The cafe is plainly determined, and caft over the bar of reafon with contempt and abhorrence.

§ 8. Come we next to your third excuse, or plea; That fwearing is become modifb, and gives you a great reputation among men of your own rank and quality; and that you shall be looked upon as fneaking fellows, unfit for the fociety of gentlemen, if you did not difcourfe with them in their own dialect.

This apology for fin is of no late date: Salvian mentions it as far back as his own time: Profane persons then * thus pleaded for themselves, that they were compelled to be evil, left -they fhould be accounted vile.

Whether there be any weight in this apology for fwearing, will quickly appear, now it is to be laid in the balance of true reason.

1. And first of all, let us confider what makes a true gentleman; and whether profane swearing have any place in his true character and defcription. A gentleman, is one that fprings from famous and renowned ancestors, and degenerates not from their probity and honour.

This is the man, whom the Latins call generofus, and we, a gentleman: Because we fuppofe a man of fuch an extraction and education, more gentle, affable, and condefcending to inferiors, and to keep a ftricter government over his tongue and paffions, than rude plebians are wont to do. Upon this account, the poet rightly obferves,

Quo major eft quifquis, magis eft placabilis ira,
Et facilis motus mens generofa capit.

Men of genteel extraction and education, are perfons, whose paffions are supposed to move more gently than other mens: And if at any time they be moved diforderly, yet are they more placable, and fooner reduced, than thofe of fordid and bafer fpirits are.

It is virtue which raifes and ennobles families at first; for omnis fanguis concolor, all human blood is derived from, and equally tainted by Adam. Nobler, and baser blood, is an after-difference, made by virtue and vice among men. And as virtue firft ennobled, and raised fome families above others, fo it will still continue the line of honour in their pofterity: And as their virtues fhall increase, fo will their honour proportionably do.

Z z 2

Mali effe coguntur, ne viles habeantur.

+ Generofus, nobilis, ex praeclaro genere ortus, qui a 'genere non deflectit.

The cafe truly and plainly standing thus; it is morally im; poffible, to make debauchery the proper badge and character of gentility. For men of eminency (above the vulgar) are more obliged than they, to fhun all bafe and fordid actions: And as their honour increafeth, fo do their obligations to tempe rance and fobriety increafe, and ftrengthen upon them proportionably.

It was therefore a right and rational obfervation of Hierome; I fee nothing defirable in nobility, (faith he) but this; that fuck men are bound by a certain kind of neceffity, not to degenerate from, or ftain the glory and honour of their renowned ancestors. And the reafon is ftrong and evident: For virtue being that which first differenced their blood from others, they are obliged, by all the value they have for the honour of their blood and families, to fhun thote vices which ftain that honour and dignity. And what vice can dishonour and debafe them more, than profane fwearing? For if the arms of many noble families have been reverfed, for treafon against the king it is irrational to imagine, that treafon against the King of kings, fhould add a new mark of honour: And what is blafphemy, but treafon against God? It is plain then, from the true rife and character of a gentleman, profane fwearing neither first raised, nor can preferve and continue, but rather blots and expofes their reputation and honour.

2. Though I am most willing to pay a becoming deference to all perfons of noble and genteel extraction, yet, in faithfulnefs to their true honour, I am here obliged to fay, (and in faying it, I can offend no man that hath a true fenfe of ho our) that their natural defcent can never give them fo much honour, as the vices I am here cenfuring will reflect ignominy and dishonour upon them. To be a flave of Satan, and your own lufts, is fuch a mark of infamy, as all the honourable and illuftrious titles in the world can never cover. It is better to rife by virtue to honour, from contemptible parents, than by vice and profanenefs, to grow contemptible from honourable parents. It is your honour to have many fervants at your command, obfequioufly attending a nod of your head, or a beck of your finger: But afk your own reafon, gentlemen, whether it be not a greater dishonour, for you to attend as obfequioufly yourselves upon every beck and nod of Satan, and your own lufts?

