IT may be hoped, That this plain Dis­course will meet no other Enemies than such as are likewise Enemies to Religion and Virtue, and are lost to the Sense of Good and Evil, since the only Design of it is evidently to promote the true Interest of Religion; and it does not oppose any one Man's honest Advantage, or encounter any common Opinion, that I know of, among us: The Ob­servation having been long since made, That how many Disputes soever there have been rais'd among the too various Denominations [Page 2] of Christians, concerning the Power of the Ma­gistrate in Matters of Religion, with respect ei­ther to Faith or Worship, it hath never been a Dispute, Whether the Magistrate hath Power to Punish Immoralities: The Prosecution of Men for their Vices hath never been reckoned Per­secution. It being as plainly the Duty of the Magistrate, from the Word of GOD, which Rom. 13 4. obliges him to Execute Wrath upon those that do Evil, as it is evident, from the dismal Effects of Vice and Wickedness in all Ages, that Laws against Prophaneness and De­bauchery are necessary for the Preserva­tion of Communities, as that Piety and Virtue are requisite to their Well-being; and that un­restrained Vice and Prophaneness are as fatal to Publick Societies, as they are destructive to Private Persons.

But though LAWS are necessary to the very Being of Communities, and Good Laws to their Happiness; yet they cannot be supposed, by any Rational Man, to be any more suffici­ent of themselves, to procure the Welfare of the Body Politick, without Execution, than the best Medicines can procure the Health of the Natural Body, without the Use and Ap­plication of them.

If therefore the Execution of Good Laws be necessary, as is proved, to the Welfare of Com­munities; and those that concern Matters of Religion, as do those for the Punishment of Prophaneness and Debauchery, are allow'd, in a [Page 3] Christian Country, to deserve the greatest re­gard; the Interest of Religion, and the Welfare of the Community being so deeply concerned therein, it cannot be a matter of Dispute, whe­ther it becomes Men that call themselves Chri­stians, to promote the Execution of such Laws: Nay, it cannot be well imagined, how Men can have a Zeal for the Service of the Great GOD of Heaven and Earth, or can have a due Love to Mankind, who have no regard to the Honour of God, or Welfare of their Country; as shall hereafter more fully ap­pear.

Now, what becomes all Men, in their se­veral Capacities, to do, in the Promoting of the Execution of our Laws against Prophane­ness and Debauchery, my Business, in the first place, is to shew is Practicable, and that it may be done by us of this Nation; Admone­tur omnis aetas id fie­ [...]i posse, quod ali­quando factum est. and that not only from what was done some Years ago, in the Times of Ʋsurpation, but what hath been done within Eight Years past, in and about this City, and other Parts of the King­dom.

It is very well known, that in the late times Prophane Swearing and Cursing, Drunkenness, Open-Lewdness, and Prophanation of the Lord's-Day, were generally discouraged, and suppressed. And it is as well known, to our Shame, that those Sins have not only since revived among us, by rea­son of the Impunity of Offenders, the Coun­tenance [Page 4] and Preserment they have met with, and the Contagion of great and ill Exam­ples, but have been committed with great Impudence, and without Controul; without either Shame, or the Fear of the Laws; so that they were seen and heard at Noon-Day, and in our Open Streets; and as if we were resolved to out-do the Impieties of the very Heathens, Prophaneness, and even Blasphemy, was too of­ten the Wit and Entertainment of our Scanda­lous Play-Houses, and Sincere Religion became the Jest and Scorn of our Courts in the late Reigns.

And thus Debauchery diffused it self through­out the whole Body of the Nation, till, at last, our Morals were so corrupted, that Virtue and Vice had with too many changed their Names; it was reckoned Breeding to Swear, Gallantry to be Lewd, good Humour to be Drunk, and Wit to despise Sacred things; and it was enough to have rendred one suspected of Phanaticism, or an abjectness of Spirit, and a matter of Re­proach, not to suffer ones self to be carried away with this Torrent of Wickedness, and not to glory in those fashionable Vices. Nay, it was thought an unpardonable Rudeness, even for a Clergy-Man or Magistrate, to reprove or punish one that was Guilty of them, notwith­standing the Solemn Obligations of their Oaths and Vows to do it. And even after the Ac­cession of His present Majesty to the Crown, tho' Popery immediately vanished, Immorality [Page 5] and Prophaneness still kept their ground, as if they expected an Establishment with our Liberties, after so long and Peaceable a Pos­session.

Reformation was indeed talkt of by some Persons as an Excellent thing, and as a proper way of Expressing our Thankfulness to Al­mighty God for his Mercies to this Nation, and to procure a Continuance of them to us, and to our Posterity: But Vice was lookt upon as too formidable an Enemy to be provok'd, and Publick Reformation was thought so diffi­cult an Undertaking, that those that gave it very good Words, judged it not safe to set about it in the time of War, whilst there were so many in Arms on the other side; and there­fore they seemed to decline the Thoughts of it till we should see the End of the uncertain War we were ingag'd in; tho' they were, I conceive, otherwise instructed by God's ex­press Command to the Jews. When the Host Deut. 23. 9. goeth forth against thine Enemy, then keep thy self from every evil thing. When things were in this dismal and almost desperate State, it came into the Hearts, it seems, of Five or Six private Gentlemen of the Church of England, to engage in this difficult and hazardous En­terprize; who considering that the higher the Tide of Wickedness was, the more need there was of Opposing it; that our crying Sins were our greatest Enemies, and most threatned our Ruin; that we have Laws in Force against [Page 6] them; and that they should have the Laws of God, with the Prayers of good Men on their side, resolved, whatever Difficulties they met with, to make their Efforts for Promoting the Execution of our Laws against Prophaneness and Debauchery, and the Suppressing of them by advisable Methods.

This was such an Undertaking as we might well believe would soon alarm the Enemy, but which the Patrons of Vice would make no doubt to deseat, before any Progress could be made; and which the Prudent and Wise Men of the World, who rely on second Causes, with too little regard to the first, the Almighty Creator and Governor of the World, with whom, as King Asa expresses it in his Prayer, it is nothing to help, whether [...] Chron. 14. 10. with many, or with those that have no power, would look on with Pity, if not with De­rision; and so it proved, that the Cham­pions and Advocates of Debauchery put themselves in Array to defend their wretch­ed and infamous Liberties; they set them­selves to Ridicule, to Defame, and to Op­pose this Design, and to Overthrow the Hopes and Expectations of the Undertakers: And some others, whom in Charity we would not look on as Enemies of Religion and Vir­tue, tho' we cannot easily esteem them our Friends, whose Conduct has so greatly ob­structed the Progress of this Design, con­sulting Human Prudence, or rather Worldly [Page 7] Policy, too much, and perhaps their own Ob­ligations too little, were very forward to cen­sure these Attempts as the Effect of an im­prudent and an unseasonable Zeal: But not­withstanding a furious Opposition from Ad­versaries, the ill Offices of those from whom better things might have been expected, and the unkind Neutrality of Friends, these Gentle­men, who in a little time began to add some others to their Number, not only kept their Ground, but made farther Advances; for our late Excellent QUEEN, of Glorious Me­mory, having this Affair laid before Her, in the Absence of the King, by a Prelate of great Learning and Fame, (the late Lord Bishop of Worcester) She had just Sentiments of it, and therefore thought it became Her to give it Countenance; She Graciously condescend­ed to Thank those who were concerned in it, and readily promised them Her Assistance; and afterwards, upon this Application made to Her Majesty, She was pleased to send Her Letter to the Justices of Middlesex, com­manding them to put the Laws against Pro­phaneness and Vice in Execution with all Fide­lity and Impartiality; and to this end, that they should be careful and diligent in encouraging all Persons to do their part in giving Informations against Offenders, as they were obliged by their Oath, as Magistrates, to do; and when there was further Occasion, She shew'd She was in earnest to promote this Design, by taking [Page 8] other more effectual Methods for that pur­pose. But as it may well be supposed, That the Queen's patronizing of these Endeavours could not but give Credit and Strength to them; so the Affair, by Her Death (it may as easily be imagined) must lose a great Ad­vantage: But yet the Loss (tho' it appeared exceedingly great) did not discourage those that were ingaged in this Enterprize. For as they first set about it with little or no Expecta­tion of such a Patroness, because they thought it would be an acceptable Service to the King of Kings, and that it would promote the true Interests of Religion, and the Welfare of their Country: So the same Considerations obliged them to pursue their Design with equal Vi­gour and Zeal, tho' they were deprived of so great a Friend and Protector. And Di­vine Providence had by this time seemed to favour their Endeavours, by the great and re­markable Success that had attended them; for Multitudes of Offenders had been by their means brought to Punishment. The Publick Opposition that was at first made to their Ʋn­dertaking was broke through, (which the Lord Bishop of Gloucester, who hath been a great Encourager of this Undertaking, gave an Ac­count of in his Vindication of it, which, it may be wished, there may never be any further Oc­casion to remember) and the Honesty of it had recommended it to the Virtuous and Un­prejudiced part of the Nation, whom the Ac­count [Page 9] of these Matters had reached; the Ene­my, after a severe Examination, having not been able to discover, that any illegal Methods had been used, or that any secular Interest was pursued by those, who bestow'd their Time and their Pains in carrying on so un­grateful and hazardous a Work, as that of Reformation will be always found, since it is the Opposing of ill Men, in their sinful In­dulgencies, which are often more desirable to them than their very Lives. With these En­couragements they prosecuted their Business, increasing their Number by the Addition of Persons of considerable Note, and of the best Character; some of whom, tho' they were of different Opinions from those of the Establish'd Church, as to some Points concern­ing Religion, were willing to unite their Strength in the common Cause of Christia­nity, and engage in so Noble a Design, that had done so much Good: By whose joint Endeavours, great Advances have been made towards a Reformation of Manners, which is every Day getting ground, Persons of vari­ous Ranks, of considerable Fortunes, and of the clearest Character, offering Assistance to it, not only in and about the City of London, but from several Parts of the Kingdom.

But since it hath been long desired, that a more distinct and clear View may be given to the World of this Ʋndertaking, and of the [Page 10] Advances of it, which those that have been principally concerned in it (so industriously consulting Privacy) have not hitherto been prevailed on, by any Temptations, either of Vanity or Resentment, to make publick; be­ing more desirous that it should be known by the good Effects it produces, than by any Hi­story or Narrative; I ask leave to present the World with a short Scheme of the Design, and some Account of the Managers of it, that the well-disposed part of the Nation that have hitherto been Strangers to it may, by the Knowledge thereof, be induced to join in so good a Work, and now especially, since this Conjuncture is so favourable to it, beyond our Expectation.

There is a very large Body of Persons, compos'd of the Original Society before-men­tioned, with the Additions that have been since made of Persons of Eminency in the Law, Members of Parliament, Justices of Peace, and considerable Citizens of London of known Abi­lities and great Integrity, who frequently meet to consult of the best Methods for carry­ing on the Business of Reformation, and to be ready to advise and assist others that are already ingaged, or any that are willing to join in the same Design.

This Society is at a considerable Yearly Charge for the effectual managing their Bu­siness; but takes no Contributions of any but [Page 11] their own Members, by whose Endeavours, as was said before, Thousands of Offenders, in London and Westminster have been brought to Punishment for Swearing, Drunkenness, and Prophanation of the Lord's-Day; and a great part of the Kingdom has been awakened, in some measure, to a sence of their Duty in this respect, and thereby a very hopeful Progress is made towards a General Reformation.

A Second Society is of about Fifty Persons, Tradesmen and others, who have more especi­ally applyed themselves to the Suppression of Lewdness, by bringing the Offenders to legal Punishment: These may have actually sup­pressed and rooted out about Five Hundred Disorderly Houses, and caused to be punished some Thousands of Lewd Persons, besides Swear­ers, Drunkards, and Prophaners of the Lord's-Day, as may appear by their Printed Lists of Offenders. These Persons, by their prudent and legal Management of their Business, have received great Countenance and Encourage­ment in our Courts of Judicature, and very particular Encouragement and Assistance, for several Years past, from the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, who are sensible of the great Service that is done by them, which they ex­press upon proper Occasions.

A Third Society, is of Constables, (of which sort of Officers Care is taken to form Yearly [Page 12] a new Body in this City) who meet to consider of the most Effectual way to dis­charge their Oaths, to acquaint one another with the Difficulties they meet with, to re­solve on proper Remedies, to divide them­selves in the several Parts of the City, so as to take in the whole to the best Advantage, for the inspecting of Disorderly Houses, taking up of Drunkards, Lewd Persons, Prophaners of the Lord's-Day, and Swearers, out of the Streets and Markets, and carrying them be­fore the Magistrates; and I must observe, that this is found a very successful Method for Constables to take, for the Suppressing of the abominable Sin of Swearing, when Private Persons are negligent in giving of Informations, and the Magistrate is careless of his Duty.

A Fourth Rank of Men, who have been so highly Instrumental in this Ʋndertaking, that they may be reckoned a Corner-Stone of it, is of such as have made it some part of their Business to give Informations to the Magi­strate, as they have had Opportunity, of such Breaches of the Laws as were before menti­oned. Many of these Persons have given the World a great and almost unheard-of Ex­ample, in this corrupt Age, of Zeal, and Christian Courage, having underwent, at the beginning more especially of these Proceed­ings, many Abuses, and great Reproaches, not only from exasperated and hardned Offenders, [Page 13] but often from their luke-warm Friends, Irreligious Relations, and sometimes from Vnfaithful Magistrates, by whom they have been Reviled, Brow-beaten, and Discou­raged from performing such important Service, so necessary to the Welfare of their Country. And herein these brave Men have acted with so great Prudence, as well as Zeal, that fore­seeing it might one day be the Policy of the Enemy of all Goodness, and the Business of wicked Men, who are his Instruments, and who could not generally be brought to Shame and Punishment for their infamous Practices but by their means, to raise Prejudices in the Minds of bad and unthinking People against them, and to disparage their Proceedings, by whispering of Jealousies of their being influ­enced in what they did by Worldly Con­siderations, That the World may be chal­lenged to make appear, That these Societies have been so much as treated with, by any Person whatsoever, to give Informations with any Promise of a Reward, or that they have ever received the least Advantage by any Con­victions upon these Statutes against Prophane­ness and Debauchery, the Money arising there­by being wholly appropriated to the Poor, except the third part of the Penalty up­on the Statute against Prophanation of the Lord's-Day, which, in some Cases, the Magi­strate hath a bare Power to dispose of; but was never, that we know of, received by [Page 14] any one of these Persons; which I thought fit to observe, as a lasting Answer to any Ob­jection of this kind, in Justice to them who have gone through Frowns and Reproaches for the sake of doing so much Good; and that all Men may see with how great Reason it is, both from the Character of the Persons con­cerned in the Discharging of this Service to Religion and their Country, as well as from the Nature and Necessity of it, (which I shall hereafter enquire into) that the Name of an Informer is now become much more Glorious among wise and good Men, than it was grown Contemptible, by the ill Practices of some in our days: And that it does therefore appear truly Honourable for Persons of the greatest Quality to give Informations in these Cases, for the Service of the most High God, as some among us, of greater Ranks than the World does perhaps think of, have of late done, and which it hath been observed, in divers Dis­courses lately Published, that even Princes under the Jewish Dispensation were not ashamed to do. Now when these things were Ezra 9. 1, 2. done, the Princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the Priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the Lands, doing according to their Abominations, &c.

There are Eight other regulated and mixt Bodies of House-keepers and Officers, in the several Quarters of London, Westminster, and [Page 15] Southwark, who differ in their Constitution from those before-mentioned, but generally agree in the Methods of inspecting the Behaviour of Con­stables and other Officers, and going along with them, and assisting them in their Searching of Disorderly Houses, in taking up of Offenders, and carrying them before the Magistrate, and also in giving Imformations themselves, as there is Occasion.

Besides those before-mentioned, there are about Nine and Thirty Religious Societies of ano­ther kind, in and about London and Westminster, which are propagated into other Parts of the Nation; as Nottingham, Gloucester, &c. and even into Ireland, where they have been for some Months since spreading in divers Towns and Cities of that Kingdom; as Kilkenny, Drogheda, Mannouth, &c. especially in Dublin, where there are about Ten of these Societies, which are promoted by the Bishops, and in­ferior Clergy there. These Persons meet often to Pray, Sing Psalms, and Read the Holy Scriptures together, and to Reprove, Exhort, and Edifie one another by their Religious Con­ferences. They moreover carry on at their Meetings, Designs of Charity, of different kinds; such as Relieving the Wants of Poor House-keepers, maintaining their Children at School, setting of Prisoners at Liberty, sup­porting of Lectures and daily Prayers in our Churches. These are the SOCIETIES which [Page 16] our late Gracious Queen, as the Learned Bishop that hath writ her LIFE tells us, took so great Satisfaction in, that She inquired often and much about them, and was glad they went on and prevailed; which, thanks be to GOD, they continue to do; as the Reverend Mr. Woodward, who hath obliged the World with a very particular Account of the Rise and Progress of them, hath lately acquainted us. And these likewise are SOCIETIES that have proved so exeeedingly Serviceable in the Work of REFORMATION, that they may be reckoned a chief Support to it, as our late Great Primate Arch-Bishop Tillotson declar'd, upon several Occasions, after he had examined their Orders, and inquired into their Lives, That he thought they were to the Church of England.

I might now give an Account of a Society of Ministers of the Church of England, for carry­ing on of this Work, and another Agreement of Justices of the Peace: But I am withheld at present by some Considerations from descending to any further Particulars concerning them; and must content my self with saying what will be easily allow'd, That the stated Meet­ings of such Persons are as proper, and may be more useful for the Promoting of this Work, than any other I have describ'd. For what might we not expect from the Zealous Endea­vours of these Orders of Men in this Affair? [Page 17] which, 'tis obvious, will not be employ'd with so great Effect, as when they form them­selves into Societies, or, at least, have frequent and stated Times of Meeting, for the Prosecu­tion of this Business. 'Tis true, that Ministers and Magistrates have far greater Advantages, as well as more particular Obligations, than others, (as I shall hereafter endeavour to make appear) to be serviceable in this Work of Re­formation; but yet, when they act alone in this Contention between Virtue and Vice tho [...] they will do great good in our present Cir­cumstances, and much more than they will easily believe till they are heartily engaged in it; yet they must expect to be under Dis­advantage on some Occasions, as well as other single Persons, who exert their Zeal, without a Communication with one another, and parti­cularly when they encounter Combinations of wicked Men, which, it is not unlikely, will sometimes happen. Do we not see by what Methods the Men of the World propagate Wickedness, and countermine Good Designs? Is it not by their Clubs and Confederacies? Are we not sensible with what Advantage our Civil Concerns are carried on by Companies and Corporations? Nay, Does not the Account be­fore us convince us of the great Ʋsefulness, or rather Necessity, of Good Mens confedera­ling and meeting frequently together to con­cert Methods, and Encourage one another in this difficult Work of Confronting and Sup­pressing [Page 18] of bare-fac'd and insolent Wickedness? And that the Reason why good Men have not sooner or more generally done it, may be, because the Children of this World are in Mar. 16. 8. their Generation wiser than the Children of Light. Since therefore Ʋnion and Method seem evidently to give good Men much the same Advantage (abstracting from the Conside­ration of the Goodness of their Cause, and the Divine Aid that they may expect) in their just and brave Opposition to Prophaneness and Immora­lities, against the greater Number, 'tis to be fear­ed of the Wicked, as Discipline and good Ground in War gives a small Body of Men against a very unequal Number of those that are undis­ciplin'd, and with disadvantageous Ground; 'tis highly to be wished, That not only Socie­ties of Ministers and Magistrates, but of all other degrees of Men, were set up in Prosecu­tion of this Design, in all Parts of the King­dom, more especially in all Towns, Cities, and Corporations. And it may charitably be ho­ped, that there are but few, if any, such Pla­ces, where there are not to be found Three or Four Persons at least, of one or other De­nomination of Christians, that have a Zeal for GOD and Religion, who may easily form themselves into a Society, which may enlarge by degrees, and which will, probably speak­ing, go a great way towards the Suppressing Publick Disorders where they are; but may have a marvellous Effect, with God's Blessing, [Page 19] for this End, where there is a Magistrate that makes a Conscience of his Duty, or a Minister that incourages Reformation; as would be ma­nifest to any that had observed in how short a time, and to what a degree, open Wicked­ness hath been checkt, where a zealous Mini­ster hath given himself the Trouble, I might rather have said the Pleasure, of meeting some­times a Society of his Parishioners, to encou­rage their Zeal and Constancy in this Work of Reformation, even where the Magistrates have been either open or secret Enemies to it. The Advantages moreover are too many to be insisted on in this place, for the Exercising of our own Graces, and the Confirming our Virtuous Dispositions, by our Associating with our Fellow Christians for the Carrying on Re­ligious Designs, in an Age when Christian Con­versation, which hath an inestimable Value with Men of Religion, is with such Difficulty met with. The forming therefore of Good Men into such pious Combinations, for the over­balancing those of Vice, the countermining the contrary Attempts of all wicked Men, and recovering the Power, as well as Form of Re­ligion, is most earnestly recommended to all the Friends of Piety and Virtuo. And me­thinks it may be expected from all, that have any sincere regard to God's Honour, their own and their Country's Happiness, that they should exert themselves in their several Capacities, with a noble Zeal and Emulation for the Per­fecting [Page 20] of this great Ʋndertaking. And now especially the Times of Peace are returned, which we have been told, are the Times of Reformation, surely none that carry the Face of Christians can with Confidence offer new Excuses any longer to postpone it; we may now hope for the Assistance of some, at least, of the Cautious and prudent Men a­mongst us, who have hitherto, with great Gravity, stood Neuters in this Affair, and that they will at last answer the Expectation of Good Men from them, and suffer the Gene­rations to come to call them Blessed. 'Tis at least to be hoped, that if they are too Great and Wise to ingage in the Work themselves, they will not, however, obstruct it more than the open Enemies of it can do, by their call­ing it an Impracticable Ʋndertaking, whisper­ing groundless Jealousies of the Design, or uncharitable and disadvantageous Characters of the Persons concerned in the Promoting it; but rather, that they will let the World see that their Zeal is ingaged in the Carrying on of wiser Methods, for the Effecting of a Na­tional Reformation. And one would think, that the Employing our Labour or Authority in this Noble Design, of being Instrumental in doing Good to Multitudes of Souls, by Sup­pressing of National Sins, and, by conse­quence, the Reviving the Power and Repu­tation of Religion, and thereby Preventing National Judgments, should be more worth [Page 21] the Concern and Application of Christians, and should afford a more true and solid Satisfacti­on than the pursuit of our Worldly Interest or Pleasures. All indeed are not Capable of being Serviceable in the same way; but whe­ther it be by Executing the Laws, or by Preaching, Discoursing, Writing, Informing, Set­ting up of Societies, or otherwise contributing towards it, which way soever it be that we can further this Glorious Work, it will, I think, be hard to find a good Excuse for any that shall decline their Concurrence, accord­ing to their Advantages and Opportunities, in an Undertaking which it would become the greatest Man upon Earth to promote, which is now so far facilitated by the Schemes that are laid, and the Methods it is put in­to.

