Also, Like as the people be commonly occupied the work day
with bodily labour, for their bodily sustenance, so was the holy
day at the first beginning godly instituted and ordained, that the
people should that day give themselves wholly to God. And
whereas in our time God is more offended than pleased, more
dishonoured than honoured upon the holy day, because of idle-
ness, pride, drunkenness, quarrelling, and brawling, which are
most used in such days, people nevertheless persuading them-
selves sufficiently to honour God on that day, if they hear mass
and service, though they understand nothing to their edifying:
therefore all the King’s faithful and loving subjects shall from
henceforth celebrate and keep their holy day 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 knowledging their
offences to God, and amendment of the same, in reconciling
their selves charitably to their neighbours where displeasure
hath been, in oftentimes receiving the communion of the very
body and blood of Christ, in visiting of the poor and sick, in
using all soberness and godly conversation. Yet notwithstand-
ing all parsons, vicars, and curates shall teach and declare unto
their parishioners, that they may with a safe and quiet con-
science, in the time of harvest, labour upon the holy and festival
days, and save that thing which God hath sent. And if for any
scrupulosity, or grudge of conscience, men should superstitiously
abstain from working upon those days, that then they should
grievously offend and displease God.
