even to abstain from what is Physically as well as Morally Evil but Even our allowed and warrantable Enjoyments must like Physick be taken moderately and with caution lest our Remedy prove our Poyson He that thinks because he is in lawful Circumstances he may give his Lusts their full Swing deceives himself for that in Marriage a Man may be guilty of Sensuality is past dispute 'T is unquestionably true that whoever transgresseth the Principal end of Marriage viz. of Glorifying God and subservient thereto those of Propagating our kind of maintaining Mutual Society and avoiding of Unlawful Lusts has passed the boundaries of Nature Reason and Religion all at once In the entring upon such a Sacred Rite there are many things to be observed and seriously considered both by the betrothed Parties and their Friends in order to have the Marriage successfull and made in Heaven first before the striking of Hands and the Plighting of Troths here on Earth and for want of the due Consideration whereof arises so many Unhappy Matches Family Disturbances and Civil Broils so frequent Separations from and Pollutions of the Conjugal Bed which every day happen afresh in the World I shall but just touch upon these Necessary Precautions and so conclude this particular of Uncleanness As for you who have Adult Children of your own or else are Guardians to such Beware of debarring them from entring into the state of Matrimony when either their Years their Inclinations their Affections and their other Circumstances require the same Consult your Pupils in all respects and be not more than prudently urgent in disswading them from their own or in perswading them into an Approbation of your Choice In disposing of them have an Eye more upon their Temporal Happiness and their Eternal Good than upon the Flattering Prospect of their being Noble Rich or Great Covet not to Marry your Sons or Daughters or any other Relations committed to your Trust into Families of a Higher Rank than your selves and despise not to Match them with those of a Degree lower than you especially where the Virtue and Generosity of the person can toss your lighter Scale of Birth and Fortune up to the Beam As for the Young parties I desire they would not take ill the following Advice before they put on the Wedding Suit which will not cost them so much and perhaps do them more Service Be sure then to avoid all Hasty sudden and Unpremeditated fits of Passion Love not for Lusts sake and Idolize none for their Beauty Wit Strength and Fortune lest your Affection be no more than Skin-deep call in Wiser Heads to advise in so Weighty a Cause and if your Modesty or any other reason will not admit you to ask your Friends advice therein yet be pleased to think God worthy to be of your Council In a word let no Object Charm you but what has the Lineaments of Virtue and the Endowments of a Noble Mind which with or without the outward Qualifications are of force only to Captivate our Souls Hence it is that we perceive the Love grounded upon these External Objects only to be short-liv'd and Transient soon Hot and soon Cold lasting no longer than the Object appears to be Beautiful Strong Witty and Wealthy and growing Nauseous when Impotency Wither'd Age or Poverty over-takes them and often before whilst the more substantial Love founded upon and raised by the inward Ornament of the Mind gives Life to the Love of outward and maintains its own Flame within when all the Fuel administred from without is taken away This Noble Intellectual Love Unites and Consolidates the Parties tho' in Rags and Poverty tho' in Gray-Hairs and Wrinkles and breaths after a Union beyond this and the Grave This is that Love we should be all inflamed with and desire to Contract with each other not because we have Painted Faces and a handsomer piece of Clay for our Share than others are Moulded into or because we have more of Giddy Fortunes Favours but because of those inward Ornaments of Piety and Devotion of Sobriety and Temperance of Modesty and Humility of Chastity and Charity of Meekness and Affability which set off the subject in which they are inherent with such invincible and irresistible Charms as no being above a Brute can forbear to be inamoured with Of the Profanation of the Lord's Day CHAP. IV. The Reasons of keeping Holy the first Day of the Week instead of the Seventh The Lord's Day How and by whom profaned viz. I. By neglecting the Publick Ordinances of the Church II. The Private Duties of the Family III. By Exercising our ordinary Callings thereon whether by our selves our Servants or our Beasts IV. By publickly Exposing to Sale An Objection answered and what Works are Lawful to be done V. By works of the Flesh such as 1. Tipling 2. Feasting 3. Gaming 4. Dancing and Singing 5. Country Revellings and Riots And earnest Expostulation and Exhortation for Celebrating the Lord's Day Rules for it viz. 1. Preparation on the Eve 2. Frequenting the Publick Ordinances of the Church 3. Family Duties