A farrago of several pieces being a supplement to his poems, characters, heroick pourtraits, letters, and other discourses formerly published by him / newly written by Richard Flecknoe.

OF THOSE Who Glory in their VICES.

WHen any hide their Vices, I shall never seek to discover them; and a well-palliated Vice, shall pass for ver∣tue with me at any time: but when they glory in them, and discover them them∣selves, they must pardon me, if I take notice of them, and tell them they glo∣ry in that, which they ought rather to be ashamed of; and seek Fame from that, which would be anothers Infamy.

There are few so mad, to Glory in their Corporal infirmities; and if they do, their Cures may well be dispaired of; yet thât these do in their spiritual ones, and never perceive how miserable they are, nor know they the whilst, what harm they do to others: for to do ill (most commonl••y) goes no farther then ones self; but to speak of it, is a spread∣ing sin, and one knows not how far it goes: 'tis like oyle, which easily insinuates self into others minds, and after∣wards

so spreads and dilates it self, as the stain of it can ne're be wholly taken out again.

As the Weapon-salve cures at distance, so do those discourses wound, and they raise up more Spirits with them, like ignorant Conjurers, then they can lay again.

Amongst the rest, lascivious speeches are the most dangerous of all, for such is mans proneness to lust and the Lubrie∣ty of his mind; as 'tis well compared to Ice about the brink of some precipice, which of it self is so slippery, as they can hardly abstain from falling in; but when you add the Impulse of others, 'tis in a manner impossible.

Such then I shall avoid, as publick Impoysoners, or as those infected with the Plague, who long to communicate their contagion to others; and there is nothing more infectious, then such mens company.

Above all, I can least suffer them, when they talk profanely of God and of Re∣ligion; and 'tis but the duty of every Christian to reprehend them for it; for

as he shu'd be counted no good subject, who could hear the King and State ill spoken of; so shu'd he be no good chri∣stian, who could hear the like of God and of Religion; and this is that which renders the state of such as these more desperate and deplorable, and wholly exempts them from the General pardon of other sinners; for if he who excuses his fault, redoubles it, he certainly who Glories in it, renders it a hundred times more inexcusable then before; for by the first, he only offends God; but by this he Braves him too; and the first may be repented of, and so forgiven; but in this they are so far from repenting it, and consequently of being forgiven, as they declare a will of committing it a∣gain.