Of the crime of Onan (together with that of his brother Er, punished with sudden death Gen. 38. 10.) Or, the hainous vice of self-defilement, with all its dismal consequences, stated and examined ... Vol.I: [pt.1]

OF THE CRIME OF Onan (together with that of his Brot • er 〈◊〉 , Puniſhed with Sudden Death Gen. 38.10.) OR, THE HAINOUS Vice of Self-Defilement, with all its Diſmal Conſequences, ſtated and examined in all thoſe who may ever misfortunately have injured themſelves by this abominable Practice. Containing all that can be ſaid of this Ʋnnatural Vice. Whereas nothing has been ever yet writ before, on this difficult Su • ject of Impurity in both Sexes ſo full and plain, as this Treatiſe is: I order tha • all Sorts of Perſons may Re • d it, (it being highly neceſſary they ſhoul • ) to keep them from that Abyſs of Miſery and Ruin, this one Vie • of Impurity above all others, Involves its Slaves in.

SOmetimes the • in does us o'retake, And on OUR WEAKNESS • i •• ; Sometimes OUR SELVES, • ur Ruin make, And We o'retake the • in. O ſave us Lord from all ſuch Darts, That ſeek our Souls to ſtay; Sav • US from US, and OUR FALSE HEARTS, Leſt WE OUR SELVES betray. Auſt. De •

VOL. •

•• NDON: Prin •• d by: • . Parker 〈…〉 to be had Only Up one Pair of Stairs, at the 〈…〉 of •• • mberlen's Anodyne Necklace, without Tem ••• 〈…〉

The Preface.

THE underſtanding of the preſent Subject, dependin • • pon a Knowledge of the Hiſtory of that Part o • the Li • e of •• AN (Judah's ſecond Son) which is related in th • •• gh • and thirtieth Chapter of the Book of Geneſis it is neceſſary to give the Reader the following Account of it

About the Year of the World 2009. juſt after Joſeph was ſold by Judah and the reſt of his Brethren into Egypt, Judah married a Wi • e who bo • e him two Sons▪ the eldeſt he named ER, and the ſecond ONAN

Er he married to a Wiſe whoſe Name was Thamar.

But Er wickedly defiling his Nuptial Bed, by fruſtrating the End of Marriage, was ſnatch'd away by a ſudden Death. The Reaſon why Er FIRST did this wicked Action, and what it was he did, is hereafter ſhewn.

Now amongſt he Jews it was a Law, that if a Brother died without Children, the next Brother was bound to many the Widdow▪ to raiſe up Children to his Brother's Name, and therefore Judah obliged his ſecond Son ONAN to take his deceaſed Brother's Widdow Tha •••• to Wife.

But Onan knowing that the Children (if he ſhould have any) were not to be deem'd HIS, but his Brother's fruſtrated alſo the End of Marriage, by Defiling himſelf▪

Semen Fund • bat in terram, Et idcirco percuſſit 〈◊〉 Domin •• , quod 〈◊〉 Deteſtabilem faceret, Gen. Chap. 38 Ver 10.

And therefore the Lord ſlew him, becauſe he had done Deteſtable Thing. Sales the Vulgate Edition.

The Scripture here in this Chapter, calls it a Deteſtable Action, and in the for • going Chapter, ver. 2. when Joſeph was ſent by his Father Jacob into the Fields along with his Brethren to graze their Cattle, and they there committed this Same Crime (acco •• ing to all Commentators) of Def •• eing themſelves, he told his Father of it, Accuſavi •• que Fratres ſuos apud Patrem CR •• INE PESSIMO, ſays the Vulgate Edition, that is, of 〈◊〉 Ugly, Abominable Action:

The Doers of which St. Paul expre ••• ly 〈◊〉 by the ugly Name of Molles, and ABUSERS of •• EMSEL ••• • Cor 6.10. And which Action is the Subject here treated • ▪

When any Thing is called by even the bare Na •• 〈…〉 Crime, it ſhews an Action to be very bad, but whe • 〈…〉 aggra • ating Epithet PESSIMUM is put to it, 'tis a 〈…〉 that ſuch an Action is more than a common Crim • 〈…〉 of a moſt Abominable Nature, as this unhappy Vice 〈◊〉 the Ruin of the greateſt Part of Mankind.

And as this Vice of Perſon •• •• ling and Abuſing ••• mſelves, is not only the moſt COMMON of all the ••• mes of Impurity put together, where being more and • onger Incitements to it, than 〈◊〉 any other Vice (the • el for it, and craving Importu •••• is of Nature towards being always WITHIN our ſel •• •• but alſo 〈◊〉 attended ••• h the moſt diſmal of Conſequences, involving theſe 〈◊〉 indulge themſelves in it, in the utmoſt Misfortunes: • othing can be of greater Service, than to ſhew the Guil •• how to g • t Rid of ſo vile a Habit, and to keep off the •• nocent from falling into it, Mans own ſelf being here •• s only Enemy, that draws him into Ruin.

There are indeed Some that will run any Ri • que of • ealth and S • fety, for the ſake of a Lewd Pleaſure.

But again, there are a great many others in the World • nthinkingly guilty of this Curſe, who would never da •• d to have ventured upon it, if they had but been i • •• rmed of what B • dily Sufferings, Ailments. Diſtemper • , • nfirmities, and Ruin i • brings upon them, and thei • • oſterity in this World, and their Soul in the next.

Which makes it ſtill the more neceſſary to inform Perſons of the deplorable Conſequences that are entailed upon this Vice, to keep them the more effectually from it.

Again: What makes alſo this Tre •• iſe more neceſſary for the World, is becauſe, there is no Perſon Guilty of this Vice, but had much rather inſtruct themſelves by reading a Book upon it privately in their Chamber by themſelves that no Body may know of • t, than they can well bear to hear another ſpeak to them about it, it being a Subject of ſo very a ſhocking Nature, that no one cares either to ſpeak about 〈◊〉 • r to be ſpoken to of it.

Dr. Baynard calls this Vice A School-Wick • dneſs, from many a young Perſon's having learn't it ther • , who had they not been misfortunately taught it by ſome wicked Miſcreant of a School-Fellow, would have b • en Chaſt Men.

Farther Particulars of that unhappy M •• Onan, in the C • mmiſſion of this deteſtable Action as •• e H. Scripture purpoſely calls it, for Ever to deter Mank •• d the more • ffectually from it, are fully related, in this Treatiſe.

And which unhappy Man together with his Brother Er, are tranſmitted to us by the Holy • hoſt, as laſting •• end • ul Examples to continue upon 〈◊〉 Record of the Holy • criptures to the End of the W • ••• , to deter Man ••• d from an Action ſo very Unnas •• al in it. ſ •• , th •• no Brute, • s ever known to do it, • ut only (to his sh • me be it ſpoken) ſenſual and luſ ••• Man, as will 〈…〉 be fully ſhewn.

•• • E •• ISEMENT: GIVEN GRATIS.

THE Practical Scheme on the following S • bjects.

I. How any Infected Perſon may privately Cu •• themſelves of any Secret Injury, without Slip-ſtops 〈◊〉 Phyſick, Suſpicion, or diſcovering their Caſe to any one. II. Of a BROKEN CONSTITUTION by Self-Defil • ments Faſt Living, Former Cures, uſe of Mercury, &c. III. Of GLEETS and Weakneſſes in either Sex, proceeding from the P • actice of Self-Defilement, or other Cauſes IV. Of the GOUT, and Rheumatiſm. V. Of Childrens Cutting their TEETH. VI. Of TOBACCO, the ITCH, Agues, and the EYES

Dedicated to Dr. CHAMBERLEN.

So that the very great Uneaſyneſs of Mind, as well as Affliction of Body, which Numbers of Perſons lie unde • • rom the Vicious Practice of Self-Defilement, or from the Secret Diſeaſe, or its pernicious Conſequences, ſuch as the Breeding of their Conſtitution, Gleets in Men, and Drain • •• , • eakne •• , Barrenneſſes, and other Misfortunes in Women; and •• ow not How, or Who to tell their Condition to.

Alſo: The • ffliction many others lie under with the GOUT, and ha •• been ſo tired with Medicines, that they are reſolved to t •• e no more, but to let Nature and the Diſtemper take it Courſe, has occaſioned the drawing up this • ch • me, conta •• ing certain Inſtructions, by which • Per ••• under any of theſe abovementioned unhappy • ircum ••• •• es, may eaſily Cure themſelves without the Fatigue 〈…〉 -ſ • ops of Medicines, or conſulting any one about their C •• dition, or any further Trouble.

This 〈…〉 , Given Gratis Up one Pair of Stairs at the Sign of 〈◊〉 Ch •• berlen's Anodyne Necklace for Chil • rens Tee •• 〈◊〉 by the Roſe Tavern, without Temple-Bar.

At Mrs. 〈◊〉 , a • the Sign of this Practical Scheme at the Roy • l E •• hang • Gate, next to Corrhill.

At M •• Go •• ' • book •• ller, next Shop t • Northumberland-Houſ • 〈◊〉 Cha • i •• Croſs in the Strand.

And of 〈◊〉 B • adſha • (who is the Author's Servant) 〈…〉 • ouſe at the W • ••• Per • iw • g next to the Kings-Head, • gainſt ••• ton-Stree • End •• iſt by Soho Sq ••• •

The Contents of this Treatiſe

THE Reaſons for publiſhing this Treatiſe in Engliſh.

What the real and true Thing was, that ONAN did?

What likewiſe it was, which his Brother ER did?

What the Crime of Self-Defilement, properly ſpeaking, is?

How, and in What it differs from other Vices o • Impurity?

And of the particular Deformity of it, above other Crime.

How this Vice cruſhes Nature, and nips Manhood in its

Bud?—And of the craving Importunities of Nature to it.

What the many great Damages are, which the Vice of Self-Defilement brings upon a Perſon's ſelf, and Family?

Thoſe particular Parts in both Sexes, examined into and deſcribed, which ſuffer, and are immediately injured, by the Forcing Practice of this Unnatural Vice.

Of thoſe Perſon's Single or Married, who Defile others.

Of thoſe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , who permit, Or by Rewards, or Inticements, Cauſe themſelves to be Defiled by others.

Of the Uſe, Abuſe of, and Fruſtrating the Marriage-Bed.

Of this Vice in the State of WIDDOW-HOOD.

Of thoſe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , who permit themſelves to be deluded, and Pick't up by others at Nights in the Streets, & are either defiled by them, or defile themſelves with them.

Why the Scripture calls the Doers of ſuch ill Actions, by the infamous Name of MOLLES (an ugly Word enough) and that Regnum Dei non poſſidebunt 1 Cor. 6.10. Edit. Vulg.

The Signification and Meaning of the Word MOLLIS, (from the foregoing Ugly Greek Word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Coinquino, to Pollute or Defile) fully explicated.

And how it happens that this UGLY Word Mollis made Engliſh, is applied to Perſons guilty of this Vice?

Of Nocturnal Emiſſions, Nightly Defilements, Illuſions, Phantoms, and impure Dreams; With Rules to know which are Criminal, and which not: And how to render them Bofore-hand, always Innocent? Out of Bp. Taylor.

PRocul recedant Somnia Et Noctium Phantaſmata, Hoſtemque noſtrum comprime Ne POLLUANTUR CORPORA. S. Ambr. May nothing in our Minds excite Vain Dreams and Phantoms of the Night. Our Enemy ſubdue, that ſo Our BODIES no UNCLEANNESS know.

And if any Nightly Uncleanneſs has happen'd, How t • retrieve it Afterwards, and render it Innocent, altho' PAST

FRaude quicquid Doemonis In NOCTIBUS DELIQUIMUS, Et Culpa quam NOX intulit, Lucis labaſcat munere. S. Ambr.

What Suppers are beſt againſt Nightly Defilements?

CARNIS terat SUBERBIAM Potus, Cibique Parcitas. S. Ambr

What Perſons are to do in Bed, to preſerve themſelves, from Nocturnal Defilements, and Emiſſions in their Sleep?

Whether a Perſon ought (if they happen to Awake,) to reſiſt, permit, or aſſiſt Fluxum Seminis begun in Somnis?—E •

An liccat gaudere de praeterito fluxu Seminali in their Sleep De Conſenſu perfecto, & imperfecto, in tali fluxu.

The different Ways of Perſons defiling themſelves reckoned up, out of Sanchez; and How many there are?

After which, is clearly ſhewn, that, of all of them Manual Self-Defilement is quite the worſt, and Author o • more ill Conſequences, than all the other Ways put together.

How Perſons enſlaved in this Vicious Habit, are to ge • rid of it, and retrieve the manifold Misfortunes both Spiritual and Temporal, it may have brought upon them?

The Particulars of a young Nobleman, who being highly ſollicited by the greateſt of Temptations to be Defiled, yet with the moſt Heroick Conſtancy preſerved his Purity

And notwithſtanding the very inviting Poſture he was in for ſo vile an Action, attended with the moſt bewitching Circumſtances for it, yet he never wou'd conſent to it.

Of another (the Reverſe) who began very young to Defil • himſelf, and was EMASCULATED by it.

The State of an Onanian on a Dying-Bed, and Afterwards

What the uſual Misfortune is, that attends the Vice o •

Self-Defilement in Men? viz. A Gleet, &c — And

How to Remedy it, tho inveterate, and of long Date?

The true Difference ſtated between a Gleet (whether cauſed by the vicious Practice of Self-Defilement, or proceeding from any Venereal Diſorder, or its Cure) a Gonor • h •• a, and that Efflux of Matter, that comes away from Perſons who have the Secret Diſeaſe upon them.— viz.

What a True Gleet is?—What a True Gonorrhaea is? And

Wh • ther Perſons under Venereal Diſorders, have a Tru • and Real Gonorrhaea upon them, or not?

How to know certainly, When a Gleet (whether cauſed by Self-Defilements, or proceeding from Venereal Cauſes, and their Cures) is really free from any Venereal Taint, and Infection, which may perhaps have been at any Time formerly contracted?—Or (which is the ſame Thing)

How to know certainly when a Perſon is really Well, and well cured, and the Malignity and Infection of a former ill Diſtemper thoroughly carried off by a former Cure, altho' a Perſon may have a Gleet ſtill hanging upon them?

Of the Difficulties that occur in the Cure of the Ailments and Diſorders of the Body, cauſed by the vicious Practice of Self Defilement, above any other Bodily Ailments.

How this one Vice generally initiates Youth in Wickedneſs, who otherwiſe would have been virtuous Perſons?

What Opportunities are the moſt bewitching for this Crime?

ABſint Faces Libidinis, Et omnis ACTUS NOXIUS Ne Faeda ſit, vel Lubrica, Compago NOSTRI CORPORIS. S. Greg. Let all Impurity be gone, And us all FILTHY ACTIONS ſhun, That ſo our BODIES may be PURE, And to no Pleaſure US allure.

Of committing this Crime in Preſence of another.