Motives thereto drawn from the benefits of observing it and the Mischiefs of Profaning it both to Private Persons and to the Publick THat to serve the Invisible God by whom we Live Move and have our Being in the whole course of our Lives is a main End for which we were Created That every Day and Hour should be Holy unto the Lord that we should have the Fear of Him always before our Eyes That every Moment of our time is truely His is indisputable But forasmuch as we are but Men in a little lower degree then those Blessed Spirits whose task and Happiness it is to be employed continually in Contemplating Adoring and Praising their great Creator and whereas since the Fall we are placed in such circumstances as require the sweat of our Brows and the Expence of a great part of our time in the procuring the Necessaries of this Life we cannot so readily bestow all our hours on Religious Exercises Nor doth God require we should but dispenses with the greatest part of our Lives and only appoints a seventh part of the whole for the more Solemn and Immediate Acts of Divine Worship and is pleased so to Order it that every Action in our Ordinary Callings may be such as may Glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Our Fields and Gardens Our Shops and Studies Our Dining-Rooms and Closets may be all Sanctified by a Religious and Holy Life Sobriety and Modesty Temperance and Moderation may make our very Diversions and Recreations Holy But then we are not to stick here our walking with God in the Private Duties of our several stations Exempts us not from the Publick Adoration of Him in the Congregation of the Faithful For as the Lord of Hosts has been nearly conceâ—ned in appointing the Persons by Whom the Manner How and the Place Where so has he shewed no less Regard in assigning the Time When
the Hastning of thy Death and what is more than all the Price of thine Unvaluable precious and Immortal Soul Thy Soul which has a Being beyond all the Existences of Material Beings which cannot must not die which must shortly appear before the Judgment Seat of God Oh! Consider before thou goest to the next Debauch whether thou art able to endure the Agonies and Torments the Flames and Pains which the Damned feel Dost thou imagine that God will Extinguish that Everlasting Fire to indulge thy Carnal Desires Or that He will put an End to Hell out of tenderness to thy Lusts and Concupiscence No certainly he will not abate one tittle of thy Punishment Be wise then and forsake thy Impurities before the day of Grace be past and there remain no Sacrifice no Atonement for thy Sin 28. As a means to attain to and maintain that Admirable Virtue of Chastity I shall touch upon those common Practical Rules adapted to every Capacity and obvious to every Understanding Nine Practical Rules to be observed by such as would avoid the Odious Sin of Vncleanness First Resist the Temptation at the Beginning What tho' you carry about you the Seeds of Corruption Principiis Obsta Venionti Occurito Morbo Pers and have your Naturals Composed of the same Flesh and Blood with others What tho' you are Children of Originally corrupted Parents were shapen in Iniquity and in Sin your Mothers conceived you What tho' the dire Contagion was handed down to you by your Ancestors Is it not your Care and Duty to keep this Law of your Members which is always Warring against the Law of your Minds from getting the Mastery over you If you had no Temptations nor Inclinations to Lust where is your Virtue in being Continent Marcâ—t sine Adversario Virtus Senec. 'T is a tryal of your Graces that must make you experienced Champions and the Victory over your Lusts that must make you More than Conquerors Can you fight without Enemies or overcome without Opposition or expect the Crown without the Victory The Devil allures and the Flesh may prompt you to yield bur neither of them can force you if you will be true to your selves and keep the Reins in your own Hands To this end suppress the very first Motions to Impurity Crush the Cockâ—trice in his Egg and make a vigorous Repulse at â—he very first Onset of a Temptation As for Example Think whether you would commit the Sin â—f you were to die the next Moment and whether you would be contented to appear at the Tribunal of Heaven in the Embraces of a Harlot or in the Arms of an Adulteress Consider also whether you can find any Retirement so Private any Apartment so Obscure where God cannot see you or where his hand cannot find you out 2ly Avoid Idleness Have always something to do and give not an Advantage to the Tempter to break in upon you whilst you are unguarded The Perching Soul becomes an easy Prey to the Infernal Fowler whilst the Winged Spirit is out of Danger Beware then of administring to your Youthful Flames by Sloth and Ease by Entertaining your Thoughts with Unchast Imaginations which increase by nothing so much as your Idle Hours If you have Employs be diligent therein Eating the Bread of Carefulness for so