T1Je natural Evils of Fornication and Adultery. ~· 7• 6. And confcqucntly the due education ofchildren would be hindered, or utrerly overthrown~ The mothers that fhould tirf\ take care ofthem, would be difabled and turned away, that frcth harlots might be received, who would hate the offspring of the former : So that by this mc:ans the world and all focieties and civility would be ruined, and men would be made worfe than bruics, whuJll nature hath either better taught, or elfe made for them fome other fupply. Learning, Religion, ~nd ci•i– lity would be all in a manner extinct, as we fee they are among thofe few favagc: Gannib.iiS that aie under no rc:firaint: For how much all thefe depend upon education, experience telleth us: In a word this confufion in procreation, would introduce (uch confufion in mlns hearts, and families and all [ 0 .. cietics, by corrupting and defiroying neceffary affection and education, that it would be the greareft plague imaginable to mankind, and make the world fo bafe and btal\ly that to defiroy mankind from off the earth would feem much more defirable. Judge then whether God fi1ould have left meus Lulis. unrefiraincd. · Objea. §. 8. Objefr. Bttt (you'll fay) there might have been {omt moderate rd/railtl to a ccrt.iH number 111 i.t is rPith the Mahomctans, without fo much ji,.illne{s M Chriji doth ufe. , An[R1• Anfw. That this Orifrn:fs is ~ueffary, and is an excellency in G?d'. law, app~areth thus. 1. By the greatnefi of the mrfchtefwhiCh ell< would follow : To be rernrfs rn prevcnung fuch a contufion in chc world, would be an enmity ro the world. 2· In that mans nature is fo violently im:lined to break over, that if the hedge were not clofe there were no fufficient refiraining them ; they would quickly run out at a little gap. 3· The wifer and the better any nation or perfons are, even among the Heathens, the more fully do they confent to the firidnefs of Gods Laws. 4· The ckaneO fore of hruits thernfelves are taught by nature to be as firict in thei~ copularions : Though it be ochenv 1 fe with the mm tcrrtftrial beafis and birds, yet the aerial go by couples : Thofe that are ca!ltd the fowles of the Heavens, that fly in the air, are commonly taught this chaflity by nature; as if God would not have lull come near to Heaven. 5· The families of the Mahomerans that have more wives.than one, do Chew the mifchief of it in the dfelh, in the hatred and difagreement of their wives, and the great tlavery that women are kept in; making them like flaves that they may keep therr;. <tUiet : And when women are thus enflaved, who have fo great a part in the education of children, by which all virtue and civility are maintained in the world, i[ muil needs tend to the debaGng and brutifyi,ng of mankind. §. 9· 7• Children being the .pretioufeJ rf aU our treafure, it is neceffary that the firiaeft Laws be made for the {ccHring of tbeir goocl education and thtir welfare. If it 01all be treafon to debafe or councerttit the Klngs coyn, and if men mull be hanged for robbing you of your goods or money, a.nd the L1ws are not thought too firict that are made to fccure your efiatcs ; how much more is it necdfary that the Laws be firifr againfi the vitiating of mankind, and againfi the debafement of your image on your"children, and againfi that which tendeth to the extirpation of all virtue, and the . ruine of all focieties and fOuls. §· to. 8. God wiU have a holy [etd in the ,.,.Id, tbatjhaN hear his image rf holimfr, and therefore he will have all means fitted thereunto: Bruiti£h promifcuous generation tendeth to the production of a bruitifh feed : And though the wurd preached is the means of fanClifying thofe that remain un– fanctitied from their youth; yet a holy marriage and holy dedication of children to God, and holy education of them, are the former mean~, which God would not have neglected or corrupted, and to which he promifcthhis blefiing: As you may fee, 1 Cor. 7· '4• M4l. 2· ' 5• Didnot he m>ks one? Ttt bad he the refidue of the fpirit : And wherefore ene l 1hat he might feel;. a godly feed: 'lhmfore oab,_e heed to yourJPirit, and /t1 none dealtreacberoufly againft the wife of l1is youth : for the Lord baretb putting away. §. 1 r. !I• Yea l•fl corrupteth the mind of the perfon himfelf, if it be not vory much reftrained and moderated. It turncth it from the only excellent pleafure, by the forceof that bruitifh kind of plea– Solomons fure. It carrieth away the thoug~ts; and diftempereth the paffions, a11d corruprcrh the phantafic, and wivtst~lletl thereby doth eafily co~rupt the inrelled: and heart. Plea{urt is fa much of the End of man, which away h~ heart his Nature leadeth him to defire, that the chief thing in the world to make a man Grwl and H 'PPJ is t::;,:: tKings to enga!le his heart to thofe Pleaf•res which.are.Good, and make r:nen Happy: And the chief thin5 to Jr. 4 . The make h1m Badand Miferable, IS to enga~e hrm m the pleafurts whrcll make men Bad and end mMi– wifdom of so- firy. And the principal thing by which you may know your felves or others, what you are, is to kmJ~proftr- know what your pleajitres are, or at leafi, what you cboofi and defirt for your pleafure. If the Body fr~m th~;:!er rule the Soul you are bruitifh, and £hall be d.dlroyed : If the So11l rule the Body, you live according to of luff, and the true humane nature and rhc ends of your creation. If the Pleajitres of the Bc4y are the predominant deceit of wo- pleafures which you are moH addicted to, then the Body rulcth the Sotd , and you Chall. perilh as m;n. . Traytors to God, that debafe his Image, and turn man into Bea/f, Ro.,.. 8. 13· If the P/eafure of the },~;;;p:•· Soul be your mol\ P"dorninant pleafut!', which you are moj! addil:ied to (though you attain as yet but th.r fiiht little of it ) then the Soul doth &le the Body, and you live like mm; And this canoot well be till •LIIi•fl the fiHI. Faith !hew the Soul thofe higher Pleafures in God and everlafiingGlory, whi'h may carry it above ~11 fiejhly pleafurer. By all this fet together you may eafily perceive, that the way of the Devil to cor– rupt and dam1J men, is to k._eej them from faith, that they may have no Heau.enly Spiritual pleafurt, and to Orengthen [tn[ttality and give them their fill offo.fhly plea[ttres to imprifon their minds that they may afcend no higher : And that the way to [an/:iifie and fa,ve mf11, is to help them by faith to lfea– venly pleajitre, and to abate and keep under that fofhly pleafure th~t would draw down their minds. ' And by thiS you may fce how to underfiam\ the dofrrine of mor11ficauon aJld rammg the body, and abfiaining from the plea(ures of the flea, : And you ~Jeay no>v underfii\lld what p<rfonal mifc(1ieLLutl doth (o the foul. 9· 12. 10,
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