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-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 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 Vndertaking 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 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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 't is 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 't is 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 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
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 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. 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 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 't is 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 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 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
all Magistrates and the direction of private Persons who in any part of the Kingdom are religiously engaged in the Glorious Work of promoting a National Reformation and sold by B. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons in Cornhill W. Rogers at the Sun in Fleetstreet D. Brown at the Swan without Temple-Bar and W. Henshman in Westminster-Hall An Account of the Societies for Reformation of Manners A Sermon Preach'd at St. Mary-le-Bow to the Societies for the Reformation of Manners By the Right Reverend Father in God Edward Lord Bishop of Gloucester in 8vo Price 6 d. A Sermon Preach'd at St. Mary-le-Bow to the Societies for the Reformation of Manners By John Hancock D. D. Chaplain to his Grace the D. of Bedford in 8o. Price 6 d. A Sermon Preach'd at St. Mary-le-Bow to the Societies for the Reformation of Manners By Lilly Butler Minister of St. Mary Aldermanbury in 8o. Price 6 d. A Sermon Preach'd at St. Mary-le-Bow to the Societies for Reformation of Manners By Samuel Bradford Rector of the said Parish in 8o. Price 6 d. These Books sold by B. Aylmer in Cornhill For the more Effectual Promoting the Design of this Book is added An Abstract of the Penal-Laws Against Immorality and Prophaneness Commanded to be put in Speedy and Vigorous Execution by His Majesty's Gracious and Pious Proclamation pursuant to the Humble Address of the Honourable House of Commons OFFENCES Laws and Statutes PENALTIES Prophanation of the Lord's Day ALL Laws in force concerning the Observation of the Lord's-Day shall be put in Execution This Day is by every one 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 Privately 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 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. NOTE That His Majesty's Protestant Subjects dissenting from the Church of England and qualified according to the late Statute of Indulgence are exempted from the Penalties of the Statutes 3 Jac. 1 Eliz. 23. Eliz. 29. Eliz. and some other Statutes But this Indulgence extends not to such prophane Persons who no where attend on the Publick Worship of God Establisht or allow'd by Law nor to any that in Preaching or Writing deny the Trinity  1 W. M. Cap. 18.   1 Eliz. c. 2. 3 Jac. c. 4.  Such as Repair not to Church c. on Sundays and Holidays 1 Eliz. c. 2. Twelve Pence for every Default to be levied by Distress and for want of Distress to be committed to some Prison until the same be paid Vid. 14 15. § One Witness   Absenting for a Month If a Twelve-month or more 23 Eliz. cap. 1. 3 Jac. c. 4. Twenty Pounds per Month or forfeiture of Two parts in Three of their Estaus If any come not to the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper once a Year  Their Names and Sirnames to be Pretented Forty Shillings Reward to such as present them None shall speak or do any thing in Contempt of the most Holy Sacrament 1 Ed. 6. c. 1. By Oath of Two Lawful Witnesses by Three Justices Quorum un to be bound over and Prosecuted in Sessions Whosoever shall disturb the Church or Congregation per mitted or misule the Teacher 1 W. M. cap. 18 1 M. cap. 3. To find Sureties in 50 l. or committed till next Quarter-Sessions and on Conviction to Forfeit 20 l. Proof by Two Witnesses before a Justice of Peace   Whosoever shall disturb any Preacher allow'd in his open Sermon or Collation or be procuring or abetting thereunto or shall Rescue c. any Offender c.  To be Committed by any Justice of the County to safe Custody and within six days the said Committing Justice with one other Justice if the Offender upon Examination shall be found Guilty shall Commit him to Gaol without Bail c. for Three Months and farther to the next Quarter-Sessions c. Accusation must be by Two Witnesses or Confession   Such as Meet or Assemble out of their own Parish upon the Lord's-Day for any Sports Or Pastim is whatsoever or such as shall use any Unlawful Exercise or Pastime in their own Parish upon the Lord's-Day 1 Car. c. 1. 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 questionem within a Month. If any Caâ—rie Wagoner Butcher c. with Horse Wain or â—â—â—t or Drover with Cattle shall Travel upon the Lord's-Day by themselves or any other for them 3 Car. c. 1. Twenty Shillings for every Offence to be levied by Distress and Sale to the Use of the Poor If any Butoner or any other for him shall Kill oâ— Sell any Victuals upon the Sunday 3 Car. c. 1. 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. Two Witnesses View or Confession   If any Shoe-Maker shall shew with intent to Sell any Boots Shoes c. on the Sunday 1 Jac. c. 22. He shall Forfeit the Value of every such pair and also Three Shillings and Four Pence for every Pair If any Person of the Age of 14 shall on the Lord's-Day or any part thereof 〈◊〉 any Worldly Labour Business or Work c. except Works of Necessity 〈◊〉 Charity 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. He shall Forfeit Five Shillings for every Offence If any Person shall Cry Shew forth or put to Sale any Wares Fruit Goods c. except Milk â—â—â—y before the Hours of Nine in the Morning after four in the afternoon 29 Car. 2. cap. 7. He shall Forfeit the said Wares Fruit Goods c. to the Use of the Poor No Drover Horse-Courser Wagoner Butcher Higler or any of their Servants shall Travel or come to their Inns on the Lord's Day 29 Car. 2. cap. 7. The Forfeiture is Twenty Shillings for every Offence No Person shall use to Travel upon the Lord's-Day with any Boat Wherry c. except allow'd by one Justice of Peace so to do 29 Car. 2. cap. 7. The Forfeiture is Five Shillings for every Offence The Conviction upon the Statute must be before any Justice 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 c. and for want of Distress to put the Offender in the Stocks for Two Hours The Justices c. may reward the Informer out of the Forfeitures not exceeding the Third part By View Confession or