he giveth his Beloved rest If you are above the toyls of a Labouring Life you cannot want business wherein to spend your vacant Hours if you consider the great Concern of your Souls that lies upon your hands and requires more time than you have in your own power A Holy Life has many ways to dispose of the long and tedious days and were you intent upon the Duties thereof you would have no reason to complain of thâ— Idle time which lies upon you nor would you give thâ— Tempter or any Lust an Opportunity to rob you oâ— your Innocence or to Prey upon your Chastity 3ly In the next place Keep a Constant Watchovâ—â— your Eyes those doors of the Soul those Casementâ— to Imagination and those Inlets to Vice Thâ— Wiseman has always one Eye at Home while thâ— other is employed abroad in Speculation But herâ— 't is safe to keep both your doors shut unless yoâ— could stare the Vanity Dead the Beauty into a Monster and the Temptation into a Virtue Buâ— 't is dangerous to run the risque of such an Adventure and an Attempt too bold for most to undertake Your strength is but weakness at best and your Clear-sightedness oftimes in this Nature becomes your Blind-side where the Lust has an Advantage to break in upon you If you are Wise keep out of Eye-shot and come not a near the fair Enemy for there is much in a Painted Face in a loose Garb in Wanton Gestures and in Naked Breasts to work upon the unguarded Eye and render the Heart prisoner Nor is it enough to turn your Eyes from beholding Vanity when Accidentally offered to their View but you should avoiâ— as much as in you lies all Occasions which may lead them astray You would do well to abstain from all publick Balls Shews and Stage-Plays and all other places of great Appearance which may be apt to administer Fuel to your Fire For if at Church where the Awe of God and the Reverence due to his Immediate presence should have some Influence over you if there I say you can with much ado keep your Eyes from gazing and wandring after Beautiful Objects and from conceiving Lustful thoughts thereon How much more difficult will it be to do so there where your design of going is principally to be Spectators of Folly and Lightness not to say worse or where is the Common Mart or Forum for the Gallant to pick up his Mistriss and carry her off Incognito Nor is it only dangerous to behold those Charms to Lust in the Original in Living Instances but also in Effigie For these dumb obscene Pictures with a tacit whisper captivate the Eye move the Imagination and fire the Heart 4ly Avoid all Frothy and Idle Discourse Be neither the Speakers Hearers or Readers of such Language Keep a Watch over your Tongues stop your Ears as well as turn away your Eyes from all that looks like Obscenity Evil Communication says the Apostle Corrupts good Manners 1 Cor. 15. Therefore as he says in another place let no Corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouth Eph. 4. A loose Tongue and Obscene Lips insensibly betray the Soul into the snare of Uncleanness Therefore as you value your Chastity and desire to keep your selves pure Think it not matter of Jest to talk wittilly Obscene but be assured you are not only to answer for the Words you speak but also for all the Mischief they may produce upon either your selves or others 5ly In the next place Beware what Company you keep 'T is an Italian Proverb tell me with what Company you go and I 'll tell you where you go tell me with whom you Converse and
Notion to the very Heart For who can believe he is throughly perswaded that there is no God when at every Sentence he speaks he Mutters out the very Name O that he denies a Saviour when ever and anon he uses Wounds and Blood to make his Discourse Emphatical Or that he thinks there is no Hell or Devils when in every turn of Passion he calls upon the one to take his fellow Creatures and heartily wishes them in the Torments of the other Sure I am the Swearing Atheist confounds hâ—mself overthrows his own Principles and demonstrates the impossibility of being thorow-paced in such Opinions If he would uphold Atheisme he should refrain from taking that Sacred Name into his Mouth the bare mention whereof is argument sufficient against him and he should invoke his Almighty Chance and Swear by those All powerful Atoms which by their own Magnetick Force jumbled themselves out of a Chaos into this curious Globe and he should adjure those Empty Nothings to which he imagines all material Beings will at last be reduced 8. Nor is there any thing of reason in a profane Oath Those Arguments the Devil makes use of to work upon a rational Man 2. Nothing in reason to induce the Sin and to induce him to Sin are in this quite laid aside Pleasure Profit and Fear the common Byasses of the Will and Corrupters of the Understanding there are none to be pleaded as a Temptation in this Sin as it may in others Here the Devil has a cheap Bargain and Men sell their Heaven for Nothing and their Souls they barter away and take no