Swearing and Cursing for Instance in Bowling-Greens Coffee-Houses and other publick Places Drunkenness Lewdness and Prophanation of the Lord's-Day in the Taverns and Streets or that should unwillingly receive Informations from others of them they should in either of these Cases be tempted to think those worthy Magistrates too officious and take the Liberty to speak of them as such who by inspecting into these Disorders where-ever they hear of them in any part of the County and by giving Encouragement to those that bring them Informations of such Offences which will in consequence draw a more than ordinary Attendance upon them of such Persons on this Occasion as live at a distance from them will thereby make their Unfaithfulness in their Office the more remarkable He is obliged to do Justice according to the Laws Statutes and Customs of the Realm He is not then to break the Laws himself or to suffer others with Impunity to break them He is to discharge his Office according to his Vnderstanding and Ability But can any be supposed to be of such weak Abilities as not to know that Offenders ought to be punished when legal Informations are offered them or when Offences are committed before them If then any Magistrates can discourage those who are so much Friends to their Country as to bring them Informations against Offenders can refuse to convict upon them or can see and hear one another break God's Laws and the Laws of their Country at their Diversion and their own Tables What is more directly contrary to their Office and Trust What becomes of the Oaths that are upon them In how many Instances do they notoriously break them And if the Violation of a Private Trust is justly esteemed base and detestable how much higher Aggravations must their Offences admit of who break a Publick one so solemnly taken upon them And certainly Perjury that is of so black a nature in it self is not a less Enormity or less Infamous in a Magistrate than it is in one of an inferior Order The Commission for a Justice of the Peace also sets forth That he is to Conserve the Peace in such or such a County and to keep as well as cause to be kept all Ordinances and Statutes made for the Good of the Peace and the Conservation thereof and for the Quiet Rule and Government of His Majesty's People and in all and every the Articles thereof according to the Force Form and Effect thereof to Chastise and Punish all Persons in the said County offending against the Form of thefe Ordinances and Statutes or any of them in the County It deserves our Observation That as the * Populus Romanus delegit Magistratus quasi Reipublicae Villicos in quibus siqua praeterea est ars facilè patitur sin minus virtute eorum innocentia contentus est Tullii Oratio cum Plan. Roman Government the †Virtus in pâ—imis apud Lacedaemonios circa Magistratus legendos â—emper spectata quod Politicum praeceptum in quavis Republica servari â—â—usu esset Nic Gragius de Repub Lacedaemoniorum p. 82 83. Lacedoemonian and * Inter praecipuos Atheniensium Magistratus censendi sunt annui Novemviri Oportebat in eorum vitam inquiri antâ—quam Magistratum capesserent Pctitus de Legibus Atticis 236. Tantam honestatis curam his Novemviris voluit esse Solon ut si quis Archon vino se ingurgiâ—averit capital ei fâ—erit ex hac lege 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jurabant in leges se esse observaturos Novemviri Jurisjurandum Novemvirorum Leges observabo quod si secus fecero auream statuam meam aequi ponderis pendam Petitus de Legibus Atticis 190. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Herach Pont. de Politiis Athenicnsium Athenian Common-Wealths provided by their Laws against ill Magistrates kept when they flourished vicious Men out of their Magistracy and entrusted those with the Execution of their Laws that would shew such a Behaviour to others as they expected from them So our Government hereby strictly requires the Magistrates to give a good Example 'T is a mighty force that Example hath one can hardly conceive any thing on the one hand so foolish and unaccountable and on the other so difficult and brave as that Men may not in a great degree be led to by it Good Example hath often the advantage of Humane Precept of Admonition or Reproof and sometimes of the Exercise of publick Justice or private Authority which besides that they are not always practicable have often too little Influence upon the Mind but Good Example hath a great and secret Charm to draw others to Imitation It attracts and assimilates by a Power of which we cannot give a full Account though by shewing Virtue as it were visibly it hath undeniably thereby a great Advantage of other Methods of Instruction * Segnius irritant animos dimissa per aures quà m quae occulis subjecta fidelibus those things being allowed to make a much deeper and longer Impression upon our Minds that are represented to us by our Eyes than those that are admitted by our Ears Precepts though they are in the general not only highly useful but necessary are not always clear and when they are understood the Efficacy of them of Admonition and Reproof seems often to be more or less according to the Example of them that give them such Persons are lookt on as a Reproach to Religion and unquestionably do often give bad Men a further Aversion and Prejudice to it that do not practise themselves what they recommend in their Discourses As the Christian Religion does therefore strictly oblige all its Proselytes to shew a good Example by a strict Observance of its Precepts so it does more especially inculcate upon those whose particular Office it is to teach others their Duty their endeavouring to persuade them to it by their own good Example as well as by their Doctrine that they may â— Tim 4. 