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A45376
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A discourse concerning zeal against immorality and prophaness deliver'd in two sermons in St. Michaels Church Dublin, October 29, and November 26. 1699.
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Hamilton, William, d. 1729.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing H488; ESTC R216947
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47,580
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69
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to be Reprov'd by him and who wou'd answer all his Grave Advices with Scorn and Rage But then that Man ought if he has any Zeal for the Honour of GOD to Inform the Magistrates of what he has Seen and Heard and shew his own Zeal by giving them an opportunity of exercising theirs He ought without any by-regards to Interest or Friendship to acquaint those who bear the Sword with the Crimes that have been committed before him that the Guilty may feel how they bear it not in vain This is what many among us have of late done with very great success and therefore what I cannot but recommend to all as the most effectual means of entirely rooting out all gross Immoralities and publick Vices especially those more heinous ones I have so often nam'd And since it has pleased GOD to give us some good Magistrates who want neither Zeal nor Courage to put the Laws in Execution what remains to accomplish a through Reformation of Manners but that we contribute our Endeavours to it by giving constant and Impartial Informations against Offenders It is true an Informer has been generally esteem'd a Name of Imfamy and Reproach and in many cases not without reason It is an Employment has been sometimes taken up by Men of Blasted Reputations upon the basest motives and manag'd in the most disingenuous manner When we saw a Man accuse others of a Crime whereof he was himself more Guilty and that not out of remorse of Conscience or Zeal to have Criminals Punish'd but in hopes of Favour and Money from those in Power When we saw Informing made a Trade and Men getting Bread by Perjury mixing much Falshood with a little Truth When we saw all the Laws of Hospitality and Friendship violated and things spoken with Freedom and without Design told with Aggravations to a jealous Government When I say Informing was such an Employment as this no wonder if it was Scandalous to be concern'd in it But the Informing I am recommending is of another nature it is not to catch at an unwary expression which Malice may wrest to an ill meaning or when spoken under the Seal of Friendship But it is acquainting our Governours and Magistrates with those Blasphemies and Oaths which are often vented in Publick and those other Instances of Lewdness and Immorality which are overt-acts of Treason and Rebellion against GOD. In such cases it is our Duty and we shou'd reckon it our Glory to be Informers since GOD himself at the Last Day will encrease our Honour for being thus Instrumental in Vindicating His. 'T is true the Enemies of Religion have been and still are very loud in their Clamours against this Practice and do with great Industry throw an Odium on those who make Conscience of Informing against them But they have especially rais'd a mighty cry of Injustice against that manner of Informing which is found necessary to restrain Prophane Cursing and Swearing that is when the Guilty Person knows not his Accuser I shall therefore at present endeavour to Vindicate both these and shew that to Inform against Vice is every Mans Duty and that Private Informations are not only Just and Reasonable but of absolute Necessity And this I hope will be judg'd no digression since it tends to confirm us in one of the most useful and necessary Expressions of our Zeal I begin with the First of these which is to shew that we are strictly oblig'd in point of Duty to Inform against Prophaness and Vice This will appear if we consider First The Commands and Examples which in Holy Scripture require it Secondly If we consider the reasonableness and necessity of the thing First Let us consider the Commands and Examples which in Holy Scripture require it And can any Command be more positive express and clear that what we find in the 13 th of Deut. from the 6 th to the 12 th verse If thy Brother the Son of thy Mother or thy Son or thy Daughter or the Wife of thy Bosom or thy Friend which is even as thy own Soul entice thee secretly saying let us go and serve others gods which thou hast not known thou nor thy Father Thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken unto him neither shall thine Eye pity him neither shalt thou spare him neither shalt thou conceal him But thou shalt surely kill him thine Hand shall be first upon him to put him to Death and afterwards the Hands of all the People And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such Wickedness as this is among you From which words it is plain that to Inform against dangerous Infectious Sins such as have a tendency to destroy Religion and the Worship of GOD is so in dispensable a Duty that no consideration of Blood or Friendship can excuse us from it Our Duty to GOD Cancells all Obligations to Men and nothing must be allow'd any compitition in his Love Those who lye nearest our Hearts our Brothers and Wives and Children and our best Friends must be torn thence when GOD and our Duty call when His Service requires it who is our most Indulgent Father our Truest Friend and our most Generous Benefactor But Idolatry was not the only Sin the Israelites thought themselves oblig'd to suppress by Informing against it Cursing and Blasphemy were to undergo the same just severity As appears