Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	christian_a	church_n	religion_n	1,340	5	5.5492	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89544	The reformed gentleman, or, The old English morals rescued from the immoralities of the present age shewing how inconsistent those pretended genteel accomplishments of [brace] swearing, drinking, [brace] whoring and Sabbath-breaking are with the true generosity of an English man : being vices not only contrary to the law of God and the constitutions of our government both ecclesiastical and civil, but such as cry loud for vengeance without a speedy reformation : to which is added a modest advice to ministers and civil magistrates, with an abridgement of the laws relating thereto, the King's proclamation and Queens letter to the justices of Middlesex, with their several orders thereupon / by A.M. of the Church of England.	A. M., of the Church of England.; Bouche, Peter Paul, b. ca. 1646.	1693 (1693)	Wing M6; ESTC R20084	100,071	189

and the Entring into the Tabernacle and they were punished with Death who were rash and Unprepared in their Approaches How much more should we provide our selves for the partaking of the Holy Mysteries under the Gospel Dispensation And how dangerously Guilty are those who heedlesly and rashly run into those Holy Ordinances Keep thy foot when thou goest into the House of the Lord is Solomon's advice and it was not the not Washing of the Hands but the unclean unpurified Heart that our Saviour condemned in the Pharisees He that so uses the world as tho' he used it not and has God always before his Eyes is a continual Sacrifice and needs not much blowing to raise up his Soul into a Flame But the Carking Worlding who all the Week is fastned to this Earth should take some time to disintangle his thoughts and make them ready for Spiritual Objects He would do well to leave off his Business as early as conveniently he can on the Eve of every Lords-Day to call himself to account and see how cases stand betwixt God and his own Soul He would do well to retire into his Chamber to commune with his own Heart to search it throughly and to examine whether he be sensible of that Majesty before whom he must on the Morrow appear 'T is for want of this Premeditation that the Heart relishes Spirituals so ill on the Day they are offered to it that it is so soon cloyed and glutted with sacred things which had the Mind been prepared would have lain well upon and been easily digested by the Soul 19. Having thus provided for the Approaching Solemnity and made His Addresses in His Closet to the God who hears in Secret Secondly Frequenting the Publick Ordinances of the Church He will find it no such Difficult matter to be present at and demean himself decently and devoutly in the Publick Ordinances of the Church and to stay them out were they something longer than they are And here the Devout Soul needs not to be admonished tho' the Lazy unprepared and unsanctified Hearts should be put in Mind to consider in whose presence it is that they then appear that they may be struck with an awful Reverence and an humble Fear of that Majesty with whom they then and there more immediately converse It is the Assembly of the Saints the Congregation of the Faithful the Confluence of God's Elect a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood a Peculiar People a Holy Nation that they then and there represent to shew forth the Praises of him who hath called them out of Darkness into his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2.9 Oh how should such thoughts inflame them to lift up pure Hands to cast up pure Eyes to dart up pure Affections to lift up a clean Heart and to pour out Holy Prayers before the Throne of Grace How should such thoughts make them joyn with the Minister in that admirable Form of Morning and Evening Prayer the Church in her Liturgy has prepared to their Hands the Excellency of which appears to none more than to the truly Pious Fixed Warm and attentive Soul How should they be inflamed with Love and not only offer up their Prayers but their Praises also to that Being who gives them the Cause the Power and the Faculty to Praise How should they run out to meet God in his Ordinances to Hearken to his Messengers shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace How would they be Enamoured with the Mercies supported by the Promises and forewarned by the Judgments and Threatnings of the most High How will their Instructed Minds and Informed Wills breath after a Spiritual Participation of the Bread of Life and the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant And in this Mysterious Solemnity a Devout Communicant would not come to offer but to receive his Crucified Master he would sacrifice his Sins and offer up himself a Living sacrifice Holy and Acceptable unto God which is his reasonable service He would offer up his Vnderstanding his Will his Affections his Passions his All to be directed governed