i I OF THE everal Kinds of SOCIETIES, ft up of “late Years, for the promoting of God'sW or2 fhip, for the Reformation. of Manners, and, for thePropagation of Chriftian Knowledge: A Piet that the Religious and Vittaous Part of this Nation iad long comiplain’d of the infamousClubbs of Avheifts,Deifis,andSocirians, _ who,for many Years pill, Have Labour'd io fetup te pretended. ‘Oracles of mifguided Reafon, sgainft the undoubted Oiacles of, Goi. 5 too many of whom, ‘by their feandalois Lives, mofasréeable to thicir Principles, have endeavotu'd to deftioy in therhfelves, aie others ait (otions of Divine Things, and of the differences of Goodand Evils Séwas thotight neceffary, by divers ‘ferious Perfors of the’ Chircb oj Bnglind, That the Children of Light thouldendcavout t6 be a8 Wife as they; and, by forniing themlelvesinto Societies, Miould affift one ano- ther in their -mott Holy Faith," aid a Prattire agtéeable. thereto. Thefe and the like ConGderations, brought togetlier a confiderable Numiber of {uch Pious Perfons (about Twenty Years fince) who tet of- ten, to Pray, Sing, Pfalms, and Read ch’ Holy. Scriptutestogether, and ‘to Reprove, Exhort, and Edifie one’another, by their Religious Confe~ erleess and theit Number hath been daily {6 inereafed, that they Joake, at prefent, about Thirty Nite Societies, in and about Loja and Wepiminfer sand theit Example hath been follow'd, by Devout Perfons, Ja divers other Paris of thisNation; and in Irelaid, epeciallyin Dub- Jin, wherethere are about Ten of thefe Sovieties, fupported by the Re. id Bithops and Tnferiour Cletgy there: “Thete Societe, ‘and th Methods and Orders,’ were enquired into, and approv'd by our Late 4 fed Memory, and the Late Excéllent Archbithop Tillosfow, “nd arg greatly clteein' ¢ by feveral Mott Reverend and Right Reverend “Bithops, Who have madethe fame Enquiry: And thefe are the Societte} whichrate particularly cal'd, THE e ELIGIOUS SOCIETIES, Whote Rie; Progtels, and Charitable Defigns, are Deferib’d and Re- domiamaded, ih a Pious Difcourfe, by the Reverend Dr Toodward. ca, d Beean i oe fae i But the Private Devotions, arid Exemplary Lives, of the Member bf thele Societies, were not uffcient to ftop the Torrent of Vice, which * had.broken. downall.the,Banks.of..Reafon_and Religion -and.theree fore, about Ton, Years. Sincer Fiveor Six privace Gentlemeh- Members! of the Church of England) confideting, that the higher the*Tide of Wickednefs was, the more necd there was of oppofing its they refol~ ved tofetupaS OCIET WFQRITHE REFORMATION OF. MANNER $3 and therein firkt having enter’d them(lves, to make their utmof Efforts for promoting the Execution of the Laws againtt engine an ge ppp ing of them by.advifeable Methods :! An ace \GrfPlvioldpely oppos'd by the Chathpions and, AdvBcates of Debauchery yet, by ¢ of His Moft Sacred Maiefty, and His late Molt Gracious Queen, the Countenance of the Clergy of tht featett Figure in the Church, partis cularly of HisGrace the Lord Archbithop of Canterbury, by his Circular Lewes, and the Zealand indulty ofthe Perfonsengag therein, hal PGIpEHE t6'a! Degree} Exccedingly Great, Beyoud what Humane Wi domdig,’9i{ coal bxpedts, for. this Defign Fncounsring io Man's hog relt Advantage, fo Ways intermedling in Matters of Controverlie, being. diteéted byl Men i6f confideratle Rankand:Fortuhé,-as Members of Part ints, Fruflices, of, thee, Peat ers; and Ennis ind-who ae ore a Peres the Exéctitivé Partmanag’d by fuch who have refus'¢ Even that part of the Forfeitures, on Convictions, which the Law-allows. to Informers, leaft they thowld {eem to ai sir dion pride iPad traily Virtuous People of the tod inations Of Potefants arongtt us, have readily agreed to joyn Pirfés:ih thé Profectition thereof add this Union of Hearts Glide, int things fo agtecable to all, who deferve the Name. of Proteftants,, of Chriftians, Of Englifomen, ox even of Mex, hath been of gteat ule, to retnove the Prejudiccs, which many had taken up, aguinft The Efteblifi'd Church, and againft one another; and bath laid a Foun: dation of thicUnion, which may bea probable means of putting an &nd to Schifins and Divifions, of reftoring the Primitive Difcipline in the Church, and ef téaching Bugland to Keep the Duity of the Spirit ix tho boad of Peace. Te igby the Endeavouts of this Society aMlited by the Religions Societies aforefaid) and divers otfiérs. Gince formd, andaéting under. the. Influ- eneeof it, that more than Twenty Thoufand Perfons have been Convis ed for Swearing, Cinrfing, of Propbariation of the Lord's Day, in and about the Cities Of Leiden and Wifiniier 3 and many. of them, at lealt out- ward, ‘Reformied thereby 5 and the Profecutions have been manag'd i fo mich YendernefS and Chriftian Charity, that nojuft Caule of Conriplaint hag ever yét appeatd again(t them; and by the Endeavours of one of thefe.Socieses alone, Three Thoufand lewd and diforderly Perfons have been Punifh’d within the fame Limits: And ‘tis of thefe Societies, aid theit Ri, Progrefsand Succefs, that the World has had an Account, ina Book, Entituled; Ax Arcount of the Societies for the Refor- mation af Meenirete England and Ireland with a Perfwwafion to Perfors of all Ranks tobe Zealous and-Diligent iz promoting the Execution of the Laws ‘againft Propkanenefs imag