We have seen some few Persons ingaging in this Enterprize, before they had any Methods to direct them, or many Examples to incourage them, encountring Opposition in the first form­ing their Design, from open Enemies, and perhaps false Friends, suffering cruel Mockings, unkind Censures, and unjust Reproaches, and yet not gi­ving way. We have seen them surmounting their greatest Difficulties, so that the main brunt seems now near over, and going on with that Resolution and Success, that the Deluge of publick Wickedness is visibly abated. We are told, that many Thousands have been brought to Punishment for Swearing and Cursing, by [Page 22] their means; Seventy or Eighty Warrants a Week having been executed on these Offen­ders, in and about this City only, since the late Act of Parliament against Swearing and Cursing was made, which hath given so great and remarkable a Check to those Scandalous Sins, that our Constables sometimes of late have found it difficult to take up a Swearer in divers of our Streets and Markets, where, within a few years past, horrid Oaths, Curses, and Imprecations, were heard Day and Night; that a multitude of Drunkards, and Prophaners of the Lord's- Day, some of whom kept, as it were, open Markets within a few Years past, have been made Examples by their means; that Hundreds of Disorderly Houses, which were little better than Stews, and Nests for Thieves, Clippers and Coiners, &c. have been rooted out and suppressed; and that some Thousands of Lewd Persons have been Imprisoned, Fined, and Whipt; so that the Tower-End of the Town, and many of our Streets, have been much purg'd of that pestilent Generation of Night-Walkers, that used to infest them, which were a Reproach to this Noble City, and a Scandal to Christia­nity; Forty or Fifty of them having been sent in a Week to Bridewell, where they have of late received such Discipline, that a consi­derable Number of them hath chose rather to be Transported to our Plantations, to work there for an honest Subsistence, than to ex­pose [Page 23] themselves, by their lewd way of Li­ving, to Shame and Punishment, to Poverty and Disease, to all sorts of wicked Practices, and the Danger of the Gallows, to which, in the Conclusion, they are often, if not gene­rally brought. And I may justly add, That far greater Things, by the Application of the Original Society of Gentlemen, have been ac­complished, than what have yet been men­tioned, and such as I am not permitted at this time to discover. But thus much may be said, That the Endeavours of those Gentle­men have not been consined to this City and Kingdom, but have extended as far as Ireland, where they have had an Influence, very little, I think, to the Honour of that Kingdom from whence it had its first Rise, of which, since a more particular Account may be expected, I may satisfy my self, at present, with saying in general, of my own Knowledge, That the Transactions of Reformation here having been near Two Years since laid before some few Persons in Ireland, and most of those (I must again observe) private Persons, and of the lower Rank of Men, with proper Considerati­ons to move 'em to unite in the same Design, and Methods to pursue it with Advantage, it determined them to engage heartily in it; and they have prosecuted it with so much Vigour, that there are now several Societies for Reformation in the City of Dublin; which I am assured, by divers Accounts that I have [Page 24] in my Hands from thence, are spreading in­to several Parts of the Kingdom, and are en­couraged by his Excellency the Earl of Gallo­way, one of the Lords Justices of Ireland, the Right Reverend the Arch-Bishop of Dublin, many of the Clergy, and the best of the Magistrates and Gentlemen of that City: In One of which Societies, most of the Parish-Ministers of Dublin, several of the pious Bi­shops, particularly the celebrated Arch-Bishop, and divers other Persons of Quality, are Mem­bers; some of whom have shewn a Zeal, which if it prevailed the Three Kingdoms over, might soon produce a Glorious Reverse of the State they are now in, and which in less than Two Years space hath succeeded, tho' not without such various Oppositions, as might be expected, from Combinations of bad Men, to that degree in Dublin, that the Prophanation of the Lord's Day, by Tipling in publick Houses, by Exercising of Trade, and Exposing of Goods to Sale, is almost supprest; that Lewd Women are so strictly enquired after, and severely punished, that they have Transported them­selves, as in England, to our Plantations; and that Swearing is so run down, that an Oath is rarely heard in their Streets; so that pub­lick Disorders are remarkably cured; and, in short, Vice is afraid and ashamed to shew its head, where within a few Years past it was daring and Triumphant.

We are likewise assured, That Scotland hath concurred in these Matters, where His Ma­jesty's Proclamation against Prophaneness and Debauchery hath been issued out in very strict terms, and His late Gracious Letter to the Parliament of that Kingdom, takes notice of the Progress that they have made in the Forming of Methods for the Discouraging of Vice and Irreligion, and assures them, That 'tis a WORK most acceptable to him.

But to return to our own Nation. We are made acquainted, That many Societies and Bodies of Men, of different Ranks and Per­swasions, are ingaged in this Work, to which Men of Virtue, of Temper, and unblemished Reputation, may either join themselves, ac­cording to their Quality, Circumstances, or Op­portunities, or may form themselves into new Bodies: That the publick Opposition that was made to it, which our Posterity may blush to read of, is at an end, which, 'tis to be hoped, will be the last that we shall hear of in a Christian State, and under a Protestant Govern­ment: That the City of London espouses it, where there are Two Sermons Quarterly Preach­ed, and divers of them Printed, to make Men sensible of their Obligations in this respect. And it's true also, That Swearing is much les­sened, as we have reason to believe, by the [Page 26] Accounts we receive in most, if not in all Parts of the Kingdom, as other publick Dis­orders are in many; and that Societies for Reformation have been in divers Places already actually form'd, and are going on in many others; as particularly in Gloucester, Leice­ster, Coventry, Shrewsbury, Hull, Nottingham, Tamworth, Newcastle, Leverpool, Chester, and several other Corporations; so that in a few Months time, by the Methods that are now taking, there is reason to believe that we shall hear of a very considerable Progress in this Work from all Parts of the Nation. And now is this a Time for Men, that would be reckoned Christians, to stand Neuters, in an Affair wherein their Religion, their Country, and their Posterity, are so deeply concerned? Let the Men who can contentedly see the Laws of GOD trampled upon; who can, in their ordinary Conversation, in the Streets, and even at their own Tables, hear horrid Oaths and Curses, nay, Men calling upon GOD for Damnation upon themselves and others; in a word; offering high Indignities to the Glorious Majesty of their Great Crea­tor, consider whether the very Heathens, who would not suffer their Artificial Deities to be affronted, or their Religion to be despis'd; who in Sieges, and other Distresses from their Enemies, were more concerned for their Ima­ges and Altars than for their own Houses, or [Page 27] private Affairs, do not condemn them? Let our Learned Rabbies, the great Disputers of the World, and all that make a Profession of Religion, but give little better account of it than by expressing a fierce and uncharitable Heat against those that differ from them in some things relating to Religion, but not es­sential to it, and wherein all Men equally wise and good have, I doubt, never yet been fully agreed, think seriously with them­selves, whether they might not employ some share at least of their Parts and Zeal to much better purpose, in furthering the Re­formation of Mens Lives, and of the Manners of the Nation, by the Suppressing of Prophane­ness and Vice, than by raising or keeping up, with an unchristian Temper, to the manifest Injury of the Christian Religion, which is an Institution of Love, dangerous or unnecessary Controversies or Divisions, and making of Proselytes to their New Opinions or Party; all Religions being, I think, agreed, that bad Men are a Scandal to the best Religion, and that they cannot, if they continue so, be sa­ved in any; and consequently, that the being instrumental in the bringing over of a few Souls to the sincere Practice of Piety and Vir­tue by any Christian Methods, which those I am treating of will, I hope, be allowed to be, is of greater Service to the Christian Re­ligion, and the World, than the gaining of Hundreds that are vicious to any particular [Page 28] Church or Party. But can Men of Consci­ence satisfy themselves with complaining of the Iniquities of the Age, and wishing for Re­formation, with giving only some good Words to these Proceedings, or even praying for God's Blessing upon them, without doing, as they have Opportunity, what is necessary to promote them, when, as it hath been said, we have the Laws of GOD, of the Nation, and, as we have reason to hope, the Government on our side; and moreover, so many Examples, and so great Success, to incourage us, and have now, generally speaking, not much more to fear than Calumnies and hard Words, and most of those, 'tis to be hoped, from the Enemies of God and Goodness, which the best of Men, and the best Designs in all Ages, have ever met with, and which, in such a Case, it is our true Glory to suffer? No, surely this is a Time, as I shall endeavour to make ap­pear, for all good Men to join their Hearts and Hands, their Interest and Authority, in this so Necessary, so Great, and so Glorious a Work.

Having now laid before the Reader a short Scheme of this Ʋndertaking, which was be­gun with great Opposition, in a Time that was very discouraging to such an Enterprize, and with such other circumstances of Disad­vantage as new things, be they never so wise and good, especially Attempts of this kind, [Page 29] generally meet with, and yet hath been advan­ced to such a considerable degree, from so con­temptible a Beginning, as it must appear to have had to the Wise and the Wary among us, who do not duly consider that there is a GOD that rules in the Kingdoms of Men, and who, as the Prophet expresses it, giveth Isa. 40. 29. Power to the faint; and to them that have no Might, encreaseth Strength. My next Business is to enquire, whether there are any Or­ders of Men among us, who are under more particular Obligations to be Zealous, and di­ligent in Promoting a publick Reformation of Manners.

And, in the first place, I humbly ask leave to lay this Matter before the most Reverend Order of the Clergy, beseeching them, with all that due Respect which all good Men ought to have to Their High and Holy Functi­on, to consider, if what is endeavoured to be proved to be the Common Duty of all Men, and the Special Obligation of Kings, Governours, and Magistrates, be indeed so, it is not the particular Province of those, who have entred into the Places of Overseers and Watchmen, Act. 20. 28. Ezek. 3. 17. 18, 20. and of whom the Blood of those that die in their Sins, if they knowingly suffer them to sleep in them, will be required, to teach and inculcate these Duties, as well as others. And if any of their Body, after this matter is plainly laid before them, and they are con­vinced [Page 30] 'tis their Duty to be diligent in the furthering it, wilfully neglect to excite all sorts of People, especially those belonging to their Charge, of what Rank or Quality so­ever, to do their Duty likewise in promo­ting, in their respective Stations, the Execu­tion of the Laws against Prophaneness and De­bauchery, they can give a good Account of their Conduct to those of their particular Charge, who have no concern to discharge their Duty herein, only for want of their being admonished of it, and are not Parta­kers, in some degree, in the Common Guilt of the Nation, which, as our Neglect of our Duty in this particular Instance, of not Pro­moting a Reformation, will encrease, so it may be a means notwithstanding our present re­spite from Destruction, to draw down God's Judgments upon the Kingdom, if we con­tinue to make no better use of the Peace we have with our Neighbours, than to fight with our crying Enormities against our God; which as I think few Nations, if any, have had in these last Ages greater Reason to dread, so, I suppose, all will grant, that none seem to have greater reason to use all proper means to prevent, than those who expect to give Account, not only for their own Sins, but for the Sins of so many others besides, if they wilfully suffer them to perish in them by their re­fusing to use the necessary means of preventing their living and dying in them.

I shall not, after I have humbly repre­sented this Affair to this Sacred Order, think sit to enquire, whether there hath been any Neglect on the part of their Body, or any one Member of it, in a matter wherein Religion is so highly concerned: I ask leave rather to say, That I am assured, upon un­questionable Information, that most of the Right Rever [...]d the Bishops have expressed their Approbation of the Societies of Refor­mation I have given an Account of; that I have never heard of the Name of any one of these Reverend Persons that hath not done it upon an humble Application made to them for their Countenance and Encouragement of them; and that divers of them, to my own certain Knowledge, have promoted them, and con­tinue to do it, as a considerable Number of the Clergy in and about this City, as well as in other parts of the Kingdom, have done likewise; some of them by Preaching, and frequently meeting to consult one another upon this Occasion; and others of them by giving Informations themselves to the Magi­strates against Prophane Persons; among whom the generous and remarkable Assi­stance that was given in this Affair by the two late Eminent Divines, Dr. Horneck and Dr. Jekell, whose Deaths are so much la­mented, under the various Obstructions and Discouragements they encountred in the Pro­secution of it, which those pious Men made [Page 32] such dismal Reflections upon, as I shall under our present Circumstances forbear to repeat, does demand a particular Acknowledgement in this place, and deserves to be transmitted to after-Ages, when the Names of such as discourage Endeavours of Reformation may either be forgot, or be remembred with Igno­miny. And I not only submit what I have said on this Head of the Clergy, and this whole Discourse, to This Reverend Body, which, I think, I shall never obtain of my self to Publish without the Approbation of some of the pious Members of it; but out of a sense of my own Defects, and the ten­derest Regard I would always have to mat­ters of Religion, I heartily desire, if I am ever prevailed on to Publish it, a publick Correction from them of any thing I have said in these Papers through Weakness or Inadvertency; (which, I hope, all the Advantages of the World would not have prevailed on me, if they could have been offered me, to have said knowingly) that may not be warranted from the Holy Scriptures, or that does give Offence to any but those whom the Repre­sentation of their Sin, or their Duty to them, and Religion it self offends, whose Sentiments of this Discourse as I have no reason to ask, their Censures of it I may know how to value.

And I must the rather make this humble and solemn Address to them for a speedy Censure of these Papers, if there is any just Occasion for it; and that at the same time they would be pleased to put this Glorious Cause, that I have here represented with no more skill, in a better light, which, I conceive, would well become the most celebrated Writers of the Age to do, not only because Errors in general, as well as Diseases, are better pre­vented than cured after they are spread; but because upon a long Consideration and a full Knowledge I have had of the Ʋndertaking I have treated of, and of the Steps by which it hath been carried on from the very Begin­ning, I cannot but believe that the Virtuous part of the Nation, when it is laid before them, will conclude that there is abundant Reason for their Concurrence and Assistance in it, and will think that either the Happi­ness or Misery of this Kingdom may with great ground be expected from either the Success or the Discouragement that these and others pious and just Endeavours for a Natio­nal Reformation meet with. My Business in the next place is to consider the Magistrates Obligation to be diligent in the Execution of the Laws against Prophaneness and Debau­chery.

It will, I think, be allowed, That Govern­ment is of Divine Appointment, and that the Power of Magistrates, whether it be that [Page 34] of the Supream, or that of those that are In­ferior and Subordinate, is derived originally from God. St. Paul speaking of the Magi­strate, Rom. 13. 4. says, He is the Minister of God to thee for Good. There is no Power but of God: The Rom. 13. 1. Powers that be are ordained of God. And Mo­ses speaking to the Judges of the People of Deut. 1. 16, 17. Israel, says, Hear the Causes between your Bre­thren, and Judge righteously between every Man and his Brother. Ye shall not respect Persons in Judgment, but you shall hear the Small as well as the Great; you shall not be afraid of the Face of Man, for the Judgment is God's. Take heed 2 Chron. 19. 6. (said Jehoshaphat to his Judges) what ye do; for ye judge not for Man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the Judgment. Wherefore now, let the Fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed and do it: for there is no Iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of Persons, nor taking of Gifts. Thus shall ye do in the Fear of the Lord Ver. 9. faithfully, and with a perfect Heart. From whence we may, I think, conclude, without adding any further proof of what is so generally confest, that Magistrates do act by God's Authority, are his Ministers or Instruments, which he maketh what use of he pleases in the Govern­ing the Natural and Rational World; that they are to Act for his Honour, and the Good of his People; and that He will call them to account for their Behaviour in this respect. Accordingly, for Kings, and for all that are 1 Tim. 2. 1, 2. in Authority, the Apostle does particularly di­rect, [Page 35] That Supplications, Prayers, Intercessions, and giving of Thanks be made, that under them we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty For our King therefore, and all sorts of Magistrates, does it not behove us to pray, That God would be pleased to inspire them with Zeal for his Glory, and the Good of his People, and particularly to direct and assist them in this necessary and most weighty Affair of Reformation?

And as the Magistrate's Power is primarily and originally from GOD; so is the Office and Power of Subordinate Magistrates imme­diately and visibly conferred upon them as a weighty Trust, by their Prince, and their Country, which they have an Obligation to the faithful Discharge of, in their natural Allegiance and Fidelity; but this Obligation rises yet higher; they are bound yet closer to the faithful Discharge of their Office by a Solemn Oath, relating to their particular Trust, as well as by the Oath of Allegiance. Now the Obligation being thus great and various, must, I think, necessarily draw the dreadful Guilt of Perjury, as well as Breach of Trust, upon those, who being thus intrusted and ob­liged to Execute the Laws, do wilfully neg­lect to do their Duty: For a Justice of the Peace takes this Solemn Oath at his Entrance into that Office:

That in the County of—in all Articles in the King's Commission to him directed, he shall do legal Right to the Poor, and to the Rich, after his Cunning, Wit, and Power, and after the Laws and Customs of the Realm, and the Statutes thereof made; and wherein he is first obliged to do Right, which regards very much the Punishment of Offenders, as ap­pears more fully in his Commission; and this Equally reaches Rich and Poor. The whole County is assign'd in the Oath, as the Extent of his Jurisdiction, and therefore his Autho­rity is not confin'd to a part; he is not tied up to act only in any lesser District of it; but is to issue out his Warrants against Of­fenders upon Informations offered him by Persons that live never so remote from him in the County, or for Offences committed in any part of it; which, though 'tis so obvious from the very Words both of the Oath and Commission, I thought fit to take notice of, lest if we should have any Magi­strates that should think it too much to give themselves the Trouble to look into the Dis­orders of any kind that are committed, even in their own Parishes, to suppress them when they hear or observe them any-where else, as Swearing and Cursing, for Instance, in Bowling-Greens, Coffee-Houses, and other publick Places; Drunkenness, Lewdness, and Prophanation of the Lord's-Day in the Taverns and Streets; or that should unwillingly receive Informations [Page 37] from others of them, they should, in either of these Cases, be tempted to think those worthy Magistrates too officious, and take the Liberty to speak of them as such, who by inspecting into these Disorders, where-ever they hear of them, in any part of the Coun­ty, and by giving Encouragement to those that bring them Informations of such Of­fences (which will in consequence draw a more than ordinary Attendance upon them of such Persons on this Occasion as live at a distance from them) will thereby make their Unfaithfulness in their Office the more remarkable. He is obliged to do Justice, ac­cording to the Laws, Statutes, and Customs of the Realm. He is not then to break the Laws himself, or to suffer others with Im­punity to break them. He is to discharge his Office according to his Ʋnderstanding and Abi­lity: But can any be supposed to be of such weak Abilities, as not to know that Offen­ders ought to be punished, when legal In­formations are offered them, or when Offences are committed before them? If then any Magistrates can discourage those who are so much Friends to their Country, as to bring them Informations against Offenders, can re­fuse to convict upon them, or can see and hear one another break God's Laws, and the Laws of their Country, at their Diversion, and their own Tables; What is more di­rectly contrary to their Office and Trust? [Page 38] What becomes of the Oaths that are upon them? In how many Instances do they no­toriously break them? And if the Viola­tion of a Private Trust is justly esteemed base and detestable, how much higher Aggrava­tions must their Offences admit of, who break a Publick one, so solemnly taken upon them? And certainly Perjury, that is of so black a nature in it self, is not a less Enor­mity, or less Infamous, in a Magistrate, than it is in one of an inferior Order.

The Commission for a Justice of the Peace also sets forth, That he is to Conserve the Peace in such or such a County, and to keep, as well as cause to be kept, all Ordinances and Sta­tutes made for the Good of the Peace, and the Conservation thereof, and for the Quiet, Rule and Government of His Majesty's People, and in all and every the Articles thereof, ac­cording to the Force, Form, and Effect thereof, to Chastise and Punish all Persons in the said County offending against the Form of thefe Or­dinances and Statutes, or any of them in the County.

