An Account of the RISE and PROGRESS OF THE Religious Societies IN THE CITY of London, &c. And of the Endeavours for Reformation of Manners Which have been made therein.  
The Second Edition enlarged.  
By JOSIAH WOODWARD Minister of poplar.  
LONDON, Printed by J. D. for the Author, and sold by Ra. Simpson at the Harp in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1698.   

The Dedication, to the Citizens and other Inhabitants of the City of London, and the Parts Adjacent.  
SIRS,  
I Conceive it very proper for me, and of the greatest Concernment to you, to lay particularly before your Eyes those hopeful Means of Reformation which GOD hath lately pleased, in Infinite Mercy, to raise up amongst you.  
I know I need not tell you, That you are denizens of a City, which for its commodious Situation, Trade, Riches, and Plenty of all necessary Accommodations, is inferior to few; and for its Evangelical Enjoyments, Liberty, and Laws, is happy above all the Cities in the World.  
But I must in Conscience mind you, That all these great Enjoyments are in manifest Danger of being lost by those horrid Enormities, which have for some Years past abounded in this great City: for indeed they are gross, scandalous, and crying, even to the Reproach of the Government of your City, and to the great Dishonour of the Christian Religion. And therefore, I beseech you, even by your Hope of Mercy in both Worlds, that you would effectually set yourselves to pull up those Pestiferous Roots, which will produce nothing but gull and Bitterness to You and Yours in this Life, and that to come.  
AND I entreat you, with all possible Earnestness, that you would not trifle nor deliberate long in a Case of such absolute Necessity, but set to it with as much Earnestness and Assiduity as you would to quench the Flames which you saw kindled upon your Houses( of which you above others have had awakening Instances) or as you would remove Persons infected with the Plague from among you; A dismal Case too! which you have reason to remember. And I am sure the least Measure of Christian Faith will assure you, that these are but some of the smallest Instances of the Vengeance of an Angry God.  
IT greatly concerns us of this Nation to look back, and take notice how many ways God hath tried us, both in the Methods of Mercy and judgement; and how long God has suffered our perverse Manners, even till both the Providences of GOD, and the Sins of Men, seem to be advanced to a full Crisis, either for our Reformation or Destruction. And London, in particular, is many ways loudly warned to reform, that it be not ruined.  
HOW can you then, in Reason, in Policy, and in Self-love,( as well as in Conscience, and in the Faith and Fear of God) delay to take away the Causes of God's Wrath? How long shall those worse than Midianitish Women be a Plague and Reproach to your City? How long shall they be tolerated to spread their Nets in the very Streets, yea, before the Sun; and to bring their Rottenness into the very Bones of so many Persons and Families? How long shall the Disorders of public Houses go unpunished, whereby many a young Man( that might have done good Service to his Country many ways) is utterly emasculated, and becomes feeble as Old-Age, and trembles like a poor enervate paralytic?  
IS it not absolutely necessary to our Prosperity( as well as Salvation) that the Holy Name and Day of the Lord be sanctified, which have been so dreadfully polluted and profaned among us? And that every Family which would be thought desirous of God's Blessing, should daily seek it by solemn Prayer? And that they seriously set up Religious household Government within their Walls, as they would not be of the Number of those who disown all Relation to God, and dependence on Him?  
WILL you be discouraged from this, because some distracted People will call it Fanaticism, and give it sundry ill Names, which the Enemy of all Goodness puts into their Mouths? Will you be mocked out of Religion, and the Worship of God, and the Promises of his Favour and Kingdom, by such Unreasonable Revilings? Or rather will not every one that knows the Duty and Reward of a Christian, rejoice and glory in trampling down such puny Enemies of their Salvation?  
YEA, Let no Man's Heart fail him, tho he sees some Sons of Anak appearing as Champions in the Cause of these uncircumcised Enemies of God. You may, in the following Pages, behold young Striplings going forth with a generous Courage against these blaspheming Goliahs, who defy God and his People: And, praised be God, we have some Honourable Magistrates, who go forth as Leaders in this Divine Cause; and we hope they will at last smite overgrown 'vice in its impudent Forehead, and cut off the Head of it by the Sword of Justice, since they go forth against it in the Name of the Lord.  
AND, O! what a brave and blessed sight is it, in these degenerate and debauched Times, to behold young Men( not lead by ill Women to the correction of the Stocks) but leading them to a just Correction! And to observe them taking greater Pleasure in Singing of Psalms, than others can possibly take in their profane and obscene Songs; and in short, better pleased in the punishment of Wickedness, than the poor abandoned Wretch is in the commission of it?  
AND in this happy and blessed Work you have in your City some of almost all Ranks and Qualities of Men, effectually, tho secretly engaged, thro the late Mercy of God to us, viz. Members of the Honourable House of Commons, Justices of the Peace, and Gentlemen; together with Citizens of all Ranks, Officers of divers Qualities, and private Persons of all sorts; So that you may have Society to join yourself to, suitable to your respective Quality and Condition, be it what it will: And therefore every Inhabitant of this great City has at this day a most valuable Opportunity of doing great Service to God and his Country, of what Quality or Capacity soever he be.  
AND shall I now need to ask you what you resolve to do in this matter? Or which side you will take in this Strife, betwixt the Kingdom of God, and that of the Devil? Dare you be of the number of those who revile, discourage, and oppose such as apply themselves to the prosecution of scandalous Sins, which are our worst Enemies, and sorest Plagues? Yea, can you be cool and unconcerned in this important Affair?  
I must tell you, That there can be no Neuters in this War betwixt the Prince of Light and that of Darkness. It is the known Rule of our Lord and Master, That he that is not for him, is against him: and, That he that gathereth not with him, scattereth abroad. So that your neglecting to oppose the growth of Sin, according to your Place, is a manifest cherishing of it in God's Account, and consequently an Enmity to Him. And if you are against GOD, he will be against you: and if so, nothing in the World can befriend you.  
THERE is a natural tendency in 'vice to ruin any Person, Family, City, or Nation, that harbours it. It engenders Sloth, Variance, Profuseness, Pride, falsehood, Violence, and a Neglect and Betraying of the public Good. It dulls the Understanding, takes away the Sense of Honour, dispirits Manhood, cuts the Nerves of Diligence, and destroys the true Principles of Commerce and just Dealing. And by these means it directly tends to undermine and overthrow the Prosperity of any City, or public Body.  
BUT Ruin will pursue 'vice the more swiftly and surely, because it is pushed on by the just Vengeance of Almighty GOD, the righteous governor of the World; of whose direful Judgments upon other Cities abroad you have been sufficiently informed of late, if you have forgotten the former stroke of it upon yourselves. You hear from Smirna, Jamaica, Malta, Sicily, and other Places, that many great and famous Cities have been shattered and swallowed up by dreadful Earthquakes; whereas the same GOD( tho mightily provoked by us) was pleased only to shake and jog us in a very gentle manner by the same Expression of his Displeasure.  
O Sirs! take the gentle Warning, and improve the Merciful Reprieve, lest His Vengeance swallow us up also, when He next ariseth to shake terribly the Earth. This is, in Duty, laid before you, by  
Your Affectionate Monitor, 
 J. W.   

The CONTENTS.  

Chap. I. THE Introduction.  
Chap. II. An Account of the Rise of these Societies.  
Chap. III. Of their Progress, and their real Aim and Design.  
Chap. IV. Of their endeavouring a public Reformation of Manners.  
Chap. V. Of their Orders.  
Chap. VI. The Reason of making these Things public.  
Chap. VII. The chief Objections against them answered.  
Chap. VIII. An Admonition to the Members of these Societies.  
Chap. IX. Directions for Religious Conference.  
Chap. X. Devotions suited to such Occasions.  
Prayers for Families, for Seamen, and for young Persons.    

CHAP. I. An INTRODUCTION to the following Account.  
SINCE the pious Education of our Youth, is a Matter of the greatest Importance to us both in Church and State; and since the whole Hope of bettering the next Age, and of continuing the Mercies of God with this, depends upon it: It cannot be unacceptable to any sober Person to peruse a Brief Account of that which our good God hath done for us in this respect; to whom alone be the Praise and Glory of the whole.  
IT is the Observation of many serious and judicious Persons, that within the compass of a few Years past, there hath appeared much of the genuine Spirit of Christianity in many young Persons among us; whose pious Dispositions, together with their humble and inoffensive Behaviour, have occasioned the Praises of God in the Mouths of many pious People: For, they cannot but look on this bloomy Piety of these Orthodox and sober Persons as a very seasonable Blessing of God, to excite new Spirits in the degenerate Professors of our Holy Religion, and to antidote those damnable Heresies, and check that exorbitant Wickedness which hath appeared with such Impudence in these latter Days.  
WHEN I first applied my Mind to draw up a brief Account of these Things,( being lead thereto by sundry moving Considerations) I advised with several Divines and others about it; by whom it was generally concluded to be a Work that might prove serviceable to the common Interest of Religion; and might revive the languishing State of it among us: Which as it is the only End I propose hereby, so indeed it is a Consideration that needs no other to second it: For, I know nothing more desirable in this World, than to invigorate a hearty Concern for Religion in it.  
AND when this little Narrative was drawn up, and perused by several Persons who were acquainted with the most hidden Springs and Motions of these Societies, they attested the Justice and Equality of it. In particular, the late Reverend Dr. Horneck,( who had a very perfect knowledge of them, and indeed was an eminent Friend, or rather Father, to them from their first Rise to the Day of his Death) in a Discourse I had with him a little before his Decease, was pleased to give his public Testimony to it, That it was a very faithful and modest Account of the whole Matter: adding, that at the first appearance of these Societies, they were looked upon with Suspicion and Dislike by many of our Superiors, who now( said he) upon a fuller view of them, do not only think them fit to be tolerated, but worthy to be encouraged; concluding with his Prayer,( in that pathetic and Heavenly manner which was usual to him) That God would bless and prosper these Beginnings of Reformation. This was the last Discourse that I had with that Pious and Worthy Divine, who was( we hope) soon after translated from his painful Labours to Eternal Rest.  
AND since the first Edition of this Account, I have understood in my Conversation with many Divines in and about this City, and by Letters from the remotest Parts of the Land,( from Persons whose Faces I never saw, into whose Hands this Account has fallen) that the Piety of many Persons, especially of the younger sort, has been evidently enlivened thereby; and that it had been red by many of them with a very surprising Joy.  
AND on this Occasion it comes to be known, that in some places the very Scope and Design of these Societies had been begun and continued by several pious Persons within these three or four Years past, who knew nothing of these London-Societies, nor had so much as heard any Report of them.  
IN a certain Town( which I omit to name) some discreet and serious Persons, considering the great Benefit of a strict Observance of the Lord's Day, came to a Resolution to meet together on the Evening before it, to enliven each others Affections towards Spiritual Things, as a meet Preparation for the Duties of the Sacred Day following. And finding the great Advantages of this practise, they continued it for the space of three Years; and then hearing what was done here in London so suitably to their Inclinations, they were surprised with Joy, and betook themselves to the same Method.  
IN some parts of the County of Lincoln a most profane Custom had long prevailed, to spend the three Lord's Days after Lammass( and of late many before it) in Horse-racing and other riotous Diversions. This Disorder was endeavoured to be suppressed in Cromwel's Days, but in vain; and afterwards by some Gentlemen of the County, but with no better Success. So that it had now for several Years been lamented by serious People as an inveterate Evil which was not to be redressed. But it pleased God this last Year to stir up the Spirits of the Ministers of the adjacent Parishes with such Zeal and Indignation against this scandalous Profaneness; that they took their Constables, and other proper Assistants, with them, and appeared with such Courage and Resolution against this rude Assembly, that the whole Multitude was overaw'd and put to flight. So that on the next Lord's Day, where there used to be many hundreds of this lewd Mob, you could only have beholded several devout Ministers with their Constables walking their Rounds: Or if any vain Persons looked that way, their next Care was to flee with such speed as might secure themselves from Apprehension. And it is hoped, that the same Care continued Yearly in this and other Places, will perpetually prevent the like Disorders: to suppress which, they resolve not to be wanting, as a Minister informs me from the Place.  
THESE things, methinks, give us some Ground to hope, that our infinitely Gracious God is preparing the way of a more general Reformation of Manners among us than is yet visible, partly by dispiriting and intimidating the Actors of 'vice and Profaneness, who have heretofore been undauntedly bold and hardy in the commission of it; and partly by exciting the Spirits of such as oppose our public Sins, even to a pitch of Bravery, which somewhat resembles those of whom it is said in Scripture, That the Spirit of the Lord came upon them: and then we always find that they prevail, and came off with Victory and Success.  
SO that it is beyond question, That if such as are of Eminency in our Church and State, did more generally give their public Countenance to this Divine and Glorious Work, it would run on with Vigour from one end of the Land to the other. And how much this would tend to their Comfort and Glory, in that Day wherein GREAT MEN must give an Account of their Talents of Power and Authority, before that Righteous judge from whom they have received them, is not to be expressed by the Tongue of Men or Angels: Nor on the contrary, can we conceive the Horror and Confusion, the Regret and Anguish which will then overwhelm such as either drowzily forget, or cowardly hid, or basely misemploy these weighty Talents.  
YEA, the Pious and Righteous Magistrate will not stay till the last Day for the Regard due unto him: He will be honoured and esteemed upon Earth, as long as the Notions of Good and Evil remain on Mens Consciences, and these can scarce ever be blotted out. And the Temporal Advancement of such is now the more visible, since the King has given his Royal Word that he will enter the Lists against Profaneness and Immorality, as the Generalissimo of those who join in this Honourable Work. By which his Majesty will appear Glorious in the sight of Angels, and of Men, and be beloved of God himself, who will not fail to honour those that honour him.  
AND in truth, As the consummation of our much desired Peace with our Foreign Enemies, affords us a favourable Juncture for the Advancement of this Great Work, so is it a powerful Obligation upon us to set to it in good earnest. For( as a Divine of ours seasonably suggests) it is absolutely requisite to justify the sincerity of our Days of Humiliation, and the Devotions thereof: in which, by confessing the public Sins of the Nation before God, and praying against them, we have so far engaged ourselves to endeavour to suppress them, that we cannot recede from it without being branded with the most unsufferable prevarication with Almighty God. And it is not to be thought that a whole Nation can contract such Guilt and come off unpunished: For it is not the usual Method of God's procedure, to build up and establish that People which dare thus impudently mock his Omniscience, and challenge his Vengeance.  
ONE thing more may also be remarked from those manifold Combinations of Persons, piously inclined, in various Parts of this Kingdom,( as also in that of Ireland) namely, that it is not only requisite, but even natural for Pious Persons to associate with those of the same Dispositions, especially where considerable Bodies of Men of contrary Inclinations join together to oppose them. This was the first Cause which induced Men to unite into Political Bodies, and 'tis this which cements them together to this day; which demonstrates the Necessity of Religious Associations, in order to a general Reformation of Manners, and is a full Vindication of the Societies hereafter described.  
BUT here I have heard some elder Persons object, That it is not a proper nor a becoming thing, for Youth to manage such Affairs as these; it were better( say they) and more seemly, that Hoary Heads should undertake this Great and Honourable Province, and then it would carry greater Honour and Reverence in its Aspect.  
BUT, I pray you, Grave Sirs! who hinders your Assembling and Acting in this Post of Honour? What, but your own Sloth and Lukewarmness, and want of Love and Zeal for your God, hath so long stopped your Mouths from rebuking of public 'vice, and your Hands from opposing it? If you will vouchsafe to pluck your Hands out of your Bosoms, and fight like Valiant Captains in this combat betwixt Light and Darkness; I dare vouch that our Young Men will gladly march under your Banners. But if you all stand idly and timorously, when the Goliahs of the Prince of Darkness come forth and blaspheme the Living God, and defy his Servants; have you any Reason to be offended against these young Striplings, who stand up with a generous Courage to assert the Honour of God, and stop the Mouth of Blasphemy? In this ye add the guilt of Envy to that of Sloth: and I admonish you to repent of both, and to act more becoming your Years and Vows, lest these despised Youngones take your Crown.  
AS to others, who suspect these Associations for the sake of Practical Religion, as things of dangerous Consequence, their Objections are particularly considered in the following Account. And in very dead, what Reason can there be to suspect Danger from such who manifestly and professedly pursue the chief Ends both of the Christian Religion, and of all Civil Government? And who do all this in Methods strictly legal, and exactly conformable to the Constitution of our Government in Church and State?  
YEA, since the Maintenance of the Authority of the Laws of God, and those of our Land, is the great and only End proposed hereby: I humbly ask all such as reproach this Undertaking, and revile the Promoters of it, What it is they aim at in so doing? Can you say, that it is not fit that the God that made us should be served with a supreme Religious Fear? Or, that we ought not to regard our Penal Laws against 'vice and Profaneness ( those wholesome Ordinances of Man) for the Lord's sake? Would you persuade us to give up our Holy Religion to be mocked and trampled on, as it is by those Blasphemers, Sabbath-breakers, and other lewd Persons, who are checked, and in part suppressed by these Societies? Have you the Forehead to tell our Ministers, that they may red the Law of God against profane Swearing every Lord's Day, and the Law of the Land against it four Times in the Year,( yea both these in the peculiar Presence of God, and in the solemn Assembly of his People) and yet do nothing in it, nor take any farther Care about it, but make the reading of both these Laws a mere Mockery in the Face of God and Men? Or can you stand forth and tell the Magistrate, That he is not to be a Terror to Evildoers, nor a Countenancer of those that do Well?  
TRULY, Sirs! your Attempts of this Nature will be in vain, till you can persuade us withal, That there is no God, no Providence, nor judgement to come. And truly it becomes all that are under the Sacred Vows of the Christian Religion to consider this in a due manner, but especially those who have the superadded Bonds of other Oaths and Engagements binding them to a special Concern for God's Service and Honour, as all the Magistrates and Ministers of this Land have in a very tremendous manner.  
AND blessed be God, There are some of both these who hearty and vigorously engage in this glorious enterprise, and who meet together at set Times to further it according to their Power and proper Place of acting in it. And if any can be content to sit idly in this Time of their Master's Harvest, or are pleased to deride such as set themselves to it, we leave them to their judge.  
IN short, Tho the Assistance given to this Great and Blessed Work, be not so great nor general, as to advance it at present with that Power and universal Prevalency as is highly desirable: Yet thro' the Goodness of God to us, there are so many Persons of various Qualities, Functions, and Authority, who hearty apply themselves to it, as are not only sufficient( under God) to make it subsist, but to prevail in a great measure, even to a conspicuous abatement of all manner of notorious 'vice and Profaneness. As it more particularly appears in the following Account.   

