Transgressors to break thorough To prevent which our Magistrates have power enough from the Laws of the Land and an encouragement sufficient from the Laws of God and Obligation from both for both Reason and Revelation tell us that they are constituted by God for the punishment of Evil-Doers and for the praise of them that do well and assure us that wicked Men ought to be afraid of Magistrates because they bear not the Sword in vain but are Ministers of God Revengers to execute Wrath upon them that do evil These are the only proper Expeâ—â—ents to reform or punish those 〈…〉 neither Advice nor Argument neither Admonition nor Fraternal Correption much less the despised Censures of the Church or any of gentler Methods can reclaim for when Sinners grow hard and impudent when they have put on the Whores Forehead and the Brow of Brass and scorn the weightiest Reproof and consequently nothing can hinder either the ill influence of their Example or put a Stop to the Current of those Judgments which their outragious Impieties will otherwise pull down upon us but the strict Execution of our Laws In this Case not only those in Authority are concerned but also every Man who hath any regard for the Honour of GOD the Welfare of his Brother or the Happiness of the Nation ought according to the Design of the Law and the Reason of the Thing it self to inform the Magistrate of those Enormous Offendors and Offences which come to his knowledge that they might be brought to Condign Punishment And this I take to be the Principal Design of those Societies for the Reformation of Manners which are already Form'd in divers Parts of this Kingdom as well as in this Place And I crave your Patience whilst I speak a little to this Subject either for the Prevention or Cure of Mistake or Prejudice And that I may be more succint and Methodical I will digest what I have to say upon it under the following Heads of Consideration very briefly I. I will suppose the Legality of these Societies i. e. their Agreeableness to the Constitution of the English Government as Established in Church and State II. I 'll take Notice of the Advantages that such SOCIETIES have above the Power of Single Persons to give a Cheque to the Combined Force of prevailing wickedness III. I will consider how they ought to be qualified who enter into or are admitted Members of such Societies And IV. I will observe That to render their Design The Suppression of Immorality and Wickedness according to the Laws successful they ought to act with great Piety and Prudence I. I shall suppose the Legality of these SOCIETIES i. e. Their agreeableness to the Constitution of the English Government as Established in Church and State This I do not Undertake from any extraordinary Skill I pretend to have in our English Laws and Government which is none of my Province But from that Countenance and Encouragement which is given to a late Excellent Account of these Societies * An Account of the Societies for Reformation of Manners 1699. by the concurrent Suffrages of a Considerable Number of Lords Spiritual and Temporal and a Majority of our Reverend Sages of the Law who Unanimously Declare That the Design of that Good Book the Principal Scope of which is to Recommend and Promote these Societies is truly Great and Noble so much for the Honour of GOD the Advancement of Piety and Vertue and the Publick Good both of Church and State that in their Opinion it cannot fail of being approved of by all Good Men And since by so great a Cloud of Witnesses of Unquestionable Skill and Ability in our Laws it tends to the Publick Good both of Church and State it must needs be agreeable to the Constitution of our Government in both And besides their Declaration of the Legality of this Design they most humbly and heartily pray That Pious Men of all Ranks and Qualities may be Excited by that Good Book to contribute in their respective Places and Stations their best Endeavours towards a National Reformation of Manners But so much I hope will suffice for a foundation of my Supposition That these Societies are agreeable to the Established Constitution of our English Government II. I am next to take Notice of The Advantage these Societies have above the Power of Single Persons to give a Cheque to the Combined Force of prevailing Wickedness 'T is true The Reformation of Mens Manners or but to endeavour to make the World better is a Work so necessary and truly Excellent that one wou'd think it impossible that such a Design should meet with any other Enemies than such as are likewise Enemies to all Religion and Vertue But then it must likewise be considered That the Enemies of Religion are very Numerous and 't is their daily Work to Unite for the strengthening Psalm 64. 5 6. of their Party They encourage themselves in an evil matter in the Language of the Psalmist and search out iniquities The Devils who are the Grand Abettors and Promoters of all Wickedness act in Combination they are Unanimous in their Counsels and Endeavours for the Ruine of Mankind for if Satan St. Luke 11. 