Money for them 10. But farther yet the unreasonableness of this Vice appears in that how fond soever we are of it our selves and are affronted when any Body reprove us for it The folly of this Sin farther illustrated in that we love it not in those whom we love or esteem yet tho' we love the Treason we hate the Traitors and abhor a rash Oath in those we either Love or Honour If a Wife a Child a near Relation or but a Servant whom we have a kindness for Swear in our Presence how apt are we to check and rebuke them But should a Judge a Bishop or a Prince Curse and Blaspheme in our hearing How would our Blood rise And how unseemly ungenerous and intolerable would it seem in them And is not the offence as unbecoming us and as notorious as if the best Friend or worthiest Nobleman of them all were guilty thereof It remains then that we charge the prevalency of this Sin to Custom 11. 'T is Custom that English Law that English Tyrant that Obstacle to a Holy Life That Custom is the chiefest Plea for it all the rest proved to be trivial which is the chiefest Plea Men do or can use to palliate so great an Offence Those other excuses made for it such as the being provoked to Anger The creating Belief thereby it s being an Ornament of the Speech and a gentile Accomplishment are but thin and empty sounds For 11. Can any Man of Sense think that the Commission of one unlawful Act can excuse the falling into another The First Plea Refuted Yet so absurd is he that imagines the being carried beyond his Reason will any thing at all lessen the Fault of transgressing his Duty No certainly it is a great Aggravation thus to add Sin to Sin For is it not enough Vile Criminal to incense thy God by falling into an unallowable Passion and frantick Fury but thou must at the same time provoke him yet more by taking his most holy Name into thy profane and unclean Lips Thou hadst no Warrant for thy mad Frenzie let the Temptation thereto be never so strong so as to forget thy self much less not to remember him whose Wounds thou settest to bleed afresh by thy piercing Oaths and abominable Cursings Whatever thou mayst imagine yet the being guilty of one Sin will not in the least alleviate the Commission of another tho' the latter be occasioned by the former but as thy Guilt so will thy Condemnation and Punishment be double too 12. The Second Plea Refuted And no better a Refuge will the next Excuse be to the common Swearer For will any Man believe him the more for his dreadful Asseverations No certainly this is a way of creating Belief so praeposterous that it is the ready road to raise up Diffidence where there was none before If thou art Honest and reputed a Man of thy Word none will desire thy Oath for a small matter whatever they may do in a weighty concern But if thou art known to be false or untrue all thy Imprecations and Execrations will avail thee nothing for Men will think as we say their own Thoughts A Liar and Swearer are so near a kin having one common Father of them both that whoever has a Swearing has Ten to One a Lying Vein too 13. Then as to the next thing which Men use to extenuate the guilt of rash Oaths withal The Third Plea Refuted Ask some I blush to say of even the better rank of Men why they vent many almost in one breath And they 'll tell you it sets off their Speech with a boon Grace and adorns their periods with a lovely Decorum A strange and unheard-of Art of Rhetorick this An Eloquence not much known in former Ages That Oaths should be so Elegant that Cursings should be so Emphatical and all Discourses insipid and flat that are not stuffed with them is such a new Notion as makes me call it The Start-up Idiom of the English Tongue I know not how this blasphemous Bombast sounds in some Ears but so far is this disagreeing Harmony from affecting any sober Man that he would I presume prefer the Croaking of Toads the Hollowing of Owls and the Cries of Ravens far before it And I am apt to believe Pliny's Panegyricks and Cicero's Encomiums have more Oratorical strokes in them than the Harangues of our Modern Vitiosoes with all their blustering Parenthesies of Damâ—'yees Sink'yees By their Maker and the like can ever boast of Let those Oaths be never so graceful in the speaking yet I am of opinion that were they penned down so that the Speaker himself might see them tho' he might not blush at the sight of his Sin yet he would no doubt at that of his folly in uttering such unaccountably bombastical Nonsense And as taking as it is with most we never heard of any that recommended himself or his Friend to the Favour of any Prince or Potentate by an Address of Oaths Neither did we ever hear of any Council in a Trial at Bar that ever carried the Cause by Swearing to the purpose Whatever the Lawyer may do in his Chambers yet at Westminster-Hall he has the Manners or at least the Prudence to bridle his Tongue from those exorbitant Expressions Thus have we taken a short account of this Chop-Logick this Swearing in