It deserves our Observation, That as the Populus Romanus delegit Magistra­tus, quasi Reipublicae Villicos, in quibus siqua praeterea est ars, facilè pati­tur, sin minus virtute eorum & innocentia contentus est, Tullii Oratio cum Plan. Roman Government, the Virtus in p [...]imis apud Lacedaemonios circa Magistratus legendos [...]emper spectata, quod Politicum praeceptum in quavis Republica servari [...]usu esset, Nic, Gragius de Repub, Lacedaemoniorum, p. 82, 83. Lacedoemonian [Page 39] and Inter praecipuos Athe­niensium Magistratus cen­sendi sunt annui Novem­viri. Oportebat in eorum vitam inquiri, ant [...]quam Magistratum capesserent, Pctitus de Legibus Atticis 236. Tantam honestatis curam his Novemviris vo­luit esse Solon, ut si quis Ar­chon vino se ingurgi [...]averit, capital ei f [...]erit ex hac lege. [...]. Jurabant in leges se esse observaturos Novemviri, Jurisjurandum Novemvi­rorum. Leges observabo, quod si secus fecero, au­ream statuam meam aequi ponderis pendam, Petitus de Legibus Atticis 190. [...], &c. Herach. Pont. de Poli­tiis Athenicnsium. Athenian Common-Wealths, provided by their Laws against ill Magistrates, kept, when they flourished, vicious Men out of their Magistracy, and entrusted those with the Execution of their Laws that would shew such a Behaviour to others as they ex­pected from them. So our Go­vernment hereby strictly re­quires the Magistrates to give a good Example. 'Tis a mighty force that Example hath; one can hardly conceive any thing, on the one hand, so foolish and unaccountable; and on the o­ther, so difficult and brave, as that Men may not in a great degree be led to by it. Good Example hath often the advan­tage of Humane Precept, of Admonition, or Reproof, and sometimes of the Exercise of publick Justice, or private Authority, which, besides that they are not always practicable, have often too little In­fluence upon the Mind; but Good Example hath a great and secret Charm to draw others to Imitation. It attracts and assimilates by a Power of which we cannot give a full Ac­count, though by shewing Virtue as it were visibly, it hath undeniably thereby a great Advantage of other Methods of Instruction; [Page 40] Segnius irritant a­nimos di­missa per aures, quàm quae oc­culis sub­jecta fide­libus. those things being allowed to make a much deeper and longer Impression upon our Minds that are represented to us by our Eyes, than those that are admitted by our Ears. Pre­cepts, though they are in the general not only highly useful, but necessary, are not always clear, and when they are understood, the Efficacy of them, of Admonition, and Reproof, seems often to be more or less according to the Example of them that give them; such Persons are lookt on as a Reproach to Reli­gion, and unquestionably do often give bad Men a further Aversion and Prejudice to it, that do not practise themselves what they recommend in their Discourses. As the Chri­stian Religion does therefore strictly oblige all its Proselytes to shew a good Example, by a strict Observance of its Precepts; so it does more especially inculcate upon those whose particular Office it is to teach others their Duty, their endeavouring to persuade them to it by their own good Example, as well as by their Doctrine, that they may [...] Tim 4. 16. thereby both save themselves, and those that hear them; and when this is wanting, when they say, but do not, how exceedingly mis­chievous Matt. 23. 3. the consequences of it are, high­ly deserves serious Consideration. The Hea­then Moralists could observe the great Mis­chief that was done the World by Merce­nary Masters of Precept, [...]. by whom they meant those that endeavoured to talk ele­gantly [Page 41] of just things, but not to do them; and that it was not the Discourses, but the good Examples; not the Schools, but the Manners of Philosophers, that made their best Disciples what they were, and so much celebrated. I know (says Plato) Socrates by his good Works, more than by his good Words; [...]. Gorg. fol. 460. and he makes it a necessary quality of a good Orator, that he himself be Just and Virtuous. [...]. Stobaeus, fol. 49. And accord­ingly Socrates his Master being asked what he thought to be the best Instruction, answered, Eupraxie, or well-doing. Ex­ample hath indeed such a power, that Men are in a great degree too often such as those are with whom they con­verse, as even the Proverbs of many Na­tions have observed: So that he that gives a good Example, though he be but a private Person, does, in truth, a publick Service, and lays an Obligation upon the Age he lives in: But the good Examples of Governors and Magistrates, (I need not add, of Mini­sters) hath a far greater force of Persuasion; their Virtues are generally derived, by Imita­tion, into the Manners of the People. Quales enim sum­mi civitatis viri fuerint, talis civitas erit, Claudianus. Ut enim vitiis & sceleribus Magistratuum infici solet & corrumpi tota Respublica, ita corrigi & emendari. [...], Isocrates ad Nicoclem. Nec ignores totius civitatis mores ad exemplum Magistratuum conformari. How [Page 42] fatal an Influence more especially must then the vicious Examples, which the corrupt Na­ture of Man does with so much Ease com­ply with, of Superiors, of Persons in Autho­rity, whose particular Province it is to look to the Execution of the Laws, have upon those below them? These Men carry not only those of their Neighbourhood, but a great part of the Counties they live in, after them; many of whom, 'tis very obvious, are apt to think it an Excuse, if not a War­rant, to transgress after their Example. The Commission of a Justice of Peace does there­fore with great reason tell him, That he is to keep himself, as well as cause to be kept, all the Ordinances and Statutes, &c. As his giving a good Example is a likely way to procure a due regard to his Office, to main­tain his Authority, and, with the Exercise of it, to reform Others; so, on the contrary, his giving a bad Example is as effectual a course to teach others to break the Laws, and to bring a Contempt upon his Office, and the Government it self, as can easily be thought of. I needed not to have been thus long upon this Head of Example, and particularly the malignant Influence of the bad Examples of Magistrates and great Men, if most Ages did not abound with such unhappy Instances; and if this Nation in particular had not felt so much the fatal Effects of them, as may be [Page 34] some Excuse for my insisting on it. But to go on: Besides the Mischief that is done by the vicious Examples of Magistrates, With what Reason can we expect, that those that make no Conscience to break the Laws, should diligently and conscientiously Execute the Laws upon others? And supposing such Magistrates should sometimes, either out of a fear of the Inspection of the Government into their Be­haviour, in the Reign of a Prince that is zea­lous in the Discouraging of Vice; or out of a desire of keeping up their Reputation with better Men, be sometimes inclined to punish such Offences in others, as they are themselves guilty of, consciousness of their own Faults will, when they act upon no better and firmer Principles, deprive them of Courage, and be very apt, upon many Occasions, to draw them back from the Punishing of others; especi­ally when the Offenders are either their Su­periors or Equals; whereas the Law knows no respect of Persons, and they whose Busi­ness it is to Execute it, must do it without Distinction or Partiality. Their Commission tells them, that they are to chastise and punish all Persons in the said County offending. And can any that consider this, That we live un­der a Christian Government, and that the Apostle acquaints us, That the Magistrate is the Minister of God for Good; That he beareth Rom. 13. 3. Ver. 4. not the Sword in vain; Is a Revenger to exe­cute [Page 44] Wrath upon him that does Evil; and that Christians shou'd have a far greater Concern for the Honour of God, than for the Honour of their Prince, their own Reputation or Estates, but think that the Laws that relate to Piety and Virtue are to be chiefly regarded by the Magistrate, that his principal Care should be applied to the restraining Men, even those of the highest Rank, from openly breaking those Laws, by a strict and impartial Execu­tion of them, since the Reasonableness of the Punishing of Men for the Violations of Reli­gion seems to have been evident by the Light of Nature? It being, I think, a just Obser­vation, which I have somewhere met with, of a Heathen Philosopher, That tho' several Nations do appoint several Punishments for the Violation of Religion, yet it does not in any Coun­try go wholly unpunished. No Mens Quality ought to shelter them from Punishment in this Case; Even Privilege of Parliament does not give those who are allowed it for the Service of their Country, the mischievous Liberty to trample upon the Laws of God and their Country, nor will excuse Magi­strates from acting according to their Oaths in these Matters. Charity and good Man­ners would forbid us, if such a Case had ne­ver been heard of, or was like to happen, to suppose that this Privilege should ever be pre­tended on such an Occasion by any one of [Page 45] those Bodies, who as they Receptumque omnium pene Gentium, temporum­que memoria, ut ad legum latarum observantiam in­vitarentur inferioris sortis homines, exemplo poten­tum, qui primi eas custo­dire cogebantur, & praeser­tim illi ipsi qui eas tulis­sent, Tit. Liv. 3. Decad. lib. 8. Magistratus, Gubernatores, Regesque obediunt quoque ipsi legibus, id est, rectae rationi, Diodorus Siculus. Si quid injungere inferiori velis, prius in te ac tuos recipias, necesse est, si ipse jus statueris, quo faciliùs omnes obedientes habeas, Val. Max. lib. 8. cap 6. Tit. 3. Cum leges praescripsisti ali­is, praescripsisti & tibi; le­ges enim Imperator fert quas ipse custodiat. Praeceptum salubre Pit­taci sapientis apud Auso­nium: Pareto legi quisque legem sanxeris. make Laws against Debauche­ry and Prophaneness, ought like­wise to endeavour, by their own Exemplary Behaviour, to promote Piety and good Man­ners, to give Laws of Civility to the rest of the Nation, and to add, That if these things do happen, good Magistrates, 'tis to be hoped, will act as become them. And there is, I think, no doubt but the bringing to legal Punishment a Man of Ti­tle or Authority, that makes use of his Power or Interest to be more vicious, and to do greater Mischief to the World than o­thers, is a greater Service to Re­ligion and our Country, and more highly honourable among Men, than the Punishing of a private Person, perhaps than many poor Creatures, who, as hath been long observed, generally suffer the Extre­mity of the Law for such Offences as their Necessities are a Temptation to them, tho' not a Reason for them, to commit, when great Men, that cheat whole Provinces, and bid defiance to Sacred things, go unpunished, if they are not rewarded. [Page 46] Si quis convictus furti esset apud Locrenses, effo­diebantur ei oculi. Conti­git autem ut Zaleuci filius furti reus convitiaretur, cui quum Locrenses poenam remitterent, non tulit id pater, sed sibi unum, filio alterum voluit erui ocu­lum. Legem quandam Tene­diis tulit Tennes, quâ li­cebat, Adulterum depre­hensum securi necare: Quum itaque silius ejus esset captus, interrogante regem qui coeperat, Quid ei faciendum? Responde­bat, Lege utendum: qua­propter & nummo ejus ab una parte securis excusa, ab altera facies viri & mu­lieris uno collo juncta. If History can tell us of Hea­thens that could do and suffer so much for the Maintenance of the Laws of their Country, shall it be supposed that the Fear of disobliging a Man of Interest, that hath a swelling Title, one that is, I doubt, im­properly called a Man of Ho­nour, who affronts and contemns Religion, should keep Christian Magistrates from Executing the Laws of their Country, that are made for the Support of Reli­gion, and to which they are Sworn. And yet, as unwor­thy and unaccountable as such a Behaviour may appear to be, even by the Light of Nature, it were well, if for the Honour of Christian Magi­strates, nay, even of Humane Nature, that it could be denied, Pudet haec opprobria nobis, & dici potuisse, & non potuisse refelli. that many, I am unwilling to say most of the Magistrates in the late Reigns, li­ved and died with their Commissi­ons, without putting any one of the Laws, that our more virtuous Ancestors had left us a­gainst Prophaneness and Debauchery, in Exe­cution, which some of the worthy Magistrates of this Reign, making a Conscience of Dis­charging the Oaths they have taken, and the [Page 47] Trust that is reposed in them, by their Per­sonal Watchfulnss and Diligence, as well as by their giving due Encouragement to those, who, without having Oaths to oblige them, or Re­wards to encourage them, bring them Infor­mations of the Breaches of those Laws, which were grown almost obsolete and useless, have, to their great Honour, so successfully done, with such Opposition and Difficulty; and not only with greater Clamour from hardned Offenders, but with more Reflection from too many others, than they might have met with if they had been breaking them in the most impudent manner, had been ma­king Attempts to destroy them. To prevent therefore, for the future, the Mischief that this Nation may otherwise fall under, as it hath done, by the Ʋnfaithfulness of Magi­strates, it may deserve Consideration, whe­ther it would not be highly ad­visable, that, Cogunt eos qui Magi­stratu abierint, apud Cen­sores edere & exprimere quid in Magistratu gesse­rint, Gothofredus de duo­decim Tabularum Frag­mentis, p. 66, 67. as we are told, the Romans, for this reason, or­dered their Magistrates to give an Account of their Diligence, for the Maintenance of the Laws, to their Censorum Officium erat describere facultates cujus­que Civis, observare singu­lorum hominum mores & vitam, tollere quoque omnia quae probitati morum pestem & perni­ciem illatura videbantur, Rosinus de Antiquitatibus Romanis, fol. 520, Censores mores populi regunto. Haec detur cura Censoribus, quandoqui­dem eos in Republica semper volumus esse, Cicero de Legibus, fol. 340. Censors, a chief part of whose Office it was, to look to a Reformation of Manners; [Page 48] and as our Magistrates are, by the late Act of Parliament against Swearing and Cursing, re­quired to keep Lists of those Persons that they have convicted of those Offences, and to return them to the Sessions; our Magistrates should be likewise further obliged to bring in to our Judges of Assize, or to the Quarter-Sessions, Lists of such as they have convicted upon all the Statutes against Prophaneness and De­bauchery, which Method will, I humbly con­ceive, not only be effectual for the quicken­ing the Diligence of Magistrates, but give a just Terror to Offenders, and will afford the Government a means of knowing what Magistrates are Unfaithful in their Office, and deserve Discountenance and Punishment; and on the contrary, who they are that most Ho­nourably discharge their Trusts, do the great­est Service to their Country, and deserve the highest Regard from it. His autem duobus, praemiis & poena, salus Reipublicae quamplurimum continetur. And can any, unless they are faithful and zealous Ministers of the Go­spel, be supposed to deserve more Respect than those Magi­strates that conscientiously apply themselves to the Suppressing of Vice and Prophane­ness, and to the Promoting of Religion? As the doing of this is, I conceive, the greatest Benefit of Magistracy, and may be supposed, as hath been shewn, to be a great End for which it was appointed, so it can't, I think, [Page 49] be doubted, but God's Blessing may at­tend his Ordinance, the Magistrates zea­lous and united Endeavours for this pur­pose, so that they may succeed to the Spi­ritual good of particular Persons, as well as to the good of the Publick; that as Afflictions are often sent by Him, to awa­ken Men out of their Lethargy in their vicious Courses, and in the nature of them tend to that end, the legal Corrections of Offenders, which may be looked on as Afflictions, may, with God's Blessing, work the same happy Effect upon them; and the rather, since they are the immediate and sensible Effects of their Sins; and of this, we are told, there hath been so ma­ny happy Instances since the beginning of these Transactions, as may be sufficient, without other Considerations, to encou­rage the Magistrates Diligence: But when this fails of the desired Success upon par­ticular Persons, yet it is a vast Advantage to the Cause of Religion in general, to keep the Multitude, by the strict and ex­emplary Punishment of some Offenders, from the publick Commission of such Scan­dalous Sins as wast the Conscience, af­front Religion, and directly tend to bring it into Contempt, that, as the Scripture expresses it, All Israel may hear, and fear, Deut. [...]. [...]. and do no more any such Wickedness. For [Page 50] considering the Original Corruption of our Nature, which is generally more depraved by our Education in a degenerate Age; that being thus depraved and weakned, we find it no very easie work to resist Temptations to Sins, to which we have either habituated our selves, or have a natural propensity, when they are naked and alone; and that 'tis much more diffi­cult to encounter those Sins when Temp­tations to them are made stronger by the bad and eminent Examples which are al­most every-where to be seen in our Com­merce with the World, there being but few that we meet with that do not re­commend one Vice or other by their Ex­ample to our Imitation, and (which is, I think, still worse) most of those not such as profess themselves Enemies of Religion, but that pretend themselves Christians, entertain hopes of receiving the Benefits of Religion, and attend its Ordinances with Allowance, as often as they think it for their Interest or Reputation to do so; considering, I say, these things, have we not great reason to fear, that most Men will continue to go over to the major Party, that triumph in Wickedness, and that few will have the Courage and Bra­very to join with the lesser and too much despised Party of Virtue, to go against [Page 51] the Stream of a Debauched Age, (which, for ought I can see, there is greater likeli­hood that it should still grow more strong and furious, than that it should abate) till frequent and publick Examples of Vice are taken out of publick View by either the Execution of our Civil Laws, or by the Revival of the ancient Discipline of the Church. Seneca could, it seems, observe, That it was enough to shake the Resolu­tion of a Socrates, or a Cato, to bear up against and stem Vice, when it becomes so general and fashionable, that it presses upon us with a kind of publick Autho­rity. And tho' Christians have a clearer Revelation than those Heathens had of their Duty, higher Obligations, nobler Motives, and greater Assistances to per­form it, yet, I conceive, our Religion does not teach us, nor our own Experience of Humane Frailty does not encourage us to make the way to our Duty and Happi­ness, as difficult as we can. 'Tis true, as may be objected, that Men are by no means to be supposed Religious, who are restrained from their Vices only by sense of Shame, or fear of Humane Punishment; but yet they must be thought to be in a much fairer way of being so under those Restraints, than they would be without them. By their being kept, by Humane [Page 52] Laws, from an Indulgence of their vicious Inclinations, they may in time find the Pleasure and the Advantage of the Re­straint: And bad Examples, that abound in most places, which I take to be the great Occasion of Sin, being by this means taken away, Vice will become Scandalous, and Virtue will be in proportion esteemed fashionable; and thus, I think, very great Points are gained. For when Men that are vicious in their Inclinations, and even those that are grown old in Sensuality, see that Religion gives Men that Esteem and Advantage as Debauchery and Irreli­gion hath done within our Memory; and they find that the Stream is turned, and bears hard against them, that they cannot commit their Disorders with Impunity, nor without Shame; and moreover, Tempta­tions to them are very much taken out of the way, then they will take some pains to be Virtuous, at least to appear in the Dress of Virtue; then may we expect that such Men will begin to enquire into the Nature and Reasons of Religion, and when they find, by a sober Advertence to its Proposals, (which they will now make without Prejudice,) and by some Experi­ence they will have of the happy Effects of it, by their endeavouring to imitate it, that it prohibits us those things that would [Page 53] be most highly injurious to us, and al­lows a Satisfaction to our rational Appe­tites; that it hath such Excellencies as out­bid and put out of countenance all the Advantages that the World can offer; that it fortifies us against the cross Oc­currences and Calamities, the Changes and Storms of Life, and the Fears of Death, disarms it of its Stings and Terrours: to say no more, that it silences the bitter Re­monstrances and stinging Reproaches of Conscience, delivers us from Plagues and Fears, Confusion and Sorrow, from the tormenting Guilt, and the cruel Usurpa­tion and Outrages of our Lusts and Passi­ons, and gives us in Exchange the noble Pleasure of the Victory over our selves, who are our worst Masters, the Joys of Innocence, the Triumphs of a good Con­science, and the Extasies of Heavenly Hopes, and directs us to the Regions of Bliss, to Joys unspeakable and everlasting: Then may it be that the good Dispositi­ons, which we may call the Seeds of Vir­tue, which seemed before as it were choak'd in some with ill Habits, may be awakened, and revive; and that others, who had some weak Inclinations to Religion, but had not strength enough to bear the Con­tempt that now too often, if not gene­rally attends the sincere Practice of it, to [Page 54] go in an untrodden way, against the Ty­ranny of Custom and Example, will take courage: Then may we hope to see Vir­tue, that hath been so long slighted and oppressed, drawn out of its Obscurity, de­livered from that Contempt which the Pre­valency and Insolence of Sin hath flung upon it, and imbittered it, be admired, embraced, and enthroned. So that the Magistrates taking away out of publick View Examples of Prophaneness and De­bauchery, by a strict Execution of the Laws, seems as proper, if not as necessary a means for the keeping of Vice from the further spreading its Contagion, and the retrieving of Virtue, as the preventing of those that have the Plague upon them from mixing with those that are not in­fected, and shutting of them up is neces­sary to the stopping the Raging of that Distemper; and as it is not to be doubted, that where those that have the Plague vi­sibly upon them, are allowed to converse promiscuously with the Sound, even to walk publickly in the Streets, it must be a certain sign that the Distemper is Epi­demical, that there is little hopes of put­ting a stop to it; or that those whose pro­per Business it is to shut up, and take care of the Diseased, are themselves infected with the Distemper; so it must in like [Page 55] manner be thought to be when there is no care taken of the moral Diseases of a State, when publick Prophaneness and Vice not only go unpunished by the Magistrate, but are triumphant. From hence there­fore 'tis evident, that such Magistrates as diligently discharge their Office, are not only instrumental in doing good to par­ticular Persons, but to the Publick, and may be so of a General Reformation, and do therein what we have ground to believe is highly acceptable to God; for thus saith God by the Prophet, Them that honour me 1 Sam. [...]. 30. I will honour; and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. And accordingly we are told in the Holy Scriptures how ac­ceptable to God the Zeal of Phinehas was, in Executing of Judgment upon Zimri and Cosbi; Behold, I give unto him my Cove­nant Numb. 25. 12, 13. of Peace, and he shall have it, and his Seed after him, even the Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood, because he was Zea­lous for his God, &c. And the Psalmist Psal. 106. 31. tells us, That it was accounted to him for Righteousness unto all Generations for ever­more.

But now since His Majesty's late Procla­mation, and the Address of the House of Commons to His Majesty, do not only give us too great reason to fear, that all Magistrates will not duly consider this as [Page 56] they ought, but plainly tell our Magistrates, That their Negligence and Ʋnfaithfulness in their Office is the great Cause of the De­bauchery and Prophaneness of the Kingdom: It may not be indecent or improper in this place to shew, in some Instances, how Magistrates may be liable to this Imputa­tion. And first, such Magistrates as can take such Solemn Oaths, and accept of such Trusts, without any serious Intention to discharge them, who, tho' they are not vi­cious themselves, can observe, without any concern, the Breaches of God's Laws; nay, in the course of many Years do not exercise their Authority, by any one single act, for the Punishing and Suppressing of the horrid Indignities that are daringly and almost in all Places offered to the Great GOD of Heaven and Earth, at the same time that they are very sensible of, and do highly resent any Affronts that are of­fered their Prince, and even their own Persons: Or those that are so wonderfully gentle and flexible, so over run with Pity, that they can discharge Impious and De­bauched Wretches upon any common Pre-tences, their Cries or Complaints, or the scandalous Intercessions of their powerful Advocates, tho' frequently brought before them, and often with great difficulty by faithful Officers, or zealous Informers. As [Page 57] the inflicting of Punishment on such Of­fenders is what Magistrates are strictly obliged to, and is moreover what a just Compassion to Criminals and the Commu­nity do loudly call for: So, on the con­trary, this Gentleness to them, which I have described, is a great Injustice, and may, I think, be reckoned among those Mercies that Solomon tells us are cruel. Sicut est miserico [...]a puniens, ita est crudclita [...] parcens. It must at first naming appear to thinking Men a foolish and criminal Pity, a great Cruelty to the Offenders themselves, and the Community. To the Offenders themselves, who by being suffered to pass unpunished in their wicked Cour­ses, generally go on, frequently grow ob­stinate in them, and often bring on them­selves, with the Permission, or by the Judgment of God, far greater Sufferings in this World than the legal Punishment of them would have amounted to; the Ruine of their Estates, Families, Health, a sudden or a scandalous Death by publick Justice, and without Repentance, Everlast­ing Destruction in the World to come; all which the timely and wholesome Pu­nishment of them by the Magistrate might have been a means of pre­venting. Clementiores Iege ju­dices esse non oportet. But this Gentle­ness is a Cruelty and great In­justice [Page 58] to the Community; for hereby pub­lick Justice is obstructed and triumph'd over, Magistracy is despised, the † Government it self is dis­paraged Legum ac Magistra­tuum contemptum sequun­tur populi seditiosae voces, & adversus Principes ipsos conjurationes ac defectio­nes, Bodin. Rep. Lib. 3. c. 1. and weakned, Natio­nal Guilt, which calls for Na­tional Punishment, is con­tracted; those that are either already actually vicious, or that have vicious Inclinations, are encou­raged to continue or to engage in ill Cour­ses, which the Body of the People groan under the sad Effects of, by the continual Sufferings of one kind or other that are by this means brought upon them: And thus other Mens Sins seem to be made, in some sense, the Sins of Magistrates, accord­ing to that known Saying, That he that permits Offences to be committed, which he hath Power and Opportunity to pre­vent, doth in some sort command them to be done; or in Scripture-phrase, Magi­strates hereby seem to be Partakers in others Sins. Out of a sense whereof, a former Prince of this Nation is reported to have said, upon his hearing that a Person whom he had pardoned for one Murther, against the express Word of God, had committed another, That he himself Murthered the se­cond Gen. 9. 6. Person, by Pardoning the Offender for his first Offence. Such Magistrates then as [Page 59] these are plainly accessory to the Debauche­ry of the Nation; as, in the next place, those must be thought to have been, if there hath been any such who have been so far from applying themselves, as their Oaths oblige them, to the Execution of the Laws against Prophaneness and Vice, that they have used their Skill and Diligence to discourage and hinder those of their own Body in doing their Duty, who have had the Honesty and Zeal to discharge it, by making it troublesome and difficult to them, by mustering up, upon Occasion, fallacious Arguments, even the common Excuses of Criminals against their Prose­cution and Punishment. As for Instance; If they should have urged against the Pu­nishing of Men for Swearing and Cursing, that 'tis too severe to make Men Exam­ples for Words, which, tho' they should not be used, may fall from them unawares, without an ill Intention, and without In­jury, no Man being supposed to be the worse for another Man's Prophanely wish­ing him Damnation; and if Men are ac­customed to such Language, or likewise to Drunkenness or Lewdness, 'tis difficult to break Habits, especially of such Vices to which we have Temptations from our cor­rupt Nature; and therefore to punish Gen­tlemen for these Offences, seems to be ill [Page 60] Breeding, as well as Severity, and to tend moreover to the destroying of Conversa­tion, and to the making of Life an insipid thing; and to execute the Laws against Vice and Prophaneness upon Men of an in­serior Rank, is to disable them to pay Taxes, for the Support of the Govern­ment, the Restraining more especially of some of them from frequenting of Ale-Houses and Taverns on the Lord's-Day, and others of them from the Permitting of Tipling in those Houses, is the direct way to lessen His Majesty's Revenue arising by Excise, &c. If such Arguments as these should have been made use of by Magi­strates in this, or in the former Reigns, to obstruct the Suppression of these Enor­mities, it will be readily confessed by Men of any virtuous Principles, That such Men plainly fall under the Charge of being a great Cause of the Debauchery of the Nation. But having been led besides my Intention to name these fallacious and scandalous Ar­guments, and particularly the last and most specious of them that concerns the Excise, I ask leave of my Reader, lest we should have any such Men among us as should be so over-run with Concern for the Supplies of the Government as to have little or no Concern for their Duty to their God, or Regard to his Providence over­ruling [Page 61] Kingdoms, and should not there­fore be sensible of either the Impiety or Absurdity of these Arguments, to put such in mind, That if the poorer sort of Men are allowed to spend all, or a great part of their Money in Taverns and Ale-Houses, they will not be in a very good Condition to maintain their Families, or to pay Taxes, which such Men are, upon this Occasion, I doubt, chiefly concerned a­bout; or that if Men of a Superior Rank have Money enough to maintain their Fa­milies, and discharge their other Obliga­tions, and to spare, and they have no better Inclinations than to carry it to those Houses, they have time enough to spend it in them on the other six days of the Week, without doing it upon the Lord's-Day, to the Neglect of their Duty to their Families, and the manifest Danger of the Ruine of their own Souls; or that, lastly, if a considerable Number of such Houses, many of which are Stews or Receptacles for High-way-Men, Coiners, and Pick-Pockets, were suppressed, as they ought to be by Law, we should therein act agree­ably to the common Reason of Mankind, as well as to the Wisdom of our Ancestors, who, from a sense of the great Mischief that is done the Publick, by suffering an unnecessary Number of Publick Houses; [Page 62] the true and reasonable Design and Uses whereof are, as is observed in the Pre­amble of one of our Statutes, for the En­tertainment 1 Jac. Reg. cap. 9. of Travellers, and for the Con­venience of Day-Labourers, and poorer Per­sons, and not for a Refuge for idle and vi­cious People, thought it necessary to dis­courage the Encrease, and to restrain the excessive Number of them by the Laws made for this purpose: If this, I say, was 11 Hen. 7. cap. 2. 5 & 6 Ed. 6. cap. 25. now done, there would be enough left as might be sufficient not only to answer the reasonable Uses of them, but to ruine, as 'tis not, I think, to be doubted they actu­ally do, many more Families than are sup­ported by them; and the Persons that keep such disorderly Houses, as they might be much more honestly employed, so more usefully to the Publick, in some other way of Living than in this Employment, which seems, above most others, destructive to it. From a Consideration whereof, we may suppose it was, that our late Gracious Queen, in the Absence of the King, did signifie by the Right Honourable the Lord Chancellour of England, to the Justices of Middlesex, whom his Lordship ordered to wait on him upon this Occasion, (as by their printed Order made in pursuance of it may appear) That it was Her Majesty's Pleasure that they should use their utmost [Page 63] Diligence to prevent the Frequenting of Ale-Houses and Taverns on the Lord's-Day, as well out of time of Divine Service as in, by putting the Laws made against Tipling 1 Jac. c. 9. 1 Jac. c. 4. 21 Jac. c. 7. 1 Car. c. 4. 4 Jac. c. 5. in those Houses in strict Execution, which they are since put in mind of by His Ma­jesty's late Proclamation. But such Objecti­ons as these have so little appearance of common sense, and less of a good meaning in them, that they do not deserve a more particular Confutation; and as they serve as well for the not Punishing Perjury, Bri­bery, &c. so they would be with much more Decency offered, and one would hope sooner to hear of them urged, under a Hea­then Government, than in a Protestant Country, and especially under the Reign of a Prince that hath declared that he de­sires his Government should be supported by the Virtues, and not the Vices of his People. If therefore such Arguments as these should be used in this Reign, espe­cially by Magistrates, What an Indignity would thereby be offered to the King, and to the Nation? His Majesty hath not surely gone through so many Years Fa­tigues, and exposed Himself to so many Personal Dangers by Land and Sea, and the Nation hath not lost so much Blood, and spent so many Millions for the secu­ring of our Liberties, and the obtaining a [Page 64] Peace with our Neighbours, that bad Men may have the Liberty to Blaspheme the God of Heaven, and by their crying Sins to provoke Him to destroy us; to fling Contempt upon Religion, and insult over our Laws, and to ruine us as well as them­selves, under the false and scandalous Pre­tences that we shall be, by their Impunity, the better enabled to pay off the Debt that is upon the Nation; that His Majesty's Re­venue will be encreased by the Encrease of Drunkenness, Prophanation of the Lord's-Day, &c. If we should have any Magi­strates who should thus wildly argue, to hinder the Prosecution of such Offenders; and if this Frenzy should thereby prevail, What an infatuated Nation must we be thought to be? But supposing that we are not in danger of Magistrates, especially in this Reign, that shall thus abuse their Au­thority to the vilest Purposes, by making it a Covert for acting the basest things, what shall we think, in the next place, of such Magistrates, if we should have any of them, who, when their Commission tells them that they are to keep the Laws, as well as cause them to be kept, should frequently and openly break them, by whose bad Exam­ples Multitudes may be led into vicious Courses, or confirmed in them, and by it and their Unfaithfulness in their Office, [Page 65] (which I take to be generally a Conse­quence of the other) a Nation may be drawn into Ruine, instead of being re­formed by them? May not such Magistrates be justly charged with being a great Cruse of the Debauchery of the Nation? And what a load of Guilt must thereby lie upon them? Unhappy Men, that when they have so many Sins of their own, they will by this means contract so terrible an Addi­tion to them. History may, I think, tell them of more than one Ʋnfaithful Magi­strate who have been flea'd, and whose Skins have serv'd to cover the Bench or Place where they sate: But what is this Punishment to that which an Ʋnfaithful Magistrate hath reason to fear in the next World, tho' he meets with none in this? Supposing then from His Majesty's Procla­mation, and the Address of the late House of Commons, that there may have been, within our Memory, some such Magistrates as these, does it not behove such Men spee­dily to lay to heart the dreadful Sin of their having been Promoters of the De­vil's Kingdom, and of publick Ruine? And I need not surely tell them, that 'tis not enough for them to be sensible of their Guilt and Danger, to be sorry for the great Mischief they have done their Coun­try, without heartily endeavouring, as they [Page 66] have opportunity, to retrieve it by their fu­ture Diligence and contrary Behaviour. The Nature of distributive Justice, which their Office acquaints them with, requires a Man to repair the Injuries he has done to any. This is so stated a Rule among Divines, in the various kinds of known and wil­ful Injuries we may do to the Souls and Bodies, Estates and Reputation of our Neighbours; and is so generally acknow­ledged, that I shall not labour to prove it. If then 'tis allow'd, that all sorts of wil­ful Injuries that we do our Neighbours, without Repentance for them, expose us to the Justice of God; and that our Repen­tance is not in ordinary Cases reckoned sound and compleat, unless we endeavour, when it is in our power, to repair the In­juries we have done; Can such Men be imagined so blindly partial to themselves, as not to think, when they have pub­lickly dishonoured God, have drawn, by their wicked Examples, Numbers of Men into Sin, or confirmed 'em in it, have made use of their Authority to patronize Vice, (and perhaps to discredit and op­pose just Endeavours of Reformation) in Contempt of their Oaths and Trusts; and have thereby done so much Injury to a Kingdom, that they are not obliged, for the removing the load of Guilt that is [Page 67] upon them, the obtaining Forgiveness from God, a well-grounded Peace in their own Minds, and Esteem from Men, sincerely to endeavour to repair the Injuries they have done Religion, their Neighbours, or their Country, by their future Care and Di­ligence? And till they do give the World some proof of this, they will not take it amiss if we do not think, that their late Representatives in Parliament have put them under too heavy a Charge; and if we say that this is so very Great, that tho' we are sure that the Christian Reli­gion is the best Religion in the World, yet it so much condemns such Practices, that such as are guilty of them are a dis­honour to their Profession, that we rec­kon honest Heathens are not the worst sort of Men; or rather, that there are few, if any, worse than corrupt and unfaithful Magistrates. And therefore, methinks, tho' such Magistrates were deaf to all Counsel, were so given over to a Spirit of Slumber, that no Motives that have been offered them from Religion will make any such Impression upon them, as to awaken them to a sense of their Sin and Danger, if they have yet any thing of the Modesty of Men remaining, Shame might oblige them to a better Behaviour; that they should not be able to look a Man in the Face [Page 68] that hath a Love to God and his Coun­try; but more especially, that they should be in the greatest Confusion to hear in our Churches, if they should come there, the King's Proclamation Four times in the Year, charging them with being the great Cause of the Increase of Prophane­ness and Vice in the Nation. It hath been generally thought an Indication of a good and generous Mind to desire an ho­nest Reputation among Men; and, on the contrary, a sign of a base Soul wholly to despise it; on which Consideration Solon might well presume in the Laws he gave the Athenians, That he that hath no Value for his Reputation, will have little or no Regard to the publick Interest: For how can it be reasonably imagined, that he should have a tender sense of the Ho­nour or Interest of his Country, who hath no sense of his own Honour and greatest Interest, but that he will sacri­fice them upon Occasion? Indeed, he that hath neither regard to Conscience, nor sense of Shame, seems not only in great danger of not being reduced to Virtue by any common Methods, but to be lost to almost all good Purposes, to be unfit for common Intercourses with Men, but much more unfit to be honoured and entrusted with the Care [Page 69] of the Execution and Maintenance of the Laws, wherein the Religion, Inter omnia quae Rempublicam ejusque felicitatem conservant, quid utilius, quid prae­stantius quam viros ad Magistratus gerendcs eligere, summa pru­dentia & virtute prae­ditos? quique ad ho­nores obtinendos non ambitione, non largi­tionibus, sed virtute & modestia sibi parent adi­tum. the Honour and Prosperity of the Nation is so highly concerned: And therefore I submit it to the Judgment of those who are more especially concerned to consider of these important Mat­ters, whether it is not highly to be wished, that effectual Care may be taken for the prevent­ing the fatal Consequences of such Mens obtaining, in any future Reign, Commissions of this kind, particularly by disabling any to hold them after they are convicted a certain number of times of the Violations of the Laws which they are entrusted to execute. For if we enquire into the Reasons of the Hap­piness of most, if not all of those Nati­ons, who have arrived at the greatest pitch of Glory and Prosperity, we shall, I believe, have a general Consent, That the Diligence and Faithfulness of Magistrates have been one of the greatest Causes of it, un­questionably far more instru­mental therein than good Verè dici potest Ma­gistratum legem esse lo­quentem, legem autem mutum esse Magistra­tum. Magistratibus igi­tur opus est, sine quo­rum prudentia & dili­gentia civitas non po­test stare, Cic. de Leg. p. 232. Laws, which, we know, are but dead Letters without the Ma­gistrates Execution of them. [Page 70] [...]. Pla­to de Legibus, Lib. 12. fol 951. [...]. lb. f 959. And therefore Plato, in his Common-Wealth, appointed that the Conservators of the Laws, whose chief Care was to pro­mote Virtue, should be such Men as were Eminent for Virtue, and Cum leges omnes vel optimae absque pro­batissimis Magistratibus mortuae sint, Magistra­tus autem optimi vel absque legibus scriptis ipsi sunt divae leges, merito Plato non in condendis Legibus, sed formandis Magistrati­bus omni diligentia ela­boravit. more apply'd himself to the Forming of Magistrates than Laws. And accordingly 'twas wisely observed by Cicero, That if Magistrates keep the Laws themselves, they had little more to wish for. And by the Fa­mous Athenian Law-giver, That Magistrates ought to Obey the Laws, as well as the People the Magistrates, that a Government may be lasting Indeed we cannot easily conceive how any Nation can be long happy without good Magistrates: So that 'tis with great Reason that our Church directs us to pray, That all that are put in Authority may truly and indiffe­rently minister Justice, to the Punishment of Wickedness and Vice, and to the Mainte­nance of God's true Religion and Virtue; and that we esteem those that thus dis­charge their Duty as great Blessings to their Country, and may praise God for them; and, on the contrary, that we think that those unhappy Men, who under the [Page 71] Obligations of Oaths and Trusts have neg­lected or opposed the Execution of the Laws for the Punishment of Wickedness and Vice, and Maintenance of Religion, do deservedly lie under the dreadful Im­putation of having been a great Cause of the Prophaneness and Debauchery of the Na­tion, and the fatal Enemies of it, since we may look on that Nation, whether it be our own, or any other, to be in a very languishing Condition, and in manifest danger of Ruine, where the Magistrates, and the Generality of Men of greater Ranks, who have, by their being placed in higher Stations, as Stars in higher Orbs, so ma­ny Advantages to conduct the lower Ranks of Men by the shining Examples of virtu­ous Lives, to support the Reputation and Interest of Virtue, do, by the Abuse of their Authority, or by their vicious Beha­viour, scatter a pestilential Infection where­ever they come, basely make use of the Advantages they have above others to the Dishonour of God, by whose Permission they enjoy them; Nam li­cet vide­re, si velis replicare memoriam temporum, qualescunque summi Civitatis fuerint, talem Civitatem fuisse. Idque haud paulò est verius quam quod Platoni nostro placet, qui Musicorum cantibus ait mutatis, mutari Civitatum status, ego autem Nobilium vita, victuque mutato, mores mutari Civitatum guto, Cic. de Leg. p. 336. instead of being Patrons of Religion, help to debauch those about them, and ruine their Country.

