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med at Edinburgh 31th. March 603. King of Scotland, En gland, France, and Ireland, and crown'd at Westminster on S. James's day following, and was the firft Monarch of England and Scotland together, was a Prince of great Learning and Judgment; and of the Royal Families of England and Scotland too, bo h by Father and Mother, and Died in the 23d. year of his Reign over both, and in the 59th year of his Age, is injoyn'd the due Celebration of Sundays and Holy days, as follows, all manner of Perfons within the Church of England, fhall from henceforth celebrate and keep the Lord's day, commonly called Sunday, and other Holy days according to God's holy Will and pleafure, and the Orders of the Church of England, prescribed in that behalf; that is, in hearing the Word of God read and taught; in private and publick Prayers; in acknowledging their offences to God; and amendment of the fame; in reconciling themselves charitably to their Neighbors where difplea fure hath been; in oftentimes receiving the Communion of the Body and Bloud of Chrift; in vifiting the poor and fick; Ufing all godly and fober converfation. And by an Act of Parliament made Anno 1677, in the 29th. year of K. CHARLES II. [WHO Reigned 36 years, and was a very great Promoter of Learning, and Incourager of Artificers, ] Chap.7, for the better Obfervation of the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, was Enacted thus, (which is fill obferv'd, and I hope will be to the World's end, to his everlasting Glory, and the Nations Happiness,) That all the Laws Enacted, and in force concerning the Obfervation of the Lord's Day, and repairing to the Church thereon, be carefully put in Execution: And that all and every perfon and perfons Whatsoever fhall on every Lord's Day apply themselves to the Obfervation of the fame, by exercising themselves there. on in the Duties of Piety and true Religion, publickly, and privately. And that no Trades-man, Artificer, Workman, Laborer, or other perfon whatsoever, fhall do or exercise any worldly Labor, Bufinefs, or Work of their ordinary Callings upon the Lord's Day, or any part thereof, (Works of Neceffity and Charity only excepted;) and that every perfon being of the Age of 14 or upwards, offending in the Premiffes, fhall for every fuch offence forfeit the fum of five fhillings; and that no perfons whatsoever, fhall publickly cry, fhow forth, or expofe to Sale, any Wares, Merchandizes, Fruit, Herbs, Goods or Chattels whatsoever, upon the Lord's Day, or any hart thereof, upon pain that every perfon fo offending, fhall

forfeit

forfeit the fame Goods fo cried, or fhowed forth, or expofed to Sale. That no Drover, Horfe-courfer, Waggoner, Butcher, Higler, their or any of their Servants, fhall Travel, or come into his or their Inn, or Lodging upon the Lord's Day, or any part thereof, upon pain that each and every fuch Offender fhall torfeit Twenty fhillings for every fuch offence; And that no perfon or perfons fhall Ufe, Imploy, or Travel, upon the Lord's Day, with any Boat, Wherry, Lighter or Barge, except it be upon extraordinary Occafion, to be allowed by fome fuftice of the Peace of the County, or Head Officer, or some Justice of the Peace of the City, Borough, or Town Corporate where the Fact fhall be committed, upon pain that every perfon so offending fhall forfeit and lofe the fum of five fhillings for eve ry fuch offence. To be levied by Distress and Sale of the Goods, and in Default of fuch Diftrefs, or in cafe of Infufficiency, or Inability of the faid Offender to pay the faid Forfeitures or Penalties, That then the Party offending be fet publickly in the ftocks by the space of Two hours. And all and fingular the Forfeitures and Penalties aforefaid fhall be imployed and converted to the ufe of the Poor of the Parifh where the faid Offences fhall be committed; faving only that it fhall and may be lawful to and for any fuch Juftice, Mayor, or Head Officer or Officers out of the faid Forfeitures and Penalties to Reward any perfon or perfons that fhall Inform of any Offence against this A&t, according to their Discretions, fo as fuch Reward exceed not the Third part of the Forfeitures or Penalties. Provided that nothing in this A&t contained, fhall extend to the prohibiting of Dreffing of Meat in Families, or Dreffing or Selling of Meat in Inns, Cooks fhops, or Victualling Houfes, for fuch as otherwife cannot be provided, nor to the Crying or Selling of Milk betore Nine of the Clock in the Morning, and after Four of the Clock in the Afternoon. That if any perfon or perfons whatsoever, which fhall Travel upon the Lord's Day, fhall be then Robbed, That no Hundred or the Inhabitants thereof, fhall be charged with, or answerable for any Robbery fo committed, but the perfon or perfons fo Robbed fhall be barred from bringing any Action for the faid Robbery. That no perfon or perfons upon the Lord's Day, fhall Serve or Execute, or caufe to be Served or Executed, any Writ, Procefs, Warrant, Order, Judgment or Decree, (except in Ca fes of Treafon, Felony, or Breach of Peace) but that the Service, of every fuch Writ, Procefs, Warrant, Order, Judgment

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or Decree, fhall be void to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever, and the perfon or perfons fo Serving or Executing the fame, fhall be as liable to the Suit of the Party grieved, and to answer Dammages to him for doing thereof, as if he or they had done the fame without any Writ, Procefs, Warrant, Order, Judgment or Decree at all. And Anno 1694, the XII Injunc tion of K. WILLIAM III, [WHO preferv'd us from Popery in the year 1688, and Reigned 13 years, to the Archbishops, to be communicated by them to the Bishops, and the rest of the Clergy, runs thus, That the Bishops fhall require the Clergy to use their utmost Indeavors that the Lord's Day be Reli giously obferved. That they fet a good Example to their People, and exhort them frequently to their Duty herein. Jer. 17, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27. Thus faith the LORD, Take heed to your felHallow ye the Sabbath-day, as I commanded your Fathers. And it fhall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto Me, faith the LORD, This City fball remain for ever. But if you will not hearken unto Me to hallow the Sabbath-day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it fhall devour the palaces of Jerufalem, and it shall not be quenched.

ves,

and

§. 3. THE Confcientious Keeping of every Sunday,or Lord's Day, is the Mother of all Religion, and good Difcipline in the Church. It is certain that he who makes no Confcience to Break the Sabbath, will not (to ferve his turn, ) make any Con fcience to break any of the other Commandments, fo he may do it without Disreputation, or Danger of Man's Law. From all which it follows, that WHOSOEVER keeps not the Lord's Day Well, is no Good Chriftian: and He that keeps not the Whole Lord's Day, is but Almost a Chriftian.

