A. D. 15^2. Anno quinto cc iexto Kdwardi VI. C. 2, 3. 439 hereto fir 1 Mar. Srfi'. z. c. 3. lEl.c.i. 13 El. C. 12. 23 £/. f. I. 13 : _' 1 | (7, ;.:.,. i . | j C . ««(/zj GVo. 2. f. 28. J C A P. II. I Statute of 22 H. 8. c. 12. and 3 & 4. Ed. 6. c. 16. touching Vagabonds and idle Perform, confirmed. Poor of every Parifli fhall be relieved with that which every l'aiifhioncr of hi. charitable Dev . will give. R -p. 1 1 1.1;/.. c. 5. J. X P. C A P. III. An A«5l for the keeping I lolidays and Falling-Days. 4 TTOrafmuch as at all Times Men be not fo mindful to laud an<! praife God, fo ready to rcfort and hear Which Dip ' jP God's holy Word, and to come to die holy Communion and other laudable Rites, which arc to be °"b in (Ji 4 obferved in every Chriftian Congregation, as their bounden Duty doth require: (2) Therefore to call n "'- ' Men to Remembrance of their Duty, and to help their Infirmity, it hath been wholfomly provided, th. ' there fhould bo ionic certain Times and Days appointed, wherein the Chiiftian fhould ceafe from all j, v>i ' ' other Kind of Labours, and fhould apply thcmfclvcs only and wholly unto the aforefaid holy Works, i ' properly pertaining unto true Religion ; that is, to hear, to learn and to remember Almighty God's great on 'he RoU. •fits, his manifold Mercies, his incftimable gracious Goodnefs, fo plcnteoufly poured upon all his ' Creatures, and that of his infinite and unfpeakablc Goodnefs, without any Man's Defer t; and in Re- 1 membrancc hereof, to render unto him moft high and hearty Thanks, with Prayers and Supplications for ' the Relief of all our daily Ncccffities : (3) Andbccaufe thefe be the chief and principal Works wherein '
- Man is commanded to worfhip God, and do properly pertain unto the firft Table; therefore as thefc
' Works arc mod commonly, and alio may well be called God's Service, fo the Times appointed fpecially '• for the fame, are called Holy-days ; not for the Matter and Nature either of the Time or Day, nor for 'any of the Saints Sake, whofe Memories arc had on thofe Days, (for fo all Days and Times confidcred wherefi"* (5ine» ' are God's Creatures, and all of like Holinefs) but for the Nature and Condition of thofe godly and holy lUj'ST^J ' Works, wherewith only God is to be honoured, and the Congregation to be edified, whereunto fuch Oianoiicr 5 ' 1 Times and Days are lanclificd and hallowed ; this is to fay, feparated from all profane Ufes, and dedi- ' cared and appointed, not unto any Saint or Creature, but only unto God and his true Worfhip : (4) I Neither is it to be thought that there is any certain Time or definite Number of Days prefcribed in holy ' Scripture, but that the Appointment both of the Time and alfo of the Number of the Days, is left by
- the Authority of God's Word to the Liberty of Chrift's Church, to be determined and afligned orderly in
- every Country, by the Difcretion of the Rulers and Miniiters thereof, as they fhall judge moft expedi-
' ent to the true letting forth of God's Glory, and the Edification of their People :' (,•) Be it therefore en- Allthcfc Dap acted by the King our Sovereign Lord, with the Affent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the *' " k ^ pt Commons, in this prefent Parliament aflembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That all the Days no ° n e* ot hcr. an hereafter mentioned fhall be kept and commanded to be kept Holy-days, and none other ; that is to fay, all Sundays in the Year, the Days of the Feaft of the Circumajion of our Lord Jefus Chrrft, of the any, of the Purification of the Bleffed Virgin, of Saint Matthie the Apoftle, of the Annunciation of the Blclicd Virgin, of Saint Mark the Evangelift, of Saint Philip and Jacob the Apoftles, of the ACcenfun of our Lord Jefus Chrift, of the Nativity of Saint John Baptiji, of Saint Peter the Apoftle, of Saint James the Apoftle, of Saint Bartholomew the Apoftle, of Saint Matthew the Apoftle, of Saint Michael the Archangel, of Saint Luke the Evangelift, of Saint Simon and Judc the Apoftles, of All Saints, of Saint Andrew the Apoftle, of Saint Thomas the Apoftle,. of the Nativity of our Lord, of Saint Stephen the Martyr, of Saint John the Evangelift, of the holy Innocents, Monday and Tuefiday in Eajhr-week, and Monday and Tuifiday in ■:-week ; And that none other Day fhall be kept and commanded to be kept Holy-day, or to abftain from lawful bodily Labour. II. And it is alfo enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That every Even or Day next going before any of J^j 1 * D "-' s ' the aforefaid Days of the Feafts of the Nativity of our Lord, of Ea/ler, of the Aficenfion of our Lord, „„ d ^™ Pentecojl, and the Purification and the Annunciation of the aforefaid Bleffed Virgin, of All Saints, and of Fafting-da»s. •all the laid Feafts of the Apoftles, (other than of Saint John the Evangelift, and Philip and Jacob) fhall be fafted, and commanded to be kept and obferved, and that none other Even or Day fhall be com- manded to be fafted. III. And it is enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That it fhall be lawful to all Afchoifjiops and Bi- Po«iflim e nt of ihops in their Dioceffes, and to all other having Fcclefiaftical or Spiritual Jurisdiction, to enquire of Offenders by ihc every Perfon that fhall offend in the PremhTes, and to punifh every fuch Offender by the Cenfures of the £ CCI Church, and to enjoin him or them fuch Penance as fhall be to the Spiritual Judge by his Direction thought a ' meet and convenient. IV. Provided always, That this A&, or any Thing therein contained, fhall not extend to abrogate or Abflifience from* take away the the Abftinence from Flefh in Lent, or on Fridays and Saturdays, or any other Day which ?'?* ,n L * nr > is already appointed fo to be kept, by Virtue of an Acl: made and provided in the third Year of the t Reign of our Sovereign Lord the King's Majefty that now is, faving only of thofe Evens or Days whereof , & ,EdV6. the Holy-day next following is abrogated by this Statute ; any- Thing above mentioned to the contrary in c, any wife notwithstanding. _ EXP.. V. Provided alfo, and be it enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That when and fo often as it fhal! chance Wk 1 I iSstur- any of the faid Feafts (the Evens whereof be by this Statute commanded to be obferved and kept Faftiiv - day) to fall upon the Monday ; That then, as it hath always been heretofore accuftomably ufed, fo here-J^'^ doi after, the Saturday then next going befoie: any fuch Feaft or Holy-day ar.d not the Sunday., fhall be. com- manded