Inferior Officers are likewise obliged by their Oaths, as well as by the Design of their Offices, to be diligent in bringing Offenders to Punishment; and therefore they are highly criminal if they are neg­ligent therein. The Constable's Oath tells him, That he is to use his Endeavour that Night-walkers be apprehended. To see that the Statutes made for punishing Vagabonds, and such idle Persons, coming within his Bounds and Limits, be duly put in Exe­cution. To have a watchful Eye to such Per­sons as shall maintain or keep any Common House or Place where any unlawful Game is or shall be used; as also, to such as shall frequent or use such Places, or shall use or exercise any unlawful Games there or else­where, contrary to the Statutes. To pre­sent at the Assizes, Sessions of the Peace, or Leet, all and every the Offences done contrary to the Statutes made to restrain the inordinate haunting and tipling in Inns, Ale-houses, and other Victualling-houses, and for Repressing of Drunkenness; and that he is well and duly, according to his Kn [...]wledge, Power, and Ability, to do and execute all other things belonging to a Con­stable's Office.

Whoever therefore they be that under­take this Office, and wink at Offenders, or do not endeavour to bring them to [Page 73] Punishment, would do well to consider how they can be acquitted from Perjury; but how much clearer is their Fault, if they neglect or refuse to serve those War­rants which are brought to them against Swearers, Drunkards, Lewd Persons and Prophaners of the Lord's-Day; or to levy the several Forfeitures for those Offences? as too many Constables, Headboroughs, Overseers and Church Wardens have done, which the Commission of a Justice of the Dalt. p. 18. c. 5. Peace tells him he is to inquire after. Their Guilt is of the same Nature with that of those Justices, who discourage Infor­mations, and refuse to sign Warrants against such Offenders, whereby, besides all other Aggravations of their Sin before-mention'd, they hinder the Poor of that Relief which the Law gives them out of the Penalties upon those Statutes, which in some Cases may happen to be the depriving them of their Lives, Panis Pauperum est vita eorum, & qui frau­dat eos est vir sangui­nis. and ought to be a dreadful Consi­deration to those that have the Guilt of it upon them; the Poor having as good and undoubted a Right to these Forfeitures, vested in them by Law, as any Man hath to his own Estate. I have said so much of the Constable's Duty, that there is the less need of my adding much of the Church Warden's, Sidesman's, [Page 74] and other Inferior Officers Obligations in this respect, which fall in with that of the Constable's.

The Church-Warden's and Sidesmen's Oath does not run in the same terms in all Diocesses, though their Office is, I sup­pose, much the same in most, if not all. The Tenor of the Church-Warden's and Sidesmen's Oath in the Diocess of London, is as follows:

And one of the Articles of Enquiry exhi­bited to the Ministers, Church-Wardens, and Sidesmen of every Parish, runs thus: Are any of your Parish known or suspected to be guilty of Incest, Adultery, Fornication, or any other Enormous Crimes? Do any Pro­phane the Lord's-Day, or any other great Holy­day, or the Name of GOD? And if the Church-Wardens and Sidesmen neglect to Present, the Ministers are told, That they may, and ought to present, as they have the highest Obligations to suppress Iniquity.

From hence 'tis plain, That the Power of Inferior Officers, as well as that of Magistrates, is great, and would have a very remarkable Effect for the Suppressing of publick Disorders if it was generally used, and might (with God's Blessing) go very far towards a National Reformation, with the Assistance of the Magistrate, if private Persons would but do as, I conceive, becomes them, in giving Informations against Swear­ers, Drunkards, Lewd Persons, and Propha­ners of the Lord's- Day, to the Magistrate, which shall be my next Business to recom­mend to the Consideration of all that have a Love to God, their Neighbour, or their Country.

It hath been proved, That the Execu­tion of Good Laws is requisite, in our pre­sent Circumstances, for the Suppressing of Vice, and the Effecting a Reformation of Manners; but Magistrates cannot put the Laws in Execution against Offenders without they have the Knowledge of the Offences: And they cannot be present at all Places to observe them, tho' they have either such a Sense of their Duty, or so pious a Concern to do all the good they can in their Office, as frequently to take their Walks, to observe Disorders, as di­vers of the worthy Magistrates have here done, in the several Quarters of the Coun­ty [Page 76] in which they live, and in embracing all Opportunities of using their Authority for the Suppressing them: And those Offences that are deeds of Darkness, it may be hoped, for the Honour of our Magistrates, are not now generally and knowingly committed before them. One would think that the Presence of a Magistrate should have such an Awe upon ill Men, that they should not dare to transgress before him: That he should resent it as a high Affront to him, if a Person of the highest Rank should discover so base an Opinion of him, as to expect that he should be content to break his Oath, to suffer him, upon the Account of his Quality, to go unpunished for any Offence of this kind committed before him. It is certainly much so where Ma­gistrates have a just Sense of Honour, or are as Zealous and Faithful in the Dis­charge of their Office as they ought. But the less this may reasonably be hoped from all Magistrates at this day; there appears, I am sure, the more reason, or rather necessity, for private Persons apply­ing themselves to this Business of giving Informations to them of our reigning Sins, without which, it is not reasonably to be expected that Offenders will be generally brought to Punishment, especially in Cities and Corporations, where it may be pre­sumed, [Page 77] without Uncharitableness, that many are daily either publickly or pri­vately breaking the Laws against Prophane­ness and Immorality.

Thus then our giving of Informations of these Offences to the Magistrate seems absolutely necessary in our present Circum­stances, as we heartily desire or expect the Suppression of Prophaneness and Vice by Humane Laws. And I desire those who would be informed whether there is any Direction or Example for this Practice from the Word of God, to consider the follow­ing Texts of Scripture: If there be found Deut. 17. 2. among you within any of thy Gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, Man or Woman that hath wrought Wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his Co­venant, And he hath gone and served other Ver. 3. Ver. 4. Gods, and worshipped them, And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and behold it be true, and the thing certain, that such Abomination is wrought in Israel: Then shalt thou bring Ver. 5. forth that Man, or that Woman, (which hath committed that Wicked thing) unto thy Gates, even that Man or that Woman and shalt stone them with Stones till they die. And the Israelitish Woman's Son Blasphemed Lev. 24. 11. the Name of the Lord, and Cursed, and they brought him unto Moses. And the Ver. 13. [Page 78] Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth Ver. 14. him that hath Cursed without the Camp, and let all that heard him lay their Hands upon his Head, and let all the Congrega­tion stone him. Now when these things were Ezra 9. 1. done, the Princes came to me, saying, The People of Israel, and the Priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the People of the Lands, doing according to their Abominations, &c. And if he neglect Matt. 18. 17. to hear them, tell it to the Church. Nay, they would do well to consider in how many Instances, under the Jewish Dispen­sation, those who saw, or were acquainted with such Offences, were positively com­manded to be Witnesses or Informers a­gainst the Persons who committed them, tho' they were their nearest Relations: Thus, If thy Brother, the Son of thy Mo­ther, Deut. 13. 6. or thy Son, or thy Daughter, or the Wife of thy Bosom, or thy Friend which is as thine own Soul, entice thee secretly, say­ing, Let us go and serve other Gods. Thou Ver. 8. shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him, neither shall thine Eye pity him, nei­ther shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him. But thou shalt surely kill him; Ver. 9. thine Hand shall be first upon him to put him to Death, and afterwards the Hand of all the People. And all Israel shall hear, Ver. 11. and fear, and shall do no more any such [Page 79] Wickedness as this is among you. Now tho' this Method of giving Informations to the Magistrate against prophane and vicious Persons may appear to unthinking People to carry Severity in it, I shall endeavour to shew that it may be lookt on as a comprehensive Branch of Charity, and a Religious Office, when 'tis performed, as other good Acts should be, with pure In­tentions, upon proper Occasions, and in a Christian Temper.

It is, in the first place, a great Kindness to the Poor; the Money that is raised by Convictions upon these Statutes against Prophaneness and Vice being by Law given to them, whereby they have in Fact had, for several Years past, in London and Westminster, a considerable Supply, in the times of their great Distress; and the Burthen of the Provision for them, that hath lain so heavy on Parishes, hath been eased: So that this Office, if there was no other Reason for it, one would think should be agreeable to Men of Charity, to those especially whose Circumstances will not permit them to give such Assi­stance to the Poor as they could otherwise wish; the Good of our poor Neighbour be­ing hereby promoted by the same Act that prevents God's Dishonour. But the giving of Informations against Offenders will, I con­ceive, [Page 80] be found, upon an impartial En­quiry, to be a real Act of Charity, even towards the Persons offending, and to the Publick, as well as to those who are relieved by the Penalties levied upon them.

'Tis universally acknowledged, that we are not only to apply our selves to the working out our own Salvation, but that we are to be concern'd for the Salvation of one anothers Souls, and to endeavour to further it, according to our Advantages and Opportunities; and that this Care is an Expression of great Charity to our Neighbour, and highly acceptable to Al­mighty God. For we are told, That he Jam 5. 20. which converteth a Sinner from the Errour of his way, shall save a Soul from Death, and shall hide a multitude of Sins; and that they that turn many to Righteousness shall shine as the Dan. 12. 3. Stars for ever and ever. Jam. 5. 16. 1 Tim 2. 1. Heb. 3. 13. Rom. 15. 14. 2 Thess. 3. 15. Eph. 5. 11. Mat. 5. 16. Prayer, Exhortati­on, Admonition, Reproof, and good Example, are all proper means for this end, and are plainly inculcated in the Word of God; but when there is but little or no hope of our Neighbour's Amendment by the use of such means, as I conceive there often is, where the Offender is so impudent and hardned, that he despises Counsel and Reproof, or they make no sort of good Impression up­on him, but he rather takes an Occa­sion [Page 81] to commit the more Sin, by falling into Passion, or other Unchristian Irregularities, and he bids defiance to all other means, as he too often does, when he is so far from being a­shamed of his Wickedness, that he values him­self upon it, and makes a Mock at Sin, as So­lomon [...]ov. 14. 9. tells us Fools do, that he calls upon his Maker to damn him, or he otherwise glories in his Shame: And our Saviour's Di­rection takes place, of not casting of Pearls Matt. 7. 6. before Swine: And we have, lastly, little or no reason to expect any help or redress in this case from the Ecclesiastical Power, by telling his Offences to the Church: Is it not an Act of Charity to try what the bring­ing the Offender to a legal Correction will do towards the recovering the poor Cap­tive out of the Snare of the Devil, and bring­ing him to a right mind? And does not the neglect of doing this, the suffering him to go on in his wicked Courses, to the manifest dan­ger of the ruin of his Temporal and Eternal Interest, rather than the bringing him to whol­some Punishment, seem rather an Argument of foolish Pity, than of Love; of a cruel and treacherous Fondness, than real Kindness? We do not think it an expression of Kindness to our dearest Relations, that are lying under dangerous Distempers, to chuse rather to see them quietly die, than to use Medicines that will give them more Pain and Disturbance, but are proper for the Recovering them. And [Page 82] it is not the less Kindness to them because in their desperate and delirous Fits they have not a Sence of the Good we intend them by it, but refuse the Remedy, and perhaps fly in the Face of the Physician; nay, when Incisions are ne­cessary, when a Member is to be cut off to prevent a Gangreen, we tie them down, and their Cries and Reproaches of hardship and ill usage, though they are in their Senses, do not hinder the Operation. And have we not so much Compassion for those miserable Crea­tures who have little or no true Compassion for themselves, that lie under the Lethargy of Sin, whereby their Souls are in so great and evident danger of being for ever lost, to endea­vour, by the Magistrates Punishment of them, to scarifie and awaken them out of their dead­ly Sleep, to a Sense of their dangerous Condi­tion? and the Consideration of it, which may have its beginning in the Fear of the Law, that they are driven to by the Shame and Punish­ment that is thereby brought upon them, may be a means of working the happiest Effects, may end in their heartily embracing wholsome Counsels. And will not they then think, that they that brought them to legal Correction did them a Kindness, how grievous soever it was to them when it was upon them; and that it was happy for them that they met with that Punishment that led them to Wisdom? and when this Method for the good of our Neigh­bour's Soul fails, we may, as after the use of [Page 83] other proper means for the Cure of his Body, though without Effect, reasonably give our selves some satisfaction upon this Considerati­on alone: But, in the next place, this Pra­ctice is however a high Service to the Com­munity; for Religion being every Man's great Interest, every one's Work or Duty, Religio contami­nata ad o­mnium pertinet Injuriam. the Community, according to the Sense of the Civil Law, is injured by the Contempt that is flung upon it, by the open Affronts and Vio­lations of it, which every Man, as in a com­mon Cause, is therefore concerned to prevent. Now the Exemplary Punishment of open Of­fenders is the proper way (as Reason and Ex­perience may convince us) to repress publick Vice and Prophaneness, to keep the Generali­ty from it, and to prevent God's Dishonour: It is, I conceive, one way moreover to keep us from being Partakers in other Men's Sins, and to take away National Guilt; for a Nation may then be supposed to contract publick Guilt when Wickedness is publick and insolent, when the Supreme or Subordinate Magistrates and Ministers do, by their own ill Examples, and by their not Exercising their Power or Autho­rity, countenance and confirm Men in it, and the Body of the People have no concern for the Suppressing of it: But a Nation is not thought to draw upon it that publick Guilt which calls for National Punishment by the private Sins of particular Persons, which could not be pre­vented by either the Magistrates, Ministers, [Page 84] or the Peoples Care and Endeavours; much of which seem to be intimated to us, as from other Texts of Scripture, so particularly from these following: The hands of the Witnesses shall Deut. 17. 7. be first upon him to put him to Death, and after­ward the hands of all the People. So thou shalt put the Evil away from among you. And all the People shall hear and fear, and do Ver. 13. Deut. 21. 19. no more presumptuously. Then shall his Fa­ther and his Mother lay hold on him, and bring him unto the Elders of his City, and unto the Gate of his Place. And they shall say unto the Ver. 20. Elders of his City, This our Son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our Voice; he is a Glutton and a Drunkard. And all the Men of Ver. 21. his City shall stone him with Stones that he die: So shalt thou put Evil away from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear. Where we may observe, that for the suppressing of Sin, and the preventing of publick Guilt, even Parents were commanded to bring their own Chil­dren to be punished with Death, if after they were corrected by them for Gluttony and Drunkenness, &c. they were not amended by it.

