¶ ARTICLES TO BE inquired off, within the province of York, in the Metropolitical visitation of the most Reverend Father in Go● Edwin Archbishop of York, primate of England and Metropolitan.  
In the xix and twenty year, of the reign of our most gracious sovereign Lady Elizabeth by the grace of God of England, France and Ireland Queen, defender of the Faith, etc. 1577. &. 1578.  
¶ Imprinted at London by William Seres.   

¶ ARTICLES TO BE ENQVIRED off within the province of York, in the Metropolitical visitation of the most reverend Father in God Edwin Archbishop of York, Primate of England and Metropolitan. In the xix year of the reign of our most gracious sovereign Lady Elizabath by the grace of God of England France and Ireland Queen, defender of the Faith, etc.  
FIrst whether Common prayer be said in your church or chapel upon the Sundays & holy days at convenient hours, reverently, distinctly, and in such order without any kind of alteration, as is appointed by the book of Common prayer? And whether your Minister so turn himself, and stand in such place of your Church or Chancel, as the people may best here the same? And whether the holy Sacraments be duly and reverently ministered in such manner, as is set forth by the same book? And whether upon wednesdays and Fridays, the Litany and other prayers be said accordingly, & the commination against sinners red thrice yearly.  
2 Whether you have in your Church or chapel, all things necessary and requisite for common prayer & administration of the holy Sacraments, specially the book of Common prayer with the new Calendar, the Psalter, the Bible of the largest volume, the Homilies, both the first and second Tome, a comely and decent Table standing on a frame, for the Communion Table, with a fair linen cloth to lay upon the same, and some covering of Silk, Buckram or other such like, for the clean keeping thereof, a fair and comely Communion Cup of Silver, and a cover of Silver for the same, which may serve for the administration of the lords BREAD, a comely large Surples with wide sleeves, and of fine linen cloth for your Minister to wear, & all other things necessary for the premises, with a comely pulpit conveniently placed, and also a Chest or Box for the poor?  
3 Whether your Person, Vicar or Curate, at all times in saying the common prayer upon sundays and holidays, and in administering of the Sacraments, doth use and wear the Surples, yea or not? or do suffer any other to say the common prayer, or minister either of the Sacraments in your Church, not wearing the same?  
4 Whether any Person or persons not being ordered at the lest for a Deacon, or licensed by the Ordinary, do say common prayer openly in your Church or Chapel, or any not being at the lest a Deacon, do solemnize Matrimony, or administer the Sacrament of Baptism, or deliver unto the communicants the Lords Cup at the celebration of the holy communion, & what he or they be that so do? And whether the Person, Vicar, or Farmer of your benefice, do cause any Curate to serve your Church before he be examined and admitted by the Ordinary, or his deputy in writing?  
5 Whether your Person, Vicar or Curate, hath or doth maintain any doctrine contrary or repugnant to any of the Articles agreed upon by the Clergy in the Convocation holden at London, Anno Domini. 1562. And whether they have publicly or secretly taught any doctrine tending to the discredit and dispraise either of the Book of common prayer, or of the received order, for government in the Church, or make any other innovation? And whether they have permitted any man so teaching or making such innovation, and what be their names?  
6 Whether your Person or Vicar have any more benefices than one, how many, and in what country be they, and what are their names, and who is the Patron of his benefice or benefices. And whether he be resident upon his benefice, and keep hospitality or not, and if he be absent, whether he doth relieve his parishioners, and what he giveth them, and if he may dispend twenty pound or above by year, and be not resident, whether he doth distribute the xl part of the benefice where he is not resident among the poor of the Parish, or no? And whether any vittaling, tippling, or ale selling be had and kept within the mansion house of any Person or Vicar.  
7 Whether any person or persons be admitted to answer as Godfathers or Godmothers at the Christening of any child, except he or she have before received the holy communion, and can say by heart the Articles of the Christian faith, the ten commandments of God, and the Lords prayer▪ and will recite the same before the Minister, if he or she be thereunto required?  
8 Whether for the retaining of the perambulation of the circuit of your parish, the Minister and Clarke, with the Churchwardens, and certain of the substantial men of the parish in the days of Rogations, walk about your parish according to the queens majesties Injunctions?  
9 Whether the Register book of all Christenings, Marriages, and Burials, that hap in your parish from time to time, be duly kept and the same Christenings, Marriages, and Burials, entered into the same Book by your Minister, according to the queens majesties Injunctions? And whether ye have one Coffer with two locks, for the keeping of the same Register Book, or no?  
