do generally improve and nourish Virtue and will it not be base and dishonourable shou'd we hereafter fall short of what is publish'd to the World concerning us Are our Magistrates and Clergy Commended for discharging their Duty with so much Zeal And shou'd not those among us Blush who are conscious to themselves that they are Intitled to none of these Praises Let us then resolve not to lose the Reputation we have already gain'd least it be hereafter as publickly declar'd of us that for a while indeed we seem'd warm and in earnest against Vice but that our First Fervours are gone and we are unhappily reconcil'd to our Old Sins and are lyable to the Character of the Foolish Builders who began a good Work indeed but cou'd not bring it to an end 'T is true we ought no more to do a Good Action to be Prais'd of Men than we shou'd do an Evil one to avoid their Censures And I trust in GOD that your Zeal will never be Infected with the least mixture of Vain Glory Yet just Praises are the Rewards of Virtue and shou'd be so esteem'd And it is our Duty not only to be sincerely Religious but open Advocates for Piety to stir up others by our Zeal and so to let our Light shine before Men that they may see our good Works and Glorifie our Father which is in Heaven I might mention as another Motive to excite and confirm your Zeal against Prophaness and Vice the necessity of it to avert the just Wrath and heavy Judgments of GOD and the reason we have to expect and dread them if Iniquity still prevail And that we can hope to escape them on no other Terms than our Endeavouring with great Industry and Sincerity to suppress all kinds of Wickedness The truth of this might be easily demonstrated from the Word of GOD and from the End and Reason of this Judgments this is most apparent from his Method of dealing with other Nations of this we may be convinc'd from his dealings with our selves But this has been so fully insisted on and largely prov'd by others that I shall do no more than name it And pass on to a Fifth Motive to excite and confirm our Zeal for Reformation of Manners and against all Prophane and Immoral Practices namely that we have reason to hope that it may prove hereafter an excellent means of Uniting the Establish'd Church and the Dissenters and of Propagating the Reform'd Religion among those who are Strangers to it and prejudic'd against it It will not be here needful to inquire into the Immediate Causes of our unhappy Divisions nor shall I take up your time in Lamenting the Miseries which have been and still are the consequences of them It concerns us much more to learn how our Breaches may be Heal'd and those Wounds Cur'd which have often reduc'd our Religion to a very Languishing Condition And they who have most seriously considered this matter have with great reason observ'd that nothing will more allay our Heats and Animosities nothing lay a better Foundation for a firm and lasting Union among Protestants than our becoming Zealous and Active against Vice and Prophaness For First our jointly endeavouring to beat down Publick Wickedness must needs Unite the Affections of all those who are concern'd in that Excellent Undertaking We cannot but Love and Value all who have an Active Zeal for GOD and Religion tho in some things their Judgments may be different from ours There are Charms in Piety which none can resist and if we Love GOD our selves we must Love those also who serve him in Humility and Sincerity of Heart tho we may judge them mistaken in things of lesser Moment But now Unity of Affection is a necessary Preparative for Unity of Judgment and true Holy Zeal Unites the Minds as well as Hearts of all those in whom it dwells And if we go on to assist one another in Suppressing Lewdness Immorality and Prophaness we will soon be convinc'd that differences of Opinion about the circumstances of Religion when we agree in all the Essentials of it shou'd never make us Hate and Calumniate one another But that whatever our Sentiments as to some particulars may be we are Brethren and Fellow Christians Servants of the same Lord Partakers of the same Blessed Hope and Heirs of the same Eternal Kingdom That tho we differ in a little in the Roads we take yet we both direct our Course towards the same Heaven whither they who are truly Pious Humble and Sincere of both Parties may hope to arrive at last and where without Controversie or Dispute they shall for ever dwell together in the profoundest Peace and most charitable Agreement But as our being truly Zealous against Prophaness and Vice has a natural tendency to Unite our Affections so in the Second place it will convince us of the necessity of Uniting together in Worship and Sacraments and every other way For the more Zealous we are against Vice the more clearly will we see the great Mischiefs which are caus'd by our Divisions the more fully will we be convinc'd that they are the great Hindrances of a General Reformation of Manners that the most prevailing Vices and Impieties are owing to them and that till they be remov'd Reformation may be wish'd for but can never be happily Effected For this is the great Popular Objection against our Religion insisted on so much by the Enemies of Piety that there are so many Parties among us that they know not whom to close with and therefore will treat them all with equal Neglect and Scorn This is what some pretend to justifie their Impiety and is the real cause why others are Prophane and cannot be but a Stumbling Block to many weak Minds Besides Dissentions in Religion destroy Ecclesiastical Discipline and deprive Church Censures of their Force They enfeeble the Civil Power and compell Magistrates to Wink at great Irregularities They distract Private Families and separate the nearest Relations Where they prevail the State is seldom free from Tumultuous Disorders not the Church from numerous Heresies and Schisms without end And in short they naturally lead to the Subversion of all sober Religion all Peace and Order Nay our Divisions not only cause most of our Distempers but hinder our Cure they weaken the Hands and obstruct the Endeavours of those who are Zealous for Suppressing Publick Vices For he must be a Stranger to Humane Nature who does not know that so long as there are separate Parties there will be separate Interests and that many will Prosecute their particular Designs to the prejudice of the common cause of Religion One Party will be sometimes for Acting alone and that will raise Jealousies in the other at least there 's cause to fear that they will not always Act with that Confidence in each other upon which in a great measure their Success depends These things I confess ought not to be so and all that can be said
