228 Readings in European History 308. Judg- ment of God on those that break his holy Sab- bath day. (From Wel- lington's Historical Notices.) A judgment on organs. 309. Charles encourages dancing and other amuse- ments on Sunday. (Declaration of Sports, 1633.) A husbandman, grinding corn upon the Lord's day, had his meal burned to ashes. Another, carrying corn on this day, had his barn and all his corn therein burnt with fire from heaven the next night after. A husbandman would needs go to plow on the Sabbath day, but mark the fearful judgment of God upon him ; for, as he cleansed his plow with an iron instrument, the iron stuck fast in his hand, and could not be got out, but there stuck two years as a manifest token of God's wrath against him for that horrible sin. On the 23d January, 1582, being the Lord's day, the scaffolds fell in Paris Garden under the people at a bear baiting, so that eight were suddenly slain, innumerable hurt and maimed. A warning to such who take more pleasure on the Lord's day to be in a theater beholding carnal sports than to be in the church in serving of God. At Boston, in Lincolnshire, Mr. Cotton being their for- mer minister, when he was gone the bishop desired to have organs set up in the church, but the parish was unwill- ing to yield ; but, however, the bishop prevailed to be at the cost to set them up. But they being newly up (not playing very often with them), a violent storm came in at one window, and blew the organs to another window, and brake both organs and window down ; and to this day the window is out of reputation, being boarded and not glazed. The Puritans were naturally much aroused when Charles reissued a declaration of his father's, permitting, and even encouraging, popular amusements on Sunday when the afternoon service was over. I Our dear father of blessed memory, in his return from Scotland, coming through Lancashire, found that his sub- jects were debarred from lawful recreations upon Sundays after evening prayers ended and, upon holydays ; and he prudently considered that if these times were taken from them, the meaner sort, who labor hard all the week, should have no recreations at all to refresh their spirits ; and after
