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the premifes, fhall, for every fuch offence, forfeit the fum of five fhillings; and that no perfon or perfons whatever shell publicly cry, thew forth, or expofe to fale, any wares, merchandifes, fruit, herbs, goods, or chattels whatsoever upon the Lord's day, or any part thereof, upon pain that every perfon fo offending thall. forfeit the fame goods, fo cried, or fhewed forth, or expofed to fale.?:

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It is further enacted, That no drover, horse-courfer, ⚫ waggoner, butcher, higler. they or any of their fervants, 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 forfeit twenty fhils lings for every fuch offence. And if any other perfon travels on the Lord's day, and should then be robbed, the hundred is not to be answerable for it; and whatever the perfon lofes, he is barred from bringing any action for fuch robberies No waterman is to be employed to travel, except as licensed for any extraordinary occafion. • No person is allowed to or serve, execute, or caufe to be ferved or executed, any writ, procefs, warrant, order, judgment, or device, except in cafes of treafon, felony, or breach of the peace. The impeachment of offenders is to be within ten days, and a third part of the for feitures is appointed to the profecutor, &c.

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Some Acts of the Parliament of Scotland for the religious Obfervation of the LORD'S DAY, which still stand in force.

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JAMES, VI. Parl. 6. chap. 71. It is enacted, That there be no markets on the Sabbath-day: And that no • gaming, playing, paffing to taverns and ale-houses, or felling of meat or drink, or wilful remaining from the parith-kirk in time of fermon or prayers, upon the Sabbath-day, be used, under the pains of twenty fhillings ⚫ Scots: And who refuse, or are unable to pay the faid pains, fhall be put and holden in the ftocks, or fuch other engine for public punishment, for the space of twenty-four hours,' &c.

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Charles II. Part A&t. 1. 18, intitled Act for the due obfervation of the Lord's day; which act doth discharge,' All going of falt-pans. mills, or kilns, under the pains of twenty pounds Scots, to be paid by the heritors and poffeffors thereof and alfo all falmon fishing, hiring of hearers, carrying of loads, keeping of markets, or ufing ⚫ of merchandise upon the faid day, and all other profa'nation thereof, under the pain of ten pound Scots, the ⚫ one half thereof to be paid by the faid fisher or fhearer ' hired, and the other half by the perfons hiring. “And if the offender be not able to pay the faid penalties, that he be exemplarily punished in his body according to the merits of his fault. This act is again ratified, Charl. II. Parl. 2 Seff 3. chap. 22. Likewife it is ratified by K William, Parl. 1. June 15. 1693. And alfo, that parliament made feveral new laws to the faid purpofe, June 28. 1695, October 9. 1696. January 11701. And in thefe acts, they ratify, renew, and revive, all former laws against Sabbath-breaking, and strictly require and enjoin all inferior magiftrates to put the fame to exact and punctual execution againft all perfons without exception; with ⚫ certification, that any magiftrate that fhall refufe, neglect or delay, to execute the faid laws, upon application of any minifter or kirk-feffion, or any perfon in their name, informing and offering fufficient probation, 'fhall be liable toties quoties to a fine of an hundred pounds Scots by the Lords of Seffion,' &c.

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Likewife our Sovereign, upon their coming to the throne, do still emit proclamations for executing the laws VOL. IV.

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against Sabbath-breaking, and other vices; and wherein they charge all magiftrates and judges to fupprefs and punish the profanation of the Lord's day by gaming, felling of liquors, and otherwife; and they require and command all perfons whatfoever, decently and reverently to attend the worship of God on every Lord's day, on pain of their highest displeasure, and with being proceeded against with the utmoft rigour that may be by law.

To thefe acts of parliament and proclamations, I might fubjoin fome acts of the general affembly of the church of Scotland against Sabbath breaking, and for the better obfervation of the Lord's day. Many fuch acts have they made fince our reformation from popery: I fhall only mention a few of them.

A. 1639, at Edinburgh Auguft 29. They made an act, intitled, Act anent keeping of the Lord's day, in which we have these words: The General Affembly recommend to the feveral presbyteries the execution of the old acts of affemblies against the breach of the Sabbath day, by going of mills, falt-pans, falmon-fishing, or any fuch like labour,' &c.

