Excerpt from The High Court of Justice: Comprising Memoirs of the Principal Persons Who Sat in Judgment on King Charles the First, and Signed His Death-Warrant, Together With Those Accessaries, Excepted by Parliament in the Bill of Indemnity His Majesty's pleasure likewise is, that the bishop of that diocese take the like strict order with all the Puritans and Precisians within the same; either constrain them to conform themselves, or to leave the country, according to the laws of this kingdom, and canons of this church; and so to strike equally on both hands, against the contemners of his authority and adversaries of the Church. And as for his good people's lawful recreation, his pleasure likewise is, that after the end of divine service, his good people be not disturbed, letted, or discouraged from any lawful recreation, such as dancing, either men or women, archery for men, leaping, vaulting, or any other such harmless recreation; nor from having of May - games, W hitsun-ales, and jviorrice-dances, and the setting up of May-poles, and other sports therewith used, so as the same be had in due and convenient time, without impediment or neglect of divine service; and that women shall have leave to carry rushes to the church for the decorating of it, according to their old custom; but withal His Majesty doth here account still as prohibited, all unlawful games to be used upon Sundays only, as Bear and Bull-baitings, Inter/rides; and at all times in the meaner sort of people by law prohibited Bowling; and likewise bars from this benefit and liberty all such known Recusants, either men or women, as will abstain from coming to church or divine service, being therefore unworthy of any lawful recreation after the said service, that will not first come to the church and serve god. Prohibiting, in like sort, the said recreations to any that, though they conform in religion, are not present in the church at the service of god, before their going to the said recreations. His pleasure likewise is, that they to whom it belongeth in office, shall present and sharply punish all such as in abuse of this his liberty, will use these exercises before the end of all divine services for that day; and he doth likewise straightly command, that every person shall resort to his own parish church to hear divine service, and each parish by itself to use the said recreation after divine service. Prohibiting likewise any offensive weapons to be carried or used in the said times of recreation; and his pleasure is, that this his declaration shall be published by order from the bishop of the diocese, through all the parish churches; and that both thejndges of the circuits, and thejustices of the peace be informed thereof. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.