The Particulars of a certain Perſon of Quality grievouſly addicted to the Vice of Defileing himſelf. — And

How his Luſt carried him to ſo great a Degree of Brutality, as to commit the Act frequently before One particular Servant which he kept as a Confident? Yet nevertheleſs being apprehenſive of his Servant's Incapacity of keeping the Secret, he cut his Servant's Tongue out, that he might be ſure that he ſhould not divulge it; and afterwards kept him to live with him, with his Tongue thus Cut out.

How the SECRECY and Impunity that attends the Commiſſion of this Crime of Self-Defilement above all others, are the real Cauſe of it in many Sober Young Men▪ who have been otherwiſe of ſo modeſt a Behaviour, as not to have dared with any ILL DESIGN to almoſt have looked a Woman in the Face, and of ſuch Baſhfulneſs, as has ſecured them from all other Acts of Impurity, yet have been in Private, moſt extravagantly guilty of THIS:

So that whatever good Qualities they otherwiſe may have had, this ONE infamous ungovernable Appetite has unhappily obſcured, and clouded them all.

Of Relapſing into this Vice.

Of Impurity in WOMEN.—Where is largely treated

Of thoſe Young Women whoſe exteriour Modeſty has been ſuch, as that they would almoſt Die, rather than Conſent to any Thing out of Marriage, or Betray their Weakneſs to any Man living; yet have lived in the Commiſſion of Actions ſo Ill, that they cannot afterwards think of them with Eaſineſs of Mind: But by reaſon of their SECRECY, have been unhappily betray'd into them, when nothing elſe in the World, could ever have tempted them to do an Ill thing.

What the uſual Misfortune of Impurity is in Women? viz. a Draining Weakneſs, &c. And How to remedy it?

Of other worſe Conſequences and more deplorable Effects of Impurity in Women, much more than in Men.

The Particulars of a young Lady, who, at the Age of 17, being taught ill Actions by a wicked Companion at a Boarding School, entirely ruined her Conſtitution thereby. Alſo,

Of another young Lady in the like Circumſtances, who ſo far ruined her ſelf by Impurity, that ſhe died.

Of thoſe young Women, who by Early Impurities give Occaſion to their Husbands (when they come to be Married) wrongfully to ſuſpect more, than they were ever guilty of.

Of thoſe Perſons who by ſleevleſs Queſtions, Excuſes, Looks, or any light Carriage, whether in the Streets, or elſewhere, give Occaſion to others to Invite them to ill.

Of thoſe who frequent lewd Houſes, and whether the Ways Men there uſe to keep clear of an ill Diſtemper, are lawful?

Of thoſe Perſons who by this Vice, and other Faſt Living, have ſo Emaciated and worn themſelves out, as to be perfectly Old, before half their Years come on.

Anſwers to Excuſes for this Crime, and Pleas of Frailty, Incapacity of Continency, Violence of Temptation, &c.

Of PLEASURE's being the Motive for this Crime.

PLEASURE like Ice our Footing does betray, And blindly leads Us on the ſlippery Way: Deluded thus, We unthinkingly Run on, And know the Dangers, yet We won't them ſhun. S. Evrem.

According to that—Video Meliora, proboque; Deteriora ſequor.

How this one Vice above all others, affects the Brain, Head, Nerves, and EYE-SIGHT of the Body?

Of the Vice of Self-Defilement in Perſons in Years.

Which is worſe, This Vice in Youth, or Perſons in Years?

Of the aggravating Circumſtances of this Crime, from the diverſe Ways; Degrees, and Motives for committing it.

How Perſons may ſecure themſelves againſt this Vice?

Of ſuch a particular Shame that attends this Action, that no one would commit it, even before a Child.

Of the Hainous Practice of this Vice in a Married State.

Anſwers to all common Caſes of this Vice in Married Perſons, notwithſtanding as St. Hierom ſays, adv. Jovin. l. 1.

Periclitamur RESPONSIONIS Verecundiâ, & quaſi inter Duos Scopulos Neceſſitatis & Pudicitiae naufragium ſuſtinemus.

Si ad propoſita Reſpondeamus, Pudore ſuffundimur, Si Pudor imperarit ſilentium, quaſi de loco videmur cedere.

Melius eſt tamen clauſis, quod dicitur, oculis, Andabatarum more pugnare, quam directa ſpicula, clypeo Veritatis non Repellere.

And therefore, Caſes relating to this Vice in all Sorts of Perſons, whether by a Perſon's Defileing himſelf, or cauſing himſelf to be Defiled by Another, are treated quite in another manner here in Engliſh, than Sanchez has treated them in his elaborate Folio's De Matrimonio in Latin.

Of the bewitching, and intoxicating Slavery of this Vice.

Of this Crime in (Single) WOMEN—HATERS.

Of thoſe wicked Clubs and Societies of Women-Haters, and others, &c. who meet together to defile themſelves.

And of whom St. Paul thus ſpeaks to the Romans, ch. 1. verſ. 26, 27. Nam Faeminae eorum immutaverunt naturalem uſum, in eum uſum qui eſt contra naturam. Similiter autem & Maſculi, relicto naturali uſu Faeminae, exarcerunt in deſideriis ſuis in invicem, Maſculi in Maſculos turpitudinem operantes, &c.

Theſe are alſo thoſe wicked Perſons, which St. Paul in another Place calls Effeminate and ABUSERS OF THEMSELVES with Mankind. MOLLES, & Maſculorum concubitores. &c. 1 Cor. c. 6. v. 9. And declares them abandoned, and given over to Lewdneſs, and a reprobate Senſe.

Traditi ſunt in Reprobum ſenſum, in Immunditiam, & Paſſiones ignominiae, ut contumeliis afficiant CORPORA SUA in ſemetipſis. To ABUSE and Defile their BODIES, &c.

Of the various Steps and Degrees tending to this Vice.

Of the great Danger of Curioſity in regard to this Vice.

And how Words, Looks, and Touches, lead to it? Out of Monſ. Oſtervald's Treatiſe of Uncleanneſs.

IMmodeſt Words admit of no Defence, For want of Decency, is want of Senſe. Roſcom.

With Rules for Perſons to govern themſelves by,

NE Lingua.......ne Manus, Oculive peccent Lubrici, Ne Noxa CORPUS INQUINET. Prudentius.

Of the great Eaſe there is in engaging in Impurity, and the Difficulty of getting out of it, Facilis eſt Deſcenſus Averni, Sed revocare pedem, Hic Labor, Hoc opus eſt, Virg.

And therefore whether in any Caſe or whatſoever, a Phyſician may lawfully preſcribe a Bodily Defilement?—And

If a Phyſician ſhould ever adviſe ſuch a Thing,

Whether or no the Patient may ever lawfully conſen • to it? Out of Sanchez de Matrimonio. Tom. 2. lib. 9. Diſp. 1 •

The Particulars of a certain Perſon of Quality, Qui gravi preſſus infirmitate, Mori potius, quam Caſtitatis jacturam 〈◊〉 Medicorum Conſilio ſubire, conſtanter decrevit. Rara Avis in terris

The Particulars of another Perſon of Quality, in juſt the ſame Circumſtances of a very great Fit of Sickneſs and, when the Phyſicians intimated the ſame Remedy, hi • conſtant Anſwer was, MALO MORI, QUAM FOEDARI Semen corruptum, or Diſtemper'd, An licet (ever) expellere

How. Perſons are to behave themſelves, and What they are to do, when under violent Temptation to This Crime?

What Perſons are to do, who ſeriouſly deſire to leave This Vice? Where is ſhewed of the Means to get out of it viz.—Of the Amendment, Reſolution, Sorrow, Repentance, and other Requiſites, after the Commiſſion of this Crime

How nothing more conduces to a healthy Old Age, than the abſtaining from Self-Defilements during Youth.

Of the Complaints that Uxores may reaſonably make whoſe Husbands are guilty of this Vice.—And

Whether they may therefore refuſe to Cohabit with them

Whether by Reaſon of any Impediment to the Debitum • Conjugale, this Crime can ever be any ways excuſable?

How out of every Hundred miſerable Wretches, Four ſcore and Nineteen would have been in happy and flouriſhing Circumſtances, if they had not been initiated, and decoy'd into this Vice, by ſome vile Companion, or otherwiſe

Of thoſe profligate Perſons who poſtpone Health, Reputation, and every thing elſe dear to them, to This Pleaſure

Of other Senſualiſts, whoſe Thoughts and Minds run upon nothing elſe, but Impurity, Lewdneſs, and Women.

Of the particular bewitching Power that this Vice above all others, has on the Bodies of Young Perſons.

And of the deplorable State, it involves them in.

Of thoſe Perſons who by Self-Defilements, or otherways have brought ſuch a Weakneſs upon themſelves, as tha • without any manner of Pleaſure, or Motions of the Fleſh to Impurity, they experience a Fluxum Seminis involuntarily to come from them in the Day-time, for Example, when they go to Stool, &c. And how to Remedy this Misfortune

An vacet culpâ dare operam cauſae alias licitae, vel neceſſariae • quamvis praevideatur ſore, ut quis ex eâ Polluatur? And therefor •

Of Surgeons, &c. Qui exponunt ſe Periculo, in exerciſeing the Duties of their Buſineſs about Women.

Of this Crime in MINISTERS, Clergy-men, &c.

Of the Commiſſion of this Crime in a hot Conſtitution.

Of the it in a cold Conſtitution.—Which is worſt?—And

Whether or no, the particular Heat and Solicitations of any particular Perſon's Conſtitution, can ever at any Time plead for, and excuſe this Vice in any one?

Whether this Vice can be any Impediment, Dirimens or Im • ediens to Marriage? — And, What Crime a Husband is guilty of, who renders himſelf Impotent by this Vice?

Anſwers to Excuſes of the Month whilſt the Wife Lies in.

Or of Sanitas.—Or being in Drink.—Or of one of the married Party's having any Diſtemper upon them. — Or

Of having too many Children.—Or of Poverty, and Incapacity of maintaining them. — Or Ignorance of its being a Fault: And Whether any of theſe Caſes can poſſibly at any Time make this Crime any ways excuſable? Ex Jure Pontificio, or the Canon Law, and Sanchez De Matrim.

Of the Caſe of Eunuchs, in reſpect to this Vice.

Of the great Ill in teaching others ſuch ill Actions.

Whether any Thing of Homicide can be attributed to this Crime? According to the following of Martial inveighing againſt it.

HOC nihil eſſe putas? Scelus eſt, mihi crede, ſed Ingene, Quantum vix animo concipis eſſe tuo: Iſtud quod ...... Pontice Perdis, HOMO eſt. Mart. l. 9. Epigr. 42.

How POVERTY in the End is the particular Effect of this Vice, it bringing Plenty To a Morſel of Bread.

Of this Vice in Sea-faring Men, Travellers, Perſons in the Army, and others abſent from their Wives.

Whether any Married Perſon ever has Power to give Leave to the other Party for the Commiſſion of this Act?

Of the different ways of defiling the Marriage-Bed.

Of thoſe Perſons who Fruſtrate the End of Marriage.

De DEBITO CONJUGALI with reſpect to this Crime.

How Turpia Audire, Aſpicere, Ganere, Pingere, Scribere, Legere, Loqui, &c. all concur to this Vice? Out of Sanchez.

De Diſtillatione Seminali, and How it differs from Moilities?

Whether it be lawful to think on a paſt Criminal Pleaſure?

Of Perſon's defiling themſelves in the Marriage-Bed, in reſpect to the Duty that regards the Debitum Conjugale.

Whether Time, Place, Age, Climate, &c. can change or add to the Guilt of this Crime, or any ways excuſe it?

What Paren̄ts, Maſters, and Miſtreſſes of Boarding and other Schools, Tutors, Guardians, and other who have the Care of Youth, are to do, for the Preſervation from • his Vice, of thoſe committed to their Charge?

Of thoſe who have fallen accidentally into this Crime.

Of thoſe who are Habituated, and plung'd in this Vice.

De Delectatione Moroſâ in the Commiſſion of this Crime.

Of the Numbers of Material Adulteries Perſons are guilty of, and little dream of it, by Picking up others at Nights in the Streets, with whom, as with Single Perſons they are Defiled, when in reality, they are Married ones.

Of Impotency and Barrenneſs cauſed by this Vice.

Of thoſe Perſons ſo abandon'd to this 〈…〉 that 〈…〉 .....Till Impotent, are never Chaſt. 〈…〉 Sir C. Sedley.

Of the great Comfort and Relief, that accrues from the ſincere Diſcovery of a Perſon's Weakneſ • and Frailty in regard to this Vice to ſome Divine, or pious good Friend.

Damnaberis Tacitus (ſays S. Auſt) qui poſſes Liberari Confeſſus.

What Occaſions of this Vice are to be chiefly • voided?

The tempting Devil to it, being, as S. Auſtin ſays, like a Dog chained up, Who, Latrare poteſt, ſed Mordere non poteſt niſi VOLENTEM i. e. thoſe who Willingly put themſelves within the Reach of his Chain, that is, in the Occaſions of it.

Of thoſe whom the World ſo eſteems, as little to dream that they live in Secret Impurity with themſelves, and who abſtain from ill Women only for fear of any ill Diſtemper.

Of the Blindneſs, Inſenſibility, and Obdurateneſs attending the Habit of this Vice, out of St. Auſtin. Spargit Deus Paenales COECITATES ſuper illicitas eorum Cupiditates.

Whether thinking on a Married or Single Perſon in the Commiſſion of this Crime, changes or adds to the Guilt of it?

Whether being Defiled by a Married or Single Perſon changes, or adds to the Guilt of this Crime. Out of Sanchez

Of Fornication, Adultery, and other Species of Impurity

ALL theſe Subjects, whether in Latin, Greek, or Engliſ • throughout theſe Contents, are fully Examined, and Diſcuſſed in Engliſh in the Volumes of this Work.

With whatever other Matters can relate to the Commiſſion of this Crime, together with the moſt uſual Caſes relating to Single and Married Perſons, who have been extravagantly in Private with themſelves, Guilty of it:

In order to retrieve the Guilty from that Abyſs of Miſery this wretched Vice above others, involves its Slaves in

Price One Shilling and Six Pence each Volume.

APPENDIX.

A Rational Account of the Cauſe, Nature, Symptoms, and Cure of the GOUT.

CHAP. I. The Reaſons for Publiſhing this Treatiſe.

IT may perhaps be wonder'd at, why a Subject of ſo very nice a Nature as this is, ſhould here be undertaken, ſine in all Manner of Crimes of Impurity and Uncleanneſs, Silence is generally much more adviſeable, than even ſo much as once to mention them:

And this for fear of putting That into any Perſon's Mind, which it were much better they cou'd for ever, either Forget, or be wholly Ignorant of as long as they live.

But as this Branch of Uncleanneſs, viz. Sinning with a Perſon's own Self, is the moſt general of any Sin of Impurity whatſoever, by conſequence ſome Inſtructions concerning it, are the moſt of any wanted in the World, in order to awake the Guilty, and deterr the Innocent and Unwary from falling into it, thro Inadvertence or Ignorance.

There are a great many admirable Treatiſes extant on the ſeveral other Branches and Sins of Impurity, but very few (if any) really SERIOUS ones upon This.

