Oct.? 1782

Whereas the Observance of the Lords Day is highly promotive of the welfare of a Community by affording necessary seasons for Relaxation from Labour and the cares of business, for moral reflexions & conversations on the duties of Life and the frequent errors of human conduct, for public & private worship of the maker Governour, and Judge of the World, and for those Acts of Charity which support and adorn a Christian society: and Whereas many thoughtless and irreligious Persons from an undue attachment to their unnecessary business, Labours or Recreations 230 are inattentive to the duties and benefits of the Lord’s Day and profane the same by unnecessarily persuing their business and Recreations on that day, to their own great damage as members of a Christian society and to the great disturbance of well disposed Persons and to the great damage of the Community by producing dissipation of manners and immoralities of Life.

Be it therefore Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled and by the Authority of the same that no Person whatsoever shall keep open their shops, Warehouses, Workhouses nor shall upon Land or Water do or exercise any manner of Labour, business or Work, nor use any Sport Game Play or Recreation on the Lord’s Day or any part thereof (works of necessity & Charity only excepted) upon Penalty that every Person so offending shall forfeit & pay a sum not exceeding twenty shillings nor Less than ten shillings:

Be it further Enacted by the authority aforsaid that no Traveller, Drover, Waggoner Teamster, or any of their Servants shall travel on the Lords Day or any part thereof (except from necessity or Charity upon the penalty of a sum not exceeding twenty shillings nor less than ten Shillings

Be it further Enacted that no person shall recreate or unnecessarily disport themselves or unnecessarily Walk or Loiter or assemble themselves in the Streets Lanes Wharves Highways Common Feilds Pastures or Orchards of any Town or place within this State in Time of Divine Service upon the Lords Day Vizt. be known the Cause of on said Day or any part thereof, on penalty of the sum not exceeding of five shillings.

A

Be it further Enacted that no vintner, Retailer of Strong Liquors Innholders or other Persons keeping a house of public Entertainment, shall entertain or suffer any of the Inhabitants of the respective Towns where they dwell or others, not being Travellers Strangers or Lodgers in such houses to abide and remain in their houses yards Orchards or Feilds drinking. or spending their time either idly at Play or doing any secular business on the Lords Day or any part thereof on penalty of ten Shillings payable by such vintner Retailer or Innholder or Person keeping such house of Entertainment for each person so entertained or suffered, and every Person so drinking or abiding, (except as aforsaid) shall forfeit a Sum not exceeding ten shillings nor less than five shillings. And every such licensed Person upon every Conviction after the first shall forfeit twenty shillings and having been three times convicted shall be debarred renewing such his licence for ever after

231

And whereas there may be a difference of opinion respecting the beginning and Ending of the Lord’s Day, therefore to prevent all unnecessary restraints and regulations respecting the due observance of that day

Be it therefore Enacted by the Authority aforsaid that all the above regulations respecting the due observance of the Lord’s Day be restrained to the space between the sun rising & sun setting of the same day Provided that no Person shall be present at any Concert of music, Dancing or any public diversion show or Entertainment on the Evening preceeding or following the said Day time of the Lords Day as aforesaid nor shall any Retailer, Innholder or Person licensed to keep a Public House entertain or Suffer to remain or be in their houses Yards or other Places appurtenant, any Person or Persons (Travellers Strangers or Lodgers excepted) drinking or spending their time, on Penalty of on either of those Evenings on penalty of ten shillings for each offence

And Whereas the public worship of Almighty GOD is esteemed by Christians an essential part of the due observance of the Lords Day & requires the greatest decency and reverance for a due performance of the same

B

Be it therefore further Enacted by the Authority aforsaid that if any Person shall on the Lords Day within the Walls of any house of public Worship in time of divine Worship behave rudely, indecently or any ways to the disturbance of divine Worship he or she shall pay a fine of blank and if the Person so offending be a servant or Person under age and their Parents masters or Guardians refuse to pay the fine they shall be punished by whipping or sitting in the stocks at the discretion of the Justice or Court before whom the same shall be tryed

And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforsad that if any Person either on the Lords Day or at any other time shall willfully interupt or disturb any assembly of People met for the public Worship of GOD, within the place of their Assembling or out of it, they shall pay a fine not exceeding blank nor less than, blank

Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforsaid that no Person upon the Lord’s Day shall serve or execute any Writ civil process Warrant Order Judgment or from midnight to midnight of the Lords Day preceeding to midnight following the Lords Day (except in cases of Treason Felony or breach of the Peace.) but the service thereof shall be void and the persons serving the same shall be as liable to answer damages to the party 232 greived as if he had done the same without any writ process Warrant Order Judgment or

A and be it further Enacted that no Sexton

B Be it therefore Enacted that if any Person being Able of Body and not otherwise necessarily prevented shall for the space of one Month together absent themselv him or her self from the public Worship of GOD on the Lords Day shall forfeit & pay the sum of ten shillings

Dft. ; two addenda are marked A and B.