A DISCOURSE CONCERNING ZEAL AGAINST Immorality and Prophaness Deliver'd in Two SERMONS IN St. Michaels Church DVBLIN October 29 and November 26. 1699. DUBLIN Printed by Joseph Ray in Skinner-Row for Jacob Milner Bookseller in Essex-Street 1700. TO THE SOCIETIES FOR REFORMATION of MANNERS I Consented the more readily to Publish the following Discourse least I might be suspected as wanting that Zeal my self which I Recommended to others and as Afraid of those Censures which I Exhorted you to Despise Since therefore you think the Publication of it may do some Service to Religion and Promote that Excellent Undertaking wherein you have engag'd your selves I do willingly put it into your Hands without making any Apology for those Defects which may render it lyable to Exceptions For True Zeal Studies to do Good rather than to Please To Improve Men in Piety not to Gratifie a Vain Curiosity Plain Dealing is a Part of its Character and it boldly tells Men necessary tho often disobliging Truths being more concern'd that the Food it gives be Wholesome and Nourishing than Drest up with great Nicety and Art That GOD wou'd Strengthen and Improve your Zeal and add to your Numbers many more Zealously Affected in all good things That he wou'd Bless your Endeavours against Vice and Prophaness with Success and make You happy Instruments of Advancing and Establishing a General Reformation of Manners and at last Reward your Piety and Zeal with the Glories and Happiness of Heaven Is with great Sincerity Pray'd for by Your Faithful and Affectionate Servant William Hamilton Gal. IV. xviii It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing THE Two great Extremes in Religion opposite to the genuine Spirit of Christianity and equally destructive of it are a Cold Indifference on the one hand on the other an Intemperate Zeal This Transports a Man beyond all bounds of Sobriety and Prudence and where the other prevails that Life and Fervour must be wanting without which we can neither be good Christians our selves nor successful Instruments in making others so So that it is in the Moral as in the Natural World wherein there are violent Degrees both of Heat and Cold there are Regions continually expos'd to the Suns hottest Rays there are others under the constant power of Ice and Snow in the one you Freeze you are Scorch'd in the other But still betwixt these Extremes lye Temperate Climates where Cold and Heat are regularly divided where there 's enough of each to answer the Necessities of Nature and Ends of Creation Thus it is thus it ought to be in Religion we are to choose a middle way betwixt the Lethargy of the Careless and Violence of the Zealot A Religious warmth shou'd actuate our Spirits but no Wild-Fire shou'd inflame them We shou'd have a hearty concern for the Honour of GOD and the Promotion of Piety and an equal abhorrence of Prophaness and Vice but then Modesty and Humility Sincerity and Prudence shou'd still accompany our Zeal It shou'd be Peaceable and Impartial its End manifestly good its manner of Acting Regular and Legal And then it wou'd be such Zeal as St. Paul recommends to us It is good to be Zealously Affected always in a good thing Zeal in the general acceptation of the World signifies such a fervent emotion of our Spirits such an inflammation of our Passions and Affections as makes us pressing and earnest in the pursuit of any undertaking together with some degree of Trouble and Impatience at our being oppos'd in our Designs and obstructed in the attainment of them Whatever we vigorously contend for and prosecute with a strong endeavour for that thing we may be said to be Zealous Zeal then resides in the Affections and has its sway over them and indeed whenever we are Zealously Affected all our Passions and Affections have new Heat and Vigour infus'd into them and they become more strong and lively than before Our Love fixes on the Object of our Zeal and we grasp it with a powerful bent of desire and Zeal excites our passion of Hatred against whatever is contrary to the thing we Love Zeal enlivens our hopes with the flattering expectations of success but sometimes dejects our Spirits with the apprehensions of disappointment Great Joy attends a Prosperous Zeal and 't is hard not to be griev'd when we are Zealous in vain So that Zeal is strictly nothing else but a very strong and active warmth of the two prevailing Passions of Love and Hatred of Love towards what appears Good and Excellent Of Hatred against what we judge Evil and Dangerous all our other Passions and Affections Fears and Hopes Joy and Grief being consequent upon these Thus for Example Do we passionately Love GOD and Burn with some degree of Angels Fire Does he possess the Chief Empire of our Hearts and Minds and do we suffer nothing to out-Rival him in our Affections The consequence of this must be that with great industry and application we propagate his Service and earnestly contend for his Glory That we make it the constant matter of our Study and Prayers to engage others to Love his Name and Obey his Laws That our most sensible Grief shall be the effect of seeing him Dishonour'd our greatest Joy of seeing