A. 1646, at Edinburgh, June 18. They made an act intitled, Act against loofing of ships and barks on the Lord's-day, which runs thus: The General Affembly, understanding how much the Lord's day is profaned by fkippers and other fea-faring men, do therefore difcharge and inhibit all skippers and failors to begin any voyage on the Lord's day, or to loofe any fhips, barks, or boats out of the harbour or road upon that day; And who fhall do on the contrary thereof, shall be cenfured as profaners of the Sabbath.'

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A. 1699, at Edinburgh, January 30. in their act against profanenefs, they have thefe words: The Gene ral Affembly recommends to kirk-feffions and presbyteries, the vigorous, impartial, and yet prudent exercife of discipline against all immorality; especially drunkennefs and filthinefs, curfing. fwearing, and profaning 'the Lord's day, which too much abound: And that they apply to the magiftrate for the execution of the good laws made against immorality and profaneness. And seeing it is obferved, that in burghs, efpecially thofe of the greatest refort, as Edinburgh, many fit too 'late in taverns, especially on the Saturday's night, and men of business pretend they do it for the relaxation of ⚫ their

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their minds; through which, fome neglect the public worship of the Lord's day in the forenoon, and others 'attend the worship drowfily: Therefore the General Affembly recommends it to all minifters, where fuch finful cuftoms are, to represent to the people, both publicly and privately, the fin and evil thereof; and to call them to redeem that time which they have free from bufinefs, and to employ it in converfe with God, about their fouls ftate, and in preparation for the Sabbath; which will yield more delight than all fenfual pleafures can do. And the General Affembly befeech and exhort all magiftrates of burghs to be affiftant to ⚫ minifters in inquiring into and reforming fuch abufes," A 1795, at Edinburgh, April 10. The General A. Affembly, taking to their ferious confideration the great, profanation of the Lord's day, by multitudes of people vaguing idly upon the streets of the city of Edinburgh, pier and fhore of Leith, in St Ann's yard, and the Queen's-park, and in diverfe places about Edinburgh; and confidering the profanation of the Lord's day in other places, by unneceffary travelling and otherways; and the General Affembly being deeply fenfible of the great dishonour done to the holy God, and of the open contempt of God and man, manifested by fuch heaven-daring profanenefs, to the expofing of the na. tion to the heaviest judgments; therefore they do, in the fear of God, earneftly exhort all their reverend brethren of the miniftry, and other officers of the church, to contribute their utmost endeavours, in their ftations for fuppreffing fuch grofs profanation of the Lord's day, by a vigorous and impartial, yet prúdent exercife of the difcipline of the church, and by holding hand to the execution of the laudable laws of the nation against the guilty, in fuch a way and manner as is allowed by law. And, because the concurrence and affiftance of the civil government will be abfolutely neceffary for the better curbing and reftraining of this crying fin, the General Affembly do hereby appoint their commiffion to be nominate by them, to address the Right Honourable the Lords of her Majefty's privy council, that their Lordships may be pleated to give fuch orders, and take fuch courfes, for reftraining fuch abufes, as they in their wisdom fhall judge moit ef. fectual."

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A 1728, at Edinburgh, April 27. Forafmuchas min.fters from diverfe parts of this national church do re· prefent, that there is a general profanation of the Lord's day by travelling thereupon, carrying goods, driving cattle, and other abuses, to the great scandal of · religion, and manifeft breach of many good laws; therefore the General Affembly did, and hereby do appoint each presbytery within this church, to nomi< nate two or three of their number, to attend the Lords • Commiffioners of Jufticiary at their first circuit that 'falls to be in their bonds, and to repréfent to their Lordfhips the profanation of the Lord's day, by the forefaid wicked and finful practices: And the General Affembly do feriously recommend to the faid Lords of Jufticiary, to take fuch effectual courses as they in their wisdom shall think fit, to reftrain and punish the aforefaid abufes; which the Affembly will acknowledge as a fingular fervice done to God and his church. And they do, in the mean time, injoin all the minifters of this church, from their pulpits, to advertise their people among whom fuch practices are, of the great hazard "their immortal fouls are in by fuch courfes, &c. By all which we may clearly fee what a high efteem our zealous and godly ancestors had of the Lord's day, and of what great importance they judged the due obfervation of this holy day is to the intereft of true religion add godliness! And O what a pity is it, that we, who fucceed them, fhould come fo far fhort of them in zeal for fanctifying the Lord's day! O that all magiftrates and minifters were animated to fhew a due concern for the honour of this holy day, as in former times. A plea fant token would this be of the revival of decayed reli gion among us.

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