Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

"Secondly, They affirm an abfolute fate, and deny the providence and government of "the almighty in the world.

"Thirdly, They have endeavoured to fub"vert all order and discipline of the church, and "by vile and unjust reflections on the clergy, "they ftrive to bring contempt on all religion, that by the libertinism of their opinions, they

[ocr errors]

may encourage and draw others into the im"moralities of their practice.

"Fourthly, That a general libertinifm may "the more effectually be eftablished, the uni "verfities are decried, and all inftructions of youth, in the principles of the chriftian religi "on, are exploded with the greateft malice and falfity.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"Fifthly. The more effectually to carry on "these works of darkness, ftudied artifices, and "invented colours, have been made ufe of to "run down religion and virtue, as prejudicial to "fociety, and detrimental to the ftate; and to "recommend luxury, avarice, pride, and all "kind of vices, as being necessary to public "welfare, and not tending to the deftruction of "the constitution: nay, the very stews them"felves have had ftrained apologies, and forced "encomiums, made in their favour, and pro

“duced.

❝duced in print, with defign, we conceive, to "debauch the nation.

Thefe principles having a direct tendency to the fubverfion of all religion and civil govern“ment, our duty to the almighty, our love to ❝our country, and regard to our oaths, oblige us ❝ to prefent.

The publishers of a book, entituled, The fable of the bees, or private vices, public benefits, fecond edition, 1723. And alfo,

"The publishers of a weekly paper, called The British Journal, Numb. 26, 35, 36, and 39.

The PRESENTMENT of the grandjury for the county of Middlefex, the 28th of November, in the prefent year 1728.

WE

E the grand-jury of the county of Middlefex, fworn to examine "for our fovereign lord the king, and the body of this county, confidering, that the "welfare of religion, and the ftate, are the "fame, and their interefts fo clofely uniteds that any incroachments made upon the one,

❝ have

❝ have alway threatned, and often fubverted the ❝ other.

t

"And that the wifdom and happiness of our› conftitution are fuch, that our holy religion is eftablished, and guarded by it, equally "with the prerogatives of the crown, and the "liberties and properties of the subject; and "that any attempt against it, is a breach and "violation of the laws.

"Therefore, according to the duty we owe › $6. to God, and the loyalty we bear to his majefty, we do with the greatest concern reflect upon that deluge of impiety and licentiousness "which hath within these few years broke in 66 upon this church and kingdom.

66

"We are not only to complain of the revival' "of old herefies, levelled at particular articles of "our faith, under several names and diftinctions; “but it is with unspeakable grief that we obferve ¢ Schemes to be formed, and attempts carried don, ❝ to extirpate christianity itself; and fuch mea "fures have been taken to advance infidelity and “irreligion, that they seem to have been concerted, " and to have been the result of united counsels} "endeavours and contributions.

"The doctrine of the ever-bleffed trinity has ❝s been exploded, the authority of the boy " Scrip

feriptures denied, and a freedom of thinking and acting whatever men pleafe, (if done in fincerity, as it is called) is fubftituted inftead "of the principles of the gospel."

"Atheistical books are published for the fub"verting our faith, and lewd ones for the de"ftruction of our manners. In the one the "miracles of our blessed faviour are ridiculed, and "in the other, thofe vices which have been "branded as infamous in all ages, are now re"commended as public benefits and the di"vulgers of thefe wicked blafphemies and errors, have proceeded without any caution or difguife, notwithstanding the care the legisla"ture took in paffing the act of indulgence, "expressly to exclude them from the benefit of es it.

It is this infidelity, and thefe licentious "principles, that are the fource of those flagrant « enormities and unnatural vices, not fit to be na"med among chriftians, of which we have for "great reafon to complain.

"The difhonour that the exceffive growth of herefy, infidelity and profaneness hath brought on 66 our church and nation, is too great to be dif

regarded, and too manifeft to be diffembled. "Our ecclefiaftical and civil conftitution muft "needs

[ocr errors]

"needs undergo reproach, as if we either wanted laws to punish fuch enormities, or zeal to turn "the edge of thofe laws upon the daring offen<ders.

"We forbear to wound the ears of this ho "nourable court, by a particular mention of "thofe many blafphemous paffages which have "been published in books of late.

"Nevertheless, in difcharge of the trust re"pofed in us, and of our duty to God, his ma"jefty, and our fellow-fubjects, and as much as "in us lies, and in hopes of the affiftance of "this honourable court, to ftop this torrent of "infidelity and profanenefs, which may other"wife draw down the vengeance of heaven upon ❝our church and nation :

We the grand-jury do moft humbly pre«fent the author, printers and publishers of a "book, entituled, The fable of the bees, or pri "vate vices, public benefits, with an effay on

charity and charity-schools, and a fearch into "the nature of fociety, the fifth edition; to which is added, a vindication of the book from "the afperfions contained in a prefentment of the grand-jury of Middlefex, London, printed "for J. Tonfon, at Shakespear's-Head, overagainst Catherine fireet, in the Strand, 1728.

"And

« AnteriorContinuar »