Now, why leſs ſhould have been written on This one Sin than others, ſeems to proceed from the Nature of the Crime it ſelf, and the Difficulty of managing it with ſuch Prudence and Caution, as neither to omit what is neceſſary to be ſaid, nor to ſay any Thing that may ſeem indecent,

And this is the true Reaſon of the Scarceity of Books on this Sin in particular; and yet never was more need of diſſuaſive Inſtructions againſt it than now, when Debauchery is become ſo bare-faced, that the generality of Mankind are neither affraid, nor aſhamed to glory in it.

So that when People come to this Height of Uncleanneſs, 'tis high time to warn them of their Folly and Danger, leſt Almighty God's Anger break in by a ſudden Death upon them, and there be no eſcaping.

Upon Enquiry then, how it comes to paſs, that this miſerable unhappy Sin of Self-Defilement reigns ſo in all Places as it does, it muſt be own'd, that one of the chief Reaſons is, the great Scarceity of ſerious Inſtructive Books to give Aſſiſtance in relation to it.

For certainly, if Perſons did but rightly underſtand the Hainouſneſs of this Sin, and the convincing Reaſons and Motives there are for refraining from it, it would be much Rarer than it is: But the Miſery is, Chriſtians are not ſufficiently informed of this Matter:

Authors that have writ of the Sins of Impurity, have (out of a well deſign'd indeed Modeſty) only treated of this Sin in general: So that there are ſcarce any Books extant, that ſufficiently ſupply the want of Inſtruction about IT in particular: Inſomuch, that whilſt there ar • plenty of wicked Books that encourage this abominable Vice, there are hardly any for reclaiming Perſons from it.

This Obſervation makes it juſtly to be conclude, that a diſſuaſive Diſcourſe againſt this reigning Sin in particular, cannot fail of being very uſeful to the World:

And this more eſpecially ſince there is no Guilty Perſon but had much rather inſtruct themſelves by reading a Book privately in their Chamber by themſelves on this Sin, than they can well bear to hear another ſpeak to them about it, it being a Subject of ſo very a ſhocking Nature, that no one Cares either to ſpeak, or be ſpoken to of it.

The Reaſon of this is: Becauſe altho Perſons may be ſo far abandoned, as ſometimes to make their Brags of other Sins, yet they always dread being known to be Guilty of THIS, it is ſo very Shameful, Odious and Unnatural.

And therefore in treating this Sin, the Caſe is not the ſame, as in treating on other moral Subjects.

For, in handling other Subjects, a Man may ſafely ſay whatever he thinks any ways advantageous to his Deſign, and has nothing to hinder him from mentioning whatever he apprehends neceſſary, and propoſing his Arguments in their utmoſt Extent and Force, making them as plain as poſſible, and anſwering all Difficulties relating to them.

But in arguing againſt this Sin of Self-Defilement, the ſame Liberty is not to be taken; but a Writer is extremely confined, and is obliged to expreſs himſelf with all. Circumſpection and Caution, for fear of intrenching upon Modeſty, whilſt he endeavours to make himſelf underſtood.

For which Reaſon, whoever treats this Subject, is obliged to abſtain from preſſing his Reaſonings near ſo home or from enforcing his Proofs with that Degree of Plainneſs, they might otherwiſe have had.

And therefore in treating of this particular Branch of Impurity, ſome Points might be much more enlarged, and many Objections more particularly conſidered:

But then this would neceſſitate the touching upon ſome Things which Decency forbids.

Whatever then Decency commands throughout this Treatiſe to be mentioned only in general, ſhall be nevertheleſs ſo ordered by Principles that ſhall be laid down, as to give ſufficient room to every attentive (but more particularly every guilty) Reader fully to underſtand and themſelves ſupply. And therefore this Subject, how Dirty ſoever it may in it ſelf be, ſhall here be wrapt up in the Clean ••• Cloathing that poſſibly it can.

To diſwade againſt an Action that is above others:

Firſt, So very Hainous, and Unnatural in its ſelf.

Secondly, So very abominable and diſpleaſing before Almighty God: — And Thirdly, So highly pernicious to Perſon's Selves and Families, both as to Body and Soul, requires no Arguments which are not entirely agreable to Truth, and can ſtand the Teſt of the ſtricteſt Reaſon to the greateſt of Libertines, as in the following Chapters will fully appear: — All which being duly conſidered:

It would be very deplorable, if Young and ignorant People ſhould remain without Warning and Aſſiſtance againſt ſo powerful, ſo treacherous, and domeſtick and Enemy, as the Sin of Self-Defilement is, merely for want of being better inſtructed, concerning the Abomination of it.

Youth are in greater Danger of this Sin, than of any other, there being far ſtronger Incitements and Temptations to it (as being within our ſelves) than to any other Sin whatſoever, the Fewel and Treacherous inticement to it always accompanying us wherever we go:

For: Let us change never ſo much from one Place to another, we always carry our Selves and our own corrupt vicious Inclinations along with us, changing only the Place, but not the Man; and therefore Horace juſtly ſays, Caelum non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt.

Thoſe who even Paſs the Seas, change only the Climate, • ut make no more Change to the corrupt Inclinations of • he Man, than a Change of mere Cloaths only does; and every one is fully convinced that Habitus non facit Monachum.

The Occaſions of other Sins may be avoided and run Away • rom, but we cannot run Away from OUR SELVES:

And therefore 'tis betraying OUR SELVES, that is our greateſt Danger, as is admirably, and with an uncommon Inction, expreſs'd by a late pious Author in the following lymn.

OH my Soul! how many Snares, Lie ſpread before our Feet? In all our Joys, in all our Cares, Some Danger ſtill we meet. Sometimes the Sin does us o'retake, And on OUR WEAKNESS win; Sometimes OUR SELVES, our Ruin make, And WE o'retake the Sin. O ſave us Lord, from all ſuch Darts, That ſeek our Souls to ſlay; Save US from US and OUR FALSE HEARTS, Leſt WE OUR SELVES betray.

For here the main Danger lies in our betraying OUR OWN SELVES, and drawing OUR OWN SELVES into Sin, and therefore with good Reaſon every one ought earneſtly to beg of Almighty God to ſave US from US, that is, OUR SELVES from OUR SELVES:

Man having no greater Enemy againſt HIMSELF, than HIMSELF; as our Saviour expreſly tells us. Math. chap. 10. v. 36. Inimici hominis Domeſtici ejus. Every Man's worſt Enemy is from his OWN SELF.

All which makes it a Matter of juſt Lamentation, that a Vice ſo odious in its Nature, and ſo pernicious in its Conſequences, ſhould have ſuch forcible Means to inſinuate it ſelf ſo far among the flouriſhing, (i. e. the youthful) Part of Mankind, as to become ſo general as it is, and no inſtructive Books to deter from it extant:

It being almoſt certain, that many Delinquents would never have been ſuch, if they had but had ſome good Book to have read on this Subject, that might have informed and inſtructed them of, and pointed out to them the Heinouſneſs of this Sin in particular, and the deplorable Conſequences that follow it, to the Ruin of Body and Poſterity in this World, and of Soul in the next.

Hence 'tis hoped, that putting this Book into the World, may prove a prevalent Means to hinder many a one from being falſly lull'd a ſleep, and indulging themſelves in this abominable Vice, by furniſhing them with the ſtrongeſt Conſiderations how hainous a Crime it is, what terrible Effects follow from it, how it Baſely defiles every Perſon's Body that commits it, Tortures and racks the Mind, ruins ſo many hail flouriſhing Conſtitutions, and leads the ready Way to the Paths of Death, and eternal Deſtruction.

So that notwithſtanding the State of Sodom and Gomorrah was ſo very deplorable as every one that has but read the 19th Chapter of Geneſis knows it to be, on account of their enormous Lewdneſſes, and unnatural Debaucheries:

Yet our Bleſſed Saviour tells us, that the Condition of Chriſtians who act theſe abominations with themſelves, will be far worſe in the Day of Judgment:

The Thought of which, how much ſoever any abandon'd Onanian may divert and put off from himſelf for the preſent, yet it will one Day, to their eternal Wailling and Sorrow come upon them, unleſs they truly repent.

Now to any conſidering Perſon, can the momentary ſatisfying of a Filthy Paſſion, be ever worth all this Miſery?

Since as an ancient Author truly ſays, 'tis only Momentaneum quod delectat, but 'tis Aeternum quod cruciat.

For one only Moments Pleaſure, every Onanian incurs an Eternity of Wailing, Torments, Miſery, and Sorrow.

Whoever acts ſuch vile Things, is perfectly his own Slave, and is led on by his own Paſſion, as the Scripture ſays, As an Ox goes to the Slaughter, or, As a Bird haſtens to the Snare, to his own Death and Deſtruction.

Theſe Ways are the Ways of Ruin, and AT BEST can end in nothing but Grief and Repentance, if ever any Onanian be ſo happy as to grieve and repent for them.

O dear bought Moment of Pleaſure! A Bargain the moſt to be regretted, that certainly ever any poor Sinner made, to purchaſe ſo many Evils, and ſuch a Train of Miſeries, for one only Moments Satisfaction, in the acquiring of which every Onanian ſhews himſelf much more ſtupid than a ſilly Fly in a Candle, that has ſome Cauſe to take the Flame to be ſweet, becauſe it is beautiful.

For the little Fly ſeeing the Flame, hovers greedily about it, to try whether it be as ſweet as it ſeems fair, and carried away with this Fancy, periſhes at the firſt trial.

But a poor Onanian knows very well, that what he is going about is extremely filthy and ill in it ſelf, highly offenſive to Almighty God, and utterly ruinous to his own Perſon, and yet WILL commit the horrid Fact.

O Man! What art thou? An ancient Poet had Reaſon to ſay, Video Meliora, Proboque: Deteriora ſequor. He SEES and knows, that the filthy Action he is going about, will be his Ruin, and yet He is reſolved, He WILL do it.

And all this for want of rightly conſidering the miſerable State this Sin involves him in; which ſeriouſly, •• rongly, and homely to repreſent to him, is the Deſign • nd Purpoſe of this Book, and the Motive for writing on • his difficult Subject.

But as it is ſo hard a Matter to write on a Subject of ſo nice a Nature as this is, within the reach of the meaneſt Capacities, without Danger of Encroachments upon the Bounds of Decency, and the Riſque of giving Offence to chaſt Minds, notwithſtanding it may proceed from a Deſign to promote Virtue and diſcourage Vice:

Therefore this Subject ſhall be here ſo treated, as to be rather leſs intelligible to ſome, by leaving ſeveral things to every Readers private Conſideration, than by any over-freedom of Expreſſion, to run the Hazard of putting That into any chaſt Mind, which every Perſon ought with the utmoſt Chriſtian Courage and Care to ſtifle and deſtroy.

Subjects of this Nature being as Dr. Baynard calls, it Res faeda dictu, an Action unfit to be even mentioned, and therefore the Scripture calls it a deteſtable Thing.

And what, if mere Neceſſity (in order to deter the World from it,) did not urge, St. Paul exhorting the Epheſians, a People wholly abandoned to their Luſt and Impurity, forbids even to be ſo much as named amongſt Chriſtians. Let all Uncieanneſs be not once Named amongſt you. ch. 5. ver. 3. Nee Nominetur in vobis, ſays the Vulgate Edition.

For which Reaſon, if ever Caution, Care, Waryneſs, and Circumſpection is neceſſary, in the treating of any Moral Subject, in the World, 'tis moſt certainly in this, wherein St. Paul thought he could expreſs the Enormity of the Crime in no ſtronger a Manner, than by impoſing a perpetual Silence of it amongſt all Chriſtians.

'Tis not to be doubted, but thoſe Perſons who are conſcious to themſelves of having unhappily bartered and exchanged away their Innocence for a momentary Satisfaction, as Eſau did his Birth-right for the preſent tranſient Senſuality of a Meſs of Pottage, and by conſequence have the Misfortune to find themſelves concerned in this preſent Treatiſe, will ſufficiently underſtand the Meaning of it without much Explication, and 'tis to them it is recommended, with a hearty deſire of their moſt ſerious Conſideration of what is contained in it.

And as for thoſe whom it no way concerns, and by conſequence who underſtand it not (O happy Ignorance!) their unſpotted Innocence is to be congratulated:

Rara avis in terris! It ſhall be endeavoured that nothing be ſaid here, which may endanger then looſing it, but rather confirm their happy keeping it:

All poſſible Care then ſhall be taken throughout this Treatiſe that no Expreſſion be uſed, which may either ſhock the moſt modeſt Claſs of Mankind, or ſully or give offence to even the chaſteſt Mind.

CHAP. II. Of the Heinouſneſs and Abomination of the Sin of Self-Defilement.

BY the Word Self-Defilement, is here meant that unnatural and ſhameful Action, by which Perſons of either Sex endeavour to cauſe, procure, and imitate with themſelves that Senſual Carnal Pleaſure, which Alm. God has ordered to attend only a Married State for the Propagation of Mankind: The hainouſneſs of which Action fully appears from that remarkable Inſtance in the Holy Scripture, of its ſevere Puniſhment by Almighty God in the Perſon of Onan, in the Eighth and Thirtieth Chapter of Gen. Verſe the 10th, expreſſed in theſe Words, And therefore the Lord ſlew him, becauſe he had done a Deteſtable Thing.

Ideo percuſſit eum Dominus, quod rem DETESTABILEM faceret, ſays the Vulgate Edition.

The Cambridge Edition of the Bible has it thus, And the Thing which he did, diſpleaſed the Lord, wherefore He ſlew him.

So that the very Name of ONAN is fully ſufficient to put the Reader at once in mind both of the Sin, and the dreadful Puniſhment inflicted on him for it.

The other particulars of this unhappy Man Onan, in the perpetration of this Deteſtable Action, as the Holy Scripture Purpoſely calls it, to make it to be the more abhorred, and deteſted by all Mankind, as long as the World endures, ſhall not be here mentioned, but every Reader is refer'd to the ſerious peruſal of the juſt now cited Chapter of Geneſis, where every one may read the whole Hiſtory at length, (as alſo of his Brother Er, who was likewiſe Slain for the ſame Fact) tranſmitted as dreadful Examples to all ſucceeding Ages, to deter from an Action ſo unnatural in it ſelf, that no Brute is ever known to do it, but only (to his Shame be it ſpoken) unhappy Man.

And therefore it is very reaſonable to believe, that a great many Perſons would never fall into this Sin, if they were but throly convinced of the grievouſneſs of it, and the deplorable Conſequences to the Body in this World, as well as to the Soul in the next, which follow from it:

Which makes it highly neceſſary, that Perſons ſhould be appriſed how crying an Offence it is, in order to keep them from it.

In Order then to this, it is remarkable, that there is no Place in the whole Scripture, where Sins of Impurity and Uncleanneſs are condemned, but This Unhappy One here treated of, is in a more particular Manner than others Pointed out to us, with a Concluſion, that Nothing Defiled, nor who ACTS WITH THEMSELVES ſuch Abominable Things, ſhall ever enter the Kingdom of God, but are to have their Share and Part hi the Lake, that Burns with Fire and Brimſtone.

