cowley patrick 1902 (1 Ergebnisse)

Hardcover. xi, 212 p.; 18.5 cm. `There was no one and exact date for the end of the church houses. They ceased to be used for their original purpose from the close of the sixteenth century to the seventeenth century, and even beyond. They were never shup tp by judicial or episcopal order. Closure seems always to have been the result of local lay pressure. It is impossible now to know exactly how many opponents of the church ales were downright puritans. There were quite a number of Church of England members who were pro-puritan on certain matters, especially on those connected with sex relations, drink, and dancing and other people's enjoyment of them. There is surviving evidence in the published sermons, pamphlets, and books of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that the very foundations of the nation were said to be in the gravest danger by reason of drukenness, and drunkenness was the parent of sexual immorality. The Devonshire justices of peace in particular were most strict. As early as 1595 at the July Quarter Sessions held in the Chapter House at Exeter, and presumably with the Bishop of Exeter as chairman, it was declared: "Church or parish-ales, revels, May-games, plays and such other unlawful assembles of the people of sundry parishes unto one parish on the Saboth day and other times, is a special cause that many disorders, contempts of law, and other enormities,are there perpetrated and committed,to the profanation of the Lord's Saboth,the dishonour of Almighty God, increase of bastardy and of dissolute life, and of very many other mischiefs and inconveniences, to the great hurt of the commonwealth."' (80) VG orig. brown cloth. Spine ends lightly rubbed.