Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	city_n	london_n	mayor_n	10,714	5	9.7889	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56029	Proposals for a national reformation of manners humbly offered to the consideration of our magistrates & clergy : to which is added, I. the instrument for reformation : II. an account of several murders, &c. and particularly a bloody slaughter-house discover'd in Rosemary-lane ... : as also the black roll, containing the names and crimes of several hundreds persons, who have been prosecuted by the society, for whoring, drunkenness, Sabbath-breaking, &c. / published by the Society for Reformation.	Societies for the Reformation of Manners.	1694 (1694)	Wing P3725; ESTC R4427	27,307	37

denounce that Woe against All who shall attempt to obstruct this National Reformation in most humble manner thus presented to the Higher Powers our Supreme Magistrates and Ministers the pious Governours of the Civil and Ecclesiastick State Woe be unto that man by whom this offence shall come It had been better for him that a mill-stone were hung about his neck and that he was cast into the bottom of the sea THE INSTRUMENT FOR Reformation WHEREAS His Majesty in his Letter to the Bishops hath declared his most earnest desire of a General Reformation of the Lives and Manners of all his Subjects And the Queen's Majesty in her Letter to the Justices of the Peace of the County of Middlesex at their Sessions at Hicks's-Hall hath Charged and Required Them to use the most effectual Methods for putting the Laws in Execution against all manner of Profaneness and Wickedness Whereas also both Their Majesties have lately Issued out Their Proclamation against Vitious Debauched and Profane Persons wherein they declare the deep Sense of the Goodness and Mercy of Almighty God by whom Kings Reign in giving so happy Successes to their Endeavours for the Rescuing of these Kingdoms from Popish Tyranny and Superstition c. So also they are not less touched with a Resentment that notwithstanding these great Deliverances Impiety and Vice still abounds in this Kingdom And that the Execution ofmanygood Laws that have been made for the Suppressing and Punishing thereof hath been grosly neglected to the great Dishonour of God and Religion Wherefore they further declare their Princely Resolution to discountenance all manner of Vice and for that purpose they straitly Charge Require and Command all Judges Mayors Sheriffs Justices of the Peace and all other Officers Ecclesiastical and Civil in their respective Stations to Execute the Laws against Blasphemy profane Swearing and Cursing Drunkenness Lewdness Profanation of the Lord's Day or any other dissolute immoral or disorderly Practice as they will answer it to Almighty God and upon pain of their Majesties highest Displeasure And for the more effectual Proceedings herein They direct and command Judges and Justices of the Peace to give strict Charges at the respective Assizes and Sessions for the due Prosecution and Punishment of all Persons that shall presume to offend in any the Kinds aforesaid and also of all Persons that contrary to their Duty shall be remiss or negligent in putting the said Laws in Execution as may be seen more at large in the said Royal Proclamation given at their Majesties Court at White-Hall Jan. 21. 1691 2 in the third Year of their Reign In pursuance hereof many excellent Orders have been given out particularly by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of the City of London The Bench of Justices at their General Quarter-Sessions held forthe County of Middlesex and also by the Justices at their General Quarter-Sessions held for the County of Surry Wherein they Charge and Command all Counstables Headboroughs Church-wardens c. to use their utmost Endeavours to bring all Offenders against the Laws aforesaid to condign Punishment severely meancing their Negligence but promising to their Diligence herein all Encouragement Yet notwithstanding all this Vice and Wickedness abound in every place Lord's Days are still profaned Drunkenness and Lewdness escape unpunished our Ears in most Companies are filled with Imprecasions of Damnation the Corners of our Streets every where echo the horrible Sounds of Oaths Curses and blasphemous Execrations The blame of all this lies undoubtedly for the most part at the doors of Inferiour Officers Authority both Supream and Subordinate having sufficiently acquitted it self and worthily acted its part in giving forth strict Commands as aforesaid But these though they are intrusted to be the only immediate Executors of the Laws have neglected to put them in Execution Now as Execution is the life of Laws so their Non-execution being equivalent to an actual Repeal renders them useless or as if they never had a Being Hence it is that Wickedness grows rampant and Profaneness rides triumphant trampling upon all the Zeal and Piety of Virtuous Governours and Legislators making all their Religious Intentions and Resolutions void and of none effect How much the said Officers are concerned in this Guilt and which of them are most faulty we may easily see if we divide them into two Ranks and take a view first of those that will not do their Duties being conscious of their own wicked Inclinations and Actions they will not punish that Impiety in others which they allow of in themselves There are other Officers that are more conscientious Of these some are Tradesmen which willingly would but cannot spare time to give that Attendance that is requisite for the full discharge of their Offices without a manifest neglect of their Shops Trades and other Business And thus the best Laws for punishing and suppressing of Vice and Wickedness that are already or for the future can be made and enforced though by a thousand Proclamations and subordinate Orders will all prove ineffectual unless put in Execution by Under-Officers Of these as afore-mentioned some are profane and will not others would and something they do towards it but have not time to do to the full of what is required of them To remedy these great Inconveniencies and to answer the Great and Noble Ends of our Governours in making good Laws and pressing their Execution the Expedient as drawn up in the following Form is most humbly proposed We who are Inhabitants of the Cities of London and Westminster and Parishes adjacent both in the Counties of Middlesex and Surry having an Eye to the Honour of God and the King and the publick Benefit of the Nation And being encouraged by the late happy Success that hath attended the industrious Endeavours of the Tower-Hamlets whereby according to a Method mentioned in their printed Paper or Instrument That declaring honest and joynt design for the general suppressing of Bawdy-houses c. they have with more than ordinary Diligence and great expence of their Time and Money in the space of two or three Years as lately Affidavit hath been made before the Bench of Justices at Hicks's Hall not only brought to due Punishment according to Law seven or eight hundred Criminals but also generally routed those naughty Houses which formerly abounded amongst them And being fluenced by that good old Principle or Axiom Bonum quo communius eo melius resolve to use our hearty Endeavours that so good a Work may no longer be consined within such narrow Limits but be farther promoted for more general Advantage WHEREFORE we agree upon our own Costs and Charges to imploy and maintain a competent Number of such fitting Persons as we shall choose to assist the several Constable and other Officers in the Wards of the said City of London and in other of the said adjacent Parishes in putting in Execution those good Laws aforesaid viz. by observing and taking notice of all those that