large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb_64
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb
English
4813
And why not, since in 1635 the General Court decreed that no dwelling should be placed more than half a mile away from the meeting house of any new "plantation"  thus eliminating the excuse of too great distance? Every one is expected, nay, commanded, to come to church. In fact, after the tolling of the last bell, the houses may all be searched  each ten families is under an inspector  if there is any question of delinquents hiding in them. AND WHY NOT SINCE IN SIXTEEN THIRTY FIVE THE GENERAL COURT DECREED THAT NO DWELLING SHOULD BE PLACED MORE THAN HALF A MILE FROM THE MEETING HOUSE OF ANY NEW PLANTATION THUS ELIMINATING THE EXCUSE OF TOO GREAT DISTANCE EVERY ONE IS EXPECTED NAY COMMANDED TO COME TO CHURCH IN FACT AFTER THE TOLLING OF THE LAST BELL THE HOUSES MAY ALL BE SEARCHED EACH TEN FAMILIES IS UNDER AN INSPECTOR IF THERE IS ANY QUESTION OF DELINQUENTS HIDING IN THEM
e rafters of the roof open to the attic). The belfry is precisely in the center of the four-sided pitched roof. To be sure this necessitates ringing the bell from one of the pews, but a little later the bellringer will stand above, and through a pane of glass let into the ceiling he will be able to see when the minister enters the pulpit. The original backless benches were replaced by box pews with narrow seats like shelves, hung on hinges around three sides, but part of the original pulpit remains and a few of the box pews. In 1681 the interior, like the exterior, is sternly bare. No paint, no decorations, no colored windows, no organ, or anything which could even remotely suggest the color, the beauty, the formalism of the churches of England. The unceiled roof shows the rafters whose arched timbers remind one that ships' carpenters have built this house of God. This, then, is the meeting-house of 1681. What of the services conducted there? In the first place, they are well attended. ERS OF THE ROOF OPEN TO THE ATTIC THE BELFRY IS PRECISELY IN THE CENTER OF THE FOUR SIDED PITCHED ROOF TO BE SURE THIS NECESSITATES RINGING THE BELL FROM ONE OF THE PEWS BUT A LITTLE LATER THE BELL RINGER WILL STAND ABOVE AND THROUGH A PANE OF GLASS LET INTO THE CEILING HE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE WHEN THE MINISTER ENTERS THE PULPIT THE ORIGINAL BACKLESS BENCHES WERE REPLACED BY BOX PEWS WITH NARROW SEATS LIKE SHELVES HUNG ON HINGES AROUND THREE SIDES BUT PART OF THE ORIGINAL PULPIT REMAINS AND A FEW OF THE BOX PEWS IN SIXTEEN EIGHTY ONE THE INTERIOR LIKE THE EXTERIOR IS STERNLY BARE NO PAINT NO DECORATIONS NO COLORED WINDOWS NO ORGAN OR ANYTHING WHICH COULD EVEN REMOTELY SUGGEST THE COLOR THE BEAUTY THE FORMALISM OF THE CHURCHES OF ENGLAND THE UNCEALINGED ROOF SHOWS THE RAFTERS WHOSE ARCHED TIMBERS REMIND ONE THAT SHIP'S CARPENTERS HAVE BUILT THIS HOUSE OF GOD THIS THEN IS THE MEETING HOUSE OF SIXTEEN EIGHTY ONE WHAT OF THE SERVICES CONDUCTED THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE THEY ARE WELL ATTENDED
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb
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