CHAP. II. An Account of the Rise of these Societies.  
I Do not here undertake to give an Account of all the Pious Fellowship of Youth, which hath been amongst us in time past,( which, we may hope, has been the practise of serious Young Men in all Ages, and among all the too various Denominations of Christians) but to give a short Narrative of the Original of those Regulated Societies, which are now( thro' the Grace of God) conspicuous among us for many good Works; and which( if duly encouraged) may very much contribute towards the Support, Honour and Advancement of these Three Kingdoms, in Church and State; and yet are but too little known to very many among us.  
NOW, as far as I am able to trace their first Rise, it was thus introduced by the Gracious Providence of God.  
IT is now about twenty Years ago, that several young Men of the Church of England, in the Cities of London and Westminster, were about the same time touched with a very affecting sense of their Sins, and began to apply themselves, in a very serious manner, to Religious Thoughts and Purposes.  
AS to their manner of Life before this, I am informed, That tho some of them had been guilty of great Lewdness, and yet became very affectionate Servants of God afterwards,( even to an eminency, in the judgement of some, who with Wonder considered their happy Change) yet the greater part of them were such as had enjoyed a sober Education, and had not shared in the scandalous and heightened Enormities of these later Days, otherwise than by their having been too insensible of the Dishonour done to God by them. But they now began to look on their own and others Sins, in another manner.  
I was, about that time, made privy to the Spiritual Sorrows of one of them; who with floods of Tears lamented, that he had not till then had any affecting Apprehensions of the Glorious Majesty and Perfections of God, nor of his Infinite Love to Men in his Son Jesus Christ: And that he had not before felt any just Convictions of the Immense Evil of every Offence against God, tho it be but( said he) in the wilful Neglect or Misperformance of any Duty to him. But now he saw and groaned under all this, in very sharp and pungent Convictions. And withal perceiving the universal Corruption of human Nature, and the deplorable Crookedness and Deceit of Man's Heart; and with what a world of Temptations we are encompassed, being withal besieged by many invisible Legions of Infernal Spirits: When he considered all this, his Soul was even poured out within him, and he was in danger of being overwhelmed with excessive Sorrow.  
THE Case was very much the same with several young Men at the same time,( as he then  told me) some of whom had been greatly tempted by the Devil( that Murderer from the beginning) to lay violent hands on themselves; which was also( he confessed) his own Temptation; and that so urgent and incessant, that Sleep departed from his Eyes, as well as Rest from his Soul.  
IN this mournful Season, these disconsolate convicted Persons often resorted to their Ministers for Spiritual Advice and Succour; betaking themselves in good earnest to the ways of real Piety, and eternal Peace. And it many times fell out,( as the same Person informed me) that several of them met together at the House of their Spiritual Physician, seeking Cure for their wounded Spirits; and so contracted a little Acquaintance by those Providential Interviews.  
FOR, alas!( as he suggested) there needed little other Language but that of their Looks to discover their inward Sorrows to each other,( especially when they came prepared to open them to their Minister) and they needed no other Arguments to incline them to pity each other's Case, but to consider their own; there being a Propensity in Nature to succour those who groan under the like Miseries with ourselves. So that by these and the like Means they soon contracted a very intimate Acquaintance.  
THE Benefit of Dr. Horneck's Awakening Sermons, and the Morning Lectures on the Lord's Day in cornhill, preached by Mr. Smithies,( chiefly designed for the Instruction of Youth) having occasioned much of this happy Work upon the Spirits of these Young Men; they did more particularly apply themselves to these Divines for Direction, who had been Instruments in the Hand of God for their Conviction.  
AND upon their frequent Application to these and other Ministers, it was advised, That since their Troubles arose from the same Spiritual Cause, and that their Inclinations and Resolutions centred in the same Purpose of a Holy Life; they should meet together once a Week, and apply themselves to good Discourse, and things wherein they might edify one another. And for the better Regulation of their Meetings, several Rules and Orders were prescribed them, being such as seemed most proper to effect the End proposed.  
UPON this they met together, and kept to their Rules; and at every Meeting( as it was advised) they considered the Wants of the Poor, which in time amounted to such considerable Sums, that thereby many poor Families have been relieved, some poor People set into a way of Trade suitable to their Capacities, sundry Prisoners set at Liberty, some poor Scholars furthered in their Subsistence at the University, several Orphans maintained, with many other good Works.  
BUT they were not presently brought to those pious Exercises, Orders, and Things of public Benefit; to which they are now, by the Grace of God, advanced. As no Creature is born in its full Perfection; so the improvement of these Societies grew up by degrees, by conferring one with another, and by their enlarged Desires of doing Good, as Occasions and Advice were offered them. So that I cannot but recommend Christian Society with the greatest earnestness, to all sorts of Men. It must needs be as useful to Magistrates and Ministers, in carrying on their arduous Work of regulating and reforming Mens Manners, as daily Experience shows it to be to Artists and tradesman, who join together in Companies and Societies, and find their Arts and Interests advanced by a multitude of Heads and Hands. So that we may very properly pronounce Solomon's Wo to him that is alone.  
THESE Young Men soon found the Benefit of their Conferences one with another, by which( as some of them have  told me with Joy) they better discovered their own Corruptions, the Devil's Temptations, and how to countermine his subtle Devices; as to which each Person communicated his Experiences to the rest.  
IT seemed proper, for the better management of their Common Stock for Charitable Uses, to choose two Stewards, as the Managers of their Charity. And the two first Stewards that I find( after diligent search) were in the Year 1678, whose Names I have by me, with a recorded Succession of them to the beginning of the Reign of K. James II. At which time the face of the Reformed Religion being clouded, and all private Meetings suspected, some of these young Persons, not having digged deep enough to have a firm Root in Religion, began to shrink and give back,( like the Seed in our Saviour's Parable, which had no deepness of Earth) being afraid of the Jealousy of the State against them, especially when they saw the bloody and merciless Executions in City and Country, with which that Reign began, which died it of such a crimson Colour, as rendered it frightful to many, particularly to these young Proselytes, insomuch that some of them forsook their wonted Assemblies, and getting loose from their strict Rules and good Society, they grew cool in Religious Concerns, and alas, some of them grew loose and extravagant.  
TIMES of Danger are indeed Times of Trial, and many times of Falling; as it proved to the first Followers of our Blessed Saviour, who kept close to their Master whilst he was at liberty; but when they saw him apprehended, and in the hands of powerful Enemies, they all forsook him, and fled.  
BUT thrô the Grace of God, there was not such a total Tergiversation among these young Disciples of our Lord; but on the contrary, some of them being encouraged by others, who till then had not been of this Society, being also grieved at Heart to see some of their Brethren turn their Backs in the Day of battle; and being animated with Holy Zeal against the growing Interests of Popery,( which then appeared not only open, but in armor, being promoted by the utmost Power and most earnest Zeal of the Prince then reigning): Being( I say) greatly moved on all these Accounts, they took up a more vigorous Resolution than ever, to do what in them lay towards the maintaining and increasing the Purity and Power of Religion in themselves and others. And seeing that the Popish Mass was then publicly celebrated, not only at the Royal chapel, but in other public Places, they set up( at their own expense) public Prayers every Evening at Eight of the Clock, at St. Clement Danes, which never wanted a full and affectionate Congregation. And not long after they set up an Evening Monthly Lecture in the same Church, to confirm Communicants in the Holy Purposes and Vows which they made at the Lord's Table: And by this public Lecture( which was greatly frequented) many were confirmed both in the Profession & practise of the true Principles of Primitive Religion; for they were preached by the most eminent Divines about the City, from whose Lips and Pens Popery received such Wounds, as all her Art will never be able to cure.  
IT was the Design of these Young Men, from the first framing of their Societies, to conceal their Names from public knowledge, lest it should seem to be a Device to catch the Applauses of Men; which is but a very poor Matter, an Aerial Blast, of little importance if you obtain it, and of which you can have no hold: and they looked upon it with a just Disdain, in comparison with those exceeding great and precious Promises which the Unchangeable God hath set before Men. But they had now a particular Reason for concealing their Names from all but their Ministers and a few Friends; for the Eyes of Papists then in Power were intent upon them, who( together with those their Undersetters, whom Gain and the Promises of Court-favour had brought over to their Party) pried narrowly into all they did; so that they saw they had great Reason, as well as the Primitive Christians, to use the Wisdom of the Serpent, whilst they as carefully retained the Innocence of the Dove; especially being in the near Neighbourhood of the Court, which was then filled with Foreign and domestic Zealots for Popery, or with crouching false-Friends to Protestancy.  
IN this juncture, upon Advice, they changed the Name of Society for that of Club; and instead of meeting at a Friend's House, who might be endangered by it, they adjourned to some public House or other where they could have a Room to themselves; and under the Pretext of spending a Shilling or two, they conferred seriously together in the same Religious manner as formerly; by which honest Artifice they carried on their good Design without interruption, even to the end of that unhappy Reign.  
AND since I have had occasion( a few Pages before) to take notice of the Disputes betwixt our Divines, and those of Rome, concerning the Lord's Supper, I beg leave of my Reader( tho it be a little foreign to the present Discourse) to lay before him a most memorable Testimony of God on the behalf of his Truth, relating to this matter, as I find it related by that saithful Minister of Christ, Monsieur Pineton, who was a great and long Sufferer under the Papal Tyranny in the Principality of Orange.  
THIS learned Gentleman, having related the deplorable Ravages made on the Subjects of his Royal Highness the Prince of Orange, by the Arms of France, which at last advanced to the total Suppression of the Exercise of the Reformed Religion in that Principality: He goes on( in his Book entitled, less Larmes de jaques Pineton de Chambrun, pag. 9, 10.) in these words: ye ferois tort an Public, &c.  
In English thus,  
AND here I should do wrong to the public, if I should omit one Passage which deserves to be transmitted to Posterity. One of the forementioned Gentlemen( the Jesuits) preaching on the Octave of their Holy Sacrament, in the Year 1678, challenged me in his Pulpit, to make Answer to the Arguments which he then produced to prove the Real Presence of Christ's Body, and to justify the Adoration of the Sacrament.  
THERE was one who gave me an exact Relation of all that he had advanced: But I made light of it for some time, and had no thoughts of making him any Reply, contenting myself to give Satisfaction to such as made any Report of his Sermon. But at last, seeing that he provoked me from day to day, and that my People desired with Passion that I should return him an Answer: I undertook one Lord's Day in the Evening Exercise, to refute all the Sermons which he had made on that Subject. I preached above four Hours, not only in the presence of my usual Congregation, but of many Strangers who came to take cognizance of this Refutation. I may say, that I put him into a furious Disorder, by unfolding his false Reasonings and false Quotations. I overwhelmed him with Passages of the Fathers, about whom he had made such Ostentation. So that going from my Sermon, he sell to tearing of his Hair, and said to a Gentleman of the Roman Communion now living, whose Name is Villeneuf: Alas! I know not where I am. Good God! how shall I be able to answer so many Quotations? Indeed he took sufficient care not to attempt to follow me; but contented himself to make divers Exclamations in his Pulpit about my affirming, that the Adoration of the Sacrament was an Idolatrous Worship. And he believed that he might some what extricate himself from this Affair by this pathetic Apostrophe, which I give you in his own words.  
GREAT God! why suffer you your Worship, the most August and most Holy, to be treated as Idolatrous? If it be true( as these Ministers accuse us) that we are Idolaters, and that the Priests are Impostors, when they say that they daily sacrifice the Body of your Well-beloved Son; where are your Thunders? where are your Thunderbolts, to crush these Impostors and Idolaters?  
AND in the sequel, turning himself towards the Altar where the Host was exposed, he continued his Apostrophe in these words.  
YEA my Saviour! I address myself unto you, to demand of you that you judge our Cause by some Miracle: If we are Idolaters in adoring your Holy Sacrament, make the Fire of Heaven to fall upon us, as Elijah did upon the Priests of Baal. THUNDER-STRIKE OUR ALTARS, and then you will undeceive us, and persuade us indeed by such a judgement, that we are Idolaters.  
IT was precisely on the nineteenth of June 1678, that he pronounced this Imprecation. And just ten days after, namely, on the twenty ninth of the same Month, being the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, being then upon Wednesday about 9 in the Morning, God manifested the Miracle which this Jesuit had demanded. The Heavens grew Dark by reason of thick Clouds, Flashes of Lightning shone in all Parts, Thunders roared with a very extraordinary Noise; and there was one strange Thunderclap, whose shock fell just by that great Altar, towards which the Jesuit had directed his Apostrophe, and where the Canon Caulet then celebrated Mass. The Clap of Thunder threw him down upon his Back, it tore up several Stones of the Vault; and passing into the first chapel which is on the Left hand of the choir, burnt the Cloth of the Altar to powder, where one celebrated the Mass also at the same time. The Lady de la Pisa, who was on her Knees, was much hurt with it, and all covered with Dust, with many other Persons. They carried the said Lady halfdead to her House, where she was speedily blooded; and the Thunder-bolt which was the Cause of all this Disorder, going forth thorough a Window of the Church, fastened to the Tower, where they laboured till the Evening to extinguish the Fire which it had kindled.  
BEHOLD here a very positive Matter of Fact, known throughout the Principality of Orange, and all the neighbouring Places thereabout: Which ought to bring all sober roman-catholics to a serious consideration of the Matter. Thus far that Worthy Gentleman.  
WE here, behold a marvellous Attestation of Almighty God to his Truth, much like that which decided the Controversy betwixt the Prophet of God and the Priests of Baal, upon Mount Carmel: And methinks as all the By-standers cried out then, The Lord he is the God; so all that hear this marvellous Event, should not refrain their Suffrage for the Protestant Sacrament in opposition to the Romish Mass. Truly, the Papists have discarded their Senses and Reason to all Intents and Purposes, if they take no notice of this: However, I am sure Protestants will, and therefore I question not their Pardon for this Digression.  
AND thus we return to our Pious Societies where we left them, namely, at the latter end of the Reign of King James, and shall consider them at the beginning of the Reign of King William and Queen Mary in the next Chapter.   