from the instance of the Israelitish Womans Son Lev. 24.11 12 14. Who Blasphemed GOD and Cursed Those who heard him were not troubl'd with that nice Honour some now a days pretend to and thought it no reflection upon them to acquaint Moses and Aaron with his Crime tho nothing less than his Death was the consequence of their Information The Witnesses were Commanded to lay their Hands upon his Head and all the Congregation to Stone him with Stones till he Dy'd And yet tho the Forfeiture of a small Sum of Money be all the Penalty inflicted among us for the Prophanest Oaths and Curses how few are there who have Zeal and Courage to exact even that who do not let that Sin be often committed in their presence and yet are afraid or asham'd so much as to reprove it Nor was the Sabbath-Breaker treated more gently than the Blasphemer by the People of Israel They who found the Man gathering Sticks upon the Sabbath-Day immediately brought him to Moses and Aaron and all the Congregation and he was Stoned with Stones till he Dy'd Numb 15.32 Had these Men liv'd among us how wou'd they have been Hated and Derided as Officious Informers who meddl'd in things that did not at all belong to them But they were convinc'd that no Man ought to stand Neuter when the Laws of GOD are publickly Violated and that the cause of Religion every own shou'd esteem his own and espouse and promote it with the same Warmth and Resentment But that it is our Duty to Inform against Prophaness and Vice will farther appear if we
at the Last Day those who are Zealous for his Honour here He that Converteth a Sinner saith St. James from the errour of his way shall save a Soul from Death Ja. 5.20 and shall hide a multitude of Sins Now if he who gives a Cup of Cold Water to a Disciple shall not lose his Reward what shall his Happiness and Glory be who rescues Souls from endless Destruction secures them from Misery and Unquenchable Fire and so effectually covers Sins that Infinite Justice shall never find them out And they who turn many to Righteousness Dan. 12.3 as the Prophet tells us whether it be by Advice or Correctition or Example shall Shine as the Stars for ever and ever with a peculiar distinguishing and Eternal Brightness And shou'd not the hopes of this Infinite Reward inspire us with Holy Zeal Undaunted Resolution and Invincible Patience Make us despise both the Smiles and Frowns of Fortune and of Men the Uncharitable Censures of some and Prophane Scoffs of others Make us constant in our Endeavours against Vice as those Stars are in their Motions which we hope hereafter in Glory to Outshine And what a Joyful Surprize will it be to those Happy Souls who here have ever burn'd with Zeal and Love to find in the other World their Glories equal to their Wishes and infinitely beyond their too narrow hopes When Mansions of Peace shall be their Habitations Angels their Friends and perfect Spirits their Companions When Praise shall be their Employment and GOD himself their exceeding Great Reward And if Souls in the other World retain any knowledge of those who here have been their most Intimate Friends as I hope and believe they shall then what Transports of Love and Divine Friendship what Endearments and Gratulations shall be among those happy Spirits who have in this World been Fellow-Labourers in Advancing Reformation and Fellow-Sufferers for their Zeal against Vice How will it add to their Raptures tho almost Infinite before to relate over to one another the Difficulties they here Surmounted with all the Troubles and Calamities they suffer'd How sometimes they were Encourag'd and Supported and the good Improvement they made of it How again they were oppos'd in their good Purposes and Designs yet were not diverted from them by any Opposition How they were often expos'd to Publick Disgrace and Scorn their best Actions being foully mis-represented yet GOD supported them under these Tryals inspir'd them with a Generous Contempt of all Unjust Reflections rais'd them up unexpected Friends and bless'd their poor Labours with surprizing Successes How they were exhorted by the Ministers of Religion chearfully to go on in their Masters Service and to depend on his Word for a Glorious Reward they believ'd and they obey'd they recruited their Lamps with fresh Oyl and their Zeal continu'd Flaming Bright and Strong to the last so that nothing cou'd obscure or weaken or even resist it But that now at last they find all the Promises of GOD Graciously fulfill'd and therefore have cause to Praise him for all their Sufferings since their light Afflictions which were but for a Moment have wrought for them a far more Exceeding and Eternal Weight of Glory Methinks like Moses from Pisgah we may now take a Prospect of the Land of Bliss and see those who here us'd to meet together for Religion and Devotion for Suppressing Vice and Promoting Reformation welcoming one another into the Heavenly Regions with Joy in their Looks and Glory about their Heads and nothing to be heard but Anthems and Hallelujahs Thus my Brethren I trust in GOD it will be with you another day but seeing we are as yet in the Wilderness Let us have our Faces always directed towards the Promis'd Land Our Journey can't be long let us not be Frighten'd at the Dangers or Difficulties of the way but go on Couragiously in it and Endless Peace and Joy shall soon succeed our Toil and Labour ERRATA Page 4 line 30. read are of greater necessity p. 12. l. 27. r. Warm in their Advices p. 16. last l. r. the more they will p. 22. l. 27. r. Zealous Magistrates p. 25. l. 24. r. indispensable p. 39. l. 25. r. of their Blood rather than their Money p. 43. l. 24. r. escap'd p. 59. l. 33. leave out yet p. 60. l. 7. r. comprehend There are several Errata's in the Pointings