If then the Punishment of Offenders, by the Execution of the Laws against Debauchery and Prophaneness, is necessary to the Suppressing of Vice, and those Laws will not be generally Executed, unless Persons acquaint Magistrates with the Breaches of them; if those that do so exercise Charity to the Souls of the Offen­ders, [Page 85] take a proper course thereby to avoid a Participation in their Guilt, to make a Provi­sion for the Wants of the Poor, to promote a general Reformation of Manners, to remove National Guilt, and prevent God's Judgments falling upon the Body of a People, can any wise and good Men, that duly consider these things, conclude, that they that zealously, and upon proper occasions, give informations to the Magistrates of the crying Enormities of this Kingdom, do that which is not agreeable to their Profession, as becomes Christians, or as good Members of the Community? nay, that considering our present circumstances, that there is so little probability that a general Reformati­on of Manners will be carried on without it, whether they are not almost, if not altogether as necessary for this purpose as our Statute-Book, I was like to have said, as even our Magistra­cy? And then, lastly, can any wise and un­prejudiced Men think, that such serviceable Persons as these, that often expose themselves to Inconveniencies in discharging this Office for Conscience-sake, which may be perhaps the most difficult and invidious, and therefore a highly honourable part in this arduous work of Reformation, do not deserve great respect, and good words at least from those, who, tho' they have just thoughts of the Reasonableness and Necessity of it, have not Zeal enough them­selves to discharge it? and the good words that are given them, and the respect that is [Page 86] paid them upon this account, may, in many cases, be a means of furthering this work, which are such cheap and safe things, that, 'tis to be hoped, they will not be thought too much to be afforded by the most faint-hearted Christi­an that is willing to contribute any Endeavours towards it; which, it may be expected, those that deserve the Name of Christians will. For though those brave Men are thus willing to expose themselves, often to reproach and hard­ships from bad Men, for such noble purposes, it will, I think, notwithstanding, considering the infirmities of Humane nature, and the wic­kedness of this Nation, be our Prudence and Religion to endeavour, by all proper methods, to prevent their being put too much upon the tryal of Sufferings from profligate Men, which, 'tis self-evident, our particular countenance of them, and speaking well of their Actions upon all due occasions will effectually do. Our Laws suppose such Men thus highly usefull, as clear reason tells us they are, for the promo­tion of Virtue, and indeed for the preservati­on of any Government. Her late Majesty of Glorious Memory, in pursuance of Her great Design of Reforming the Nation, did therefore in Her Gracious Letter to the Justices of Mid­dlesex, Command them to give Encouragement to those Persons that should bring them Informa­tions of these Offences; and the Justices of Mid­dlesex, the Magistrates of London, and of di­vers other Cities of the Kingdom, from a sense [Page 87] of the great Service that is done the Publick by such persons giving Informations, or rather, as may be supposed, from the absolute necessity of it, do in their Printed Orders invite those that are Well-wishers to their Country, to bring them Informations of the Breaches of the Laws against Prophaneness and Immorality, and tell them 'tis their Duty to do it, and pro­mise to give them Encouragement. And now, lastly, His Majesty by His Proclamation does command all Judges, Mayors, Sheriffs, Justi­ces of the Peace, and all other Officers and Mini­sters, both Ecclesiastical and Civil, and all his Subjects, whom it may concern, to be very Vigi­lant and Strict in the Discovery, and the effe­ctual Prosecution and Punishment of all Per­sons who shall be guilty of Excessive Drinking, Blasphemy, Prophane Swearing and Cursing, Lewd­ness, Prophanation of the Lord's-Day, &c. as they will answer it to Almighty God, and upon pain of his highest Displeasure. So that those who oppose the giving of Informations in these Cases, not only seem directly to strike at the Foundation of our Constitution, but do oppose Reformation, and confront the Government, which are Enormities that demand a due Resent­ment from all that are concerned for the honour of our Government, our Laws, or our Reli­gion. And if any Magistrates should discou­rage those that bring them Informations on this occasion, by giving them hard words, making their work as difficult to them as they can, [Page 88] by wilfully forcing them to long and unneces­sary Attendance on them in this Business, or not sheltring them from the insults of obsti­nate Offenders, if any should be so insolent and daring as to offer them, 'tis I think, evi­dent, that they not only act therein contrary to their Duty, as Christians, but to their Oaths and Trust, as Magistrates, and to their Preten­sions of Loyalty and Obedience to the Govern­ment, as Subjects. And now, is it possible to conceive that any Magistrates can desire the execution of those Laws; nay, that any that are not the greatest Enemies to it, and are lost to all sense of true Honour as well as Consci­ence, should, in defiance of all their Obliga­tions, and in full Contradiction to their printed Orders with their Names to them, publickly set up by their direction on Churches and other publick Places, not treat with respect, and give the greatest Encouragement to those ex­cellent Persons, particularly by making this business as easie to them as they can, by pro­tecting them from any kind of Affronts and Assaults from wicked Men, and giving them all possible dispatch, who in such a profligate Age do, for the preventing the Indignities that are offered to the great God, and the ruin of their Country, bring them, gene­rally with trouble, and sometimes with great difficulty, Informations of such Offences? And, on the other hand, I do not see, gene­rally speaking, how those that are con­vinced [Page 89] that the giving of Informations to Ma­gistrates of these Offences is a Christian Office, a likely and proper, if not a necessary means of Reformation of Manners, and yet wholly neglect the doing it at a time when they see their Fellow-Christians engaging successfully in it, can in ordinary cases easily satisfie them­selves that they have a due Zeal for God's Ho­nour, or Charity to their Neighbours. 'Tis allowed, that this will be sometimes done with some Danger and Inconvenience, Dulce est pericu­lum sequi Deum. but so much the more laudable is the doing of it. A brave Man, who refuses to live under the slavish Do­minion of Custom and Example, who frequent­ly works against Wind and Tide, and steers in the Teeth of Danger, must expect to be some­times tost and batter'd; but Dangers and Dif­ficulties do often invite, rather than discourage such a one from doing that which becomes him. Virtue could, I think, be hardly distin­guished from a kind of Sensuality, if it were gained without any Labour. Every mean Soul can do such things as require no Resolu­tion or Courage, that are not attended with any trouble or inconvenience; but though there has never been so general a corruption in any Age or Nation, as that there have not been some conspicuous for their Piety, yet the number of those wise and happy persons have, in most Ages of the World, been too few, who have preferr'd their Duty to all other Con­siderations. If 'tis not generally thought fa­shionable [Page 90] shionable to inform, let it be consider'd, whe­ther 'tis fashionable to be Religious. Don't Men usually meet with the reproachfull Names of Hypocrites, Fools, Enthusiasts, Phanaticks, or formal and precise Persons, who lead Chri­stian, or but modest and regular Lives? But those Men that understand what Religion is, do not surely think this a sufficient Dispensati­on for them to be Libertines. They know that Elisha and St. Paul were called Mad-men; that Holy David was derided by the People; that Christ, his Apostles, and the Christians in the fir [...] Ages were treated accordingly. Wise Men and Christians are not so much afraid of ill Names, as of wicked Actions: And our Judgment of Actions must not be taken from the opinions of Men, but from the Nature of them, otherwise the Notions of Good and E­vil will be soon confounded. Those Actions are dishonourable that carry in their Nature a Re­pugnancy to Reason and Religion; but if those Actions that directly tend to preserve and streng­then Government, to promote Religion, and the good of Mankind, be honourable, then the gi­ving of Informations upon these occasions, that are so much countenanced and encouraged by the Government and the Laws, are, I conceive, truly honourable, though corrupt Men judge otherwise; Apud quos vir­tus insania & furor esse dici­tur. such, for instance, who think it more honourable to resent an Affront with the loss of their own or their Fellow-Christians Lives, and reckon, in short, Temperance and [Page 91] Chastity, Meekness and Humility, Zeal for God, and Heavenly-mindedness, contempti­ble Qualities, and fit for mean and base Souls. Let it be remembred, that Christians are to walk by Faith, and not by Sight; Non Ex­emplis, sed Legibus judican­dum. 1 Cor. 3. 19. by Precepts, and not by Examples; that 'tis to the most high GOD, Who judgeth righteously, and with whom the Wisdom of this World is Foolishness, and not to a sinfull Generation (that in divers Instan­ces that might be mentioned, calls Evil, Good; and Good, Evil) that we are to approve our selves. So that putting this Case at that Dis­advantage as the cowardly and formal Christi­an (who will not fail to raise Objections, and start difficulties on such an occasion) would have it, and will be sure himself to do, sup­posing that the giving of Informations of these Offences should sometimes expose Men to re­proachfull Words, or rude Treatment from an ill Magistrate, or a prosligate Offender, which it will not be for the honour of any Govern­ment to countenance, 'tis the business, I think, of Christians to consider, whether they ought not to suffer Shame, and undergo some Trou­ble and Loss for the Exercising an Act of Cha­rity to their Neighbours Souls, for the sup­pressing of National Sins, the preventing of God's Dishonour, and the ruin of their Country, now especially that their Endeavours of this kind will be so very likely to be effectual for these ends. If the work is unquestionably good, we are told in the Holy Scriptures, That [Page 92] 'tis good to be zealously affected always in a good Gal. 4. 18. thing. That Christ gave himself for us, that he Tit. 2. 14. might redeem us from all Iniquity, and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works. And we are further told by our Blessed Saviour, That because his Disciples were not of Joh. 15. 18, 19. the World, but he had Chosen them out of the World, therefore the World hated them, as it ha­ted him. And by the Apostle, That all that will 2 Tim. 3. 12. live Godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer Persecution, which, I think, Christians in this Age experience in some degree, as well as they did in the times of Persecution. For do we not see the faithfull Servants of God frequently suffering Injuries from wicked Men? we see them calummated, derided and contemned by them, and exposed to many Assaults and Sufferings from them for the sake of their Religion. Their holy Lives they are sensible do reproach them, which is very grievous to them, and for this Cause they often, I suppose, bear a Hatred to them, which put them upon seeking Opportunities, which they soon enough find, to injure them, either in their Goods, in their Bodies or in their Reputation, of which there is given us in the Book of Wisdom, a very lively Description; Let us lie in wait for the Righteous, because he is Wisd. 2. 12. not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our do­ings: he upbraideth us with our offending the Law. He was made to reprove our Thoughts. He is Ver. 14. grievous unto us even to behold; for his Life is not like other Mens, his ways are of another fashi­on. [Page 93] We are esteemed of him as Counterfeits: he abstaineth from our Ways as from Filthiness: he pronounceth the End of the Just to be blessed, and maketh his boast that God is his Father. Let us see if his Words be true, and let us prove what shall happen in the End of him. Let us examine Ver. 19. him with Despitefulness and Torture, that we may know his Meekness, and prove his Patience. Let us condemn him with a shameful Death: for by his own saying he shall be respected. But in the fifth Chapter there is a Representation of the different State of the Righteous and the Ungod­ly, among whom those that are either for or a­gainst Reformation will find themselves one day ranked, either to their unspeakable Comfort or Misery, that may be so much more Encoura­ging to good Men, than the other Account may to any appear uncomfortable, that I shall give the Reader at the same time some View likewise of it. Then shall the Righteous Man Wisd. 5. 1. stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his Labours. When they see it they shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his Salvation, so far beyond all that they looked for. And they repenting, and g [...]a [...]ing for anguish of Spirit, shall say within [...]elves, This was he whom we had sometimes [...]sion, and a Proverb of Reproach. We [...]ounted his Life Madness, and his End [...]out Honour. How is he numbred among [...]ren of God, and his Lot is among the [Page 94] Saints? We wearied our selves in the way of Ver. 7. Wickedness and Destruction: yea, we have gone through Deserts, where there lay no way: but as for the Way of the Lord we have not known it. What hath Pride profited us? Or what good hath Riches with our Vaunting brought us? All those things are passed away like a Shadow, and as a Post that hasted by. For the Hope of the Ʋngodly is like Dust that is blown away with the Wind: But Ver. 15. the Righteous live for evermore, their Reward also is with the Lord, the Care of them is with the most High. Therefore they shall receive a Glo­rious Kingdom, &c.

If then Wicked Men have such an Enmity to the Righteous, and do by various ways often injure and oppress them, it is no wonder that the giving of Informations should, as well as o­ther Christian Offices or Duties sometimes do, make Men liable to Opposition and Sufferings from bad Men, who desire to indulge them­selves quietly in their Vices, because this is a downright disturbing and confronting them in their vicious Practices: But 'tis, as hath been said, our Business to consider, that the Chri­stian Life is a Warfare, that Christians are sent into the World, as Soldiers into the Field, to fight against it, the Flesh, and the Devil; and that as a Captain is tryed in a Battle, an expert Seaman in a Storm, so a Christian by the Temptations of all kinds that he meets with in his Warfare, by which we are disciplined or catechized for a happy Eternity; and that [Page 95] therefore he must march on through all Diffi­culties and Discouragements, Per infa­miam & bonam fa­mam gras­sari ad Im­mortalita­tem. particularly through Honour and Dishonour, through good and bad Report, to Immortality; and therefore whether the danger of our being exposed to Reproach and Contempt from wicked Men is a sufficient Reason for our having no regard to this Charitable Office I am recommending? The Heathen Emperour, Mar­cus Antoninus, could tell us, That in pursuit of Virtue we must expect Reproaches and Contume­lies, but that we must have little or no regard to the common Opinions of Men, which, after Socrates, he reckoned as the common Bugbears of the World, or the Terrour of Children. And Seneca in like manner, That Men will sometimes (which he thought the last Act of Desperation) re­proach, hate, and persecute even Virtue it self; Nemo mihi vide­tur pluris aestimare virtutem, nemo illi magis esse devotus, quàm qui boni viri famam perdidit, ne consci­entiam perderet, Sen. Epist. 81. and that he seemed to have the greatest Value for, or devotedness to Virtue, that loseth the Reputation of being Virtuous, to avoid the being otherwise. In truth, I think 'tis much to be feared, but being very unwilling to fall under the too common Errour of not duly consider­ing Humane Frailties and Prejudices, or to advance positively any Opinion that may just­ly bear a dispute with any but those that bring the Reason of Mankind and Religion its self in­to dispute, (as I hope will appear throughout these Sheets) I submit it to the Judgment of the Casuists, That tho' the former general Neg­ligence of good Men in this Matter may, and [Page 96] indeed, I think, must in Charity be supposed to have been very much owing to a Discou­ragement from Magistrates, to private Persons Ignorance of the Methods of performing this Office, or single Persons despairing of doing thereby much Service for the Ends before­mentioned, under the dismal State this Nation was in the two last Reigns; If this Negligence is continu'd, after this Matter is plainly laid be­fore us, the giving of Informations is now more generally insisted on by our Clergy in their Sermons, especially at those stated times that they are required to read the Act of Parliament against Swearing and Cursing, with the other Statutes against Prophaneness and Vice, by His Majesty's Letter, and His late Gracious Proclamation for the enforcing the Execution of them; and we have moreover such a change of Circumstances, and such favourable Occur­rences, as that our Diligence in giving Infor­mations will at this time so effectually promote a National Reformation, (as it is evident it will do from what is already done by it) that it will be found, notwithstanding the Obje­ctions and plausible Pretences that will be made on this Occasion by many for their be­ing excused from it, to proceed frequently, if not generally, from worse Causes, that we are either afraid or ashamed of discharging it, from a want of Faith, or of Love to God and our Neighbour, not duly considering the Ad­monition, Fear ye not the Reproach of Men, nei­ther [Page 97] be afraid of his Revilings, That the Fear­ful and Ʋnbelieving are joined together with Rev. 21. 8. those who shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone, nor the Ex­tent of our Saviour's Threatning, Whosoever Mar. 8. 38. therefore shall be ashamed of me, and of my Words, in this adulterous and sinful Generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father, with the Holy Angels: Nor, lastly, the great Encouragement given in the Word of God to those that suffer for discharging of their Duty, Blessed are they Matt 5. 10. which are Persecuted for Righteousness sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Our light 2 Cor. 4. 17. Affliction, which is but for a Moment, worketh for us a far more Exceeding and Eternal Weight of Glory. If any Man suffer as a Chri­stian, 1 Pet. 4. 16. let him not be ashamed; but let him glo­rifie God on this behalf. Wherefore let them 1 Pet. 4. 19. that suffer according to the Will of God, com­mit the keeping of their Souls to him in well­doing, as unto a faithfull Creatour. And now, if notwithstanding what hath been said, or that may be urged by our Clergy with more Advantage in their Discourses, for our giving Informations against prophane and vicious Men, and the Magistrate's Diligence and Faithfulness that was before insisted on, this criminal Fear and Shame shall so generally prevail, as to keep private Persons from gi­ving Informations in these Cases, and shall likewise keep Magistrates (who have less [Page 98] Colour of Excuse for their Unfaithfulness, they being under the Obligations of Oaths and Trusts, super-added to those they have as Christians) from using their Diligence in the Execution of the Laws, and particularly from giving all Countenance and just Encou­ragement to those who bring them Informati­ons, at the same time that Prophaneness and Debauchery do appear so shameless and fearless among us, what a weight of Guilt may be supposed to lie upon this Nation? And in how great danger of Misery and Destruction may it be apprehended to be, which I do not see with what Reason we can expect will so likely be pervented by any other Means, as by the close Conjunction, the zealous and united En­deavours of good Men, for the Retrieving of Religion, and the Morals of the Nation, by all Christian and Prudent Methods. For Religion in general, and the Practice of every Moral Virtue in particular, do in their own Nature tend not only to the Felicity of every Man's private Life, but do also conduce to the Peace, Order and Welfare of all publick Societies, and good Government over Men, as it hath the greatest Influence for these Ends upon Magi­strates and Subjects. Religion teaches and obli­ges Governours to over-rule their Subjects in the Fear of God, to his Glory, and for the Safety and Prosperity of those that are in Subjection to them; and therefore, I think, to endeavour to support and encourage them in the Exercise of [Page 99] Religion and Virtue, and this as well by the Use of their Authority, (which may, for in­stance, be expressed by their Personally Counte­nancing and Promoting Men of Virtue, and Discountenancing vicious Men, by their taking Care that good Laws be made for the Security of Religion; and that the Laws that are made for the Promotion of Christian Virtues, and the Suppression of Vice, be put in Execution) as by their own Exemplary Behaviour, Non si inflectere sensus hu­manos e­dicta va­lent, ut vi­ta regen­tis. Qui Mace­doniae re­gem eru­dit, omnes etiam sub­ditos eru­dit. Delirant reges, ple­ctuntur Achivi. which hath a wonderfull force, is as it were a living Law, and Religion instills in Subjects such Prin­ciples and Dispositions as in their own nature tend to make themselves happy, as well as a Government strong and prosperous: It in­structs and obliges them to obey Magistrates, not only for Fear, but out of Conscience. And as Piety and Virtue do thus evidently conduce to the Stability and Happiness of any Kingdom and Government; so Vice and Irreligion, in the natural consequences of them, tend to bring Decay and Ruine upon them, as they unquali­fie Magistrates for Government, and make Homo sine Reli­gione, si­cut equus sine fraenc. Subjects unfit for Commands, averse to all good Order, and destructive instead of help­full Members of a Community; from whence [...]. Plutarch might justly esteem it the Founda­tion or Cement of Humane Society; In Ma­gistratu­um insti­tutione prima sit cura de Religione. [...]. Plato conclude, That in the Institution of Magistra­cy the first and chief Care should be of Religi­on; and the Famous Sine maenibus Civitas potest stare, sine virtute nullo mode potest. Scipio observe, That it [Page 100] was impossible any City should stand if their Manners were depraved, tho' their Walls were never so firm. Accordingly, I conceive, there have been but few, if any, amongst the anci­ent and celebrated Legislators and Statesmen, whatever there have been among our Modern, who have not had the greatest Regard to Reli­gion in the Modelling and Governing of Civil Societies; for how is it possible to conceive that any State should long stand and be prosperous without Honesty or Peace? Religio neglecta maximam pestem in Civitatem insert, om­nium sce­lerum fe­nestram aperit. Or that it should either enjoy a lasting Peace, or have a general Honesty, without Religion? And therefore it was no weak, tho' a wicked Piece of Policy which they tell us of a King of Assyria, who chose rather to endeavour to overcome the City of Babylon, by sending in of Players, Lewd Wo­men, &c. to debauch it, (by which means he effectually did it, and at last obtained his End) than to invade it with a powerfull Army. Upon the whole Matter, We may dare to challenge all the Politicians in the World to form a sound Scheme of Government without supposing and securing Religion for the Basis of it. And as we never heard of a Government that publick­ly declared for Immorality, so if we could ever suppose there should be any such, nay, that there were such a one, where a considerable Number of such Monsters should obtain and keep the Ascendency in any Government, we might conclude what its Fate would sooner or later be. Accidit Magistra­tuum neg­ligentia, & vitiis No­bilium, ci­ves paula­tim à vir­tute de­sciscunt, variisque malis rem­publicam afficiunt, quibus in­undatis rempubli­cam flu­ctuare ne­cesse est. For when Religion is despis'd, and [Page 101] Virtue is lost in a Nation, which, as hath been proved, would in time be the consequence of a publick Contempt of it, how easie a Prey will it prove to its Neighbours? Or how unavoid­ably will it fall into Divisions, Confusion and Ruine of it self?

Of such consequence therefore Religion and Virtue seem plainly to be to a Nation, abstra­cting from the Consideration of a Just God that rules in the Kingdoms of the Earth, that re­wards Righteous Nations with Prosperity, and executes Justice upon those that are Wicked, which we must believe if we have any due re­gard to Sacred or Prophane History, to the Experience and Suffrage of all Ages of the World. For thus it is said in the Holy Scrip­tures, to this purpose, The Nation and Kingdom Isa 60. 12. that will not serve thee, shall perish: yea, those Nations shall be utterly wasted. A fruitfull Psal. 107. 34. Land he turneth into Barrenness for the Wick­edness of them that dwell therein. And by the Account that is given us in the Word of God of the Divine Justice, of God's charging Deut. 21. 1, 8, 9. Guilt upon Nations, as well as upon particular Persons, and of his Proceeding with the Old World, the Jewish Nation, &c. have we not sufficient Reason to think, that in the ordina­ry Course of God's Providence, a Nation that is eminently Righteous should have his Blessing in an eminent Manner; and that a Nation that is remarkably Wicked will feel, sooner or later, the Effects of his Displeasure? We are acquain­ted, [Page 102] that before God destroyed the Old World, He saw that the Wickedness of Man was great in Gen. 6. 5. Ver. 12. the Earth. That all Flesh had corrupted his Way upon Earth. And their Sin is given as the Reason of their Destruction. And God Ver. 13. said unto Noah, The End of all Flesh is come before me, for the Earth is filled with Vio­lence through them: and behold, I will de­stroy them with the Earth. Accordingly we may observe, that the Providences of God towards the Jewish Nation were very emi­nently suited to their Behaviour: That though the Jews were the peculiar People of God, and highly blessed, they were frequently punished by God, and at last destroyed for their Sins. That their Kings, the chief of their Priests, and their People, did wickedly, and after the way of the Heathen, before they were led into Cap­tivity, and Crucified the Lord of Life, whose Mat. 27. 25. Blood they called for upon themselves and their Children, before they were finally destroyed: And as their Destruction, which our Saviour Mat. 24. Mark 13. foretold, is, I think, agreed on all hands to have been one of the most dreadfull in­stances of Misery that have been known to have befallen any Nation either before or since that time: So [...]. Jose­phus de Bello Judaico, Lib. 6. cap. 11. F. 933. Josephus, though a Jew, a cele­brated Historian, thus says, That as he thought no Nation ever suffered such things; so no Nati­on, from the beginning of the World, did ever so abound in all manner of Impiety; to which [Page 103] Christians in this Age may justly add, That by their continuing for so many Hundred Years to be a despised and vagabond People, and scattered throughout the World, without City or Country, without Temple or Altar that we know of, no Nation seems ever to have been so terrible and lasting a Monument of God's Displeasure for National Sin, as that which this People was guilty of seems to be so much greater, and to have higher Aggravati­ons than the Sin of any other Nation. The Holy Scriptures give the like Account of the Destruction of Damascus; Thus saith the Lord, Amos 1. 3. For three Transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the Punishment thereof; so of Gaza, of Tyrus, of Edom, and of Ammon. Ver. 6. 9, 11, 13. And inform us that God raised up Cyrus, calling him by his Name before he was in being, for the Punishment of the Sins of Babylon. Thus saith the Lord to his Anointed, to Cyrus, whose Isa. 45. 1. Right-hand I have holden to subdue Nations be­fore him: and I will loose the loins of Kings to open before him the two-leaved Gates, and the Gates shall not be shut. I will go before thee, Ver. 2. and make the crooked places straight. For Ja­cob Ver. 4. my Servant's sake, and Israel my Elect, I have even called thee by thy Name: I have sur­named thee though thou hast not known me. And does not prophane History tell us, among a Multitude of other Instances that might be heaped up, That as the Pride and Voluptuous­ness of the Babylonians, so the Lewdness of the [Page 104] Persians, and the Luxury of the Greeks, seem'd, with their other Sins, to be the remarkable Cau­ses of the Ruine of those Empires: And that the Romans, who had been a People so eminent in their Morals, that Non est quod de summi & veri Dei justitia conque­rantur; percepe­runt mer­cedem su­am, lib. 5. de Civ. Dei, cap. 15. St. Austin thought that God might allow them the Government of the World for the Reward of their Virtue, even under the Advantages of the Christian Religion became so very Degenerate and Debauched be­fore the Devastations and Ruine of their Em­pire by the poor Goths, Vandals, and Huns, one of whose chief Leaders called himself Flagel­lum Dei, the Scourge of God, that gave Occasi­on to a Father to cry out, In no­bis pati­tur Chri­stus oppro­brium, in nobis pa­titur lex Christiana maledi­ctum, Sal­vian. That the Name of Christ became a Scorn, and the Christian Religi­on was reproached by the Lives of Christians. And to take some Notice of our own Coun­try, Do not the Historians of it acquaint us, that the Britains, the ancient Inhabitants of it, Incolae aborigines moribus simplices integrique existunt, longè à nostro­rum ho­minum a­stutia ver­sutiaque remoti, Diodorus Siculus. who had been remarkable for the Uncorrupt­ness of their Manners, were degenerated from the Incolarum mores quod attinet; fuerunt antiqui Britanni religionis & disciplinarum cultores maximi, Rob. Sheringham, de Anglorum gentis [...]rigine, p. 14. Gildas de Excid. Britanniae. Simplicity and Sobriety of their Ance­stours, and were, 'tis said, for that Reason fore­warned of their Misery before the Romans in­vaded them; and that after the Romans quit­ted their Country there succeeded a great Li­centiousness; very many after their embracing the Christian Religion turning Idolaters, before the Saxons Invasion of them, a poor People, [Page 105] but it seems of more honest Manners, that came from the Northern Parts of Germany; and that before their next sad Catastrophe by the Normans Conquest of this Nation, Piety and all good Literature were grown out of fa­shion; that the Clergy could scarce read Divine Service; that the Gentry were given up to Lux­ury, and a dissolute Life, and the Meaner sort spent what they had in Rioting, Drunkenness, and other Vices, by which means (saith the Histo­rian) Duke William had so great Advantage, and gained the Conquest of them: from whence our English Writers conclude the Saxon History almost in the same Words, and to this effect; If these (say they, speaking of their Sins) were in all probability the Causes of God's Judg­ments on our Ancestours, surely every one in this corrupt Age ought to take care to avoid them, lest the same Judgments fall upon them. And lastly, to add no more, are not the formerly famous Asian and Greek Churches, if not some of the Protestant, in several Parts of the World, which are miserably oppressed, and brought almost to Desolation within a few Years past, particularly that of France, of whose dreadfull Misery we have so many li­ving Testimonies now among us, lookt on as sad Instances to confirm us in the Opinion of Ages, That Religion and Virtue are the only firm Foundation for the Prosperity of any Na­tion, and Irreligion the most fatal Evil to it. That where there is a general Corruption of [Page 106] Manners things tend to a Dissolution and Ru­ine, as well by Natural consequences, with the Permission of God, as by his righteous Judg­ments; and that therefore it is not to be ex­pected that the crying Sins of a Nation will always escape Punishment unless prevented by Repentance; for the same Causes produce the same Effects, Virtue and Vice do not change their Nature, and there is no variableness with our God, whose Justice is immutable. Did not our Fathers thus, and did not our God bring all Neh. 13. 18. this Evil upon us, and upon this City? says the Prophet. And therefore, if after all that our Fathers have told us of these things, and what some of us have moreover seen with our own Eyes; I mean the late terrible Civil Wars, which, I hope, none will believe for our Piety and Virtue broke out, and lasted so long among us within some of our Memories, and which was soon after succeeded with a dread­full Fire and Plague in this City, and the Mi­sery that is since that fallen upon our Fellow-Christians in France, in Hungary and the Palatinate, we make no better use of what we have seen and heard, and of the vari­ous Providences we have been under, than to oppose the design of them, by continuing impe­nitent, have we not great Reason to fear, that God may rescue his Gospel from our prophane Outrages, our impious Violations, and give it to some other Nation, that may bring forth bet­ter Fruits of it, or in some other way, agreea­ble [Page 107] to his infinite Wisdom and Justice, punish Lev. 26. 18. us yet seven times more for our Sins? Or as Ez­ra expresses it on another like Occasion; And after all that is come upon us for our Evil deeds, Ezra 9. 13. and for our great Trespass, seeing that Thou, our God, hast punished us less than our Iniquities de­serve, and hast given us such Deliverance as this: Should we again break thy Commandments, and Ver. 14. join in Affinity with the People of these Abomi­nations, wouldst not thou be angry with us, till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? The Almighty God cannot want Power to effect our Ruine. If we reckon our selves secure by our present Peace, from a late powerfull Enemy, (which I shall not here inquire into the Reasons of) He can raise up new ones to us. And if we have no Enemies from abroad. He can suffer us to be­come our own greatest Enemies, to fall into Confusion and Ruine by our Unchristian Quar­rels and senseless Divisions at Home, which are too many and too high to make this appear to thinking Men a foreign Supposition, or an unnecessary Warning. If he stops the Influen­ces of Heaven, or lets loose the Elements up­on us, we perish. A Pestilence, or a Deluge, an Earthquake, or a Dearth, might soon de­stroy us. And if a general Relaxation of Man­ners, a Corruption in most, if not all Orders and Parties; if a visible Contempt of the sin­cere Practice of Religion, and bare-fac'd, inso­lent and unrestrained Wickedness; if a mon­strous [Page 108] Debauchery in Principles as well as Practice; if Contentions and Divisions, with­out reason and without end, and almost with­out Example; if high Ingratitude to God for many and great Mercies, and a deep Insensi­bility under imminent danger of Judgments, are sad Indications of a Nation's Degeneracy and Guilt, it cannot, I think, be denied, but that this was too near the dismal Case of En­gland, in Relation to Religion, when the En­deavours of Reformation, which I have given an Account of, began among us, about Eight Years since, how much soever we may dislike the Representation of it, and, to speak plainly, continues very much so still; and therefore though God may give a People a lon­ger or shorter time of Tryal, as seems fit to his infinite Wisdom, He may defer the Execu­tion of his Wrath till the Iniquities of a People Gen. 15. 16. are at the full, which the longer it is delayed, the severer it may be when it comes: And though it is not for us rashly to say when a Nation hath filled up the Measure of its Sins, and much less to presume to know the Extent of infinite Patience and Forbearance, yet it may, I think, be said in this Case, with Re­verence, that considering the great Advanta­ges and Blessings we have so long enjoyed, and what shameful Returns we have made to God for them, there seems not much, if any thing more to be wanting, to make this Nati­on as guilty as most under Heaven, if not to [Page 109] be ripe for Judgment, than the Discountenance and Unsuccessfulness of pious and regular En­deavours for the Reforming us; and nothing, I think, can be reasonably supposed sufficient to remove our Guilt, than some considerable and remarkable Reformation, and perhaps car­ried through all Ranks and Orders of Men, through all Parts of the Kingdom; such a one as may be in some measure proportioned to the Leprosie of Vice and Prophaneness that seems to have almost over-spread us. But if we do truly repent of all our Abominations, and turn from our wicked ways; if we lay aside our un­necessary Strifes, and our unchristian Conten­tions with one another, which we have so long felt the dismal Effects of; if we express our Zeal, and unite our Strength against the Pa­trons of Vice, who are the Enemies of God and Goodness, more than against those that differ from us in some few things, and those of lesser moment, but agree with us, I con­ceive, in those that are essential; if we sincere­ly, and without delay, set about and further all pious and proper Endeavours for a National Reformation, truly pursue the things that be­long to our Peace, it still seems with us a Day of Mercy, and the Scriptures give us Encou­ragement to hope, that we may not perish. For thus it is said, At what instant I shall speak con­cerning J [...]r [...] 8. 7, 8. a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it: If that Nation against whom I have pronounced, [Page 110] turn from their Evil, I will repent of the Evil that I thought to do unto them.