and guided by the Royal Will and Pleasure of Heaven 20. Were every Christian that goes to Church thus affected as in some degree all must be that will sanctifie the Lords-Day aright He would not find it so difficult to consecrate the Remainder thereof at Home Thirdly By Family Duties and in his Closet He would not then think it Puritanical or a business Indifferent but absolutely necessary and indispensable to take care that He and his House serve the Lord not only in the publick Solemnities of the Church but in the more retired Duties of the Family He would not then be ashamed nor esteem it tedious and irksom to spend the Close in Reading Exhorting Meditating and Contemplating in Praying to and Praising of the Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity But would think it his Happiness his Joy and his Delight For this inward Spiritual and Caelestial Pleasure I appeal to those who have tasted what a Sweet and Pleasant thing it is to be thankful Holy and Zealously Religious on this Day Motives for the keeping of the Lords-Day Ho●y ●rawn from the the Consideration of the Benefits of Observing it and the Mischiefs of Profaning it both to priv●te Persons and to th● Publick 21. And if the Charms of this Festivity rightly observed be not of force enough to prevail with the Profane to come in and joyn with the strictly Pious yet the Consideration of the Benefits that Redound from a Due observation of the Lords-Day ●nd the Mischiefs of Profaning it that Infest every individual Person as well as the Publick will I hope perswade him to think it his Interest as well as Duty to be strict and exact in remembring a Seventh Day to keep it Holy 22. The first Benefit that naturally flows from the due Observance of the Lords-Day is the upholding a sence of Religion in the Person that thus Observes it The first Benefit of sanctifying the Lords-Day is the upholding a sence of Religion in us It is on this Day that we are taught our particular Duties of Living Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World It is then Grace is administred to the Hearers Grace to assist them in performing what is commanded and Grace to resist and avoid the Temptations of doing Evil. Then are we told of a Heaven and the joys thereof laid up in store for all such as truly Love Fear Obey and Believe in God and are acquainted with a Hell that is prepared for the Unbelievers and Profane There we have the faculties of our Souls enlightened our Understandings cleared our Wills rectified our passions subjected to our Reasons and our Outward in all things made subservient to our Inward Man It is then we have our Faith Hope and Charity Our Love Patience Meekness and Humility Our Sobriety Temperance and Chastity and all the other Virtues of a Christian and Holy Life revived renewed enlarged regulated and

the great Support and Pillar thereof There is no need to go far for Demonstration the quarrels and frequent disturbances which happen among the Prophane Sabbath-breakers and commonly on this very day declare how great the Combustion would be were the Kingdom swallowed up in Irreligion and become thereby its own Incendiary 32. To wind up all and draw to a Conclusion the celebration of the Lords-Day The second Benefit and Mischief considered together as it entitles the particular Observers thereof to the more peculiar Eye and favour of God so it puts the whole Community of People that call upon his Name nuder his more immediate Care and Providence The Ark of God where-e're it came was sacred and brought to a Religious * 2 Sam. vi 11. Obed-Edom and his godly family Blessings Plenty and Success and to the Sacrilegious Idolatrous and Prophane * 1 Sam. v. Philistins it sent the plague of Emerods and sores The inquisitive prying † Chap. vi Bethshemites were smitten for looking thereinto and the rude unsanctified * 2 Sam. vi Vzzah for his familiar touching the Seat of Gods Holiness was punished with immediate death The Parallel will hold good in the consideration of the Keeping or not Keeping Holy the Lords-Day The Lord of Hosts has in all ages of the World been jealous for his Honour and has declared that them that Honour him he will Honour but those that despise him shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. ii 30. But in nothing is he abused at this time more than in his Name and Day What the result of the first is I have already shewed and what the Effect of the Last is the Jews to look no further will sufficiently demonstrate As long as they received God's Ordinances and hallowed his Sabbaths and obeyed the Voice of the Lord their God and hearkened to his Precepts to do them He was their God and they were his People He went out with them and fought their Battles He delivered them from the Hands of their Enemies and Oppressors and setled them at length in a Land that flowed with Milk and Hony and became a Wall and a Hedge of Defence on the Right Hand and on the Left to keep them from them that lived round