486 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. H. hiogjamesl. " defpiíer of compliments, a lover of reality, full of digefled and excel. lent notions painful labourer in God's vineyard, and now no doubt, " gloriously rewarded." Such was this lïpht, which by the feverity of the times, . was put under a bufhel ! Book ofJ arts In order to put a flop to the growth of puritanífin; and frlence theoh- pub[Jhed. jeélions of papifls againit the flriétnefs of the reformed religion ; his ma- jefty this year publifhed A declaration to encourage recreations andfports on the Lord's day, contrary to, his proclamation in the firft year of his reign, and to the articles of the church, of Ireland, ratified under the great Peal, 1615. in which the morality of the Lord's day is affirmed. Heyl. NUI. " But (lays Heylin) the puritans, by raifing the fabbathr took occafion Yr?/b,p,3'9' " to deprefs the feflivals, and introduced by little and, little, a general " pegleél of the weekly falls, the holy time oflent, and the embring days, " reducing all ails of humiliation to folemn and occafional falls," Sad in- d'eed.! But this was not all the mifchief that enfued, (lays the doctor), " for feveral preachers and jufiices of the peace took occafion from hence " to forbid all lawful fports on the Lord's day,bymeans whereof the priefts " and jefuits perfuaded the people in the northern counties, that the re- " formed religion was incompatible with that chriflian liberty which " God and nature had indulged to the fons of men : So that to preferve " the people from popery, his majeftywas brought under a neceffty to ," publifh the, book of fports." It was drawn up by bifhop Moreton,and dated from Greenwich May 24, 1618. and is to this effeft : That for his good people's recreation, his ma- " jelly's pleafure was, that after the end of divine fervice, they should not " be diflurbed, letted, or difcouraged from any lawful recreations; loch as,dançing, either of men or women, archery for men, leaping, vault- " ing, or any fuck harmlefs recreations ; nor having ofmay games, whitfon= " ales, or morrice- dances, or Petting up of maypoles, or other fports there- " ° with ufed, fo as the fame may be had in due and convenient time, with- " out impediment or let of divine fervice ; and that women fhould have leave to carry rules to the church for the decoringof it, according to their " old cuftoms; withal prohibiting all unlawful games to be ufed on Sun- " days only ; as bear-bating, bull baiting, interludes, and at all times (in " the meaner fort of people prohitite.l) bowling." Two or three reftraints " were annexed to the declaration, which deferve the.reader's notice: (t.) No recufant, [i. e. papifl] was tohave the benefit of this declaration, (2.) Nor fuck as were not prefent at the whole of divine fervice. Nor (3.) fuch as did not keep to their own parifh churches, that is,,puritans. This declaration was ordered to be read in all the parifh churches of Lancajhire, which abounded with papifts ; and Wil/on adds, that it was to be read in all the churches of England ; but that archbifhop Abbot being at
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