,libraries47       ,a ,,letter ,,from   
,,the ,,lord ,,bishop ,,of ,,london1    
,,to ,,the ,,clergy and ,,people ,,of   
,london and ,westminster2 ,on ,occasion 
of the ,late ,,earthquakes4    ,,london3
 ,printed for ,,john ,,whiston in       
,fleetstreet4 ,,mdccl4  ,price          
,three-,pence4     ,,to ,,the ,,clergy  
and ,inhabitants ,,of ,,the ,cities of  
,london and ,westminster4   ,my         
,brethren and ,friends1  ,the ,relation 
,i stand in to you1 is a daily ,call    
upon me to consider the spiritual ,state
 of these great ,cities2 and tho' ,i    
doubt not but ,,god has many faithful   
and chosen ,servants among you1 yet the 
general ,view of the ,wickedness and    
,corruption that abound1 and are        
spreading far and wide1 gives me1 and   
must give to every serious ,christian   
very painful ,reflexions3 ,it is hardly 
possible to think of the ,history of    
,providence1 recorded in ,holy ,writ1   
and the many ,examples of ,divine       
,justice exercised1 sometimes in        

punishing1 sometimes in utterly         
destroying wicked ,nations1 or ,cities1 
without being sensibly affected with    
,apprehensions for ourselves3 ,but more 
especially have we ,reason to fear1 when
 we see the ,beginning of ,sorrows1 and 
the ,displeasure of the ,almighty       
manifested in the ,calamities we suffer 
under1 and in the ,signs and ,tokens    
given us to expect a far more dreadful  
,judgment4  ,it is every ,man's ,duty1  
and it is mine to call upon you1 to give
 ,attention to all the ,warnings which  
,god in his ,mercy affords to a sinful  
,people3 ,such ,warning we have had1 by 
two great ,shocks of an ,earthquake2 a  
,warning1 which seems to have been      
immediately and especially directed to  
these great ,cities1 and the            
,neighbourhood of them2 where the       
,violence of the ,earthquake was so     
sensible1 tho' in distant ,parts hardly 
felt1 that it will be ,blindness wilful 
and inexcusable not to apply to         
ourselves this strong ,summons1 from    

,god1 to ,repentance4  ,thoughtless or  
hardened ,sinners may be deaf to these  
,calls2 and ,little ,philosophers1 who  
see a little1 and but very little into  
natural ,causes1 may think they see     
enough to account for what happens1     
without calling in the ,aid and         
,assistance of a special ,providence2   
not considering1 that ,god who made all 
,things1 never put any ,thing out of his
 own ,power1 but has all ,nature under  
,command to serve his ,purposes in the  
,government of the ,world4 ,but be their
 ,imaginations to themselves1 the       
,subject is too serious for trifling2   
and calls us off to other ,views4  ,if  
we consider the general ,government of  
the ,world by ,god1 and upon what       
,reasons and ,motives he acts1 when he  
brings ,calamities and ,plagues upon any
 ,people3 ,or if we recollect from      
,history sacred and profane1 what ,state
 and ,condition with respect to         
,religion and ,morality1 the ,people    
were in1 who have been ,examples of     

,justice3 ,and then compare our own     
,case with the general ,reason by which 
,providence acts1 and with the          
,circumstances of those by whose        
,example we ought to take ,warning1 we  
shall soon discover whether there be    
just ,reason for our ,apprehensions4 ,if
 those who have been destroyed by ,fire 
from ,heaven1 or swallowed up by the    
,earth were ,sinners1 and we are        
righteous1 let us fear nothing1 nor be  
dismayed though the ,foundations of the 
,earth be removed3 ,but if our          
,consciences tell us1 that we have      
sinned after their ,example1 what       
,consolation is there to be had against 
the just ,expectation of suffering after
 their ,example also8  ,the same        
,conclusion will arise from a           
,contemplation of ,god's general        
,providence2 which tho' it is not daily 
exerted in punishing all ,men1 or all   
,vices that deserve it2 yet is always   
armed with ,power to stop outrageous    
,wickedness2 and he has told us in his  