the violence of his Passions and to watch against the prevalency of Temptations if such a Man I say shall upon Drinking and Carowsing give the Reins to his Masterless exorbitancies and fly out into unwarrantable fury if he shall fling or throw about him beat and abuse all he meets Curse and Blaspheme Heaven Rail against his fellow Creatures and play the frantick hectoring Mad-man He may then be said let the quantity be little or much to have drunk too deep and consequently to be guilty of Excess and in the sense of the Law may be punish'd for Tipling tho' not Drunkenness 7. On the other hand if one of a meek and pleasant dsposition The Second Paricular considered very gentle and easie to be intreated Or a sweet affable and courteous behaviour hard to be provoked one that does pass by Injuries and the like shall upon his taking a Glass or two too much find himself transformed and carried beyond his former Self to commit any thing imprudently rashly or passionately which at another time he would have been ashamed to have done if he shall perceive himself Testy censorious or Quarrelsome he may then conclude he has drank too much and need not be offended if another should say so too 8. Again if a Man of a Sanguine Complexion propense enough to Acts of Uncleanness and Sensuality A Third Particular considered apt to indulge himselfe in the pleasures of the Sixth Sense and forward enough to give himself up to all manner of Lust even when he has his Wits Reason and Judgment about him which are little enough to restrain his Debaucheries If I say such a Man shall add Fuel to his Fire and Oil to the Flames by rich and strong Wines If he shall then having Hood-winked his Reason blinded his Judgment and bid adieu to all Modesty be beyond all measure carried out to satisfie his Youthful Desires by unchaste Embraces and quench his scorching Heats at the next tho' never so impure a stream Be induced to defile his Neighbors Bed to commit Incest or deflour Virgins none need question whether he is guilty of excessive Drinking or no tho' perhaps he may not see the Beast so far intoxicated as to be unable to move Hand or Foot or to keep himself from tumbling in his own filth 9. On the other side If one of more chaste Thoughts very watchful over his Words A Fourth Particular considered more careful over his Actions diligent to suppress the very first Motion to Impurity and sedulous on all occasions to avoid the Snares and Baits laid to entrap and seduce heedless Youth Shall accidentally take a Cup more than usual and thereby perceive his former Modesty to vanish Be induced to talk loosely or obscenely moved to wanton and lascivious Actions and inflamed to Concupiscence and inordinate Desires He may then assuredly judge himself to be overtaken in a great degree of Intemperance tho' the quantity he drank exceed but a very little his usual allowance 10. In a word when ever a Man has so far unmanned himself by Drink be the quantity more or less so as to act speak or think otherwise than he would have done said or thought at any other time when he had his Intelligent and Volent Faculties of his Soul free about him he may then be said to be Intemperate so as to need Repentance For it is the many sinful Actions consequent upon the Sin which makes it to be more or less sinful A Complication of Crimes being far more Offensive to the Supreme Being than one single Act tho' never so maliciously designed can be thought to be Thus He who is dead Drunk and deprived of all Sense and Motion and so rendred uncapable of doing any other mischief than what he has done to himself may be said to be guilty of a less Offence than that Man who having not perhaps drank halfe the quantity adds to his Sin of Intemperance that of Anger Rage and Fury So likewise there are decrees of those mad Drunkards and he who throws the Glasses over his Head dashes the Bottles in pieces and pays for those his Extravagancies is more excusable than those who in their Frolicks break Windows Bilk Coaches Fight the Watch and fall foul upon all they meet Nor are these last so hainous as those who proceed to Murder Rape and Incontinence Nor are they again tho' arrived to the highest Branch of Wickedness so bad as that Inhumane Unnatural and Unparalell'd Monster who to gratifie the Devil for some piece or service done was in complaisance to the Infernal Desire over-taken with Drink and in that Brutal condition Murdered his Father and committed Incest upon his Mother the very Thoughts whereof he in his sober Fit rejected abhorred and abominated 11. And now from what I have already said upon this Subject I might take occasion to answer those false ends of Drinking alledged by the Intemperate as a palliation for the Offence Some of them the * Sun 8. s. 3 4 c. to the 10th Author of the Whole Duty of Man has already mentioned such as are 1. Good-Fellowship 2. Preserving of Kindness 3 Cheering of Spirits 4 Putting away Cares 5 Passing away time 6 Preventing Reproach 7 Pleasure of the