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sits so ill upon the Tongues of Men of Virtue and Moderation, much less Men of Christianity and Religion, that I blush for them, and conceal it. Nothing requires a more just and severe Censure, except it be the Action they would defend by it.
To say they cannot refrain, is to confess a frailty which Papists and Popish Votaries despise, and pretend to make slight of, nay, which Pagans and Mahometans overcome by the Power of their Religion. The Nuns dedicated to Christ, and to such and such Saints, undertake to preserve an entire Chastity; and the Religious Orders of Monks and Friars do the same; the Clergy universally make no Difficulty of it, and this for the length of their whole Lives. And shall Protestants not be ashamed to say they cannot ——— for so little a Time, and so just an Occasion? 'Tis a most shameful Necessity they are under; if the Fact be true, they ought, as I said in another Case, take Physick, use Medicine, and strive by justifiable Methods, to abate the Acrimony of their Blood, bringing themselves into a Rule or Regimen of Diet, that they may remove the Cause, and enable them to command their raging Desires, by weakening the Desire it self.
Nothing is more certain, than that luxurious living, eating and drinking, what we call rich Diet, high Sauces, strong Wines, and other Incentives, are great Occasions of Vice; are Provocatives, and Raisers of other and more scandalous Appetites; the Blood is heated and fired, and the Spirits are inflamed; Nature is elevated and prompted, and then we Plead and Argue what we ought to be ashamed so muchas