about them * Psal xci 5 6. That they might not be afraid for the terror by Night nor for the Arrow that sleeth by Day Nor for the Pestilence that walketh Darkness nor for the Destruction that wasteth at Noon Day But no sooner did they go a Whoring after their own Inventions serving strange Gods No sooner did they violate the Statutes of the Lord and defile his Sanctuary and pollute his Sabbaths but he left them to dye in the Wilderness to be led away into Captivity and at the last in his Wrath cut them off from being a People * Cap. xx 13. Ezekiel testifies that because the House of Israel in the Wilderness rebelled against the Lord their God and walked not in his Statutes and despised his Judgments and greatly polluted his Sabbaths therefore he poured out his fury in the Wilderdness to consume them And tho they were setled in the Promised Land yet because they were a backsliding People apt to abuse their Great God in his Worship and Day he leaves Cnnaanites in the Land to prove them as Thorns in their Flesh and Goads in their Sides For ever and anon upon their Revolt from the Holy One of Israel he leaves them to be oppressed by the Kings of Mesopotamia by the Moabites Canaanites Midianites Philistines and Ammonites to the Incursions of the Amalekites Syrians Egyptians and Edomites to be carryed away at last into Captivity the Ten Tribes by Shalmanaser into Assyria where we lose the very Memory of them and Juda by Nebuchadnezzar into Babylon That the Prophanation of the Sabbath was a Principal Cause of all this their Calamity none will doubt that believes what Nehemiah says Chap. xiii 17 18. What e●il thing is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath Did not your Fathers thus and did not God bring all this evil upon us and upon our City Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by prophaning the Sabbath And it is more than probable that for this very sin as well as for many others God rejected the Remnant of Juda and permitted them to be dispersed by the Romans and suffered their Sanctum Santorum and their Holy City to be laid level to the Dust and not one Stone left upon another 33. What remains then but that we take warning hence to be more Religiously Observant of this Sacred Day that we may like the Obedient Israelites be the Darlings and Favourites of Heaven that we may attract the Divine Overshadowing and win God himself to be our Sheild our Buckler our Refuge our Defence and our Invincible Rock on every side of us But if we should which God forbid persist in our Impieties and continue in prophaning the Lords-Day can we expect to escape better than the beloved people of God did Can we expect he will be more favourable to the Ingrafted than to the Natural Branches They were his chosen People his pecu iar Flock and the Lot of his Inheritance and did he write such bitter things against them and can we imagine He will be partial to Vs No certainly our Crimes are Equal and so will our Punishments be too He will add greater Plagues to what we have already felt and make our Punishment as Vniversal and General as is our Guilt This Land has already met with particular Judgments which have reigned in those Places where the Lords Day has been most prophaned The Plague the Fire and the Sword have already been our Portion Divisions and Schisms Factions and Rebellions have already been the Whips and Scorpions wherewith we have been scourged and wounded What remains but that for our Obstinate Perseverance in this as given as in other Crying Sins our Goodly Land be given over as a Prey unto our Enemies that our Heritage as it is defiled become also full of Devastations that our Candlestick should be removed that our Churches should be thrown down and that we should be forced in a Strange Land to wander from Sea to Sea Amos viii 12. and from the North even to the East to seek the Word of God and shall not find it Oh let the terror of these thoughts afrighten us to our Duty and if we have any regard for our selves and are not concerned whether we are saved or damned whether we prosper or go backward in our Affairs whether our Minds are spiritualized or no whether the sence of Religion be upheld or lost in us Yet as we regard the Welfare Peace and Tranquility of the Society wherein we live as we would not have that involved in a Common Heap of Ruin and Destruction as we would not willingly be the Cause of our Posterities Misfortune nor expose our innocent Babes to the rage