holy ,word1 what we may expect from his 
,justice1 when we are grown hardened and
 obdurate against his ,mercy4  ,upon    
these ,principles let your own ,case be 
examined3 ,but who shall be your        
,accuser8 ,shall ,i8 ,god forbid1 ,my   
,heart's ,desire and ,prayer to ,god for
 you is1 that you may be saved4 ,hear me
 then with ,patience1 not as your       
,accuser1 but as your faithful ,servant 
and ,monitor in ,christ ,jesus1 warning 
you to flee from the ,wrath that is to  
come4  ,had this ,part of the ,world had
 less ,knowledge and less ,light1 they  
might have some ,excuse1 and some ,hope 
that ,,god would wink at the ,times of  
their ,ignorance3 ,but they have had the
 ,light1 and have loved ,darkness3 ,the 
,gospel of ,christ in which all the     
,goodness and ,mercy of ,,god are       
display'd through the ,redemption       
purchased by the ,blood of ,christ2 in  
which the ,aid and ,comfort of the ,holy
 ,spirit of ,,god is offered to all who 
diligently seek it2 in which the ,hopes 

and ,fears of ,eternity are display'd to
 guard us against the ,temptations of   
,sin2 has been not only rejected1 but   
treated with a malicious ,scorn2 and all
 our ,hopes in ,christ represented as   
,delusions and ,impositions upon the    
,weakness of ,men4 ,how has the ,press  
for many ,years past swarm'd with       
,books1 some to dispute1 some to        
ridicule the great ,truths of ,religion1
 both natural and revealed4 ,i shall    
mention no particular ,cases1 there is  
no need for it2 the ,thing is notorious4
 ,i wish the ,guilt in this ,instance   
was confined to the ,authors only1 and  
that no body else was answerable for it3
 ,but the ,earnestness with which these 
,books were sought after1 the ,pleasure 
and ,approbation with which they were   
received1 are too strong ,indications of
 the general ,taste to be dissembled2   
and the ,industry used to disperse these
 ,books at home and abroad1 and         
especially to our ,plantations in       
,america2 to which great ,numbers1 and  

at a great ,expence have been conveyed2 
are ,proofs of such ,malice against the 
,gospel and the ,holy ,author of it1 as 
would not be born even in a ,mahometan  
,country4 ,in this ,branch of ,trade1   
this great ,city beats all the ,world2  
it is become even the ,mart for         
,infidelity4  ,it required no great     
,sagacity to foresee what the           
,consequence would be of the ,pains     
taken to unsettle all ,principles of    
,religion4 ,infidelity and ,immorality  
are too nearly allied1 to be long       
separated2 and though some have         
pretended to preserve a ,sense of       
,virtue without the ,aid of ,religion1  
yet ,experience has shewed that ,people 
who have neither ,hopes nor ,fears with 
,respect to another ,world1 will soon   
abuse this by indulging the worst of    
their ,passions1 and will not regard    
,man1 when once they have learn'd to    
disregard ,,god4  ,whether this be our  
,case1 let every ,man judge by what he  
hears and sees2 by what1 indeed1 he must

 hear and see1 if he lives amongst us4  
,blasphemy and horrid ,imprecations     
domineer in our ,streets1 and poor      
,wretches are every ,hour wantonly and  
wickedly calling for ,damnation on      
themselves and others1 which may be     
7'tis much to be feared7 too near them  
already4 ,add to this the ,lewdness and 
,debauchery that prevail amongst the    
lowest ,people1 which keeps them idle1  
poor1 and miserable1 and renders them   
incapable of getting an honest          
,livelihood for themselves and          
,families2 the ,number of lewd ,houses1 
which trade in their ,vices1 and which  
must at any rate be paid for making ,sin
 convenient to them2 and it will account
 for ,villainies of another ,kind1 which
 are growing so fast as to be           
insupportable1 and almost incurable3    
,for1 ,where is the ,wonder that        
,persons so abandoned should be ready to
 commit all ,sorts of ,outrage and      
,violence8--,a ,city without ,religion  
can never be a safe ,place to dwell in4 

