Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-07
Old Church Customs.

IN curly times. when life and prosperity
w"r" accounted cheap unless defended
sword in hand. the church offered shelter
and sanctuary to those who had occasion
to fear the arm of the law In tn" middle
ages whoever crossed the threshold of Il
church was considered under divine pio
lection and could not b1 arrested. while
several churches and cathedrals still pre-
serve the knockers used by those who
had fled thithcr for shelter and claimed
admittance. In some buildings the tu-
pitiVc from justice sat upon "A chair or
stool. and the register of Il church in Dur
ham. England. covering a period extend
ing from the wear 1864 to the year 1,2f. in
Guided. besides other crimes, 1875 murders
and homicides in which 80 persons seek
ing protection were concerned TO at
tempt to violate sanctuary by force was
in those days Il Very serious matter. ana
When the outlaw decided to save mis- life
hy leaving the lin he did so in the fol-
lowing manner: when rOhber, muir
hercr. or other evildocr shall fly unto any
church. upon his confession of felony the
coroner shall cause the abjlration to he
made thus: Let the fcIon he brought to
the church door and there is assigned I'M
10 him u port. near or far off. and a time
appointed to him to go out of the realm,
SO that in going toward that port he
carry a cross in his hand. and that he go
not out of the kings highway. neither on
the right hand nor on the left. but that
he keep 1t always until he shall he gone
out of the land; and that he shall not re
turn without special grace of our lord
the king
There are many odd. old-fashioned
church customs which nowadays would
provoke a smile In bygone days, for in
stance. when sermons were long and very
often dull the congregation was apt to
become SOnlnolcScent and so it becam
necessary to take steps to remedy mat
ters. TO this end men and sometimes
walkers" that is to rouse those who
might be overcome by their surroundings
and occasionally parishioners would be-
dHeath sums of money for the payment
OF such officials. In an interesting book
called old Church Life mention is made
81 one of these sluggard walkers. who is
said to have carried a long, stout wand.
with Il fork at the end of ii. At intervals
he stepped stealthy up and down the nave
and aisles of the church. and whenever
he saw an individual whose senses We're
buried in Oblivion he touched him with his
wand 50 effectualy that the spell was
broken and in an instant the offender
was recalled to all the realities of life.
IN another church the beadle employed OF,
the, mission used a long staff having a
foN's brush at one end and a knob at
the other. Should a lady fall asleep. her
face was tickled with the brush. but an
with the knob.
In the reign of Edward VI. an act was
passed which provided that every one
"shali diligently and faithfully having
absent endcavor themselves to their par
ish church or chapel accustomed. or. upon,
reasonable let to some usual place where
common prayer shall be used--on Sundays
and holidays-upon penalty of foTfeiting
for every nonattendance u pence to be
levied by the. church wardens to the use
of the poor" AS the years rolled on.
however. the penalties for non-attendance
became more and more severe. until in
E!izabeths; reign such harsh legislation
as the following was passed. "A1l per
sons who do not go to church or chapel
or other places where common prayer is
said according to the act of uniformity
shall forfeit goo per month to the queen
Esing therefore lawfully convict and suf-
g" imprisonment until aid"