The Manner.

§. 4. THE Sanctifying of the Sabbath, (which, because it mult be a Seventh part of Time, that is, One Natural day in Seven, I take to Begin on Saturday- night at One a clock, i Latine, Hora prima, the First hour, when Sol, the Planet for Sunday begins; and to End on Sunday-night at One a clock when Luna, the Planer for Monday begins to govern,) confifts in two

Parts.

$5. First, IN not Doing, nor fuffering to be done, where we can hinder it, any Servile or Common Bufinefs and Ser vice pertaining to Natural life, which are generally all Civil Works from the leaft to the greateft, Except works of Piety,

and

On

and of Mercy, and of meer Neceffity: for whatsoever we get by Common working this Day will never be bleffed of the Lord. Judge HALES faid, He cou'd commonly foretell his Good or Bad fuccefs in Business that Week, by his Well or Ill keeping the Lord's Day. [HE was accounted an Honor to England, and an Ornament to K. Charles II.'s Government, for Learning, Justi ce, and Piety. Died Anno 1676.at 67 years of age.] More particularly, 1, From all the Works of our Calling, that the Lord by his Calling may do his Work in us. 2. From carrying Burdens, or Travelling for Profit, or for Pleafure. God has commanded that the Beafts fhou'd reft on the Sabbath-day. 3. From ftudying any other Books or Science, but the Holy Scriptures and Divinity: for our Indeavors must be to be ravifh'd in fpirit on the Lord's Day. 4, From going to Fairs, or Markets, Buying, Selling, and all Talking about Worldly things, and from Games and fports which at other times are lawful: for if lawful Works are forbidden on this Day, most certainly lawful Plays, which do much more steal away our Affections from the Contemplation of heavenly things, than any Bodily work or labor; and thefe hinder the Sanctifying the Sabbath more than working, feeing one may work alone, but Can't Talk, Game, or Sport but with others. If we will allow our Selves, or our Servants recreation, we must allow it in the fix days which are ours, not on the Lord's Day which is neither ours nor theirs. Nobadily recreation is to be used on this Day, but fo far as it may help the Soul to do more chearfully the Service of God. 5, From grofs Feeding, and liberal Drinking of Wine or ftrong drink, which may make us either Drowly, or unapt to ferve God with our Hearts and Minds. Ifthen thofe Actions, Diverfions, and Injoyments which are lawful at other times, are on the Lord's Day not allow'd, much less thofe that are altogether at all times unlawful. a: 58, 13, 14. If thou turn away by foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy Pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honorable, and fhalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor Speaking thine own words: Then fhalt thou delight thy felf in the LORD, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

$.6. Secondly IN Doing, and caufing to be done by all we can, Three forts of Duties, I. Before, II. At, III. After

the

the Publick Exercises of the Church. HE that keeps the Sab bath only by Refting from his Ordinary work, keeps it but as a Beaft.

I. Before the Publick exercises of the Church.

S. 7. WE must leave Working, Drinking, Playing, Company keeping, and the like, betimes on th' Eve, that our Bodies may be the more refresh'd, and our Minds the better fitted to fanctify the Sabbath on the next day. And we must Rife early in the Morning on the Lord's day, read the 19 or 26, and 1, 12, or 78 Pfaims, and fome other portion of Scripture ; Confider what impious Sinners we are, into what a holy Place we are going, to appear before the moft Holy God, who fees our hearts, and hates all impurity and Hypocrifie; F.xamine our felves what grievous fins we have committed the Week paft; Confefs' em unto God; Earneftly pray for the Pardon of them; Renew ourVows to walk moreConfcientiously; Pray for an Increase of those Graces which we have, and afupply of those we want; And particularly that we may have Grace to Hear and Read the Word of God with Profit; and then Perform, or Joyn in the Family Duties. And all must be fo difpatcht as to be in the Church before the beginning of Prayers; elfe our Secret and Private Devotions are rather a Hinderance than a Preparation. ITis an ignorant Pride for a Man to think his own private Prayers more effectual than the Publick prayers of the whole Church. D. Mat. 23. 23. These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. §. 8. The foliloquy afsoon as we awake. every Day. AWAKE, arife, behold, thou haft

Thy life a leaf, thy breath a blast.

§. 9. An Ejaculation before we rife on this or any holy day. MINE eyes are opened that I flept not in death; I am awaked with the morning light unto the fresh Mercies of another Day; unto the fresh Mercies of a Day confecrated and fet apart for the Service of my Gud; Bleffed be his Holy_name for fo great a Vouchsafement. May it prove to me a Day of Reft from fin, of Eucharistick Joy, and Growth in holiness; May the Sun of Righteousness, Chrift Jefus, arife on me therein with a more efpecial spiritual healing in his wings. Amen. A Morning Prayer for the Lord's Day. in the Closet.

1 S. Io. A Preface at firft kneeling down, any time..

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