And to give us ſtill a more thorough Conviction of the particular Deformity, Filthyneſs, Baſeneſs, and Unnaturalneſs, that there is in this Vice, above others.

St. Paul ſpeaking of it in the Heathens ſays, that they, being a People wholly given up, and abandon'd to their Lewdneſs and Uncleanneſs, by this particular Vice above others Diſhonoured their own Bodies, Rom. 1.24.

And therefore gives a ſingular Charge to the Chriſtians he wrote to, never to imitate them in the commiſſion of this Deteſtable Action. Be not deceived (ſays he, 1 Cor. ch. 6.10.) neither the Effeminate, nor the ABOMINABLE, ſhall ever inherit the Kingdom of God.

The Vulgate Edition of the Bible has it thus. MOLLES (an Ugly Word enough) Regnum Dei non poſſideb • nt.

The Cambridge Edition of the Engliſh Bible has it thus, Neither the Effeminate, nor ABUSERS OF THEMSELVES, ſhall ever inherit the Kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6.10.

Where the Words ABUSING A PERSON'S SELF are uſed, to expreſs with as much Modeſty as is poſſible the Unnatural Action this Treatiſe is here writ againſt.

For of all the Actions which a rational Creature CAN poſſibly commit, within the whole Latitude and Exten • of his Liberty and Power, there is no One, by which Perſons ſo egregiouſly ABUSE, and Baſely Diſhonour themſelves, as by this one Vile Action of Self-Defilement.

And therefore St. Paul ſays, that the Heathens by theſe unclean Filthy Actions, not only Abuſed and Defiled, but ſhamefully Diſhonoured their own Bodies.

This ſingularly modeſt Man St. Paul was indeed loath to Rake ſo particularly into the Nature of the Action, as to expreſs it in any Manner whatſoever, and therefore

Firſt tells the Chriſtians of the Church at Epheſus. c. 5. ver. 12. That He was even aſhamed to mention and ſpeak of thoſe Things the Heathens did IN SECRET, meaning the Crime of Self-Defilement, which was ſo common amongſt them:

But finding himſelf under a Neceſſity of ſpeaking plainly to them, leſt they ſhould not underſtand his Meaning, he choſe out at leaſt the modeſteſt Words to explain himſelf by to them, that he could.

Not at all doubting, but that thoſe Chriſtians who ſhould hear his Letters read (as they uſually were eſpecially on Sundays amongſt the Primitive Chriſtians in their Aſſemblies) would fuſty underſtand his Meaning, and what Sin it was he forewarned them againſt.

And concludes with a modeſt Repetition in general of all he had ſaid before, in theſe Words, That All thoſe who DO SUCH THINGS ſhall never inherit the Kingdom of God.

Therefore he charges them every one, To Poſſeſs, Preſerve, and Keep His Veſſel (that s their Bodies) in Holineſs and Honour. As if he ſhould have ſaid, That all Sorts of Perſons (without Exception) ought to be extremely watchful over THEIR OWN BODIES, and never to Abuſe nor Defile them by ſuch unnatural Actions. — Again.

St Paul (who throughout his whole Miſſion, had always to do, with an abominably Luſtful and Luxurious Set of Men, as fully appears from thoſe unnatural Vices he reprehends in the Inhabitants of Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Epheſus, Coloſſia, Theſalonica, and thoſe other Provinces abandoned to Luxury, which he writ his Letters to) thought he could produce no more powerful Argument to diſſwade them from this foul Sin, than to tell them, that their Bodies being the Temples of the Holy Ghoſt, by conſequence to defile and abuſe ſuch a Temple muſt be the higheſt Offence againſt to Almighty God. — His Argument is this.

That if material Temples and Churches built only of Stone, and Mortar, and dediated to the external Worſhip only of God Almighty, are in no wiſe to be profaned:

Much leſs Spiritual ones, ſuch as our Bodies are, in which the Spirit and Grace of Almighty God, and an immortal Soul honoured with his own Image, inhabits.

This Argument of this Great Apoſtle, and Reclaimer of thoſe Luſtful Luxurious People, gives us clearly to underſtand, that whenever any Perſon commits any filthy and immodeſt Action with themſelves, their Body is then Profaned, Sullied, and Defiled, and no more a Temple or Place for God Almighty's Grace to reſide in.

And leaſt Perſons ſhou'd object, that hereby they do no Injury to any but themſelves, their Bodies being their own, and at their own diſpoſal, this great Preacher of Purity St. Paul, (foreſeeing this their Objection) tells them expreſly, that their Bodies are not their OWN, nor at their own diſpoſal, no more than when a Perſon has BOUGHT any Thing, the Thing ſo bought belongs no more to the Perſon who Sold it; and therefore St. Paul tells all Chriſtians, that they are Bought and Redeemed with a great Pric • .

This Conſideration made St. Austin cry out, O quam lugenda perverſitas! Ut quis animam quam Chriſtus Sanguine ſuo Redemit, propter unius momenti Delectationem Diabolo vendat. Serm. 350. O Madneſs! To ſell that Soul which Chriſt has BOUGHT, for one Moment of Pleaſure.

And to ſhew that when St Paul mentioned this, he alluded particularly to the Sin here treated of, he preſently adds theſe Words, And therefore we ought to ſerve God in our BODIES, which are God's, as well as our Souls.

Again: As the greateſt Puniſhment that can be inflicted, is the taking away any ones Life, ſo when an Offence is ſo puniſhed, it moſt certainly ſhews that ſuch a Crime is of a moſt hainous and grievous Nature:

Almighty God in the Scriptures, threatens a great many Sins with ſeveral Sorts of Puniſhments, ſome of longer, ſome of ſhorter Durance, but this Sin of Onan, had immediate Death inflicted for it, which is the greateſt Proof of God Almighty's being highly offended at it.

And if any one examines the whole Scripture thro, where mention is made of Vices and Sins, they will find that there is not any other Crime, ſo many times inveighed againſt, as Sins of Uncleanneſs

A moſt deteſtable and unnatural Degree of which is a Perſon's Defiling their own Selves; and againſt which St. Paul is continually preaching, accuſing the Heathens of this Sin in particular, and tells them of their Diſhonouring their own Bodies by it.—Hence a learned Divine ſays of it,

That the Crime in it ſelf is Monſtrous and Unnatural:

In its Practice Filthy, Baſe and odious to Extremity:

Its Guilt is crying, and its Conſequences ruinous.

It deſtroys conjugal Affection, perverts natural Inclination, • ends to extinguiſh the Hopes of Poſterity, brings on a numerous Train of Diſeaſes on the Body in this World, and utterly ruins the Soul for all Eternity in the next.

Which made St. Paul expreſly write to the Inhabitants of Corinth about this Matter, knowing them to be a People exorbitantly addicted to this Vice, and tells them 1 Cor. c. 6 v. 9. Be not deceived (ſays this great Apoſtle neither Fornicators, nor Adulterers, nor ABUSERS OF THEMSELVES, ſhall ever inherit the Kingdom of God.

The ſame he writes to the People of Galatia, and thoſ • of Epheſus, after having told them, that it was a Shame even ſo much as only to ſpeak of the Things which the • did in Secret, (meaning this private Ugly Sin with themſelve • and tells them ſtill in the ſame Language, That thoſe tha • do ſuch vile abominable unnatural Actions, ſhall nev •• enter into the Kingdom of God.

CHAP. III. Of the Blindneſs, and ſome other Circumſtances attending the Commiſſion of this Sin.

THE BLINDNESS here meant, is that ſpiritual Blindneſs and Unconcernedneſs, with which miſerable Onanians repeat this Crime.—For as for thoſe particular pernicious Effects which this Sin has proper to it ſelf above all other Vices, on the SIGHT and EYES of the Body by draining off thoſe animal Spirits, which are ſo the peculiar Strength of the Optick Nerves, as that Perſons addicted to this Vice, will find their Sight and Eyes to fail them a deal ſooner than otherwſie they would, to their great Grief and Sorrow afterwards, when it is too late; this Subjects ſhall be particularly treated of hereafter.

St. Paul ſpeaking of the Sin here treated of, attributes the Commiſſion of it to Blindneſs and Inſenſibility.

And ſays, that the Gentiles, Being paſt feeling: had given themſelves over to Act all Uncleanneſs WITH THEMSELVES with Greedineſs.—And for this Reaſon St. Auſtin calls Spiritual Blindneſs a juſt Puniſhment of Almighty God upon Sins of Impurity, Spargit Deus paenales caecitates ſuper illicitas corum cupiditates. Almighty God throws a Darkneſs on the Underſtanding as a particular Puniſhment for this Sin:

And hence it is, that of thoſe great Numbers that are guilty of it, very few ever come to be truly ſenſible of it, but are lull'd aſleep in it, and eternally looſe their Soul.

A Loſs, to ballance which our Saviour expreſly tells us, that even the gaining of the whole World is not an Equivalent. What Profit is it to a Man to gain the whole World, if he loſes his own Soul. Math. Chap. 16. Verſe 26.

The ſaving of which is every ones greateſt Affair, and every ones only Affair that he came into this World For:

'Tis the Unum neceſſarium, that One Thing which our Saviour declares to be only Neceſſary for all Mankind:

'Tis not Neceſſary to be great, to be Rich, and abound with the Things of this World, but it is abſolutely Neceſſary to be ſaved: And yet Onanians are ſo ſtupidly Blind, as to exchange this Thing ſo Neceſſary, to wit▪ the ſaving themſelves for all Eternity, for the gratifying this Luſt.

Now what ſpiritual Darkneſs muſt ſurround ſuch a Perſon, that is thus ſtark Blind in this Neceſſary Concern, and ſo clear ſighted in other things that are Trifles?

Yet there is one Thing more contradictory ſtill, which is, that a Perſon ſhall with all the Unconcernedneſs of Mind imaginable fall into, and repeat this Crime over and over again, which he knows in his Conſcience is a deadly Sin, and not only cuts off at once, without bearing any Manner of Diſpute in the Matter, his Right for ever to the Kingdom of Heaven, but condemns him to the eternal Fire and Torments of Hell:

And yet at the ſame Time, out of a Principle of Religion and Chriſtianity, would not take a Falſe Oath, nor renounce his Religion for all the World.

Again: How many are there in the World, who are punctually juſt Men in their Dealings, no Swearers, no Drunkards, nor addicted to any viſible Vice, and firmly believe all the Truths of Chriſtian Religion, and yet fall Victims to themſelves, and the filthy Cravings of their own beaſtly Bodies, by living in this abominable Sin.

But what will all this avail them? Quid prodeſt (ſays an ancient Author) ſi quis Catholicè credat, & Gentiliter vivat? Petr. Dam. What good does any Perſon's believing as a Chriſtian do him, if he acts like a Heathen, and does not uſe that Faith, as a Guide and Rule for his Actions?

How can any Perſon reconcile their Faith with ſuch a Practice? And how can they make ſuch a Practice, and their Reaſon agree? 'Tis very ſurpriſing, that Men of Senſe and Wiſdom, who Reaſon ſo well about every Thing elſe, ſhould Reaſon ſo very falſly in This?

A poor blind Onanian freely owns his Action to be a very great Crime, highly offenſive to God Almighty, and if unrepented of, moſt certainly throws him for all Eternity into Hell Fire: All this he will argue over with the ſtrongeſt of Reaſoning and Eloquene with himſelf, and yet will habitually live in this odious Sin.

From whence can this Stupidity, and contradicting thus his own Reaſon proceed? He believes the Myſteries of Chriſtian Religion, and is ready to Die rather than renounce this Faith, altho they are not only above his Underſtanding, but even ſeem to ſhock his Reaſon:

And at the ſame equally believes theſe abominable Actions he lives in the commiſſion of, to be grievous Sins, and that the doing of them condemns him for all Eternity to Hell Fire, and yet WILL do them.

Whence come theſe ſo very unaccountable Contradictions thus between an Onanian's Life, and his Faith?

The Reaſon of this can be nothing elſe, but becauſe the believing the Myſteries of Chriſtian Religion, does not contradict nor thwart his Paſſions:

So that altho it is as equally certain that an Onanian will be eternally Loſt for the commiſſion of theſe abominable Actions, as he would be, if he renounced his Faith, and turned Heathen, both being alike grounded on the ſame infallible Authority, viz. the Word of God:

Yet becauſe the one does not contradict his Paſſions, and the other does, therefore for the ſake of a Moment's Pleaſure, he will thus contradict, and act againſt his own Reaſon, and give himſelf for all his Life time after, ſuch vaſt Room for Grief and Repentance.

What a ſort of Faith ſhall we call this?

'Tis a Dead Faith; which can no more ſave an impenitent Onanian, than the moſt moral good Works will ſave an obſtinate Heathen. Now let an Onanian ask himſelf ſeriouſly, whether he really believes all this or not?

If he does not believe any thing of this, then he does in other things a great deal too much, by being a juſt Man in his Dealings where ſafe Opportunities of Gain by Frauds offer themſelves without ever being detected:

By not being a Drunkard, a Swearer, an Adulterer, &c. all which corrupt Nature inclines to.

And if he does really believe theſe Truths, then 'tis beyond Diſpute, that he does not do near enough.

What then is this Faith? What is this offending God Almighty? This Soul and its being either ſaved for all Eternity, or loſt for all Eternity, that is ſo much talked of?

'Tis in reality nothing elſe but this: That a great many ſay they believe the Truths of Chriſtian Religion, becauſe they will be of the Faſhion of the Country where they live:

So that in Rigour, ſuch Perſons calling themſelves Chriſtians, is no more than conforming to Cuſtom and Faſhion.

For elſe; as no Man ever in his Senſes, would travel any particular Road, if he was credibly informed and firmly believed that there were High-way-men and Robbers in that very Road, that would murder him:

So, either this is the exact Condition of every Onanian, or elſe his Faith, the Goſpel and Chriſtian Religion muſt ſeem to him as a Fable, our Saviour an Impoſtor, and St. Paul a Lyar and a Cheat, thus to perſwade Men from and threaten them out of their Pleaſure, and taking their Swing in This World, for a mere Nothing in the Next.

And if a Heathen was to be asked his Opinion of ſuch a Perſon, that ſays he believes what the Chriſtian Religion teaches, and yet acts ſo contrary to it, he would preſently anſwer, that either he does not really believe, or elſe, that he is a Madman to act ſo oppoſite to his Faith.

CHAP. IV. Of the great Damages the Sin of Self-Defilement brings upon a Perſon's ſelf and Family.

THE Damage this grievous Sin brings upon many a Family fully appears, from thoſe Numbers of Families ſo frequently extinct for want of Heirs:

Which Misfortune were it to be traced up to its Origin, is owing to nothing elſe but that Impotency in one Sex, and Barrenneſs in the other, cauſed by thoſe unnatural Actions here treated of, by which the Strength of Youth has been ſo nipt in its Bud, by having been ſo profuſely ſquandred away, that very few can afterwards much boaſt of the Fruits of a married State.

