men, lamenting the abounding iniquity of the times, resolved that they would do all in their power for the suppression of public vice by the laws of their country. Some of these were of the legal profession, and drew up an abstract of the laws against vice and profanity, with directions for the conviction of offenders. About the same time, in 1691, Queen Mary, wrote a very urgent letter to the justices of the peace in the county of Middlesex, exhorting and commanding them to suppress profaneness and debauchery. In consequence of this letter, the justices drew up an order, inviting all good Christians and good subjects to give information to the magistrates against profane and vicious persons: a similar order was issued by the Lord Mayor. Copies of the Queen's to the justices, together with the orders issued by the Lord Mayor and the magistrates, were printed and dispersed throughout the kingdom at private expense. Blank warrants were lodged in the hands of many persons, for the use of informers; and other expedients were adopted, to promote a general reformation. This was perfectly congenial with the desires and plan of the pious persons who were joined in these societies, who now began to lay informations against offenders, and met with considerable success, being encouraged by royal approbation, and by several divines of the first eminence. Their enemies, however, endeavoured to cast contempt on their exertions, because they were young and inexperienced. This objection was presently removed; for several respectable housekeepers in the Tower Hamlet had associated to punish offenders, who had now become exceedingly bold and numerous. An union was now proposed between the two societies, which completely removed all objections arising from their youth and inexperience. They assumed the title of a Society for the Reformation of Manners. The persons who composed these societies were of various religious denominations, but they were all harmonious in the suppression of those things which were evidently contrary to all religion, morality and decency. The ministers of religion were engaged to advocate and encourage this work; and, at stated seasons, clergymen of the Church of England preached at St. Mary-le-Bow church, Cheapside, and Dissenting ministers at Salter's Hall Meetinghouse, where, for more than forty years, ministers of the three denominations of Dissenters took their turns to plead the cause of virtue and national reformation. We are informed, that in the course of a few years, these societies were instrumental in putting down several open markets that were held on the Lord's day; 500 houses of ill fame were suppressed; and 2000 persons were convicted and punished for keeping such houses. Many music-houses were shut up, which had degenerated into notorious nurseries of lewdness, so that scenes of the grossest depravity were openly exhibited in the presence of persons of both sexes: in these places disorderly conduct had abounded to such a degree, that more than twenty murders had been committed in a very short time. In their annual reports for 1715 and the two following years, being the twentysecond, twenty-third, and twenty-fourth reports of the society, it is stated, that in these three years they had convicted for lewd and disorderly practices, 4246; for houses of ill-fame, 73; gaming-houses, 16; Sabbath-breaking, 1637; profane swearing, 707; drunkenness, 56. In a sermon preached by Bishop Maddox, in 1736, we are informed, that the number of persons convicted of debauchery and profaneness, was 100,650 in the course of forty-two years, in the vicinity of London. When we consider that many hundred societies were then established on a similar plan, in this and in other countries, the number of persons brought to outward reformation must have been very great. Several societies were formed in Ireland, where persons of the first rank, both of the clergy and laity, joined them. In Scotland they received the sanction of the General Assembly. In France, they met with great encouragement from the commissioners of several French churches. In 1698, or 1699, there were several accounts of these societies printed; one, it is supposed, by the Bishop of London; another, by some anonymous author; which received the formal sanction of thirty-two temporal, and nine spiritual peers; and also seven judges. This book has been frequently mistaken for another of nearly the same title, and written some time before it, by Josiah Woodward, D.D. That written by the anonymous author, is entitled, "An Account of Societies for the Reformation of Manners," and has generally a portrait of King William the Third at the beginning. That by Woodward is entitled, "An account of the Rise and Progress of Societies for the Reformation of Manners," with the name of the author. The contents of the two books, however, differ considerably Dr, W.'s account was translated into Latin, French, and High Dutch; great numbers were printed in America. Several societies were formed in Flanders, Switzerland, Germany, Prussia, and other parts. These societies did not confine their exertions to the execution of the civil law for the reformation of manners; they were frequently entreating and exhorting offenders; it was their fundamental maxim to punish none but such as were perseveringly obstinate. We are informed by Dr. Samuel Chandler, that the society before whom he was then preaching, in the year 1736, had distributed gratis, 444,750 books calculated to promote reformation and piety. It is recorded, that many were reclaimed from profligate courses, and joined the society to assist in reclaiming others. They, however, met with great discouragements: many respectable gentlemen frequently travelled more than half a day, from one justice of the peace to another, before they could get a warrant signed: they were frequently reviled and discouraged by the magistrates. Their expenses were likewise enormous; nearly one thousand pounds were expended in one year. Besides, they were frequently exposed to imminent danger. “Mr. Dent, a private gentleman, was murdered by three soldiers, in his attempt to suppress profaneness and immorality. He was about thirty years of age, and a strict and consistent professor of religion; he had a great zeal for the honour of God, and for the salvation of souls, and a great hatred to sin, which first led him to join this society. He had been engaged in this work seventeen eighteen years. None could ever fix any stain on his character; even the worst of men, whom he endeavoured to reform, would frequently speak well of him. He assisted in apprehending several thousands of lewd women, and many other offenders. He was very courageous, and or feared no encounter; he had great calmness and presence of mind in danger; he was frequently much abused, and beaten. When Mr. Cooper was murdered, he endeavoured to rescue him from the mob, though there were several soldiers with drawn swords. Thus he went on with undaunted courage till the unrestrained fury of vicious men deprived him of life."a Mr. Dent's funeral was performed with such distinguished tokens of respect, that it may be called a public one. About thirty clergymen preceded the corpse, twelve justices of the peaee held the pall, gentlemen of quality, aldermen, and above a thousand citizens, formed the train of mourners. Mr. Cooper