18. were divided against Satan as our Saviour argues how cou'd his Kingdom of Darkness stand In like manner Vice promotes its Empire and makes its Advances by the United Force and Confederacy of wicked Men. And therefore 't is highly fit and reasonable That Good Men should Combine togâ—ther to countermine the Designs and to discover and defeat the wicked Policies of the Enemies of Gods Kingdom And humanely speaking there is no other way to take the Field against them than by setting Army in array against Army Wicked Men keep then 〈…〉 Credit by their Numbers a◠〈…〉 likely they shou'd be dash'd 〈…〉 out of Countenance till they see and are convinc'd that they that are against them are more than they that are with them And if ever we hope with any Success to encounter the Combined Strength of the Men that work wickedness we must animate and encourage one another to the Work and it will become every Good Man especially those in Authority to ask David's Question Who will rise up witâ— me against the wicked Psal 94. 16. or Who will take my part against the Evil-doers And if we thus Unite our Forces to the Combat we need not despair of Victory and Success For they come against us as Goliah did 1 Sam. 17. 45. against David with a Sword and with a Spear and with a Shield with Carnal Weapons with the Wisdom and Policy that is earthly sensual devilish for their Chieftain is The Prince of the Power of Darkness but we come against them In the Name of the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel whom they Defie and we may be well assured That by strength shall no man prevail against God and that No Weapon form'd against Omnipoience shall
A SERMON Preach'd at St. TRINITY's In Kingston upon Hull TO A SOCIETY There FOR Reformation of Manners September 20. 1699. By ROBERT BANKS A. M. Vicar of St. Trinity's in Hull and Prebendary of YORK LONDON Printed for A. and I. Churchill And Thomas Ryles Bookseller in Hull 1700. To the Illustrious His Grace THOMAS Duke of Leeds Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter c. May it please your Grace BEing prevail'd with by the Importunity of that Society at whose Request this plain Discourse was Preach'd to make it Publick out of a charitable belief that it might do some good I presume to lay it at your Grace's Feet not for any worth in the Composure but for the sake of its useful Argument The Reformation of Mens Manners The obtaining of which is a Work so necessary so desirable and truly Excellent that it deserves Incouragement from all great and good Men. And your Grace having so zealously and early appear'd at the Head of a Number of our Worthies both in Church and State who have countenanc'd and promoted this Pious and Generous Design to make the Nation better I hope your Grace will not disdain this Mean but well-intended Endeavours to advance the same good End And this My Lord was the true Reason which induc'd me to lay hold of this Opportunity of acknowledging Publickly how much I am My LORD Your GRACE's most Dutiful most obliged and most humbly Devoted Servant and Chaplain Robert Banks PSALM CXIX cxxxvi Rivers of Waters run down mine Eyes because they keep not thy Law Or as the Old Translation us'd in our Liturgy reads the Words Mine Eyes gush out with Water because Men keep not thy Law THAT is The great Universal Impiety of Men is a most Dr. Hammond in Locum sad Spectacle fit to be wash'd in whole Floods of Tears and is just matter of the deepest Humiliation and Lamentation to all pious Beholders And indeed there is scarce any Reflection which affords matter of greater Grief and Humiliation to all good and considerate Persons than seriously to ponder and lay to Heart the Principles and Practises of those great Numbers of Men who keep not God's Law For such Men bring infinite dishonour to God scandal and mischief to others and oft involve a whole Nation and People in the same Ruine and Destruction with themselves for when Societies or great Numbers of Men combine to do wickedly Prov. 11. 21. When Hand thus joins in Hand the Wicked shall not go unpunished And therefore to be suitably affected to such a Face of Affairs to such an ill-bodeing posture of Things concerns every good Man as well as it did King David Especially Magistrates and those who are vested with Power and Authority for the Punishment of Evil-workers their Sorrow and Humiliation because Men keep not God's Law may be of excellent use to stir them up impartially to restrain or punish all Vice and Immorality all Atheism and Blasphemy and to maintain God's true Religion and Virtue And the more Zealous any one is for God's Glory the greater deference he pays to the Revelation of his Mind and Will the deeplier will he be affected with this most deplorable Case the faster will his Eyes gush out with Water because Men keep not Gods Law Rivers of Waters run down mine Eyes because they keep not thy Law The full Sense of which Words may I think be fairly comprehended within the Compass of this short Proposition or Doctrine That the prevailing Impiety and Irreligion of a Nation is a Spectacle fit to be wash'd in