A HISTORY OF LONDON other men made within the last 200 years ; they were to recite distinctly the Gospel or the Epistle for the day, and explain it ' after the mind of some Catholic doctor allowed in this Church of England,' the mention of ' any opinion not allowed,' in order to refute it, being reserved for special preachers. They were to stir their hearers ' to obedience of good works and prayers,' to explain the meaning of any notable ceremony used that day in the church, and instruct them what the Church specially prayed for that day. As occasion served, they were to declare the efficacy and signification of the sacraments. Every preacher was to beware not to 'feed his audience with any fable, or other histories ' which he could not show to be written by ' some allowed writer ; ' and none were ' to rage or rail, . . . but coldly, discreetly and charitably ... set forth the excellency of virtue, or to sup- press the abomination of sin and vice.' Twice a quarter the curates were to declare to their parishioners the seven deadly sins and the ten com- mandments. Every clergyman was to be ready to teach all children of the parish who came to him for instruction, as best he could, ' taking moder- ately therefor of their friends that be able to pay ; ' they were at least to learn to read English, that they might the better ' know how to believe, how to pray, how to live to God's pleasure.' Curates were to endeavour to make peace in case of any discord among their parishioners, and to set an example of forgiveness. No priest was to use unlawful games, or to fre- quent ale-houses or light company ; a severe reference is made to priests who ' used to go in an unseemly and unpriestly . . . apparel, with unlaw- ful tonsures, carrying . . . armour and weapons.'"'^ The curates were to exhort the laity to abstain from ' swearing and blaspheming of the holy name of God, or any part of Christ's most precious body and blood,' from evil speaking, slandering and lying, from talking and iangling in church during divine service or sermons, and from immorality, gluttony and drunkenness, and were to present offenders at the visitations. It was ' a practice universally reigning ' for young people to resort to ale-houses on Sundays and holy days, and play at bowls, with great swearing and drunken- ness ; tavern-keepers were forbidden to allow this, on pain of excommunica- tion. In April I 541 measures had been taken to discover those who had not confessed to their own curates during Lent,* and now the bishop ordered that as some who despised their own curates or wished to hide their 'lewd and naughty living ' were accustomed to be confessed by other priests, no one should be ' admitted to God's board ' who had not confessed to his own curate. Another injunction ° forbade any 'common plays, games or inter- ludes ' to be acted in churches or chapels. In April 1 543 twenty joiners were imprisoned for having made a
- disguising ' on Sunday morning. ' The licentious manner of players ' and
the eating of flesh in Lent were such common misdemeanours in the City that '^' This is illustrated by a case in the bishop's court that year, when a priest of St. Antholin's parish was warned ' quod de cetero induat se et incedat veste clericale et decenti,' on peril of suspension ; Hale, A Series of Precedents, J 3 1 . "' Lond. Epis. Reg. Bonner, fol. 19. ^^ Lond. Epis. Reg. Bonner, fol. 39 ; incompletely printed by Wilkins. The fact that disobedience was to be reported to the bishop's officials may indicate that this was an att.ick on a long-established custom. The plays acted in the churches can hardly have been those lately discussed by Convocation as being performed in London 'in verbi Dei magnum dedecus et contemptum ' ; Wilkins, Concilia, iii, 861 ; cf Acts of P.C. i, 103-4, '°9> '22. Other acts of this Convocation might be compared with the London Injunctions. 2S2
