The courts christian, which continued to operate in England from the twelfth century until their extinction by statute in the nineteenth, constitute one of the most complex and confusing aspects of legal history. The law which they applied took cognisance of two types of cases. The first involved only the clergy and was based on the canon law which was developing during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The clergy became amenable to lay jurisdiction only for treason and, by contrast, minor misdemeanours. In every other respect they were subject only to the church courts. The second concerned the laity in a range of activities, both spiritual and secular, ranging from testamentary and probate, through matrimonial and divorce, to sexual offences of every kind. The church also claimed jurisdiction over such matters as affray, if committed in a church or a cemetery (p. 477); over slander, usury and any and every offence which might have been conducive to social friction. The law aimed to maintain a spirit of ‘love and charity’ amongst the faithful.