whole Floods of Tears is matter of the deepest Humiliation and Lamentation to all good Men and especially to them who are in Stations of Eminence and Authority In my Discourse upon this Proposition I will endeavour as plainly as I can to do these Four Things I. I will shew that this is our Case That Impiety and Irreligion are at this Time very prevalent amongst us II. I will prove That this ought to be matter of deepest Humiliation and Trouble of Mind to all good Men especially to them that are in Stations of Eminence and Authority III. I will hint what Effects our Sorrow and Humiliation for the prevailing Wickedness of the Land ought to have upon all good Men especially upon those in Authority IV. By way of Reflection upon the whole I will shew you That to engage our most vigorous endeavours to obtain those Happy Effects we have the noblest Incouragement the greatest Obligations imaginable And 1. I am to shew That this is our present Case that Impiety and Irreligion are at this Time very prevalent among us This God knows is too obvious a Truth to need an Elaborate Proof and our own daily Experience unless we be wholly Strangers to the World may give us a sad and convincing Evidence of it Nay 't is the Sense of the whole Nation declar'd by our Representatives in Parliament That Prophaneness House of Commons Address to the King January 1697. and Immorality like a general Contagion have diffus'd and spread themselves throughout the Kingdom to the great Scandal and Reproach of our Religion and Dishonour and Prejudice of the Government And 't is the Observation of very Wise and Considerate Persons that never any Age heretofore that has been surrounded with so much Light can equal the Impiety of the Present in their bold Commission of the Works of Darkness for the Modern Debauchees have not thought it sufficient barely to put themselves into a State of Enmity with God by their wicked Works but they have also combined to add Insolence to their Diligence in sinning not only neglecting and violating the Laws of Heaven but heaping up horrid contumelies and affronts upon the Majesty of him who dwelleth there as if they had enter'd into a Confederacy at once to abrogate God's Laws and dethrone their Maker and like the old Builders of Babel thought that nothing Gen. 11. 6. now wou'd be restrain'd from them which they have imagined to do This is the Present Case of those riotous Sinners who because they will not be restrain'd by the Laws of Christianity do therefore resolve to cast all the scorn and disgrace they possibly can upon them for should those Laws maintain their Reputation they would contrarily upbraid their contrary Practice and for this Reason they have learnt to Dispute themselves out of their Creed and to oppose the first Principles of the Oracles of God least they shou'd be thought Fools or Knaves for Living contrary to them And though there have been abominable Immoralities in every Age yet surely we in this are faln into the very Dregs of Time when the Fundamental Points of all Religion both Natural and Reveal'd are encounter'd by the Combined Forces of Socinians Deists and Atheists who all join however they otherwise differ in a very scurrilous Treatment of the Persons and Contempt of the Office of our most Pious Orthodox Clergy daily
publishing to the World that our teaching the Truths of the Gospel is but Priest-craft and our Pressing a Good Life but a Trade that by these base and sinister Methods they may through our sides more effectually wound and undermine the Religion we Profess and Defend and make Men dissolute and regardless of God and their Duty But thus much may suffice to evince the incontestable Truth of the first Proposition that Impiety and Irreligion are at this Time very prevalent amongst us I now proceed to Prove 2. That this ought to be matter of the deepest Humiliation and Sorrow to all good Men and especially to those that are in Stations of Eminence and Authority such was David a Great and Pious Prince in Israel and therefore Rivers of Waters ran down his Eyes because Men kept not Gods Law For the greater and better Men are the more hearty and affectionate concern they must needs have for the Glory of God the Honour of Religion the Welfare of the World and the Prosperity of that particular Kingdom or Civil Society of which themselves are Members and upon all these Accounts they have just cause to be afflicted and humbled for the Confederate Insolent attempts of Wicked Men to disturb or destroy the Tranquility and Happiness both of Church and State 1. Such Persons may consider that the Infidelity and Luxury of a Nation is the ready way to provoke God to Unchurch us and to remove our Candlestick out of its Place the Scripture tells us that when God is most angry and resolves to punish a People most severely he threatens them not so much with Temporal Losses as with Spiritual Judgments as to deprive them of their Pastours and Teachers to remove their Candlestick to send a Famine of the Word among them and to leave them to themselves and to their own Way A Famine of Bread and want of Water are great and heavy Punishments upon any People but there is something worse than all this and that is a Famine of the Word This God-himself sets down as the heavier Judgment of the two Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will send a Famine in the Land not a famine of Bread nor a thirst for Waters but of hearing the Word of the Lord And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord and shall not find it Amos 8. 