CHAP. III. An Account of the Progress of these Societies; And of their real Aim and Design.  
THIS their Constancy, Piety, and good Service to the public, in so hazardous a Juncture, made them more known, and much esteemed at the beginning of the Reign of King William and Queen Mary, those celebrated Instruments of God's Providence, for the restoring our Religion and Liberty, when the public Enjoyments of both were just expiring.  
THE first Design of those who joined in this Religious Fellowship look● no further than the mutual Assist anc● and Consolation one of another in their Christian Warfare; that by their interchanged Counsels and Exhortations, they might the better maintain their Integrity in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation. But as their Sense of the Blessedness of Religion, and the Value of Immortal Souls increased, they could not but exercise Bowels of Compassion towards such as discovered little Concern about these important Matters. Which inclined them to endeavour, by Discourse with their Acquaintance in proper Seasons, to press upon them those Divine Arguments whereby themselves had been roused out of a State of Carnal Insensibleness. And finding that the Grace of God many times seconded these their Christian Admonitions to good effect, they became more habituated to good Discourse, especially where there was any probability of a civil acceptance of it. Insomuch that at length they could not but stand amazed at the Success which it pleased God to give them. One of them( to whom God had given a very deep sense of Religious Matters, and a very moving manner of expressing it) had such success, that he had( under God) induced most of his intimate Acquaintance at least to an outward Reformation.  
UPON this they made a private Order at one of their Assemblies, that every one should endeavour to bring in one other at least into their Society: which they did to good effect. For I heard a very serious Person bless God with great Affection, that ever they made such an Order, and took such Resolutions: For, said he, this put one of them upon Discourse with me about those things, which I till that time little minded; but now ( said he) I can never forget them.  
THIS may recommend good Discourse upon all proper Occasions in Company; which wherever it is piously designed, and seriously performed, will be blessed of God to more excellent Purposes than we can without trial conceive.  
THUS then their Religious Fraternities grew and increased, even till they became conspicuous, and in some degree famous: which still induced other Young Men, that were of sober Inclinations, to join with them; and as they multiplied in distant Parts of the City, they erected new Societies by the Pattern of the old.  
THIS conspicuous Advancement of these Societies, in Number and Repute, gave occasion to some mistaken or ill-affected Persons, to misrepresent them to the Bishop, as things leading to Schism, Spiritual Pride, and many other ill Consequences. And this made their Names more public than ever they thought or desired to have them. For now they were obliged to appear and justify their Undertaking: Which they did in a very humble and solid Apology addressed to the Lord Bishop of London; wherein they humbly assured his Lordship, that their only Design was to quicken each others Affections toward Spiritual Things, and to quicken their Preparations for another World, and to this end to assist each other to live in all respects as it becometh the Gospel. And that they desired to prosecute this Christian Design in none but Christian Methods; with due Respect to their Superiors in Church and State, and without any cause of offence to any one. And, in fine, their Vindication appeared so Reasonable and Satisfactory; their Assemblies so Regular and Subordinate to the public Worship, and their Designs so truly Christian and Inoffensive,( all which was attested by several eminent Divines on their behalf) that his Lordship declared himself satisfied with it: Expressing his Approbation in these words, which are highly worthy of the Mouth of a Christian Bishop, saying, God forbid that I should be against such excellent Designs.  
FOR indeed, any one that peruses the Vindication of their Societies, which they drew up upon this, and another like occasion,( the Copies of which several of them keep by them) will find, that they have given such meek and full Answers to every Objection, that they have rendered it very difficult for any Lover of Piety, or any one that knows and desires the Interests of the Reformation, to make any reasonable Objection against their Orders or Design.  
AS to that which is feared by some sober and good People, namely, that it may degenerate in time to a Sect, and introduce Division; be it considered, that as this would indeed be a very detestable Thing, so they have most industriously sensed themselves against it, by their Monthly Communion; their use of many of the public Prayers constantly in their Assemblies; their setting up public Prayers in many Churches in the City, and frequenting them in great Bodies, where they appear a very devout part of the Congregation; and their utter disclaiming of all Schism and Faction; and finally, their humble deference to their Ministers,( without whose Approbation, no Rule, Prayer, nor practise is allowed among them.) I say, all these Considerations together, give any sober Person all the Satisfaction that he can reasonably demand, that there is no manner of Ground for such a jealousy: For indeed they find such improvement in all Christian Duty, and such Satisfaction in their Consciences, in observing the Constitutions of the Church of England, that it is remarked by some that have made a full enquiry into the Matter, that they could never yet find more than one Instance of any Person of these Societies, that have fallen from the public Communion to any Sect or Separation.  
AND as to that other dark and dismal Case of some of them, who after an appearance of Zeal for this Pious Undertaking, and a temporary Partnership in it, have fallen off to Vanity and 'vice: It is like the cutting off a Member to the rest of the Body; they consider it with piercing Grief, Affliction, and Indignation, tho it be no new thing in every Profession of Religion, to have some false Brethren. The first Planters of Christianity had reason to sigh over the apostasy of a Judas, a Nicholas, a Demas, whom the Love of this present World had ensnared. And I mention this, that every one that maketh Profession of Religion, and thinketh that he standeth, may take heed lest he fall: And that they may dig deep, and lay a firm Foundation in Faith, Lowliness of Mind, and sound knowledge of the great Things of our Salvation; and that they be very strict in Christian Watchfulness, and in Mortification of the desires of Sin, and the inward workings of Corruption, even to their Lives end.  
TO fall from a high Profession of Religion, will prove a very crushing and dreadful Fall: And therefore let every Christian look well to the Sincerity of his own Heart, that his Spiritual knowledge, and Holy Vows, may not increase the number of his Stripes at last, for want of walking suitably thereto, and of persevering therein.  
MANY of these unhappy Revolters from their former strictness of Life, are now not able to bear the Reproofs of their persevering Brethren; they shun their Company, they know not how to converse with them, and are ashamed to look them in the Face; and sometimes they pray them to disturb them no more by their Admonitions, since they apprehended all the Danger they threaten them with to be very true, and foresee their desperate End sometimes with a Terror not to be expressed. And their Design seems to be, to divert those Melancholy Thoughts as long as they can, with all the sensual Merriment they can invent. So true is that Observation, That Religion can torment those whom it cannot reclaim.  
O! how much greater Comfort is there in the conscientious practise, than in the profane Contempt of Religion, even in the course of this Mortal Life! But who can express the infinite difference betwixt them in the Hour of Death, the Day of judgement, the state of the Resurrection, and the unchangeable Eternity to come?  
TO shun this fatal Danger of apostatising from God, and reversing their Vows made to him; it is the practise of all these Societies to partake of the Holy Supper of our Lord as frequently as they may, thereby to devote themselves afresh to their good Master, and to confirm their Purposes of perpetual Service to Him, and as a means of receiving Spiritual Strength from Him so to do.  
AND in order to their more advised Preparation for so solemn a Work, there is in some one Church or more of this City, a Sermon preached every Lord's Day in the Evening( by the procurement of some of these Societies) on the important Subject of due Preparation for the Lord's Table, and a meet deportment after it; by which, great Good has been done, and a deep sense of Religion wrought in many Persons.  
AND by this their Care to acquit their Consciences, as to this last Command of our dying Lord, many of them have( by the Grace of God) attained to that excellent Primitive Temper, of frequent Communicating without growing formal; not lessening due Reverence by the frequency, nor extinguishing the proper Exercises of Love to God, Thankfulness and Spiritual Joy at this Divine Sacrifice of Praise,( as some unhappily do) by excessive and unseasonable Terror and Dread.  
THERE is such Love amongst those of them that have fallen under my Observation, that scarce any natural Brothers are so vigorously Affectionate. I have often beholded their meeting and parting Embraces with Admiration; and those who are newly admitted are soon contracted into the same Fellowship of Christian-Brotherhood.  
IT is required of such as desire to join themselves to them, That they give the Society a solemn Account of their Sense of Spiritual Things, with the real Motives which led them to this Undertaking, and what they seriously purpose as to their future Life. This is many times done in Writing; and I have perused some of their Papers, and have found them penned in such an honest, affectionate, and undisguis'd style, with such pious and sensible Expressions, and in so modest and humble a manner, that they would mightily affect any Pious Person to red them, and move him to break forth into pathetic Praises to God, who hath given such Grace to young Men in so degenerate an Age.  
AS for the Reproaches which ill People cast on these Societies, it is what good Things and Persons have ever met with from the beginning, and must be expected to the end of the World. The Scoffs and Grudges of such People against any thing, demonstrate that there is Good in it; and indeed their Commendations may be looked upon as an effectual Defamation.  
UPON such Occasions of Slanders and Evil-speaking against them, I have heard them exhorting and recommending to each other, the true Christian armor of Humility, Patience, and a Resemblance of our Blessed Saviour's Silence under Revilings, admiring that Divine Command of his, of returning Blessing for Cursing, and of endeavouring to overcome Evil with Good; minding one another not to make any mention of their being of such or such a Society, but to make their Holy Lives to testify, that they are real Christians.  
AND thus by exhorting and encouraging one another to Christian Duty, the Piety of many of them has appeared very eminent and exemplary; insomuch that it is evident, even to demonstration, that their Zeal hath in many Places given new Life to the celebration of the Lord's Supper, public Prayer, Singing of Psalms, and Christian Conference, Duties which were in many Places almost disused, or performed in a cool and languishing manner.  
THIS is( as far as human Eye can see) the real and only Design of these Societies, who seem with one Heart to attempt, by the most pious and peaceable Methods, to put a stop to our overflowing Wickedness, remove our Plagues, and to dispose us into a Meetness for the Blessings and gracious Presence of God; by whose Blessing they have of late Years so increased amongst us, that there are now thirty two distinct Bodies of them, within the Compass of the Bills of Mortality. And besides those that have been some time erected in the University of Cambridg, and in the City of gloucester, &c. there are others newly formed, not only in this City, but in various parts of this Nation, and even as far as Dublin in the Kingdom of Ireland; where from three or four Persons; with which they began, they are now increased to nine or ten Societies, containing about three hundred Persons. And they find such Encouragement there from the Pious Archbishop, and from several Divines, and other considerable Persons, that they have been a means of reviving a great Sense of Religion in many of the Inhabitants of that City, and have begun a very hopeful Reformation of Manners among them; the Archbishop having signed his Approbation of their Orders, which are copied from those in London. And indeed all these good Effects were occasioned by the Examples of the London Societies, and by the removing of some few of the London Associates to Dublin.  
THIS leads me to consider those Christian Efforts which have of late been made towards a public Reformation of Manners in the City of London, and the Parts adjacent, of which I shall particularly treat in the next Chapter.   