was a constable of a most excellent character; he was murdered in the discharge of his duty.b The third was a Mr. Hobbs, a private gentleman, who died of the wounds he received in the service of this society.c This influential society fell into decay about a century ago, the occasion of which, however, is unknown to the writer. Of late years similar societies have been established. The Proclamation Society, formed for the purpose of enforcing the king's proclamation against vice and immorality, about the year 1788, led the way. A Society for the Suppression of Vice was formed in Dublin about the year 1797. A society which has excited the attention of the public, was founded in London in 1802, for the purpose of giving effect to the laws for the protection of religion and morality, when friendly admonition has failed of success. Its members amounted in 1809 to about fifteen hundred, comprising a great number of our first nobility, magistrates, clergy, &c. The particular objects of their attention were, to prevent the profanation of the Lord's day; the frauds and abuses practised in selling by false weights and measures; the publication of blasphemous, licentious, and obscene books and prints; illegal insurances in lotteries; the keeping of riotous and disorderly houses, brothels, and gaming-houses; the seductive practice of procurers; profane swearing; cruelty to animals; and such other gross offences as come within the scope of his Majesty's most admirable proclamation. This society is now greatly reduced, if not entirely extinct. It is not expedient in these pages to enter upon the discussion of the perplexing question, whether Christians should enforce the penalties of civil laws against profligate offenders; but it is evident from the annals of these societies, that men of various denominations, and of the highest order for station, learning, and piety, have cordially approved, and strenuously defended, such efforts.-From the Christian Visitor. A PARABLE. In a certain kingdom there reigned over his happy people a just and merciful king, whose sole care seemed to be that of rendering his subjects prosperous, and free from the troubles and anxieties of this life. Yet, will it be credited? There were some of his subjects dissatisfied with his government, and who rebelled against him, committing every kind of a See his Funeral Sermon, preached by Dr. T. Bray, March 24, 1708. violence, and even openly defying him. This good king however loved his subjects, even these misguided and rebellious ones, so sincerely, that he was unwilling to punish them; and he published a decree announcing that he was willing to pardon them if they on their part would acknowledge their faults, shew themselves sorry for them, and promise to live more peaceably for the future. He did even more than this, for he sent a great many of his well affected and orderly subjects throughout every part of his dominion, to declare to these unhappy rebels his willingness to forgive what was past, and to tell them that his strict regard to justice was perfectly satisfied, for that his own son, animated by the same feelings of love as he was, had consented to suffer in their stead. Now it happened that many of these people, rebels though they were, thought it right, for decency's sake, to give a seeming hearing, and pay a certain degree of attention to the exhortations of these good men; and upon their offering to introduce them into the presence of their offended king through the mediation of one who had unbounded power and influence with him, many of them consented at length to go. On their way the guides reminded them of the heinousness of their crimes-exhorted them to demean themselves humbly before their king, and to confess with unfeigned sorrow, and in the most lowly and reverential posture they could, their transgression against his just laws. They had no doubt if they did so that they should be forgiven. Furthermore, they told them that they would direct them as to the form of words to be used, and which it would be necessary for them to address individually to the king. They are at length introduced into the actual presence chamber, where his majesty in an especial manner sat to receive petitions, and disperse pardons and favours to all who sincerely and humbly asked him. What was the consternation and disappointment of their kind guides, when they saw these thoughtless, ignorant and rebellious men, whose crimes had subjected them to well-merited condemnation, heedless of their danger, regardless of the offers of royal mercy, insensible to the goodness of their offended, but forgiving king, enter the presence chamber in the most irreverend manner, talking to one another upon the most indifferent and trifling subjects, and making what they were pleased to consider witty remarks upon the dress and manners of the companions of their crimes, but whom they did not think so gaily attired as themselves, or of whose more splendid garments they were envious; and all this when their monarch's eye was upon them and instead of presenting themselves before him in the attitude of those who come to supplicate mercy, cooily, or I should rather say insolently sitting down unbidden in the royal presence, and many even in the most indecent postures, and suffering their still kind guides to read their petition for them without their uttering one word, or even seeming to care about it, as if, in short, it did not at all concern them. Great indeed was the dismay and astonishment of those whose anxiety to procure for them the pardon and favour of the king had induced them to labour so unremittingly, but alas! so fruitlessly in their behalf. The king himself who had hitherto waited to be gracious, and had so kindly and condescendingly invited these misguided creatures to come and receive his pardon, dismisses them from before him, more and more justly offended than before; for they have now added insult to their other crimes, and have despised his gracious offers of pardon and reconciliation. But what must appear more strange than all is, that these persons wonder at their being reproached by their guides, and still exhorted to repent. They think their king ought to be satisfied with their having come before him, and they do not perceive that they have behaved with gross irreverence, such as they would not have shown before one of their fellow rebels, as they have presumed to do before their king and every time they are subsequently admitted into the royal presence (for this king is truly a most merciful sovereign, and affords them many opportunities of repenting and of being reconciled to him) they, strange to say, continue thus to add insult to insult, at the same time that they ignorantly think they are doing him a service! Let some of the members of our different congregations who assemble together in our places of worship on the Lord's Day, apply what has here been written to themselves. THE BEST FRIEND. Oh! that I had a Friend divine! Be Thou, all-gracious Saviour, mine, Too often have I spurn'd Thy feast; For all Thy followers, e'en the least, May I, with all my heart in tune, May I, when tempted to do ill, Be mine, content with frugal board, Mindful, no luxury, good Lord, May I, when life and life's turmoils So would I learn to know Thee mine, Because Thou art my friend divine, E. D. |