Religion Prosper And thus we may be said to be Zealously Affected towards GOD. Again do we hate and abhor Sin with the same degree of Passion wherewith we love GOD Do we see something in it contrary to the Divine Nature to Infinite Purity Justice and Goodness as also to our own reason and Happiness Then we must needs labour to destroy it as a common Enemy and cannot but mightily Rejoyce when we do it with any Success And so we are Zealously Affected against Sin I own the Word Zeal is frequently in Scripture taken in a bad sence Emulations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are by St. Paul reckon'd among the works of the Flesh Gal. 5.20 And St. James cautions us against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bitter Envying or Zeal Ja. 3.14 And indeed it is the Object of our Zeal together with its manner of acting that renders it either Vertuous or Unlawful a Duty or a Sin If we envy our Neighbours Happiness are uneasie at his Prosperity and pleas'd with his Misfortunes Then is our Zeal highly Wicked it is the prevailing Quality the very Essence of the Devil But if our Zeal fixes upon a right Object proposes as its end something morally good and prosecutes that end by fair justifiable Methods Then is it a Commendable and Christian Zeal But now to render our Zeal truly such these two Qualifications are necessary That it be constant and lasting and that it be employed in a good thing I. Our Zeal must be constant and lasting It is good to be Zealously Affected always True Zeal is no sudden Heat no violent Transport nor gust of Passion which is vehement for a while but soon blows over but is a constant Religious frame of
and then no wonder if Blasphemies be their Language and Fleshly Lusts prevail against them And very often Religion is neglected on the Lords-Day for the sake of Drinking or Gaming and wasted away in those mean unprofitable Entertainments But since our Laws more directly take Cognizance of those other Sins I wou'd to GOD that our Zeal were successful in entirely suppressing them For they are the most pernicious Scandals to Religion and shou'd therefore be the more immediate Objects of our Zeal And were no Swearing heard among us were the Lords-Day employ'd in Exercises of Religion and Devotion and were all known Traders in in Lewdness driven away what a Holy what a Happy People wou'd we soon become How Glorious wou'd Piety appear with all its Beauteous Charms How wou'd Religion Prosper and Flourish How wou'd Wickedness Blush and Tremble and Fly away And this might soon be effected did all heartily join in it who are under particular Obligations so to do which brings me in the Second place to consider who are principally oblig'd and concern'd to be Zealously Affected against those dangerous Sins 'T is certainly reason sufficient why we shou'd be zealously affected against publick Vices that we are Christians Professors of that Religion which exacts the highest degrees of Holiness from our selves and requires us to be Zealous and Industrious in reclaiming others from their evil ways and in promoting Religion and Reformation of Manners in the World But sometimes particular Obligations arising from our Stations and Circumstances here are superadded to those which Christianity lays upon us which must be various as our Capacities and Conditions are I shall therefore mention several ranks of Men who are principally concern'd in this Great Work and are bound with more than ordinary Diligence and Zeal to apply themselves to it The First I shall name are the Ministers of Religion those who are Dedicated to the immediate Service of GOD to Preach his Word Administer his Sacraments and attend at his Altar And certainly we who are Embassadors from Christ for this very end and purpose to beseech Sinners to be reconcil'd to GOD to whose Service we are solemnly set apart by the imposition of Hands and Prayer we who are Messengers Watch-Men and Stewards of the LORD Titles of great Dignity and Honour and expressive of constant Diligence and Labour we I say shou'd oppose Vice with a very active Zeal and with unweari'd application shou'd encourage all proposals for Reformation of Manners and lead the way to others in putting them in Execution Shou'd like GOD's Ministers in Heaven be a Flame of Fire burning with Zeal so refin'd and pure that like theirs it may never fail so strong and vigorous as may spare indeed the Sinners but entirely destroy their Vices The Reformation of Mens Manners in order to the Salvation of their Souls is the end of our Preaching and all our Labours and shou'd we not animate those good Men who have avow'dly enter'd the Lists against Wickedness since we have reason to hope that thereby our Work will become more easie and delightful and that more encouraging successes will attend our Ministry the most difficult obstructions such publick Vices are being happily remov'd Nay shou'd we not bless GOD for exciting a Spirit of Piety and Religious Zeal amongst us that there are any in this degenerate World who have a true concern for Religion and Virtue And don 't all such deserve our Countenance and Encouragement our greatest esteem and tenderest affection And shou'd we not chearfully pertake in all their Difficulties and Dangers as we hope to share in their Rewards and Glory 'T is usual to complain of the Corruptions of the Age but complaints hardly ever work a Cure Our discourses may be passionate against prevailing Sins and yet those Sins continue to prevail the most Guilty being seldom our Hearers and when they are not regarding what we say It is fit then it is necessary that we use Arguments of another Nature and punish those who are proof against all Perswasions that with Stripes and Blows we make those Deaf Adders move who stop their Ears against the Voice of the wisest Charmer make those feel the coercive power of Humane Laws who impiously violate the Laws of GOD. We call our selves Successors of the