10 Whether your Person, Vicar, or Curate, do keep any suspected woman in his house, or be an incontinent Person, given to drunkenness, or idleness, or be a haunter of Taverns, Alehouses, or suspected places, a Hunter, Hawker, Dicer, Carder, Tabler, swearer, or otherwise give any evil example of life? And whether his apparel be comely and grave? And whether he be diligent in visiting the sick, especially if he be thereunto required?  
11 Whether when any christian body is in passing, the Bell be tolled, to move the people to pray for the sick person, especially in the greater towns, where the sick person dwelleth near unto the church? & whether after the time of his or her passing out of this world, there be any more ringing but one short peal before the burial and another short peal after the burial? And whether on all Saint's day after Evening prayer, there be any ringing at all in your Church or Chapel, or any other superstitious ceremonies used, tending to the maintenance of the popish purgatory, or praying for the dead, & who they be that use or do the same? And whether there be any ringing on Sundays or holy days in the service time, or between morning prayer and the Litany, or at any other times, contrary to good order or law?  
12 Whether your Minister do at the lest every second Sunday, & every holy day openly in the Church, (especially when it is fair weather) here, examine, and instruct the children, apprentices, and servants of both the sexes, that be of convenient age within your parish, in the Catechism allowed and set forth with certain additions, or at the lest so many of them by course as cannot say the same by heart, and as he may well hear and instruct, for an hour at the lest before or after the Evening prayer? And whether for that purpose he doth take the names of them all, and by course call certain of them by name every second sunday and holy days to come to the teaching of the same Catechism, until they have learned the same?  
13 Whether all fathers, mothers, masters, and dames, of your parish, cause their children, servants, apprentizes, both mankind & womankind, being abou● six years of age & under twenty, which have not learned the Catechism, to come to the Church on the Sundays and holy days, at the times to them appointed, or at the lest such and so many of them as your Minister shall appoint, and there diligently and obediently to hear, and to be ordered by the minister until such time as they have learned the same Catechism, and what be the names of those that do not 'cause their children, servants, and apprentices so to come to the Church to be instructed and examined, and how many of the said children, servants & apprentices, be in your parish, which being above seven years old, & under twenty years of age, cannot say by heart the said Catechism, and what be their names and age, and with whom they devil?  
14 Whether your Person or Vicar hath preached or caused to be preached four sermons at the lest every year in your Church and what be the names of him or those that so did preach? and whether they were lawfully licensed so to preach, if any other than your Person or Vicar did preach the same? and whether if there be no Sermon, your Minister do read for the most part every Sunday distinctly and plainly, some part of the Homilies appointed to be read? And whether any Minister not admitted by the Ordinary, do expound any scripture or matter of doctrine, by way of exhortation or otherwise, and thereby omit and leave off the reading of the Homilies already set out.  
15 Whether your Minister hath admitted to the receiving of the holy Communion, any open and notorious sinner or evil liver, by whom the congregation is offended, without due penance first done, to the satisfaction of the congregation. Or any malicious person that is notoriously known to be out of charity, or that hath done any open wrong to his neighbour, by word or deed, without due reconciliation first made to the party that is wronged, according as is required by the Book of common prayer?  
16 Whether your Minister hath admitted to the holy Communion any of his parish being above twenty years of age, either mankind or womankind, that can not say by heart the ten commandments, the articles of the faith, & the lords prayer, or being above twelve years and under twenty years of age, that cannot say by heart the said Catechism? And whether he marry any persons which were single before, that cannot say the said Catechism? And whether he useth to examine his parishioners at convenient times, to the intent he may know whether they can say the same which is required or no?  
17 Whether your Minister do Church any unmarried woman after they have been delivered of their children begotten unlawfully, before they have acknowledged their faults openly, occording to the order prescribed by the Ordinary, or his deputy?  
18 Whether there be any in your parish, man or woman, being of convenient age, that hath not received the holy Communion thrice at the lest this last year, and namely at Easter last or there about for once, & what be their names? And for what cause they do abstain from the holy Communion? And whether yearly before Easter at convenient times, & namely on Sundays in Lent at afternoon, or such other days in the week next before Easter, such of your parishioners as the Person, Vicar, or Curate shall appoint, & require to come unto him, do come and recite unto him the Catechism, or at the lest, the lords prayer, the articles of the christian belief, and the ten commandments by heart in English, and if any so required do wilfully and stubbornly refuse to come & recite the same? Whether the Churchwardens and sworn men or any of them do assist the Minister therein, that such stubborn persons may be rebuked and expelled from the communion at that time, and so presented to the Ordinary?  