of the Adversary let us run into God's House embrace his Mercy embrace his Ordinances honour his Holy Name and his Word obey his Commands fulfill all Righteousness and sanctifie his most Holy Day Let us break off our Sins by Repentance and stop those Judgements which threaten us who knows but the Lord will have Mercy and will repent him of the Evil that he hath designed against us that he will dispel the Clouds and make the Sun of Peace and Righteousness to break out upon us making us rejoyce for the time wherein we have suffered Adversity To this End it would not be amiss to cry out From Hardness of Heart from Contempt of thy Holy Word and Commandments from Fornication and all other Deadly Sin from Intemperance and Prophaning of thy most holy Day from all the Judgments which we have most righteously deserved from Lightning and Tempest from Plague Pestilence and Famine from Battle and Murder and from sudden Death Good Lord Deliver us And O Blessed Adorable and Glorious Trinity Remember not our Offences nor the Offences of our Fathers neither take thou Vengance of our sins but Spare us Good Lord Spare thy People whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious Blood and be not angry with us for ever Have mercy upon us Have mercy upon us Have Mercy upon us most Merciful Father Save and Deliver us from all our Sins Confirm and Strengthen us in all Goodness and bring us at length to Life Eternal Amen Amen! A Modest Advice to the Ministers and Civil Magistrates TO make the preceding Discourse the more Effectual it might perhaps be expected that I should add something to the Ministers and Civil Magistrates of this Church and Kingdom and that I should shew how far both of them are obliged in their several Stations the one by the Sword of the spirit the other by that of Justice to do what in them lies to suppress the Reigning Immoralities of the present Age Of which the Vices spoken against in the foregoing Treatise are not the least in Reality tho they may be so in all outward appearance by reason of that little notice the unthinking World takes of them To the Ministers of our Church there is a very little need to say any thing For besides those Worthy and Reverend Prelates whom God's Providence and the Care and Piety of our Princes has placed at the Helm there is a Clergy under them that for Learning Virtue and Sincere not meerly formal Devotion we may dare all the Churches in Christendom to shew its equal Our whole Nation and especially the Metropolis thereof has many of those pious Souls whose Lives and Doctrines go hand in hand to stem that torrent of Atheism and Prophaness which has of late years been so Impetuously breaking in upon us Their Practical Preaching and Moral but withall most Excellent Discourse● now in Print concerning the Reasonableness of the Christian Religion the Loveliness of all that is Good and Virtuous and the Deformity of all that is Bad and Vicious with the like is sufficient proof of their Zeal for the Honour of God and the Good of His Church so that we should wrong them if we thought they stood in need of Instructions to Direct them or of Motives to Incite them to do a Duty which is so Incumbent upon them as to press home for a Reformation of this Degenerate Kingdom when the Glory of their Great Master is so nearly Concerned therein But amidst these Excellent Persons there are it must be Confessed some others that give too open a Scandal to our Holy Religion by their Vile Principles and their Viler Practices Some of these are notoriously Bad and live in Direct Opposition to what they are bound to Preach to others Whilst Others spend their time in dry Notions and insipid Controversies which profit their Congregations but very little if any thing at all As for the first if the Common Obligations they lie under as Men endued with Reasonable Souls if the ordinary Ties of Christianity they are bound with in their Baptism or if the extraordinary Ones they are obliged with in their Ordination are not of force to put them upon mending these their Irregularities yet 't is hoped the Example of the more Strict and Conscientious will shame them to some degree of fervour and cause them to put on the Form at least if they will hot the Power of Godliness But if that will do no good upon them yet 't is presumed the Worthy Fathers of the Church will by their Care and Inspection either remove those that are a Publick Shame unto it or else prevent the Like Mischief for the future by admitting none into Holy Orders but such as they have sufficient Testimony of that they will not by their unsanctified Lives give cause for the contempt of the Clergy I say 't is presumed the Bishops will in their several Diocesses take care of those things which Confidence I ground upon those many excellent Charges which have of late been given in many Visitations After all this I cannot but wonder how any one can so far offer violence to his Reason and Conscience as to live in the Wilfull Breach of any known Duty when he has so many upbraidings from all hands to check him and stare his sins out of Countenance What a dreadful Account they must give of their Cure and that Charge of Souls which is committed to them Sacred Writ will sufficiently inform them and what a weight lies upon their shoulders tho at present so little regarded by them Bishop Burnets Pastoral Care lately published will put them in mind of if they can give themselves but time to read it over and calmly to consider thereon As