Editing Declaration of Sports (section)

==Issue under James I==
It was originally issued in consultation with [[Thomas Morton (bishop)|Thomas Morton]], [[bishop]] of [[Chester]], to resolve a dispute in [[Lancashire]] between the [[Puritan]]s and the [[gentry]] (many of whom were [[Roman Catholic]]s).<ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Sports, The Book of|volume=25|page=735}}</ref>  The initial declaration was just for [[Lancashire]], but in 1618, James made the declaration national.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} The 1618 declaration had largely the same main text as the 1617 version, but with an additional paragraph at the beginning explaining that the king had decided to make the declaration applicable to the whole of England. James transmitted orders to the clergy of the whole of England to read the declaration from the pulpit, but encountering strong opposition he withdrew his command.<ref name="EB1911"/>

The declaration listed [[archery]], [[historical dance|dancing]], "leaping, vaulting, or any other such harmless recreation" as permissible sports, together with "May-games, [[Whitsun Ale|Whitsun-ales]] and [[Morris dance|Morris-dances]], and the setting up of [[Maypole|May-poles]]". Also allowed: "women shall have leave to [[rushbearing|carry rushes]] to the church for the decorating of it, according to their old custom."
Amongst the activities that were prohibited were [[bear-baiting|bear-]] and [[bull-baiting]], "interludes" and [[bowls|bowling]].<ref name="EB1911"/>

On the one hand, the declaration rebuked Puritans and other "precise persons", and was issued to counteract the growing Puritan calls for strict abstinence on the [[Sabbath in Christianity|Christian Sabbath]] ([[Sunday Sabbatarianism|Sabbatarianism]]). On the other, it condemned Catholics and others who did not attend church services in their [[parish]], as the declaration specified that only people who had first attended divine service were entitled to participate in recreations afterward.