themselves, it is not proper to give it the name of Sunday any more.

With what esteem and veneration doth Ignatius, that arcient martyr, fpeak of this day, in his epiftle to the Magne fians? faith he, Let us not Jewifh'y fabbatize, but let us reft fpiritually; and, instead of the old Sabbath, let every lover of hrift celebrate the LORD's DAY, the beft and most eminent of days, in which our 'Life arofe'

So ftretly was this day fet apart by the ancients for public devotion, that very early the fynod of Ille beris ordained, That if any man dwelting in a city (where churches are near at hand) should for three Lord's days keep from church, he should be fufpended from communion with the church.'

In the fourth century, the Hiftorian Eufebius tells us, that Conftantine the Great, the first Chriftian emperor, iffued an edict, requiring the whole Roman empire to obferve the LORD's DAY, in memory, of thofe things which were done by the common Saviour of all men; and bearing that he counted that day the best and chief of days, truly the LORD's, and a day of falvation; and that he ordered his army to off r up prayers to God, and required all men every where to apply themfelves to religious wofhip; and that no work nor any thing should be allowed to hinder their prayers and devotions that day.

We read alfo of many ancient laws made by kings in England, prohibiting all kinds of fervile work, merchandife or traffic, on the Lord's day, upon very fevere penalties; as that made by King Ina about the year 688, that made by King Alfred in the year 876, that made by Edward his fon about the year 912, that made by King Edgar about the year 966, which required that the celebration of the Lord's day (hould begin from nine o'clock on Saturday night: Alfo that law made by King Canute about the year 1026, to the fame effect with that of Edgar's, and more particularly and ftrictly forbidding all trade, and all meetings of people for fecular affairs or converses; requiring them to abstain from hunting and every worldly employment on this day.

To the fame purpofe might be adduced many canons of ecclefiaftical fynods and councils in England, France, Germany, and other nations; a great number whereof we find collected by Dr Francis White, bishop of Ely, in 1635.

Likewife

Likewife we find great zeal manifefted by a convocation of the Scots clergy for the Lord's day, at their meeting at Perth in the year 18c, as narrated by Archbishop Spotif wood: They ordained, that every Saturday from twelve o'clock should be fet apart for preparation for the Lord's day; and that all the people on Saturday evening, at the found of the bell, fhou'd addrefs themselves to hear prayers, and fhould abstain from worldly labours till Monday morning.

But I fhall pass from thofe more ancient laws and canons, to give a brief account of fome acts of Parliament both in England and Scotland, which are now in force, for observing the Lord's day; and which all magiftrates of burghs, juftices of peace, and other judges, fhould and might execute presently, if they were difpofed to do it.

In England Primo Car. I. cap. I. Forafmuch as there ' is nothing more acceptable so God than the true and fincere worship of him according to his holy will, and 'that the holy keeping of the Lord's day is a principal part of the true fervice of God, which in very many places of this realm hath been, and now is, profaned and neglected by diforderly forts of people: It is therefore enacted, That there fhall be no more meetings, affemblies, or concourse of people on the Lord's day, for any fport and paftimes whatfoever,' &c. Tertio Car. 1. cap. 1. it is enacted,

That no carrier,

6 carman, wainman, nor drover of cattle, fhall travel on 'the Lord's day, upon pain of forfeiting twenty fhillings: Nor any butcher fhall be allowed to kill or fell meat,' &c.

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Vigefimo nono Car. II. cap. 7. it is enacted, 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 shall on every Lord's day apply themfelves to the observation of the fame, by exercifing themfelves thereon in the duties of piety and true religion publicly and privately; and that no tradefman, artificer, workman, labourer, or other perfon whatsoever, fhall do or exercise any worldly labour, bufinefs, or work of their ordinary callings upon the Lord's days, or any part thereof (works of neceffity and charity only excepted';) And that every perfon, being of the age of fourteen years and upwards, offending in

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the premises, fhall, for every fuch offence, forfeit the fum of five fhillings; and that no perfon or perfons whatever fhall publicly cry, fhew 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.'

It is further enacted, That no drover, horfe-courfer, waggoner, butcher, higler, they or any of their fervants, ⚫ fhall travel er 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 fhillings for every fuch offence. And if any other perfon travels on the Lord's day, and fhould 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 perfon is allowed to or ferve, execute, or cause 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 off nders is to be within ten days, and a third part of the forfeitures is appointed to the profecutor,' &c.

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 8 gaming, playing, paffing to taverns and ale houfes, or 'felling of meat or drink, or wilful remaining from the parish-kirk in time of fermon or prayers, upon the Sab'bath-day, be used, under the pains of twenty fhillings 'Scots: And who refuse, of 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 6 twenty-four hours,' &c.

Charles II. Parl A&t. i. 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 profanation thereof, under the pain of ten pound Scots. the one half thereof to be paid by the faid fifher 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. 11. Parl. 2 Sef 3. chap. 22. Like

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wife 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 1 1701. 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 against all perfons without exception; with certification, that any magiftrate that shall refufe, neglect or delay, to execute the faid laws, upon applica'tion of any minifter or kirk feffion, or any perfon in their name, informing and offering fufficient probation, hall be liable toties quoties to a fine of an hundred 'pounds Scots by the Lords of Seffion,' &c.

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

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againft

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, felÎing of liquors, and otherwife; and they require and command all perfons whatfoever, decently and reverently to attend the wo ship of God on every Lord's day, on pain of their higheft difpleafure, 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 as have they made fince our reformation from popery: I shall only mention a few of them.

A. 69, at Edinburgh August 20. 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 oid acts of affemblies against the breach of the Sabbath day, by going of mills, falt-pans, falmon-fishing, fuch like labour,' &c.

or any

They made an

40. 1646, at Edinburgh, June 18. 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 loose any fhips, barks, or boats out of the harbour or road upon that day: And who fhall do on the contrary thereof, fhall be 'cenfured as profaners of the Sabbath.'

4. 1699, at Edinburgh, January 30. in their act against profanenefs, they have thefe words: The General Affembly recommends to kirk-feffions and presbyteries, the vigorous, impartial, and yet prudent exercife of difcipline against all immorality; efpecially 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 feeing it is obferved, that in burghs, especially 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