Other Mifdeameanours are commonly punished with Imprifonments or Fines, and fometimes with both.

As for Breaking on the Wheel, and other like Torturing Deaths, common in other Chriftian Countries, the English look upon them as too cruel to be used by the Profeffors of Christianity.

CHA P. IX.

of Societies inftituted in England, for the Advancement of Religion, whether Incorporated or Voluntary.

IN the former Chapters, the coercive Methods ufed by the been accounted for. There are, befides thofe, fome voluntary ones, a brief Account whereof feems proper to be added in this Place; and that is of the feveral Societies that have been fet up of late Years for the more effectual promoting of God's Worship, the Reformation of Mannners, and the propagating of Chriftian Knowledge both in this Nation, and in Foreign Parts: which are known by the Names of Religious Societies. The Societies for Reformation of Manners, The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and, The Society for Promoting Chriftian Knowledge.

1. The Religious Societies are fo called, because the particular End and Defign of them is to improve themselves and others in the Knowledge of our moft Holy Religion, and to animate one another in the ferious Practice of it.

They were begun in London, about the Year 1678, by a few ferious young Men of the Communion of the Church of England, who, by the Advice and Direction of their Spiritual Guides, agreed to meet together frequently for Religious Conference, and by Prayer and Pfalmody to edifie one another. The Experience they hereby gained of the Bleffednefs of Religion, and Value of Souls, foon animated their Endeavours to gain others to join with them; whereby they grew and increased, and new Societies were formed by the Pattern of the Old: So that there are now above Forty diftinct Bodies of them within the Compafs of the Bills of Mortality, befides divers others in diftant Parts of the Nation.

Thofe that compose these Societies, are Members of the Church of England, and in all Matters of Doubt and Difficulty, oblige themselves to confult the Eftablished Miniftry. They receive the Holy Sacrament at least once a Month, and take all convenient Opportunities of attending the Service of God in

Publick;

Part I. Publick; have fet up Publick Prayers in many Churches of the City, procured the Administration of the Sacrament every Ho. ly Day, and maintain Leatures upon the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper almost every Lord's Day Evening, in fome one or more Churches.

They industriously apply themselves to the relieving poor Families and Orphans, fetting Prifoners at Liberty, folliciting Charities for the pious Education of poor Children, Vifiting and Comforting those that are fick and in Prifon, and Reclaiming the Vicious and Diffolute; in promoting Chriftian Conference, Decency in God's Worship, Family Religion, and the Catechizing of young and ignorant People. They have been inftrumental in bringing feveral Quakers and Enthufiaftical Perfons to Baptism, and a fober Mind, Reconciling feveral Diffenters to the Communion of the Church of England, and preferving many unsteady and wavering Perfons from Popery.

2. Societies for Reformation of Manners, fo called from the particular End and Design of them, which is to reform the Manners of the People, by putting in execution the Laws against Immorality and Prophaneness..

They were begun in Londen, about the Time of the Revolution, by 5 or 6 private Gentlemen of the Communion of the Church of England; and by the Acceffion of many virtuous Perfons of the too various Denominations of Proteftants among us, are now become confiderable both for their Number and Intereft. Of these,

1. There is a large Body compofed of Perfons of Eminency in the Law, Members of Parliament, Juftices of the Peace, and confiderable Citizens of London, who frequently meet to confult of the best Methods for carrying on the Business of Refor mation, according to the Eftablish'd Laws, and to advise and affift others that are already engaged, or willing to join in the fame Defign. By this Body the neceffary Charge of this Defign is defrayed, and no Contributions taken of any but their own Members; by whofe Endeavours feveral thousands of Offenders in London and Westminster have been convicted of Swearing, Drunkenness, and Prophanation of the Lord's Days and punished accordingly.