Apostles and Prophets and such undoubtedly all Lawful Ministers are And shou'd not that one consideration inspire us with their Diligence their Courage and their Zeal That so we may oppose Prophaneness as Elijah did Idolatry and with the resolution of St. Paul Reason of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come But shou'd there be any so Complaisant for Wickedness so Cowardly and Mean as to be afraid or asham'd to disturb it in its antient Possessions must they not Blush when Surrounded with a Cloud of Witnesses of their own Order of Apostles and Bishops and Pastors who were not only Preachers of Righteousness but Reformers of Manners Who did not think they had discharg'd their Duty by saying some handsome things against Vice buâ— being acted by a Holy Zeal were particular and warm in Advices vehement in their Expostulations and bold in their Reproofs While Men were wicked they pity'd them they pray'd for them but never made them their Intimates and Companions They treated them as their Patients whose recovery they heartily endeavoured but never by Flattery and Compliance encreas'd their Distemper I hope in GOD there are few or none among us guilty of these Faults so disagreeable to their Character and prejudicial to Religion the contrary I think is apparent that those who are most remarkable for their Piety and eminent for their Stations in the Church do further and encourage all prudent designs for suppressing Vice and restoring Piety to its just Glory But if there shou'd be any who have so far degenerated from the Zeal of their Primitive Predecessors as to be negligent and remiss in this important Concern and if some shou'd be so among so many 't is not at all to be wondred at nor any reasonable Objection against our Church for such this Address is intended and that sufficiently justifies the plainess of it since sure I am they need it Secondly Next to the Ministers of Religion the greatest Obligations of being Zealously Affected against publick reigning Vices lye upon Magistrates upon those who are invested with Authority and Power And that it is the Duty of Magistrates with great Courage and Impartiality to suppress and punish all Wicked Practices is plain from several Intimations of it in Holy Scripture As that Rulers are not a Terror to Good Works but to the Evil. And if we do that which is Good we need not be afraid of the Power but shall have praise of the same That he is the Minister of GOD for good and beareth not the Sword in vain and is a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doth Evil. Rom. 13.3 4. Again we are commanded to be subject to Governours who are
appointed for the punishment of Evil Doers and the praise of them that do well 1 Pet. 2.14 From all which it appears what sort of Persons Magistrates shou'd be to evil works they shou'd be still a Terror and the Sword of Justice they shou'd never bear in vain Upon them that do Evil 't is their Duty to execute Wrath but good Works they are to Encourage good Men they are to Support and Praise 'T is for this end that they have Power given them over others by him from whom they originally derive their Commissions all Power being Ordained by him for by him Kings Reign and Princes decree Justice and therefore his Service they shou'd constantly perform and study the Vindication and Promotion of his Honour Besides the Suppression of Wickedness and Vice is one great End of all Magistracy and Government because thereby that which is its sole end the publick Peace and Safety is effectually attain'd and secur'd For it is inconsistent with the Publick Safety to suffer Wickedness to go on unrestrained Wickedness I say which has a natural tendency to Confusion and Disorder endangers the Peace and destroys the happiness of Society For the Natural Consequence of this must be the entire Ruine of Religion and when that is gone and Men are under no Tyes of Conscience have no regard for GOD believe not his Providence and are under no apprehensions of his just Indignation what Villanies then must be every where committed What Feuds must continually arise betwixt Governours and Subjects the one being Tyrannical and the other Rebellious What security can Men have for their Lives or Fortunes when Perjury shall be no longer dreaded as a Crime What an Emblem of Hell must this World become Criminals being too numerous too big to be Corrected when those who by their office are supposs'd to be Guardians of Virtue by their Practice will appear Patrons of Impiety Nay the resemblance will hold not only in the Worlds Wickedness and Confusion but Misery too since Vice Countenanc'd by the neglect of Magistrates must needs exasperate the Wrath of Heaven and bring down heavy Judgments on those Nations where it is allow'd to thrive where warm'd and nourish'd by Connivence But surely Magistrates cannot neglect the Execution of the Laws against Immorality and Prophaness upon such easie Terms as some of them if we may judge by their Practice imagine since when they enter upon their Office they are Sworn to Execute and Maintain those Laws after their Wit and Power with equal respect to Poor and Rich and therefore every wilful Omission of their Duty is a Violation of a Solemn Oath and adds a new Perjury to all their other Crimes And what a sad account shall such Men have to make at the Day of Judgment Must they not be rank'd with Judas and such other Wretches having betray'd that Religion they were oblig'd to defend and protected those Vices they were commanded they were sworn to Suppress And how happy wou'd it be both for them and us did all our Magistrates consider and act agreeably to the great Trust repos'd in them Did they with united Counsels and Endeavours put a stop to Vice and not commit those Crimes themselves they were commanded to punish in others How wou'd all the Blessings of Heaven and Earth flow down upon us And what a happy change wou'd their Zeal and Courage soon produce