CHAP. IV. Of their Endeavouring a public Reformation of Manners.  
AS our sober Young Men found great Joy in the serious Application of their Souls to Religious Matters, and by the compliance of those who inclined to join with them in it; so were they not a little grieved, from day to day, by the profane and filthy Conversations of such as proclaimed their Contempt of God and Religion in the open Streets. And therefore they longed in their minds for a legal suppression of these Scandalous Enormities: Of which they complained often one to another, and much lamented them in their Prayers to God.  
IT is true, the Christian Religion is the most mildred and gentle Institution in the whole World, and the fullest of Mercy towards Sinners; but not to insolent and obstinate Sinners, but to the Humble and Penitent. The Gospel itself is Thunder to the impudent and impenitent Transgressors, and the Lamb of God then shows himself the Lion of Judah.  
WE find a couple of Liars struck dead in the place for their persistence in one Untruth; and another was struck blind for opposing the Christian Faith; both these by the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has appointed Magistrates to be Terrors to Evil-doers, and to this end has girded them with a Sword to cut them off, where milder Methods will not reclaim them: and he strictly requires them not to wear this Sword in vain; that is, that they be sure to make use of it as he has appointed them. And whosoever declines this in proper Cases, under the pretence of Mercy and Pity, does it to his own Prejudice and Ruin; like the Man that refused to smite the Prophet, when required to do it, in the Name of the Lord, who was slain by a Lion for his refusal, as we red 1 King. 20. 36.  
AND since the Magistrate cannot punish a Transgressor( with Righteousness) but upon due Conviction; and whereas few are so rash as to trespass before the Face of a Righteous Magistrate; it is absolutely necessary in order to suppress public Sin, that such Persons before whom the Illegal Fact is done, take care to inform the Magistrate of it: For the execution of Justice depends as much upon the proof of the Matter of Fact, as upon the execution of the Penalty of the Law: And where the Informer, or the Magistrate fails in their respective Duty, Justice is obstructed, the Efficacy of the Law nulled, Iniquity cherished, and the Wrath of God provoked. And therefore the Law of God runs thus in the case of profane Swearing, Levit. 5. 1. If a Soul sin, and hear the Voice of Swearing, and is a Witness whether he hath seen or known of it, if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his Iniquity. And the same must be concluded of other Enormities punishable by Law, by undeniable Parity of Reason. For, if none gives Evidence against a Transgressor, none can be punished, and all Penal Laws are vain. Besides, it is one great Design of the Temporal Punishments of 'vice by the Laws of God and Men, to render it ignominious, and to bring shane upon the Committers of it, as an Admonition to others, that all may hear and fear, and do no more such Wickedness: which End( where such Laws are not put in execution) is utterly lost; and the contrary takes place, namely, the Transgressor grows impudent, and comes to glory in his shane, and hereby the Community is apt to mistake the Nature of 'vice, and to admire it.  
OUR associated Young Men had due Convictions of these things, and were sensible that it must needs be as great a piece of Charity to bring a profane Person by light and temporary Punishments to shun Eternal Torment, as to bind the Hands of such distracted People as would otherwise tear their own Flesh, and be their own Murderers: And therefore they were ready to do all that became them in their places to check those public and scandalous Sins which were become very insolent and crying in this City. They only wanted some Directions to manage this Affair in a due manner, according to the Law, and to be countenanced by some Magistrate in a Work so proper to his Office, and so worthy of his regard. And it was not long e're a singular Providence of God gave them a favourable Opportunity to express their Zeal for his Name in this Matter.  
FOR, about this time four or five Gentlemen of the Church of England( whose Names deserve to be had in perpetual Esteem, tho I have not their leave to publish them here) salling into serious Discourse upon the melancholy Subject of the Iniquity of the Times, came at last to a most brave and generous Resolution to do all that they possibly could by the Authority of our Laws, to chastise and suppress those impudent Vices and Impieties which they saw very provoking in the sight of God, and very grievous to the Spirits of all good Men. And forasmuch as some of these Gentlemen had made the knowledge of our Laws their Study; they collected an Abstract of our Penal Laws against 'vice and Profaneness, and drew up such prudential Rules, as are fit for the Legal Conviction and Prosecution of such as offend against them. And having( in the Year 1691.) by the Motion of the Lord Bishop of Worcester, obtained the Queen's Pious Letter to the Justices of Peace, to act as it became them in this important Affair; and the Justices having made a very good Order thereupon, and the Lord Mayor and Aldermen doing the like: These Gentlemen caused Copies of all these to be printed, and to be sent all over the Kingdom, at their own great expense, and lodged Blank Warrants in many Hands all over the City, for the ease of Informers, and other Persons concerned; with many other excellent Expedients to further a General Reformation, which surely is the best of Works: Of which one of our Pious Bishops has given an Account to the World, to the just Honour of these Worthy Gentlemen, and to the shane of such as have reproached and opposed their Righteous and Religious Undertaking.  
NOW, this sell in very fitly with the Dispositions of our Societies, who thereupon formed themselves into two considerable Bodies, for Information against public Enormities, the one in London, the other in Westminster, the better to advance this Work in all Parts, according to their respective places of abode. And thereupon they gave punctual Information to some Magistrate or other of those public Acts of Debauchery and Profaneness which they observed to be committed by Persons hardened in their Sins; still keeping to the Direction of the Law, and the Rules subservient thereunto which those Gentlemen had given them.  
BUT Wickedness being at that time insolent and unused to restraint, these Persons met with very outrageous Resentments, and with bitter Reproaches and Threats from the passionate Lovers of 'vice: Yea, they often ran the hazard of their Lives in the prosecution of this Design; which they underwent with Christian Courage, being supported( under God) by divers of our Bishops and London Divines, who  told them, That if any of them suffered in so Divine a Work, they would very much resemble the Martyrs and Confessors of Christ, and receive the Reward of it in the other World. And in this respect, the Right Reverend Bishop of gloucester, and those worthy Divines Dr. Horneck, Dr. Jekyl, and Mr. Edward Stephens, have most eminently signalized their Zeal for their Great Master and his Work.  
AND whereas our Young Men found it very often objected in common Discourse, that they were only a few raw Youths that engaged in this Work, which seemed particularly to exasperate the Persons prosecuted by them; they greatly wished for the concurrence of some grave and elderly Persons to countenance and enspirit them in this difficult enterprise.  
TO this our Good God, who would not suffer this Excellent Work( undertaken purely for his sake) to drop, was pleased by his good Providence to administer a very seasonable Support. For it fell out about this time, that the good Service of several Men( most of them House-keepers) in the Tower-Hamlets came to be known, which was begun on this occasion.  
THE Inhabitants of those Hamlets being much perplexed by pilfering People, Pick-locks, House-breakers, and such ill Persons; some of them began to inquire into the Places which were suspected to harbour that sort of People. And by tracing out their Places of Resort, they soon dived into the true source of their Grievances; namely, That these vicious Persons living in shameful lewdness and idleness, and having no Income by Trade or Estate to maintain them in it, they betook themselves to Robbery, Shoplifting, Burglary, and picking of Locks and Pockets, to maintain their expensive Lusts and lewd Companions.  
UPON this, some of the sober Inhabitants of these Hamlets set themselves with great Concern, and undaunted Courage, to pull down the very Nosts of these Disorders. They got Warrants for search, and brought all suspected Persons to clear themselves in a legal way, and where it was requisite, they demanded Security for their Good-behaviour; they prosecuted and suppressed all known Houses of bawdry, and brought the Keepers of them to legal Punishment. And whereas some of those who engaged in this Work were of the public Communion, and others of different persuasions, their lesser Differences in Matters of Religion, did not in the least divide them in prosecuting of these things which they saw were directly contrary to all Religion. And such as did not act personally in this Affair, yet perceiving the Good that came of it, were inclined to contribute towards it.  
BUT there were some things wanting in this Undertaking, in the defect of which it was much retarded, and had like to have sunk. The one was a methodical way of proceeding, for want of which their Endeavours were neither so orderly, nor so effectual as they afterwards proved. They also wanted a more compact Incorporation of their Members into one Society or Body, which might be moved and guided by the same prudential Methods, as if they all proceeded from the same Soul. And lastly, their Fund was low, and insufficient to defray the expense of such an Affair. For, since the apprehension of lewd Ruffians, and desperate Bullies, needed a good number of Officers and other Assistants; and since the Process of our Law is not a little chargeable, it must be allowed, that Money is the Sinews of his War, as well as others.  
NOW our aforesaid Societies for giving of Informations, having considered these Circumstances, and having admired the Zeal and Courage of those honest and excellent Men in these Hamlets, and observed how well they suited to make up what themselves wanted in Years and Experience, they resolved to concur with them, that their united Forces might be the more victorious: And the Gentlemen before-mentioned gave their hearty Consent to the Match, and( like kind Fathers) did not a little augment the Dowry.  
AND now their Resolved Work went on with happy Success, the one emulating and pushing on the other. And in all Cases they acted regularly, and in conformity to Rules approved by the Learned in the Law. They choose two Stewards to keep their Cash, and to keep an exact Account of all Contributions and disbursements. They had a set place of assembling together, in which they observed a regular Method of Proposing, Debating, and Concluding every thing; and had a Notary on all Occasions to attend them: and finally, at this weekly Meeting, they concerted those Measures which they prosecuted with Vigour in the City and Suburbs, and with very great Success.  
FOR they were instrumental in putting down several open Markets that had been kept on the Lord's Day; and in suppressing some hundreds of Houses of ill famed, bringing the Frequenters of them to due shane and Punishment. And by the means of this Society alone, about 2000 Persons have been legally prosecuted and convicted, either as keepers of Houses of bawdry and Disorder, or as Whores, Night-walkers, and the like; and the Names of these Delinquents are set down in three black Lists which they have printed: All which have been sentenced by the Magistrates as the Law directs, and have accordingly been punished,( many of them divers times) either by Carting, Whipping, Fining, Imprisonment, or suppressing their Licences.  
THEY have also been instrumental to put down several Musick-houses which had degenerated into notorious Nurseries of Lewdness and Debauchery: As it appeared by a Paper printed on this occasion, wherein it was proved, that many Persons had been ensnared by the rude Company which usually resorted to those Houses, to the Ruin of their Honour; and some to that utter extirpation of Modesty, that some of both Sexes had shamelessly danced naked in these licentious Brothels; which Disorder had abounded to that degree, that above twenty Murders had been committed in them within a very little time. All which must needs render them odious in the Eyes of all sober People.  
BESIDES this, the Members of this Society have legally convicted multitudes of notorious Swearers, Sabbath-breakers, and Drunkards: and their Proceedings in all these Cases have been so strictly legal and unblameable, that they have for several Years past received great Countenance in the several Courts of Judicature; and have found very considerable Encouragement from the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, who have honourably contributed towards the great expense of so great and useful an Undertaking.  
BUT yet these Endeavours of so general a Good, did not proceed without many a Rub; if it had, it would have been the first time that virtue had been advanced with Ease and Smoothness. We must have concluded, that either virtue or 'vice had lost its Nature, if the one could supplant and dethrone the other without passionate Opposition: Yea we might have thought that the Devil had lost his Envy to the Good of Mankind, or that all the Legions of the Infernal Pit had been cast into a deep Sleep, should they have suffered such a brave Onset to be made upon the Territories of Darkness, without making all the Interest they had against it. It was therefore no wonder at all, that the Undertakers of this Divine Work met with many Difficulties to struggle with in the Prosecution of it.  
IN truth, they experienced not only the rude Assaults of licentious Debauchees; which they expected; but too often the Brow-beatings and Discouragement of such as were bound by the tremendous Bond of an Oath, and the Divine Trust of Authority to do otherwise, which was the more difficult to bear.  
I have known the Day in which several Persons have with extreme sorrow complained, that they had spent above half of it in going from the House of one Justice of Peace to another, before they could get a Warrant signed. Such Complaints were too-frequent, and alas! too true.  
BUT there was great Hope of a full Redress to this Grievance, when there came forth a Pious Proclamation from their Majesties, Jan. 21. 1691 / 2. requiring all Magistrates, Ecclesiastical and Civil, in their respective Stations, to execute the Laws of this Realm against Profaneness and Immorality, as they would answer it to Almighty God, and upon Pain of their Majesties highest Displeasure; complaining also( most justly) That by a long continued Neglect and Connivance of the Magistrates and Officers concerned, these dissolute Enormities had universally spread themselves, to the dishonour of God, and the scandal of our Holy Religion, &c. This Proclamation was occasioned by the pious Address of our Arch-bishops and Bishops to their Majesties, as the Preamble of it declares.  
AND since this did not fully accomplish its End, it was followed( May 16. 1693.) by a personal Excitation of the Justices of Middlesex, to further this work with Vigour, by the Lord Keeper in a Speech made to them to that purpose, by her Majesty's Special Command: and partly by these Supports, but chiefly by the good Hand of God upon it, this enterprise has gained Ground, notwithstanding the many ill turns that have been done it.  
INSOMUCH, that there are now near twenty Societies of various Qualities and Functions, formed in a Subordination and Correspondency one with another, and engaged in this Christian Design in and about this City and Suburbs: All which have their set Hours and Places of meeting, to direct, support, and execute this their Undertaking.  
IN this Number of the Societies for Reformation here given, I do not include any of the thirty two Religious Societies before mentioned. For tho they all agree in the love of virtue, and dislike of 'vice, yet their first and more direct Design of Association seems to be distinguished thus: In that the Societies for Reformation bent their utmost Endeavours from the first to suppress public 'vice; whilst the Religious Societies endeavoured chiefly to promote Religion in their own Breasts, tho they have since been eminently instrumental in the public Reformation. The former endeavoured to take away the Reproach of our Religion, by kerbing the Exorbitances of its Professors; the latter attempted to retrieve that Holy Vigour in the practise of Religion which becomes Christians. And whereas these latter are all of the Church of England, and fervent Lovers, and strict observers of her public Worship; the former are composed of all such as bear a hearty Indignation against 'vice and Impiety, tho of different persuasions in some Circumstantials of Religion. For in this Case, the Members of our Church do not say to any Lovers of Piety, as Zerubbabel to the Adversaries of Judah, Ye have nothing to do to build with us: For they consider 'vice as an Enemy to human Nature, and as tending to the ruin of the whole World. We do therefore with humble Thankfulness to Almighty God acknowledge the Brotherly Assistance which is given us by some of our Dissenting Brethren( especially those of the Presbyterian persuasion) in endeavouring to discountenance and suppress public Enormities, which have been so generally spread, and so long taking Root, that they need the help of all Hands to pluck them up. And it is not only in London, but in Nottingham, Shrewsbury, and other Parts, that they join hand in hand with those of our Communion, in order to suppress the Vices of the Place. It is God that maketh Men of one Mind in a House, much more in a Nation: and I beseech the God of Peace to bring all that sincerely love and fear him, to perfect Peace and Coalition: For this we pray incessantly in our public Service, wherein we entreat the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he would bring all such as profess his Holy Name to agree in the Truth of his Holy Word, and to live in Unity and godly Love. When once this shall come to pass, we may hope that the Enemies to the Fundamental Principles and Practices of our Holy Religion, being covered with shane, may seek unto God: and then( as an eminent French Refugee observed) will the English Church and Nation be thrice Happy.  
THESE Endeavours to stop the wide mouth of our crying Sins, have( by the Blessing of God) so far succeeded, that the Impudence of lewd Women, and the Blasphemies of licentious Tongues are manifestly abated in our Streets, and the works of Darkness seem to be retiring to their proper Scene, the obscurest Corners that can be found, as most remote from human Observation and Punishment.  
BUT the banishment of 'vice from the public View, is not all the Good that has been done by these legal Prosecutions, ( tho that is most highly valuable, as it takes away public Scandals and Temptations) but there have been many Instances of Persons apprehended in ill Houses and Company; who having something of Modesty and Tenderness remaining, have been alarmed out of this ill way of Life, and have afterwards acknowledged the Mercy of God, and the Charity of Men, in pulling them as Firebrands out of the Fire.  
AND indeed, since the Magistrates chastising of wicked People is an Ordinance of God, it is scarce to be questioned but that it is designed for the Spiritual Good of particular Men, as well as the public Good of Societies: and what doubt can there be, but that God does many times turn such legal Corrections to infinite Advantages? The Magistrate is the Civil Parent: and as God has committed the Sword to him to cut off intolerable Miscreants, so has he given him a Rod to chastise Offenders in lesser Matters: and to him methinks we may as well apply the words of Solomon, as to the Natural Parent( Prov. 23. 14.) Thou shalt beat him with the Rod, and shalt deliver his Soul from Hell. Which if duly considered, would serve to quicken Magistrates in this glorious Work of saving the Souls of Men from eternal Torments( which would bring a great share of their Glory into their own Bosoms.) And it would also tend to alloy the passionate Resentments of such as fall under the Correction of the Magistrates Discipline, if they did but foresee the invaluable kindness of stoping their way( tho with Thorns) to prevent their running into the Infernal Pit. O that Men had Faith to make a due Estimate of these certain and necessary Consequences of things! which a few Moments will exemplify upon every Soul of us in Eternal Bliss or Torment.  
IT was the deep sense of these great Things, which first engaged the Hearts and Hands of those few Pious Gentlemen in this most Noble Work, who do not now( blessed be God) act alone in it. Several other Gentlemen and eminent Citizens are now incorporated with them; and they meet frequently to superintend, direct, and pursue this best of Works( as one of our Pious Bishops calls it) consulting the best and most advisable Methods to carry it on, spending a great deal of time weekly, and sometimes daily in it, and furthering it by very large and honourable Contributions. And by these means many thousands of vicious and profane Persons have been brought to just Punishment; to which the late excellent Law against profane Swearing and Cursing has been very serviceable: and were it but enlarged in a Line or two, to make the Work of Information easier, it would soon banish the Hellish senseless Sin of Blasphemy out of this Nation; as also out of the Kingdom of Ireland, where it is likewise made a Law, and is very vigorously put in Execution: concerning which a Person of Quality writes thus from Dublin, in a Letter to his Friend in London, Octob. 28. 1697.  
THE Reformation goes on in this City very vigorously: When we were presented with a thousand Warrants against profane Swearing, by a Gentleman from London, it was thought we should never have needed more: but those have all been put in Execution, and we are now upon printing a third thousand of them more. The last Lord's Day, I believe there were eight or nine Pounds levied in Ale-Houses; and above a Hundred Bakers have paid within this last Quarter for profaning the Lord's Day, in the Business of their Trade, besides Taylors, Drovers, and others; and Bawdy-Houses and Whores are hunted down with a high Hand. bridewell is filled with them, and this without any great Assistance from the Magistracy. Some Persons of our Societies being put upon the Grand-Jury for the City, do it effectually: ten or twelve lewd Women have been taken up in a Night, in the Houses as well as Streets; and this twice or thrice a Week. But I must add however, that this Reformation in every part of it, is beholden to our Recorder, who shows more Zeal and Application to it, than ever any Magistrate in London or Middlesex has done since I have been acquainted with these Matters.  
THERE is also a Society of this kind in Drogheda, in Manouth, and in Kilkenny: and several Divines are endeavouring to plant them in otlier parts of the Kingdom of Ireland. But I return nearer home.  
TO awaken a just sense of the Necessity of Reformation of Manners in the City of London, there are four Sermons in the Year preached on this weighty Subject at Bow-Church in Cheapside; namely, on every Monday next following the four usual Quarterdays, about Eleven in the Morning: And the like is done by Dissenters on four other Days.  
AND by the Blessing of Almighty God upon these Endeavours, a very considerable sense of Religion has been revived in many of this Nation, and a very conspicuous Check given to Debauchery. Insomuch that the general Odium, and the threatening Dangers of informing against 'vice and Profaneness are almost extinguished, and the blessed Work of Reformation set into such an excellent and successful Method, that the outward part of it would soon be effected, would but some few in every Street or Parish, who are of Place and Power, pull their Hands out of their Bosoms to engage in this honourable and necessary Work; or would others, who are of Ability, but contribute as it becomes them, towards the expense of it. For the apprehending of lewd People,( as was before observed) and the prosecution of them in the course of our Law is very chargeable; insomuch, that near a thousand Pounds have been expended in this Work by one of these Societies alone, within the space of the last four Years: As it may be proved by their Book of Accounts, to any one that desires it for any good End.  
AND that none may be discouraged on the account of the general Over flowing of 'vice, and the disproportionable fewness of Hands engaged to put a stop to it; let it but be considered, that the chief part of this Opposition to public Immorality, has been occasioned by the meeting of four or five private Persons together; who duly considering and bewailing the Height and Extent of the Sins of this Nation, came to a Resolution of doing their utmost to oppose it, in the due course of our Laws. An Attempt which, methinks, seemed as Generous and heroic, as that of Jonathan and his Armour-bearer, who being inspirited by God, resolved to attack a whole Army of philistines oncampt on a vast Hill: But the Lord of Hosts who lead them on in this noble enterprise, did successfully carry them thorough it, to the utter Discomfiture of those numerous Enemies of God. And since we may without rashness conclude, that this Effort against public Sins has the same Original with that of Jonathan, we hope it may at last attain the same End, tho this Attempt against numerous and heightened Enormities has as great Disadvantages as that, in human Estimate.  
O! what a Field of Honour lies here, before all Persons among us! In which Magistrates and Ministers are more especially concerned to be Leaders, who are by their Offices designed to direct the Consciences, and regulate the Conversations of Men. I beseech the Almighty and All-good God to inspirit and determine them effectually to this Work, to which he loudly calls them, a Work absolutely necessary, not only to our Prosperity, but Subsistence; and for want of which we are almost undone.  
AND in truth, the Glory of Almighty God, and the Support of our Church and State, are so manifestly concerned herein; that I cannot see how the Ministers of Justice, or of Divine Service, will be able to answer the unchristian Neglect of it, before the Lord Jesus Christ( the judge of All) before whose judgement-seat we must all appear, and that very speedily. Where two Armies are engaged in a bloody and uncertain battle, how will those Regiments answer it to their Prince, who stood by and idly looked on, without striking one hearty stroke in his Cause, to whom they vowed a Military Faithfulness to their Death? But above the rest, how will the Officers of those dastardly Troops answer it to their Sovereign, who dreaded a little Danger and Hardship in his Service, more than his Royal Displeasure?  
AH Sirs! if we are now backward to contribute our utmost Endeavours in our several Stations towards the suppressing those impudent and scandalous Vices, whereby our God and his Holy Religion are so outrageously blasphemed: If we prefer carnal Ease, the Favour of Men, or any worldly Interest, before the Honour of our God, and the Propagation of Religion: What insupportable shane, Horror and Regret will at last seize us, and for ever torment us! And therefore I again beseech the Holy Spirit to excite and fix in us all( even in Magistrates, Ministers, and all Ranks of People) a vigorous and effectual Zeal for his Holy Name and Will; and a just Concern for the languishing Repute of the Christian Name, and of the Reformed Religion.  
AND as for all those various Degrees of Men who have already set their Hands to this excellent Work, may they never slacken their Hands, or pull them back. Let me entreat them to act in it with a Zeal, Constancy and Purity of Intention, suitable to so Divine an Employment as that they engage in, to so great and good a Master as they serve, and to that infinite Reward which they may expect. Be not such Enemies to yourselves, as to be weary of well-doing, since in a short time you will reap, if you faint not.  
O Christians! Look unto Jesus, who not only underwent the Contradiction of Sinners, but endured the across, and despised the shane, for the Glory which was set before him. Remember, that as a Curse is threatened to such as do the Work of the Lord negligently: So a Crown is prepared for those who are faithful unto Death.  
THE Time of our Warfare is but short, and the Difficulty of it will be much sweetened by the promised Comforter, and the Reward of well-doing will be of infinite Value, and eternal Duration. And as no Work in the World will be more commended of our Supreme judge at last, than this of Reformation; since he himself sits as a Refiner's Fire, and as Fullers Soap, to purify and cleanse his People from their Sins; and since he will e're long consume that Reprobate Silver, which is not effectually refined by those means of Purification which he hath ordained: On all these accounts, I say, we have no Concern upon Earth so great, as to acquit ourselves well in this our Spiritual Calling, not being slothful, but diligent Followers of them, who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises.  
AND here I cannot but call upon our Dissenting Brethren, that as they have manifested a Christian Spirit in assisting us to suppress 'vice, they would do no less in endeavouring to discountenance Strife, and to restore Unity. And let me entreat them, even by the Bowels of our common Lord and Saviour, that they studiously endeavour to dispose their Young Ones to follow after things which make for Peace, Unity and Order,( the desire of which seems deeply impressed on the Spirits of our Societies of Young Men) that the Church of God may enjoy more peaceable and flourishing Days in the next Age, than it has in this.  
THE making of our Peace with God by effectual Reformation, and of Union among ourselves by mutual Charity and Condescension, are the happiest Works that any Person can apply himself to on Earth. The Satisfaction and peaceable Fruits of it here would be exceeding great, and the Reward of it hereafter inexpressible.  
NOW these Societies aforementioned, seem in a great measure fitted to carry on both these great Designs; if at least there be any hope of such inestimable Blessings, left to such a profligate People as we are: For they have been instrumental to bring several Quakers and Enthusiastick People to Baptism, and to a sober Mind; and of the Conversion of many profane Persons; and of bringing others to legal Punishment, who appeared otherwise incorrigible.  
AND many of our Ministers have sound by Experience,( as they have assured me) that the planting of one of these Societies in their Parish, has been a means of enlarging their Congregations and Communions to a very great Increase; and not only so, but of introducing a more devout Deportment in all public Ordinances. So that it is greatly to be wished, that every Parochial Minister would endeavour to erect a Society of this Nature in his Parish, which he might do, if he could but find two or three Young Men, or House-keepers in it, of pious Inclinations, and a sober Life,( and if such a number as this cannot be found in any place, it is worse than Sodom) and He may begin a Society with these( as many of those which are now numerous, began at first) till more be added to them by the Grace of God. A thing of this Nature hearty undertaken for the Glory of God, and attended with Prayer, Diligence and Patience, could hardly miscarry. And a good Minister would find his Work happily furthered by such a Pious Nursery of Youth; and the poor Neighbourhood not a little comforted by their Charity: Yea, the very Money which is by the Law forfeited to the Poor, by Swearing, Drunkenness, and profaning the Lord's Day, would be a seasonable Relief to the Poor in these hard times; for by these Penalties the Sum of 55 Pounds was lately raised in one Parish of this City within the space of one Year.  
AND tho this may well be numbered amongst their Charities to the Poor, especially since the late Law against profane Swearing has made the Forseitures to the Poor arise very high to some who will not forbear it even after the second Conviction: Yet their own Personal Alms to proper Objects of Charity, are very considerable. Their Contributions towards the Excellent Design of erecting Libraries in our Foreign Plantations, is computed to amount to one hundred Pounds and upwards: And what they have expended in freeing of Prisoners, and relieving poor Families, is not inconsiderable.  
AND besides, their manner of disbursing their Bounty to sick and distressed People, is such as renders it a double Benefit. For they usually sand their Alms by the hands of two or more of their most serious Members, who make a personal enquiry into their Necessities, and usually introduce some seasonable Discourse suitable to the Affliction of the Person or Family which they relieve; which many times proves the better Charity of the two. For the poor afflicted Persons being partly awakened by the Rod of God upon them; and being surprised by such a Visit and Bounty from Persons unknown to them, and not a little pleased to hear such savoury Speeches drop from the Lips of Young Persons: All these things together have sometimes been happily instrumental in propagating a Sense of Religion in some Persons who never before felt any thing of it; and of exciting it where it had before taken place. So that I have sometimes had greater Thanks from some who( upon my Recommendation) have enjoyed these Spiritual Expressions of their Charity, Compassion, and Consolation, than for their other Bounty; tho they have confessed themselves almost ravished in the consideration of both.  
IT has sometimes pleased God to reduce some of their own Members by Sickness, or other means, to a low Condition; and then they have duly called to mind the apostolic Rule of showing Piety at Home; they have afforded them suitable Supplies when living, and butted them decently when dead. And as they have found themselves greatly affencted by Funeral Sermons, so they usually procure one at the Funeral of any of their Society; as considering that no Sermon is like to come with such Power upon Mens Souls, as that which is enforced by a moving Object of Mortality, to alarm the very Senses of Men, and to give a mortifying blow to all Carnality: So that tho this their Charity begins at Home, it does not end there.  
IT was an Act of great good Nature, and savoured no less of a Spirit becoming our Merciful Religion, which some of them expressed towards a poor Widow upon her Death-Bed, whom they found in extreme Trouble, for fear lest her two young Children should be cast upon the Charity of her Relations, who were Papists, and by that means be brought up in their Errors; it being in the Reign of K. James II.  
NOW to ease her distressed Spirit, some of these Young Men undertook to take care both to maintain and educate these for lorn Orphans; giving the poor expiring Widow their promise so to do: And this greatly conduced to her quiet and comfortable Death, for she had lived a very good Life. And they fully discharged their Trust: They took care that the two Children( the one being five Years of Age, the other six) were maintained and instructed till they were fit to become Apprentices; and then got them good Places, by which they are put into a Capacity of living very comfortably.  
I was once present at one of their Conferences, when a very poor Man came with most earnest Affection to return them Thanks for what they had done, both for his Body and Soul. It seems he was a perfect Stranger to them all, and to every other Person in the Place where God cast him down by a sharp and long Sickness, in which ( as he said) his Body and Soul had like to have perished together. He had lived a very ill Life, and been much disused to the Ordinances of God, by reason of his Sea-faring Life: and being now come on shore sick, and being above a hundred Miles from his Abode and Acquaintance, he fell into great Want. Upon which, some of this Society perceiving his Distress, recommended him to the rest; and they readily allowed him a weekly Pension for eight Weeks together, till he was recovered. And one of the Society being a Chirurgeon, carefully dressed a very grievous Sore which he had, and by God's Blessing, restored it to perfect Soundness. Others of them went to him and red good Books by his Bed, which tended to the improvement of God's Visitation upon him: They also fetched the Minister of the Place to him, who visited him often, and prayed by him, and got a Collection from some charitable Neighbours for him. And upon the whole, he recovered, and seemed to be a reformed Man, and came then to render his Praises to God, and Thanks to his Christian Friends, for that which had been done for him.  
I mention but one of Multitudes of such Instances, which seem to demonstrate such Compassion and Condescension of Spirit as is essential to a Christian, and which was the Beauty and Glory of Primitive Christianity.  
BEFORE I conclude, it may be expected that I give some Description of the Weekly Conferences, and joint Devotions of our Religious Societies: But I need not insist on this, since the Method of both is hereto annexed, partly for their Use, and partly to prevent Misrepresentation by false Reports. So that I shall only add, That as they use very affecting Presaces before they pray to God, or praise his Great and Holy Name, to raise and fix their inward Devotion; so they always use a very reverend outward Deportment in the Worship of God, that their Body may not seem to mock or disapprove of that which their Soul is doing: Which is surely agreeable to all sober Reason, and sound Religion. Our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, ought to be owned, worshipped, and glorified with those Bodies( as well as those Souls) which his Almighty Power, Wisdom and Goodness, hath created, redeemed, doth sanctify, and will glorify. So that in Prayer, they all kneel, according to the direction of the Spirit of God, Psal. 95. 6. And according to our Blessed Saviour's Example; Luke 22. 41. He kneeled down and prayed. And in singing of Psalms, or any other solemn Doxology, they stand up; which is surely the fittest Posture for this exalted part of God's Worship. And if I may speak my own Experiences, I think we shall find our Souls greatly raised by our Bodily Reverence. Tho it be still allowed, That the spiritual Reverence of the Soul is vastly the chiefest, and that in all bodily Weakness, and other necessary Impediments, God will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice.  
MANY of them meet together at each others Houses also in the Evening of many Feasts of the Church and Holy Days; where they discourse seriously on the Subject-matter of the Day; by which they find themselves much informed in many essential Parts of the Christian Religion.  
THESE their Holy Purposes have for a considerable time been cherished and improved by some of our Pious Bishops, who have often preached to them on these Occasions: And in particular, one of them has for many Years allowed them the use of his Church, and been present at the Sermons which they procured, and has also written a most excellent Vindication of these beginnings of Reformation. And another of them( who has sometime given a most illustrious Instance of his Care in cultivating Youth, by training up Young Scholars for the Ministry, not only at his own expense, but by his personal Instruction of them) hath published to the World the great Delight with which our late Pious Queen received the Account of this hopeful Method of reforming of Youth by these Societies, and with what Concern she often enquired after it. His words are these: She did harken carefully after every thing that seemed to give some Hope, that the next Generation should be better than the present, with a particular Attention: She heard of a Spirit of Devotion and Piety that was spreading itself among the Youth of this great City, with a true Satisfaction: She inquired often and much about it, and was glad to hear it went on and prevailed, Essay, pag. 118.  
In this desired Reformation of Manners, our Right Reverend Diocesan( the Lord Bishop of London) has likewise appeared several times with great Honour. His Lordship's Letter to his Clergy about eight Years since,( pursuant to the Scope of his Majesty's Proclamation and special Orders relating to this Affair) was very serviceable to this Purpose. In which his Lordship required all the Ministers of his diocese( upon certain Lord's Days therein prefixed) to red the several Acts of Parliament against 'vice and Profaneness, in the Audience of their respective Congregations; and at the same time to bend the Scope of their Sermons against the Sins thereby condemned, that the Force and Terror of the Laws of God and Men might at once make the utmost Impression in the Consciences of their Hearers, in order to reform the notorious Transgressions of both.  
AND forasmuch as this Injunction was mistaken by some, as if it reached no further than the Year in which it was dated; his Lordship was pleased in his last Visitation of the Clergy of Middlesex, to remind them of the continuance of his Injunction in that Matter requiring them to observe it according to the Order before sent them.  
YEA, further yet, that nothing may be wanting to awaken such a vigilant and conscientious Care in the discharge of this Great Duty, as is necessary to the Character of a Minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to express our Thankfulness to Almighty God for the marvellous Mercies which he has vouchsafed to this Nation; his Lordship has newly directed another Letter to his Clergy, wherein he complains of the Nonobservance of his Majesty's Injunctions of Febr. 13. 1689 / 90.( which related to their reading of the Laws of the Land against 'vice and Impiety) and takes occasion( from the Assurance which his Majesty has given to the public, in his late Speech to both Houses of Parliament, That he will make it one of his chief Cares to suppress Profaneness and-Immorality) to represent to his Clergy, what a shameful Reproach it would be to them,( a great part of whose Business it ought to be, continually to-watch against such Sins) to be found tardy in those Opportunities which the Laws have given them to warn People of their wicked Courses.  
AND it is greatly hoped, That no Minister hereby admonished, will be so unmindful of the Sacred Vows of Christianity, and the Special Obligations of his Holy Function, or so negligent of the Interests of his Heavenly Master, and of the Souls committed to his Charge; as to disregard so solemn and seasonable an Admonition.  
SEVERAL other of our Bishops have also of late sent very pious Letters to the Clergy under their Episcopal Care, earnestly pressing their most studious Concern to propagate sincere Piety in their several Parishes, by their Holy Doctrine and Examples.  
AND truly, since there is evidently so much Goodness in these Societies and Designs, as to give us Hope they are of God; we have thence a solid ground to hope that they will not come to nought.  
IN this Hope I have often been encouraged, when I have observed with what Delight and Industry they prosecute their Holy Purposes. I have known some of them( who have been at their own Liberty) come out of the midst of the City( after their Shops have been shut) three or four Miles to the outmost Parts of the Suburbs, to give Instruction and Encouragement to a new-planted Society; returning again a considerable time after Night, in all the Inconveniencies of the Darkness and uncertain Weather, with the cheering Thought of having been well employed.  
I must also further note, to the Praise and Glory of Almighty God, by what remarkable Providences it hath pleased him to further this Divine Work: For the Conversions of some of those Young Men who have been very instrumental in this Affair, have been very wonderful.  
ONE of them had such an affecting Dream of the Day of judgement, that he forthwith became a very zealous Servant of God; and was so sensible of the importance of securing Peace with God, and redeeming Time, that for several Years together he spent the greatest part of the Night in Prayer and Pious Exercises, as his Chamberfellow informs me. He also begged leave of his Master to retire a little while to his Devotions at Noon, and to have Liberty to partake of the benefit of some public Sermons and Prayers, promising to give him Satisfaction for it when he came out of his Time; which accordingly he did, tho it does not speak the Piety or Charity of his Master, who required it of him.  
ANOTHER of them( tho in perfect Health) could not rest in his Bed for several Nights together, which at last brought him upon his Knees to ask it of God, with some Sorrow for his Sins,( for he had lived a very ill Life) and he found such ease to his Mind thereby, that it presently conduced to his bodily Rest; which lead him to the further Exercise of it, especially before he went to Bed. And then taking some Delight in the Duty, he frequented the Evening Prayers set up at eight of the Clock by these Societies; where he observed the affectionate Devotions of these associated Young Men; and after Prayers, made his Condition known to some of them, who mightily assisted him in the Ways of God, till he became a frequent Communicant.  
ANOTHER of them was  told by an idle prating Woman, that she was persuaded he would not live long, which she grounded upon a most impertinent Observation, not worthy to be mentioned. But this jesting Talk awakened him in good earnest to prepare to die; So powerful is a trivial Means in the Hands of the Almighty God: Whereupon he spent the greatest part of the following Night in Prayer, with earnest Vows and Tears; And he has lived a very devout and exemplary Life ever since, which is about nine Years.  
MANY others have, in my hearing, praised God that ever they were acquainted with these Christian Associates: And have owned, that their knowledge of God, and Conversion to him, were occasioned thereby; yea, I never yet met with one Member of any of these Societies, who did not greatly praise God for the Benefit they reap from them.  
AND since the time that the Usefulness of these Societies has been visible to the World, their Zeal hath provoked some of their Dissenting Brethren to join with them occasionally, and to set up the like among themselves. And who knows but that this Essential Union of theirs in the Love of God and Goodness, may at last draw them to center in the same Communion; and so bring a most inestimable Blessing to this bleeding Church and State? Than which no Blessing upon Earth can be imagined greater. For, it would mightily strengthen the languishing Interest of Protestancy; and envigorate the Power of our Holy Religion; and be the best and surest Foundation of a vigorous and general Reformation. And this, in a time when both Union and Reformation are almost despaired of. And if once the Holy Spirit of God vouchsafes us these his Heavenly Fruits of Unity and Purity, England will indeed be the Glory of all Nations.  
IN fine, we have here many hundreds of young, sober, and active Men, freely and solemnly engaging themselves to live strictly as it becometh our Holy Religion,( the Honour of which is at this Day deplorably sunk) and humbly offering their utmost Service to our Magistrates and Ministers, in order to suppress the public practise of those scandalous and insolent Sins which endanger both our Church and State. And there seems to be a zealous and generous Spirit in them animating them to this noble enterprise: And they are put into an excellent Method to carry it on in all the parts of the City, of which they have already given sufficient proof. And truly, if these Means of Reformation be not accepted, it will be difficult to find out any other that are so like to effect it, or to better the next Generation, in which all our Hope of Prosperity on Earth seems to lye. So then, if it shall please Persons in Place and Power to improve this Talent laid before them, by strengthening those Hands which are hearty stretched forth against Profaneness, but need their Assistance to effect it: What eminent Service may be done for God and these Kingdoms in this Season? But if this Design be mocked and brow-beaten,( as many things proposed for the public Good, and this in particular hath been) and if some vain People give it a Nickname, and term it an imprudent or unseasonable Zeal, or the like, and then the rest decry and discourage it, or at least are a shamed to own it, or appear for it; I am persuaded, That notwithstanding the common Cry of Peace, Peace, it will be hard to assign good Proof, that we are not near to Desolation.   