Having thus endeavoured to prove the Com­mon Obligation which lies upon All Men, as Christians, and as Members of the Community, to use their sincere Endeavours for a General and National Reformation, and the Special Obligations of Governours and Ministers, of Subordinate Magistrates and Inferiour Officers, from either the Nature of their Office and Trust, or their express Oaths to this purpose; and having more largely insisted on the Reasons for private Persons giving of Informations of the Violations of the Laws of Religion and their Country, and the Magistrates Obligation highly to encourage those who do so, to make this their excellent Service to their Country as safe and as easie to them as they can, by directing their Judg­ments excusing their innocent Inadvertencies, by making Examples of any obstinate Criminals that shall dare impiously affront and obstruct them in it; and having likewise represented the danger of God's Judgments, and of our Ruine, if we continue unreformed, and the Blessings and Advantages we may hope to obtain to our selves, our Country, and our Posterity, in the hearty forwarding any just and pious Designs and Endeavours for such a Reformation; as Virtue is the way to the Happiness of particular Persons, of private Families, and the Prosperity of Nations; and the Suppressing of Vice and Prophaneness by Humane Laws, that are a­greeable [Page 111] to the Laws of God, seems to be the nearest and most probable way, in our present Circumstances, for the retrieving of the Virtue of the Nation; without which, if we could sup­pose that this Kingdom would continue to be prosperous, I do not easily conceive how wise and good Men should either take much Pleasure in Living otherwise than in Obedience to the Will, and for the Glory of God, and the work­ing out their own Salvation, or in the Thoughts of leaving a Posterity behind them in a Nati­on where there is no more Religion, or even common Honesty; I intended, I say, having done this, in the next place to offer some Ar­guments against those Vices that are most reigning among us, as Leudness, Prophane Swearing and Cursing, Drunkenness, &c. in hopes that the Representation of the Baseness, the Folly and Beastiality of those Sins, together with the various and great Mischiefs they bring upon the Publick, but more especially often upon those unhappy Men that are addicted to them, in respect to their Estates and Reputa­tion, their Persons and Posterity, their Bodies and Souls, would shew so much the Evil and Deformity of them, that it might be a means to keep some at least from falling in Love with them, and of disingaging others from them who are already ensnared in them, even as the Sight of a Drunkard to a thinking Man is a good Lecture against Drunkenness: But these Sheets growing to a Bulk, far beyond what I at first [Page 112] proposed, I shall lay aside (perhaps for some other Occasion) the Materials which were pre­pared for this purpose; and I shall the rather do so, Mat. 5. 28, 34. Matt. 15. 18, 19. Rom. 1. 24.—27. 29. 13, 14. 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. -13. 18. Gal. 5. 19. 21. Eph. 5. 3, 5, 6. Col. 3. 5, 6. since these Vices are plainly condem­ned by the Word of God, which expresly ex­cludes Drunkards and Ʋnclean Persons, &c. from the Kingdom of Heaven; and that we find, by sad Experience, that those who are fully reconciled to their Lusts, who are mise­rably abandoned to the Conduct of Custom and ill Example, seem too generally almost deaf to the Calls of Conscience, to all Representati­ons of this kind, nay often even to the power­full Rhetorick of the Gospel; at least they fre­quently make, for want of Consideration, and other proper means, no great and lasting Im­pressions upon them. And this, I conceive, makes the use of other Methods with such Men necessary, not only for their own sakes, but for the publick Safety, that those that are Lethar­gick, and almost dead in their Sins, yet having Senses still to feel the Stroaks of Justice, may, tho' never so stubborn, be bowed in some mea­sure to discipline, and punish'd into a better outward Behaviour, if they cannot into such a serious Consideration of their Sin and Folly as may end in an inward and entire Reformation of their Lives, which is by no means to be totally despaired of. For as the allowed Habits of these Sins exclude Men from the Kingdom of Heaven, in the Opinion of Divines they ought to shut out those who are guilty of them [Page 113] from the Communion with the Church on Earth, till they give some signs of their Re­pentance, as, 'tis allowed, they would have done if they had lived in the first Ages of Chri­stianity, when such Offenders, which now make too great a part of the visible Church, were looked on as a kind of Monsters, and, like putrefy'd Members, were cut off, as being not only extreamly dangerous, but very noisome to the Body. But till the Ecclesiastical Power, which is now so weakned, and hath, to speak justly, lost its Credit, is recovered to its Pri­mitive Design, and the ancient Discipline of the Church is in some measure restored, which, 'tis to be hoped, we shall not always think sufficient, especially under the present Reign, publickly to lament the loss of once a Year, in the Office for Ash-Wednesday, but shall in good earnest endeavour to restore. There is, I conceive, evidently greater reason to engage the secular Arm in this matter, that those upon whom the gentle Methods of Per­suasion have little or no force, and whom the Ecclesiastical Power does not and will not take any Notice of, should be severely punished, and restrained by the Civil Government; that they should be treated as a sort of Out-Laws, and as common Enemies to their Country: For publick Immoralities are Offences against the Peace and Happiness of Mankind, against the Government and the Laws, as well as a­gainst the Christian Religion, which is not [Page 114] only now incorporated into the Law of the Land, but does above all other things promote the Safety and Prosperity of Government, and of particular Persons, which Offences of this kind directly tend to the destroying of, even to the dissolving the band of Humane Society; and if so, surely it behoves good Men, by all proper measures, to assist Magistrates in their Endeavours effectually to suppress them. If bad Men don't approve of these Methods, 'tis no wonder; they are Enemies to good Order, Law, and Justice, because these things are troublesome to them. There is no doubt but the Gallows is a great Grievance to Murtherers, the Discipline of Bridewell to Whores, the Pil­lory to the Perjured, and the Stocks to Drun­kards: But such Grievances as these are, I conceive, of near as long standing as Govern­ment, and will not be thought proper to be laid aside whilst it lasts, or at least till there is not so much Occasion for them, since, as hath been proved, Facile est imperium in bonos. its Interest and chief Business is to cherish and support Religion, and, by con­sequence, to take care that it be not treated with any disrespect, particularly, that it be not made the Scorn of any Order or Body of Men, the common Subject of the Prophane Play-Houses, or the Sport of Buffoons; and that the open Violations of it by Prophane Swearing and Cursing, Drunkenness, Lewdness, &c. be suppressed, as all wise Nations, I conceive, have ever done, and ever will do.

Against these Enormities therefore that are the Plagues of Government, the Enemies of our Peace, the Dishonour of our Religion, and the Reproach of our Nation, have the Societies of Reformation applied themselves, with so great Success, as to give so very promising hopes as have been represented, of a general Concurrence and Union of the Virtuous part of the Nation in the same Design, and in con­sequence of a National Reformation; and their Endeavours have been carried on, as hath been observed, for above Eight Years with as little or less occasion given to their Enemies of Objecti­on either to the Methods of their Proceedings, or to the Behaviour of the Persons concerned in them, as perhaps have been often known in Matters of the greatest Consequence, where such a number of Persons have been engaged, (though if the Prudence of some good Men, who are either already engaged, or that shall hereafter be concerned in this Undertaking, is or should be less than their Zeal, it will, I hope, be far from giving wise and well-mean­ing Men a just Prejudice to the Design it self, or keeping them from Assisting in it.) But, blessed be God, a more glorious Prospect hath been lately given us by the Address of the late House of Commons to His Majesty, for the Suppressing of Prophaneness and Debauchery, and His Majesty's Proclamation in pursuance of it, and His Princely Word in His Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament. We [Page 116] have now then, 'tis evident, His Majesty's posi­tive Commands, together with the concurrent Advice in this Matter of the late great Repre­sentative Body of the Commons of England, for things, I conceive, not only unquestionably lawfull, but highly important, and necessary, for the strict Execution of the known Laws of the Land, against Prophaneness and Im­morality, agreeably, to the Word of God, that acquaints us, That the Magistrate beareth not the Sword in Vain, That Rulers are not a Rom. 13 4. Ver. 3. Terrour to good Works, but to the evil, &c. Whoever therefore they are that in this Case oppose the King's Commands, who either openly obstruct, or secretly undermine the Endeavours of those who act in this Affair in Obedience to the Will of God, the Com­mand of the King, and for the Good of their Country, will, I think, find it somewhat dif­ficult to acquit themselves from great Im­piety. And now can any that love their God, their Religion, or their Country, hear of these transporting things without being affected with greater Joy than any Success in their own secular Concerns would give them, and without thinking themselves under high Obligations, after they have pretended to Fast, and Pray, and Mourn for our publick Sins for so many Years past, (as most, if not all Orders of Men and Parties among us have done) to do what they are able in their se­veral Stations for the Suppressing of Prophane­ness [Page 117] and Immorality, and for the perfecting of this great Work of REFORMATION, which, I conceive, it had been our Duty to promote, if we had not met with so much En­couragement and Assistance from our Gover­nours? But how much stronger Obligations do now lie upon us to do it? And how shame­full and inexcusable will our Neglect of it be, now we have such an Opportunity by His Ma­jesty's repeated Declarations for our Engaging in it, by the Advances that are already made, and the Methods that are laid, as perhaps may never again be offered us if we neglect this? in Prosecution whereof it would, I think, be­come us to adventure all our dearest Interests in this World, nay, a Thousand Lives, if we had them to lose. Behold then a glorious Op­portunity for all that make a Profession of Re­ligion, or any pretence to Virtue, of what Rank soever, to signalize their Love and Faith­fulness to their great Lord and Master, their Neighbour, and their Country. To all Or­ders of Men therefore whose Service His Ma­jesty hath required to promote this great, this necessary Work, and who would not share in the dreadful Guilt and lasting Infamy of neg­lecting to promote a Reformation of Manners, which now seems to be put very much in our power, with God's Blessing, to see effected, I ask leave, upon these Glorious Encouragements, with all due respect, to address my self.

To the NOBILITY, that they would be pleased to consider, That true Greatness doth not consist in the having of swelling Ti­tles, high Places, great Power, or large Terri­tories, which, tho' they may be sometimes the Reward of virtuous and brave Actions as they ought to be, are often the Gifts of Nature, and it may be too frequently the Acquests of such Crimes as deserve Punishment, instead of Re­compence: That the Persons who in all Ages have been most beloved and reverenced when Alive, and most honoured by wise and good Men when Dead, have been those who have been most beneficent and serviceable to the World; not those who have amassed the grea­test Estates, and acquired the loftiest Titles to themselves; the blind Heathens erected not their Altars to those that they did not think were some way or other usefull or serviceable to Mankind: That they would therefore be perswaded that nothing will render them so much Blessings to their Country, so truly no­ble and esteemed, as their being Patrons of Religion and Virtue: That they are not in their high Stations too great for that Employ­ment which is the greatest Glory of Princes, to set up their Standards for Religion, and de­clare War against Vice and Prophaneness, Haud difficilius est errare naturam quam principem fui dissimilem formare rempublicam. Quaecun (que) mutatio in principibus extiterit, [...]eandem populo secutam. Cic. after the Example, and under the Conduct [Page 119] of such a Prince and Leader as hath graciously declared, in his Speech to both Houses of Par­liament, that He esteems it one of the greatest Advantages of Peace that he is now at Leisure to apply himself to the Suppressing of Prophaneness and Immoralities; and hath thereby given us some reason to hope, that he may think it a far greater Glory of his Reign to be an Instru­ment in God's Hand of delivering us from the Slavery of our Vices, of making us a virtuous, and, by consequence, a happy People, than in procuring us any other present and secular Fe­licities and Advantages, and at last leaving us deluged in such Impieties as Infidels abhor, and which may make God our Enemy, and draw down his Vengeance upon us: That they would for this purpose consider the Influence of their Authority, their Interest, their For­tunes, and their Example, and Employ, which they cannot without high Ingratitude omit, these and the other Advantages they have a­bove Men of lower Ranks, for the Glory of that God by whose Permission they have them, for the Noble purposes of Opposing and Sup­pressing Debauchery and Prophaneness, the re­trieving the Reputation of Virtue, the further­ing the Interests of Religion, and the saving of their Country, which hath seemed to have de­clared in favour of Vice and Ruine, and there­by approve themselves to the King, (as He hath now assured them they will) to the Wise and Virtuous part of the Nation to their own [Page 120] Consciences, to their Posterity, and, above all, to the most High God.

To the Reverend the CLERGY, That they who are looked upon as the Ambassa­dours of the Great God of Heaven and Earth, and sent upon the most important Business of Reconciling Men to God, and Watching for their 2 Cor. 5. 18, 20. Heb. 13. 17. Souls, and have, as I conceive, their Honour, their Dignities, and their Revenues, given them without the common Incumbrances of other Men, in regard to their Sacred Office, and that they may attend without Worldly Cares, and with the greatest Advantage to their Spiritual Employment, would consider whether they have not a more favourable Opportunity for the Work of their Ministry, and a National Reformation, at this time, than they have had for many years past. They cannot, I humbly presume, but be sensible of the most deplorable Degeneracy of this Nati­on, that the great Decay of Religion, and the Leprosie of Vice and Prophaneness with which it is almost overspread, does threaten its Ru­ine; and that they have great reason to take to heart the no greater Success of their Endea­vours for the Reforming of us; that their Discipline, which if it had been in force, might have proved a Bank against the Flood of Wic­kedness that is broken in upon us, is now so lost, that it is of little use to them for this pur­pose; that there appears too great ground to [Page 121] fear that the Tide of Wickedness will not be stopped whilst Religion is openly dishonoured, Virtue despised, and Vice and Prophaneness are so daring and triumphant, that Men com­mit them not only with Impunity, but Glo­ry in them, so as to esteem it an Act of Gal­lantry to ridicule their Sacred Office, to con­temn things Sacred, and an Ornament of Style to imprecate Damnation upon themselves. Is not this a Time for them that are Spiritual Watchmen, and Overseers of the Flock of Christ, Isa. 52. 8. 56. 10. Acts 20. 28. as they have a Concern for God's Honour, and would prevent his Judgments falling upon us; as they would consult the Honour and Interest of their sacred Order, and their own Reputa­tion, to concur with His Majesty's pious De­clarations for this purpose, and cheerfully to embrace the Assistance of the Civil Power for the Vindicating of the Honour of God's Laws, the Stopping the Avenues to notorious Enor­mities, the breaking the hellish Confederacies, and the taking out of publick View the conta­gious Examples of bad Men; and by these Methods to prepare Men the better for the Re­storation of godly Discipline, for the greater In­fluence of their Doctrine, and good Examples upon their Minds? Is not this a Time for them to favour the successfull Endeavours of the So­cieties of Reformation, which are levell'd at the strong holds of Debauchery; and the Religious Societies, that are now spreading through the Kingdom, that seem so directly to tend to the [Page 122] Promoting the Power of Religion, so far as they carry on those great Ends, (wherein we may, I think, appeal to the whole Christian World whether they do not do it) and readi­ly to accept of the Assistance that is now, or hereafter may be given them by Christians of any Denomination, in the common Cause of Christianity? And if they can think of any other or better Measures than those that are recommended in these Papers, that may pro­mote the Glory of God, and the Good of Souls, for whom Christ died, and their own comfort­able Account of themselves to Him that will judge the Quick and Dead, to engage in them 2 Tim. 4. 1, 2. without delay, with united Counsels and En­deavours, with double Diligence and Zeal, and in Conjunction with all the various Works of their Ministry, among which their going from House to House for the enquiring into the Acts 20. 20, 21. Spiritual State of the Souls of those that are committed to their Charge, and the applying proper Directions, and Encouragements accor­dingly, in the Judgment of the most pious Divines I have had the Honour to know, is thought to be a very usefull Method, is what one of the most Dr. Stil­lingfleet the late Bishop of Worce­ster's Charge to the Clergy of his Dio­cess, p. 25. Learned Prelates of this Age and Nation hath in his printed Charge to the Clergy of his Diocess put them in mind of; and which The Bi­shop of Sa­lisbury's Pastoral Care, p. 207. another of our Learned Bishops hath told this Sacred Order, in his Pastoral Care, published by the particular Approbati­on of the late Great Primate Arch-Bishop Til­lotson, [Page 123] is to be lookt on as the Foundation (an Exemplary Life being supposed) on which all the other parts of the Ministerial Office may be well managed; and which he says will seem no hard matter to such as have a right sense of their Ordination Vows, of the Digni­ty of their Function, or the Value of Souls.

To the MAGISTRATES of all kinds, That they would make just Reflections upon that terrible and lasting Imputation that they do now lie under by His Majesty' s Proclamation, (which is to be read Four times a Year in all Churches through the Nation) and the Ad­dress of the late Honourable House of Com­mons to the King, of their being so great a Cause of the Debauchery and Prophaneness of the Kingdom, by their ill Example and Negligence in their Office: That they would consider, as hath been observed, how many Nations have been ruined, and Cities brought to a heap of Rubbish for their Immoralities, which the Magistrates Vigilance might have prevented: That their Power comes from God, the Foun­tain of all Power; and that they are supposed to be entrusted with it for his Honour, and the Good of his People: That by their faithfully Executing the Laws against Offenders, parti­cularly those that are made for the Honour of God, the Suppressing of Prophaneness and Im­morality; they are to be a Terrour to Evil doers; and in order to this, that they would [Page 124] therefore remember, That as the poorest Wretch hath a Talent that he must render an Account of, they must expect one day to appear at a Tribunal themselves, and give an Account of the discharge of their Oaths and Trusts, of the Employment of their Authority, and their other Advantages, and for the Deluge of Evils that either hath or may fall upon the Nation through their wilfull Neglect of their Duty; for our Blessed Saviour hath told us, That unto Luk. 12. 48. whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required. And the Authour of the Book of Wisdom thus expresses himself to this purpose; Hear therefore, O ye Kings, and understand; Wisd. 6. 1. learn ye that be Judges of the Ends of the Earth. Give ear, you that rule the People, and glory in 2. the Multitude of Nations; for Power is given you of the Lord, and Sovereignty from the Highest, 3. who shall try your Works, and search out your Counsels, because, being Ministers of his King­dom, 4. you have not judged aright, nor kept the Law, nor walked after the Counsel of God. Hor­ribly and speedily shall he come upon you: for 5. a sharp Judgment shall be to them that be in high Places. For Mercy will soon pardon the Mea­nest, 6. but mighty Men shall be mightily tormen­ted.

To the GENTRY and COMMONALTY of the Nation, that they consider, That tho' they have not the particular Oaths and Vows, the Trusts and Authority of any of the Orders [Page 125] I have mentioned, they have notwithstanding their Baptismal Engagements upon 'em, which they own when they come to the Holy Com­munion; and that if they would acquit them­selves as Christians, they must endeavout to be such in all their Relations; to behave themselves as good Magistrates and Sub­jects, as good Citizens, and Members of their Community, as well as good Masters and Ser­vants, good Parents and Children; but that they cannot be reasonably thought to be so without having a Love to God, a Zeal for his Honour, or a Concern for the Welfare of their Neighbours, and of the Community of which they are a part; and that it may be doubted whether they can have either if they can con­tentedly hear, without any Concern, Men openly affront their God, bid Defiance to his Laws, go on with a full Career to Destruction, and bring Decay and Ruine upon their Coun­try, which, 'tis evident, they may use proper and effectual means to prevent, as particularly by their giving of Informations of enormous Offences to the Magistrate, (which I have in another place more largely insisted on) and which they have at this time so fair an Oppor­tunity to employ as is offer'd them by the De­clarations of the Government, and the Assi­stance of such Bodies of Christians that are not only in and about this City, but that are spreading through the Cities and Corporations of the Kingdom. And do you think it disho­nourable [Page 126] for you to conceal any Offences that endanger the Government, or any Injuries that are done your Neighbour, when you can do him right by the bare discovering of it to the Magistrate? Is it reckoned an Act of Bra­very to adventure your Lives in the taking of a Thief, or a Murtherer? An Act of Charity to prevent any Injury to your Neighbour in his civil Concerns, to hinder a Fool or a Lu­natick from wounding of his Body, or de­stroying his Life? And is not a sincere endea­vour to prevent the publick Dishonour of the Name, the Day, and the Laws of God, by ac­quainting the Magistrate with these high Of­fences, in order to the Suppressing of them, as is done with general Approbation and Ap­plause in other ordinary Cases, when Men's pri­vate Rights, the Security of the Government, or the Welfare of the Nation is concerned, an honourable Work, and becoming Christians? Does it become a Soldier of Christ Jesus to see Him publickly affronted; to hear his Name and Wounds mentioned oftner in horrid Oaths and Execrations than in serious Discourses; his Laws trampled on; and their Fellow-Christi­ans to live in the open Commission of such Sins as manifestly tend to bring great Calamities up­on them in this World, to destroy their Souls, and draw down National Judgments, with­out taking any kind of Notice of these things, and only for fear of meeting with reproach­full Words, or rude Treatment (which yet the [Page 127] Magistrate, if he hath a just sense of his Duty, will not suffer) from a hardned Offender, or the Advocates of Vice; from such whose Commendations a virtuous Man would be in­clined to look on as a real Disparagement, and their Company a Scandal, and when, in the Discharge of what they justly apprehend to be their Duty, they may have, for their Comfort and Support, some of the great Rewards of Religion in this World, the Approbation of their own Consciences, and of good Men, with the hopes of an Everlasting Reward on the other side of the Grave? Can this be imagined to be a signification of a Zeal for God, of our lov­ing Him with all our Hearts, &c. or our Neigh­bour Matt. 22. 37, 38. 39. as our selves? Does this Behaviour a­dorn the Gospel? Would the Christians of old have thought well of it? Or is it sufficient for us to call our selves the Disciples of the Blessed Jesus, who went about doing good, without en­deavouring, Act. 10. 38. in any degree, to follow his glori­ous Example?