11. This is a Calamity indeed greater than all others When God to punish a People for their wickedness takes away the very Means of their becoming better and because they spurn'd at the Light condemns them to spiritual Blindness and Darkness And what is this but to begin Hell upon Earth and to take an Antepast of Outer Darkness and Misery to come It is one of the most dreadful and awakening threatnings that God cou'd use to Excite the * The Church of Ephesus Asiatick Churches to repent that if they did not he would come unto 'em quickly and remove their Candlestick out of its place And surely if the loud Oaths anâ— daring Blasphemies of not a few If thâ— hypocritical Pretences of many to Pieâ—â— and Devotion If the Cheats and Pâ—â— juries and Oppressions under whicâ— the Nation groans If the filthy Speeches and lewd Actions If the Drunkeâ—nesses Adulteries Whoredoms and iâ—moralities of all sorts which some aâ— so far from being afraid to commit iâ— secret that for want of other Witnesses they will Evidence against themselves by declaring their Sin as Sodom Isa 3. â— In short If all the Profane Raillery anâ— Abuse which is daily put upon the Scriptures and every thing that is Sacred particularly the Ridiculing and Exposing the Mysteries of our most Holâ— Faith can provoke God to abandon â— People to lay them waste to removâ— his Church and Gospel from amongsâ— them and to make them the Scorn anâ— Derision of those who are round about then have we just cause to fear anâ— tremble lest God shou'd pronounce thâ— same Sentence upon us as he did upon the wiâ—ked and ungrateful Jews Jer. â— 12. Go ye now saith he unto my placâ— which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my People Israel Now because ye have done all these works saith the Lord and I spake unto you but ye heard not therefore will I do unto this House which is called by my Name as I have done to Shiloh and I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren Paralel to which is that Commination of our Saviour to the same stiff-necked and rebellious People therefore I say unto you the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof Matth. 21. 43. This is what we have great reason to fear because we so justly deserve it and indeed what Counterpoize can there be to such bold such daring impieties but the Prayers and Tears and Endeavours of those good Souls who betake themselves to the Throne of Grace to that Infinite Mercy of God which hath so long spared us when we deserved Punishment for if God had been extream to mark what we have done amiss we could never have been able to abide it but we find by experience that there is yet Mercy with him that he might be feared And Oh! that our deep Humiliation our hearty Repentance and Reformation may still engage God to be propitious to his Church and to pity his Heritage that so iniquity may not be our ruine But 2. As our prevailing wickedness threatens the Removal of our Candlestick the Misery and Desolation of God's Church amongst us so the abounding Impiety and Profaneness of any People does constantly provoke God to inflict severe Temporal Evils and Punishments upon them according to the Measure of their Demerits and Provocations and for this all of us and especially those that are good have just cause to be humbled under the mighty hand of God and to tremble at the apprehensions of his Judgments because Men keep not Gods Law God's dealings with particular Persons in this Life arâ— so chequer'd and intermixt with variety of good and bad Events that tho they point out a Judgment to come becausâ— they give no clear indication of an impartial Justice distributed here whiâ—â— the Judge of all the Earth who cannot but do right will at one time or other execute yet no Man knoweth Love or Hatred by all that is before him Here God frequently afflicts particular Persons for the Probation and Exercise of their Vertues and the Example of others and Notorious Sinners oft escape their deserved Recompence in this Life being reserved to the Day of Judgment to be punished But 't is otherwise as to Nations and Publick Societies of Men who as such cannot be accounted with in the World to come where every man shall receive according to his own Works and are therefore rewarded
