pose themselves, by their lewd way of Living, to Shame and Punishment, to Poverty and Difeafe, to all forts of wicked Practices, and the Danger of the Gallows, to which, in the Conclufion, they are often, if not generally brought. And I may justly add, That far greater Things, by the Application of the Original Society of Gentlemen, have been accomplished, than what have yet been mentioned, and fuch as I am not permitted at this time to difcover. But thus much may be faid, That the Endeavours of those Gentle men have not been confined to this City and Kingdom, but have extended as far as Ireland, where they have had an Influence, very little, I think, to the Honour of that Kingdom from whence it had its first Rife, of which, fince a more particular Account may be expected, I may fatisfy my felf, at prefent, with faying in general, of my own Knowledge, That the Tranfactions of Reformation here having been near Two Tears fince laid before fome few Perfons in Ireland, and most of those (I must again obferve) private Perfons, and of the lower Rank of Men, with proper Confiderations to move 'em to unite in the fame Defign, and Methods to pursue it with Advantage, it determined them to engage heartily in it ; and they have profecuted it with fo much Vigour, that there are now feveral Societies for Reformation in the City of Dublin; which I am affured, by divers Accounts that I have

in my Hands from thence, are spreading into feveral Parts of the Kingdom, and are encouraged by his Excellency the Earl of Galloway, one of the Lords Juices of Ireland, the Right Reverend the Arch-Bishop of Dublin, many of the Clergy, and the best of the Magiftrates and Gentlemen of that City: In One of which Societies, most of the ParishMinifters of Dublin, feveral of the pious Bihops, particularly the celebrated Arch-Bishop, and divers other Perfons of Quality, are Members; fome of whom have fhewn a Zeal, which if it prevailed the Three Kingdoms over, might foon produce a Glorious Reverse of the State they are now in, and which in less than Two Tears space hath fucceeded, tho' not without such various Oppofitions, as might be expected, from Combinations of bad Men, to that degree in Dublin, that the Prophanation of the Lord's-Day, by Tipling in publick Houses, by Exercifing of Trade, and Expofing of Goods to Sale, is almoft fuppreft; that Lewd Women are fo ftrictly enquired after, and feverely punished, that they have Tranfported themfelves, as in England, to our Plantations; and that Swearing is fo run down, that an Oath is rarely heard in their Streets; fo that publick Disorders are remarkably cured; and, in fhort, Vice is afraid and ashamed to fhew its head, where within a few Years paft it was daring and triumphant.

We

We are likewise affured, That Scotland hath concurred in thefe Matters, where His Majefty's Proclamation against Prophaneness and Debauchery hath been iffued out in very strict terms, and His late Gracious Letter to the Parliament of that Kingdom, takes notice of the Progress that they have made in the Forming of Methods for the Difcouraging of Vice and Irreligion, and affures them, That 'tis a WORK most acceptable to him.

We are

But to return to our own Nation. made acquainted, That many Societies and Bodies of Men, of different Ranks and Perfwafions, are ingaged in this Work, to which Men of Virtue, of Temper, and unblemished Reputation, may either join themselves, according to their Quality, Circumstances, or Opportunities, or may form themfelves into new Bodies: That the publick Oppofition that was made to it, which our Pofterity may blush to read of, is at an end, which, 'tis to be hoped, will be the laft that we shall hear of in a Christian State, and under a Protestant Govern ment: That the City of London espouses it, where there are Two Sermons Quarterly Preached, and divers of them Printed, to make Men fenfible of their Obligations in this refpect. And it's true alfo, That Swearing is much lef fened, as we have reafon to believe', by the

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Accounts we receive in moft, if not in all Parts of the Kingdom, as other publick Diforders are in many; and that Societies for Reformation have been in divers Places already actually form'd, and are going on in many others; as particularly in Gloucester, Leicefter, Coventry, Shrewsbury, Hull, Nottingham, Tamworth, Newcastle, Leverpool, Chester, and feveral other Corporations; fo that in a few Months time, by the Methods that are now taking, there is reafon to believe that we fhall hear of a very confiderable Progrefs in this Work from all Parts of the Nation. And now is this a Time for Men, that would be reckoned Chriftians, to ftand Neuters, in an Affair wherein their Religion, their Country, and their Pofterity, are fo deeply concerned? Let the Men who can contentedly fee the Laws of GOD trampled upon; who can, in their ordinary Conversation, in the Streets and even at their own Tables, hear horrid Oaths and Curfes, nay, Men calling upon GOD for Damnation upon themselves and others; in a word; offering high Indignities to the Glorious Majefty of their Great Creator, confider whether the very Heathens, who would not fuffer their Artificial Deities to be affronted, or their Religion to be defpis'd; who in Sieges, and other Diftreffes from their Enemies, were more concerned for their Images and Altars than for their own Houses, or

private

private Affairs, do not condemn them? Let our Learned Rabbies, the great Difputers of the World, and all that make a Profeffion of Religion, but give little better account of it than by expreffing a fierce and uncharitable Heat against thofe that differ from them in fome things relating to Religion, but not ef fential to it, and wherein all Men equally wife and good have, I doubt, never yet been fully agreed, think seriously with themfelves, whether they might not employ fome fhare at least of their Parts and Zeal to much better purpose, in furthering the Reformation of Mens Lives, and of the Manners of the Nation, by the Suppreffing of Prophanenefs and Vice, than by raifing or keeping up, with an unchriftian Temper, to the manifeft Injury of the Chriftian Religion, which is an Inftitution of Love, dangerous or unneceffary Controverfies or Divifions, and making of Profelytes to their New Opinions or Party; all Religions being, I think, agreed, that bad Men are a Scandal to the best Religion, and that they cannot, if they continue fo, be faved in any; and confequently, that the being inftrumental in the bringing over of a few Souls to the fincere Practice of Piety and Virtue by any Chriftian Methods, which thofe I am treating of will, I hope, be allowed to be, is of greater Service to the Christian Religion, and the World, than the gaining of Hundreds that are vicious to any particular

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