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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	good_a	great_a	world_n	3,752	5	4.4423	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30857	A sermon preach'd at St. Trinity's in Kingston, upon Hull To a society there for the reformation of manners, September 20. 1699. By Robert Banks, A.M. Vicar of St. Trinity's in Hull, and prebendary of York.	Banks, R. R. (Richard R.)	1700 (1700)	Wing B672A; ESTC R217213	16,591	54

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 Expe●●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 tog●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 wit● 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

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 an● daring Blasphemies of not a few If th● hypocritical Pretences of many to Pie●● and Devotion If the Cheats and P●● juries and Oppressions under whic● the Nation groans If the filthy Speeches and lewd Actions If the Drunke●nesses Adulteries Whoredoms and i●moralities of all sorts which some a● so far from being afraid to commit i● secret that for want of other Witnesses they will Evidence against themselves by declaring their Sin as Sodom Isa 3. ● In short If all the Profane Raillery an● Abuse which is daily put upon the Scriptures and every thing that is Sacred particularly the Ridiculing and Exposing the Mysteries of our most Hol● Faith can provoke God to abandon ● People to lay them waste to remov● his Church and Gospel from amongs● them and to make them the Scorn an● Derision of those who are round about then have we just cause to fear an● tremble lest God shou'd pronounce th● same Sentence upon us as he did upon the wi●ked and ungrateful Jews Jer. ● 12. Go ye now saith he unto my plac● 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 ar● so chequer'd and intermixt with variety of good and bad Events that tho they point out a Judgment to come becaus● they give no clear indication of an impartial Justice distributed here whi●● 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