It
replaced the mass, in which the priests were thought to perform a
miraculous change of the substance of bread and wine into the body
and blood of Christ, which the priest then offered as a sacrifice
for remission of pain or guilt. This reflected the blood sacrifice
of Christ dying on the cross. In the mass, only the priests drank
the wine. The mass, miracles, the worship of saints, prayers for
souls in purgatory, and pilgrimages to shrines such as that of
Thomas Becket, were all to be discontinued. Imprisonment or exile
rather than death was made the penalty for heresy and blasphemy,
and also for adultery.
After the King dissolved the greater monasteries, he took and sold
their ornaments, silver plate and jewelry, lead from roofs of
their buildings, and finally much of the land itself. Three
monasteries were converted into the first three treating hospitals
in London, one for the diseased, one for the poor, and one,
Bethlehem (or "Bedlam" for short), for the mentally ill. But there
were still many poor, sick, blind, aged, and impotent people in
the streets since the closure of the monasteries. In 1552, there
were 2,100 people in need of relief, including 300 orphans, 600
sick or aged, 350 poor men overburdened with their children, 650
decayed householders, and 200 idle vagabonds. London then set up a
poor relief scheme. The Bridewell was established to set to work
the idle in making feather bed ticks and wool-cards, drawing of
wire, carding, knitting, and winding of silk.
Pages:
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573