,the unnatural ,lewdness1 of which we   
have heard so much of late1 is something
 more than brutish1 and can hardly be   
mentioned without offending chaste      
,ears1 and yet cannot be passed over    
entirely in ,silence1 because of the    
particular ,mark of ,divine ,vengeance  
set upon it in the ,destruction of      
,sodom by ,fire from ,heaven4 ,dreadful 
,example6  ,but these ,vices are so     
enormous1 that 'tis to be hoped the     
,generality of our ,people are not      
guilty2 ,i hope in ,god they are not1 ,i
 trust they are not4 ,but how unhappy is
 it for this ,country1 that there should
 be any ,ground even for ,suspicion that
 these ,vices are growing to be common6 
,but to go one ,step further--  ,when   
,men1 not content with indulging their  
own brutish ,passions1 take ,pains to   
corrupt others1 they act with such cool 
and diabolical ,malice1 as outdoes      
former ,examples1 and seems to be a     
,challenge to the ,power and ,justice of
 ,god--,have not all the ,abominations  

of the publick ,stews been opened to    
,view by lewd ,pictures exposed to ,sale
 at ,noon-day8 ,have not ,histories or  
,romances of the vilest ,prostitutes    
been published1 intended merely to      
display the most execrable ,scenes of   
,lewdness2 ,lewdness represented without
 ,disguise1 and nothing omitted that    
might inflame the corrupt ,passions of  
the ,youth of the ,nation6 ,what was the
 ,encouragement for ,men to dare giving 
such an ,affront not only to the common 
,sense1 but to the common ,law of the   
,country8 ,was it not the quick ,sale   
these ,pictures and these ,books had8   
,and is not this a deplorable           
,circumstance1 and sad ,instance of the 
corrupt ,disposition of many among us8  
,is it to be wondered at1 after so much 
,pains taken to corrupt the ,religion   
and ,morals of the ,people1 that they   
should be indisposed to attend to any   
thing serious1 or that they grow sick of
 ,religion1 which has no ,comforts for  
them2 that they fly from the ,church and

 crowd to the ,playhouse3 ,that they are
 tired of themselves1 and their own     
,thoughts1 and want to lose themselves  
in ,company from ,morning to ,night8 ,it
 is this unhappy1 unsettled ,state of   
,mind that has introduced a ,kind of    
general ,idleness among the ,people1 and
 given ,rise to almost infinite ,places 
of ,diversion in and about this ,town2  
it were well if they were ,places of    
,diversion only2 but they are often     
,places for carrying on worse ,business1
 and give ,opportunities to the         
,profligate to seduce the ,innocent1 who
 often meet their ,ruin1 where they only
 came for ,pleasure--,while ,i was      
writing this ,i cast my ,eye upon a     
,news-,paper of the ,day1 and counted no
 less than fifteen ,advertisements for  
,plays1 ,operas1 ,musick1 and ,dancing1 
for ,meetings at ,gardens1 for          
,cock-fighting1 ,prize-fighting1 c8     
,should this ,paper1 7as many of our    
,news-,papers do7 go abroad1 what an    
,idea must it give to all the ,churches 

abroad1 of the ,manner in which ,lent is
 kept in this ,protestant ,country8     
,what our ,saviour said to the ,jews    
upon another ,occasion1 ,you have turned
 the ,house of ,prayer into a ,den of   
,thieves1 may with a little ,variation1 
be applied to ,ourselves1 ,we have      
turned this ,season appointed for       
serious ,reflexions1 and ,humiliation of
 ,body and ,spirit1 into a ,time of     
,mirth and ,jollity1 of ,musick1        
,dancing1 and riotous ,living4  ,how far
 this ,spirit of ,indolence and         
,idleness has gone1 and to what ,excess1
 may be seen in all ,orders among us2   
friendly ,visits for ,conversation are  
become insipid ,things1 and are         
degenerated into ,meetings for ,gaming1 
where ,people hardly known to each      
other1 are invited by one ,tye only1 the
 ,love of ,play3 ,which seems now to be1
 not an ,amusement or ,diversion1 but a 
serious ,business of ,life1 and one     
would think a necessary one1 by seeing  
how some ,children are trained up to it4