for those who busie themselves about unprofitable Speculations and matters meerly Controvertal 't were to be wished they would leave off their Heats and Animosities throw aside all Prejudice and Faction for this Sect or that Party and give over Quarreling and Disputing about Modes and Figures about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Religion the Knowledge or Ignorance of which would neither promote nor hinder our Great Concern 'T were to be wished I say that they would lay aside all such Curious Niceties and Disputable Points fit for none but Schoolmen and wrangling Sophisters to employ their parts upon and that they would reason of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come Preach up with the Primitive Christians the necessity and usefulness of a Holy Life lashing Vice and protecting Virtue where e're they find it tho their very Patrons were guilty of the one and their greatest Enemies Masters of the other Such profitable Rules of Morality would better become the Gravity of the Preacher as well as suit with the Capacity and Regulate the Lives and Practices of the Audience than an unintilligible Discourse of an Hour or two long about the Particular Tenets of Calvin Arminius or some other Learned Sophister of the Church which can neither

that none be punished but what are convicted within the space of six months after the Offence is committed This Statute made perpetual 21 Jac. 1. Cap. 7. Against the Prophanation of the Lords-Day commonly called Sunday 29 Car. 2. ALL Laws in force concerning the Observation of the Lord's Day are to be put in execution This day is by every one 1 Will. and Mary to be sanctified and kept holy and all Persons must be careful herein to exercise themselves in the Duties of Piety and true Religion publickly and every one on this day not having a reasonable Excuse must diligently resort to some publick place where the service of God is exercised or must be present at some other place allowed of by Law in the Practice of some Religious Duty either of Prayer Preaching Reading or Expounding of the Scriptures or Conference upon the same as also privately Such as repair not to Church c. on Sundays and Holy-days one Witness Twelve Pence for every default to be levied by destress or to be committed to some Prison until the same be paid 1 Eliz. 23 Eliz. 3 Jac. Cap. 1. 19 Eliz. Cap. 1. Absenting for a Month If a twelve month or more twenty pounds per month and forfeiture of two parts in three of their Estates If any come not to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper once a year Their Names and Surnames to be presented Forty Shillings reward to such as present them 3 Jac. Cap. 4. None shall speak or do any thing in Contempt of the most Holy Sacrament By Oath of two lawful Witnesses by three Iustices Quorum un to be bound over and prosecuted in Sessions 1 Ed. 6. Cap. 1. Whosoever shall disturb any Preacher allowed in his open Sermon or Collation or be procuring or abetting thereunto or shall rescue c. any Offender c. Accusation must by two Witnesses or Confession To be committed by any Iustice of the County to safe Custody and within six days the said committing Iustice with one other Iustice if the Offender upon examination shall be found Guilty shall commit him to Goal without Bail c. for three Months and farther to the next Quarter Sessions 1 M. Cap. 3. Such as meet or assemble out of their own Parish upon the Lord's Day for any Sports or Pastimes whatsoever or such as shal use any unlawful Exercise or Pastime in their own Parish upon the Lord's day three shillings and four pence to the Poor where c. to be levied by distress and sale restoring the Overplus c. and for want of distress to be sent to the Stocks for three hours but they must be questioned within a month 1 Car. Cap. 1. 3 Car. Cap. 4. If any Carrier Waggoner c. with Horse Wain or Cart or Drover with Cattle shall travel upon the Lord's Day by themselves or any other for them twenty shillings for every offence to be levied by distress and sale to the use of the poor 3 Car. Cap. 1. If any Butcher or any other for him shall kill or sell any Victuals upon the Sunday one Witness view or Confession He shall forfeit six shillings and eight pence if questioned within six months to be levied c. or may be sued for in Sessions c. 3 Car. Cap. 1. If any Shoe-maker shall go with intent to sell any Boots Shoes c. on the Sunday He shall forfeit such Goods and three shillings and four pence for every pair 1 Jac. Cap. 22. If any person of the age of fourteen shall on the Lord's Day or any part thereof do any worldly labour c. except works of Nececessity and Charity shall forfeit five shillings for every offence 29 Car 2. Cap. 7. If any person shall cry shew forth or put to sale any Wares Fruit Goods c. except Milk only before the hours of nine in the morning and after four in the afternoon He shall forfeit the said Wares Fruite Goods c. to the use of the poor 