large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_10_edwards_64kb_30
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_10_edwards_64kb
English
8677
As explicit and public confession before the church congregation was enforced, these church records contain startlingly graphic statements of drunkenness, blasphemy, stealing, and immorality in all its various phases. AS EXPLICIT AND PUBLIC CONFESSION BEFORE THE CHURCH CONGREGATION WAS ENFORCED THESE CHURCH RECORDS CONTAIN STARTLINGLY GRAPHIC STATEMENTS OF DRUNKENNESS BLASPHEMY STEALING AND IMMORALITY IN ALL ITS VARIOUS PHASES
scraps of the Kingston of long ago. We must confess to some relief at the inevitable conclusion that such study brings--namely, that the early settlers were not the unblemished prigs and paragons tradition has so fondly branded them. They seem to have been human enough--erring enough, if we take these records penned by themselves. However, for any such iconoclastic observation it is reassuring to have the judgment of so careful a historian as Charles Francis Adams. He says: "That the earlier generations of Massachusetts were either more law-abiding or more self-restrained than the later is a proposition which accords neither with tradition nor with the reason of things. The habits of those days were simpler than those of the present: they were also essentially grosser...." He then gives a dozen pages or so of hitherto unpublished church records, gathered from as many typical Massachusetts towns, which throw an undeniable and unflattering light on the social habits of that early period. TO PIECE TOGETHER SCRAPS OF THE KINGSTON OF LONG AGO WE MUST CONFESS TO SOME RELIEF AT THE INEVITABLE CONCLUSION THAT SUCH STUDY BRINGS NAMELY THAT THE EARLY SETTLERS WERE NOT THE UNBLEMISHED PRIGS AND PARAGONS TRADITION HAS SO FONDLY BRANDED THEM THEY SEEM TO HAVE BEEN HUMAN ENOUGH ERRING ENOUGH IF WE TAKE THESE RECORDS PENS BY THEMSELVES HOWEVER FOR ANY SUCH ICONOCLASTIC OBSERVATION IT IS REASSURING TO HAVE THE JUDGMENT OF SO CAREFUL A HISTORIAN AS CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS HE SAYS THAT THE EARLIER GENERATIONS OF MASSACHUSETTS WERE EITHER MORE LAW ABIDING OR MORE SELF RESTRAINED THAN THE LATER IS A PROPOSITION WHICH ACCORDS NEITHER WITH THE TRADITION NOR WITH THE REASON OF THINGS THE HABITS OF THOSE DAYS WERE SIMPLER THAN THOSE OF THE PRESENT THEY WERE ALSO ESSENTIALLY GROSSER HE THEN GIVES A DOZEN PAGES OR SO OF HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED CHURCH RECORDS GATHERED FROM HIS MANY TYPICAL MASSACHUSETTS TOWNS WHICH THROW AN UNDENIABLE AND UNFLATTERING LIGHT ON THE SOCIAL HABITS OF THAT EARLY PERIOD
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_10_edwards_64kb
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