  ,there is a great and a grievous ,evil
 among us1 which naturally springs from 
the ,disorders beforementioned3 ,i mean 
the great ,increase of ,popery in this  
,kingdom4 ,when ,men have lost all      
,principles of ,religion1 and are lost  
to all ,sense of ,morality1 they are    
prepared to receive any ,superstition1  
whenever the ,decay of ,health1 or the  
cross ,accidents of ,life revive the    
,fears of ,futurity2 which may be       
stifled1 but cannot be extinguished2    
such ,persons not able to digest the    
wholesome ,food of ,repentance1 by which
 their spiritual ,condition might be    
gradually mended1 greedily swallow the  
high ,cordial of ,absolution1 which like
 other ,cordials gives some present     
,ease1 but works no ,cure4 ,and with    
respect to ,people of a serious and     
religious ,turn of ,mind1 the manifest  
and almost general ,contempt1 or at     
least ,neglect1 of the ,duties of       
,religion gives a great ,advantage to   
the ,emissaries of ,rome to impose on   

their ,weakness1 and to persuade them   
that they can have no ,hopes in the     
,religion of a ,church1 where ,religion 
itself is hardly to be found4  ,lay     
these ,things together2 and what more   
your own ,observation and ,reflexion may
 furnish1 and much more they may        
furnish2 and then ask your ,heart1      
whether you have not ,reason to fear1   
that ,god will visit for these ,things4 
,if your ,heart misgives you1 and       
forebodes the ,time of taking ,vengeance
 for these ,iniquities to be drawing    
near1 consider further1 how graciously  
you have been dealt with by having had  
,warning of your ,danger2 and remember  
that the long ,sufferance of ,god is a  
,call to ,repentance4  ,it is purely for
 the ,sake of this ,reflexion1 that ,i  
now address myself to you3 ,i have no   
,pleasure in laying open the ,shame of  
my ,country1 or in exposing its         
,nakedness either to ,friends or to     
,foes2 and when ,i consider my own      
,situation1 'tis a ,prospect void of all

 ,comfort to me to see the ,condition of
 the ,people1 over whom ,i have a       
,charge2 and1 ,god knows my ,heart1     
these ,considerations are a ,pain and   
,grief to my ,mind4  ,but1 let us not   
despair2 there is still one ,remedy     
left1 and whatever ,reason we have to   
condemn ourselves1 yet of this we may be
 sure1 that ,god has not forgotten to be
 gracious4 ,to him then let us turn1    
with hearty ,repentance for our ,sins2  
and with a ,resolution to do1 each of us
 in his proper ,station1 what lies in   
our ,power to stem the ,torrent of      
,iniquity which threatens our ,ruin4    
,as to ,you my ,brethren of the ,clergy1
 who share with me the ,care of the     
,souls in these populous ,cities1 let me
 exhort ,you1 7though ,i trust you want 
not to be exhorted7 to awaken the       
,people1 to call them from the ,lethargy
 in which they have too long lived1 and 
make them see their own ,danger4 ,speak 
to them1 perswade them as knowing the   
,terrors of the ,lord4--,speak to their 

,hearts and ,consciences with such      
,plainness as becomes the ,ministers of 
the ,gospel2 tell them in ,season and   
out of ,season1 that unless they repent1
 they must perish4 ,if the ,warnings we 
have had are a ,call on the ,people to  
,repentance1 remember they are still    
stronger ,calls on us1 to preach        
,repentance1 and to discharge the ,duty 
we owe to ,god and his ,church1 and to  
the ,flock of ,christ1 over whom we are 
placed4 ,may this ,work of ,god prosper 
in our ,hands6  ,i should be wanting to 
the ,duty ,i owe to the highest as well 
as the lowest1 should ,i omit on this   
,occasion to remind those who are       
entrusted by their ,country1 with the   
,government of these populous ,cities1  
how much the ,welfare of the ,people    
depends upon the faithful ,execution of 
the ,law4 ,i pretend not to accuse them 
particularly of ,neglect1 a general     
,neglect of this ,kind is one of the    
worst ,symptoms of the ,time2 every ,man
 is left to do what is right in his own 

