ADVERTISEMENTS.

Any kind of Letters, Effays, Extracts out of valuable Authors, or Intelligence of any Affairs which may ferve the firft declared Intention of this Paper, will be thankfully received, if directed to the Author of the Occafional-Paper, to be left at North's Coffee-Houfe, Kingftreet, near Guild-Hall, London. Poft paid.

A

Lately publish'd,

Collection of the OCCASIONAL
PAPERS for the Year 1716. With a

Preface.

Vol. II. Numb. I. of Orthodoxy.

II. Letters to the Author.
III. Of Plots.

IV. Of removing the Incapaci
ties of Proteftant Diffenters.
V. Of Political Friendship.
VI. Of Aas of Grace.
VII. The Pretenfions for an
Abfolute Power of the
Church confider'd: Being
an Answer to fome of the
moft Confiderable Objecti-
ons against Impartial Liber-
ty.

All Printed for J. Knapton, at the Crown in St.
Paul's Church-Yard; J. Harrifon under the
Royal-Exchange; and A. Dodd, without Tem
ple-Bar.

OCCASIONAL PAPER.

VOL. II. NUM B. IX.

O F

SOCIETIES

FOR

Reformation of Manners;

With an

Addrefs to Magiftrates.

Common Senfe, as well as the Experience of all Ages, teaches us, that no Government can flourish which does not encourage and propagate Religion and Morality among all its particular Members. It was an Obfervation of the antient Romans, that their Empire bad not more encreafed by the Strength of their Arms, than by the Sanctity of their Manners: Cicero, ------- makes it a Doubt, whether it be poffible for a Community to exist that had not a prevailing Mixture of Piety in its Conftitution? ------ a Man who would hope to govern a Society without any Regard to thefe Principles, is as much to be contemned for his Folly, as to be detefted for his Impiety.

Freeholder, No. 29.

LONDON:

Printed for JAMES KNAPTON, at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard; J. ROBERTS, in WarwickLane, J. HARRISON, under the Royal Exchange; and A. DODD, without Temple-Bar. MDCCXVII.

(Price Four-pence.)

O F

SOCIETIES

FOR

Reformation of Manners, &c.

T is one avowed Design of this Paper to affert the juft Liberties of Mankind: But all juft Liberty must be founded in Reason, and kept within the Bounds of Virtue and Religion. If these Bounds are broke down, it degenerates into Licentiouf nefs and this, fhould it grow Univerfal, would introduce Tumult and Confufion into Society, would tear its Ligaments, prey upon its Vitals, and quickly iffue in its Diffolution. It is Virtuous and Reasonable Liberty that the Author would affert and cultivate, but would by no means be understood to Countenance or abet Licentious Pra&ices. This were to ruin his own Defign; for Freedom and Property are mere Names, where Men have renounc'd Reafon, abandon'd Vir

tue,