arms  arms By the Mayor.  
WHereas by oft and sad experience I find that the great and holy name of God in the breach of the Sabbath is much profaned, and the Gospel of Christ highly scandalised by multitudes of lose, vain and idle persons, who walk in morefield's and the fields near unto it, in a wand'ring and idle manner, and oft times resort to the tippling houses thereabouts, on the Sabbath day, to the high dishonour and provocation of Almighty God: the breach of many good Laws, and oft times of the Peace and good Government of this City and places adjacent, and considering it to be my duty to God and the souls of such poor creatures, to do my uttermost in preventing so many great Evils as are conceived in and brought forth from such a womb of sin as this is, which seems to me to be the Devil's nest wherein he sitteth and hatches a succession of lose and carnal families, seasoning youth with such a wicked liberty that when they come to be heads of families, they and their families walk in the same paths, as if the keeping of a Sabbath to the Lord were no more but to lend the ear for a little time to the sound of the Gospel, and presently after to tempt the tempter by various objects, with vain and sinful Company and converse, to steal the good word of God out of their hearts and heads. These are therefore in the name of his Highness the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging, to will and require you to keep or cause to be kept a good and sufficient watch on every Sabbath day, at every gate and passage in your Ward that leads to the places aforesaid, and the same gates both great and small to keep shut and not to suffer any to go out thereat from this City, without giving a good account of the necessary occasions thereof to the Constable, who is hereby required to attend and do his duty accordingly, and the Supervisors in their respective places, are hereby desired some of them each Sabbath day to see to the due observation hereof, and in special in the afternoons, and that no young or lose Persons be admitted to go out of the City aforesaid, except upon manifest and necessary occasions, and indeed that no person be admitted except the work they go about shall be found to be agreeable to the holy observance of the Sabbath day; And that this watch be kept every Sabbath until sunset: And the Ministers of every Parish and Congregation within London and the liberties thereof, are hereby desired to a frequent exhortation and direction of their people unto a strict and due keeping holy of the Sabbath day, and that all heads of families and Parents of children be enjoined according to the Laws of God and man to keep in their Children and servants from such wander on the days aforesaid, and be exhorted to unprove that whole day to the benefit of the souls of themselves and families, keeping themselves and families retired in their own houses, and there endeavour to fix upon their hearts by meditation and repetition, what they have received from the Lord in his word preached, and to bedew that good seed with the prayers of faith, that so it may by a blessing from heaven bring forth an hundred fold, to God's glory and the advantage of their precious and eternal souls, Against all which the Devil is a grand and subtle enemy, and therefore tempts and draws to the former lose Conversation on that blessed day for soule-advantage. And if any Parent, Master or Mistress shall have cause to complain that after good example and exhortation accompanied with commands, they cannot keep their Children and Servants to a due obedience of the Laws before expressed, they are hereby required to bring all such offenders before me or some other of the justices of the peace within this City of London, where they shall be dealt withal according to their merits and the due course of Law. And it is hereby required that the same care be taken to prevent the streets and lanes of this City from all manner of profanation of the Sabbath day, and to these ends the Ministers of each Parish are enjoined some one Sabbath day before the first of May next, to read in their Public Congregations, the Laws to that purpose herewith sent them, and at such other times as they may judge meet, and all Persons who by Law or Conscience are obliged to see the due observation of this Precept, are hereby required to do their duties herein.  
Dated the 18 of March 1656.,   

Printed by James Flesher, Printer to the Honourable City of London.