from the Communion with the Church on Earth, till they give fome figns of their Repentance, as, 'tis allowed, they would have done if they had lived in the first Ages of Christianity, when fuch Offenders, which now make too great a part of the vifible 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 noifome to the Body. But till the Ecclefiaftical Power, which is now fo weakned, and hath, to speak justly, loft its Credit, is recovered to its Primitive Defign, and the ancient Discipline of the Church is in fome measure restored, which, 'tis to be hoped, we shall not always think fufficient, especially under the prefent Reign, publickly to lament the lofs of once a Year, in the Office for Afb-Wednesday, but_shall in good earnest endeavour to restore. There is, I conceive, evidently greater reason to engage the fecular Arm in this matter, that those upon whom the gentle Methods of Perfuafion have little or no force, and whom the Ecclefiaftical Power does not and will not take any Notice of, fhould be feverely, punifhed, and restrained by the Civil Government; that they should be treated as a fort 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 Chriftian Religion, which is not

only

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 Perfons, which Offences of this kind directly tend to the destroying of, even to the diffolving the band of Humane Society; and if fo, furely it behoves good Men, by all proper measures, to affift Magiftrates in their Endeavours effectually to fupprefs 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 fuch Grievances as these are, I conceive, of near as long standing as Government, and will not be thought proper to be laid afide whilst it lafts, or at least till there is not fo much Occafion for them, fince, as hath *Facile eft been proved, *its Intereft and chief Business is imperium to cherish and fupport Religion, and, by confequence, 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-Houfes, or the Sport of Buffoons; and that the open Violations of it by Prophane Swearing and Curfing,Drunkenness, Lewdnefs,&c. be fuppreffed, as all wife Nations, I conceive, have ever done, and ever will do.

in bonos.

Against

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 fo great Succefs, as to give fo very promifing hopes as have been reprefented,, of a general Concurrence and Union of the Virtuous part of the Nation in the fame Defign, and in confequence of a National Reformation; and their Endeavours have been carried on, as hath been obferved, for above Eight Years with as little or lefs occafion given to their Enemies of Objecti on either to the Methods of their Proceedings, or to the Behaviour of the Perfons concerned in them, as perhaps have been often known in Matters of the greatest Confequence, where fuch a number of Perfons have been engaged, (though if the Prudence of fome good Men, who are either already engaged, or that shall hereafter be concerned in this Undertaking, is or fhould be less than their Zeal, it will, I hope, be far from giving wife and well-meaning Men a juft Prejudice to the Design it felf, or keeping them from Affifting in it.) But, bleffed be God, a more glorious Profpect hath been lately given us by the Addrefs of the late House of Commons to His Majefty, for the Suppreffing of Prophaneness and Debauchery, and His Majesty's Proclamation in pursuance of it, and His Princely Word in His Gracious Speech to both Houfes of Parliament. We have

have now then, 'tis evident, His Majefty's pofitive Commands, together with the concurrent Advice in this Matter of the late great Reprefentative Body of the Commons of England, for things, I conceive, not only unquestionably lawfull, but highly important, and neceflary, for the ftrict 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 Rom.13.4. not the Sword in Vain, That Rulers are not a Ver. 3. Terrour to good Works, but to the evil, &c. Whoever therefore they are that in this Case oppofe the King's Commands, who either openly obftruct, or fecretly 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 dif ficult to acquit themselves from great Impiety. And now can any that love their God, their Religion, or their Country, hear of thefe tranfporting things without being affected with greater Joy than any Succefs in their own fecular Concerns would give them, and without thinking themselves under high Obligations, after they have pretended to Faft, and Pray, and Mourn for our publick Sins for fo many Years paft, (as most, if not all Orders of Men and Parties among us have done) to do what they are able in their feveral Stations for the Suppreffing of Prophane

ness

nefs 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 Affiftance from our Governours? But how much stronger Obligations do now lie upon us to do it? And how fhamefull and inexcufable will our Neglect of it be, now we have fuch an Opportunity by His Majefty'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 Profecution 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 Profeffion of Religion, or any pretence to Virtue, of what Rank foever, to fignalize their Love and Faithfulness to their great Lord and Master, their Neighbour, and their Country. To all Orders of Men therefore whofe Service His Majefty hath required to promote this great, this neceffary Work, and who would not share in the dreadful Guilt and lafting Infamy of neglecting to promote a Reformation of Manners, which now seems to be put very much in our power, with God's Blefling, to fee effected, I ask leave, upon thefe Glorious Encouragements, with all due refpect, to addrefs my self.