Vice wou'd sneak and not dare to shew its Deform'd Face Men wou'd be asham'd of their Wickedness and tremble for fear of a Discovery but never dare to Glory in it and all their deeds of Darkness wou'd retire and shun the Light And certainly a Faithful Magistrate is a Publick Blessing He 's the most useful Member of the Common-Wealth the best Patriot of his Country and to his Prince a most Valuable Subject He deserves all the Honour the present Age can give and while the Name of some shall Rot Generations to come shall call him Blessed And Praised be GOD's Holy Name such Magistrates are not wholly wanting among us there are some even in this City who upon all proper Occasions express a generous Zeal against Lewdness Immorality and Prophaness and have been glorious Instruments in restraining those Crimes which were usually committed with a daring Impudence Magistrates who are Zealous for their Masters Honour and protect and encourage those who are active and forward in his Service whose actions are agreeable to the end for which they were appointed the Punishment of Evil-doers and Praise of them that do well The Merit of such Excellent Men challenges the most publick and grateful acknowledgments which the Friends of Piety can pay and next to the great GOD of Heaven we shou'd be loudest in the Praises of these Ornaments of Magistracy Supports of Virtue and Zealous Promoters of Reformation And I 'm very confident they shall never want a more valuable benefit than Commendations the sincere and constant Prayers of all good Men for their temporal and eteranal Happiness And I trust that the same GOD who has begun a good work in them will continue will improve and bring it to perfection That he will so animate and assist them that they shall never grow weary in well-doing nor think any thing a trouble wherein GOD and Religion are concern'd And others will I hope be influenc'd by these Examples to walk in their Steps and immitate their Zeal That so all our Magistrates may enjoy the invaluable satisfaction which doing good to the World does here afford all may be intitl'd to a Glorious Reward in Heaven Whatever particular Obligations lye upon Magistrates to be Zealously Affected against Prophaness and Vice do likewise respect the Nobility and Gentry 'T is true they are not all Sworn to Execute the Laws yet Honours and Estates are conferr'd upon them by the Sovereign Proprietor of all things that they may be qualifi'd thereby to be the more serviceable to the interests of Piety and Religion These Gifts of Heaven are Talents for which they must render an account to the Great Donor of them And if they improve them to his Glory and the good of Mankind If they will not decline expence nor trouble to destroy Vice and make Religion prosper then they answer the intention of Providence and shall be able to give an account of their Stewardship with Joy They shall entail lasting Blessings upon their Families and secure endless Glory to themselves Nay they will silence the Clamours of Malice and Envy since few won't rejoice at the greatness of those who make all their privileges subservient to Piety and Virtue A Third sort of Persons who are concern'd to be Zealously Affected against those dangerous Sins are Penitents Those who having heretofore been engag'd in sinful Courses are by the Grace of GOD delivered from their Bondage and restor'd to a better Mind 'T is a common observation that Penitents are more Zealous than any others against Sin And indeed ther 's a Natural
Reason why it shou'd be so for the more Men know of Vice when once throughly awaken'd from its Charms they more they will abhor and detest it Besides 't is what they are strictly oblig'd to in Conscience For having heretofore dishonour'd GOD obstructed Religion and made Men Enemies to Virtue They are bound if I may so speak to make what Restitution they can to all those for the Injuries they have done them Have they heretofore Prophan'd GOD's Name or his Word or his Day Then surely if their Repentance be sincere they will not only in the highest manner honour these themselves but be very assiduous to procure them all possible Reverence from others Have they entic'd others to Sin and been but too unhappily successful in it Shou'd not then their Zeal be constant and active as the Sun and Light and bring Men to a sense of their Duty that so they may be Instruments of saving more than they have been the Fatal Means of destroying Have they injur'd Religion by their Evil Examples Then surely their Lives for the future shou'd be bright and unspotted their Actions Eminently Holy and a most engaging Pattern of Piety they shou'd set to the World Had they almost miscarry'd and been ruin'd for ever by their Wickedness had not the Goodness of GOD miraculously interpos'd for their Deliverance Then 't is certainly their Duty to caution others of those Rocks whereon they had well nigh been Ship-rack'd Such was the Practice of those great Examples of sincere Repentance Holy David and St. Paul After the former had in very passionate terms bewail'd his Sins and implor'd the Pardon of GOD for them as the natural consequence of his Repentance he declares his Pious Resolution I will teach thy ways to the Wicked and Sinners shall be converted unto thee Psal. 51.13 And thus it was with St. Paul after his Conversion Did he once make Havock of the Church He afterwards labour'd more abundantly than all the Apostles to enlarge and strengthen it Was he once a bitter Enemy to Christianity a Blasphemer and Reviler of the Son of GOD He afterwards prov'd a most Zealous Advocate for the one a most Successful Preacher of the other Did he hale the Saints to Prison was he consenting to their Death To the same Religion they profess'd he adher'd faithfully unto Death and for it was Crown'd with Martyrdom himself And thus shou'd all true Penitents behave themselves whatever tends to the Advancement of Religon with all the powers of their