A Second Body confifting of about 50 Perfons, Tradefmen and others, have more especially applied themselves to the Suppreffion of Lewdnefs, by bringing the Offenders to legal Punishment; and have actually fuppreffed above 500 diforderly Houses, and convicted fome thousands of lewd Perfons, befides Swearers, Drunkards, and Prophaners of the Lord's Day, &c. as appears by their feveral printed Lifts of Offenders.

A Third is of Conftables, of which fort of Officers care is taken to form yearly a new Body in London, who meet to confider of the most effectual way to discharge their Oaths, to com

municate

municate the Difficulties they meet with, and to confult of proper Remedies. Thefe divide themfelves in the feveral Parts of the City, for the more regular Infpection of diforderly Houses, feizing of Drunkards and Swearers in the Streets and Markets, and carrying them before the Magiftrates.

A Fourth is fuch as give Informations to the Magistaate of fuch Breach of the Laws as abovementioned.

There are eight other regulated and mix'd Bodies of Houfekeepers and Officers in the feveral Quarters of London, Weftminfter, and Southwark, who differ in their Conftitution from these before-mentioned; but generally agree in the Methods of infpecting the Behaviour of Conftables and other Officers; whom they alfo affift in fearching diforderly Houfes, feizing Offenders, and giving Informations.

Several Societies of this kind are fet up at Briftol, Canterbury, Hull, Nottingham, and other diftant Parts of the Kingdom, and of late Years the like Designs have been carried on in Ireland, and in feveral of his Majefty's Provinces in America.

3. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. That a Maintenance for an Orthodox Clergy might be fecured, and other Provision made for the Propagation of the Gospel in the Plantations, Colonies, and Factories beyond the Seas, the late King by his Letters Patents dated June 16, 1701, did Incorporate the Moft Reverend Fathers in God Thomas Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and John Lord Archbishop of York, the Right Reverend Father in God Henry Lord Bifhop of London, and feveral others of the Lords the Bifhops, of the Nobility, Gentry and Clergy, to the Number of about Ninety, therein particularly named, by the Name of The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, who by that Name were to plead and be impleaded; to have perpetual Succeffion, with Priviledge to purchafe Two thousand Pounds per Annum Inheritance and Estates for Lives or Years, Goods and Chattels of any Value, to have a common Seal, and to meet Yearly on the third Friday in February to choose a Prefident, Vice-Prefidents, and Officers for the Year enfuing, and on the third Friday in every Month, or oftner, if need be, to tranfa&t Bufinefs, and to depute fit Perfons to take Subfcriptions, and collect Money contributed for the Purposes aforefaid; and of all Moneys received and laid out, to give account Yearly to the Lord Chancellor or Keeper, the two Lords Chief Juftices, or any two of them.

This Society ordinarily meets every Month according to the Direction of the Charter, and hath a standing Committee, to prepare Bufinefs for the Monthly Meeting: The former at St. Martin's Library, the latter at St. Paul's Chapter-Houfe.

Of the above-mention'd Society, there has been a very full Account given under the Title of An Account of the Foundation of

the

Part I. the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, with their Proceedings and Succefs, &c.

4. The Society for Promoting Chriftian Knowledge, whofe 0riginal Designs were, to propagate Religion in the Plantations, to fecure the pious and useful Education of the Poor here at home, and to reclaim those that err in the Fundamentals of Christianity.

It was begun in London, March 1698-9. by fome Persons of Honour and Quality, who held their ftated Meetings for these Purposes, regulating themselves by the Laws of the Land, and Canons of the Church.

In the Year 1701, they had procured Charities to the value of Eight hundred Pounds and upwards, and tranfmitted the fame to the Plantations in Libraries, Bibles, Common-Prayer-Books, Catechifms, and other Books of Religion and Devotion: They had alfo fecured a voluntary Maintenance for feveral Minifters to be employed in the Plantations, when the late King was pleafed by Royal Charter to establish the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts; Incorporating by Name, all the then Members of the Society for Promoting Chriftian Knowledge, and divers others; thereby difcharging this Society from the farther purfuit of this Branch of their Original Defign.

