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other proper means for the Cure of his Body, though without Effect, reasonably give our felves fome fatisfaction upon this Confideration alone: But, in the next place, this Practice is however a high Service to the Community; for Religion being every Man's great Intereft, every one's Work or Duty, the Religio Community, according to the Senfe of the Civil Law, is injured by the Contempt that is mnium flung upon it, by the open Affronts and Vio- pertinet Injuriam. lations of it, which every Man, as in a common Cause, is therefore concerned to prevent. Now the Exemplary Punishment of open Of fenders is the proper way (as Reafon and Experience may convince us) to reprefs publick Vice and Prophanenefs, to keep the Generality from it, and to prevent God's Dishonour: It is, I conceive, one way moreover to keep us from being Partakers in other Men's Sins, and to take away National Guilt; for a Nation may then be fuppofed to contract publick Guilt when Wickedness is publick and infolent, when the Supreme or Subordinate Magistrates and Minifters do, by their own ill Examples, and by their not Exercifing their Power or Authority, countenance and confirm Men in it, and the Body of the People have no concern for the Suppreffing of it: But a Nation is not thought to draw upon it that publick Guilt which calls for National Punishment by the private Sins of particular Perfons, which could not be prevented by either the Magiftrates, Ministers,

or the Peoples Care and Endeavours; much of which feem to be intimated to us, as from other Texts of Scripture, fo particularly from Deut.17.7. thefe following: The hands of the Witnesses fhall be firft upon him to put him to Death, and afterward the hands of all the People. So thou fhalt put the Evil away from among you. And Ver. 13. all the People fhall hear and fear, and do Deut. 21. no more presumptuously. Then shall his Father and his Mother lay hold on him, and bring him unto the Elders of his City, and unto the Ver. 20. Gate of his Place. And they shall fay unto the

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Elders of his City, This our Son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our Voice; he is a Ver. 21. Glutton and a Drunkard. And all the Men of his City fball ftone him with Stones that he die : So fhalt thou put Evil away from among you, and all Ifrael fhall hear and fear. Where we may obferve, that for the fuppreffing of Sin, and the preventing of publick Guilt, even Parents were commanded to bring their own Children to be punished with Death, if after they were corrected by them for Gluttony and Drunkenness, &c. they were not amended by

it.

If then the Punishment of Offenders, by the Execution of the Laws against Debauchery and Prophaneness, is neceffary to the Suppreffing of Vice, and thofe Laws will not be generally Executed, unless Perfons acquaint Magistrates with the Breaches of them; if thofe that do fo exercise Charity to the Souls of the Offenders,

ders, take a proper course thereby to avoid a Participation in their Guilt, to make a Provi fion for the Wants of the Poor, to promote a general Reformation of Manners, to remove National Guilt, and prevent God's Judgments falling upon the Body of a People, can any wife and good Men, that duly confider these things, conclude, that they that zealously, and upon proper occafions, give informations to the Magiftrates of the crying Enormities of this Kingdom, do that which is not agreeable to their Profeffion, as becomes Christians, or as good Members of the Community? nay, that confidering our prefent circumstances, that there is fo little probability that a general Reformation of Manners will be carried on without it, whether they are not almost, if not altogether as neceffary for this purpose as our Statute-Book, I was like to have faid, as even our Magistracy? And then, laftly, can any wife and unprejudiced Men think, that fuch serviceable Perfons as these, that often expose themselves to Inconveniencies in difcharging this Office for Conscience-fake, which may be perhaps the most difficult and invidious, and therefore a highly honourable part in this arduous work of Reformation, do not deferve great respect, and good words at least from thofe, who, tho' they have just thoughts of the Reasonableness and Neceffity of it, have not Zeal enough themfelves to discharge it? and the good words that are given them, and the refpect that is

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paid them upon this account, may, in many cafes, be a means of furthering this work, which are fuch cheap and fafe things, that, 'tis to be hoped, they will not be thought too much to be afforded by the most faint-hearted Chriftian that is willing to contribute any Endeavours towards it; which, it may be expected, those that deferve the Name of Chriftians will. For though those brave Men are thus willing to expose themselves, often to reproach and hardfhips from bad Men, for fuch noble purposes, it will, I think, notwithstanding, confidering the infirmities of Humane nature, and the wickedness of this Nation, be our Prudence and Religion to endeavour, by all proper methods, to prevent their being put too much upon the tryal of Sufferings from profligate Men, which, 'tis felf-evident, our particular countenance of them, and speaking well of their Actions upon all due occafions will effectually do. Our Laws fuppofe fuch Men thus highly usefull, as clear reafon tells us they are, for the promotion of Virtue, and indeed for the prefervation of any Government. Her late Majesty of Glorious Memory, in pursuance of Her great Defign of Reforming the Nation, did therefore in Her Gracious Letter to the Justices of Middlefex, Command them to give Encouragement to thofe Perfons that should bring them Informations of thefe Offences; and the Juftices of Middlefex, the Magiftrates of London, and of divers other Cities of the Kingdom, from a fenfe

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of the great Service that is done the Publick by fuch perfons giving Informations, or rather, as may be fuppofed, from the abfolute neceffity of it, do in their Printed Orders invite those, that are Well-wishers to their Country, to bring them Informations of the Breaches of the Laws against Prophaneneß and Immorality, and tell them 'tis their Duty to do it, and promife to give them Encouragement. And now, laftly, His Majefty by His Proclamation does command all Judges, Mayors, Sheriffs, Juftices of the Peace, and all other Officers and Minifters, both Ecclefiaftical and Civil, and all his Subjects, whom it may concern, to be very Uigis lant and Strict in the Discovery, and the effedual Profecution and Punishment of all Perfons who fhall be guilty of Exceffive Drinking, Blafphemy, Prophane Swearing and Curfing,Lewdnefs, Prophanation of the Lord's-Day, &c. as they will answer it to Almighty God, and upon pain of his highest Displeasure. So that those who oppose the giving of Informations in these Cafes, not only feem directly to strike at the Foundation of our Conftitution, but do oppose Reformation, and confront the Government, which are Enormities that demand a dueRefent ment from all that are concerned for the honour of our Government, our Laws, or our Religion. And if any Magiftrates fhould discourage those that bring them Informations on this occafion, by giving them hard words, making their work as difficult to them as they can,