eof ¢NationalReformation Publifo'd with the Apprabation of a confiderable Number of Lords Spivi tual avd Teioporal, and of the Honourable Fudges of bob Kingdoms. Ang is now Tranllating into other Languages for the Propagating of the Defiga of Reformation in other Nations: 7 Bug ‘Pivine'Aflitances-eh Pacdonage”34 Bue altho‘ the: Succets ofthis Hindertabingis hing x ‘ at and'tho’ afat greater and fpeediec progrels. ofit thay be expetied, now the Methads for ving of icon are Pristed and Publithed, there feonis. yet fomething more needful to be done agai Sites King dora, andl toprossote:the KGngdom of onr Lard fue Chrift. The meeting togetlicr: for mutual Edification, in Religious Societies, is a probable means of timing good: Men beter 5 and, Societies for Reforreation of. Mamersare exceedingly necdfal, not ouly to keep-ill Men from grow ing: worle; butto‘Convert and Athend thems, and’ both of thefe for the recovering of thé: pbiver, of Religion more generally araong us, aswell ds/forithe diterbditing: and {upprefling’ of ProphanenefS and Vice: r° But, for. the Jafting! Eftablithment of our holy Faith, and the {preadiig ofivin the World, thereisia vilible Necellity of fome fpecial tare to:bé-takea fo the breeding’up' of Children in Virtue and. true Religions: forthe rdclaiiniig, off chofe. who. Ere in the Fundamentals of Chrifttantey, and) foridicatitaging che Piopagation of the Gofpel in uit Plantisiong. | hsob ton irk. eer hes " vn :-Phis.Confideratlore méw'd fomeRéHfons of Haxotraud Quality, who liad. aittue Zeabfor ehe Glary.6£:. Gods the Saivation of their Brethren, and the Reputation of ourMather-Chrcbs to Unitethemfelves into a * SOCIETY, FOR THEPROMOTING OF CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDG bothatHome andAbroad ; and they apply’d thiemfelivesto formMethods, and to find out means ofaccomplithing fo glorigus an Undereaking 5 ie gulating themtelves always by the Bvclfecalonfiations, as the So- bietiexfor Reformation do themfelves by the Temporal Laws of England: And thus g gpour March, Anno 1695, began the Society for promoting of Chriftian Krowledge, which has; fince that time, been daily encreated, by the Acceflion of many worthy Perfons, who are defirous to be in. ftrumental in fo Excellent a Defign, fo that at prefent it confitts of 4 confiderable Number of Perfons of Quéfity and Ethics 5 Bifhops, E- minent Clergymen, Lawyers, Gc. befides their Correfpondents which are carrying on the fame Work in all the Counties of England and. Wales, andin the Plantations beyond the Scat. This Society meets Weekly to deliberate about whatis Expedierit for the carryingon of thofe Pious Ends for which they United ; and. they have already made a Progrels beyond. what could reafonably have been hoped for in fofhiort a time. They have (by their own Subferip- tions, and others which they have procur'd) bought great Numbers of Ufeful Books, for the furnithing of the Plaztations with Parochial Libraries, to invite Worthy Clergymen to thofe Parts; by who& La- bours, the Chriffiavs, who are thete, may be Edify'd, and the Gofpet Propagated aniong the Unbelicvers. “They have difperfed great Numbers of good Books for the Iuftru- Ging of poor Families in the true Principles of the Chrifien Religion. They are ufing means fot the providing Cutechetical-Libraries in the finaller Parithes, to enabie the Inferiour Clergy the better to perform their Daty of Catechizing, according to the LIXth Caen, and the great- ec Parithes with Lending-Librarice, which will be of gieat ufe to the poorer Clergy, to affift them in the more fixccefSful oppoting “af Errors and HereGes. [And they have more larly apply'd thenifelves to the fetting up of Sckaols for the Education of Poor Children, inany of which are Erefted, and are now Erettirg in the Country: In and about London iti Weftninfter, there are alteady (et wip about Twenty of them 5 ia Which near a Thoufand Poor Childies, of both Sexes, are ‘Taught te Read the Bible, and to repeat and an the Chur Cate. ebifn & ‘ceedingly great;; ‘ & te chifes, sad'the Boys: Spefides Taught to Write and calk Accoth 5 fen ‘for ‘Frades, ‘ane’ the Gicls #D Kaie} Work with thei ae a toe to taketbemgood Servants in others Feinilies, oF good! Wives and Co Teagan their-own's and by” this means we hhave a fair’ profpett of a great Reformation of the poorer fort (who~ are now. {0 much’> 5 Corrupted) by the beinging up Of fach. Numbers of them Pioully,in cor oaformity to the Church, andin ways that lead. them to Serviceable to the Publick. Tic dowbted, bat that all ue Lovers of the Church of England, to whomt this Account fhall come, “eat with their Prayers, Counte patite, and Adiftance, joyn in thefe Pious Endeavours, by which fo: na Good may bedone to the World, ‘and,fo mach Honoir redound: cave Holy Religionand the Eftablidyd Church, that our Enemiesmay eee no omto charge us with che Betraying the Intereft of our: Church, by Supinity oF ‘Negligence, or with GoldnefS in moting. careroey and Religion at Home, or in fpread it abroad in the re~ ‘moter parts of the Barth: And we cin aPnot doebt but thefe bleffed. ‘Defigns will gain Credit to this Church; both at Home and Abroad 5 Desens Nocontince it, asit bath-conftantly been, ice the Reforma Hion, the Bulwark of the Proteffant Religion.’