Chap. XII. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 797 As is ufual in times of public calamity, fo at the breakingout of the K Charles t civil war, all public diversions andrecreations were laid afide. By an or- 164. dinanée of September z. 5642. it was declared, that " whereas public plays and a- " fports do not well agree with public calamities, nor public ftage-plays :her diver- " with the feafons of humiliation; this being an exercife of fad and pi- dowPut " ous folemnity ; the other being fpeéìacles of pleafure too commonlyRun,w. " exprefling lafcivious mirth and levity ; it is therefore ordained, that Vol. II. " while thefe fad caufes, and fit times of humiliation continue, publicPart 3d. " ftage-plays (hall ceafe and be forborne ; inftead of which are recom- P' r' 1e mended to the people of this land, the profitable duties of repentance, and making their peace with God;' Thefit times of humiliation mentioned in the ordinance, refer to' the Th monthly monthly faft appointed by the king, at the requeft of the parliament/V. [an. 8. 1641.] on account of the ir/ infurre@ion and maffacre, to be obferved every laft Wednefday in the month, as long as the calamities of that nation fhould require it. But when the king fet up his ftandard at Nottingham, the two houses apprehending that England was now to be the feat of war, publifhed an ordinance for the more ftri t obfervation of thisfait, in order to implore a divine bleffing upon the confultations of parliament, and to deprecate the calamities that threatned this nation. All preachers were enjoined to give notice of it from the pulpit the preceeding Lord's day, and to exhort their hearers to a folemn and religious obferva- tion of the whole day, by a devout attendance on the fervice of God in tome church or chapel, by abftinence, and by refraining fromworldly bufinefs and diverfions: all public houles were likewife forbid to fell any forts of liquors (except in cafes of neceffity) till the public exercifes and religious duties of the day were ended ; which continued with little or no intermiffion from nine in the morning till four in the afternoon ; during whichtime the people were at their devotions, and the minifters engaged in one part or other of divine worfhip. But betides the monthly faft, the opening of the war gave rife to an- Rafe other exercife of prayer, and exhortation to repentance, for an hour everymorning lee,- morning in the week. Molt of the citizens of London having tome near tore relation or friend in the army of the earl of EQex, fo many bills were fent . up to the pulpit every Lord's day for their prefervation, that the minifter- had neither tinte to read them, or to recommend their cafes to God in prayer; it was therefore agreed by fcme London divines, to feparate an . hour for this purpofe every morning, one half to be fpent in prayer, and the other in a fuitable exhortation to the people. The reverend Mr. Café, minifter of St. Mary-Magdalen Milkftreet, began it in his church at feven in the morning, and when it had continued there a month, it was re- m..,ed..by turns toother churches at a diftance,; for the. accommodation, of
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