19 Whether the people of your parish, especially householders, having no lawful excuse to be absent, do faithfully and diligently endeavour themselves to resort with their children and servants to their parish Church or Chapel on the holidays, & chief upon Sundays, to Morning and Evening prayer, and upon reasonable let thereof to some other Church or Chapel, where common prayer is used, and then and there abide orderly & soberly during the time of common prayer, Homilies, preachings, and other service of God there used, reverently and devoutly giving themselves to the hearing thereof, and occupying themselves at times convenient in private prayer, and who they be that either negligently or wilfully absent themselves or come very late to the Church upon Sundays especially, or that walk, talk, or otherwise unreverently behave themselves in the Church, or use any gaming abroad, or pastime in any house, or sit in the streets or Churchyard, or in any Tavern or Alehouse upon the Sunday or holiday, in the time of common prayer, Sermon, or reading of the Homilies, either before noon, or after noon?  
20 Whether the forfeiture of twelve pence for every absence from common prayer, appointed by a statute made in the first year of the queens majesties reign, & set forth in the beginning of the book of common prayer, hath been levied and taken according to the same statute, by your Churchwardens of the last year, of every person that so hath offended, and by them be put to the use of the poor of the parish, and if it be not, by whose default it is not levied, and what particular sums of money have been forfeited that way, and by whom, since Easter in the year of our Lord 1575. until the day of giving up the presentment concerning these Articles, and so from time to time as the said Churchwardens and sworn men shall be appointed to present in this behalf, and how much of such forfeitures have been levied by the Churchwardens, and by them delivered to the use of the poor of the parish, and to whom the same hath been delivered?  
21 Whether your Church or Chapel & Chancel, be sufficiently repaired & cleanly kept, & the mansion house of your Parson & Vicar, with the buildings thereunto belonging, likewise sufficiently repaired, & your Churchyard well fenced and cleanly kept, and if any of the same be ruinous and in decay, through whose default it is so? whether the Churchwardens of the last year were enjoined to have repaired any part of the Church, or fenced the Churchyard, & did neglect to do the same?  
22 Whether there be any innkeepers, Alewives, Vitailers, or tipplers, that suffer or do admit any person or persons in their houses to eat, drink, or play at cards, Tables, or such like games, in time of common prayer or Sermon on the Sundays and holidays? and whether there be any shops open on Sundays or holidays, or there be any Butchers or others that use to cell meat or other things in the time of common prayer, preaching, or reading of the Homilies? And whether in any Fairs or common Markets falling upon the Sunday, there be any showing of any wares before the divine service be done in the forenoon?  
23 Whether for the putting of the churchwardens and sworn men the better in remembrance of their duty in observing & noting such as offend in not coming to divine service, your Minister or reader do openly every Sunday after he have read the second lesson at Morning and evening prayer, monish & warn the Churchwardens & sworn men to look to their charge in this behalf, and to observe who contrary to the said statute offend in absenting themselves negligently or wilfully from their parish Church or Chapel, or unreverently as is aforesaid, use themselves in time of divine service?  
24 Whether the Churchwardens of the last year have given to the parish a just account of the Church-goods that were committed to their charge, and what Church goods they have sold, & to whom, and whether to the profit of the Church or no? And whether any person suppress the last will of the dead, & perform not legacies bequeathed to the Church, or to Orphans, poor maids marriages, high ways, schools, or any other godly use?  
25 Whether there be in your parish any that be malicious, contentious, or uncharitable persons, seeking the unjust vexation of their neighbours, scolds, common swearers, or blasphemers of the name of god, any fornicators, adulterers, incestous persons, bawds, or receivers of such incontinent persons, or harbourers of women with child which be unmarried, conveying or suffering them to go away before they have done any penance, or make satisfaction to the congregation, or any persons that are vehemently suspected of such faults, or that be not of good name & fame, touching such crimes & faults, any common drunkards, ribawds, or other notorious evil livers?  
26 Whether there be any that be married in degrees forbidden, or that have married two wives, or two husbands both living, or that live not together with their wives, and what be their names? any married that have made precontracts, any that have married without banes thrice solemnly asked, or that have married forth of their parish church where they aught to have solemnized marriage?  
27 Whether there be any man or woman in your parish that useth witchcraft, Sorcery, Charms, or unlawful prayer, or invocations in Latin or English, or upon any christian body, or beast, or any that resorteth to the same for counsel or help, & what be their names?  