Drink 8 Bargaining confuted long ago And therefore I shall say nothing after so ingenious a Pen but confine my self to speak only of those which he did not take notice of either as such whereof no mention was made in his time or such as he thought thin Futile and not worthy to be answered by the Judicious which would fall to nothing of themselves 12. I wave saying any thing in Refutation of the Gentility of this Sin and forbear a needless dispute with those who maintain Drunkenness as a necessary Accomplishment of a Gentleman Since if the very sound of the Word if the brutal Nature of the Vice are not of force enough to make the Spark ashamed yet when I have exposed it naked I question not but if he has any Generosity in his Heart or Modesty in his Countenance he cannot without blushing assert That High-Drinking is a mark of his Breeding I shall therefore only answer the Objections which are usually made by the Wits the Worldlings and the Hectoring Bravoes of the Age. 13. Nothing more usual than to hear the first sort cry out in some such Language as this 1. The Objection made be the VVits of our Times Dull Fool Leave off thy Lessons of severe Morality and impracticable Temperance Go Preach to Monks and Anchorites to Old Men and Children of Sobriety and the excellent Qualities of Small Beer and Water We know better things and are not to be put upon by thy insipid Cant. Experientia docet we are experienced Blades and can tell thee no Wit no Learning no Parts no Ingenuity like to that which Impregnating Exalting Elevating Wine gives Life and vigour to Where did'st hear of a Poet worth the hanging unless
he had first dip'd himself over head and Ears in Aganippes Fountain and got the smack of the Bottle so as to return often to recruit his Flagged Fancy with Nectar and Ambrosia Did'st ever read of any that arrived to Parnassus's Top without the Cordial of Helicon to support and transport his Spirits in the Elevation The Noble strains and Losty Flights the curious Vein and pregnant Fancy the pleasant facetious Air and all the sacred Raptures of a Poet are all owing to the Influence of the great God of Wine For we pay our Adoration to him first in full Glasses and he returns the Duty again in assisting our Genius and sharpening our Conceptions 14. To all which I answer The Objection answered that this method of Drunken Versifying is certainly what most of the Wits of the present Age make use of to render themselves and their Writings infamously famous to these times and Posterity And hence it is that we see so many Obscene and Offensive Brats of Poetry ever and anon peep out into the World which in former days would never have born the light But these vile Dithyrambicks the Product of Inebriated Brains are fitter to be Dedicated to Priapus Bacchus or any other Bawdy Drunken Deity then to be offered at the shrine of the more Chast and Temperate Apollo It seems very unreasonable to think that Intemperance which dulls and he betares should quicken inspire the Fancy that what too often clouds should inlighten the Understanding that the very thing which drowns should heighten our Conceptions But admit those Absurdities yet these kinds of Whettings will quickly Wear the Edge to the Back quickly destroy the Reason tho' not the Man and convert all his high Raptures into * N. L. an Instance of this Frenzy and Delirium I know not who are Lawreats now nor what Qualifications are requisite to make one such But believe me they are not worthy of that Divine Name of Poet if they are so ill-stocked that they are forced to take up supplies from the very dregs of a Nasty gut full of Wine I cannot will not but own that the famous Ingenioso's of past times have highly applauded the Virtues of Wine and declared the Noble Effects it has had in clearing their apprehension and refining the Spirits but then 't is not I presume produced by those Empyreumatick Fumes which our Modern Poetical Chymists draw off by praecipitant hasty burning and surfeiting Excess but the nobler Extracts of Temperance all Sobriety drawed gently off in a Moderate Balneo Maria. And he that was an Ingenious was a Sober Man too tho' now 't is so contrary that if you describe a Poet you must add Vine Leaves to his Lawrel put other Colours into the Mixture and delineate him a Sot at the same time 15. The second sort are such whose Plea commonly runs in some such strain as this 2ly The Objection made by the Worldly Wise Is no Excess at all to be allowed Why then farewel all Opportunities for Trade and Commerce Farewel Law and Physick too As there is no better Vinculum Societatis so there is no greater Support to maintain the Mechanick Practick Part of the Republick then the Innocent cracking a Pot and smoaking a Pipe together We may traverse the Streets walk round and round the Change make frequent Visits to Westminster-Hall and stare in every Face we meet but return home like Fools as we went never a Customer never a Client the more and never a Farthing the