A sermon of repentance preached before the honourable House of Commons, assembled in Parliament…

That Profaneness aboundeth on the other side, and drunkenness, swearing, fornication, lasciviousness, idleness, pride and covetousness, do still survive the Ministers that have wasted themselves against them, and the labours of faithful Magistrates to this day! And that the two extremes of Heresy and Profaneness, do increase each other; and while they talk against each other, they harden one another, and both afflict the Church of Christ. But especially woe to England for that crying sin, the scorning of a holy life, if a wonder of mercy do not save us. That people professing the Christian Religion, should scorn the diligent practise of that Religion which themselves profess! That obedience to the God of Heaven, that imitation of the example of our Saviour who came from Heaven to teach us Holiness, should not only be neglected, unreasonably and impiously neglected, but also by a transcendent impious madness, should be made a matter of reproach! That the holy Ghost ⟨p. 38⟩into whose name as the sanctifier these men were themselves baptized, should not only be resisted, but his sanctifying work be made a scorn! That it should be made a matter of derision, for a man to prefer his soul before his body, and Heaven before earth, and God before a transitory world, and to use his reason in that for which it was principally given him, and not to be wilfully mad in a case where madness will undo him unto all eternity! judg as you are men, whether hell it self is like much to exceed such horrid wickedness! and whether it be not an astonishing wonder, that ever a reasonable soul should be brought to such a height of abomination. That they that profess to believe the holy Catholic Church, and the Communion of Saints, should deride the holiness of the Church, and the Saints and their communion! that they that pray for the hallowing of Gods Name, the coming of his Kingdom, and the doing of his will even as its done in Heaven, should make a mock at all this that they pray for! How much further think you is it possible, for wicked souls to go in sinning? Is it not the God of Heaven himself that they make a scorn of? Is not Holiness his image? Did not he make the Law that doth command it; professing that none shall see his face without it? Heb. 12. 14. O sinful Nation!

That Profaness aboundeth on the other side, and drunkenness, swearing, fornication, lasciviousness, idleness, pride and covetousness, do still survive the Ministers that have wasted themselves against them, and the labours of faithfull Magistrates to this day! And that the two extreams of Heresie and Profaneness, do increase each other; and while they talk against each other, they harden one another, and both afflict the Church of Christ. But especially woe to England for that crying sin, the scorning of a holy life, if a wonder of mercy do not save us. That people professing the Christian Religion, should scorn the diligent practise of that Religion which themselves profess! That obedience to the God of Heaven, that imitation of the example of our Saviour who came from Heaven to teach us Holiness, should not only be neglected, unreasonably and impiously neglected, but also by a transcendent impious madness, should be made a matter of reproach! That the holy Ghost