The puritans believed in a pure and austere life. they did not approve of many of the leisure activities of their time, such as maypole celebrations and bearbaiting. to appease the puritans, james i and charles i both made written declarations to specify what activities people could or could not partake in on sundays and other holy days. this declaration came to be known as the book of sports. read part of the text by charles i. then write a short paragraph describing what it reveals about the religious issues of the time and the role of the anglican church in the lives of the english people.

This text from the Book of Sports by Charles I shows that the government of this time had a direct hand in deciding which activities were appropriate for people's moral development and which were not. The text also includes requirements for attending church and punishments for breaking these laws, indicating that attendance there was mandatory. Some activities are deemed lawful because they are harmless, while others are unlawful. The phrase "according to their old custom" suggests that various forms of entertainment developed before the Catholic or Anglican Church had as much control over people's daily lives (so maypoles, for example, might have pagan origins). The phrase also suggests that the English government has considered banning those activities as well but is currently labeling them as harmless and lawful. Still, those activities are only approved if they don't interfere with attending church services, so some are allowed only after church on Sundays. The activities deemed unlawful (bear baiting and bowling) are considered "meaner" (meaning cruder and perhaps more barbaric) activities. Notably, interludes are included in this list, suggesting that these performances were too critical of the church or the government to count as lawful. Overall, the king is accommodating the desires of the people, up to a certain point.