heavier in our Pockets But spend we an hour or so in a Tavern or Alehouse over the drinking of a harmless Glass or two with an Honest Friend or so we insinuate so prettily into each others Acquaintance that immediately as the Glass so out several Vocations go round And by mutual Loving Healths we furnish each others needs and get more by the Company at one sitting than we spend in it for half a Year 16. The second Objection answered This is a pleasant Account of the success of Sir John Barley a plea too common in the Mouths of many who think themselves very wise notwithstanding 'T is too true this stratagem of managing business in Publick Houses is what the Evil one has very subtily insinuated as a means to carry on his own designs and this is the method Men take now a days to increase their Trade and gain Customers But let me tell them under the Role 't is a Knavish sly and ignoble way of Merchandizing If a Glass or two were all as they pretend there were little harm done but when they are in for it they seldom come off without a sound Wetting There 's no gain to be had by playing upon the Square 't is safest drinking a Man down and then pick his Pocket after Were he in his right Wits they know he would not have been imposed upon so but 't is no hard matter to cheat him to his Face when his Senses are Sophisticated and Lost So in like manner as to the Law 't is a Contradiction I should think were it not so Customary for a Man to gain Practise by being a great Drinker I know not what his addle Brains might do in winning upon Coxcombs of the same Kidney but I believe a Considerative Man would be far from making him of his Councell lest the sight of the Brief the next Morning might confound his Addlepate which was so deeply Soused in Claret or Nottingham the foregoing Night and make his giddy Head run Counter in the Cause rather then speak any whit to the purpose The same might be said Mutatis Mutandis of sottish and inconsiderate Sollicitors and Attorneys who marr their Clients Cause more by far than all the Exceptions Bills of Errour Demurrers and reversing of Decrees could do So likewise in Physick what Man would be so mad in his sober Senses to make him his Physitian who helped him to the Distemper by joyning with him in the Debauch Certainly he must needs be very Extravagant of both who will prostitute his Life to the Discretion of one that perhaps was the Principal Cause of Vitiating his Health not long before For my part I should be afraid lest he who before was for my Excess in Sack might be as much unadvisedly if not wittingly Immoderate in administring his Cordials and so make it his pleasure to send me as merrily out of the World as before he had seen me Reel out of a Tavern 17. Advance we now in the next place to consider the third and last sort of Men I shall here have occasion to take notice of 3. The Objections made by the Hectors of the Age. as palliating the Crime of Intemperance by a false Gloss and a thin transparent Varnish which instead of hiding exposes the Monster in worse tho' more natural and proper Colours Is all Excess may some say forbidden Is Drunkenness in all its Species and Degrees Unlawful What then shall those poor
Pleasure or Profit of a Good Conscience resulting from an Honest discharge of Duty means However this their Neglect excuses not the Justice but rather reflects upon his Conduct who will not when 't is in his Power make those Instruments of Justice more Careful and Diligent in their Respective Offices For there are Laws whereby he may correct their Negligence as well as any other Crime whatsoever That these Inferiour Officers may not pretend Ignorance I have hereunto subjoyned an Abridgment of those Statutes which are now in force against the daring Wickedness of these times which may not only be of some use to them to inform them of part of their Duty but also may be serviceable to others who either have not mony enough to buy or not time enough to run over the Voluminous Statute Book I have likewise added the Queens Letter to the Justices of Middlesex their Order thereupon and their Majesties Proclamation since to shew what Encouragement we have from them to set about a Speedy Reformation Against Prophane Swearing and Cursing 21 Jac. 1. Cap. 20. FOrasmuch as all Prophane Swearing and Cursing is forbidden by the Word of God Be it Enacted c. That no Person shall prophanely Swear or Curse and that it any person shall be convicted of the said Offence in the hearing of any Iustice of the â—eace Mayor Bayliff or Head-Officer of any City or Town Corporate or by the Oaths of two Witnesses or by the Confession of the Offender before any Iustice of Peace Mayor c. Then the Party for every such Offence of which he is Lawfully Convicted as aforesaid shall forfeit the sum of twelve pence to the use of the Poor of the Parish where the Offence shall be committed which sum the Constable Church-Wardens and Overseers of the Poor of that Parish shall Levy by Distress and