On coming to the throne in 1547, Edward VI issued the following injunctions: °Whereas in our time, God is more offended than pleased, more dishonored than honored, upon the holy day (Sunday), because of idleness, pride, drunkenness, quarreling and brawling, which are most used in such days; people nevertheless persuading themselves sufficiently to honor God on that day if they hear mass and service, though they understand nothing to their edify ing; therefore all the king's faithful and loving subjects shall from henceforth celebrate and keep their holy day (Sunday) according to God's holy will and pleasure, that is in hearing the Word of God read and taught, in private and public prayers, in acknowledging their offenses to God, and amendment of the same, in reconciling theirselves charitably to their neighbors, where displeasure hath been, in oftentimes receiving the communion of the very body and blood of Christ, in visiting the poor and sick, and in using all soberness and godly conversation.* Elizabeth put forth the following injunction touching Sunday: "All the queen's faithful and loving subjects shall, from henceforth celebrate and keep their holyday according to God's will and pleasure; yet notwithstanding, all parsons, vicars and curates shall teach and declare unto their parishioners„ that they may with a safe and quiet conscience, after their common prayer in the time of harvest, labor upon the holy and festival days, and save that thing which God hath sent . . . in every parish three or four discreet men, which tender God's glory, and his true religion, shall be appointed by the ordinaries diligently to see, that all the parishioners duly resort to their church upon all Sundays and holy days, and there to con tinue the whole time of the godly service; and all such as shall be found slack and negligent in resorting to the church, having no great or urgent cause of absence, they shall straightly call upon them, and after due admonition if they amend not, they shall denounce them to the ordinary." Under the Puritan influences attempts were made to bring about a too strict observance of Sunday. To counteract this Charles I repub lished an injunction issued by his father, James I, in which he declared: "As for our good peo ple's lawful recreation, our pleasure likewise is, that after the end of divine service our good people be not disturbed, Jetted or discouraged from any lawful recreation, such as dancing, either men or women, archery for men, leaping, vaulting or any other such harmless recreation, or from having May games, Whitsonales and morris 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 im pediment or neglect of divine service; and that women shall have leave to carry rushes to church for the decorating of it, according to their old custom. But withal we do here ac count still as prohibited all unlawful games to be used on Sundays, only as bear and bull bait ings, interludes, and at all times in the meaner sort of people by law prohibited bowling.* The act of Charles II (1676) was the law of the American colonies up to the time of the Revolution, and so became the basis of the American Sunday laws. It runs as follows: °For the better observation and keeping holy the Lord's day, commonly called Sunday: be it enacted by the Icing's most excellent majesty, and by and with the advice and con sent of the lords, spiritual and temporal, and of the commons in this present Parliament as sembled, and by the authority of the same, that all the laws enacted and in force concerning the observation of the day, and repairing to the church thereon, be carefully put in execution; and that all and every person and persons what soever shall upon every Lord's day apply them selves to the observation of the same, by exer cising themselves thereon in the duties of piety and true religion, publicly and privately; and that no tradesman artificer, workman or other person whatsoever, shall do or exercise any worldly labor or business or work of their or dinary callings upon the Lord's day, or any part thereof (works of necessity and charity only excepted), and that every person being of the age of fourteen years or upwards offending in the premises shall, for every such offense, for feit the sum of five shillings; and that no per son or persons whatsoever shall publicly cry, show forth, or expose for sale any wares, mer chandise, fruit, herbs, goods or chattels what soever, upon the Lord's day or any part thereof, upon pain that every person so offending shall forfeit the same goods so cried or showed forth or exposed for sale.* °And it is further enacted that no drover, horse-courser, wagoner, butcher, higgler — they or any of their servants shall 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 such offender shall forfeit twenty shillings for every such offense; and that no person or persons shall use, employ, or travel upon the Lord's day with any boat, wherry, lighter or barge, except to be upon extraordinary occasion to be allowed by some justice of the peace of the county, or some head officer, or some justice of the peace of the city, borough or town corporate, where the deed shall be committed, upon pain that every person so offending shall forfeit and lose the sum of five shillings for every such offense.* The Lord's day legislation of Cromwellian days was as distinct and detailed as a fragment from Leviticus, as is shown in the following extract from an act of Parliament dated 1656: "Every person grinding or causing to be ground any corn or grain in any mill, or causing any fulling or other mills to work upon the day aforesaid; and every person working in the washing, whiting or drying of clothes, thread or yarn, or causing such work to be done, upon the day aforesaid; every person setting up, burning or branding beet, turf or earth, upon the day aforesaid; every person gathering of rates, loans, taxations or other payments upon the day aforesaid (except to the use of the poor in the public collections) •, every chaundler melt ing, or causing to be melted, tallow or wax be longing to his calling; and every common brewer and baker, brewing and baking, or caus ing bread to be baked, or beer or ale to be brewed upon the day aforesaid; and every butcher killing any cattle, and every butcher, coffermonger, poulterer, herb seller, cordway ner, shoemaker or other persons selling, expos ing or offering to sell any their wares or com modities, upon the day aforesaid; all taylors and other tradesmen, fitting or going to fit, or carry any wearing apparel or other things; and barbers trimming upon the day aforesaid; all persons keeping, using or being present upon the day aforesaid at any fairs, markets, wakes, revels, wrestlings, shootings, leaping, bowling, ringing of bells for pleasure or upon any other occasion (saving for calking people together for the public worship), feasts, church ale, May poles, gaming, bear-baiting, bull-baiting, or any other sports and pastimes; all persons unneces sarily walking in the church or church-yards, or elsewhere in the time of public worship; and all persons vainly and profanely walking, on the day aforesaid; and all persons traveling, carrying burthens or doing any worldly labor or work of their ordinary calling on the day aforesaid, shall be deemed guilty of profaning the Lord's day."