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. No Drover Horse-courser Waggoner Butcher Higler or any of their servants shall travel or come to their Inns on the Lord's Day shall forfeit twenty shillings for every offence 29 Car. 2. Cap. 6. No person shall use to travel upon the Lord's Day with any Horse Boat Wherry c. except allowed by one Iustice of Peace so to do by View Confession or one witness the fofeitvre is five shillings for every offence The Conviction upon this Statute must be before any Iustice of the County c. who shall give warrant to the Constables c. to seize the Goods shewed c. and to levy the Forfeitures by distress and for want of distress to put the Offender in the Stocks for two hours the Iustices c. may reward the Informer out of the Forfeitures not exceeding the third part 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. This Act extends not to dressing of Meat inn Cooks Shops Inns or Victualing-Houses The Queens Letter TRusty and Well-beloved We Greet you well Considering the great and indispensible Duty incumbent upon us and to promote and encourage a Reformation of the Manners of all our Subjects that so the Service of God may be advanced and those Blessings be procured to these Nations which always attend a Conscientious Discharge of our respective Duties according to our several Relations We think it necessary in order to the obtaining of this Publick Good to recommend unto you the putting in Execution with all Fidelity and Impartiality those Laws which have been made and are still in force against the Prophanation of the Lords-Day Prophane Swearing and Cursing Drunkenness and all other lewd enormous and disorderly Practices which by a long conntinued Neglect and Connivance of the Magistrates and Officers concerned have universally spread themselves to the Dishonour of God and the Scandal of our Holy Religion wherby it is now become the more necessary for all Persons in Authority to apply themselves with all possible Care and Diligence to the suppressing of the same We do therefore hereby charge and require you to take the most effectual Methods for putting the Laws in Execution against the Crimes above-menioned and all other Sins and Vices particularly those which are most prevailing in this Realm and that especially in such cases where any Officers of Justice shall be guilty of any of those Offences or refuse or neglect to discharge the Duty of his place for the suppressing them that so such Officer by his Punishment may serve for an Example to others And to this end we would have you be careful and diligent in encouraging all Constables Church-wardens Headborroughs and all other Officers and Persons whatsoever to do their part in their several Stations by timely and impartial Informations and Prosecutions against all such Offenders for preventing those Judgments which are solemnly denounced against the Sins above-mentioned We cannot doubt of your performance hereof since it is a Duty to which you are obliged by Oath

and are likewise engaged to the discharge of it as you tender the Honour of Almighty God the flourishing condition of his Church in this Kingdom the continuance of his Holy Religion among us and the Prosperity of the Country And so we bid you farewell Given at our Court at Whitehall the 9th day of July in the Third Year of our Reign By Her Majesties Command Nottingham To our Trusty and Well-beloved the Justices of the Peace for our County of Middlesex at Hick's Hall The Late Order of the Justices of Middlesex for suppressing Prophaness and Debauchery WHereas their Majesties both by their several Letters and Proclamations have from time to time been graciously pleased to declare their earnest desire That all the Laws against Vice and Prophaness be duly Executed and have expresly Commanded us Tneir Majesties Justices of the Peace of this County to take the most effectual Care for the due Execution thereof And whereas this Court in persuance of Their Majesties Commands have by their Order bearing date the Tenth Day of July last Commanded all High Constables Petty Constables Headburroughs Church-Wardens and other Officers within this County to Use their utmost Diligence for bringing to condign Punishment all the Offenders against the said Laws which upon the Oaths of divers credible Winesses as we are informed hath through the diligence of the Offcers in divers parts of this County had this good effect that many Houses of disorderly Tipling Debauchery and Gaming have been suppressed and very great Numbers of Bawds Whores and other Lewd Persons prophane Swearers Cursers Drunkards and Prophaners of the Lords day have been Convicted and Punished according to Law Yet notwithstanding in some other parts of this County through the Negligence Connivance and Evil Practices of the Constables Headburroughs Church Wardens and other inferior Officers of such Places the Offences aforesaid have received great incouragement and such Lewd Offenders as had been so suppressed