CHAP. V. A Specimen of the Orders of the Societies before mentioned.  

I.  
THAT the sole Design of this Society being to 
1 Pet. 1. 15.  promote real Holiness of Heart and Life: It is absolutely necessary that the Persons who enter into it, do seriously resolve to apply themselves in 
Josh. 24. 15.  good earnest to all means proper to make them wise unto Salvation. 
2 Tim. 3. 15.    

II.  
THAT in order to their being of one Heart and one 
Rom. 15. 5, 6. Phil. 2. 2.  Mind in this Design, every Member of this Society shall own and manifest himself to be of the Church of England, 
1 Pet. 2. 13.  and frequent the Liturgy, and other public Holy Exercises of the same. And that they be careful withal to express due Christian Charity, candour and Moderation towards all 
Eph. 4. 2. Rom. 12. 18.  such Dissenters as are of good Conversation.   

III.  
THAT the Members of this Society shall meet together one Evening in the Week at a 
1 Thess. 5. 14. Rom. 14. 19.  convenient Place, in order to encourage each other in practical Holiness, by discoursing on Spiritual Subjects, and reading God's Holy Word; and to pray to Almighty God, and 
Psal. 34. 3.  praise his Name together.  
AND to this Assembly any serious Person may be admitted, upon Request.   

IV.  
THAT at such Meetings, there be no hot Disputes about Controversial Points, State-Affairs, or the Concerns of Trade and worldly Things: 
Rom. 15. 6.  But that the whole Bent of the Discourse be to glorify God, and edify one another in Love. 
Eph. 4. 16.    

V.  
THAT it be left to every Person's Discretion to contribute at every Weekly Meeting, what he thinks fit towards a public Stock for Pious and 
1 Cor. 16. 2.  Charitable Uses: And the Money thus collected shall be kept by the two Stewards of the Society,( who shall be chosen by majority of Voices once a Year or oftener) to be disposed of by the Consent of the mayor part of the Society, for the Uses abovementioned. And the said Stewards shall keep a faithful Register of what is thus collected and distributed, to be perused by any Member of the Society, at his Request.   

VI.  
THAT any respective Member may recommend any Object of Charity to the Stewards, who shall( with the Consent of the rest) give out of the Common Stock, according as the Occasion requires. And in a Case of extraordinary Necessity, every particular Person shall be desired to contribute further, as they shall think fit.   

VII.  
THAT every one that absents himself four Meetings together,( without giving a satisfactory Account to the Stewards) shall be looked upon as disaffected to the Society.   

VIII.  
THAT none shall be admitted into this Society, without giving due notice thereof to the Stewards, who shall acquaint the whole Society therewith. And after due enquiry into their Religious Purposes, and manner of Life, the Stewards may admit them to subscribe their Names, if the mayor part of the Society allows of it, and not otherwise. And with the like joint Consent, they may exclude any Member proved guilty of any Misbehaviour after due Admonition, unless he gives sufficient Testimony of his Repentance and Amendment, before the whole Society.   

IX.  
IT is hereby recommended to every Person concerned in this Society, to consider the many Inconveniencies,( and many times Sins) which attend Ale-House-Games, and 
Gal. 5. 13.  wholly decline them. And to shun all unnecessary resort to such Houses and Taverns, 
1 Thess. 5. 22.  and wholly to avoid lewd Play-Houses.   

X.  
THAT the respective Members of this Society, shall hearty endeavour, through God's Grace;  

1. TO be just in all their 
1 Thess. 4. 6.  Dealings, even to an exemplary Strictness.  
2. TO pray many times every 
1 Thess. 5. 17.  Day: remembering our continual dependence upon God, both for Spiritual and Temporal Things.  
3. To partake of the Lord's 
1 Cor. 11. 26. Luke 22. 19.  Supper at least once a Month, if not prevented by a reasonable Impediment.  
4. TO practise the profoundest Meekness and Humility. 
Mat. 11. 29.   
5. TO watch against censuring others. 
Mat. 7. 1.   
6. TO accustom themselves to holy Thoughts in all places. 
Psal. 139. 23.   
7. TO be helpful one to another. 
1 Cor. 12. 25.   
8. To exercise Tenderness, 
Tit. 3. 2.  Patience, and Compassion towards all Men.  
9. TO make Reflections on themselves when they red the 
1 Cor. 10. 11.  Holy Bible, or other good Books, and when they hear Sermons.  
10. TO shun all foreseen Occasions of Evil: As evil Company, known Temptations, &c. 
1 Thess. 5. 22.   
11. TO think often on the different Estates of the Glorified and the Damned in the unchangeable Eternity, to which we are hastening. 
Luke 16. 25.   
12. TO examine themselves every Night, what Good or 
2 Cor. 13. 5.  Evil they have done in the Day past.  
13. TO keep a private Fast 
Mat. 6. 16.  once a Month,( especially near their approach to the Lord's 
Luke 5. 35.  Table) if at their own disposal; or to fast from some Meals when they may conveniently.  
14. TO mortify the Flesh 
Gal. 5. 19, 24.  with its Affections and Lusts.  
15. TO advance in heavenly 
1 Pet. 3. 8.  mindedness, and in all Grace.  
16. To shun Spiritual Pride, and the Effects of it, as Railing, Anger, Peevishness, and Impatience of Contradiction, and the like.  
17. TO pray for the whole 
Jam. 5. 16.  Society in their private Prayers.  

18. TO red pious Books 
Joh. 5. 39.  often for their Edification, but especially the Holy Bible: And herein particularly,  
Mat. 5, 6, 7, Chap. Luke 15, 16, Chap. Rom. 12, 13, Chap. Eph. 5, 6, Chap. 1 Thes. 5, Chap. Rev. 1, 2, 3, 21, 22, Chapters.  
And in the Old Testament, Levit. 26, Chap. Deut. 28, Chap. Isa. 53, Chap. Ezek. 36, Chap.   
19. TO be continually mindful of the great Obligation of this special Profession of Religion; and to walk so circumspectly, that none may be offended or discouraged from it by what they see in them; nor occasion given to any to speak reproachfully of it.  
20. TO shun all manner of Affectation and Moroseness; and be of a civil and obliging Deportment to all Men.    

XI.  
THAT they often consider( with an aweful dread of God's Wrath) the sad Height to which the Sins of many are 
Mal. 3. 16.  advanced in this our Nation; and the bleeding Divisions thereof in Church and State. And that every Member be 
judge. 5. 15.  ready to do, what upon consulting with each other shall be thought advisable, towards 
Deut. 13. 8. Levit. 24. 11.  the punishment of public Profaneness, according to the good Laws of our Land, required to be put in Execution by the King's and the late Queen's special Order.   

XII.  
THAT each Member shall 
Deut. 6. 7. Josh. 24. 15.  encourage the Catechizing of young and ignorant People in their respective Families, according to their Stations and Abilities: And shall observe all manner of Religious Family-Duties.   

XIII.  
THAT the mayor Part of the Society shall have Power to make a new Order to bind the whole when need requires; if it be approved by a pious and learned Minister of the Church of England, nominated by the whole Society.   

XIV.  
THAT these Orders shall be red over at least four times in the Year by one of the Stewards; And that with such deliberation, that each Member may have time to examine himself by them, or to speak his Mind in any thing relating to them.   

XV.  
LASTLY, That ever Member of this Society shall( after mature deliberation, and due trial) subscribe his Name to these Orders; to express his Approbation of them, and his Resolution to endeavour to live up to them. In order to which, he shall constantly keep a Copy of them by him.  
The End of the Orders.    

CHAP. VI. The Reason of this Publication of the Orders and Design of these Societies.  
HAVING found by discourse with several Persons( who have greatly rejoiced to hear of any public Good set on foot) that they never before heard of these Societies; I could not but wonder that a thing of this Nature could so long remain secret.  
THEY have been erected in our Capital City above nineteen Years; They procure Sermons by way of preparation for the Lord's Supper, or to engage a suitable Holiness of Life after it, every Lord's Day about five in the Evening, in many of the largest Churches in the City: Their Charity is extended to deserving Objects in all the Parts of the City and Suburbs. And by their Procurement, public Prayers are daily made in several Churches, at such Hours as they can most conveniently be present at them. And by the means of their great Zeal and giving Informations, a Multitude of such as have no fear of God before their Eyes, have been punished for their Profaneness and Debauchery.  
SO that it is to be admired, that their good Deeds and Designs could be so long unknown to so many. But truly this does very much recommend their Christian Modesty, it demonstrates that they do not affect to publish either their Alms or Devotion, after the vaunting manner of the Pharisees, with which our Blessed Saviour was so highly offended; but that they desire to manage their Holy Purposes in the most humble Silence and contrived Secrecy.  
I conceived therefore, that it might probably conduce to the enlargement of these useful Societies, and to engage the Prayers of good People in their behalf, to give some public Account of their Constitution, Design, and Orders, all which have been approved by divers eminent Divines; and among them, by our late excellent Primate, Arch-Bishop Tillotson, who after he had examined their Orders, and the trifling Objections that were made against them by some Persons, declared it as his Opinion publicly, and upon several Occasions, That these Societies were a Support to our Church; and surely they will not be ashamed to appear in public, wheresoever the Christian Religion does.  
AND tho there be some little variations in the Orders of some of these Societies from others, yet the Substance of them is generally one and the same: In which I beseech the Holy Spirit to establish every Soul engaged therein, and to incline others to be followers of them in that which is Good.  
THAT we have absolute need of Reformation from the Highest to the Lowest, and that it highly concerns us to set about it with speed, are Truths so manifest, that I need not stand to prove them to any Person of serious and sober Thought. All such must of necessity conclude with me, That unless it be effected speedily, we are undone.  
AND I think it will as little be questioned by sober Men, but that these Societies do very directly tend towards that desired Effect: However, since some Objections have been made against them, we will now take them into Consideration.   

