene burdensome to the Subiectes of theire seueral Iurisdictions, by exacting or takinge excessiue fees, procurations, any rewardes or Com­modities by the way of promotion, gift, contributi­on, helpe, loane, redemption of pennance, omission of quarter Sermons, obtaining of any benefice or office, or any other like wayes or meanes.

Generally, whether there be anie euell liuers or [Page] offenders of the lawes of almightie God: Anie sus­pected of any notorious sinne, fault or crime, to the offence of Christian people committed: Anie that stubburnlie refuse to cōforme them selfe to vnitie & good religion: Anie that bruteth abroad rumors of the alteration of the same, or otherwise that di­sturbeth good orders, and the quietnesse of Christes Churche and Christian congregation.