And altho it be ſuppoſed, that ſuch Perſons ever have Children, (which nevertheleſs happens not often) they are moſt commonly weak puny little ſickly Things▪ that either die ſoon, or if they happen by chance, and mere Force more of Phyſick than the Kitchen, to live and grow up, they prove generally but tender ſickly Perſons, always ailing and complaining of one Malady or another.

What a Pleaſure is it to ſee (ſays an ancient Author) a Man at the Age of Fourſcore, with a Wife of the ſame Antiquity, both bleſſed with healthy hail Conſtitutions, freſh wholeſome Looks, ſound Minds and perfect quick Senſes, (Mens ſana in corporo ſano as Juvenal deſcribes) with active ſtrait upright Limbs:

Walking without the adventitious Support of either Stick or Staff, with pleaſant chearful Tempers, reſiding over a healthful numerous Progeny, perhaps to the third or fourth Generations.

And all theſe Bleſſings owing under Almighty God, to the Temperance, and Continence of their Youths.

When, if we do but turn our Eyes upon Licentious and Voluptuous Livers, we ſhall find them ſurrounded with a whole Legion and Complication of Diſeaſes:

Lean Jaws, hagged pale livid Looks, hollow Eyes ſunk into their Heads, feeble Hams, Legs withou • Calves, Limping and Hobling with a Stick, Gouty u • active Limbs, continually complaining of Weakneſſes and Pains in their Reins and Small of their Backs, in fine worn and waſted away in the Prime of their Years, by having thus ruined and abuſed their Bodies by theſe. Self-Defilements.

And if they happen to arrive at any advanced Years, • hey are uſually harraſſed with ſome draining Weakneſs or another, ſuch as an habitual Gleet, &c.

Or Waſted away with a Conſumption, their Spirits ſunk, Body decayed, Strength ſpent and exhauſted.

All which Complication of Evils, makes them ſhift about reſtleſs from Place to Place, for the Change of Air, and Trial of this and t'other Bath: Always conſulting one Phyſician or another, and yet after all, upon the leaſt Rigour of any Seaſon, or any ſmall Accident, continually in fear of giving up their corrupted Breath.

And all this from having enervated, exhauſted, conſumed, and Worn out their Bodies and Strength by theſe deteſtable Actions and Sins of their Youth here meant, and thereby now become the Sco • n and Jeſt of others, and a perfect Trouble, and Torment to themſelves.

What a melancholy Reflection muſt it be for ſuch a Perſon to think now on theſe vile filthy Actions of their Life paſt? Who being hardly come at half the Age they might reaſonably have expected to arrive at, find themſelves now enervated, conſumed, drained, waſted, and out by this deteſtable Habit of Self-Defilement.

What a diſmal Thing is it for a Perſon thus to ſee themſelves on a ſudden become Old, and perfectly Worn out, by having thus deſtroyed and ruined themſelves, oftentimes before they are even 30 Years of Age?

Again: Of thoſe unhappy and unthinking Perſons who have by theſe Actions in their Lives paſt thus proſtra • ed and enervated their Strength, very few ever come to that Vigour, and Robuſtneſs, which otherwiſe they would have arrived at, and continued ſo to a good old Age.

Beſides Stranguries, Gleets, Gonorrhoeas, &c. far more difficult to be cured, than thoſe very Same Ailments when otherwiſe contracted from ſome ill Diſtemper or its Cure.

So that we'll ſuppoſe Two Perſons to be afflicted with what is commonly called a Gleet either in Men, or a Draining Weakneſs in Women, by either of which is underſtood an Involuntary, and almoſt conſtant Efflux or Coming away of Matter from a Human Body.

In one of theſe Perſons, theſe Infirmities, whether in a Man or Woman, we'll ſuppoſe to be purely the Effect of either ſome Former ill Diſtemper, or its Cure:

In the other Perſon we'll ſuppoſe theſe Infirmities, to proceed purely from the Weakneſs of the Parts, whoſe Tone, Springineſs, and Strength, has been enervated and deſtroyed (as will hereafter be ſhewed) by thoſe unnatural Actions here treated of.

This Laſt Gleet or Weakneſs whether in Man or Woma • is much harder to cure, and the Conſtitution broke thereby much more difficult to repair, than the Former.

The Reaſon of this will be obvious to every Perſon who does but conſider, that the Actions by which Perſon thus defile themſelves, being altogether UNNATURAL by conſequence are ſo many repeated Violences, Strains, an • FORCES upon and againſt Nature:

And therefore the Seminal Veſſels and Parts continguou • to them, are ſo extremely relaxed, and weakned thereby, that it is no wonder that the whole Conſtitution pay • ſo dearly for it afterwards, as the generality of Perſon • too fatally Experience, who ever in their Lives paſt have been guilty of this abominable Practice.

Inſomuch that a great many Young Perſons of either Sex, who were ſtrong, hail, and luſty before they abandoned themſelves to this Vice, have been ſo worn out by it, as to become old before half their Years came on.

For by thus robbing and violently Forcing from themſelves their Strength, and empoveriſhing their Spirits, by depriving their Bodies of its Balmy, and vital Juice, by this deteſtable Vice, they have become ſo dry and emaciated as to be ſent to their Graves a great many Years ſooner than otherwiſe they would have been.

And indeed nothing is ſo common as the Experience that this Sin brings upon its Slaves, not only various Aches, and Pains about the Body, Head-achs, Dizzyneſſe • and ſuch a Waſting of the Spirits, as to impair the very Vitals, and bring Rottenneſs upon the Bones.

But Numbers of Perſons who were healthy and well before they gave themſelves over to this vile Habit, have been ſo weakned, and drained by it, as to have been brought into a viſible Conſumption, and ſo far gone, as to puzzle ſometimes the beſt of Phyſicians to ſet them on their Legs again, their Caſe has been ſo deſperate.

From all which it plainly appears, that no Sin draws i • Votaries into a greater Abyſs of Miſeries, and Ruin tha • This, and therefore 'tis of the utmoſt Conſequence, tha • all poſſible Endeavou • s be uſed to keep Perſons from it.

In order to which, as nothing can be more prevalent than for Perſons ſeriouſly to conſider that the time WILL come, when they ſhall be one Day laid on a Death-bed, and muſt bid adieu to all theſe and other Pleaſures, the Subject of the next Chapter ſhall be to repreſent lively t • the Reader, the Condition of an Onanian on a Dying Bed

CHAP. V. Of the Condition of an ONANIAN on a Dying Bed.

IN order to fix the better your Imagination of this Melancholy and dreadful Time, ſuppoſe your ſelf now upon your Death-bed, in your laſt Sickneſs, having but a few Hours more to live, reduced, (as ONE DAY you WILL be) to the laſt Extremity of Weakneſs:

Your Soul oppreſſed and over whelm'd with Fear, your Heart already ſeized by the Convulſions of Death, your Breath failing, your Colour changed, your Eyes juſt ready to cloſe themſelves for ever to Time, and open in a new State to Eternity, of which you know nothing.

Suppoſe your Self again abandon'd by all you ſo dearly loved, and juſt upon the Point of leaving the World, and expiring either by your ſelf alone, or at beſt in the Arms of ſome Domeſtick, Relation, or Friend.

Theſe Things being thus ſuppoſed: Conſider next how ſtrangely a Luſtful dying Perſon is now changed:

He who a few Days ago was ſtrong and in perfect Health, and in the full Enjoyment of his Pleaſures, is now all on a ſudden confin'd to his Bed, reduced to exremity, unable to help himſelf, uncapable of Pleaſure the Purſuit of which has been his only Aim) and now forced • o abandon all, and to be abandon'd by all.

So that the Separation whereby a Senſualiſt is by Death • nathed from his Pleaſures, is ſtill the more terrible to him, inaſmuch as the more any one has loved their Plea • u •• s, the greater Grief will it be to him to part with • hem; and the more he has ſought after them in his Life • ime, the more bitter will Death be to him.

Every One, that does but ſeriouſly reflect on this, muſt • ry out, Lord! what is Man, tho he enjoys never ſo much Plea • ure, ſince a few Hours Sickneſs are thus able to make him uſeleſs • o all the World, and render all the World of no uſe to him.

What will be able to comfort this unhappy Perſon in • his dreadful Hour? When the Remembrance of his paſt •• ameful Defilements leaves only a mortal Regret behind • hem, and the Fear of ſuture Pains makes him already • egin to feel them.

When every Thing conſpires to terrify and fright him.

How do the Tears of Friends cut him to the Heart?

With what Fear has he recourſe to deſperate Remedies, and what a Terror is it to find thoſe Remedies prove ineffectual? And he who but a few Days ago had a Conſtitution that promiſed the Enjoyment of Pleaſures for many Years, has not now even Hours to enjoy them.

But to calm his Frights, a Clergy-man is deſired to come and Pray with him. And does this Allay his Trouble?

He trembles and is confounded, at the remembrance of his paſt ſhameful Actions, which he now bluſhes at

How diſmal muſt his Apprehenſions be, after ſo many repeated Self-Defilements, to think that now he has but a few Hours more to live, and is going to have his Deſtiny determined, either of being ſaved, or loſt for all Eternity.

And in this Agony, He is now with the Aſſiſtance of this his ſpiritual Friend to prepare for Death.

But is this a fit Time for it, when he is juſt going to expire? When Fear and Trouble has weakened his Reaſon, how can he go about ſo great a Work?

A Work that requires the greateſt Leiſure, Application, and Tranquility of Mind that is poſſible, and for which all the Saints have ever thought their whole Lives too ſhort, and this ſick Man has it now all upon his Hands to diſpatch on a ſudden in a Hurry, and in a few Hours:

And alſo at a Time the moſt improper of any for it, when his Ills and Pains render him ſo uncapable of applying even to any Small Affairs, that his Phyſician abſolutely forbids it, and now at this Time, he has the great and intricate Account of his Soul to adjuſt and make up.

If 'tis ſo difficult a Thing to prepare for Death as it is whilſt a Perſon is in Health, and has his Head clear and free to think, how hard, (not to ſay almoſt impoſſible) muſt it be on a ſick Bed, when the Head is racked with Pains and cannot apply, and the whole Body ſo diſordered, that 〈◊〉 quiet free Thought can ſcarce be had.

So that he has put off his Repentance to a Time, tha • is no Time for him: A Time of Sickneſs being to Tim • at all for ſuch a Perſon as this to Prepare for Death in.

What ſhould we think of a Captain of a Ship, wh • never enquires whether his Anchors and Cables be in 〈◊〉 readineſs, and fit for Service, 'till he is juſt periſhin • in a violent Storm, and upon the point of ſinking?

What ſhould we think of a Governour who neglects t • repair the Breaches of his Town, and lets his Magazine remain empty, 'till he is cloſe beſieged, and the Trenche • opened?

Death is a dangerous Voiage, a Dying Man is going to ſail from Time to Eternity among Rocks and Tempeſts:

It is a ſudden Siege where his Enemy blocks him up in a Moment, and can he think this a fit time to prepare, himſelf in to Fight? No: No: Whoever puts off their Converſion to this Time, moſt wretchedly cheats themſelves.

And for this reaſon our Saviour bids us be ready when the Hour comes, and not then to prepare our ſelves.

But let us conſider a little farther, what paſſes between this dying Perſon and his ſpiritual Friend.

He now ſpeaks not his own Sentiments, but only repeats what the Clergy-man puts in his Mouth, not knowing perhaps what he ſays, or what he ought to ſay.

The Merits and Paſſion of Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, which in this laſt Hour is the great Conſolation of a Good Man on a Death-Bed, now only ſerves to ubraid this Sinner.

With whom then ſhall he now find Eaſe?

His Friends and Relations retire, leaving him and the Clergy-man by themſelves for a while alone.

Conſider now what Thoughts this diſtreſſed Perſon will have, when the Divine only ſtays to exhort him to fix his Eyes on Jeſus Chriſt crucified, and to inform him, that being now paſt all Hopes of Recovery, and bereft of all Creatures, Jeſus Chriſt alone muſt be his only Refuge and Conſolation.—Jeſus Chriſt crucified muſt be now, Dear Brother (ſays the Divine) your only Hope, &c.

You muſt ſeek Strength in his Death, againſt the Fear of your's: Place then your Confidence in this comfortable Object, in the Thoughts of which I leave you to your ſelf: And the Clergy-man withdraws for a while.

This is the End of all thoſe ſhameful Pleaſures, which Luſtful Perſons with ſo much Greedineſs purſue.

Did it ever enter into ſuch a Perſon's Thoughts on his Death-bed, to regret that he had not in his Life pleaſed himſelf, and gratified his brutiſh craving Paſſios more?

Every dying Perſon will repent his having pleaſed him ſelf too much, but never that he did not more.

But alaſs, there is now no more World for him; he has acted His Part on the Stage of it, and muſt now (notwithſtanding all his unwillingneſs) go off from it.

And as Actors go off a Stage with Applauſe, more or leſs according to the Merits of their Performance; ſo this dying Man goes off the Stage of this Life loaded with his Self-Defilements and Impurities, as our bleſſed Saviour foretold of impenitent Chriſtians. John chap. 8. v. 21. That they ſhall die in their Sins.

What Comfort will this Perſon find now in thinking of Jeſus Chriſt, who has during his Life had ſo little reſemblance to him? Whilſt in Health, how often has he perhaps made a Jeſt of the great Truths of Chriſtian Religion? And now he muſt, notwithſtanding all his Rallery, in a few Hours appear before the great Founder of it.

The Divine viſits him again and prays by him, and ſays,

Lord ſave this thy Servant:

And the dying Perſon anſwers if he can, tho perhaps very faintly and with trembling and ſtammering Lips:

Which—put—his—Truſt—in—thee.

He utters this indeed with his trembling Lips, but his Weakneſs and Fears do ſo cloud his Reaſon, that he ſcarce has Liberty to uſe it, and by conſequence ſcarce knows what he ſays—Next: What Terror muſt it be to him to hear the Clergy-man go on with thoſe Words?

We commend the Soul of this thy Servant into thy Hands, O Lord, &c.—To him who loved his Pleaſures and the World ſo much as he has done:

Nay who perhaps never loved any Thing elſe but his Pleaſures, and never made One ſerious real Step towards Heaven in all his Life.—Again: What a Terror muſt; thoſe Words give him,—Go Chriſtian Soul out of this World:

Profciſcere Ammo Chriſtiana de hoc Mundo, &c.

There is no more for you to do in it:

You muſt leave it; but How? And Why?

By Force: And becauſe your Pleaſures leave you, and not you them.—St. Auſtin ſpeaking to you in this Condition tells you, Serm. 1.

Non vis relinquere Mundum, relinquet te Mundus.

You are unwilling to leave the World and your Pleaſures, but that's nothing, the World will now leave you:

There is no avoiding it, a Dying Perſon cannot help it:

There is no Appeal.—You MUST go Chriſtian Soul out of this World, &c. You muſt leave it,—But

The Divine goes on: Accept O Lord his Tears, &c.

What Tears?—Alaſs! Tears and Sorrow from his unwillingneſs to Die, and leave the World and his Pleaſures, and becauſe he can enjoy them no longer: Nothing elſe.