Herein then our Gentry and Commonalty seem to have a great Opportunity of further­ing the Work of Reformation: But this is not all the Advantage they have, if the Laws that relate to Religion are upon so many and such momentous Considerations thus Zealously to be put in Execution, it is, I think, evident, that not only those Persons that violate and contemn those Laws, but those that are un­concerned for, and discourage the Execution [Page 128] of them, cannot, with any Colour of Reason; be esteemed Friends to their Country, but ra­ther as unworthy to live in it, and enjoy the common Benefits of it; Omnes quidem Magistra­tus in be­ne consti­tuenda re­publica convenit esse virtu­te praedi­tos, sed maximè eos qui se­natoriae dignitatis gradum obtinent, nec est laudanda respublica in qua pe­raeque bo­nis & ma­lis pru­dentibus & stultis honores tribuan­tur, quare legibus hos opor­tet esse de­scriptos ut quorum virtus in­dustriaque fit bono­rum ap­probatio­ne com­mendata, his honos debeatur. Unde in antiquorum rebuspub. statuae, arcus triumpha­les, sepulchra publica, laudationes, & alia id genus meritis tribuautur. and if so, they are unquestionably much more unfit for, and unworthy of Posts of Honour and Trust; and those that concern themselves for the Election or Promotion of such Persons to publick Pla­ces, when Men of Virtue may be easily found to accept of them, and perhaps offer them­selves to their Choice, upon the account of their Titles or Estates, of their Relation or Friendship to them, and I think I may fur­ther add, for their being of their Faction or Party, may deservedly be judged to behave themselves very unbecoming good Common-Wealths-Men and good Christians, to act therein as very mischievous Members of the Community, and even Enemies to their Re­ligion and Country; on the contrary, they who are truly Religious, who not only keep the Laws themselves, but are diligent to ex­ecute the Laws, or zealously encourage and assist others in the furthering the Execution of them, are to be looked on, by those that make any just pretence to Virtue, as Benefa­ctors to the Community, of which they are Members, as proper Persons to be honourably distinguished, which it behoves all Men to [Page 129] consider, who are any ways concerned in this Matter, and would shew their sincere Regard for the Interest of Religion, or their Country, particularly [...] Isoc Path p. 513. the Gentry and Com­monalty of England, to whom I am addressing my self, in the Election of their Representa­tives in Parliament, of Magistrates in Corpo­rations, and Subordinate Officers in them, and all other Places throughout the Kingdom, on whose Behaviour the Welfare of the Nation does so much depend, lest when they might have served the true Interests of Religion and the Nation, by their making Choice of such worthy Persons as might have proved great Blessings to us, if they had been thus employ­ed, by their Faithfulness in their Trusts, and by the happy Influence of their good Exam­ple; they, on the other hand, by being instru­mental in the Election or Promotion of vici­ous Men, especially after the evil of their do­ing so is represented to them, may perhaps draw a Guilt upon themselves of Partaking in other Men's Sins, of being Accessory, in some degree, to the Mischief that is done by the Negligence and Unfaithfulness of such Persons in their Duty whom they make Choice of, as well as by the malignant Influence of their ill Examples upon others. Hath God Almighty [Page 130] said by the Prophet, 1 Sam. 2. 30. Them that honour me I will honour; and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed. Hath Holy David said, Ps. 101. 6. Mine Eyes shall be upon the Faithfull of the Land, that they may dwell with me: He that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. Hath the King lately declared in his Proclamation, That vicious Men are a Discredit to his Kingdom, and that he will discountenance and punish Immo­rality and Prophaneness in Persons of the highest and lowest degree, particularly in such as are employed near his Royal Person; and that he will, upon all Occasions, distinguish Men of Piety and Virtue by Marks of his Royal Favour? And lastly, hath the Commons of England, assem­bled in a late Parliament, in their Humble Address to His Majesty, represented to Him, That the Debauchery of the Nation is chiefly owing to the Negligence and ill Example of Ma­gistrates; and that the countenancing and prefer­ring of Virtuous, and the discouraging of Vicious Men, is a proper way to suppress it? And can any that have any Principles of Virtue, and Love to their Country, that shall duly and impartially consider this, be instrumental in promoting of prophane and vicious Men to Places of Honour and Authority, and chuse to entrust with them the high Concerns of Reli­gion and our greatest Temporal Interests? How far Ignorance, Prejudice, or Inconsidera­tion, may have hitherto been an Excuse for any concerned herein, I shall not presume to [Page 131] determine, but I may be allowed to say, that, Is ordo, vi­tio, careto, caeteris spe­cimen e­sto. Prae­clara ista lex (ait Cicero) nam cum omni vi­tio carere lex jubeat; ne veniat in eum or­dinem, unquam vitii par­ticeps, Ci [...]. lib. 6. de leg. p 336. 'tis to be hoped, it will not be hereafter pre­tended by any Men who are sincerely concer­ned for the Honour and Interest of Religion, and the Security and Prosperity of their Coun­try, who having this Matter laid before them, shall not only consider the fatal Consequences of their own ill Conduct in this Matter, but the many and almost unspeakable Evils that this Nation hath so long groaned under by the Election and Promotion of wicked Men to Pla­ces of Honour or Power; and, on the con­trary, what a Glorious face of things we might expect to see if Men of all Ranks, as well as those to whom I am addressing my self, would ac­quit themselves herein, as Natural Reason as well as Religion may convince them they ought, in the Discouraging or Opposing, in their fe­veral Stations, the Election and Promotion of wicked Men to publick Posts, and thereby keeping them from doing so much Mischief as they have undeniably the greatest Advantage for their doing in them. And if we will not be moved herein by either Religious or Civil Considerations, I must ask leave to say, that we are sunk below Heathenism in this respect, the formerly famous Delecti apud Ro­manos Se­natores, quibus corpus an­nis infir­mum, in­genium sapientia validum erat, undè patres con­scripti, nuncupa­ti, Sigoniu [...] de jure Ci­viū Rom [...] ­norū, fol. In pluribus Romanum Senatum imitantur Decuriones, nec minor an­nis 25 decurio creabatur, nec major 55, meritis enim, & facultatibus dig­nissimi eligebantur, Pancirolus de Magistra, fol 3. 4. Eadem forma in elegendis Dunmviris, quae in creandis Decurionibus observabatur, hoc excepto, quod Dunmviri tribus antè aut pluribus men­s [...]bus quam Magistratum initent nominabantur: ut si forte recusandi ju­stam honoris causam habuissent. alii eorum loco congruo tempore substi­ [...]i possent, fol. 8. Roman and [Page 132] Apud Lacedae­monios Senatui & reliquis virtus po­tius & merita suffraga­bantur. Nam vir­tutis prae­cipuè ha­bita fuit ratio, ut in aliis omnibus apud eos; ita etiam in quibus­vis Magi­stratibus conferendis, Nic Crag Ripen. de Rep. Lacedaem. Et Plato de hac re­pub. ita dixit: [...]. Non enim, inquit, in civitate honores, ideò in pretio esse, quod is qui eos gerat, divitiis excellat, &c. Et Demost he­nes Graecus scribit, tantum [...], in ordinem Senatorum co­optari. Aetas deinde justa lege quasi annuaria definita in Senatoribus fuit annorum sexaginta. Caeterum vita honestè acta in Senatoribus praecipuè deside rabatur, Crag lib. 11. p. 113, 114. Judicium apud Athenienses constituebatur quod illi [...] voca­bant, in quo Senatorum qui lecti erant, vita diligentèr exquirebatur, Si­gonius de Republica Atheniensium, lib. 2. p. 492. Omnes oportebat Magistratus vitae morúmque suorum antequam Ma­gistratum inirent rationem in foro apud judices reddere, ne quis Magistra­tum ullum gerere posset, qui impudicitiae aut alio turpitudinis genere no­tatus fuisset, Sigonius, lib. 111. p. 532. Novem viri antequam assumerentur ad Magistratum illum de omni vita acta causam dicere solebant, quod si nullam dedecoris labem perpetua in­nocentia contraxisse videbantur, ad [...] adsumebantur, deinde Ma­gistratus gesti causam dicentes, rationesque ferentes, si tum quoque inno­centes usquequaque apparuissent, ad Areopagiticum Senatum conscriban­tur, Sam Petitus de Leg. Atticis, fol 190. Introducebantur autem omnes illi Magistratus quorum anteactam vitam expendi, & eam inquiri oportet, Pet [...]f. 223. [...]. Isocratis Oratio Areopagitica. p. 285. Grecian Common-Wealths having had a great regard to Virtue in the Choice of their Sena­tors and Magistrates, which seems to have been one of the greatest Causes of their Stabi­lity and Prosperity. And herein our Gentry and Commonalty have likewise manifestly greater Advantages and Opportunities for the Promoting of the Work of Reformation, for the making one brave Effort for the Interest of Religion and Virtue, for the Honour and Welfare of England, and thereby to recover the former Glory of their Ancestors, who were Famous for their Virtue, and Love to their Country, and which appeared so glori­ous [Page 133] in the Heroes of the Gentile World. And for the Encouragement of those that are desti­tute of the Advantages of Riches and Honours, of Authority and Learning, to use their Dili­gence and Zeal in the Instances I have given, or in any other Expressions of their Duty for the Promoting of this Work, Si quis rem con­siderare velit, om­nes eos vel saltem maximam partem eorum, qui in hoc toto ter­rarum or­be res prae­stantiores aggressi sunt, at (que) inter cae­teros aevi sui heroes excellue­runt, aut obscuro aut ab­jecto lo­co editos, & prognatos fuisse abjectis parentibus. Non est praetereundum maximorum virorum plerosque patres ignoratos, matres impudicas fuisse, Scaliger. I will put them in mind, that it hath been long observed, that the Persons who have been thought to have performed the bravest Actions, and done the greatest Service to the World, have frequent­ly been Men of obscure Birth and Parentage, who were without Riches and Honours, and often, I conceive, without Learning; of which a multitude of Instances might be given, if 'twas necessary here to insert them. That though 'tis freely allowed, that Authority and Quality, when they are accompanied with Virtue, as they ought to be, or when they are the Rewards of it, Alii pro pecunia emunt Nobilitatem, alii illam lenocinio, alii vene­ficiis, alii parricidiis; multis perditio nobilitatem conciliat, pleri (que) adula­tione, detractione, calumniis, &c. Agrippa de vanit. Scien. Aude aliquid brevibus gyaris, aut carcere dignum, Si vis esse ali­quid. Indignissimus dignissimo praefertur, plerunque illaudatus laudatissi­mo. Ille crucem sceleris pretium tulit, hic diadema. which too seldom hap­pens, are truly honourable, and enable those that have them to be more serviceable to the Interest of Religion, and the Good of Mankind, [Page 134] which is their proper Business; but when they are separated from Virtue, they render those that possess them truly scandalous, and highly pernicious. Ut om­nium re­rum sic li­terarum quoque, in temperan­tia labore­mus, Sen. Ep. 106. 'Tis true likewise, That when Learning is moderately pursued, and for the Service of Religion, and Good of the World, it is both innocent and laudable, and the Ad­vantages of it for those ends are confest; yet 'tis plain, from too sad Experience, that 'tis too generally sought upon base Considerati­ons, and frequently applied to very ill Pur­poses; as is allow'd, when 'tis made use of for the Raising of Heresies, the Adulterating or Confounding the Simplicity of the Christian Doctrine with Philosophical Notions and Di­stinctions, or to the raising and continuing of unnecessary and dangerous disputes out of Pride and Vanity, of Passion or Worldly In­terest, to the disturbing of the Peace of the Church, the Ruine of Charity, and manifest Injury of Religion. Paucis opus est literis ad mentem bonam. But as Virtue may be ob­tained without great Natural parts, or acquired Knowledge, as is evident by the Lives of the common Body of Christians in the first Ages, and is Nobili­tas nil a­liud sit quàm cognita virtus, quis in eo quem vetera scentem videat ad gloriam, generis antiquitatem desiderat? Sed genus & proavos & quae non fecimus ipsi, Vix ea nostra voco. Tota licet veteres exornent undique cerae atria, Nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus. honourable without any Ornaments from Birth and Honour, Authority or Learning; so it makes Men capable of doing much good: Let them consider not only this; but further, [Page 135] That it pleases Almighty God sometimes, as it seems, to raise the Spirits of Men above their natural pitch for great Performances, to make use of mean and contemptible Instruments, in Humane Appearance, to bring about the great Ends of his Providence, whereby his Wisdom and Power is more visible, and the Pride of Man is more humbled; and that among the various Instances of this kind, which Sacred and Prophane History acquaint us with, he did so in the Publishing of Christianity, when he chose the foolish things of the World to con­found 1 Cor. 1. 27. the Wise, and the weak things of the World to confound the things which are Mighty: when he Commissioned a few mean and illiterate Per­sons to Preach the Gospel, which notwith­standing prevailed over the Policy and Lear­ning, the Worldly Interest and Prejudice, the Strength and Opposition of the World; and that as then not many Wise Men after the Flesh, 1 Cor. 1. 26. not many Mighty, not many Noble were called; so in the Ages since, though there hath been of all Conditions, as well Noble, as Ignoble; Learned, as Illiterate; Kings, and Philosophers; Emperours, and States-men, who have been truly devoted to Religion, and have shewed the mighty Power and Energy of it, and a­dorned the Ages in which they have lived; yet it hath been a general Observation a­mong Heathens as well as Christians, and 'tis a terrible one for great Men to reflect upon, [Page 136] Luxuri­ant animi rebus ple­runque se­cundis. Prima pe­regrinos obscoena pecunia mores in­tulit, tur­pi frege­runt se­cula luxu Divitiae molles. Pecuniis augetur improbi­tas. Divitiae seculi sunt laquei dia­boli. Divitiae rarò vir­tutis sunt comites. Pietas, pro­bitas, fides, privata bo­na sunt. Fortuna quem ni­mium fo­vet, stul­tum facit. That Riches and Honours do in the Nature of them tend to corrupt Men's Minds, are great Clogs to Wisdom, mighty Obstructions in the Business of the Christian Warfare to those that possess them: And therefore, That the Great and the Noble are too generally di­verted and carried away from the One thing ne­cessary, the working out of their own Salvati­on, and consequently their being concerned for that of others, by the violent Temptati­ons that their Condition exposes and subjects them to, which Persons of a lower Rank are much without; wherefore our Saviour hath assur'd us how Matth. 19. 23, 24. hard it is for a Rich Man to en­ter into the Kingdom of Heaven; out of a sense whereof a great number of Christians in most, if not all Ages, have refused Titles and Honours, and have renounced Riches and Worldly Grandeur: Nay, Princes and Poten­tates, Kings and Queens, have forsaken their Crowns, their Fortunes and Territories, for a safe and happy Retirement: And it according­ly appears, by the Account that is given of the Endeavours that have been so successfull towards a National Reformation, That as they were not begun, so they have not been assist­ed by many of the Rich and Mighty, but by Persons of a lower Rank, who submitted to be reckoned Disturbers of the publick Peace, Im­prudent and Hypocritical Persons, &c. as the Christians of old were by the Heathens, and [Page 137] as such will hardly fail to be who in a corrupt Age shall faithfully go about to convince some Men of their Lukewarmness and neglect of their Duty, and to disturb the Generality in their Vices, for the effecting a National Refor­mation; who were willing, I say, to bear the Censures, the cruel Mockings, and the Frowns of the World, and perhaps some of them to hazard their Lives for the Vindicating of the Honour of the Laws of God, the Good of Souls, and the Service of their Country; and that though it may perhaps be expected from the Character of some few of the Great and Noble among us, who seem to be much more honourably distinguish'd from those of their own Rank, by their Virtue, than they are from those below them, by their Quality, that they have it in their Inclinations, as it seems to be in their Power, with God's Blessing, to be Instruments of Reforming us from publick Prophaneness and Immoralities; yet, that 'tis still to be feared, that great Men will not ge­nerally at least obtain of themselves to declare for oppressed Virtue, and engage in its Cause till it hath regained its Reputation more ge­nerally in the World, and it is accounted a Mark of greater Infamy to be vicious.

Prophaneness and Debauchery have, in truth, been ever Infamous in the Opinions of the wise and good Men in all Ages of the World, and treated as such by the Religion [Page 138] and Laws of Heathen Nations, as well as by the Christian Religion, and the Laws of our own Country; which Justice and Temperance, Chastity and Truth, never were, that I know of, by any; nay, there have never, I conceive, been many Men so lost to the Notions of Good and Evil, as seriously to set a Mark of Infamy upon some Men for their Virtue, or to make Panegyricks upon others for their Vices; and neither the Number or the Quality of those that are guilty of Prophaneness and Debau­chery can any more alter the Nature of them, or can take off them that Infamy that the Law of God, the Laws of Nations, and the Law of Nature have fixt on them, than they can the Nature of Murther, Bribery, or Theft; and as they are infamous in their Nature, they will every day more appear to be so, if we continue to make our vigorous Efforts against them. It will not ere long be thought cre­ditable for Men of an inferior Rank to be car­ried through the Streets before the Magistrate, or to be put in the Stocks, to do there pub­lick Penance for the Violation of Divine and Humane Laws: Or will it be Honourable for Men of Title or Authority, who have thought themselves unfit for gentile Conversation with­out a large share of Lewdness, have reckoned it Wit to Blaspheme, and have, within our Me­mories, 'tis believed, made their way to their Preferments by their Prophaneness and De­bauchery, to have the Penalties of those Laws [Page 139] levied upon them in the Sight of their Neigh­bours or their Country; to be upon Record; and to be disabled for those Offences, for Places of Honour, of Publick and Private Trusts; to be told before the Congregation Four times a Year by the King, in his Pro­clamation, that he reckons them to be a Dis­credit to his Kingdom, and strictly Commands their being brought to Punishment; and by their Minister at the same time, that they ought to be avoided by Men of Religion, to be exclu­ded from Christian Communion till they re­form, and that they will, unless they do so, be shut out of Heaven, and be condemned to unspeakable and everlasting Confusion and Torment? In short, we may in a little time see a Drunkard, a Lewd or a Prophane Person, though a Man of the greatest Quality or E­state, who now passes with too little Remark and Contempt, and is kept in countenance by the Multitude of Offenders of the same kind, make but a very scurvy Figure, be ashamed to shew himself in any Company, but of such as are like himself, abandoned of a sense of true Honour as well as Religion, and shunned by all but the unclean Herd of the Vicious and Prophane, who may ere long be ashamed of one another in the Sight of the Sun, and may be forced to converse, or rather to have their gangs as High-way-Men, Clippers and Coi­ners have, in dark Corners, and in continual fear of being discovered. This is part of the [Page 140] Glorious Prospect that we have in view, whilst we continue to make our vigorous Efforts a­gainst Vice and Prophaneness: And is there any doubt whether they that acquit them­selves in this Noble Enterprize as they ought will entitle themselves to great Acknowledg­ments from the present Age, and from Posteri­ty, since the Influence of their good Example, and the happy Effects of their pious Endea­vours, may last to succeeding Ages, as long as the Nation, and perhaps the World may last?

Let then the Men of the World, whose Hopes terminate with this Life, pursue Ho­nours and Titles, and what in their foolish Language they call their Worldly Advantages; let them that think of no other Happiness, court popular Air, intrigue and fawn, drudge and scramble for little parcels of Earth, which if they meet with are their Portion, attended with Fear and Envy, Jealousie and Hatred, Anxiety and Grief, O si pe­ctora pate­ant divi­tum quan­tos intus sublimis agit fortu­na metus? Brutio co­ro pulsan­te fretum mitior un­da est. Quem mihi regem dabis non curis plenum; non diadema aspicias, sed vitam afflictione refertam, non catervas satellitū, sed curarū multitudinē. Cur tu hos Evasisse putes, quos diri conscia facti Mens habet attonitos & surdo verbere caedet Occulto quatiente animo tortore flagellum? Non enim gazae neque consularis summovet lictor miseros tumultus mentis, & curas laqueata circum tecta volantes. which are their secret and almost constant Tormentors, and make them as the Scripture expresses it, as the troubled Sea that cannot rest: But let those that can look on these deluded and miserable Souls with a just Pity; that know the Pleasures of Innocence; that are acquainted with the [Page 141] Triumphs of Conscience that arise from the sense of their having served their God, their Country, and themselves; that hope, after a few Years, for an Everlasting Inheritance, and unspeakable Joy at God's Right-hand; that believe that our Blessed Saviour 1 Joh. 3 8. Christ Jesus was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil, think it more honourable to be employed in the Promoting the same Glorious Design to the utmost of their Power, and by all Christian Methods, according to their Abi­lities and Opportunities, than to be Favourites of the greatest Prince, than to be Masters of the World. We shall indeed meet with many Discouragements, and much Resistance in these Endeavours. The Reformation of a Nation, particularly that is so very degenerate, that a great part of it seems to act as if it had entred into a Combination against Religion, cannot be thought to be an easie Work; we never, I suppose, heard of such a one in any Age that was effected without Opposition. The first Attempts, especially of a National Reformati­on, unless they have the Advantages of Power, of Interest, or of Numbers of Men to support them, must be attended with great Difficul­ties; those that are engaged in them may ex­pect to wrestle not only against the Passions and Lusts of private Men, but against Princi­palities Eph. 6. 12. and Powers, against the Strength and Policy of the Prince, as well as Men of this World, since those that most need Reformation [Page 142] will most explode the Attempts of it, and op­pose it; and among them there will be often such met with as by their Quality or Interest, their Power or their Authority, will be most capable to obstruct it; and there will be others, who, when they have not Power, or they dare not openly oppose the Undertaking, will be spreading their Jealousies, that some secular Interest or dangerous Design is carrying on under such plausible Pretences, and will use their utmost diligence to find Fault with the manner (how regular soever it be) of its be­ing carried on, or to raise Objections against the Persons engaged in it; and when they can­not find any real ones, they will have recourse to their Inventions, to down-right Slanders, to mis-represent them, as the Heathen Perse­cutors did the Martyrs, to expose them the more to the People's Hatred and Rage; nay, and that which makes the Work yet the more difficult is, that there will not be wanting an­other kind of Men, and indeed, I conceive, some of the worst sort of Enemies to such a Design, who through some unhappy Principles or Prejudices will not only be content to sit still themselves, and to be unconcerned in this Matter, but perhaps to excuse themselves from giving that Assistance which might otherwise be with Modesty expected from them; and to prevent the Censure that may be apt to fall upon them for their ill Conduct, will be very ready to declare the Attempts of this kind im­practicable, [Page 143] unseasonable, or imprudent, as they do most other things of the same na­ture; which, 'tis much to be both feared and lamented, many of them want either Zeal, or perhaps Honesty to undertake, which Men of no less true Wisdom, (if that Principle, whe­ther it be called Caution or Policy, that keeps Men from doing their Duty, deserves the Name of Folly, rather than Wisdom,) not only at­tempt, but surmount the appearing Difficulties of. But tho' Resistance to the first Attempts of Reformation from the Powers of Darkness and the corrupt Nature of Man might be foreseen, and may have been experienced by those concerned in the Transactions I have gi­ven an account of, and may be still expected in some measure in the Prosecution of it; yet as 'twas at first necessary to undertake it, so 'tis still as necessary to pursue it. Nay, the higher the Tide of Debauchery and Prophane­ness runs, the more evident Reason there is for us to look to our Banks, to use all proper Me­thods for the Opposing of it, and the more generous and brave is the Opposition, unless 'tis more reasonable to give way to it, and expect an Inundation of Wickedness and Ruine, than to endeavour to prevent it, since as the Case will grow the worse, and more despe­rate by the delay, so the Objections that are now made against it will thereby grow the stronger.

