The cause and prevention of great calamities national and personal demonstrated, and recommended to the consciences of all concerned; especially keepers of taverns, inns, and other houses of entertainment, to read and consider in the fear of the all-seeing God. / [by] G.W.

THE CAUSE and PREVENTION OF Great Calamities National and Perſonal: demonſtrated, And Rcommended to the Conſciences of all Concerned; Eſpecially Keepers of Taverns, Inns, and other Houſes of Entertainment, to Read and Conſider in the fear of the All-ſeeing God.

YOu who keep Taverns and other publick Houſes of Entertainment in the fear of God the Righteous Judge of all, ſeriouſly conſider how you diſcharge and anſwer a good Conſcience towards God and Men in your places. Do not Covet an evil Covetouſneſs unto your Houſes, for wo is to them that do ſo Covet, Hab. 2. 9. Do not live upon the Sins of the People; let not your Profits or Gain ariſe from thence, for that will not-proſper: Have a care that you never let any Man or Woman have more Wine or other ſtrong Liquors then what is Neceſſary for their Refreſhment and Health, in that they may praiſe God, that whether they eat or drink, &c. they may do all to his Praiſe and Glory; every Creature of God is good, and ought to be received in Moderation with Thanks giving, and none of his Mercies abuſed or miſpent in Exceſs or Extravagancy. Pray conſider the ſad effects of Exceſs, Drunkenneſs, Extravagant and Intemperate Living, whence they proceed, what they are, and what they tend to. They proceed from the Wicked one and men's Inſatiable Luſts, they are Sins againſt God and Men's Souls, and tend to theſe Evils, Miſeries and Calamities following, Viz.

Ily, To bring the wo, wrath, and Iudgments of God upon them that are Guilty thereof, Abet, or Incourage the ſame—Prov. 23. 29. Iſa. 3. 11. Hab. 2. 15. Iſa. 24. 45.

IIly, To Impare and deſtroy perſons in their Healths and Eſtates, to Ruin their Children and Families, by bringing them to Poverty and Miſery, Prov. 23. 20, 21.

IIIly, To ſtir up vain Mirth, Muſick, Gaming, Playes and Sports, Ranting, Singing, and Koreing, whereby their minds are elivated and hurried from all Sobriety, Seriouſneſs, and Fear of God, 1 Cor. 10. 7. Exod. 32. 6. Eccleſ. 7. 5. Iſa. 24. 9.

IVly, To nurſe up Lewdneſs, Debauchery and whoredom, which is a great Cauſe of the Land mourning, Hoſea 4. 2, 3, 11.

Vly, To Oaths, Swearing, Execrations, Curſing and alſo Prophaning, and Blaſpheming the holy Name of Almighty God, the frequent Evils and Effects of Drunkenneſs, and Exceſs of Kiot, which alſo cauſe the Land to mourn, Jer. 22. 10. Hoſea 4. 2, 3.

VIly, Exceſſive Drinking, Tipling and Drunkenneſs, tend to Unman Men, to make them Inhumane, Bruitiſh, Sottiſh and Contemptible in the Eyes of God, and all ſober good men, being contrary to the Law of God and Nature, below ſuch brute Creatures (as Horſes, Oxen and other Cattle) that will not be compelled to drink more then they have need.

VIIly, To Threatning, Railing, Quarrelling, Fighting, Bloodſhedding, and abuſing one another, ſometimes to the Loſs of Lives, Killing & deſtroying one another; and ſometimes alſo Killing and Murdering other people who do them no harm, as Who hath Wo? Who hath Sorrow? Who hath Contentions? Who hath Wounds without Cauſe? Who hath Redneſs of Eyes?—They that tarry long at the Wine: they that go to ſeek mixt Wine.—At the laſt it biteth like a Serpent, and ſtingeth like an Adder. See Prov. 23. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32. they are walking or travelling quietly along the Streets or Highways, too often the fruits of Drunkenneſs, Exceſs, and Inflamation of Blood by Wine or ſtrong Liquors, which alſo is the Cauſe of a Land mourning, Hoſea 4. 2, 3.

VIIIly, How many do ſhorten and end their days by Exeeſs and Intemperance; beſides, No Drunkard, whoremenger, Railer or Extortioner ſhall inherit God's Kingdom, 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. Gal. 5. 19, 20, 21. But are utterly excluded, unleſs they come to timely and unfeigned Repentance and Amendment of Life through God's free Grace and Mercy to them.

Oh the Lamentable conſequences of Exceſs and Drunkenneſs, waſting and abuſing God's Creatures and Mercies, and may he not therefore in Judgment with-hold them, and bring want and diſtreſs upon many? Is it not juſt that ſuch as abuſe God's Mercies by EXCESS, ſhould come to want them for Relief? Pray conſider, and read Joel 1. 5.

IXly, And how many are brought under the Condign puniſhment of Death, for Killing and Murdering others in their drunken Fits?

Xly, What Cheating, Stealing. Robbing, Killing and murdering for Money, to maintain Exceſs, Drunkenneſs, Lewdneſs & Debauchery? How apparent is it? and how many ſad Inſtances thereof, that we ſee ſcarce a Seſſions in London, or Aſſizes in one County or other without a Relation of ſome ſuch like ſad accident, as Bloodſhed, Loſs of Life or Lives? And where did they begin but oft times at ſuch a Tavern or Publick houſe, or Merry drinking bout (as they call it?) They were inflamed with high drinking, and ſo the heats and feuds did firſt ariſe which produced thoſe Lamentable Effects.