,eyes1 one would think there was no     
,king in ,israel4 ,could the vile       
abominable ,pictures of ,lewdness have  
been offered to ,sale in the most       
frequented ,parts of the ,city2 could   
,books for the ,instruction of the      
,unexperienced in all the ,mysteries of 
,iniquity have been publickly cried in  
our ,streets2 had not the ,laws1 and the
 ,guardians of the ,laws1 been          
asleep8--,but surely it is high ,time to
 awake2 and to let ,people once more    
know1 7what seems to be almost          
forgotten7 that ,laws are made for the  
,punishment of ,wickedness and ,vice1   
and for the ,maintenance of true        
,religion4  ,government is a great      
,trust1 and the ,powers of it are not   
intended merely to do ,honour to those  
who have them1 but must be used for the 
,good of the ,community4 ,this is a     
,truth sufficiently known1 it has been  
founded in the ,ears of the ,nation1    
without ,ceasing2 but the ,misfortune   
is1 that this ,doctrine has been applied

 so constantly to the ,supreme          
,magistrate only1 that those who have   
subordinate ,powers derived from his    
,authority1 forget1 or are not          
accustomed1 to make the ,application to 
themselves4 ,and yet surely1 there is   
not a ,constable but has1 in ,proportion
 to the ,power the ,law gives him1 a    
,trust reposed in him in ,behalf of his 
,king and his ,country3 ,those who are  
in higher ,offices1 have still greater  
,reason1 as more depends upon the due   
,exercise of their ,authority1 to be    
watchful for the ,community4 ,the ,good 
of ,society must be influenced by their 
,conduct and ,example1 one ,way or      
other4 ,great ,officers of ,justice     
cannot be useless1 without being        
pernicious4  ,if a ,regard for the      
,publick is not a ,motive strong enough 
in this ,case1 let every ,magistrate    
consider that there is another of       
infinite ,importance to himself2 for if 
all ,power be the ,ordinance of ,god1   
,he will undoubtedly demand an ,account 

of the ,exercise of it3 ,and who is he1 
that has so little to answer for on his 
own ,account1 as willingly to subject   
himself to be answerable for the ,sins  
of others1 which either by his          
,encouragement1 or his ,connivence he   
makes his own8 ,pardon the ,freedom of  
this ,address2 ,i honour and reverence  
your ,office1 and ,i hope ,i give you no
 ,occasion to despise mine4  ,next to   
those in publick ,offices of ,power and 
,trust1 the ,happiness of the ,publick  
depends upon those who have the         
,government in private ,families4 ,here 
it is that the ,youth of the ,nation    
must be formed1 and if they are suffered
 to be corrupted in their ,religion or  
,morals before they come into the       
,world1 there is little ,hope that the  
,world will reform them4 ,all wise ,men1
 ,legislators1 and ,princes1 have       
acknowledged1 not only the ,use1 but the
 ,necessity of an early ,education to   
form the ,mind1 whilst tender1 to the   
,principles of ,honour and ,virtue2 and 

what is more1 the wisest of all1 the    
,writers inspired by the ,holy ,spirit1 
have required it as a ,duty from        
,parents1 and as ,part of the ,obedience
 they owe to ,god3 ,even our            
,unbelievers have seen how far ,religion
 depended on this ,care2 and under a    
,pretence of maintaining the ,liberty of
 the human ,mind1 and guarding it       
against early ,prejudices1 they have    
endeavoured to persuade the ,world1 that
 ,children should be taught nothing of  
,religion1 but be left to form ,notions 
for themselves4 ,they have had but too  
great ,success1 and we begin to see the 
,fruits of it4 ,the ,children of this   
,age1 grow soon to be ,men and ,women1  
and are admitted to be ,partners1 and   
,witnesses to the ,follies and ,vices of
 their ,parents4 ,thus trained and      
educated1 when they come to be ,masters 
and ,mistresses of ,families1 they      
answer fully what was to be expected    
from them2 they are often a ,torment to 
each other1 and to themselves1 and have 

