Charity and Lay Piety in Reformation London, 1500-1620 by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group

Reformed piety

Reforming popular piety mirrored the remodelling of church interiors and exteriors that emphasized Protestant texts, the preacher's pulpit and pews for orderly listening and worship. Concern over the moral character of congregations, including poor members, produced extreme descriptions of society and its godliness, or lack thereof. Edification, and the controversial charitable actions sometimes legitimated by this religious charge, lent some preachers and ministers a reputation for creating strife among neighbours through their fiery sermons and commandments regarding alms.113 Protestant or puritan preachers, especially in the early seventeenth century, saw their efforts as a mission to educate parishioners in the ways of 'true' religion. Efforts began with young children and youths, with success in conversion. Even foundlings enjoyed community support at their baptism, with churchwardens paying 'Gossips' to attend, as expected when any child was received into Christianity. Parishes also participated in the catechizing movement, instructing youth in the Book of Common Prayer's statement of faith and in the Ten Commandments, Articles of Belief and Lord's Prayer, in special periods set aside before services. In 1604, St Botolph's paid the sexton for 'his paynes in warninge the young p[e]rsons to come to catechisinge & to keepe the churchyard cleane from annoyaunce of children'.114 Suffer the little children – and young apprentices and servants – to come to church, but in an orderly fashion for worship.

Outward commandments and formalized parochial instruction of the young demonstrate expectations regarding popular piety, but uncovering the 'felt' pious experience of parishioners 'in the pews' – or in the places they lived and worked – remains a vexing problem for historians.115 Testamentary preambles provide one hint of the extent of testators' adoption of the new language and theology of Protestantism. Although preambles require caution when used as an indicator of individualized piety, they do reflect a general cultural mood or model of piety. Imitative preambles parroted devotions, just as mimicry in medieval Catholicism demonstrated the active embrace, not passive acceptance of popular pious trends.116 Christocentric preambles emphasized Protestant theology about salvation and, sometimes, election. Some testators referred to the 'fruition of the pr[e]sence of the dyetie with the election in the kingdome of heaven'; that is, their hope to be a member of the elect.117 Ministerial influence could act on testators' minds, in their churches and on their deathbeds. Thomas Papworth's deathbed will reflected the bedside presence of Mr Buckminster, curate of St Mary Woolnoth – or the pastor attended because Papworth asked to see him during his last moments. Papworth left his soul to God, 'trustinge onely thorow the death and blood sheddinge of Jesus Christ to be an inheritour of the kingdome of heaven and his body to the earth to be buryed at the discretion of his ov[er]seer'.118

Out of the 123 wills produced between 1581 and 1601, 50.41 per cent (62) contained preambles dedicated to Jesus Christ, commemorated as the sole redeemer or the passionate sufferer on the cross. Another 35.77 per cent (34) of testaments contained invocations to God as Maker and Redeemer or to God and Jesus Christ.

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