CHAP. VII. The chief Objections which have been made against these Societies, considered and answered by some of their Members.  
I. WHEREAS it has been objected, That there is danger of Schism and Dissension by their weekly meeting, and conferring together about Religious Matters:  
THEY answer, 1. That they cannot conceive where this Danger lies; since no Persons do more professedly own the Holy Doctrine and Constitution of the Church of England than themselves, desiring always to be found in their practise agreeable thereunto: And that none do more sincerely reverence and esteem the public Ministry, nor more constantly and reverently attend upon the public Ordinances: In the great Esteem of which( in subordination to the Glory of God, and their own and others Salvation) they have at their own expense set up daily public Prayers in many Churches,( after due leave obtained) and have procured( thrô the Assistance of several Pious Divines) the Benefit of weekly Communions in many Churches, which they frequent in great Numbers.  
2. THAT some of their Members had by their Examples influenced several Dissenters to come to Church, and been a means of bringing several Anabaptists and Quakers to Baptism. That they had also been instrumental of preserving from Popery several embody and wavering People, in the late Rage of that Spiritual Plague, and of reducing many licentious Persons to Holiness of Life.  
3. THAT as all controversial Points are forbidden by their Orders to be meddled with in their Conferences,( because they only design to promote practical Holiness by their assembling together) so in their reading of those practical Portions of Holy Scripture to which their Orders direct them, they have recourse to Dr. Hammond's Exposition, or some other Author recommended by their Ministers.  
4. THAT it had in Fact been verified for these twenty Years past, that but one Member of these Societies had( to the best of their knowledge) lest the Communion of the Church of England for any other; of which singular Defection some special Reasons may be given.  
LASTLY, That leaving Matters of Fact, they did appeal to the Sentiments of all good People; whether their reading of the Word of God, with the most Orthodox Expositors; their Praying and singing Psalms together, with their Exhorting, Reproving, and encouraging one another in their Spiritual Warfare, have any tendency in Reason, and in the Nature of things to make schismatics? Or rather, whether any Church of Christ will not most certainly be the more established and advanced by the conscientious and general practise of such Holy Exercises?  
II. WHEREAS others have objected, that ill and designing Men may get into these Societies( as Popish Emissaries have into some others) and quiter pervert their Design,( how good soever in the first Institution) to the prejudice of the Church:  
THEY answer, 1. That their Orders forbid the admittance of any Person into their Societies( as Members) who is not known to some of the rest, and who does not frequent the public Ordinances in that way of Ministration which is by Law established: Which is a Caution they use to prevent Differences and Disorder and effectually excludes such as are mentioned by the Objector.  
2. THAT they are so manifestly studious to comply with the Rules of the Church of England, and to yield a just Obedience to those that are set over them in the Lord; that they have been many times censured as guilty of rigid Severity, and Uncharitableness towards Dissenting Protestants; which they must likewise account an injurious Treatment; Forasmuch as they endeavour to shun all extremes, being desirous to practise Christian Subjection without prejudice to Christian Charity.  
III. TO those who object, That by their Reproving and Admonishing those they converse with; and by their visiting the Sick, and sometimes praying with them; they do invade and intrude upon the Ministers Office:  
THEY reply, 1. That since they are commanded of God, in any wise to reprove their Brother, and not to suffer Sin upon him; And to exhort one another daily, lest any be hardened by the deceitfulness of Sin; They humbly conceive, that their Christian Admonitions and Reproofs can by no good Person be censured as an intrusion upon the Ministerial Function.  
2. THAT since the Duty of visiting the Sick, and administering to them, is one of the great things which will be inquired into by their Lord and Saviour at the last judgement: And since all People are commanded to pray one for another; they cannot account it an invasion upon the Minister's Office, if at such time as the Minister cannot be present, they use an approved Form of Prayer suitable to the Condition of the Sick Person( which they humbly conceive any Christian Friend may and ought upon Request to do for another, who by Sickness is disabled from doing it himself) and in any case or manner but this, they do not practise it.  
IV. TO such as suggest, that there is Danger of Spiritual Pride in these Societies, by their making a particular and special Profession of Religion and being thought more Holy than others: They reply,  
1. THAT they cannot think it warrantable to omit any part of Christian Duty for fear of Spiritual Pride, or seeming holier than others: Since then, for the same Reason they might omit the whole.  
2. THAT it is indeed a due Sense of their own and others Infirmities which induces them to unite into Societies( since two are stronger than one, many than few), knowing that the Difficulties are very many, and very great, which they must encounter in their Passage towards Eternal Life: And that such is the Degeneracy, even ●f Christians in these latter days, that through the Profaneness of some, and ●he Lukewarmness and Cowardice of o●hers, they should but seldom meet with such Conversation as is highly ●xpedient for the keeping up a due Warmth and Life in Spiritual Things; were it not for those frequent Con●… rences, and pious Exercises which are( with good Effect) set up by these Societies.  
V. WHEREAS it is objected, That since a Church of Christ is a Society of Christian People; and that these Societies are erected in a Reformed Church. That this is a Society within a Society, and a Refining upon a Reformed Church.  
TO this they humbly reply;  
1. THAT they have not yet learnt, that the reading of God's Word, and conferring on the practical Points of Religion, in order to a more holy Conversation, hath at any time by good Men been thought prejudicial to the Church of Christ. On the contrary; Our best Divines recommend these things both from the Pulpit and the Press, as the best Expedients to support and adorn our Reformed Church, and render it worthy of that Venerable Name.  
2. THAT they do not well understand what the Objector means by refining upon our Reformed Church If it be meant, that they pretend to reform her Doctrine, or quarrel with her Government; they utterly disclaim any such practise. But if it be meant, that they desire to refine and reform themselves and others, so as to come nearer to her Purity of Doctrine in their practise, than some others do, who shelter their profane Lives under the pretence of her Holy Communion: They own this, and must adhere to it, not doubting but they shall have the Prayers of all good People, that they may so do.  
UPON the whole Matter therefore, they conclude; That since their Societies are neither against the Word of God, nor the Laws of Man; but manifestly conducive to God's Glory, the Salvation of Men, and the public Interest of our Church and Nation. And since they have proved very beneficial to the Souls of the Members, and are agreeable to the Primitive practise of the best Christians, and tend so directly to revive something of their Primitive Purity and Zeal for Religion; together with their Charity, and good Works: They humbly crave, That these Societies may be encouraged by their Governours in Church and State, suitably to the Spiritual and National Benefits which may be reaped from them.   

CHAP. VIII. An Admonition to the Members of these Societies.  
HAVING thus far described and vindicated these Societies, which I verily think for the most part sincerely Religious: I now turn me to the respective Members of them, beseeching them, even for the Honour of God and Goodness, that they deport themselves so, that a sincere Lover of Religion may with Honour pled for them.  
LET me earnestly entreat you, my most beloved Brethren, that ye walk worthy of your special Profession of Religion, and of your pious Undertakings, which are honourable in the sight of God, and Angels, and Men.  
IT will be expected from you, that ye show yourselves exemplary in all the practical Points of our Holy Religion, such as Purity, Patience, Humility, Temperance, Charity, Heavenly-mindness, and the like: because this is the very End of your Religious Associations. O! be not wanting to gain your main Point: For indeed, not only those who disrespect you, but even those that wish you best, will be apt to ask, What do ye more than others? Yea, as our Great Lord and Master has done more for you than for many others, he will( as a Righteous judge) put that very Question to you at the last Day, as we find it proceeding from his own Lips, Mat. 5. 47.  
ALL the real Disciples of Christ do abundantly more for their Master than Publicans, and the unregenerate Part of the World. They have much forgiven them by God, and they love him much. They have received much, and they make suitable Improvements and Returns. They are born of God, and they live to him. They have Treasures in Heaven, and their Hearts are there. So that if you are sincere in your Pretensions, you will live like that peculiar People who are chosen to show forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light.  
CONSIDER, my Brethren, God hath entrusted his Honour with you in a very special manner. And if you fall into Sin, your Defaults will wound the Repute of Religion, more than the Follies of many others. If you grow loose, or but remiss and luke-warm towards sacred Things, the Lovers of Sin will triumph, not only over you, but over Religion itself.  
I cannot therefore do you a more valuable Kindness, than to call upon you to keep strictly to your Holy Purposes and Rules, and to mind you to embrace them with a Vigour like that of your first Love. You have run well hitherto, you have born a faithful Testimony against all Impiety and Immorality; and God hath directed your Steps by his Grace and Wisdom, so that ye have not given occasion to the Enemies of virtue to speak reproachfully of you, or of it. O be not weary of well-doing; ye will reap speedily if ye faint not. You have but a little while longer to bear the Burden and Heat of the Day; and your Master's Eye is upon you all the while ye labour in his Vineyard, and will reward every one of you according to your Works.  
WHILST you keep firm to your Religious Purposes, you will be supported by the Prayers and Suffrages of all good People; and the clearness of your own Consciences will cheer you in the most adverse Circumstances: and what's above all, the Power and Consolation of the Holy Ghost will sustain you in every Condition, and your End will be glorious. Whereas on the contrary, if you sink and swerve from your good Beginnings, you will be the Grief of good People, the Scoff of the Wicked, the Contempt of the World, a Terror to yourselves in all your serious Hours, especially in the Days of Trouble, and of Sickness, and Death; and alas! ye will be for ever pierced by the most dismal Regret, and Selfcondemnation, and be the Sport of mocking Devils to all Eternity.  
WHEREFORE, my Brethren, be zealously affencted always in good Matters; withdraw not your Hand from the Plough; but contend earnestly for that Crown of Righteousness which is prepared for them that love God. Let the Glorious Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ fill your Hearts and Minds; and then ye will pour a just Contempt upon the vain Things of this World, which invite, but cannot treat a rational Soul with tolerable Satisfaction. We are taught, by the Sacred Word of God, to expect a Day, in which the Heavens will pass away with a great Noise, and the Elements will melt with fervent Heat, and the Earth and all its Furniture be burnt up. Then will the whole Scene of visible Things be shifted; and Heaven and Hell will divide all the Inhabitants of the Earth. O Sirs! let us live as it becomes such a Faith: Since we expect such Things, let us convince the Infidel World, that our Hearts are indeed set upon them.  
LET us often think, what a Glory it will be, to be embraced and owned by our Immortal and Illustrious King, the Lord Jesus Christ; to be acknowledged as his approved Servants, to be embraced as his beloved Friends, and to be glorified as his adopted Brethren; as those that have followed him in the Regeneration. This is the Honour, the Glory, the Bliss of Man. It is worthy of all the Care, and Sweat, and Sufferings that we can sustain in the pursuit of it. And this is the great, the sure, and the near recompense of all the faithful Followers of the Lamb.  
BE sure therefore, my Brethren, that ye walk in his blessed Steps, particularly those of his Humility and Meekness. If the Leaven of Pride be found in you, it will corrupt all your other doings, and render you and your Works hateful in the sight of God. This Root of Bitterness is apt to take place in our Hearts; and ye can never be too careful to weed it out, nor too earnest in exalting the sweet and comely Grace of Humility. And if ye are meek, gentle, and patient towards all Men; ye will obtain many Triumphs over the Spirits of Men by your submission, which would be exasperated by contempt.  
IN a word, be as submissive as ye have been to those that have the Rule over you, particularly to those who truly watch for your Souls; walk in Love one to another, as more than common Brethren; keep up to Christian Purity, regular Zeal, fervent Devotion, and an unblamable Conversation; and then the Face of God will be towards you here, till at last it be opened to you in a rapturous Eternal Vision, through his beloved Son. Amen, Amen.   

CHAP. IX. Directions for Religious Conference, with PRAYERS for the use of Religious Societies, and upon other Occasions.  
I PREMISE that it may be very expedient, and what would much promote the pious Design of these Societies; that an Orthodox and Pious Minister should be chosen by each Society, as the Director and visitor of it; who may frequently be present at their Assemblies, to preserve Order, excite Zeal, and resolve Doubts.  
THIS would obviate many Objections concerning them, and would greatly benefit, countenance, and recommend such Assemblies.  
THIS Director may be chosen every Year( when the Stewards are) by Majority of Votes( no manner of Salary or Reward being to be allowed on this Account) and when he is present, it will be his proper place to pray with the Society.  
THE Members of the Society are often to mind one another, to be very punctual to their Hour of Meeting; and to wave lesser Occasions that tend to divert them from coming to it. And when a competent Number of them are met; one of the Stewards,( if the Director be absent) or any other Person desired, may begin the Conference thus: All standing up.  
MY Brethren, we are commanded of God, that our Communication be such as tends to the edifying of one another; and such as ministers Grace to the Hearers, Ephes. 4. 29. And we find the Spirit of God commending the Education of Timothy, That from a Child he had known the Holy Scriptures, which were able to make him wise unto Salvation, through Faith which is in Jesus Christ, 2 Tim. 3. 15. Let us therefore endeavour at this time to edify one another in the things of God, with the greatest Humility of Mind, and the tenderest Bowels of Christian Charity. For indeed, Wherewithal can a Young Man cleanse his way, but by taking heed thereto according to the Word of God? Psal. 119. 9. And that it may please God to instruct our Minds therein at this time, and to direct our Hearts and Lives thereby: Let us now put up our Prayers to God,( who is the Giver of all Grace, and the Author of all Good) to accomplish this Holy Work in every one of us, by his Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ his Son our Saviour.  
Then the Steward may devoutly repeat these three Collects: All kneeling.  
Prevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we my glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  
[ All, Amen.]  
O Most Blessed Lord! who hast caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our Learning; Grant, that we may in such wise hear them, red, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them; that by Patience and Comfort of thy Holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed Hope of everlasting Life, which thou hast given us in thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.  
O God! for as much as without Thee, we are not able to please thee; mercifully grant, that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our Hearts, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  
Then all rising, and seating themselves in their Places, the Steward may red one of the Chapters set down in the tenth Order; resting so long at the end of every Verse, that any one may have an Opportunity to make any serious Remark upon it. Or some part of an approved Exposition on the Holy Scripture, or on the Catechism, may be red. And in order to a more advised Conference upon the most important Duties of our Holy Religion; the Steward( in the Absence of the Director) may, at the close of every Weekly Assembly, propose one of the following Subjects to be discoursed upon at their next Conference, viz.  

1. THE Duty of Self-examination, required 2 Cor. 13. 5.  
2. THE Duty of Self-abasement, and Self-renouncing, required Mark 8. 34.  
3. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, Mark 16. 16.  
4. Evangelical Repentance, 2 Cor. 7. 10.  
5. Effectual Conversion to God, Acts 26. 18.  
6. Trust in God, 1 Tim. 6. 17.  
7. Mortification, Rom. 8. 13. Gal. 5. 24.  
8. Humility, Ephes. 3. 2.  
9. Christian Hope, 1 Pet. 1. 3.  
10. Christian Charity, 1 Cor. 13. 1, &c. Including the Love of God, Mark 12. 30. And the Love of Men, Ver. 31.  
11. Alms-deeds, Mat. 6. 1, 2, 3, 4.  
12. Contentment, Phil. 4. 11.  
13. Just-dealing, 1 Thess. 4. 6.  
14. Government of the Tongue, Matth. 12. 36, 37.  
15. Prayer and Praise, 1 Tim. 2. ●.  
16. Chastity, Matth. 5. 27, 28.  
17. Temperance, 1 Cor. 9. 25.  
18. Patience, 1 Pet. 2. 20. 21, Meekness, Tit. 3. 2.  
19. The public Worship of God, Psalm 42. 2, 4.  
20. Heavenly-mindness, Col. 3. 1, 2. And Contempt of the World, Gal. 6. 14.  
21. Of Christian Prudence, Matth. 10. 16.  
22. Family-Duties, Josh. 24. 15. Or Religious household Government, Acts 10. 2.  
23. Subjection to Magistrates, Titus 3. 1.  
24. Peace-making, Mat. 5. 9.  
25. Of Reproof, Lev. 19. 17.  
26. Sanctifying the Lord's Day, Numb, 15. 32, &c.  
27. Growing in Grace, 2 Pet. 3. 18.  
28. Improvement of Opportunities of Doing and Receiving Good, Acts 10. 38.  
29. Duty of Parents and Children towards each other, Ephes. 6. 1, 2, 3. 4.  
30. Of the Husband and Wife, Ephos. 5. 22, to the end.  
31. Of Masters and Servants, Ephes. 6. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.  
32. Of People to their Pastons, Heb. 13. 17.  
33. Of preparing for, and watching in the Performance of all Religious Exercises, Heb. 12. 28, 29.  
34. The Duty of Christians to Enemies, Rom. 12. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.  
35. Of endeavouring the Conversion and Salvation of others, 1 Tim. 2. 3, 4.  
36. The Sense of God's Omnipresence, Psalm 139.  
37. Of reading the Holy Scriptures, Deut. 6. 6, 7, 8, 9. 2 Tim. 3. 16.  
38. Of Meditation, 1 Tim. 4. 15.  
39. Of Circumspection, or Watch sulness, Mat. 24. 42, 43, & 6.  
40. Of Perseverance, Rev. 2. 10. judas, ver. 24.   
THESE are Duties of the greatest Importance, and are all su●ed to the Rules of these Societies. And I have kept to the number 40, that I might assign one distinct Subject of Discourse for every Weekly Conference in the Year, reserving the Discourse of 12 of them to be spent upon the Subject of the Lord's Supper, which every Member is obliged by the Orders of the Society to receive( where he may with Conveniency) twelve times in the Year.  
THUS every Person knowing for a whole Week before, what will be the Subject of the Discourse at the next Conference, may the better prepare for it by suitable Reading, Meditation and Prayer.  
AND thus the chiefest parts of Christian Duty will be considered and gone thorough every Year, to the great Increase of knowledge and practise.  
Note, THAT every Person is chiefly to bend his Discourse to further the practise of every Duty, and to promote Holiness of Life.  
AND it will be expedient, That no Person speak above 3 or 4 Sentences, without a convenient Pause, to give room to others to speak their Mind. And in case of Silence, he may proceed, but with the same Caution.  
AND at the time of Conference, one of the Stewards( in the absence of the Director) may propose the following Questions, for the sake of Method; and that every ones Discourse may be the more directly practical, viz. when the Duty to be spoken to, is name, the Steward may say,  

I. Quest. Wherein consists the Nature of this Duty?  
II. Quest. What Directions do you propose in order to make the practise of it more sure, and more easy?  
III. What Discouragements do any of you find in the practise of it?  
IV. What Motives may encourage our practise of this Duty, and our Perseverance in it?   
IF the time permits, such Motives as these may be touched upon, viz.  