Souls they shou'd pursue themselves and recommend to others with a most Industrious Zeal Then wou'd their Repentance be not only sincere but compleat available to their Pardon and cause Joy in the presence of the Angels Fourthly and Lastly They who have enter'd into Societies for Reformation of Manners and thereby avow'dly engag'd in the service of Piety and Religion are particularly oblig'd to be Zealously Affected against those foremention'd Dangerous Sins My Argument does not require that I shou'd undertake a just Vindication of such Societies and prove the usefulness of them this has been fully done by others and the great service they daily do Religion sufficiently proclaims it Yet we may in general observe that Vice is too potent an Enemy to be defeated by any single endeavours Vice which too often baffles the united Labours of the best Men in the World and is supported by a confederacy of all the Powers of Darkness Besides we cannot but be sensible that good Men have need of Companions to animate them to a work of Difficulty and Danger We are afraid to appear Champions for Religion are afflicted with an evil shame and easily discourag'd when alone But a competent number when join'd in a Society advise support and excite one another The Prudent Calmness of some restrains the Irregular Warmth of others whose Vigorous Zeal on the other hand like Fire communicates Heat and Life and Spirit to the Negligent and Indifferent gives flame to their Affections and enlivens their Souls Again 't is reasonable to believe that what the United Councils of many resolve upon and what is Prosecuted by their joint Endeavours will be more wisely undertaken and more successfully accomplish'd than if there were no such Union either in Council or in Action So that a great many good Men who wou'd otherwise be of little use to Religion do very much advance and promote it by thus joining together their Hearts and Hands for that purpose as those many little Stars which make up what we call the Milky way in the Heavens wou'd if separated wholly disappear but by their Conjunction afford a very useful Light to the World We are all sufficiently convinc'd of the necessity of Societies in many other cases for carrying on any design of Importance If a Prince is become too Potent for one Neighbour whom he is likely to Devour then many become Confederates to humble him Is any great Trade to be undertaken which is too difficult and expensive for any Private Fortune and Contrivance Then is it usually accomplish'd by a Society or Company Our Common Safety shews us the necessity of Parliaments which are but great Societies for Reforming the Common Wealth by redressing Grievances and making Useful Laws And is Religion the only that either does not need or does not deserve a Society to promote and secure it Is not suppressing Publick Impiety Lewdness and Prophaness bringing those who are openly Wicked and Proud of being so esteem'd to Punishment and removing from others the Pestilence of Evil Examples are not all these Matters of great Weight and Moment and which deserve the most serious Thoughts of the Prudent as well as the Religious And if these things can be better effected by Societies than any other way does not that fully evince the Usefulness or rather great Necessity of them If Reformation of Manners can be accomplish'd more successfully by other Methods than these of Societies it wou'd do great service to Religion to discover them to the World but since that has not yet been done 't is very reasonable that Persons of Piety and Zeal shou'd go on in the way they know till they be made acquainted with a better I own did every Man among us Conscientiously discharge his Duty in his Station and according to his Capacity were there no Negligent Ministers nor any Unfaithful Magistrates and did every other Person in his Private Capacity do what in strictness he ought to do then the whole Church wou'd be one great Religious Society and that wou'd supersede the necessity of any other But seeing that never was in any Age of the Church not in the most Primitive and Purest times Seeing that Ecclesiastical Discipline is fallen so very low that Church Censures are lost upon the greater part of Mankind And seeing we have no prospect of any publick alteration for the better but have cause to fear that every thing will become worse unless the impending Mischief be in time
ever an Innocent Person was mistaken and accus'd as Guilty But which sort of Informations Publick or Private is attended with the worst Consequences and clog'd with the most Inconveniencies Whither it be not better and more Expedient to have Swearing suppress'd by Private Informations though it shou'd happen through Inadvertency and Errour that once in an Age one who was not Guilty of that Sin shou'd be Accus'd and Punish'd as if he had been Guilty Or an Informer shou'd be acted by unwarrantable Principles or some base Passion Than by obliging Magistrates always to discover the Informers to have the main end of so good a Law against a Sin so Heinous and yet so prevailing in a great measure defeated And this leads me in the Second place To shew that Private Informations are not only Just but highly Expedient and Necessary And they are so I. Because Private Informations lay greater restraints upon Swearers than they wou'd otherwise be under Men will be afraid to Swear in Publick when they do not know but some present may Inform against them yet they never know who they are Now the End of Laws is rather to hinder Men from doing Evil than to Punish them for it And if this be better answer'd by Private Informations than it cou'd be were they still to be Publick If they make Men timerous and reserv'd and very cautious how they openly Blaspheme GOD since they cannot be sure but some Informers tho unknown are present Does not all this shew the Expediency and Necessity of such Private Informations 'T is true the presence of