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Month or thirty Days, which the Law of God had fixed at six Weeks; and has made no difference in the time of the Separation between the Circumstances of a Male or Female Birth; for all which we give physical Reasons, such as generally satisfy our Scruples in thole Affairs; nor is it my Business to dispute here the Reason and Nature of the Alteration, and whether it is sufficiently grounded. Our Physicians and Anatomists are best able to answer for that Part, and, I suppose, can do it.
But even, with all the abatement of Days, and I doubt not 'tis reduced as low as it can be, yet, I say, with that abatement we find it is not observed; our Libertine Age breaks thro' it all, and, if it were a Fortnight, would perhaps do the same, and this is the Thing I complain of; and for want of which Decency, or Duty rather, People of this Age may be justly said to deserve the Censure which a Wife and good Man put lately upon them, namely, that we have not less Holiness than our Ancestors, nor less Honesty, but much more; only that he thought the Holiness and the Honesty of the Days differed, and that some Things would pass now for Holiness and for Honesty with us, which would not pass for such with our Ancestors.
This indeed may alter the Case very much, and the Ages may differ in the Species when they do not differ in the Name of the Things; the Standard of Virtue may alter as the Standard of our Coins frequently do; but the real thing, the Silver, and its intrinsick Rate or Value alters not, 'tis always the same, and ever will be.
To