1. The Authority of God commanding.  
2. The Goodness of God, promising both to assist and reward the Diligent.  
3. The Terribleness of God's threatenings, and the Examples of his Wrath sometimes seen upon Earth; and the dreadfulness of the everlasting Vengeance of an Almighty God, in the fierceness of his Wrath in the other World.  
4. The Excellency of the Duty itself.  
5. The Examples of Good Men, who have gone before us in the Ways of God.  
6. The Blessed Rest and Peace of a good Conscience; and the previous Hell of a bad one.   
THESE general Heads may be the Method of Discourse upon any Duty at the Weekly Conference.  
THE Conference being ended, one of the Stewards may red some of the following Sentences, and the Admonition, to raise up and engage every Soul to Faith and Fervency in Prayer.   

CHAP. IX. Directions suited to such Religious Conference.  

Sentences.  
GOD is greatly to be feared 
Psal. 89. 7.  in the Assemblies of his Saints; and to be had in reverence by all that are about him.  
GOD is a righteous judge, 
Psal. 7. 12.  strong and patient; and God is provoked every day.  
GOD will bring every Work 
Eccles. 12. 14.  ●nto judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.  
HE that hideth his Sins shall 
Prov. 28. 13.  not prosper: but he that confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have Mercy.  
IF any Man sinneth, we have an Advocate with the Father, 
1 Joh. 2. 1, 2.  Jesus Christ the Righteous; and he is the Propitiation for our Sins.  
O come, let us worship, and fall down, and kneel before the 
Psal. 95. 6.  Lord our Maker.   

The Admonition before Prayer, to be red by the Steward,( in the Director's Absence) if the time will permit.  
MY Brethren, since our gracious God has promised to be present, where two or thre● are gathered together in his 
Mat. 18. ●0.  Name: Let us duly consider what an aweful thing it is to draw nigh unto God; even to him who is able to save, or 
Luk. 12. 5.  destroy us for ever: To him who sees our very Hearts and secret Thoughts, and who hath struck some Persons dead in the place, when they sought 
Lev. 10. 2. 2 Sam. 6. 7. Numb. 16. 35. 1 Sam. 6. 19.  him not in due order. As Na●ab and Abihu, Uzzah, Co●ah, and many others.  
BUT we have a perfect and acceptable High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, who 
Heb. 7. 26.  will perfect and present our Petitions to his Father, and 
John 20. 17.  our Father, if we devoutly and sincerely serve him. And through this new and living 
Heb. 10. 19.  Way we may approach to the Throne of Grace with an humble boldness. Wherefore let us gird up the Loins of our Mind, and rouse up our drowsy Affections, and watch over our deceitful Hearts. 
Jam. 1. 6.  Let us pray in Faith, and in Charity, with Fervency and 
1 Tim. 2. 8.  Humility; considering that our present and future Happiness depends upon our prevailing in Prayer. Let us therefore beseech God to assist us in this great Duty with his 
Rom. 8. 26.  Holy Spirit, and thereby to help our Infirmities; and that he would graciously accept our unworthy Persons and Performances through his Son JESUS CHRIST, whom he hath ordained to be a High Priest for ever, to make Intercession for us. Amen. 
Heb. 7. 25.   
Let us pray.   
Then all devoutly kneeling, they may join in this Confession of Sin. 
ALMIGHTY God! Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; Maker of all Things; judge of all Men: We acknowledge and bewail our manifold Sins and Wickedness, which we from time to time most grievously have committed, in Thought, Word and dead, against thy Divine Majesty; provoking most justly thy Wrath and Indignation against us. We do earnestly desire to repent, and to be hearty sorry for these our Misdoings: The remembrance of them is grievous to us, the burden of them is intolerable. Have Mercy upon us, have Mercy upon us, most Merciful father! for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all that is past. And grant that we may ever hereafter, serve and please thee in newness of Life: To the Honour and Glory of thy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  
OUR Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name: Thy Kingdom come: Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily Bread: And forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us: And led us not into Temptation; but deliver us from Evil: For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever.  
Amen.   
Then the Steward alone may say, 
ALMIGHTY and Everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made; and dost forgive the Sins of all them that are penitent: Vouchsafe to create and make in us new and contrite Hearts, that we duly lamenting our Sins, and acknowledging our Wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all Mercy, perfect Remission and Forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   
Here may follow the Collect for the Day: And such other Collects in the Common-Prayer, as may be suitable. Then all rising. Stew. 
Glory be to the Father, &c.  All. 
As it was in the, &c.  Stew. 
Praise ye the Lord.  All. 
The Lord's Name be praised.   
Then the Steward may red the following Admonition to the Praise of God, before the singing of a Psalm, if time will permit. 
LET us consider, my Brethren, what cause we have 
Psal. 100. 3.  to praise God. He is the Author of our Being; the Fountain of our Mercies; the God of our Life and of our Salvation. O! praise the Infinite Goodness of God, who made 
Psal. 8. 5.  us little lower than the Angels in the State of our Creation; yea, who hath shown to us fallen Men, more Compassion than to the fallen Angels: for they are reserved in Everlasting 
judas 6.  Chains of Darkness, to the judgement of the Great Day; whilst we have the Offers of Eternal Redemption. And it pleases God to fit Men daily for his nearer Presence in the Work of Sanctification, whilst Devils are wholly 
2 Cor. 5. 5.  given up to their malicious perverseness.  
LET us consider, That Man was made by God to be the Mouth of the Dumb Creatures in the Praises of their Creator: Man is to be the High Priest of the lower Creation to offer up a Divine 
Psal. 104.  Service for the whole Congregation of Sublunary Beings.  
LET us remember, That Man's Tongue is his Glory, a very 
Psal. 57. 8.  wonderful and peculiar Gift of God to Men. Let us say therefore with the Holy Psalmist, I will greatly praise 
Psal. 109. 30.  the Lord with my Mouth; yea, I will praise him among the Multitude.  
LET us observe, with what cheerfulness the very Birds tune their pleasant Notes to the Praise of their Maker after their Capacity. They have 
Mat. 6. 26.  no Store-house nor Barn, and know not where they shall find the next mouthful of Meat; yet how pleasant are they! And how voided of Murmurs or Sullenness.  
FINALLY, Let us consider, that by praising God now, we learn how to praise God in Heaven. This will be the Work and Happiness of that State of Glory: Let 
Rev. 19. 1.  us therefore join our sincere Praises in the Church below to those more perfect Hallelujahs of the Saints above. It is said, Rev. 14. 3. That none could learn their Song, but those that were redeemed from the Earth. From which we may note, that true Holiness is that which will fit us for the Songs of Heaven.  
LET us therefore now strain up our Affections to the highest pitch; and so sing the Praises of God in Heart and Spirit, Psal. 148. 2. that Angels and Saints may join with us now, and we with them for evermore. Amen.   
Then a Psalm may be sung; all standing up in this exalted part of Divine Worship. Then may they repeat the Apostles Creed. 
I Believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth: And in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost: Born of the Virgin Mary: Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and butted: He descended into Hell: The third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right Hand of God the Father Almighty: From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  
I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy catholic Church; The Communion of Saints, The Forgiveness of Sins, The Resurrection of the Body, and the Life Everlasting. Amen.  All. 
Lord, we believe; help thou our Unbelief.   
Then all kneeling. After the Collect, for Trinity Sunday, the Steward may proceed in Prayer for the Society, which may also be used in a private Family. 
O Most Holy and Blessed God! The Creator, governor and judge of all; Who hatest falsehood and Hypocrisy, and wilt not accept the Prayer of feigned Lips; But 〈◇〉 promised to show Mercy to such as turn unto thee by true Faith and Repentance: Vouchsafe, we pray thee, to create in us clean and upright Hearts, through an unfeigned Faith in thy Son our Saviour. To us indeed belongeth shane and Confusion of Face: We are not worthy to lift up our Eyes or Voice towards Heaven; Our Natures are depraved, and our Ways have been perverse before thee. O! let not thy Wrath rise against us, lest we be consumed in a moment: But let thy merciful Bowels yern over us; and vouchsafe to purify and pardon us, through thine All-sufficient Grace and Mercy in our Lord Jesus Christ. Since it hath pleased thee to offer him up as a Sacrifice for Sinners, vouchsafe we beseech thee to cleanse us from all Iniquity through his Blood. We believe that he is able to save to the uttermost those that come to thee by him; and we do earnestly desire to embrace him as our Prince and Saviour: O! give us Repentance and Remission of Sin through his Name. All we like Sheep have gone astray, every one in his own way: Good Lord, reduce us into thy Fold through this great Shepherd of Souls; and be pleased to lay on him the Iniquity of us all.  
AND as we have much to be forgiven, be pleased to incline our Hearts to love thee much, who sorgivest Iniquity, Transgression and Sin. Give us that Faith which worketh by Love, and such Love as will constrain us to have regard to all thy Commandments. And make us to look carefully to all our ways, that we may never again do any thing whereby thy Holy Name may be blasphemed, or thine Authority despised.  
GIVE us the deepest Humility, without which we can never be accepted of thee our infinitely condescending God: Make us continually to tread in the Steps of our Blessed Lord and Saviour; being of a meek and quiet Spirit, always influenced by the highest Love of thee our God, and by the most charitable Dispositions towards all Men.  
VOUCHSAFE to endue us with the saving knowledge of Spiritual things, that we may receive all thy Truths in the love of them, in all Patience, Purity, Justice, Temperance, Godliness, and Brotherly-Kindness; that we may adorn our Holy Profession, and resemble the Divine Goodness of thee our Heavenly Father.  
AND since we are not only weak and frail, but corrupt and sinful; vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us by the Power of thine Holy Spirit, that we fall not from our avowed steadfastness in all Christian Duty. Preserve us from all the Sin and Vanity to which our Age, Condition, and Nature is prove, and to which the Devil and this World may at any time tempt us.  
GLORIFY, Good God, thy Strength in our Weakness, thy Grace in our Pollution, and thy Mercy in our Salvation. May our Holy Religion be grounded and settled in our Hearts; that out of the good Treasure of a gracious Heart, our Speech may be savoury, and our Conversation exemplary; and that we may be fruitful in all good Works even to our old Age, and to our last day.  
FIT us we pray thee for every state of Life into which thy Providence shall cast us; prosper our lawful Undertakings, preserve us Night and Day; and prepare us for a hopeful Death, and a Blessed Eternity.  
BE pleased, we beseech thee, to bless all those Societies, who in truth apply their Hearts to thy Service and Glory; we pray thee be pleased to strengthen, stablish, and settle both them and us in thy Faith, Fear, and Love.  
LET nothing in this World discourage us from the pursuit of those Holy Purposes, which thy Spirit has at any time put into our Hearts and Minds. But make us all faithful to thee our avowed God, and our desired Portion, even unto death; that we at last( with thy whole Church) may be partakers of that eternal Life and perfect Bliss, which thou hast promised, through Jesus Christ, thy only begotten Son, our only Mediator and Redeemer. Amen.   

A General Intercession.  
ALMIGHTY God, whose Kingdom and Power is universal; Vouchsafe we pray thee to defend and prosper thy whole Church; and so dispose the Heart of thy Servant King William, that he may ever seek thy Honour and Glory. And grant to his whole Council, and to all in Authority under him, that they may truly and indifferently minister Justice to the suppressing of those Vices which reign amongst us, and to the reviving of true Religion and Concord. And grant that all our Bishops and Inferior Pastors may be effectually illuminated by the knowledge of thy Word, that by their Holy Lives, and Sound Doctrine, they may convert many to Righteousness.  
AND to all the People of these three Nations be pleased to give thy Heavenly Grace, that they may live in thy Faith and Fear, in Obedience to Authority, and in godly Love towards each other.  
FINALLY, we commend to thy fatherly Goodness all those that are afflicted in Mind, Body or Estate, especially such as suffer for Righteousness sake. O Lord, relieve them according to their several Necessities, give them patience under their Sufferings, and a happy Issue out of all their Afflictions; all which we beg in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.   

A Thanksgiving.  
O MOST merciful God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the inexhaustible Fountain of Goodness, we humbly praise thy Name for all thy Mercies vouchsafed to us. We praise thee, that thou madest us reasonable Creatures; that we were born in a Christian Land; and that we were early brought into thy gracious Covenant. We bless thee for all the Advantages of our Education; for all the Benefits of good Examples, and of seasonable Counsel and Reproof: For all the Comfort we have had in any Relation, Friend or Enjoyment, and for the comfortable Use of all thy good Creatures.  
WE praise thee for all the Benefits of Affliction; for thy merciful Support in Trouble, and thy gracious Deliverances from any Evil.  
WE bless thy Name for our present Health, for our necessary Food, for our peaceable Habitations, and for that measure of outward things which thy Bounty hath dispensed to us.  
BUT above all, we bless and praise thy Name now( and desire to magnify thy Name for ever) for our Redemption by the Blood of thy Beloved Son; and that thou hast ordained Means of eternal Life thrô him.  
WE praise thee for thy Covenant of Life and Peace; for thy Word and Sacraments; for the Operations of thine Holy Spirit, and for any Evidence or Hope of thy Favour towards us, who are less than the least of thy Mercies.  
WE bless thee, Good God, for thy Patience towards us, for thy Calls to us, and for thy great Pity and Compassion to such unworthy Creatures.  
SET home, we beseech thee, a due and constant Sense of these and all thy Mercies upon all our Hearts, and make us to live to the Praise of thee( the God of our Mercies) all our Days, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee, and the Holy Ghost, be all Blessing, Honour, Glory and Power ascribed by Angels and Men for evermore. Amen.   
Then all standing up, The following Exhortation to Humility may be red. 
MY Brethren, since the Great God doth often assure us in his Holy Word, That he will resist the Proud, 
James 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5.  but give Grace to the Humble: Let us consider, that our Undertakings, tho never so good, will fail and come to nought, except we be truly and deeply 
Luk. 14. 11.  Humble. Indeed it cannot be otherwise, because the proud Person quits his Reliance on God, to rest in himself, which is to exchange a Rock for a Reed.  
ALAS! what are we, poor empty Nothings! yea, what is worse, condemned perishing 
Gen. 32. 10.  Sinners? We have perhaps Understanding now, but God can soon turn it into Madness: We may have some 
Dan. 4. 42.  Attainments in Grace, but spiritual Pride will whither all, and soon reduce us to a very profligate and wretched State; such as we have seen others 
Isa. 66. 2.  tumble into, who have begun in the Spirit, and ended in the Flesh. What have we that we have not received? 
1 Cor. 4. 7.  And which he that gave it, may not as soon take away?  
WE that are young in Years, and younger in Grace, 
1 Tim. 3. 6,  are in danger of Self-conceit, and of being puffed up; which is a Quick-sand in which thousands have been swallowed up and perished. It is not in vain, that the Apostle requires, That Young men be exhorted to be sober-minded, 
Prov. 16. 18.  Tit. 2. 6. which he elsewhere explains, when he says, Let no Man think of 
Isa. 14. 12, 13.  himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, Rom. 12. 3.  
BY Pride the Angels fell 
1 Tim. 3. 6.  from Heaven: and if ever we climb up to those blessed Seats from which they are fallen, it must be by the gracious steps 
Luke 18. 14.  of Humility and Lowliness of Mind. Wherefore let him that 
1 Cor. 10. 12.  thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall. Let us walk humbly with our God, and with all Men; and ever have lowly Thoughts of our vile selves, 
Rom. 11. 20.  and of our poor Attainments, and of our defective Performances: And with St. Paul,( who was in nothing behind the very chiefest Apostles) let us always 
2 Cor. 12. 11.  say, I am Nothing.  
LET us therefore now sing to the Praise of God, to whom alone Praise is due.   
Here sing a Psalm: After which the Steward may say; 
IT is very meet and right, and our bound Duty, that we should at all times, and in all Places, give thanks unto thee, O most blessed and bountiful God, in whose Hands our Breath is, and from whom cometh our Salvation.  All. 
Therefore with Angels and archangels, and with all the Company of Heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name, evermore praising thee, and saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts! Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory. Glory be to thee O Lord most High. Amen.  Stew. 
May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.    

CHAP. X. Prayers for Families, for Seamen, and for young Persons.  
AT the Request of some under my Ministry, the following Prayers are added.  
And let it be noted, That the foregoing Forms of Prayer and Praise may be properly used in Private Families. And the Prefaces to both may be usefully red in Families now and then, to excite zealous Affections, and an aweful dread of God in our Approaches to him.  
AND to the end, that the daily Worship of God may be set and kept up in every Family; let it never be forgotten, that the Spirit of God has denounced a most dreadsul Curse upon all prayerless Families: Jer. 10. 25. Pour out thy Fury upon the Heathen that know thee not, and upon the Families that call not upon thy Name.  
AND, as I have often in my Sermons, so I here again solemnly charge those that own my Ministry, even in the Presence, and by the Authority of the Almighty God, that they pull not this denounced Curse upon themselves and Families. And I again mind them to red the Word of God daily, and to Catechize their Children and Servants in a serious and effectual manner: and that they Remember the Lord's Day to keep it Holy, even the whole Day; and that they suffer not their Children or Servants to pollute any part of it, or trifle it away by unnecessary worldly Business, or vain Discourse or Diversion.  
These things are necessary to your Peace with God, and your dying in Hope.  