GOD shou'd have a stronger Influence upon us than of the whole World and his Judgments shou'd be dreaded more then all that Man can do But since we find it otherwise our Laws must be accordingly contriv'd and executed that they who are so Impious as not to be afraid of Heaven may yet be kept under all possible restraints by Men. Secondly Private Informations are necessary because they secure the Informers from the Rage and Insults of Malicious and Revengeful Men. For what reason can Swearers have with so much Eagerness and Passion to desire to know who Inform'd against them Can it be any other than that they may Study how to be Reveng'd of them for what they judge a great Injury tho in reality a great Favour Now that which makes Swearers so Inquisitive after Informers shou'd make Magistrates conceal them The Prudence and Zeal of the one shou'd be a security against the Malice of the other And surely all Laws shou'd be so contriv'd that they who are Zealous for the Execution of them may not suffer by it And since they who Inform against Swearing reap no Temporal Advantage thereby can it be reasonable to expose them to Infamy and Shame and Ruin Which wou'd be unavoidable if they were commonly known And that it wou'd be so will appear very evident if we consider what is notorious to all that they who are most Zealous in pressing Swearing by constant Informations are of the lower Rank of Mankind who support their Families by Industry and constant Labour But that they who are most Guilty and most commonly Punish'd are considerable for their Stations and Fortunes or formidable for their United Numbers As Officers of the Army and Soldiers many Gentlemen of Quality and Estates with their Servants and Dependants Now can it be reasonable to expose Poor Men to the Hatred and Revenge of those who are too Wicked to consider the good Design of those who Inform'd against them and too powerful not to be able to do them Mischief to Blacken their Reputations and to Ruin their Fortunes and it is well if they spare their Lives So that to discover all who Inform against Swearing wou'd be a Cruelty equal to that of the Primitive Persecutors who cover'd the unhappy Christians with the Skins of Wild Beasts and then turn'd Dogs and Lyons loose upon them And is it not a Melancholy thing to consider that if Private Informations be lay'd aside a good Man must either neglect a necessary Duty let Wickedness go oâ—â— and enlarge its Conquests or if it does oppose it must run the hazard of being undone with his Family ' Tiâ—â—rue every Man ought to discharge his Duty what ever may be the Consequences of his doing so But we know and ought to consider that many good Men are Timerous in their Natures or Low in their Fortunes Men may be good Christians though not qualified to be Martyrs for Religion They may have great Zeal against Vice yet be unwilling openly to encounter it when besides Pains and Trouble they must in all likelyhood suffer Poverty and Disgrace And therefore we may reasonably hope that our Magistrates will have such a regard for Humane Nature as to consider Mens Practice as well as their Duty What it is probably they will do as well as what in strictness they ought to do And that the Insolent Clamours of those who are Angry that they may not still Swear as formerly without controul will not hinder them from so managing Informations that none may be discourag'd nor afraid to give them which is hardly possible unless the Informers be Conceal'd But Private Informations are so far from being Unjust or Unreasonable that in the Third and Last place they who suffer most by them have no reason to desire that the Practice shou'd be otherwise And that for these Two Reasons First Because Private Informations secure the Swearer who iâ— Punish'd from the Temptation of adding Revenge to Prophaness and aggravating one Heinous Sin by the addition of another A good Man is glad to be Ignorant of those who have done him 〈◊〉 Wrongs that so the Charitable Temper of his Mind and Peace of his Soul may not be alter'd nor disturb'd And what ever the Swearer may think in the present violence of his Passion yet it is a real Kindness in the Magistrate to keep him in the Dark and he himself will be effectually convinc'd of this in the End He will find in his Oaths alone sufficient matter for a bitter Repentance without the additional Guilt of Revenge or if he Dyes without Repentance his Curses will of themselves Intitle him to that Damnation he has so often Imprecated himself and his Torments will be great enough without the load of another Sin to encrease them Secondly Because Private Informations as was said before do better restrain Men from Swearing than can be done any other Practicable way And can it be a valuable Advantage to Men of Reason that they may Swear as without any reverence for GOD so without any fear of Punishment from Men Can they be fond of the Nauseous Liberty of being as Prophane as they please Have not many Men reason to Bless GOD that they were afraid or asham'd to do many things to which they were violently prompted by the Fury of their Passions And can any Man in his cool Thoughts be Angry that there are
