 Most churches used two acts to sanction its members : censure and excommunication . Censure was a formal reprimand for behavior that did not conform with accepted religious and social norms , while excommunication involved full removal from church membership . Many perceived social evils , from fornication to public drunkenness , were dealt with through church discipline rather than through civil punishment . Church sanctions seldom held official recognition outside church membership and seldom resulted in civil or criminal proceedings . Nevertheless , such sanctions were a powerful tool of social control . 