This Society confifts now of a good number of Perfons of Quality and Eftates, both of the Clergy and Laity, and is become confiderable by the acceffion of Correfponding Members in the feveral Counties of England and Wales.

They meet Weekly to confider of proper Methods of raising Charities for the Chriftian Education of poor Children, and of fetting up Schools for that purpofe; as alfo for the more regular and proper Difpofal of pious Books and Catechifms, for the Inftruction of the Ignorant and Erroneous, and the like.

They have, by the Affiftance of fome Members of the Religi ous Societies, procured Charitable Subfcriptions for the Education of near five thousand Children of both Sexes; who are placed out in feveral Schools in London, and the parts adjacent, and are inftructed in Reading, Writing, the Catechifm, and Pfalmody; and have been inftrumental to animate the Zeal of many Active and Pious Men, who are endeavouring to promote the Inftruction and Employment of the Poor in all Parts of Great Britain and Ireland, fo that according to the Account published 1717. there are 1281 Charity Schools in Great-Britain and Ireland, wherein near Thirty Thousand Poor Children of both Sexes are Taught, and about half of them compleatly Cloathed.

They have difperfed great Numbers of good Books and Catechifms amongst the Poor, and in the Fleet, the Army, the Prifons and Circuits in many parts of the Kingdom, having excited

divers of the Clergy and Gentry to the like Charity; and have procured feveral Practical Treatifes to be tranflated into the Welch and Foreign Languages, and difperfed accordingly.

They have likewife procured and remitted many Liberal Benefactions to the Proteftant Miffionaries at Trauquebar, &c. in the Eaft-Indies.

The Corporation foz an Jugmentation to pooz Livings,] was founded about the latter end of the Year 1703. Her late Majefty of bleffed Memory, being then pleafed to inform Her Parliament by a Meffage, of Her gracious Intentions of granting Her whole Revenue of First Fruits and Tenths to the poor Clergy; whereupon an Act was paffed in the Second and Third Year of her Reign, entituled, An A&t for the making more effectual Her Majefty's gracious Intentions for the Augmentation of the Maintewance of the Poor Clergy, by enabling Her Majefty to grant in Perpetuity the Revenues of the First Fruits and Tenths; and also for enabling any other Perfons to make Grants for the fame purpose: After which her Majefty, by Letters Patent under Her great Seal, bearing date the Third Day of November, 1704. was pleas'd to establish a Corporation, by the Name and Title of The Gouernours of the Bounty of Queen Anne, for the augmentation of the Maintenanc of the pooz Clergy, the greatest and most confiderable that ever was known in England; being compofed of all the Lords, and others of Her Majefty's most Honourable Privy Council, for the time being; all the Lords Lieutenants and Cuftodes Rotulorum in England; all the Lords the Bishops; all the Deans of Collegiate Churches; all the Judges; the Queens Sergeants; the Attorney and Sollicitor General; the Advocate General; the Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of both the Univerfities; the Lord-Mayor and Aldermen of London; and all Mayors of Cities for the time being: And by new Letters Patent dated the 5 of March 1713. for preventing the delay and obftruction of the Bufinefs of the faid Corporation, Her late Majefty was pleased to encrease the Number of the faid Governours, by adding all the Officers of the Board of Green-Cloth; all the Queens Sergeants and Council learned in the Law; and the Four Clerks in ordinary of the Privy Council. The first thing the Governours did, after opening their Commiffion, was to confider the State of the Revenue of First Fruits and Tenths, and of the Condition and Numbers of poor Livings to which the Royal Bounty was to extend, viz. to all under 80 1. per Annum. As to the First, they found that the whole Revenue of Tenths did not amount to quite 13000 7. yearly; and that the first Fruits, which were much more contingent, did not, at a Medium of 20 Years together, exceed 5000 l. per Annum; but the faid Revenue of First Fruits and Tenths, at the time it was vefted in the Governours, ftood charg'd with Grants and Penfions, (feveral of them for