XIly, And becauſe ſome are more ſtrong and mighty to drink Wine and ſtrong Drink, and can bear it more then others, through Cuſtom and Habit thereof, ſo as not to be ſo apparently drunk, this will not excuſe them in their excſſive and intemperate courſe of Living, devouring or waſting the Creatures of God to ſatisfie their inordinate Deſires and Luſts, nor reſcue them from the wo denounced by the holy Prophet againſt ſuch; ſee Iſa. 5. 11, 12, 22. And every one that Sweareth ſha • l be cut off, &c. Zach. 5. 3. By Swearing, and Lying, and Killing, and Stealing, and committing Adultery, they break out, and Blood toucheth Blood, Therefore ſhall the Land mourn, &c. Hoſea 4. 2, 3. if the Righteous ſcarcely be ſaved, where ſhall the Wicked & Ʋngodly appear? 1 Pet. 4. 18.

XIIly, Theſe ſad and lamentable Conſequences of Drunkenneſs and Exceſs ſeriouſly conſidered; you that are Vintners, and others that keep publick Houſes, and all others concerned, avoid and ſhun theſe Evils, and miniſter no occaſion, nor Incouragement to them, nor connive at them for ungodly Gain; let not Covetouſneſs blind your Eyes, have no fellowſhip with the unfruitful works of Darkneſs but rather in God's fear reprove them; manifeſt your Love and Care to and for your Cuſtomers Welfare, Health and Preſervation as for your own, to the beſt of your underſtanding; and as you ſee cauſe by adviſing them in love and tenderneſs to forbear Exceſs, & that which is for their own hurt, and not to drink to their own prejudice, that they may not only reap the Comfort and Benefit of their Moderation and Temperateneſs, but you and your Families be bleſſed and proſpered in your Chriſtianlike Care therein.

But if any of you prove falſe to God and to your own Conſciences, See alſo De •• . 29. 18, 19, 20. Whoſe heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God—to add Drunkenneſs unto Thirſt—the Lord will not ſpare him, but the Anger of the Lord and his Jealouſie ſhall ſmoke againſt that Man—and the Lord ſhall blot out his Name from under Heaven. and alſo to People that come to your Houſes, (by your not diſcharging your ſelves towards them as you ought to do, in Truth and Righteouſneſs, according to his Light and Truth in you,) and will connive at, give way or contribute unto inordinate Drinking, Gaming, muſick, Dancing, Singing, Debauchery or Lewdneſs in your Houſes, to the diſhonour of God, and the Name of Chriſt Jeſus, tending to their own and Families Ruin who are concerned therein; Then are you Acceſſary and Guilty in the ſight of God of their Evils, which will tend to the drawing down a Curſe, and Iudgments of God upon you, your Houſes and Families.

Therefore pertake not with any of the wicked in their-Sins, nor give any way or encouragement to them therein, that you may not pertake with them of their Plagues, Rev. 18. 4. Epheſ. 5. 6, 7.

Whoever perſiſt in thoſe Sins of Exceſs, Pride and Drunkenneſs, &c. do incur the wo denounced againſt both; ſee Iſa. 28. 1.

G. W.

In King Charles II. his Proclamation againſt Vicious, Debauched and Prophane Perſons, &c. dated May the 30th, 1660. in the Twelfth Year of his Reign, are theſe Remarkable Paſſages following.

THere is a ſort of Men of whom we are ſufficiently aſhamed, who ſpend their time in Taverns, Tippleing-Houſes and Debauches, giving no other Evidence of their affection to us, but in Drinking our Pealth, and inveighing againſt all others who are not of their own diſſolute temper, & who 〈…〉 have more, diſcredited our Cauſe, by the licenſe of their Manners and Lives, then they could ever advance it by their Affection and Courage—We reaſonably hope theſe men will cordially renounce all that Licenſciouſneſs Prophaneneſs and Impiety with which they have been corrupted, and endeavoured to corrupt others; and that they will hereafter become Examples of Sobriety and Vertue.—We will not exerciſe iuſt ſeverity againſt any Male factors, ſooner then againſt Men of Diſſolute, Debauched & Prophane Lives, with what parts ſoever they may be otherwiſe qualified and endowed.—And we hope all Perſons of Honour, or in Place and Authority, will ſo far aſſiſt Ʋs in diſcountenancing ſuch Men, that their Diſcretion and Shame will perſw de them to reform what their Conſciences would not.—Which may by the Example and Severity of Vertuous Men be eaſily diſcountenanced, and by degrees ſuppreſſed.

However for the more effectual reforming theſe Men, who are a diſcredit to the Nation, and unto any Cauſe they pretend to favour and wiſh well to. We require all Mayors▪ and Sheriffs, and Juſtices of the Peace, to be very vigilant and ſtrict in the diſcovery and proſecution of all Diſſolute and Prophane Swearing and Curſing.

THis was Re-inforced by a ſecond Proclamation of the King, the 13th of Auguſt 1660. charging all Miniſters to read it once each Month, for ſix Months enſuing, and ſtir up their Auditors to obſerve the ſaid Duties, and avoid the ſaid Vices.