In the 17th century a number of dissenters fled from England and reached America in 1620, and settled at New Plymouth. In 1629 another band from England joined them. Thus the establishment of Puritanism in America. The theocracy of the Hebrews furnished the model after which their civil government was constituted. Their idea of Sunday is summed up in the enactment of 10 June 1650, passed by the Plymouth general court: "Further be it enacted, that whosoever shall profane the Lord's day by doing any servile work, or any such like abuses, shall forfeit for every such default ten shillings, or be whipped? Profanation of the Lord's day included traveling, loitering at the door of a meeting house, drinking in an inn, staying at home instead of attending church and it was also enacted by the court, that uif any in any lazy, slothful or profane way doth neglect to come to the public worship of God. shall for feit for every such default ten shillings, or be publicly whipped." In Massachusetts the laws were equally strict.
In 1716 Sunday desecration appears to have been on the increase, since we are told: "Many persons do presume to work and travel on the said day"; so that the authorities saw fit to in crease the penalty for "working or playing" to 10 shillings, and that for traveling to 20 shillings for the first offense. For the second offense these fines were doubled and the parties made to give "sureties" for good behavior in the fu ture. A month's continued absence from the public Sunday services was also made finable in the sum of 20 shillings, or three hours in the stocks or cage. In 1727, the fine for ((working or playing)" was increased to 15 shillings, and that for traveling to 30 shillings for the first offense, and for the second, three pounds. If the offender failed to pay, he was liable to the stocks or the cage for four hours, or to im prisonment in the countyjail not to exceed five days. At this time, also, funerals, since they induced "great profanation" of Sunday, by the traveling of children and servants in the streets, were prohibited, except in extreme cases, and then under license from a civil of ficer of the town. The director of a funeral transgressing this was to be fined 40 shillings, and the sexton or grave-digger 20 shillings. Shops for the retailing of strong drinks were also to be searched by the proper officers, and if any were found there drinlang, the proprietor and the drinker were each to pay five shillings.
In 1760 all former laws relative to Sunday gave way to a new code, the provisions of which were as follows: Work or play, on land or water, is fined not less than 10 nor more than 20 shillings. Traveling by any one except in extremity and then only far enough for immediate relief, is liable to the same pen alty. Licensed public-house keepers are for bidden to entertain any except strangers and lodgers)" in their houses or about their premises, for the purpose of drinking, playing, lounging or doing any secular business whatever, on penalty of 10 shillings; the per sons lounging, etc., also paying not less than five shillings. On the second conviction the innkeeper is made to pay 20 shillings and on the third offense to lose his license. Loitering, walking or gathering in companies in "streets, fields, orchards, lanes, wharves,)) etc., is pro hibited on pain of five shillings fine; and on a second conviction the offender is required to give bail for future obedience. Absence from public service for one month is fined 10 shill ings. No one is to assist at any funeral, not even to ring a bell, unless it be a licensed funeral, on penalty of 20 shillings fine. In Boston, however, a funeral might be attended after sunset without a license. The observance of the Sunday was to commence from sunset on Saturday. Twelve wardens were appointed in each town to execute these laws; these were to look after all infringements, enter all sus pected places, examine or enquire after all suspected persons, etc. In Boston they were to patrol the streets every Sunday (very stormy or cold days excepted), and diligently watch and search for offenders. In case any one convicted on any point in this code failed to pay his fine at once he.was to be committed to the common jail, not less than five, nor more than 10 days. These laws were to be read at the meeting') of the towns each year.
Practically all the States of the American Union have laws prohibitive of labor on Sun day; but these laws are practically a dead letter. In Arizona and California, however, there are no special Sunday laws. In all other States there are laws, in one form or another, providing for the Sunday-closing of saloons and general places of business, exclusive of drug stores, restaurants and businesses of prime necessity to the general comfort of the com munity. These laws are pretty generally ob served. In some places even barber shops are closed.
Bibliography.— Baylee, 'History of the Sabbath) (1857); Cox, 'Literature of the Sab bath Question) (1865); (Brampton (1860); Holden, 'The Christian Sabbath' (1825); Lewis, (Sunday Legislation' (1892); Neale, (Feasts and Fasts); Rule, 'The Holy Sabbath' ; Schaff, 'History of the Christian Church); Zahn, des Sontags vor nehmlich in der Alten Kirche.)