A Prayer for a Family in the Morning.  
O MOST Holy and Blessed God! who fillest all Places with thy Presence, and art a searcher of all Hearts; with thee is terrible Majesty to confounded thine Enemies, but infinite Mercy to succour the humble and contrite Soul: we pray thee meet us not at this time in thy just Vengeance as a consuming Fire; but be pleased to accept us graciously through thy Mercy in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Hope.  
WE have indeed lived too long as without God in the World; we have wickedly followed our own corrupt Desires and Devices; and have not duly owned thy sovereignty and Dominion over us. We have broken our Vows, and stisted our Consciences, and exceedingly defiled ourselves, and offended thee, setting at nought the Promises and threatenings of thy Book, and hating to be reformed. Lord, we lament our Impenitency, and Unbelief, and all the sinful Fruits of our filthy and ungodly Hearts, Lips, and Lives. And we earnestly beseech thee, that thou wouldst not give us up to our own filthiness, and folly, and hardness of Heart: But that thou wouldst graciously reduce us into thy Fold and Favour, by the Power of thine Holy Spirit; and to accept and pardon us through the Merit of our Lord Jesus Christ.  
AND, O Lord, vouchsafe to cleanse and sanctify us in Soul and Body; and make us to glorify thy Name on Earth, and to do the Work thou hast given us to do. Be pleased to subdue our Corruptions, and to mortify every inordinate Affection and unruly Passion; and make us entirely resigned to thy Will, and subservient to thy Praise, now and ever.  
KEEP us, we beseech thee, from the Snares of worldly Pleasures and Enjoyments, and make us to set our Hearts on things above: And bring all the Powers of our Souls and Bodies into a willing subjection to thy Rule and Government. And save us from all carnal Ignorance and Unbelief, and from all Ungodliness, and sinful Indulgence of the Flesh.  
VOUCHSAFE, Good God, to pity our Weakness and Imperfection; and to succour us in all our Temptations; and to support us in all our Sorrows and Afflictions: and grant us a happy end of all our Sorrows at last in thine eternal Kingdom.  
MAKE us ever mindful of the End for which we were made; and the chief Work we have to do; and the uncertainty of this present Life: and affect us duly by the forethought of that unchangeable Eternity to which we are hastening.  
AND let thy Faith and Fear ever dwell in our Hearts; that it may be our continual Exercise to keep our Consciences voided of Offence both towards thee our God, and towards all Men.  
SUFFER us not to spend the Day of our Salvation idly and unprofitably: But make us to work out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling, through thy Grace and Spirit; and make us to stand always upon our Watch, prepared for our Master's Call: That whensoever thou shalt put an end to this mortal Life, it may be the beginning of a Blessed Immortality.  
VOUCHSAFE, O Lord, to bless all our Governours in Church and State; and grant that they may be thy Ministers to us for Good, and that we may never be guilty of any sinful disobedience towards them. And give to all the People of this Nation, thy Grace to live in Unity and Godly Love, and to further each others present and eternal Welfare.  
BE pleased to bless all our Relations and Friends; and multiply thy Mercies upon them in the Blessings of this and of the other World: and vouchsafe to succour all that lye under any Sorrow or Affliction, and be near unto them in all they call upon thee for.  
MANIFEST thine especial Love and Favour, we pray thee, to this Family: Vouchsafe to provide for us, and defend us by thy good Providence. Preserve us from all Evil throughout this Day; prosper us in our lawful Affairs; let no variance nor ill-will prevail amongst us, but keep us in Peace and Christian Love to our lives end.  
FINALLY, We praise thy great and glorious Name, for all thy Mercies towards us: For the Rest and Safety of the last Night; for the renewed Comforts of this present Day, and all the good Providences of our past Life.  
MORE especially for the means of Grace, the motions of thy Spirit, and for thy great Patience and Long-suffering towards us. But above all, for the Merits and Mediation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who ever liveth to make Intercession for us; for whose sake we beseech thee to hear us, accept us, and pardon us; together with these our unworthy Prayers; in whose most Holy Name and Words we further pray:  
OUR Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name: Thy Kingdom come: Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily Bread: And forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us: And led us not into Temptation; but deliver us from Evil: For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever.  
Amen.   

A Prayer for a Family in the Evening.  
O Eternal God! Infinite in all Perfection, and worthy of all Praise! who wilt be glorified in or upon every Creature which thou hast made; It is meet, that with Fear and Trembling, we consider thy holy and righteous Attributes, and our own polluted Natures and sinful Lives.  
O Lord! we have sinfully forgotten thee our Creator in the days of our Youth; and vainly mis-spent our precious time in Sin and Folly. Alas! with what diligence have we served the Flesh, and the Devil, and this present World! and how little have we minded the Concerns of our Salvation and eternal Life! We have not glorified thee the God that madest us, and in whose Hands our Breath is; but have lived as if we had been made only for this World, and to please ourselves.  
O! how justly mayest thou snatch away our Breath from us, since we have so much abused it in idle and ungodly Speeches; and call us speedily into another World, since we have so presumptuously built our Hopes of Happiness in this! And should this be thy Pleasure and our Portion; O Lord, how could we appear before thee in the Guilt of thousands of unpardoned Sins! or how could we endure to dwell with everlasting Burnings!  
BUT with thee, O Blessed God, there is Infinite Mercy and Plenteous Redemption. Thou so lovedst the World, as to give thine only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him should not perish, but have everlasting Life. Lord, we desire to believe on him, help us we pray thee against our Unbelief. Enable us to submit all the Powers of our Soul to him in his saving Offices; and grant that we may so believe on him, that we may obtain Eternal Life through his Name.  
BE pleased to take away all Impurity and Hypocrisy, all insensibleness and perverseness from us; and make us thy willing and obedient Servants for ever. We know that without Holiness, none can enter into thy Kingdom: O Lord, make us Holy through the effectual Regeneration and Sanctification of thine Holy Spirit; that we may love thee with all our Heart and Soul, and serve thee with all our Might and Strength; and may delight to do thy Will, and to deny ourselves for thy sake.  
AND since we have too long neglected that great Salvation, which was purchased for us by the Blood of thy Son; Awaken us, we pray thee, to improve the remaining space of our Days with all possible Care, giving all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure.  
ENABLE us to break loose from the Snares of this present World, and from all the sinful Entanglements of the Flesh, and from the Seducements of wicked and dissolute Men; that we may run with speed that Race which thou hast set before us, and may persevere in it to the Death, that we may in the end attain everlasting Life.  
TO this end, make us habitually mindful of the shortness and uncertainty of this Mortal Life, and the unprofitableness of all Earthly things in the Hour of Death, and in the other World. And make us now to choose thy Favour as our chiefest Good, thy Son as our Prince and Saviour, and thy Kingdom as our Portion. And when our Souls shall be summoned to leave this earthly Tabernacle, vouchsafe, Good God, to receive us into those everlasting Mansions which our Blessed Saviour has prepared for those that love Him.  
FOR whose sake, we pray thee, bless these three Nations with Plenty, Peace, and Safety, and with the Increase of all that's Good: And sand Peace and Truth amongst all Nations.  
BE pleased to bless and direct all that are set in Authority over us; And grant that they may govern us, and we obey them, in the Fear of thee our God. Vouchsafe to succour all that are Objects of Misery, whether they labour under Spiritual or Temporal Afflictions: And be pleased to administer to them as their Necessities of Soul or Body require.  
BE gracious to all our Relations and Friends, preserve them from all Evil, and bind up their Souls in the bundle of Life.  
BE more particularly gracious, we pray thee, to this Family, and to every particular Person it. Be pleased to dwell with us, and rule over us: Preserve us in Peace and Safety; and let thy Spirit rule in every one of our Hearts, that we may faithfully discharge our respective Duties one to another, and may live in Christian Union, Purity, and Peace. Vouchsafe, O Thou that never slumberest nor sleepest! to grant us thy Protection this Night: Give thine Holy Angels charge concerning us: Preserve us from danger by Fire, and Tempest; and from the Violence of unreasonable Men; and suffer no Evil to befall any of us, nor any Plague to come nigh our Dwellings.  
AND forasmuch as we know not whether we shall see the Light of another Day, be pleased, Good God, now to seal to every Soul of us the Pardon of all our Sins, through the Blood of the New Testament: That when we come to lye down upon our Death-Beds, we may rest in hope of a Blessed Resurrection.  
FINALLY, we laud and magnify thine Holy Name, O Lord, for thy Goodness in our Creation, and daily Preservation: For our Health, Ease, Peace, Friends, Food, Raiment, Deliverances, and all the Comforts of this present Life: And for all the Means of attaining everlasting Happiness; for the Price which our Lord Jesus Christ has paid for our Redemption; for thy blessed Gospel, thine Holy Ordinances, and all the Motions of thy good Spirit: Humbly imploring thy Grace, that we may so live to thy praise here on Earth, that we may at last be joined with glorified Saints, and Holy Angels, to Praise thy Name for ever. All which we humbly beg for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, in whose prevailing Name, and comprehensive Words, we conclude our unworthy Prayers: Our Father, &c.   

A Prayer for a Person at Sea.  
O INVISIBLE and Omnipresent God! the Almighty Creator and absolute Governor of the whole World! Thou holdest the Winds in thy First, and givest Laws to the Sea which it cannot pass. My whole dependence is on Thee, from whom cometh my present Safety, and my eternal Salvation. I humbly beseech thee, for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son, that thy Grace and Mercy may be with me all my Days.  
I have indeed dishonoured thy Name, despised thy Government, and broken thy Laws; I have often indulged my sinful Lusts and wrathful Passions, contrary to my Vows and Covenant made with thee, and thy Word revealed to us.  
BUT, O Lord, for Christ's sake,( who is our Passover, slain for the Salvation of Sinners) be merciful unto me, and pardon my Sins. Let not thy Wrath cut me off in my Pollution, as I have deserved; but let thy Mercy abound towards me for ever.  
AND vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep me by thy Grace, from the Sins to which I am daily exposed by Temptation, and my own sinful Heart: And let thy good Providence preserve me from the Danger wherewith I am encompassed.  
WE behold, O Lord, thy Wonders in the Deep: Wonders of thy Goodness, as well as of thy Wisdom and Power: O Lord, give me Grace to admire and praise thine infinite Perfections; and grant that my Lips may never blaspheme thy Great and Glorious Name, nor ever curse Men, who are made after thine Image and Likeness.  
OUR times, O Lord, are in thine Hand; how soon mightest thou make this Sea a common Grave to us all? If but a Plank burst, or give way, or a Rock, or a Heap of Sand lye in our way, how soon shall we be swallowed up in the Deep, and be wafted into our endless and unchangeable Estate?  
BUT thy good Providence is a sure Defence: I pray thee, vouchsafe it to me, and to all that sail with me, in order to our continual Direction and Defence. And vouchsafe to carry us in safety to the Place of our Habitation, and to preserve all our Relations and Friends in their several Dwellings, that we may behold each others Faces again with Comfort.  
AND fit us all for that Place of Rest and Peace which thou hast promised to thy faithful Servants; and give us thy Grace to make us meet for that eternal Inheritance amongst hy Saints, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, in whose Holy Name and Words we further pray; Our Father, &c.   

In a Storm.  
O LORD our God! the Father of Mercies, the God of all Power and Might! Who commandest the Winds and the Seas, and they obey thee. We, O Lord, thy dependant Creatures, do sand up our Cry unto thee in our Distress. O! let the Voice of our Prayers, and not the Cry of our Sins come before thee: Hear, we pray thee, the Intercession of thy Son for Sinners, and for his sake sand us Relief.  
THERE is no Power in the whole Creation to help us. Lord, save us or we perish. Manifest, we pray thee, the greatness of thy Power in our Succour and Comfort, in the dark and deep Calamity wherewith we are distressed. The Winds and Waters know their Maker's Voice: and tho they are now in their Rage, yet if thine Almighty Voice speaks the Word, they will soon calm and be still. O Lord, be pleased to arise for our Help, that we may live to speak of thy Mercy, and tell of all thy Wondrous Works.  
AND, we pray thee, give us Grace that we may never forget nor abuse thy Mercy; but incline and enable us to live Holy, Righteous, and Sober Lives, to the Praise of thee our God, through Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen, Amen.   

A Thanksgiving after a Storm.  
O LORD! Thou art the God of our Mercies, and the God of our Praise. I humbly present unto thee, O thou Preserver of Men! all possible Praise and Thankfulness for thy merciful and seasonable Appearance for us in our late Distress. We said, we are cut off from the Living, and all our earthly Hopes are withered away; but thy good Providence appeared for us, and the Hand of our God brought us Deliverance from the Jaws of Death. Good Lord, enable us to comply with the end of thy Patience and Bounty towards us, and make thy present Mercy to us an inviolable Band of future Obedience to thee, and an Earnest of thine everlasting Mercy to us, thrô Jesus Christ our Blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.   

A Thanksgiving when safely arrived at any Port.  
O INFINITELY Great and Good God! by whose good Providence I am brought in safety to my desired Haven; I humbly ascribe the whole of my Preservation and Success to thy Conduct and Blessing. It is not in the Power of Man to preserve himself, or to prosper his best Endeavours: but it is by thy Goodness that we live, and in which we hope. O Lord! give me thy Grace, that as I live by thee, I may live to thee, and may never more dishonour thy Name, or abuse thy Mercy; but may live such a Life of Praise to thee on Earth, as may be an Introduction to that state of perfect Bliss and Glory above, where Holy Angels and Saints extol and praise thy Glorious Name for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   

A Prayer for a Young Person.  
MOST Glorious and Blessed God! The Life of our Life, and the God of our Salvation! I look up unto Thee, the Fountain of Goodness,( through the Lord Jesus Christ, whom thou hast ordained to be our Mediator) with humble Thankfulness for all the Mercies of this present Life, and for any Hope of everlasting Happiness.  
IT is of thy great Goodness, that I was born in a Christian Land: and of thine infinite Mercy, that I was early brought into thy Covenant; thy Covenant of Life and Peace, through the Blood of the New Testament.  
O my God! I desire to embrace the Engagements, as well as to enjoy the Blessings of this thy gracious Covenant; earnestly imploring thy Grace, that I may live suitably to my Holy Profession: That so I may never, never dishonour thine Holy Name; nor in any Thought, Word or dead, deny the Lord that bought me.  
sand thine Holy Spirit, I beseech thee, into my Soul: Vouchsafe to regenerate and make me born anew of the Holy Ghost: Baptize me, O Lord, with that Divine Fire which may at once consume my sinful Lusts, and inflame my Soul with Divine Love.  
LORD make me to know thee, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent: Prepare my Soul to receive him sincerely in all his saving Offices; and make him effectually to me a Prince and a Saviour, to give me Repentance and Forgiveness of Sin. Through Him, O Lord, forgive my natural Corruption, and heal my leprous Soul: And for his sake, forgive all my actual Sins; all the Transgressions of my Youth; my Sins after Vows, contrary to knowledge, and against thine infinite Goodness. O Lord! for the sake of my Crucified Saviour, be merciful to my Unrighteousness, and remember my Iniquity no more.  
AND that I may no more commit the same, or other Offences; vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep me by thy Grace from every sinful way, and led me in the Way everlasting: Preserve me from the Pollutions of youthful Lusts; and harden me against the Solicitations and evil Examples of impudent and daring Sinners. Be pleased to show me the vileness of sensual Pleasures, the emptiness of worldly Possessions, and the Folly of getting any thing on Earth, by the loss of thy Favour. Bless me, O Lord, with an early Conversion, with an unblamable Life, with a hopeful Death, and a Blessed Eternity.  
GIVE me, Good God, thy Peace which passeth Understanding; and so preserve me from the Corruptions of this World, that I may inherit the Glory of thine undefiled Kingdom.  
AND whereas there are Legions of Infernal Powers, who seek to hinder my entrance into that Rest: O Lord, leave me not to their Malice, nor my own Frailty; but ever succour me with thine especial Grace and peculiar Providence, and make me as ready to help, and to forgive others, as to desire help and forgiveness of thee my God.  
MAKE me to led my Life in thy Fear, and in the sense of thy Favour, and to grow in Grace as I advance in Years; ever mindful of my Creator, my Mortality, and my future Account: That living here to thy Glory, I may for ever praise thee in thy glorious Kingdom, through Jesus Christ, who is my Hope; to whom with thee, O Father, and the Eternal Spirit, One God, be all Honour and Glory ascribed by Angels and Men for evermore. Amen.    

ADVERTISEMENT.  
BY the Procurement of these SOCIETIES, the following Lectures are constantly Preached at Five in the Evening, on the Lord's Days after mentioned, viz.  
On every first Lord's Day in the Month, at St. Laurence Jewry, St. Clements Danes, St. Michael Woodstreet, St. Olaves Southwark.  
On the second Lord's Day in the Month, at St. Brides Fleetstreet, St. Albans Woodstreet, St. Buttolph Aldgate.  
On the third Lord's Day in the Month, at St. Martins in the Fields: at six in the Morning, St. Giles Cripplegate: Upon every third Thursday in the Month, at Poplar, at six in the Evening.  
On the last Lord's Day in the Month, at St. Giles Cripplegate, St. Mary Whitechappel, St. John Wapping.  
Every Lord's Day, at St. Ann's near Aldersgate, at five in the Evening; with public Catechizing.  
FINIS.   

Errat. P. 163. red Chap. X. and for Directions red Devotions; which must likewise be noted over the following Pages.   

POSTSCRIPT.  
TO rectify the Mistake of such as consider these Religious Societies, and the Promotion of the Reformation, as the Heat of young Persons only, which they think very likely to cool in a little time; I thought fit to subjoin: That I do not know any Religious Society, in which there are not several grave and prudent Persons, of solid judgement, and advanced Years from Forty to Sixty; which must indeed be the consequence of their having already continued above twenty Years. And they go on with great Vigour and Delight in the Ways of God, which they find to be Paths of Divine Pleasure, and the most solid Peace; which attracts many both young and elder Persons to them; perceiving their ways so strictly comform to the Laws of God and Men.  
And as to the Gentlemen, and other worthy Persons, who carry on the principal part of the Reformation; they are of ripe Years and Experience, of considerable Quality and Estates, and of the best Character and Reputation. And indeed as the Honour of this Affair can never be called in question by any Devout Christian, so can it not at this time be treated with disrespect by any civil Person, since the KING, the Bishops, and some of the most Honourable Persons in Church and State, have solemnly espoused it, and declared for it.