28 Whether any person or persons within your parish have committed usury, contrary to an Act against Usury, made in the xxxvii. year of the reign of the late King Henry the eight, and lately revived, and what are the names of such Usurers? And what is the manner of their Usury?  
29 Whether the Schoolmasters that teach in your parish either openly, or privateli in any Gentleman's house or others, be of a good & sincere religion & conversation, & be diligent in teaching of youth? whether they be examined, allowed, & licensed to teach by the Ordinary or his deputy? and whether they teach the Catechism allowed & commanded by the now Archbishop of Caunterbury both in English and Latin unto their scholars, according to their capacities, and what be their names?  
30 Whether there be any among you that is a hinderer of true religion, or a fautour of the romish power, or that stubbornly refuseth to come to the church, or to communicate, or otherwise will not conform himself to unite & godly religion, set forth by common authority, or any that wilfully or obstinately doth defend or maintain any heresies, errors, or false doctrine, contrary to the holy scriptures, and what be his or their names?  
31 Whether in your churches & chapels all altars be utterly taken down & clean removed even unto the foundation, & the place where they stood paved, and the wall whereunto they joined, whited over, and made uniform with the rest, so as no breach or rapture appear? And whether your rood lofts be taken down and altered so, that the upper parts thereof with the cellar or fit be quite taken down unto the cross beam, and that the said beam have some convenient crest put upon the same?  
32 Whether all & every Antiphoners, mass books, grailes, portesses, processionals, manualles, legendaries, and all other books of late belonging to your church or chapel, which served for the superstitious latin service, be utterly defaced, rend, and abolished, and if they be not, through whose default that is, & in whose keeping they remain? And whither all vestments, albes, tunicles, stoles, phanons, pixes, paxes, handbells, sacringbells, censers, chrismatories, crosses, candlesticks, holy watersticks, images, and such other relics & monuments of superstition and idolatry be utterly defaced, broken, and destroyed? And if not, where, and in whose custody they remain?  
33 Whether there be any man or woman in your parish, that resorteth to any popish priest for shrift or auricular confession, or any other within three years now last passed hath been reconciled unto the Pope, or to the church of Rome, or any that is reputed or suspected so to be? And whether there be any the refuse to come to the church to hear divine service, or to communicate according to the order now established by public authority, and what be their names?  
34 Whether there be any person or persons ecclesiastical or temporal within your parish or else where within this diocese, that of late hath retained or kept in their custody, or that read, cell, utter, disperse, carry, or deliver to others any English books, set forth of late years at Louvain, or in any other place beyond the seas, by Harding, Dorman, Allen, Sanders, Stapleton, Marshal, Bristol, or any of them, or by any other English papist, either against the queens meiesties supremacy in matters ecclesiastical, or against true religion, & catholic doctrine now received & established by common authority within this realm, and what their names and surnames are?  
35 Whether your Hospitals, spitals, & almesehouses be well & godly used according to the foundations & ancient ordinances of the same? whether there be any other placed in them then poor impotent and needy persons, that have not wherewith or whereby to live.  
36 Whether the Deans Ruralles & Summoners, or any, of them do pay annual rend fee or pension for their offices, 〈…〉 pay and to whom·  
● Adulteries, incests, and Forni 〈…〉 within your Parish or 〈…〉 of Easter 1577. How many 〈…〉 been put to open poe 〈…〉 how many have been 〈…〉 ●aue fined and paid 〈…〉 cellor, commissary, 〈…〉 to the Deans, Regi 〈…〉 to escape open punish 〈…〉 what their names and sur 〈…〉  
〈…〉 che deacon, commissary, official 〈…〉 ecclesiastical jurisdiction in 〈…〉 or actuaries, apparitors or 〈…〉 time winked at, and suffered 〈…〉, incests, or other faults 〈…〉 main unpunished and uncor 〈…〉 bribes, pleasure, friendship, 〈…〉 tionate respect, or any of them 〈…〉 in this diocese, by exacting 〈…〉 excessive procurations, any re〈…〉, or any other like ways, or 〈…〉  
〈…〉 the Archdeacon hath any Summer 〈…〉 doth weekly find out offenders and 〈…〉 before the Archdeacon, and whether the 〈…〉 do hear or determine any matter other 〈◊〉 〈…〉 are presented by the church wardens and sworn 〈…〉 his visitation ●●●den yearly next after the feast of 〈…〉 the jurisdiction of a Bishop in 〈◊〉 Archdeaconry▪  
Whether any morris dancers, ●ish●●earers▪ 〈◊〉 any others have come unreverntly in●● the church or churchyard, and there danced, or played any unseemly