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Penn_101-150.indd 137 1/18/12 8:35 AM AN Address to Protestants of All PERSWASIONS More Especially the Magistracy and Clergy, FOR THE Promotion of VIRTUE and CHARITY (1679) IN Two PARTS. By W P. a Protestant. 2 Pet. 1. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9ยท Giving all Diligence, add to your Faith, Virtue; and to Virtue, Knowledge; and to Knowledge, Temperance; and to Temperance, Patience; and to Patience, Godliness; and to Godliness, Brotherly Kindness; and to Brotherly Kindness, Charity. For ifthese Things be in you, and abound, they makeyou that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge ofour Lord jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these Things, is blind, and cannot see far off, and hath forgotten that he was purgedfrom his old Sins. THE FIRST PART. Sect. 8. An Address to the Civil Magistrate for Redress. HAVING thus ended my Reflections upon the Five Great Crying Sins of the Kingdom,' and my Reproof of the Actors and Promoters of them; give me Leave to make my Humble and Christian Address to you that are in Authority. And in the First Place, I beseech you to remember, that tho' ye are as Gods on Earth, yet ye shall dye like Men: That ye are encompass'd with like Passions, and are subject to Sin. Such therefore of you, as may be concerned in any of these Enormities (to what ever Degree of Guilt it be) I beg you in the Name of God to search your selves, and to be just to your own Souls. 0! let 1. The five great crying sins of the kingdom, elaborated by Penn in Part I of this Address, are drunkenness, fornication, luxury, gambling, and oaths (which Penn considered a form of blasphemy). Penn_101-150.indd 138 1/18/12 8:35 AM {138} PENN'S A RG UM ENT FOR REL I G 10 US LIBERTY the Mercies and Providences of God constrain you to Unfeigned Repentance! Turn to the Lord, Love Righteousness, Hate Oppression, and he will turn to you, and love you and bless you. In the next Place, be pleased to consider your Commission, and examine the Extent of your Authority, you will find that God and the Government have impower'd you to punish these Impieties: And it is so far from being a Crime, that it is your Duty. This is not troubling Men for Faith, nor perplexing People for Tenderness ofConscience; for there can be no Pretence of Conscience to be Drunk, to Whore, to be Voluptuous, to Game, Swear, Curse, Blaspheme and Profane; no such Matter. These are Sins against Nature; and against Government, as well as against the Written Laws of God. They lay the Ax to the Root of Human Society, and are the Common Enemies of Mankind. 'Twas to prevent these Enormities, that Government was instituted; and shall Government indulge that which it is instituted to Correct? This were to render Magistracy Useless, and the Bearing of the Sword Vain: There would be then no such Thing in Government as A Terror to Evil-Doers; 2 but every one would do that which he thought Right in his own Eyes. God Almighty defend us from this Sort ofAnarchy. There are three great Reasons, which enforce my Supplication. The First is, The Preservation ofthe Government, which by such Improvidence and Debauchery , is like to be greatly weakned, ifnot destroyed. The Industry, Wealth, Health and Authority of the Nation, are deeply concern'd in the Speedy and exemplary Punishment of these Extravagancies. This is the Voice of Interest, for the Common Good of the whole Society; Rulers and Ruled. But there is an higher Voice, unto which Christian Men ought to have Regard , and that is the Voice ofGod, who requires us to fear him and obey his Righteous Commandments, at the Peril ofmaking him our Enemy, whom we should make our common Friend and Protector: For upon his Goodness, depends our very Natural and Civil Comforts. So that it is our Interest to be good; and it is none of the least Arguments for Religion, that the Piety and Practice of it is the Peace and Prosperity of Government; and consequently, that Vice the Enemy of Religion, is, at the same Time, the Enemy of Humane Society. What then should be more concern'd for the Preservation of Virtue, than Government; that in it's abstract and true Sense is not only founded upon Virtue, but without the Preservation...

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