16. thereby both save themselves and those that hear them and when this is wanting when they say but do not how exceedingly mischievous Matt. 23. 3. the consequences of it are highly deserves serious Consideration The Heathen Moralists could observe the great Mischief that was done the World by Mercenary Masters of Precept * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom they meant those that endeavoured to talk elegantly of just things but not to do them and that it was not the Discourses but the good Examples not the Schools but the Manners of Philosophers that made their best Disciples what they were and so much celebrated I know says Plato Socrates by his good Works more than by his good Words * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gorg. fol. 460. and he makes it a necessary quality of a good Orator that he himself be Just and Virtuous †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stobaeus fol. 49. And accordingly Socrates his Master being asked what he
thought to be the best Instruction answered Eupraxie or well-doing Example hath indeed such a power that Men are in a great degree too often such as those are with whom they converse as even the Proverbs of many Nations have observed So that he that gives a good Example though he be but a private Person does in truth a publick Service and lays an Obligation upon the Age he lives in But the good Examples of Governors and Magistrates I need not add of Ministers hath a far greater force of Persuasion their Virtues are generally derived by Imitation into the Manners of the People * Quales enim summi civitatis viri fuerint talis civitas erit Claudianus Ut enim vitiis sceleribus Magistratuum infici solet corrumpi tota Respublica ita corrigi emendari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isocrates ad Nicoclem Nec ignores totius civitatis mores ad exemplum Magistratuum conformari How fatal an Influence more especially must then the vicious Examples which the corrupt Nature of Man does with so much Ease comply with of Superiors of Persons in Authority whose particular Province it is to look to the Execution of the Laws have upon those below them These Men carry not only those of their Neighbourhood but a great part of the Counties they live in after them many of whom 't is very obvious are apt to think it an Excuse if not a Warrant to transgress after their Example The Commission of a Justice of Peace does therefore with great reason tell him That he is to keep himself as well as cause to be kept all the Ordinances and Statutes c. As his giving a good Example is a likely way to procure a due regard to his Office to maintain his Authority and with the Exercise of it to reform Others so on the contrary his giving a bad Example is as effectual a course to teach others to break the Laws and to bring a Contempt upon his Office and the Government it self as can easily be thought of I needed not to have been thus long upon this Head of Example and particularly the malignant Influence of the bad Examples of Magistrates and great Men if most Ages did not abound with such unhappy Instances and if this Nation in particular had not felt so much the fatal Effects of them as may be some Excuse for my insisting on it But to go on Besides the Mischief that is done by the vicious Examples of Magistrates With what Reason can we expect that those that make no Conscience to break the Laws should diligently and conscientiously Execute the Laws upon others And supposing such Magistrates should sometimes either out of a fear of the Inspection of the Government into their Behaviour in the Reign of a Prince that is zealous in the Discouraging of Vice or out of a desire of keeping up their Reputation with better Men be sometimes inclined to punish such Offences in others as they are themselves guilty of consciousness of their own Faults will when they act upon no better and firmer Principles deprive them of Courage and be very apt upon many Occasions to draw them back from the Punishing of others especially when the Offenders are either their Superiors or Equals whereas the Law knows no respect of Persons and they whose Business it is to Execute it must do it without Distinction or Partiality Their Commission tells them that they are to chastise and punish all Persons in the said County offending And can any that consider this That we live under a Christian Government and that the Apostle acquaints us That the Magistrate is the Minister of God for Good That he beareth Rom. 13. 