Let then the Opposition to this Enterprize be as great and desperate, and from as various Causes as we can well suppose it; if those who are engaged in it do sincerely propose God's Glory and the Good of Mankind in their En­deavours; if they often turn their Thoughts within themselves, as well as upon the Faults of others, and endeavour to be blameless and Phil. 2. 15. harmless, and without Rebuke in the midst of a perverse Generation; if they continue to take great Care that their Conduct in this Affair be regular, governed by the Laws of the Land, and the Precepts of their Religion, remem­bring that the Goodness of no end can make Evil means lawfull, and as free as far as 'tis possible from Imprudencies and Inadverten­cies, to which the wisest and best Men are sub­ject, and therefore are no reasonable Objecti­on against a good Design to honest Men, that know how to give all just Allowances to Hu­mane Frailties in a Work of Difficulty, where­in many unexpected Occurrences will arise, Numbers of Men are engaged, and who will be sometimes taken unprepar'd and at disad­vantage by bad and designing Men, who will not fail to wait for their Halting, and to im­prove all kind of Advantages against them; if they go on with Diligence and Resolution, considering that Solomon's Direction, Whatever thy Hand findeth to do, do it with thy Might, Eccl. 9. 10. in this Work seems more especially to be re­garded by those who are employed in it, a [Page 145] Woe being pronounced against them that do Jer. 48. 10. the Work of the Lord Or. neg­ligently. Rev. 2. 10. deceitfully, and a Crown of Life being promised to them that are faithfull to Death; if, lastly, they cry mightily to God, to whose Omnipotence no Difficulties are insuperable, and without whom nothing is strong, no means can attain their end, for his gracious Direction and mercifull Assistance in a Work of Hazard and Difficulty, wherein Wisdom and Constancy, the Spiritual Armour of the Gospel is requisite, the Honour and Interest of Religion, and the Good of Souls seem to be so much concern'd, to prevent their being assaulted with such violent Temptations that might overcome them, or to give them such extraordinary Supports and Comforts as may enable them to bear up under them; and they humbly depend more upon his Direction and Blessing than their own Diligence and Conduct, considering that the Zeal we have for God's Honour, and the Success of it is from Him; that our best Endeavours herein, as well as our other Performances, will have a great mixture of Humane Frailty; and that after all we shall do we shall be but unprofitable Servants. Luk. [...]. [...] If they thus go on with Sincerity, with Pru­dence, with Courage, with Humility, and trust in God, they may, I think, face all the World, we may soon see what Courage Vice hath, whether Prophaneness and Debauchery will be able to hold up their heads with their Supporters, (which they have too long had [Page 146] within our Memory) as Religion hath often done without them, and when the Powers of the World have been against it. No, Sin is of the Nature of the Devil, its Author, cowardly and sneaking, and will, with God's Blessing, give way when thus opposed, which those con­cerned in the Transactions I have given an Account of have experimented, and who have had so great Success, as makes it very evident that a general Concurrence of good Men may, with God's Blessing, effect a general Reformation; but if the Concurrence of Men of Religion should not prove so universal as is hoped it will, or if our Endeavours should not succeed to a National Reformation, as is proposed, we may however hope to do a great deal of good; we shall bear our Testimony to Religion against the Corruptions of the Age, and we cannot, I think, fail of giving a great Check to publick Wickedness; and though we should not after all, by our Prayers and En­deavours, prevent the Deluge of Calamities that threaten us, an Ark may mercifully be provided for us, we may deliver our own Souls, and it will then be known who they are that are to be thanked that a thorough Reformation was not effected, and the Misery of the Nation prevented; not only those who by desperately discouraging and opposing pious and proper Endeavours for Promoting a Re­formation, seem to be of the Number of those that may be said, in some sense, to fight against Acts ch. 5. v. 39. [Page 147] God; but those likewise that despised the War­nings we gave them of their Danger, all the Persuasions with which we pressed them to set about it, and would not be prevailed with to give any hearty Assistance to the Work. Sup­posing then that we are to prepare, in the Pro­secution of this Enterprize, for evil Surmisings and reproachfull Words; for Storms of Malice and ill Will, which the Enemy of all Good­ness and the Passions of Men may be expected to raise, this, I conceive, may, now the Tide is turning, be generally the greatest Oppo­sition of the infatuated and senseless Slaves of Vice; for in Reverence to our common Na­ture I must presume, that there are few that will be declared Agents for the Devil, that are so abandoned of all sense of Honour, all Concern for their Reputation, as to enter pub­lickly the Lists, and venture their Lives for his Service. And as wicked Men have therein the worst Cause, they have, I think, no settled and steady Principles to act upon, but little true Courage, and not much Faith among them, they will often betray one another when Oc­casion offers, and therefore we may conclude that they will never make a firm stand against the united Body of good Men if they acquit themselves as they ought in so glorious an Un­dertaking.

To the Men of Religion and Virtue of all Ranks, Orders, and Denominations, without distinction, [Page 148] I ask leave therefore, in this common Cause of Religion, humbly to apply my self. Your Re­ligion is avowedly attacqued by the desperate Rebels of Christianity, and Enemies to Virtue; your God is publickly dishonoured, yea, some­times, 'tis still to be feared, Blasphemed, for the Entertainment of Persons of all Degrees, all Ages, and both Sexes; His Laws are tram­pled on; his Servants despis'd; the Notions of Good and Evil are endeavoured to be con­founded, and your Country is in imminent danger of being lost, if in the present Contest between Religion and Debauchery, Religion does not prevail. You are all confessedly, by your Baptismal Engagement, listed Soldiers for God's Service, against the Devil's Kingdom. And as God hath an undoubted Title to your Service, the King by publickly declaring for a vigorous Execution of the Laws against pub­lick Wickedness, and the Cause of Religion, hath given you an happy Opportunity of dis­charging your Fidelity and Zeal for your Great Lord and Master; and your Fellow-Christians, who are already successfully engaged in a pub­lick Opposition to Vice and Prophaneness, to these Rebels to Religion, and Enemies to your Country, seem to call on you to enter into their pious Confederacy, as Moses heretofore did on the Israelites, when he slood in the Gate of Exod. 32. 20. the Camp; Who is on the Lord's side, let him come unto me? Or as Holy David of P [...] 94. 16. old, Who will rise up for me against the Evil [Page 149] doers? Who will stand up for me against the Workers of Iniquity? Now then is the Time, to make one general and brave Effort for the Interest of Religion, and for the Wel­fare of the English Nation. And will you any longer defer your Declaring and En­gaging in this Glorious Work, now it seems so apparent that this Cloud that appeared so little to you at first is like to overspread our whole Horizon; that one of the most plausi­ble and uncomfortable Objections which was made to this Undertaking, of its being im­practicable, which we have too much reason to suspect to be upon other like Occasions a frequent Excuse for Fear, Laziness, or want of good Principles, is taken off, by the great Success that hath attended it; that the Heat of the Day, the fiercest Opposition to these Attempts, seems much over; and that you have so very great reason to conclude that the Virtuous part of the Nation, of all Parties, will fall in and give their Assistance in it, when more particular Methods shall be laid before them; that if we point our united Batteries a­gainst the strong holds of Debauchery and Prophaneness; if we prosecute this Religious War with Conduct and Resolution, which is so successfully begun with so unequal a humane force, we have Victory in view, we may, with God's Blessing, see a Reformation throughly esse­cted, and put upon such a firm Foundation, as that it may not be easily in the Power of a [Page 150] viciuos Court, or of a degenerate Nobility or Gentry, in a succeeding Reign to overturn it, again to debauch the Nation, and bring it in such danger of Ruine. But is it not enough that you that have had an early Knowledge of these Transactions, have not sooner engaged in a Cause which you could not well be suppo­sed, without great Inconsideration or Preju­dice, but secretly to approve of under all its Disadvantages, when it was in it self the same as it is now with its Success, and meerly per­haps because you thought the Service might be too hot for you, and therefore you left it to others to engage in an Opposition to Vice whilst it was Triumphant, to fall upon it in its Intrenchments, to bear the brunt of the Battle, and reserved your selves for less doubt­full and dangerous Service, till the main Body of the Nation should come up, and Victory should be turning on the side of Virtue? Cow­ardice in this Case, as in War, may be almost as mischievous and as criminal as Treachery. Where is then your Zeal for God, or Charity for Man, if you appear still so unconcerned whether Religion or Prophaneness prevails, if after Ten Years are past of a Reign in which we had reason to promise our selves a Reformati­on would be carried on, and be the Glory of it, you still frame further Excuses to postpone it, and such weak ones as will very hardly pass with a mortal Man, who understands what indispensible Obligations Religion lays [Page 151] upon us, heartily to set about it; but surely not with the living God, that sees not as Man sees, but searches the Heart? Do you think this Nation hath not bled and suffered e­nough for our inexcusable Delays, our defer­ring this necessary Work? How can you re­concile your Neutrality to the Promises which many of you may be supposed to have made in the late days of your Humiliation, or the Prayers that most of you put up to God for a National Reformation? How is it consistent with the Pretensions you make of your being of the purest Religion, or of the best constitu­ted Church? What do you think of that De­claration of your Blessed Saviour, He that is Matt. 12. 30. not with me is against me? Can you perswade your selves that your continuing your Neu­trality till the Victory is either so gained on the side of Religion, that there will be little need of your Assistance; or that the Interests of Religion are depressed, and your Country ruined, (which there is such Danger of) be­yond the Example of former Ages, deserves either the Name of Bravery, or the Wisdom that is from Above? Athle­tam stadi­um, Nau­clerum, tempestas, ducem, pugna, magnani­mum ca­lamitas, Christia­num vero tentatio probat & examinat, Basil. Nihil, mihi videtur, infelicius eo cui nihil unquam evenit adversi, non licuit illi se experiri. Transisti sine Adversario vitam, nemo sciet quid po­tueris; ne tu quidem ipse. Difficulties and Sufferings are surely the proper Exercises of Christians, are as it were the Test and Touch-stone of Noble Minds; and therefore the Persons who in all Ages have been esteemed the Wisest and Bra­vest, and to have deserved best of Mankind, [Page 152] have been those, who for the Vindication of Truth, the Cause of Religion, and the Service of their Country, have cheerfully undergone Ignominy, Banishment, and Death, through the Malignity of the Times, popular Fury, or the Tyranny of Governments; Magnum exemplum nisi mala fortuna non inve­nit. Nondum felix es si te non­dum tur­ba deri­det. Mutium ignis, Fa­britium paupertas, Regulum tormenta, Socratem venenum superare non potuit. Cicuta magnum Socratem fecit, Sen. Ep. 13. Non enim hilaritate, nec lasci­via, nec risu, aut joco co­mite levi­tatis, sed saepe etiam tristes, fir­mitate & constantià sunt beati, C [...]ecro de sin. [...], Plat. de R [...]p. Lib. 2. p. 361. insomuch, that the most celebrated Heathen Moralists and Phi­losophers declared, That a Man could hardly be supposed to be Virtuous without Suffering for being so. And one of them could, we are told, bravely thus express himself to this purpose: If a Man can see a Sword at his Eyes without winking; if he can make it an indifferent Matter to him whether his Life goes out of his Throat, or at his Mouth; if he can hear himself sentenced to Banishment, or Torments, and can say, All this I am provided for; this is, says he, the Temper of Mind that makes him great. Ac­cordingly Socrates obtained so great Fame for his Suffering Death with Constancy for his Re­ligion. Aristides his Justice, and Rutilius his Integrity and Courage, were more signalized by their Banishment. But not to send Chri­stians to learn Constancy in Suffering for a good Cause to Heathens, among whom it was, in the first Ages of Christianity, a common Saying, Soli Christiani mortis contemptores. That the Christians only were Despisers of Death. So that Origen could it seems boldly tell them, We can as cheerfully lay down our [Page 153] Lives for our Religion, as the hardiest Philoso­pher of you can lay down his Coat. Did the Martyrs and Confessours count it so great an Honour and Happiness to suffer Bonds and Im­prisonment, Exile, and all kinds of Death, to be Rackt, Burnt, Stoned, Boiled, to be thrown to wild Beasts, and condemned to the Mines, for the Honour of their Lord and Master, and the Salvation of their own Souls; laught at all the Methods of Cruelty, and tired out the Malice of their Persecutors? And by these means, as the Roman Emperour and Philoso­pher, Marcus Antoninus, told the common As­sembly at Ephesus, in his Letter to them, to stop the blind Rage of the Pagan Priests and People against them, They were always Conque­rours. Sanguis Marty­rum se­men Ec­clesiae. Could such vast Numbers of Persons, of both Sexes, of all Ages, and such various Con­ditions, more greedily court Martyrdom, than, Men did in After-ages seek Bishopricks and Preferments in the Church, and valued it more than Crowns and Scepters? Insomuch, that a general Council thought sit to restrain their Exposing themselves unnecessarily to it. And can the Disciples of the same Crucify'd Saviour, who are obliged by him to bear the Cross, are Luke 14. 27. John 12. bid to rejoyce and be exceeding glad when they are Reviled and Persecuted for his sake; and are directed by the Apostle, to count it all Joy when Jam. 1. 2. they fall into divers Temptations, be affrighted at all Appearances of Suffering in a good Cause, think the danger only of meeting with [Page 154] Shame, or other little Inconveniences, a suffi­cient Excuse for their not appearing for the Honour of their Lord and Master, and the Sa­ving of their Country? Nay, Can the Soldier endure all the Fatigues, and venture all the Ha­zards of War, make his way through Blood and Bullets, Fire and Water, upon no higher Mo­tives generally, 'tis to be feared, than for a larger Pay, or a greater Post of Honour in an Army; to be talkt of by those that have no more Reason than himself, or use it to little purpose? Can the Courtier, in a corrupt Reign, intrigue and plod, lie and fawn, lose his Rest, and wast his Spirits, endure the Frowns of Men, and the Reproaches of his own Consci­ence, to please an Earthly Prince, that is com­posed of the same Elements with himself? Can the Covetous Man drudge and sweat, pinch Nature, and harass it, live Poorly and Con­temptibly, for the miserable Consideration of filling his Chests full of polished Earth, or lea­ving it for a Son who often takes almost as much Pains to damn his Soul in Spending it, as his Father might his, without Repentance, by his unjustifiable Methods of Getting it? Can the Sons of Wine and Lust be content to brute their Minds, and ruine their Bodies, bear the Cries of ruined Tradesmen, and of their miserable Families, to transmit Poverty and Disease, Infamy and Misery to their Posteri­ty; to watch and fear, to rot and roar for their unlawfull and beastly Pleasures? Can the [Page 155] Libertine, when his Conscience will not suffer him to be easie in his Sins, when he wishes there was no Religion in this World, nor fu­ture Account in the next, be indefatigable in raking out of all the Heathen Authors, and our Modern Plays, all Expressions that may seem to favour his Licentiousness, and may help to beget or strengthen his Infidelity; in short, take more pains to silence and stupifie his Conscience, than might, with God's Blessing, be sufficient, if it were well applied, to sub­due his vicious Habits, to be wise, and to be happy? Can these Men be thus resolute, di­ligent and daring in the pursuit of their Sins, or the empty things of this World, that nei­ther Frowns nor Favours, Hazards nor Diffi­culties, do make any such Impressions upon them, as either to deter or allure them from the Prosecution of their Designs, or from trea­suring up to themselves Wrath against the Day of Rom. 2. 5. Wrath, from being irrecoverably and unspeak­ably miserable; and shall the Proselytes of Reli­gion, that know its inestimable Value, be so faint­hearted and sneaking in its Glorious Cause, and in the discharge of their Duty, for the obtaining an Everlasting Happiness, that every little Difficulty, the Favour or the Frowns of its open Enemies, shall discourage and keep them from giving their Assistance in its De­fence? This surely all Men, that are sincerely concerned for the Honour and Interest of Re­ligion, and expect to receive the unspeakable Rewards it proposes to those that faithfully [Page 156] pursue it, will be ashamed of. I confess to the World, I dare not, I know not how to hope to be rewarded with Everlasting Honour and Happiness hereafter from Him, who in the purchasing of our Redemption endured the Heb. 12. 2. Cross, despising the Shame, if I can't prevail upon my self to suffer ill Treatment, to be calumniated, laugh'd at, and contemn'd, in Obedience to his Commands, and for the Good of Souls, for whom he died: Nay, I will not ask Pardon of the prophane Crew, the Gene­ration of Scorners, that I tell them yet more plainly, that I hope I had rather bear all the Contempt that their Tongues and Pens can fling upon me for any Assistance I am enabled, by God's Grace, to give this Cause I am re­presenting, (whilst I continue under the same Sentiments of it) which I do expect a share of, and am preparing my self to welcome; nay, to suffer Death, if I am called to it, in the Discharge of my Duty therein, rather than bear the Reproaches of my own Mind in this World for an Unconcernedness for it, and much more than to be disowned by my Bles­sed Saviour at the great Day of Recom­pence, and to endure his Everlasting Dis­pleasure. And without the leave of those unhappy Wretches who would pass for Wits in these days, by saying such things as have in all Ages mark'd those that have been guilty of them with the most infamous Cha­racters, and have made them look'd on as Ene­mies of Mankind, even Monsters in Humane [Page 157] Nature; those Panders for Hell I mean who turn the most serious and sacred things into Jest and Railery, and who will not therefore, I suppose, fail to treat with Scorn and Re­proach the Endeavours of Reformation, and those that are concerned in them: I must re­member them, that the Scripture not only tells us that in the last days Scoffers shall appear, 2 Pet. 3. 3. Prov. 19. 29. Prov. 3. 34. and that Judgments are prepared for Scorners, but that God particularly, scorneth the Scorners. And as for those that herd among these pro­phane Scoffers, these professed Advocates for the Devil's Service, that neglect their Duty, and sacrifice their Consciences, only to avoid their Scorn and Contumelies, let me desire them to consider, whether they have not reason to fear that God will treat them with Everlasting Contempt who for his sake, or in Obedience to his plain Commands, refuse to be contem­ned.

Let us not then, Fellow-Christians, who would be accounted faithfull Soldiers of Jesus Christ, be afraid of the Reproaches and Revilings Isa. 51. [...]. of such prophane and profligate Wretches, but let us rejoyce in them, and in any other Perse­cution which we may undergo in so glorious a Cause. Let us consider, that this Life is the proper Season for Service and Suffering, and the next of Reward and Happiness. Unum quodque habet pro­positum Principes suos. Romani duces imi­tentur Ca­millos Fabritios, Scipiones; philosophi proponant Socratem, Platonem, Aristot &c. Nos autem habeamus propositi nostri principes, Paulos, Hilariones, &c. Hieronymus. Let the [Page 158] Lives and Deaths of the Martyrs and Confes­sours of old be much in our Minds. Let us remember that the best Christians in all Ages have been derided and contemned, that our Blessed Saviour himself, the Captain of our Salvation, who was rejected and despised Isa. 53. 3. of Men, hath commanded us not to be a­fraid Luk. 12. 5. of them that kill the Body, and after that have no more that they can do; but to fear him that hath Power to cast into Hell; and hath said, that whosoever shall be ashamed of him, Mar. 8. 28. and of his Words, of him also shall he be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with the holy Angels; but that if we are Reviled and Mat. 5. 11. Persecuted for his sake our Reward shall be great in Heaven. Let us fortifie our selves with these Considerations against the most violent Opposition of the Enemies of Goodness, and the dangerous Suggestions and ill Examples of formal and lukewarm Christians, and of those who are too often falsly called Friends; let us look on all their Insinuations, and any Obje­ctions whatsoever to the Discharge of our Duty in this Undertaking, which we may meet with from the Prudent and the Wary, tending to discourage us from the hearty Prosecution of it, as Temptations that we are to resist, unless they can convince us that we do not act here­in as becomes Men and Christians, and good Members of the Community; that this Work is not honourable in its self, desirable in its Effects, and acceptable to Almighty God, [Page 159] which, I think, they will never do, since they cannot prove that the Civil Government ought not to endeavour to punish and suppress Pub­lick Sins, and the open Defiance of Religion, in answer to Scripture, clear Reason, and the general Consent of Mankind to the con­trary.

Lastly therefore, Let all those who are al­ready sincerely concerned in this Noble Un­dertaking, and all others that have any Love to God, any Charity to Man, any Concern for their Country, or Regard to their Posteri­ty, to engage them in it, consider, that we have herein the Laws of God and the Nation, the Commands of the King, the Concurrence of a late Representative Body of the Nation, the Prayers of good Men, the Pretences of those that carry but a Form and Profession of Religion, and the Consciences that are not hardned, even of bad Men, on our side; and moreover, the great Success that hath already attended these Attempts, to animate and en­courage our Zeal and Diligence in it: So that if we acquit our selves herein like Men and Christians; if God is on our side, we know, there is, as Solomon says, no Wisdom, nor Ʋn­derstanding, Prov. 21. 30. nor Counsel, against him; we need not much fear the Strength or Policy of the World, or the Powers of Darkness; we may, with God's Blessing, see Prophaneness and De­bauchery every day more and more fly into dark Corners, as Idolatry of old did at the ap­pearance [Page 160] of Christianity, Vice be branded and confounded, Virtue embraced, Religion pre­vail, England flourish, and give such an Ex­ample as may provoke succeeding Ages and other Nations to an Imitation, and give per­haps Occasion to reform Christendom and Mankind. But what Triumph of Soul, which neither Riches, nor Honours, nor the Flesh can give, such happy Souls may, Living or Dy­ing, have, who have undergone Shame and Sufferings in the faithfull Discharge of their Duty, and for the Cause of God, who have been his Instruments in bringing about such blessed Effects; nay, in discharging their Duty herein, and in other respects, sincerely, tho' Success which is not in our Power, and will not be required of us, should not attend it? And, on the contrary, what severe Refle­ctions they may hereafter make on their Be­haviour, who, after this Matter is plainly laid before them, and a publick Reformation of Manners seems to be put as it were into their hands, will either openly oppose, or secretly undermine the just Endeavours of it, or that will not be prevail'd upon either to concur in the Methods that are already laid, or to en­gage in any other that they can suppose may be more effectual for the carrying on a Natio­nal Reformation, that can contentedly look on and see their Fellow-Christians suffer in any kind, by their brave Opposition to the decla­red Enemies of God, and the Devil's Kingdom, [Page 161] the Cause of Religion to be injured and depressed, and their Country so much endan­gered, for want of their giving their seasona­ble and zealous Assistance to it, I will not un­dertake to describe.

I will only add, That if the Attempts of Re­formation, which were began with so great Disadvantage, have born up under so many Difficulties, which are carried on by the uni­ted Endeavours of such Bodies of Men, in the several Parts of this City, are spreading through the Cities and Corporations of the Kingdom, and are propagating in those of Ire­land, who have a Communication with one another, are governed by Methods that have been approved by Persons of great Wisdom, and consummated Judgment, and which have been so highly successfull, should be defeated by the Industry and Power, the Number and Interest of its Enemies: If, I say, we should suffer Debauchery and Prophaneness to regain their ground, and to carry the Victory, after the Advances that are thus made towards the Suppressing of them, and the Encouragements and Advantages we have for the Carrying of them on to so glorious an Issue, have we not very great reason to fear that we may never again have such an Opportunity put into our Hands? Can it be thought ea­sie, humanely speaking, to bring the Bo­dy of Men together that are now engaged [Page 162] in it, to rally and reassume a Baffled Cause, wherein they may perhaps be apt to think they may have made a full and dismal experiment of the desperate Aversion and Opposition of this Generation to Reformation, have, if they have acted therein, and in other parts of their Du­ty, sincerely, kept the Guilt of publick Wick­edness from lying on them, and may have de­livered their own Souls? Or is there any probability that this Cause will be revived and successfully retrieved by those, whom no Ar­guments will now prevail on, to concur in the present Methods, or to give any other zealous Assistance to it? And, who is there that believes that there is a Righteous God that governs the World, that will not fear, how sanguine soever some Men may be upon the firmness of our present Peace and Settlement, that notwithstanding our Councils and Con­federacies, we shall feel the Effects of the high Displeasure of Almighty God, upon whose Blessing the Stability of our present Peace and outward Prosperity does depend; that He will be avenged on such a Nation as this? And if Jer. 6. 9. this should prove to be our dismal Case, might it not then be said over us; O ungratefull and rebellious Nation, that wouldest so provoke in­finite Patience and Forbearance, wouldest ob­stinately refuse so many gracious Offers, con­temn such various Methods of Mercy, as if thou had'st been desperately resolved upon Destru­ction! [Page 163] O England! England! To what Mise­ry have thy Sins brought thee! But the Cause of Reformation is God's Cause, His Providence hath seemed to me to favour the poor Endea­vours of it, which are represented in these Pa­pers, and therefore I hope they will, with his Blessing, so prosper and prevail, that such a Na­tional Reformation may be effected as may prevent His heavy Judgments falling upon us.

And may Almighty God, who is pleased to magnifie his Power in Weakness, for this end mercifully direct and support those who are sin­cerely engaged in this Glorious Work, give what is said herein agreeable to his Will some Success in the furthering of it, and graciously pardon any thing in it that may not be acceptable to Him, for the Lord Jesus Christ's Sake.

All Glory to God.