Lord! In what a Condition is this dying Man?

If he has yet his Senſes left, the Remembrance of his paſt Actions rifle his very Soul, and tear him to peeces.

The ſhameful Action now leaves him, being no more capable of it, and not he the Action.

O Death! How terrible is thy Memory to this poor Wretch, thus drown'd and, abſorpt in his own Guilt?

CHAP. VI. Some farther Conſiderations of the Condition of this ONANIAN on his Dying-Bed.

THis almoſt Diſtracted SENSUALIST being now upon the brink of having his Eternal Doom decided, his paſt Actions tear him with inexpreſſible Remorſe.

Every one of his paſt Defilements appears now to him as big as a Mountain, and in all its Deformity and ghaſtly Shape, which before he cheated himſelf in the Commiſſion of, by the deceiving Name of Weakneſs and Frailty.

How diſmal muſt the Apprchenſions of this dying LEACHER be, when he reflects that he has now but a few Hours more to live, and if not ſincerely reconciled to Almighty God, by a true Repentance, is for ever loſt?

What muſt this Sinner do at this dreadful Hour?

In which St. Peter tells us, that the very Saints themſelves are not ſecure, 1 Epiſtle Ch. 4. v. 18. If the rightcous ſcarcely are ſaved, where ſhall the wicked appear?

In this terrible Extremity, ALL that he has ever in his Life Time heard of Judgment, of Hell, of Eternity, and other awakening Truths of Chriſtian Religion, comes now all on a ſudden freſh into his Mind, and fright him.

And 'tis wonderful that he, who ſome few Days ago was ſo full of Doubts, and Uncertainties as to Religion, and who made almoſt a Jeſt of Chriſtanity, and the Purity of the Goſpel, and would believe SO LITTLE, ſhould now be ſo fully convinced of theſe Truths, and all on a ſudden believe SO MUCH: For no People in the World believe more, or have ſtronger Faith than Dying Men:

But what does this convincing Faith avail an impenitent Onanian then? The Devils believe as much as any Chriſtians:

But as St. James ſays, 2.19. their Faith only, ſerves to make them tremble. Doemones credunt & contrennſcunt.

And juſt in the ſame Caſe is this Perſon on a Dying-bed.

What lie was ſo unwilling to believe all his Life Time, he cannot help believing now: So that a Death-Bed will give him a lively Faith, when nothing elſe will.

This Perſon whilſt he was well and in Health, made nothing of ridiculeing Piety and Religion:

Let him now carry on the Jeſt with his Wit and Rallery if he can. No, No, A. Death-Bed teaches a true Leſſon, convinces the moſt obſtinate, and opens their Eyes.

O Mo • s bonum eſt judicium tuum, ſays the wiſe Man, Eccleſ. • 1.3.

If ever a Man's Judgment is impartial, 'twill be on a Death-Bed. Then the Mind is fill'd with cruel Remorſe, the Conſcience is terribly awaken'd, paſt Defilements come freſh in to the Mind, and ſeizes it with inexpreſſible Conſternation:

And 'tis then, that every Senſualiſt will begin to open their Eyes, and to judge of things after quite another Manner than ever they did before, and would give All the whole World, were it at their Diſpoſal, that they could now call their paſt Actions back again.

Now Terror and Remorſe begin to ſhew themſelves, and the dying Man is ſeized with inexpreſſible Anguiſh.

Now he would forſake his Sin: Now he condemns himſelf:

Now he is willing to open his Caſe to his ſpiritual Friend, who before could never be brought to it.

But alaſs! It is now too late, he has no more Time left, He is a Dying: — He is now of no more uſe to the World, nor it to him. He may with good Reaſon cry out

NOW my Soul the Day is gone, Which in the Morn was thine, Now it's Glaſs no more ſhall run, It's Sun no longer ſhine. True alaſs! the Day is gone, O we it only ſo: But it is loſt as well as done, To my eternal Woe. Auſt. Dev.

The Example of the good Thelf's Repentance has very little room here to encourage any Delay to ſuch Perſons of their Converſion. Becauſe as St. Aug. juſtly ſays,

The Scripture comfortably furniſhes us with this Example of ONE True Death Bed Repentance, that we may not Deſpair.

But alaſs! it is the only ONE throughout the whole Scripture, that we may not Preſume, and to convince us, what a Height of Folly (not to ſay Madneſs) it is, and how extremely dangerous to live in the habitual commiſſion of this abominable Sin with any ſuch ill grounded Hopes.

So that whatever Perſon does ſo, moſt miſerably impoſes upon, and abominably CHEATS himſelf at laſt, with only an Appearance of Converſion and Repentance.

If therefore any deluded Senſualiſts find themſelves diſpoſed to take any Encouragement in remaining in the Habit of this deteſtable Vice, from the Example of thoſe ſo very Few, who have riſen again, and ſincerely and truly Repented, after terrible Falls;

Let ſuch know, that they have much more Reaſon to tremble at the Remembrance of infinite Numbers of others who have fallen in like Manner, and never did riſe, but have been utterly undone by it, and eternally loſt.

If a Perſon could die Twice, an unprepared Firſt Death might be repaired by a Second: But he can die but ONCE, and an Eternity of Happineſs or Miſery depends upon this ONCE. And being once only ill done is for ever ill done, and never can be repaired.

Any One then who goes on in his Sin, with the Deſign of Repenting on a Death-bed; puts it off to a Time, the moſt unfit for it of all his whole Life, and which (is to be feared) will prove no Time at all for him.

If a good Death conſiſted only in a few Tears, in having a few Friends to pray by one, in having the Aſſiſtance of a Divine, in a Remorſe of Conſcience, a Deſign to amend, and even in receiving the Holy Sacrament, this Perſon's Madneſs would not be near ſo great:

But alaſs! How many daily die with all theſe VERY SAME Helps, and many more, and yet Die miſerably, and are now irreparably loſt for all eternity?

And could but any of them return upon Earth, to tell us how all this came to paſs, and could poſſibly be with ſo many Helps; their Anſwer would be, that they died miſerably, becauſe they did not prepare before hand, by quitting this Sin in Time when they might.

They would alſo tell us, that thoſe Helps they had on their Death Beds, were only Opera Operata, meer outward Works, which to them were of no Effect, for want of requiſite Inward Diſpoſtions, and a real Converſion of the Heart, and a leaving off this abominable Sin whilſt they were in Health: Whereas their profeſſing with their Lips outwardly to deteſt, renounce, and leave this Sin now at a Time, when the Sin leaves them, deſerves no manner of Thanks to them at all for it.

And that this is evidently true, fully appears from thoſe who do by a ſingular Mercy of Almighty God, recover from great Fits of Sickneſſes, after, all imaginable Proteſtations whilſt they were Sick, of mending their Lives in Caſe of Recovery: But when recovered, think no more on't, but return again (like a Dog to his Vomit) to their old Ways. Which is a convincing Proof, how little Death-Bed Proteſtations and Deſigns are to be depended on.

So that 'tis not having a Sorrow upon a Death-Bed, that is merely enough, Numbers having gone oat of this World perfectly bathed in Tears, and in appearance Sorrowful, and yet have been eternally loſt:

And the Reaſon of this has been, becauſe their Sorrow was for leaving the World, and all they loved in it, and nor for having offended Almighty God.—Again:

How can any One imagin that he ſhall be able upon a Death-Bed to hate what he has all his Life time ſo loved, ſo doated upon, and ſo eagerly purſued?

And yet every Dying Perſon that does not truly abominate his darling and beloved Sin above any Thing in the World, and this for the Love of Almighty God, who is highly offended thereby, will be eternally loſt.

This is as true, as that he has committed the Sin, which when once committed, the Delinquent is always Certain of, but entirely Uncertain of the Pardon of it.

Will it be eaſy for this Man, now all on a ſudden to deteſt and abhor what he has always ſo much loved, and who perhaps never made ſo much as one ſerious Act of Repentance for it, in his whole Life.

Will it be eaſy for One who has doated on this Sin all his Life, now to abhor it, becauſe Death tears him from it, and becauſe he now is no more able to commit it.

No No: Deceive not your ſelf, every Onanian, whoever you are that reads this Book: This will One Day be your own Caſe really and in Fact, as now it is in Imagination.

Oh! the miſerable State, will ſuch a One ſay to himſelf, whereto I find my ſelf now reduced! Oh! that whilſt I was in Health, I had left off this Sin!

But I have brought my ſelf now (by continuing in it) to that Paſs, that I am (morally ſpeaking) unable to Repent for it. And now after all, I am come to my Laſt Day, I am laid upon that Bed, from whence I ſhall riſe no more, but muſt go to appear before my God loaded and defiled with theſe my repeated Crimes.

Conſider again, what long and languiſhing Farewells your Soul will give to her Body and this World.

She will then take her Leave of all thoſe paſt ſhameful Actions ſhe has ſo long been enſlaved to, together with an eternal Farewell to Riches, Vanities, Company, Pleaſures, Paſtimes, Friends, Neighbours, Kindred, Children, Husband, Wife, and in ſine to every Creature, and at laſt even to her own Body, which ſhe is now about to leave Pale, Hideous, and Loathſome.

And thus the poor Onanian expires, and becomes a mournful, but indeed a very moving Sight to deter Luſtful Perſons, from the Commiſſion of thoſe Unnatural Actions, which have now given ſo much Trouble to this poor deceaſed Wretch's Soul at preſent, and render'd his Doom ſo uncertain for the future.

CHAP. VII. Of the Condition of an ONANIAN departed this Life.

THis SENSUALIST being after all now dead, altho Reſore, the moſt accompliſhed and beautiful Perſon in the World, now inſpires nothing but Horror:

Immediately ALL is ſilent, the Corps is covered, the Curtains are drawn, and every one retires, with a (faintly as they go) Lord have Mercy upon his Soul.

And the uſual COMPLIMENT now made him is,

He is gone poor Man: HE WAS NO BOBY'S ENEMY BUT HIS OWN. God's Peace be with him, they will ſay: and that's all: He is gone after all his Pleaſure, and has carried all his Actions (for his Paſport) along with him:

And the Beſt they can ſay is, We hope he has made his Peace with God, &c. Oh Peace! How uncertain and doubt ful art thou to this poor Wretch, that never perhaps thought of thee, 'till reduced to a Dying-Bed?

Where is now the Beauty, the Galantry, and good Mien of this Perſon? What is become of all his Pleaſures?

But above all, what is become of his Soul?

Alaſs! of this we have all the Reaſon in the World, from his foregoing Conduct, to apprehend but badly.

What now becomes of this Body ſo often defiled?

It begins already to grow offenſive and burdenſome.

So that notwithſtanding all its former Charms and Beauty, every Body now flies it, Nor would any one now lie but one only Night alone in a Bed with it, on any Account whatſoever.

Husband, Wife, Children, Relations, Friends, Neighbours, Servants are all in a hurry to get rid of it.

Thoſe who loved it beſt, are now moſt deſirous to have it convey'd away, and put out of Sight:

They All make haſt to Nail it up, and put it into the Ground, and ſo get rid of it: And Would not for any thing, ſo much as only Look at it, a few Weeks after.

Thus this Perſon is forgot almoſt as ſoon as gone, every one returns to his Buſineſs, your Friends ſeek other Friends, take new Meaſures, and hardly think any more of you.

They concern themſelves no more about you, than if you had never been, they often undo all you had done, and in a little Time you are no more talked off.

All the Pleaſures of this Senſualiſt thus end in a Shroud, a Coffin, the Grave, Worms, Rottenneſs, and Corruption:

But the immortal Soul of this ſo often defiled Body is gone into a new Region and amongſt new Company, to be Judged and have its definitive Sentence paſted upon it; either to go to the Right-hand, or to the Left:

Alaſs! whither ſhall yours go? What Way ſhall it take?

No other than that which it has begun here in this World.—The Sentence paſſed on unrepenting Onanians is this, Go ye Curſed into everlaſting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Math. 25.51.

Ponder well every One, that reads this, theſe weighty Words. Go, ſays the Judge. A Word of Eternal Baniſhment from Happineſs.

He calls them Curſed. O how dreadful a Curſe muſt this be? A General Curſe including all Woes, an Irrevocable Curſe, comprehending all Times:

The Judge adds, into Everlaſting Fire: Oh Eternity of Pains, how dreadful wilt thou be to this poor Senſualiſt, that has done little elſe but indulged himſelf in Pleaſure?

Men are ſo uſed to hear Talk of Hell, that it very little affects them, whereas if every Onanian was but truly ſenſible what Hell is, he would tremble at the very thought of committing an Action, that ſo certainly Inſures it to him.

In order then to make every One, that may read this Book, as ſenſible of this State of Miſery, as our groſs Conceptions, and material Compariſons can make it,

Imagin that you ſee in the Center of the Earth a vaſt Gulph and Lake of Fire and Flames, and thoſe two unhappy Men Er and Onan, together with all others who have impenitently imitated them in the Perpetration of this abominable Fact, plunged and roling in it, all covered and tranſperſed with Fire, which they not only ſuck in with their Breath, but which enters alſo at their Eyes and Ears, their Mouths and Noſtrils caſting forth dreadful Flames, their Skin ſcorched, their Fleſh, Blood, Humors, and Brains boiling up with the Violence of the Burning, their Bones and Marrow all tranſparent with Fire, like a Piece of Iron taken red Hot out of a Furnace, and all the Parts of their Bodies glowing with Fire.

Having here put Er along with his Brother Onan, the Reader doubtleſs will deſire to know, whether or not the Crime of Er was the ſame as that of Onan, the Holy Scripture mentioning only of him, That Er Judah's Firſt Born was wicked in the Sight of the Lord, and the Lord ſlew him. Gen. 38.7.

And afterwards Verſe 10. in the Cambridge Edition of the Engliſh Bible, ſpeaking of the Puniſhment of Onan, ſays that The Lord ſlew him ALSO.

Commentators on this Place of the Scripture all agree, that the Crime of theſe two Brothers Er and Onan was exactly the ſame as to the Fact, but only, different as to the Motive: Er would not have his Wife Thamar bear Children, to preſerve her Beauty.

Onan would not have her bear a Child by him, becauſe (according to the Law) it would not be called by his Name, nor eſteemed HIS. Thus St. Auſtin, lib. 22. contra Eauſtum, cap. 84. Conſentiunt Hebraei & Chriſtiani tam Er quam Onan peccaſſe eodem peccato Mollitiei, quod eſt contra naturam generationis: Sed Er fecit, ne ſcilicet Puerperia aliquid de pulchritudine ſuae Uxoris decerperet, Onan vero ex alio motivo, ut ex Scripturâ patet.—But to return to our Subject.

How glad would theſe two unhappy Men be to ſuffer only from Our Fire? But alaſs there is no compariſon between it, and the Fire of Hell.

St. Auſtin compares Our Fire to it, as only a painted Fire. Our Fire is lightſome, their's is dark and horrible.

Ours is the Effect of the Goodneſs, and Bounty of God, their's is the Product of his incenſed Omnipotence.