3. Ver. 4. not the Sword in vain Is a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that does Evil and that Christians shou'd have a far greater Concern for the Honour of God than for the Honour of their Prince their own Reputation or Estates but think that the Laws that relate to Piety and Virtue are to be chiefly regarded by the Magistrate that his principal Care should be applied to the restraining Men even those of the highest Rank from openly breaking those Laws by a strict and impartial Execution of them since the Reasonableness of the Punishing of Men for the Violations of Religion seems to have been evident by the Light of Nature It being I think a just Observation which I have somewhere met with of a Heathen Philosopher That tho' several Nations do appoint several Punishments for the Violation of Religion yet it does not in any Country go wholly unpunished No Mens Quality ought to shelter them from Punishment in this Case Even Privilege of Parliament does not give those who are allowed it for the Service of their Country the mischievous Liberty to trample upon the Laws of God and their Country nor will excuse Magistrates from acting according to their Oaths in these Matters Charity and good Manners would forbid us if such a Case had never been heard of or was like to happen to suppose that this Privilege should ever be pretended on such an Occasion by any one of those Bodies who as they * Receptumque omnium pene Gentium temporumque memoria ut ad legum latarum observantiam invitarentur inferioris sortis homines exemplo potentum qui primi eas custodire cogebantur praesertim illi ipsi qui eas tulissent Tit. Liv. 3. Decad. lib. 8. Magistratus Gubernatores Regesque obediunt quoque ipsi legibus id est rectae rationi Diodorus Siculus Si quid injungere inferiori velis prius in te ac tuos recipias necesse est si ipse jus statueris quo faciliùs omnes obedientes habeas Val. Max. lib. 8. cap 6. Tit. 3. Cum leges praescripsisti aliis praescripsisti tibi leges enim Imperator fert quas ipse custodiat Praeceptum salubre Pittaci sapientis apud Ausonium Pareto legi quisque legem sanxeris make Laws against Debauchery and Prophaneness ought likewise to endeavour by their own Exemplary Behaviour to promote Piety and good Manners to give Laws of Civility to the rest of the Nation and to add That if these things do happen good Magistrates 't is to be hoped will act as become them And there is I think no doubt but the bringing to legal Punishment a Man of Title or Authority that makes use of his Power or Interest to be more vicious and to do greater Mischief to the World than others is a greater Service to Religion and our Country and more highly honourable among Men than the Punishing of a private Person perhaps than many poor Creatures who as hath been long observed generally suffer the Extremity of the Law for such Offences as their Necessities are a Temptation to them tho' not a Reason for them to commit when great Men that cheat whole Provinces and bid defiance to Sacred things go unpunished if they are not rewarded * Si
Civitatum guto Cic. de Leg. p. 336. instead of being Patrons of Religion help to debauch those about them and ruine their Country Inferior Officers are likewise obliged by their Oaths as well as by the Design of their Offices to be diligent in bringing Offenders to Punishment and therefore they are highly criminal if they are negligent therein The Constable's Oath tells him That he is to use his Endeavour that Night-walkers be apprehended To see that the Statutes made for punishing Vagabonds and such idle Persons coming within his Bounds and Limits be duly put in Execution To have a watchful Eye to such Persons as shall maintain or keep any Common House or Place where any unlawful Game is or shall be used as also to such as shall frequent or use such Places or shall use or exercise any unlawful Games there or elsewhere contrary to the Statutes To present at the Assizes Sessions of the Peace or Leet all and every the Offences done contrary to the Statutes made to restrain the inordinate haunting and tipling in Inns Ale-houses and other Victualling-houses and for Repressing of Drunkenness and that he is well and duly according to his Knâ—wledge Power and Ability to do and execute all other things belonging to a Constable's Office Whoever therefore they be that undertake this Office and wink at Offenders or do not endeavour to bring them to Punishment would do well to consider how they can be acquitted from Perjury but how much clearer is their Fault if they neglect or refuse to serve those Warrants which are brought to them against Swearers Drunkards Lewd Persons and Prophaners of the Lord's-Day or to levy the several Forfeitures for those Offences as too many Constables Headboroughs Overseers and Church Wardens have done which the Commission of a Justice of the Dalt p. 18. c. 5. Peace tells him he is to inquire after Their Guilt is of the same Nature with that of those Justices who discourage Informations and refuse to sign Warrants against such Offenders whereby besides all other Aggravations of their Sin before-mention'd they hinder the Poor of that Relief which the Law gives them out of the Penalties upon those Statutes which in some Cases may happen to be the depriving them of their Lives * Panis Pauperum est vita eorum qui fraudat eos est vir sanguinis and ought to be a dreadful Consideration to those that have the Guilt of it upon them the Poor having as good and undoubted a Right to these Forfeitures vested in them by Law as any Man hath to his own Estate I have said so much of the Constable's Duty that there is the less need of my adding much of the Church Warden's Sidesman's and other Inferior Officers Obligations in this respect which fall in with that of the Constable's The Church-Warden's and Sidesmen's Oath does not run in the same terms in all Diocesses though their Office is I suppose much the same in most