have been yet received and permitted there to continue such their Lewd Practices This COURT therefore taking the same into their serious consideration and being stedfast in their Resolutions effectually to carry on a Reformation of manners by the due punishment of the several Offences aforesaid in all parts of this County the same being a Work acceptable to Almighty God and so earnestly and piously recommended by Their Majesties Doth Order and strictly Require all High Constables Petty Constables Headburoughs Church-Wardens and all other Officers to be diligent in making more frequent searches after such as keep Houses of disorderly Tipling Debauchery and Gaming and such as haunt the same and of the said Offenders and of all prophane Swearers Cursers Drunkards and Prophaners of the Lords Day and to give due information thereof from time to time to some One of Their Majesties Justices of the Peace of this County That no Partiality Connivance or underhand Practices by Private Notice to Offenders of any other ways by such Officers may prevent the conviction or Detection of them but that the several Offenders may be punished according to Law And whereas the publick Sports and playing of Boys and others on the Lords Day in Church-yards and else where is a great Contempt to the Worship of God and tends to the Corruption of Youth The said Officers are therefore hereby Ordered and Required to take notice on the said days of such disorders and to disperse such Prophaners of the Lords day or to apprehend them and to bring them before One of Their Majesties Justices of the Peace for ●his County that they may be proceeded against according to Law And we being resolved to proceed with all due strictnes● against all such Officers as shall be found faulty in the due observance of this our Order do recommend it to all persons who shall at any time hereafter have Knowledge of any of the Offences aforesaid or of any neglect or undue Practice of any Officers aforesaid whereby the Conviction or Punishment of any of the said Offences shall be hindred or avoided that they will give timely Information thereof to some One of Their Majesties Justices of the Peace of the said County from whom they shal● re●eive all due Incouragement And whereas the keeping of Musick Houses of late practised in several publick Taverns and Ale-Houses within this County to which there is a great Resort of Idle and Dissolute Persons is of ver● ill Consequence and tend● to the Debauching and Ruin especially of the younger sort of people of both Sexes and doth also occasion many Quarrels and Riots to the great dist●rbance of the publick Peace It is hereby further Ordered that the several Officers aforesaid do make a due Return to some Justice of the P●ace in their respective Division of the Christian Name Sir-name and Place of abode of all Persons keeping the said Musick Houses and of such as frequent the same to the end they may be prosecuted according to Law And it is further Ordered by this Court that the Clerk of the Peace for this County do forthwith cause this Order to be Printed and Affixed upon the great Gates of Hick's-Hall the Church Doors and all other publick Places of each P●rish within this County and distributed to the several High-Constables within this County who are Ordered by this Court forthwith to send the same to the several Petty Constables Church-wardens and Head-buroughs within their several Divisions to the end Publick Notice may be taken thereof By the King and Queen a Proclamation against Vitious Debauched and Prophane Persons AS we cannot but be deeply sensible of the great goodness and mercy of Almighty God by whom Kings Reign in giving so happy s●ccess to our endeavours for the rescuing these Kingdoms from Popish Tyranny and Superstition and in preserving our Royal Persons supporting our Government and uniting the Arms of most of the ●rinces and States in Christendom against our Common Enemy so we are not less touched with a Resentment that notwithstanding the these great Deliverances Impiety and Vice do still abound in this our Kingdom And that the Execution of many good Laws which have been made for suppressing and punishing thereof have been grosly neglected to the great dishonour of God and our Holy Religion Wherefore and for that we cannot expect increase or continuance of the Blessings we and our subjects enjoy without providing Remedies to prevent the like Evils for the future we judge our selves bound by the duty we owe to God and the care we have of the people committed to our Charge to proceed in taking some effectual Course therein And being thereunto moved by the pious Address of our Arch Bishops we have thought fit by the advice of our Privy Council to issue this our our Royal Proclamation and to declare our princely intention and resolution to discountenance all manner of Vice and Immorality in all persons from the highest to the lowest degree in this our Realm And we do hereby for that purpose