Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 4.djvu/301

1547.] might be instances remaining of immorality among the clergy requiring to be looked into. Fresh care was to be taken that copies of the Bible were accessible in the parish churches, and translations of Erasmus's Paraphrase of the New Testament were provided as a commentary. There was no objection, either, to touching, if the hand was delicate, the local practices—half-superstitious, half-imaginative—in use among the people. Customs which arise out of feeling become mischievous when made a law to the understanding, and there was reason in the general warning which the visitors were to enforce, 'that, while laudable ceremonies might decently be observed, they might be abused to the peril of the soul'—as, for instance (and the list throws an interesting light on ancient English usages), 'in casting holy water upon the beds, upon images, and other dead things; or bearing about holy bread, or St John's Gospel, or keeping of private holydays, as bakers, brewers, smiths, shoemakers, and such others do, or ringing of holy bells, or blessing with the holy candle, to the intent to be discharged of the burden of sin, or to drive away devils, or put away dreams and fantasies.'

The spirit of the innovations, however, was destructive merely, and customs which were interwoven in the details of common life could not rudely be torn away with impunity. To most men habit is the moral costume which saves them from barbarism; and