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148 Assembly Proceedings, Nov. 14-Dec. 8, 1688.
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Lib. W. H.
p. 547
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Generall Is that we first render thanks & praise to the
Almighty for that it hath pleased the Divine Goodness thus
to Bless us in this (I hope) so good and happy a meeting, nor
ought we to be Strangers to the End and Duty for which the
Divine Providence hath Ordered us thus to meet, I say Provi-
dence hath Ordered, for that there is no power but of God and
the Power by which we are Assembled here is undoubtedly
Derived from God, to the King, and from the King to his
Excellency the Lord Proprietary and from his said Lordship
to Us, the power therefore whereof I speak being as said
First In God and from God
Secondly In the King and from the King
Thirdly In his Lordship and from his Lordship
Fourthly In Us, so the End and duty of, and for which
this Assembly is now Called and met is that from those four
heads to witt,
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of God
The King
Our Lord
and Selves
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We Consider, and first
of Our Duty in Referrence to God
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That is to say that part of Our duty to God which properly
Lyeth before us and that I humbly conceive Consists in the
well Ordering and making of Good and wholesome Laws
whereby to punish all publick and Scandalous Offences which
shall at any time be Committed by the People of or within
this Province against the Divine Majesty, But more especially
I Commend to your Care the Utter Suppressing and Abolish-
ing of the several hainous and habitual Crimes now most in
Mode and use amongst the People as Drunkeness, Adultry,
Swearing, Sabboth breaking &c.
Drunkeness Gentlemen that beastly Sin (to the shame of
the Guilty be it Spoken) is but too Common among the People
of this Province to the utter Ruin not only of their souls, For
that Drunkards shall not Inherit the Kingdom of God, But
also of them their Children and families against whom God
by his Prophet Isaiah pronounceth Woe Saying Woe to the
Drunkards of Ephraim etc. Ought not we then to fear and
tremble least God in like manner should (according to Our
Deserts) Pronounce Woe to the Drunkards of Maryland it
being Doubtless a Sin of all Sins the most Dangerous for not
Content in itself it Strangely leads us into (almost) all manner
of Sin and Vice depriving us not only of God but even of
Ourselves, for it basely unmans us to that Degree that it
makes us become greater Beasts than Beasts themselves, So
Shamefull it is to see Doggs have more Sense than their
Masters and horses more understanding than their Riders.
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