Again: Repreſent to your ſelf a Man tormented with the Gout, or ſome other violent Pain.

What Torment does he feel? How does he cry out?

How willingly would he die to put an End to his Torture? And yet he ſuffers only in ſome ONE Part of his Body: He has the Liberty of complaining, and the Satisfaction of ſeeing himſelf pittied.

But what would he undergo, if every Member and Part of his Body ſuffered the ſame Torment?

And if inſtead of helping and pittying him, every Stander-by ſhould abuſe and upbraid him without any Liberty of Complaining?

In Hell, the Damn'd do not only ſuffer the Pains to which we are ſubject in this Life, they ſuffer all theſe and infinitely more, their Torments are univerſal, violent, complicated, and unſupportable, and yet they MUST and do in every Inſtant of Time feel them ALL, and in the Midſt of them ALL, they cannot receive, or even ſo much as hope for any Reſpite, Eaſe, or Comfort.

What would only ONE poor ſingle Drop of Water be againſt ſuch a Sea and Torrent of Flames? And yet ſuch a poor Refreſhment, ſuch a meer Nothing is and ever will •• ce denied them, as it was to the rich Man in Hell, who •• eg'd it of Lazarus. Luke 16.24.

The Sick find ſome Eaſe in tumbling and removing from one Place to another, but unhappy Onan together with his Brother Er, and their Followers, are now at this Time that You read this, in this Fire immovable as at Rock.

But all this is the leaſt Part of their Suffering; for notwithſtanding all theſe Torments are ſo exceſſive, yet it would be an inexpreſſible Comfort to them, if they were but ever to have an End: But what adds infinitely to their Miſeries, is their Knowledge that all theſe Torments will be for all Eternity, and never are to have an End.

So that notwithſtanding all their Horror, there is no Manner of Hopes that they will ever end, or diminiſh.

What are now the Thoughts of thoſe two miſerable Men Onan, and his Brother Er? Who have now been in all theſe Torments almoſt Four Thouſand Years,

For theſe two young Men were cut off by Alm. God for theſe Wickedneſſes in the Prime of their Youths, about the Year of the World Two Thouſand twenty nine, neither Er nor Onan being 20 Years old when this happened to them, and therefore ought to be a particular Example to all young Perſons: And they know that they are no nearer to the End of their Sufferings, than they were the very firſt Moment they began them.

Was miſerable Onan together with his Brother Er, obliged to fill only the Hollow of a Man's Hand with each of their Tears, and each of them to drop but ONE ſingle Tear at the End of every Thouſand Years: What a terrible Duration would this be? Onan would have now ſhed but Three Tears towards it; and his unhappy Brother Er juſt as many: But if each of them were obliged at the ſame Rate of One ſingle Tear for every Thouſand Years to make a Brook or a River with their Tears, or even to fill the Sea, what a prodigious Length of Time would this require? Our Imaginations are Loſt and confounded, our Thoughts are ſtun'd in ſo vaſt a Duration.

And yet all this great and inconceivable Extent of Time is nothing to Eternity, and that Duration which theſe unhappy Wretches are to ſuffer.

A Time WILL come when Onan and every one of his Imitators will be able to ſay, that One Tear for every Thouſand Years that I have been in Hell would have been equal to the Sea, would have drown'd the World, and would have fill'd up the immence Space between Heaven and Earth, and yet I am to begin again, to ſhed the ſame Quantity of Tears over, and over, and ever again; having an Eternity of Torments to ſuffer even Millions of Ages after the World ſhall be ended.

So that there WILL be a Time when Onan himſelf will be able to ſay, that having Already ſhed as many Tears at the Rate of One only ſingle Tear for every Thouſand Years, as would fill the whole Sea, as many times over again, as there are (in all the Fields and Meadows in the World, and throughout the whole Univerſe) Blades of Graſs and Corn in the Fields, Leaves on the Trees, Grains of Sand in the Sea, and upon its Shore, and Stars in the Firmament, yet I am now after all this to begin my Work over and over again.

The ſame alſo WILL one Day every Onanian be able (as well as Onan himſelf) with inconceivable Regret to ſay. And all this for a baſe Pleaſure of only a Moment.

Our Imagination is perfectly Loſt, and our Thoughts are ſwallowed up, ſtun'd and confounded, in the View of ſuch a vaſt extent of Duration, inſomuch that after Millions of Ages as many Times multiplied, unhappy Onan will ſtill have his Work to begin, over again, as freſh and as much A new, as the very firſt Moment he entered there, and every Onanian the ſame.

O DREADFUL! OH INCOMPREHENSIBLE ETERNITY!

Was Onan to burn only as many Millions of Ages, as there have paſſed Minutes ſince the Creation of the World, which is now Five Thouſand Seven Hundned, and Seventy odd, Years ago, his Pains would at leaſt one Time have an End, but he knows his Torments will NEVER end.

When every One that is in Hell reflects on this and compares it with the inconſiderable Time his Pleaſure, for which he is condemn'd, laſted when he was in this World, what muſt his Rage be?

Where are now thoſe great Men, who have for paſt Ages enjoyed all this World could give them?

What are they the better for all their Senſuality, Debauchery, and Pleaſure, if they are Damned?

All Pleaſure is now paſt and gone, as if it had never been, but the Soul will FOR EVER BE, and that miſerably too, if not prevented by a true Repentance.

If theſe Reflections make no Impreſſion upon an Onanian that reads this; if this Eternity does not touch him, can he call himſelf a rational Creature?

But to repreſent to the Reader in Epitome all theſe awakening Truths together, nothing is more proper, than a Verſion (Mutatis Mutandis, for the Exigency of, and Application to our preſent Subject) of a certain celebrated Latin Hymn on the terrible Day of Judgment, begining Dies Irae dies illa, &c.

COME it WILL that dreadful Day, Which ſhall the World in Aſhes lay, As David, and the Sybills ſay. A Trumpet firſt will rend the Skies, And all wherever laid, muſt riſe, To appear before this Great Aſſize. How will the SELF-DEFILED grow Pale, To ſee their Judge with Sword and Scale, Ready to weigh the Crimes of all. Before that Judge, whoſe Hand, whoſe Eye, None can endure, yet none can fly, They MUST appear to live or die. Nature and Death ſhall with ſurprize, Behold the Pale Offender riſe, Before his Judge with guilty Eyes. The great Account Book then ſhall li • Open to every Offender's Eye, To try his Self-Defilements by. Then ſits the Judge upon his Throne, And makes all Self-Defilements known, When each Onanian knows HIS OWN. Each SELF-ABUSE will open lie, No Crime ſo Secret then can fly This Judge's fierce All-Seeing Eye. Thus ſits the Judge himſelf and Tries, No ſhifting from his angry Eyes, No Crime eſcapes, who'ere deſerves it, Dies. O then! Poor I, what ſhall I do? To ſave me from this dreadful Blow, When Saints themſelves are ſcarce ſecure from Woe. Thou mighty formidable King, Thou Mercy's unexhauſted Spring, To poor Onanians Pitty bring. Forget not what my Ranſom coſt, Nor let my dear-bought Soul be Loſt, In Storms of guilty Terror toſt. Surrounded with amazing Fears, Whoſe Load my Soul with Anguiſh bears, I Sigh, I weep; accept my Tears. True 'tis, I'me Guilty, ere thou try me, My Self-Defilements now deſcry me, But Mercy Lord, Mercy do not deny me. Thy granting Magdalen Relief, And opening Heaven to the Thief, Has given me Hope; now give Relief. Reject not my vnworthy Prayer, Preſerve me from that dangerous Snare, Which Death, and gaping Hell prepare. And then thoſe great Aſſizes done, And all the Curſed i'th Fire thrown, Say, Come ye Bleſſed, meaning me for one. Lord this I beg on bended Knee, With Heart contrite as Aſhes be, That thou take Care both of my End and me.

From what then has been here ſaid, let every Onanian conſider the Uncertainty of the Day of his Death:

And let him ſay, Oh my Soul, thou muſt one Day OUT of this ſo often Defied Body: But when, ſhall that Day be?

Shall it be in Winter, or in Summer?

In City or in Country? By Day or by Night?

Shall it be ſuddenly, or on Notice given thee?

By Sickneſs, or by Accident? Shalt thou have Leiſure and Time to repent, and make thy Peace with God or not?

Shalt thou have the Aſſiſtance of a ſpiritual Friend?

Alaſs! Of all this We know nothing.

Only certain it is, that we are to DIE, and that always ſooner and leſs prepared than we imagin.

And that then the World will End in regard of you:

Having now thus far laid before the Reader theſe diſmal Conſequences, attending this wretched Sin, in order effectually to deter Perſons from it:

It may not be amiſs, next to conſider of ſome Aſſiſtance for thoſe unhappy Perſons, who have fallen into it, and thereby ſuffered a Share of thoſe Inconveniences abovementioned.

CHAP. VIII. What the uſual Misfortune is that attends the Sin of Self-Defilement: And how to remedy it.

THE common ill Effect the Habit of this Vice of Self-Defilement has on the Body, is to bring Perſons of either Sex inſenſibly into a Gleet, or other ſuch draining Weakneſſes as hereafter will be ſhewn:

Which Diſorders are the Fore-runners of various Pains, Aches, and other Ailments about the Body, waſts the Spirits, decays the Strength, cauſes particular Pains, and Dizzyneſs in the Head, and ſo wears out the Body, as to bring it in the End into a Conſumption.

And what alſo is to be much lamented is, that theſe Ailments are of ſuch an Out of the Way kind from common Diſtempers (to ſay nothing of the Shame that attends them, which uſually keeps Perſons from diſcovering their Condition to another in order to obtain a Cure) that the beſt Phyſicians are oftentimes puzled with them.

And for theſe Reaſons it is, that ſo many unhappy Perſons are daily ruined, and their Conſtitutions utterly Broke and ſpoiled by theſe Sort of Gleets and Weakneſſes, cauſed by this wretched Sin of Self-Defilement, for want of the right and proper Method of curing them.

As then a great many Perſons will doubtleſs read this Book in Hopes of Relief from it, the next thing to be conſidered ſhall be, of the moſt rational Method of Cure, according to the Principles of Anatomy and Phyſick, of theſe Gleets and draining Weakneſſes in either Sex, conſequent from, and cauſed by a Habit of this Vice.

And which cannot fail of being very acceptable to every Reader labouring under them, becauſe, there is no Treatiſe hitherto extant, that has ſo treated of this Matter, as to aſſiſt Perſons ſatisfactorily in their Cure.

But as to be able to cure a Diſtemper, there muſt be a perfect Knowledge had of its Cauſe (or elſe 'tis only gueſs Work, and acting in the Dark) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ſays Hippocrates, He that knows beſt the Cauſe of an All • ment or Diſtemper, is the moſt likely Perſon Beſt to cure it, which made that great Phyſician Celſus afterwards ſay, That Recte curaturum quem prima Origo cauſoe non fefellerit.

Therefore, in order to explicate how it comes to paſs that a Gleet, &c. is thus ſo Uſually cauſed by this Abominable Vice, and thereby be led into the trueſt Method of its Cure, and prevent the Ruin of Numbers of Perſons and their Families, whom this wretched Sin of Self-Defilement has been the Bane of, it will firſt of all be abſolutely neceſſary to examine into the Anatomy of that particular Part of the Body where theſe Gleets are ſituated. As

Firſt. To examin its inward Structure and Make.

2dly. What Alterations this Sin of Self-Defilement is capable of cauſing in this its inward Make and Structure, and How it comes to cauſe them?—3dly. What Effects ſuch Alterations cauſed by this Sin, are likely to produce.

And Laſtly, Whether or no theſe Effects are ſuch as Perſons addicted to this Vice, find in themſelves, who have by it brought ſuch a Gleet, or Weakneſs upon them.

Which Obſervations being premiſed, we ſhall afterwards enquire how it happens that ſuch a Change of State of theſe mucous Glands, viz. from an elaſtick, ſpringy, and ſtrong State, to a limber, looſe, and flaccid one, can produce, and be the Cauſe of that Quantity of Matter which drips and comes away in the Courſe of a Gleet, cauſed by the vicious habit of this Sin of Self-Defilement.

Or in other Terms, (but the Meaning is ſtill the ſame) Whether or no, the productive Cauſe of a Gleet, ie. the Relaxation of the Orifices or Mouths of the mucous Glands in the Urethra, can ſo far increaſe the Quantity of Liquor naturally produced by theſe Glands, as to be ſuch as is experienced by Perſons who have a Gleet, &c. upon them.

Hence the Motive of proceeding thus with our preſent Subject is, Firſt, the great Inconvenience that Perſons afflicted with a Gleet lie under, from the Quantities of Phyſick exhibited to them for their Cure, which even it ſelf is a Diſeaſe, and often ſerves for little elſe than breaking a ſound Conſtitution, or making a bad one worſe:

Secondly, The great Uneaſyneſs (notwithſtanding a daily Change of Linnen) which ſuch Perſons harraſs'd thus with a Gleet, or other ſuch Weakneſs, oftentimes for a long while labour under, by Reaſon of ſuch a Dripping continually upon them: And which tho for the preſent may give no other Trouble, than as it is oppoſite to Cleanlineſs, (being no pleaſant Companion to a clean neat Perſon) yet will in Time impair and break the beſt of Conſtitutions, and moſt certainly bring on a Conſumption, being a conſtant Drain and Waſt of the Animal Spirits, as in the Second Volume will be clearly ſhewed.

CHAP. IX. Some few Anatomical Obſevations neceſſary to be taken Notice of, in order to a right Knowledge of the true C • uſe, Seat, and. Nature of GLEETS, &c. cauſed by this Vice, or otherwiſe.

BY a Gleet, or other ſuch draining Weakneſs, which Onanians have by their wicked Practice drawn upon themſelves, is here underſtood an Involuntary and almoſt conſtant Efflux or Dripping away of Matter from a human Body, and that in much the ſame Quantity, whether the Perſon be aſleep or awake, this Gleet being of juſt the ſame Kind as any other Gleet following any ill Diſtemper, ſuch as the Secret Diſeaſe and its Cure, &c.

From this Definition it naturally offers it ſelf to our Conſideration, to enquire into the Cauſe of this Efflux or Coming away of Matter, and How it happens that ſuch a Quantity of it ſhould thus involuntarily come away.

Which Difficulty will eaſily be removed by examining ti •• •••• ard Anatomical Structure and Make of that particular Pa •• where this Weakneſs is ſituated, which is the only Thing that can give Light to our preſent Queſtion:

And then to examin, if there is naturally any Liquor ſeparated in that Part, capable of becoming the Matter of that Epidemical Weakneſs and common Companion of Perſons habituated to this Vice, uſually called a Gleet.