Laws made to hinder him from being a Blasphemer himself and Infecting others with his Crimes So Mad-men think themselves Wise and are enrag'd at their Confinement But when restor'd to their Reason they Bless the Hands that Bound them and prevented the Violent Effects of their Distemper And so will it be with Swearers when they are so happy as to be reclaim'd they 〈◊〉 change their Oaths and Curses into Prayers and Praiâ—â—â— Nay the most harden'd of them all will on their Death-Beds alter their Language and wish with all the Horrors of Despairing Wretches that the Laws against Swearing had been more Severe and Executed with greater Rigour and that some of his Blood rather than his Money had been the Penalty of every Oath In short then Private Informations against Swearing are Just so long as they are True and I never heard of any that were otherwise of any that were Falsly Maliciously and Accus'd And it is hardly possible they shou'd no Man being under the least Temptation to be Guilty of such a Horrid Sin Private Informations are expedient and necessary because by them the end of the Law is best answer'd and promoted without them many wou'd be Guilty of Swearing who by fear are restrain'd from it and many who are Guilty wou'd escape Punishment Good Men wou'd be laid open to the Hatred of many and Contempt of more And they who are punish'd for Swearing suffer nothing by the Privacy of the Informations but that they cannot gratiâ—ie their Revenge Having thus I hope shewn the Duty of Informing against Vice and Prophaness and Vindicated the Practice of Private Informations against Swearing I now at length proceed to my Fourth and Last Particular which is to offer such Motives as are proper to excite and confirm our Zeal that so we may be Zealously Affected always in the good thing about which we ought to be engag'd And certainly if all the Arguments of both Worlds can convince us if our most valuable Interests can awaken our Affections or the best Examples can inflame our Zeal If the most Honourable Employment can work on our Ambition or the greatest Dangers quicken our Fears If we have any concern for the happiness of the Church and wou'd remove those differences which have broken its Unity and disturb'd its Peace If we wou'd enjoy the truest Delights which are to be had below and be intitled to extraordinary degrees of Glory above If these are desirable things and can make any Impressions on 〈◊〉 they all combine to excite and confirm our Zeal in suppressiâ—â— Vice and Prophaness and promoting a through Reformation of Manners in every Rank among us But the better to excite and confirm both your Zeal and my own I shall insist particularly on these things and therefore entreat you with me to consider First That it is impossible we shou'd Love GOD and be sincere in the Practice of Religion without being Zealously Affected against Vice and Prophaness and vigorously bent on the extirpation of it For without this Zeal nothing else we can perform will be a sufficient Proof of the sincerity of our Love to GOD. Being just in our Dealings and bountiful to the Poor Temperate and Sober constant Hearers of GOD's Word and constant Guests at his Table none of those are not only because these Duties may be perform'd and yet the Love of GOD be the motive of none of them but chiefly because the like actions will not be accepted in any Parallel Case Thus for Example Do I profess Friendship for another Man To convince him of its truth and reality it is not enough that I shew him all outward Marks of Honour and Esteem that I treat him with the most endearing Caresses and always express my self to his Advantage For if notwithstanding all this I can hear him Slander'd without shewing some Resentment and that by those who know I profess to be his Friend If I can silently listen to Malicious Aspersions on his Credit yet make no attempts to Vindicate his Fame If I am privy to a Design whereby his Life or Fortune may be endanger'd or his Reputation blasted and yet never discover it to him use no endeavours to prevent it If all this I can do and yet assume the sacred Name of Friend my Pretentions are false and disguis'd and Hypocrite is my truest Title Are these the Rules and Measures of our Friendship to Men and will GOD accept our Love on any lower Terms Dare we say we Love GOD and yet can patiently hear his Being and Providence Disown'd His Word Ridicul'd and His Glorious Name Prophan'd No 't is plain there must be a want of true Love to GOD in the Soul when little or none appears on the most necessary occasions then when his Honour and Service call for the most publick expressions of It Let me see any Man near so much mov'd when GOD is Dishonour'd in his presence as he wou'd be shou'd any presume to Reflect on the Memory of his Dead Father and then I will not suspect sincerity of his Love Besides whatever Religious Actions we may our selves perform can never without this Christian Zeal against Prophaness and Vice proceed from Right Principles from worthy Apprehensions of the Nature and Perfections of GOD His Infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness For these Principles do equally incline us to suppress Wickedness in others as to be Pious and Virtuous our selves Thus do I for Example Love GOD because of his Goodness That must needs move me very powerfully to Hate Sin which is the greatest Contradiction to that Goodness and what I passionately Hate I will labour to destroy Do I with the Humility becoming a Creature Reverence GOD's Word and Adore his Nâ—me Then I cannot hear both these Impiously Prophan'd but strong Resentments will arise in my Mind And therefore if it â—e otherwise with us we have cause to suspect our selves and may justly fear that all our other Acts of Service how exact so ever we may be in the performance of them will be rejected of GOD as mere pretence and shew as so many Instances of Religious Deceit But farther we know that true Piety is ever attended with great Charity and Compassion for the Souls of them And indeed it cannot possibly be otherwise For the more we Love GOD that is the more truly Pious we are the more shall we be like Him the nearer approaches shall we make to his Nature But now Love to Mankind is the most Glorious Attribute of the Deity and doing us Good is his most Delightful Work For Happiness he Created us and sent his Son to put us into a Capacity of Bliss and Glory Surely then if we Love GOD in sincerity those who are the declar'd Objects of his Love must be so of Ours Their Happiness we will consult and spare no pains to deliver them from Destruction He who Loves GOD sincerely and serves him faithfully must needs be sensibly touch'd to see a Creature endu'd with