if not all The Tenor of the Church-Warden's and Sidesmen's Oath in the Diocess of London is as follows You shall Swear truly and faithfully to execute the Office of a Church-Warden within your Parish and according to the best of your Skill and Knowledge present such Things and Persons as you know to be presentable by the Laws Ecclesiastical of the Realm And one of the Articles of Enquiry exhibited to the Ministers Church-Wardens and Sidesmen of every Parish runs thus Are any of your Parish known or suspected to be guilty of Incest Adultery Fornication or any other Enormous Crimes Do any Prophane the Lord's-Day or any other great Holy-day or the Name of GOD And if the Church-Wardens and Sidesmen neglect to Present the Ministers are told That they may and ought to present as they have the highest Obligations to suppress Iniquity From hence 't is plain That the Power of Inferior Officers as well as that of Magistrates is great and would have a very remarkable Effect for the Suppressing of publick Disorders if it was generally used and might with God's Blessing go very far towards a National Reformation with the Assistance of the Magistrate if private Persons would but do as I conceive becomes them in giving Informations against Swearers Drunkards Lewd Persons and Prophaners of the Lord's Day to the Magistrate which shall be my next Business to recommend to the Consideration of all that have a Love to God their Neighbour or their Country It hath been proved That the Execution of Good Laws is requisite in our present Circumstances for the Suppressing of Vice and the Effecting a Reformation of Manners but Magistrates cannot put the Laws in Execution against Offenders without they have the Knowledge of the Offences And they cannot be present at all Places to observe them tho' they have either such a Sense of their Duty or so pious a Concern to do all the good they can in their Office as frequently to take their Walks to observe Disorders as divers of the worthy Magistrates have here done in the several Quarters of the County in which they live and in embracing all Opportunities of using their Authority for the Suppressing them And those Offences that are deeds of Darkness it may be hoped for the Honour of our Magistrates are not now generally and knowingly committed before them One would think that the Presence of a Magistrate should have such an Awe upon ill Men that they should not dare to transgress before him That he should resent it as a high Affront to him if a Person of the highest Rank should discover so base an Opinion of him as to expect that he should be content to break his Oath to suffer him upon the Account of his Quality to go unpunished for any Offence of this kind committed before him It is certainly much so where Magistrates have a just Sense of Honour or are as Zealous and Faithful in the Discharge of their Office as they ought But the less this may reasonably be hoped from all Magistrates at this day there appears I am sure the more reason or rather necessity for private Persons applying themselves to this Business of giving Informations to them of our reigning Sins without which it is not reasonably to be expected that Offenders will be generally brought to Punishment especially in Cities and Corporations where it may be presumed without Uncharitableness that many are daily either publickly or privately breaking the Laws against Prophaneness and Immorality Thus then our giving of Informations of these Offences to the Magistrate seems absolutely necessary in our present Circumstances as we heartily desire or expect the Suppression of Prophaneness and Vice by Humane Laws And I desire those who would be informed whether there is any Direction or Example for this Practice from the Word of God to consider the following Texts of Scripture If there be found Deut. 17. 2. among you within any of thy Gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee Man or
An Account of the SOCIETIES FOR Reformation of Manners IN LONDON and WESTMINSTER And other Parts of the Kingdom WITH A PERSUASIVE TO Persons of all RANKS TO BE Zealous and Diligent in Promoting the Execution of the Laws against Prophaneness and Debauchery For the Effecting A National Reformation Published with the Approbation of a Considerable Number of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal Who is on the Lord's side let him come unto me Exod. 32. 20. Who will rise up for me against the Evil-doers Who will stand up for me against the workers of Iniquity Psal 94. 16. LONDON Printed for B. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons in Cornhill and are to be Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster M DC XC IX GULIELMUS D Gratiae Angliae Scotiae Franciae et Hiberniae REX Fidei Defensor etc. By the King A PROCLAMATION For Preventing and Punishing Immorality and Prophaneness WILLIAM R. WHereas We cannot but be deeply Sensible of the great Goodness and Mercy of Almighty God in putting an End to a Long Bloody and Expensive War by the Conclusion of an Honourable Peace so We are not less touched with a Resentment that notwithstanding this and many other great Blessings and Deliverances Impiety Prophaneness and Immorality do still abound in this Our Kingdom And whereas nothing can prove a greater Dishonour to a well ordered Government where the Christian Faith is Professed nor is likelier to provoke God to withdraw