Glory of God and our Neighbour's Welfare will secure Charity So 2. Prudence will temper and guide Mens Zeal in their Charitable Endeavours to reform others Zeal is one of those things of an indifferent Nature neither Good nor Bad in it self but may be either according to the End or Object to which it is directed And as that Zeal which is fix'd upon proper Objects preserv'd within its due Limits and levell'd at good Ends is highly serviceable to the Noblest Purposes of Religion So a Mistake in these Qualifications or a pretence to them when nothing less is intended has been and may prove of the most pernicious Consequence to the Peace and Tranquility of Church and State as this Nation has formerly found by woful Experience And for this Reason we ought ever to suffer Prudence to conduct our Zeal to render it useful to the best Purposes God's Glory our Neighbour's Good and our own Eternal Felicity And if these excellent Ends be our ultimate Design we shall be more zealous to amend our own faults than either to pry into the Manners of others or to make our selves over-busei in reforming them beyond our proper Sphere and Station However this will make us infinitely careful in the first place to reform our selves that by the Strictness of our Vertue and the Exemplarity of our Lives we may be instrumental to reform others and if the unalterable Obstinacy of Sinners render this ineffectual we may then after our private Endeavours warrantably inform the Magistrate of those scandalous Criminals that come to our Cognizance that their Deeds may receive a deserved Retribution And to do this heartily and impartially as we have the noblest Encouragement so we have the most indispensible Obligations imaginable which is the last thing I have to offer and so I shall conclude And indeed if we set aside all other Considerations yet the Argument of Gratitude to God for the many signal Mercies and Deliverances he has of late Mercies and Deliverances he has of late wrought for us will engage us to use all possible Care that we provoke him not again to inflict heavier Judgments upon us will warn us to sin no more presumptuously least a worse thing come unto us I must confess it does not always follow that a People are therefore reform'd and reconciled to God because he restores Peace within their Walk and Plenteousness within their Palaces because he gives them Beauty for Ashes because he turns their Captivity as the Rivers in the South removes his Judgments and pours his Temporal Blessings upon them No he often does this to try whether those whom his Judgments would not awaken and amend who grew hard under the Strokes of his Displeasure may not be softned and melted into Repentance by the Beams of his restored Mercy and Loving-kindness And if this fail they have Reason to believe that it is the last Overture which God intends to maâ—â— them for their Reformation God has done Great Things for â—â— already whereof we rejoyce anâ— since his Judgments could not his Goodness is more mercifully design'd to lead us to Repentance and Amendment But if neither the sharper nor the gentler Methods can reclaim us if we will yet sin presumptuously and those who have Authority to repress and punish will yet suffer Sin to swagger and be insolent or those who can and ought will not inform the Magistrate that the Impious may receive their deserved Punishment In this Case we may expect that God should assert his own injur'd Authority by cutting us off from being a People as he once did that ungovernable Nation the Jews and make us a Proverb of Reproach and a hissing to all the Countries that are round about us In fine which is the greatest of all Infelicities on this side Hell that he should for ever deprive us of the blessed Light of the Gospel and give it to a Nation that will bring forth the much better Fruits of it And there is but one way in the World to avoid that dismal Catastrophe and to secure the Blessing of Peace we now enjoy with all its happy Effects to us and our Posterity which is to become a Vertuous and Religious People And to effect this let us all pray and endeavour in our several Stations and as we have Opportunities and Capacities that Vertue and Goodness may daily gain ground and flourish and all Wickedness and Vice may sneak and look out of Countenance 'till like a guilty Shade it dwindle and vanish away And now what remains but that we should all stedfastly resolve this Day to follow aster those things which make for the Continuance of our Peace and which so visibly conduce to promote our Temporal and Eternal Interest This is the way to shew our selves good Christians good Subjects and such as are really concern'd for the Welfare of our Native Country and most Holy Religion This if we do God will then go on to strengthen and stablish what he has wrought for us and will make our late Mercies and Deliverances Pledges of our greater future Happiness The good God make us all so wise as to mind the Things which belong to the Temporal Peace and Prosperity of the Nation and the Eternal Happiness and Salvation of every one of our Souls before they be hidden from our Eyes Which he of his infinite Mercy grant for Jesus Christ's sake To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost Three Persons and One God be given of us all Angels all Men and all Creatures all possible Honour and Glory Praise and Thanksgiving Fear Adoration and Obedience now and for evermore Amen FINIS