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Articles concerning Ecclesiasticall offices.
FIrst, Whether bee there any Ecclesiasticall officers, that exercise Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction within this Diocesse, that take and re∣ceiue, or exact any extraordinary and excessiue fees for any cause. Whe∣ther haue your Churchwardens and Questmen, concealed any abuses, or offences punishable in the Ecclesiasticall court; and whether such of∣fences being presented are suppressed and vnpunished.
2 Item, Whether is there not a table of Fees in euery Court, of the Consistory, Archdeacons, and Commissaries, allowed and subscri∣bed by the Iudge and Register of the court of Consistory Anno Dom. 1597. and the same euery Court day hung vp in some publike place of the Court, and Registry. And whether doth the Register of your courts take more for Willes, and Administrations and other things, then is set downe in that Table.
3 Item, Doeth any Ecclesiasticall Iudge speed any act in any cause priuately of himselfe, and not in presence of some publike Nota∣rie, or Actuarie.
4 Item, Whether is there any excessiue number of Apparitors and Sumners in this Diocesse: or haue any of them vnder pretence of au∣thoritie cited or summoned any person vnlawfully, or hath taken any reward for the concealing of any offence or sinne, or the auoiding of pu∣nishment of the offenders, and who bee they that haue done so; or doe they take any fees not accustomable. Haue they threatned any to pro∣secute them if they had no reward, and doe they summon any without a Citation first had.
5 Item, Hath any Ecclesiasticall Iudge, or Officer, Aduocate, Re∣gister, Procter, Clerkes, or other such ministers any way abused them∣selues in their offices, contrary to the law and Canons in that behalfe prouided.
6 Item, Lastly, Whether haue you and euery of you, sincerely, vp∣rightly, and without any partiall affection, and concealing, presented and made knowne all and euery the offenders in any of the matters mentioned in the precedent Articles exhibited vnto you, either as they are taken in trueth to be, or by common fame reported.
If you know of any other default or crime of Ecclesiasticall cogni∣sance, you are to present the same.