His Mercy and Blessings from Vs and instead thereof to inflict heavy and severe Iudgments upon this Kingdom than the open and avowed Practice of Vice Immorality and Prophaneness which amongst many Men has too much prevailed in this Our Kingdom of late Years to the high Displeasure of Almighty God the great Scandal of Christianity and the ill and fatal Example of the rest of Our Loving Subjects who have been Soberly Educated and whose Inclinations would lead them to the Exercise of Piety and Virtue did they not daily find such frequent and repeated Instances of Dissolute Living Prophaneness and Impiety which has in a great Measure been occasioned by the Neglect of the Magistrates not putting in Execution those good Laws which have been made for Suppressing and Punishing thereof and by the ill Example of many in Authority to the great Dishonour of God and Reproach of our Religion Wherefore and for that We cannot expect Increase or Continuance of the Blessings We and Our Subjects Enjoy without Providing Remedies to prevent the like evils for the future We think Our Selves bound by the Duty We owe to God and the Care We have of the People committed to Our Charge to proceed in taking effectual Course that Religion Piety and Good Manners may according to Our hearty Desire Flourish and Increase under Our Administration and Government and being thereunto moved by the Pious Address of the Commons in Parliament Assembled We have thought fit by the Advice of Our Privy Council to Issue this Our Royal Proclamation and do Declare Our Royal Purpose and Resolution to Discountenance and Punish all manner of Vice Immorality and Prophaneness in all Persons from the highest to the lowest Degree within this Our Realm and particularly in such who are Imployed near Our Royal Person and that for the greater Incouragement of Religion and Morality We will upon all Occasions Distinguish Men of Piety and Virtue by Marks of Our Royal Favour And We do expect that all Persons of Honour or in Place of Authority will to their utmost contribute to the Discountenancing Men of Dissolute and Debauched Lives that they being reduced to Shame and Contempt may be enforced the sooner to Reform their ill Habits and Practices that the Displeasure of Good Men towards them may supply what the Laws it may be cannot wholly Prevent And for the more Effectual Reforming these Men who are a Discredit to Our Kingdom Our further Pleasure is and We do hereby strictly Charge and Command all Our Iudges Mayors Sheriffs Iustices of the Peace and all other Our Officers and Ministers both Ecclesiastical and Civil and other Our Subjects whom it may Concern to be very Vigilant and Strict in the Discovery and the Effectual Prosecution and Punishment of all Persons who shall be Guilty of Excessive Drinking Blasphemy Prophane Swearing and Cursing Lewdness Prophanation of the Lords Day or other Dissolute Immoral or Disorderly Practices as they will answer it to Almighty God and upon Pain of Our Highest Displeasure And for the more Effectual Proceedings herein We do hereby Direct and Command Our Iudges of Assizes and Iustices of Peace to give strict Charges at the respective Assizes and Sessions for the due Prosecution and Punishment of all Persons that shall presumē 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 and that they do at their respective Assizes and Quarter Sessions of the Peace cause this Our Proclamation to be publickly Read in Open Court immediately before the Charge is given And We do hereby further Charge and Command every Minister in his respective Parish or Chapel to Read or cause to be Read this Our Proclamation at least Four times in every Year immediately after Divine Service and to incite and stir up their respective Auditories to the Practice of Piety and Virtue and the Avoiding of all Immorality and Prophaneness And to the end that all Vice and Debauchery may be Prevented and Religion and Virtue Practised by all Officers Private Soldiers Mariners or others who are Imployed in our Service either by Sea or Land We do hereby strictly Charge and Command all Our Commanders and Officers whatsoever That they do take Care to Avoid all Prophaneness Debauchery and other Immoralities and that by the Piety and Virtue of their own Lives and Conversations they do set good Examples to all such as are under their Authority and likewise to take Care and Inspect the Behaviour and Manners of all such as are under them and to Punish all those who shall be Guilty of any the Offences aforesaid And whereas several Wicked and Prophane Persons have presumed to Print and Publish several Pernicious Books and Pamphlets which contain in them Impious Doctrines against the Holy Trinity and other Fundamental Articles of Our Faith tending to the Subversion of the Christian Religion therefore for the Punishing the Authors and Publishers thereof and for the Preventing such Impious Books and Pamphlets being Published or Printed for the future We do hereby strictly Charge and Prohibit all Persons that they do not presume to Write Print or Publish any such Pernicious Books or Pamphlets under the Pain of Incurring Our High Displeasure and of being Punished according to the utmost Severity of the Law And We do hereby strictly Charge and Require all Our Loving Subjects to Discover and Apprehend such Person and Persons whom they shall know to be the Authors or Publishers of any such Books