“That profanity hath been much winked at, and profane persons much countenanced, and many times employed, till iniquity and ungodliness have gone over the land as a flood; and profanity, beginning at the court, hath spread itself through every rank and quality in the land:  so that immoralities and sins against every precept of both tables are greatly abounding.”  As, namely, great contempt of God and godliness, ignorance, atheism and irreligion, unsuitable walking to the knowledge of him and his perfections which we have, and not labouring in the use of means to attain more.  Much neglect of pressing after peace and reconciliation with him, through a Mediator, and of living up to the profession which we make of him.  Despising of his holy ordinances and means of worship; deafness and stupidity under the calls of his Word.  Profanation of his holy sacraments, neglect of secret prayer (wherein much of the life of religion lies), and of prayer in families, or a negligent, careless and superficial performance thereof; many using a formality of words and expressions learned by custom.  Some using our blessed Lord’s prayer as a set form, which ought to be used as a rule of direction in all our prayers, and not as a dead form of words:  many seeking more to be seen of men in this and all other duties, than to approve themselves to God, and more careful to come by apposite words and expressions, when praying with others, than to attain and entertain the breathings and influences of the Spirit of God.  Much neglect of propagating Christian knowledge in congregations and families; ministers and masters of families not making diligent search into the knowledge of the flocks and families under their charge, and instructing them suitably.  Much swearing and profanation of God’s name, by loose and vain oaths in common discourse:  yea, swearing by the creatures—­as, soul, faith, conscience, and the like, thereby sacrilegiously attributing to them divine honour; as also, by imposing upon all persons in any public trust the unlimited and unlawful oath of allegiance, together with the bond of assurance, and the oath of abjuration, contrary to the oath of the covenant, thereby debauching people’s consciences, and involving them in the guilt of perjury.  Great profanation of the holy Sabbath, and neglect or careless performance of the duties therein required; breaking it by unnecessary feasting, walking, idle, vain and impertinent discourse, and such like recreations; yea, by hunting, hawking, riding and going of journeys, sounding trumpets before their lords of Justiciary when going to church, reading of proclamations wholly irrelative to religion, and making publications not necessary nor expedient to be made upon that day.  Much disobedience to parents, and undue carriage of persons of all ranks and relations towards each other.  Great murder and bloodshed, so that the land is defiled with blood, and that not only the blood of the Lord’s people, who, in the times of persecution, were led