,reason to bemoan themselves for the    
,indulgence shewn them in their early   
,days4  ,would you see the ,effects of  
this ,education in all ,orders among us1
 look into the many ,publick            
,assemblies2 sometimes you may see ,old 
,age affecting the ,follies of ,youth1  
and counterfeiting the ,airs of ,gaiety2
 sometimes ,men lying in wait to seduce 
,women1 and ,women to seduce ,men2 and  
even ,children seriously employed at the
 ,gaming ,table1 as if their ,parents   
were concerned to form them early to the
 ,taste of the ,age1 and were afraid    
that they should not soon enough1 of    
themselves1 find the ,way to their      
,ruin4  ,look near ,home3 ,see the      
,temptations of this ,sort which        
surround these ,cities1 and are indeed  
so many ,snares to catch your ,sons and 
,daughters and ,apprentices4 ,can you   
look on1 and be unconcerned8 ,for ,god's
 ,sake1 and for the ,sake of your       
,children and your ,country take the    
,courage to act like ,parents and       

,masters of ,families3 ,reformation must
 begin in private ,families2 the ,law   
and the ,magistrate can punish your     
,children when they become wicked2 but  
it is you1 who must make them good1 by  
proper ,instruction and proper          
,government4 ,if you suffer them to meet
 ,temptation1 where ,temptation is sure 
to meet them1 never complain of him who 
corrupts your ,child1 you are the       
,corrupter yourself2 to you he owes it1 
that he is undone4 ,and perhaps there is
 not a more provoking ,circumstance1 nor
 a greater ,call for ,divine ,vengeance 
on a wicked ,nation1 than this2 that the
 ,youth are prepared and brought up to  
inherit all the ,vices of their         
,fathers1 which cuts off all ,prospect  
of ,reformation2 and stands as a ,bar   
between us and ,mercy4  ,on you         
therefore1 ,fathers and ,mothers1 your  
,country1 and the ,church of ,god call  
for ,assistance2 your ,endeavours may go
 a great ,way towards saving us1 and    
this wicked ,generation may be spared1  

for the ,hope of seeing the next better4
  ,in a word1 let every ,man1 whatever  
his ,station is1 do his ,part towards   
averting the ,judgments of ,god3 ,let   
every ,man reform himself1 and others as
 far as his ,influence goes3 ,this is   
our only proper ,remedy2 for the        
dissolute ,wickedness of the ,age1 is a 
more dreadful ,sign and ,prognostication
 of ,divine ,anger1 than even the       
,trembling of the ,earth under us4  ,to 
our own ,endeavours1 let us add         
continual and fervent ,supplications to 
the ,almighty1 that he would spare us1  
and not deal with us according to the   
,multitude of our ,sins2 that he would  
give us the ,grace of ,repentance1 and  
open our ,eyes to see1 before it is too 
late1 the ,things which belong to our   
,salvation4  ,may the ,god of all ,mercy
 hear you1 in this ,day of your         
,distress6 ,to his ,protection1 and the 
,grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,i earnestly 
recommend you4 ,i am1  ,your            
,affectionate ,brother1 and ,servant in 

,christ ,jesus1  ,,tho4 ,,london4       
,printed for ,,john ,,whiston in        
,fleetstreet4  ,the ,fifth ,edition1 on 
a fine ,paper1 ,price #es4 bound3  ,i4  
,the ,use and ,intent of ,prophecy1 in  
the several ,ages of the ,world3 ,in    
,six ,discourses1 delivered at the      
,temple ,church2 ,to which are added1   
,four ,dissertations1 and an ,appendix1 
being a farther ,enquiry into the       
,mosaick ,account of the ,fall4  ,by    
,,thomas ,,sherlock1 ,d4,d4  ,master of 
the ,temple1 now ,lord ,bishop of       
,london4  ,n4,b4 ,the ,appendix may be  
had alone to compleat former ,editions4 
,price #as4  ,,ii4 ,the ,tryal of the   
,witnesses of the ,resurrection of      
,,jesus4 ,the ,twelfth ,edition1        
corrected4 ,price #as4 #f;d4