Miscellanea spiritualia: or, Devout essaies: composed by the Honourable Walter Montagu Esq.

§. I.

Of the dangerousnesse of these libertyes, and the familiar excuses made for them.

BEing in chase of the tongue, which Saint James saith, is so wilde a beast as no body can tame, me thinks * 1.1 this other unruly evill seemeth to be her other fore∣leg, whereby she runnes so lightly in the course of our nature, and sets it (as the Apostle saith) on fire; wherefore these her two vitiousnesses of medisance and lubricity may well be pro∣secuted together, and in effect they are seldome parted in our humours. Moreover, as they are twins of an illegitimate and scandalous conception, their delivery is commonly after such a manner, as that of Pharez and Zara, where he that put his * 1.2 hand first into the world, came intyrely the last into it: So detraction and piquantnes of wit, doth likely first make prof∣fers to issue out of our corrupted nature, but is fully delivered the latter of the two, for we know that our fancies even in their immature season, strain to be forward in this point of medisance and mordancy of one another, but the other twin, namely loosnesse and uncleannesse of speech, entreth first com∣pleatly into our discourse, by reason that the full growth of medisance, requireth a riper fancy, and many extimulations to sharpen it; whereof our green youth is not susceptible:

so that most commonly our tongue delivereth fully this vice of foulensse and obscenity of speech the first into the world; and thus, that of the two which in part sallieth first out of our fancy, is the last in point of an intire production, I shall not stay to examine their priority, in this relation of their brother∣hood in iniquity, as neither of them are children of light, so their inheritance is such, as even the least share will seeme too much to each of them; wherefore I may truly say, Blessed are they who dash these while they are little ones, against the stones of the Temple of the Holy Ghost, repressing the first strainings and proffers of our fancies, at these indecent excursions.

But alas how distancial are we from this igennious coercion of our polluted fancies? When commonly we set al our wits upon this liberty, to cloake and palliate it, when it is accused; do we not familiarly seeke to elude the reprehensions, and to cover this our Idol of Wantonnesse with Rachels Mantle, answering * 1.3 our impeachers, it is with us after the manner of the world? the customary infirmity of our nature is made the palliation of this iniquity; but surely custome and possession in this case ought strongly to be impleaded; for if custome passe for a second na∣ture, even when at first it contendeth against her, when it doth concurre and second her; how strong and unruly must they needs both grow against the order and discipline of grace? which is evidenced in most companies by the notorious excesses of these impunities.

But it is no hard Argument to overthrow this plea of cu∣stome, and to prove this charge of a high offence against this licentiousnes of speech, because if we stand charged with al our words upon accompt, all our indecent and uncleane ones must needs be set very high in the reckoning; by reason they may be said to be responsable, not only for all the time we our selves take up upon them, but even for all the losse and prejudice the company suffereth by them, since whether they offend or affect the company, we are answerable for both these effects, for the scandall even when they are distasted, and much more for the temptation when they are well relished; and if we are injoyned

such a preferring the good of society, before that of singlenes, as we are disswaded by the Apostle, even lawfull and inno∣cent libertyes, in case of indangering the scandalizing of our brother; how faulty must be this unruly transgression of all the precepts that directly prohibit such licentiousnesse? Is it not a pleasant answer to Saint Pauls order, of let no ill word come out of your mouth, to reply, alas we are used to let out so * 1.4 many as the custome may stand for our defence: to which, me∣thinks we may suppose the spirit of Saint Paul answering as he did upon the occasion of reforming an effeminate fashion among the Corinthians, We have no such custome, nor the Church of God.

The most familiar extenuation of this culpable practise, is, that there are many light passages in discourse, that have no aime but the present jollity and recreation, and that many of such levities spring up in our way without the ranging of our fancyes for any such game, and that such accidentall free∣domes may produce a harmelesse recreation; I do not bring my charge against any such chances, there may many words be started in conversation that may move our first in∣stincts to runne after such sportings, wherefore I do not at∣taint all such propensions, but desire that this aptnesse in our nature may be rightly understood, and that we may discerne our being moved with such light invitations, to be rather excu∣sable by our frailties, then justifiable by the qualities of such mirth.

There is no fault so little in this kind, that is not accounted one; for the familiarity of these small imperfections, indange∣reth their rising into higher corruptions; how many little un∣cleannesses do we see, that being wiped off as soon as they light upon our clothes, come out again with any stain? which if they be neglected, sinke in, and leave their spots upon the place: nor is there any morall immundicity of a more dange∣rous insinuation then this of wanton discours, by reason it in∣troduceth it self in a harmeles apparence, & so subtilly, as even many who aime at purity of life, are sometimes if not affected,

at least amused & diverted by it in their design, and unto such wel disposed minds do I addres this animadversion; to such I say, in whose lives these amusements are the most apparent de∣fects; for in such subjects, (in whom these excesses are, the least of their corruptions, where out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth overfloweth in these pollutions) I cannot hope to wash off so easily this soule graine of their interior disposition; this particular being so twisted & inwrapped in other grosser vices (like strawes or fethers cleaving to some tenacious mat∣ter) as it cannot be easily severed or expurged, but in some fair souls; these levities are but like some loose dust or feathers that of themselves come up, and swim upon the top of their enter∣tainments, and so may easily be scum'd off by a gentle hand of reprehension, whilst in fordid and foul mindes, this filth stick∣eth to such heavy vices, as keep them in the bottome of their hearts, insomuch as they seem to require some storm of afflicti∣on that may move and agitate the deepest parts of their ill ha∣bits, and by that meanes cast out all the foul weight together that lay sunk in the bottome of their hearts.

I will therefore onely addresse these gentle prescripts unto such as intend the observance of Solomons advise, of keeping * 1.5 their garments alway white, that they must not onely set a guard over their heart, but also a watch over lips, that no inde∣cent freedomes may creep into a custome, for in that incroach∣ment they shall never discern the possession they have taken, till they attempt their remove; and the smalnes of this fault in the commencements of it, proveth the most dangerous part towards the progresse thereof; for it may be compared in a perverted sense, to that grain which is the least of all seeds, when it is cast into the ground; but at last it groweth to a nest for the fowls of the ayre, because, commonly what is at first but levity and veniall wantonnesse, groweth up very famili∣arly to beare and harbor all kind of foulnesse and impurity: Wherefore Solomon warneth us thus against such deceptions, There is a way that seemeth right unto man, but the end there∣of * 1.6 is the way of death.

Notes

• * 1.1

  James 3.
• * 1.2

  Gen. 38.
• * 1.3

  Gen. 31.
• * 1.4

  1 Cor. 11.
• * 1.5

  Ecclesiastes 9.
• * 1.6

  Prov. 16. 25.