It is obſervable by Anatomy, that in the Nervo-Spongious Subſtance of the Urethra or Urinary Paſſage, there are ſeveral Glandulous Openings, like ſo many little Pin-holes, firſt diſcovered by that great Anatomiſt Mr. Cowper, which ſerve as ſo many excretory Ducts or Channels deſigned by Nature conſtantly to convey and furniſh a certain viſcid, clammy, mucous Kind of Liquor or Moiſture into the Urinary Paſſage; the Uſe of which Liquor is to lubricate and beſmear by its Viſcidity the Pipe or Paſſage, and thereby to preſerve and defend it from being fretted and corroded by the ſharp Salts of the Urine which is daily paſſing thro it, and which, without this defenſative Liquor would certainly be fretted, and become raw, and by conſequence, Sore as any fleſhy Part would be, that ſhould have ſuch a ſalt ſharp fretting Liquor as Urine ſo often paſſing over it, unleſs it were preſerved by ſome ſuch proper Defenſative, as the continual anointing or beſmearing it with ſome ſuch ſmooth, ſoft, unctuous Subſtance would be:

Inſomuch that were it not for this Slimy Liquor or Moiſture that Nature is continually ſupplying the Urinary Paſſage with, by means of thoſe glandulous Openings juſt now mentioned, to keep it thus moiſt, it wou'd in a little Time become ſo fretted and raw, by the Sharpneſs of the Urine daily paſſing thro' it, that All Mankind in general would have a perpetual Scalding and Heat of Urine upon them.

By which is not here meant, that the Urine in it ſelf would be hotter in that Suppoſition, than it is now, but that the Paſſage being raw and ſore for want of that defenſative ſlimy Moiſture which now protects it, it would be fretted by the Saltneſs of the Urine, and ſo would ſmart, and ſeem as it were to Burn and Scald, whenever the Urine paſſed through it: Juſt as any other raw ſore Place diveſted of its Scarf-Skin, wou'd ſmart and ſeem to burn, if one ſhou'd throw Urine or ſalt Water upon it.

This being thus eſtabliſhed from the nice Anatomical Inſpection of the inward Structure and Make of the Urethra,

We are next to conſider what Changes and Alterations theſe glandulous Openings in the Paſſage, are ſubject to, and capable of: And then, whether or no ſuch Changes can furniſh us with ſuch a large Supply of Matter as is experienced Involuntarily to drip away from Perſons who have that Weakneſs commonly called a Gleet upon them.

Our next Endeavour then muſt be to examin How the Urethra only and the glandulous Openings above-mention'd which it contains, are able to furniſh ſo great a Quantity of Matter, as is obſerv'd to be involuntarily diſcharged in the Courſe of any Sore of Gleet.

In order to which we muſt conſider, That Nature deſigning theſe Glands in the Urethra conſtantly to furniſh and ſupply a certain Moiſture to the whole Pipe or Paſſage, which may defend it from being fretted by the ſharp Urine ſo frequently paſſing through it, as has been already • hewed, the Orifices or Mouths of theſe Glands in entire • ealthy, ſound, hail Perſons, are in ſome Meaſure, (to uſe • he Compariſon, ſervata always debitâ proportione) like the Sphincter Muſcles of the Anus, Bladder, &c.

By which is meant, that the Openings of theſe Glands, • otwithſtanding their being ſo very ſmall, have a certain Springineſs and Elaſticity proportionable to their Bigneſs, and Size, belonging to them, by which they are endowed with a certain Power of ſtraitning, contracting, and drawing themſelves together, more or leſs, upon every Emiſſion of that abovementioned Moiſture Nature deſigns them to ſupply the Urethra with: Juſt as the Sphincter Muſcle of the Bladder is endowed with a Power of retaining, holding, and keeping in the Urine.

And by this Means it is, that ſo much and no more of this Moiſture is thrown out of theſe • lands into the Urethra, than is juſt neceſſary for the lubricating and moiſtening it, preparatively for the Paſſage of the Urine.

So that as by reaſon of the Strength and Vigour of the Sphincter-Muſcle, for Example of the Bladder, the Neck and Mouth of it is endowed with a Power of ſtraitening, contracting and cloſing it ſelf together after every Emiſſion of Urine, every one experiences in themſelves a Power of either Holding, or letting go their Water:

So, much in the ſame manner, by Reaſon of the Strength and Vigour of the Orifices of theſe Glandules, they are endowed with a not unlike Power of ſtraitening, contracting, and drawing themſelves together (which the Reader is deſired always to ſuppoſe to be in a Degree proportionable to their Bigneſs) after every Emiſſion of the mucous ſlimy Liquor they contain:

Which Strength being once loſt, the Power of retaining and keeping in this Liquor is alſo loſt with it

The State then and Condition of theſe glandulous Openings (or as Dr. Drake calls them, Mucous Glands, from their thus furniſhing and ſupplying the Paſſage with this Mucous ſlimy Liquor,) being thus conſidered in healthy Perſons.

Our next Enquiry muſt be into the State of them in Perſons afflicted with a Gleet, or other ſuch draining Weakneſs, after a vicious Habit of this Sin, or otherwiſe.

Which State we ſhall ſoon be appriſed of, by conſidering that when a Perſon has been addicted to this Vice, by a frequent Preſſure upon, and a violent, and Unnatural Uſe, Forcing, and Irritation of theſe Glands, by the abominable Act of this Sin, this Unnatural Forcing Practice has render'd them flaccid, limber, weak, and looſe, which before were healthy, vigorous, ſpringy, and ſtrong.

The Truth of theſe Aſſertions) abſtracting from the Reaſonableneſs they carry along with them) will appear by giving an Account of the State of theſe Glands as they have been obſerved in ſome Anatomical Diſſections made of that particular Part, where all Gleets are ſeated that is, the Urethra or Urinary Paſſage.

That great Anatomiſt Mr. Cowper tells us, that to inform himſelf the better in this Point, he diſ • ected the Urinary Paſſage of ſeveral Criminals: Some of which were healthy ſound Perſons: The others were executed with Gleets upon 'em, having been luſtful libidinous wicked Men.

In the healthy found Perſons he found theſe glandulous Openings to be ſo firm, as to have had even a perfect Elaſticity, or Springineſs belonging to them:

Inſomuch that upon preſſing them, (but not without this Preſſure) he ſays, they diſcharg'd a certain Quantity of tranſparent viſcous ſlimy Liquor, ſuch as it ſhews it ſelf, and ought to be in ſtatu ſano; whereas if theſe Glands had not had ſuch a Firmneſs and Strength, in which conſiſted their Power of retaining or letting go the viſcid ſlimy Liquor they contain; this Liquor would have ſlipped out of them without any ſuch Preſſure at all:

And by conſequence, its not owzing out, but upon ſuch a Preſſure, was an evident Mark of their Springineſs and Strength. He alſo obſerv'd the whole Urethra to be beſmeared and lined with a viſcous, ſlimy, unctuous Moiſture, which was diſcharged from theſe Glaudulous Openings or little Bags in order to lubricate the Paſſage.

But in the Urethra of thoſe Criminals executed with a Gleet upon them, the Caſe was quite different:

He obſerved the mucous Glands all along the Urinary Paſſage to be limber, flaccid, flabby, and looſe, very much ſtretched, and dilated, and their Orifices by the Help of a a nice Microſcope to be viſibly open, ſtretched, dilated, and diſtended, and thereby totally deſtitute of their Strength and Vigour; from whence he concluded, that they were alſo entirely deprived of their retentive Faculty and Springyneſs, having no Power left of contracting themſelves upon any emiſſion of that mucous ſlimy Liquor they contain, as thoſe other Glands could do in the Criminals that were executed in perfect Health.

This will appear ſtill more clear, by an Example of Perſons who have a Diabetes upon them:

For, from the Loſs of the Springineſs and Tone of the Sphincter Muſcle of the Bladder, the Neck, and mouth of it is ſo weakned and relaxed, as to be deprived of its retentive Faculty, thro' a want of that Power of contracting and drawing it ſelf together after any Emiſſion of Urine, which healthy Perſons experience in themſelves:

From whence it follows, that the Urine comes away involuntarily from them, being altogether deprived of both that expulſive, as well as retentive Power which healthy Perſons have.

CHAP. X. How the abovementioned Weakneſs of the Mucous Glands, and their Orifices in the Urethra, are the only Cauſe of all Sorts of Gleets, &c.

THE Springineſs and retentive Faculty of the mucous Glands in the Urethra of healthy found Perſons conſiſting in their Strength and Power of either dilating or contracting their Orifices or Oſtiola, (as in the foregoing Chapter has been ſhewed) by which Power of retaining or letting out the viſcous ſlimy Moiſture they contain, they diſcharge juſt ſo much and no more of it, than is juſt neceſſary for the lubricating and beſmearing the Paſſage:

It muſt of Neceſſity follow, that when theſe Glands are, by a violent and unnatural Straining and Forceing of them by the vicious Habit of Self-Defilement, ſo weakened as to become limber, flaccid, flabby, and looſe, they muſt be deprived of this retentive Power or Faculty alſo.

Inſomuch that altho theſe Glands in healthy ſound Perſons, are naturally ſo Springy and Strong, as to diſcharge and let out into the Urethra, juſt ſo much and no more of the ſlimy Liquor deſigned by Nature to beſmear, and as it were to Cover over the whole Tube or Paſſage, and thereby defend it from the Sharpneſs of the Urine:

Yet in Perſons who have a Gleet or other ſuch Weakneſs upon them from this vicious Practice, the Caſe is not ſo:

For the Offices or Oſtiola of theſe Glands in theſe Perſons are ſo weakened and relaxed by the Violence, and repeated Unnatural Forceing of them, as to be in a Manner always open, by which Means the mucous Liquor they contain, is continually ſlipping out of them into the Urethra; the Openings of theſe Glands not having Springineſs, nor Strength leſt to contract themſelves, and thereby to keep it in, as formerly they could.

By which Means the contained Liquor involuntarily and continually comes out into the Urethra, and by ſuceſſive Quantities of it puſhing one after another, thus drips and ownes away Involuntarily from the Body.

The Difficulty then that now remains, is to conceive how ſuch very ſmall Glands and their Orifices can furniſh ſuch a Quantity of Matter, as is daily experienced to flow away in ſome Gl • ets, and how the mucous Liquor which naturally is diſcharged our of theſe Glands into the Urethra in healthy Perſons, ſhould be increaſed to ſuch a Degree, as it is in Perſons who have a Gleet.

To Clear this Matter, it cannot but be allow'd, that theſe mucous Glands, as little as they are, may naturally diſcharge into the Urethra for its Lubrication as much of this Liquor in one Minute as may weigh at leaſt one quarter of a Grain: This in an Hour will be 15 Grains, or a quarter of a Dram: In 24 Hours, or a Natural Day, it will amount to 6 Drams, which is 3 Quarters of an Ounce; a Quantity ſufficient in all Reaſon to give that Uneaſineſs to the Perſon, as well as Wetneſs to the Linnen, which is uſually experienced by thoſe under die uncomfortable Circumſtances of a Gleet upon them.

If you ask, how theſe Glands in the Urethra can diſcharge ſo great a Quantity of Fluid, in the Time of a Gleet, above what they do in their natural State.

The Anſwer is, that it is manifeſt from the Animal OEconomy, that if any Gland or excretory Duct be weakened, and deprived of its retentive Faculty, the Quantity of Liquor that it diſcharges by Reaſon of chat Weakneſs, is conſiderably augmented in Proportion to the Degree of Weakneſs with which theſe Glands or Ducts are affected:

Juſt as a little Powder of Spaniſh Flies apply'd any where, by breaking thro the Texture of the Outward Scarf-Skin, does ſo weaken the Glands as ſoon to excite a Bliſter, and by its thus weakening the Glands under the Scarf-Skin, makes them diſcharge a Quantity of Matter immenſly greater, than what would naturally flow away otherwiſe from that Part by inſenſible Perſpiration only.

Much in the ſame Manner, the Orifices of theſe Glands being weaken'd and relax'd by the Unnatural Forcing Action of this Sin, have thereby loſt their retentive Faculty, and therefore cannot hold in the Liquor they contain, but lets more of it ſlip away than the mere Lubrication of the Urethra requires, and therefore it continually is diſcharging it ſelf by that Dripping commonly called a Gleet.

Thus the true Origin and Cauſe of, not only thoſe particular Gleets and Weakneſſes, which are the Conſequences of the vicious Practice of Self Defilement, but alſo of any other Gleet, are clearly explicated, without recourſe to any other Part, or Parts, that have no Manner of Claim to fall under our preſent Conſideration, as for Example the Seminal Veſſels, or the Proſtatae, or the Paraſtatae which Terms will be explicated in the Second Volume.

And which Parts having b • en erroneouſly thought to furniſh the Matter of a Gleet▪ has been the Reaſon that the Vulgar ſo commonly (tho very improperly) call almoſt every Gleet a Gonorrhaea, whereas they are widely different:

The only Seat of a Gleet, being no other than the mere Urinary Paſſage, and not at all farther up in the Body.

Whereas that Efflux of Matter that is really and truly a Gonorrhaea, comes from the Seminal Veſſels themſelves, as will be clearly ſhewed in the next Volum

Hence all the Difficulties about a Gleet, or other ſuch draining Weakneſs in either Sex, whether proceeding from the vicious Habit of the odious Sin of Self-Defilement, or from any ill Diſtemper, or its Cure (either of theſe Gleets being of the ſame Nature,) are overcome in a few Words: Its Symptoms become obvious upon a ſmall Principle ſo clear in Anatomy, as to carry not only Evidence along with it, but alſo more clearly explicates all the Symptoms and Effects of it, than hitherto has been done.

Theſe Gleets then being of juſt the lame Nature, and by conſequence to be cured by juſt the ſame Method, as other Gleets and Weakneſſes are, which are contracted by either a former ill Diſtemper, ſuch as the Secret Diſeaſe, and its Cure in either Sex; but more frequently in Women after hard and difficult Labours, Colds contracted in Lyingsin, Wrenches, Falls, Hurts, Strains, and other ſuch innocent Cauſes, as will be hereafter ſhewed.

To effect a Cure of them in either Sex, every Reader is referred to that Method of Cure for Gleets and other ſuch Weakneſſes, which is treated of in the 15th Page of a little Book, entituled The Practical Scheme, and which Book is Given Gratis at the three following Places, viz.

Up one Pair of Stairs at the Sign of that Celebrated Anodyne Necklace which Dr. Chamberlen has Recommended for Children to Wear for the eaſy breeding and cutting of their Teeth, juſt by the Roſe Tavern, without Temple-Bar.

At Mrs. Garway's at the Sign of the juſt now mentioned Book, entituled The Practical Scheme, at the Royal Exchange-Gate, which is on Cornhill Side.

And at Mr. Greg's a Bookſeller's Shop next to Northumberland-Houſe at Charing-Croſs.

Alſo: Where a Conſtitution has been Broke and empaired by a Habit of this Vice, the Reader is referred to that Diſcourſe on Broken Conſtitutions cauſed by Self-Defilements, &c. in the ſaid Practical Scheme, Page 16.

So that Perſons labouring under theſe Diſorders, may by this Means happily find that Relief and Recovery of their Health and Conſtitution, which perhaps they might never have the Opportunity otherwiſe of meeting with.

But more of all this in the Second Volum.

The End of the Firſt Volum.