Sale of Goods rendring the Overplus to the Offender And in Default of such Distress the Offender if above the Age of twelve years shall stand in the Stocks for every such Offence the space of three hours if under the age of twelve years then the Party shall be whipped by the Constable or by the Parent or Master in his Presence That if any Officer be sued for Levying the Penalty or for Whipping or setting in the Stocks then the said Officer shall plead the General Issue and if it is found against the Plaintiff then the Officer as Defendant shall be allowed Costs Provided That the Offence be Complain'd of within twenty days after it be Committed Be it further enacted That this Statute be read twice every year in every Parish Church by the Minister after Evening Prayer 3. Car. 1. Cap. 4. this Statute was continued And 17. Car. 1. Cap. 4. Made perpetual Against Perjury 2 Eliz. Cap. 9. BE it Enacted that whosoever shall suborn or procure any Witnesses by any sinister and vnlawful means to give any Evidence or to Testifie In perpetuam rei memoriam before any Court of Record shall for the said offence upon Lawful Conviction thereof forfeit the Sum of Forty Pounds and in Defect of such Forfeiture shall suffer Imprisonment for the space of six Months without Bail or Mainprise and stand in the Pillory for the space of one whole Hour That no such Offender be thenceforward Received as a Witness before any Court of Iustice till such Iudgment given against him be reversed That whoever shall Commit any Wilful Perjury by his Depositions in any Court of Record aforesaid being examined Ad perpetuam Rei Memoriam shall being Lawfully Convicted of such Offence forfeit the Sum of twenty Pounds and suffer Imprisonment for six Months without Bail or Mainprise and be disabled for ever after from being a Witness till the Iudgment against him be Reversed That in defect of suth Forfeiture of twenty Pounds every such Offender shall stand in the Pillory and have both his Ears nailed That the one Moiety of the Forfeiture aforesaid go to the Crown the other Moyety to the Person or Persons that shall be wronged by such Offence and who will sue for the same That the Iudge of such Courts where the Offence is committed the Iustices of Assize and Goal Delivery in their several Circuits and the Iustices of Peace in every County shall have Authority to determine the Offences aforesaid That the Iustices of Assize of every Circuit shall make open Proclamation of this Statute twice a year viz. in the time of their Sittings so that none may plead Ignorance of the same Provided that this Statute extend not to any Court Ecclesiastical nor to the Restraining the Power given by Act of Parliament made in the time of King Henry the seventh to the Lord Chancellor of England and others of the Kings Council 29 Eliz. 5. made perpetual 1 Jac. 1. Cap. 5. Continued And 21 Jac. 1. 28. Against Drunkenness and Tipling 4 Jac. 1. Cap. 5. FOrasmuch as Drunkenness is the Root and Foundation of all other Enormous Sins as Murder Fornication Adulâ—â—ry and the like Be it Enacted that whosoever shall be Convicted thereof by the Oath of one or more Lawful Witnesses shall for the said Offence forfeit the sum of five shillings within one week next after the Offence to the use of the Poor of the same parish which penalty if the Offender reâ—use or neglect to pay then Distress to be made upon his Goods and in Default of such Distress he shall stand in the Stocks the space of six hours That if any Constable or other Inferior Officer of the Parish where the Offence is committed shall neglâ—ct the due correction of such Offender then every Officer so offending shall forfeit the sum of ten shillings to the use of the Poor aforesaid to be levied by Distress by any other person having a Iustices or any other Head-Officers Warrant That every one who shall be convicted of Tipling in any Inn Victualing House or Ale-House being in the same City Town Village or Hamlet of which they are Inhabitants saving in the cases provided and limited by one Act of Parliament made in the first Session of this present Parliament shall for every such Offence forfeit the sum of three shillings and four pence to the use of the Poor of that parish where the Offence shall be committed and in Default of such Forfeiture the Offender shall stand in the Stocks the spacr of four hours That all such Offences be diligently enquired into and presented before the Iustices in their several Circuits the Iustices of Peace in their Quarter or Petty-Sessions the Mayors Bayliffs and other Head-Officers by all Constables Church Wardens Headborroughs Tithingmen Ale-Conners and Sidesmen according to their Charge in their Oaths That for their second Offence of Drunkenness the party be bound over to his Good Behaviour Provided that this Statute extend not to restrain the Ecclesiastical Iurisdiction nor to prejudice the Liberties of the two Vniversities Provâ—ded also that no man be punished twice for the same Offence and