Were your natural birth once ennobled by the new birth, you would be more than thrice honourable, grace would make you more illuftrious, than your natural extraction doth, or

can do. Or if morality (which is far inferior to that honour, and for which Heathens themselves have been renowned in the Pagan world) did but adorn and beautify your conversations though it cannot entitle you to heaven, or fecure to you the glory of the world to come; yet it would make you shine in the eyes of men in this world, and taking its advantage from your honourable extraction, make you differ from perfons of an inferior rank, as ftars of a greater magnitude and lustre. I hope, gentlemen valuing themselves upon their honour, will not be offended at a harper invective than this, against thofe vices that darken and eclipse their honour, both in the eyes of God, as well as in the judgment of all wife and good men.

3. Suppofe what you fay to be true, that fome profane gentlemen should fcoff and deride you, for your fober carriage, and decorus language, (things which ought to be infeparable from true gentility) I would in this cafe appeal to your own reafon, why you should not enjoy your own pleasure in as full datitude and liberty, as they do theirs? They delight in the dialect of devils; you, in pure and inoffenfive language. If they will drink the puddled waters, and you refuse them for the pure chryftal ftreams; you have, to be fure, as much reafon (and a thousand times more) to affert your liberty to be virtuous, than they have (or can pretend to have) a privilege to be vicious.

And if they will be offended with you for this, their offence is groundless in themfelves, and will be greatly advantageous to you. For you need not doubt but you may find better company than theirs any where on this side hell. I remember that rational and excellent apology, which Tertullian made for the Christians in his time against the Gentiles: Wherein (faith. he) do we offend you, if we will not partake with you in your delights? If we fuftain any damage by fuch our refufal, the injury can be only our own: We reject your pleasures, and you are not delighted with ours.'

You will fhew yourselves true and worthy gentlemen, in abandoning and rejecting (upon fo noble an account as this). alk further unneceffary fociety with fuch gentile-men; for fo they deserve to be called, rather than gentlemen. They boast, indeed the honour of their blood, whilft they trample the preci bus and invaluable blood of Chrift, under their feet: They boaft their eminency above the vulgar, whilft mean time they labour vilely to debafe him that fet them there.

I am fure there is not a devil in hell, but is by nature of a more honourable and illuftrious houfe, than the proudeft of

blafphemers. They are angels by nature, though devils by practice. They have little reason to boast of their original excel lency, which now aggravates their mifery. Sin darkned their luftre, degraded them from their natural dignity; and so it will do theirs alfo, that imitate devils in their blafphemy and malignity against God.

4. It may as easily be proved as afferted, that to make curfing, fwearing, and blafpheming, the badges and characteristical marks of a true gentleman, is the foulest blot and mark of infamy, which the malice of their enemies can devise to put into their efcutcheons; and fuch an affront, as ought to be highly resented by all true gentlemen.

Should the moft malicious enemy you have in the world, f.e e an herald to devife a mark of infamy for your coats of arms, to make you ridiculous, and a by-word among the people; he could never dishonour you at that rate, you this way difhonour yourselves.

For if debauchery be both afferted and allowed to be the true badge of gentility, then your own reafon will infer, that all the ancient epithets of gentility ought thereupon to be altered. And would thofe gentlemen, think you, take it well, to have the titles, and epithets of ingenious, worthy, honourable, and noble, changed into curfing, fwearing, damning, blafpheming gentlemen? You cannot but fee the inconfiftency of both. If, therefore, you will adopt and wear the latter, you muft either cafhier and renounce the former, or try to make the former confiftent with the latter, which I am fure the most ingenious among you will find an hard task to do.

5. I humbly beg leave to propound one plain blunt queftion to you, gentlemen. The matter of it is too rational to be rejected, and let that make atonement for the blunt manner of its propofal. And the question is this:

Queft. Whether your reafon and confcience be fully satisfied, that when you die (as you know you shortly must), you shall ther appear before the judgment-feat of God, in the quality and character of gentlemen? Do you verily think you fhall find the more favour there, for the fake of your noble defcent, and bonourable extraction, or that your gentility fball make an atonement for all your impiety?

I am perfuaded, gentlemen, you do not; you cannot think fo. You know you must appear before that God, with whom there is no refpect of perfons; a God that will certainly damn the impenitent blafphemer. The man muft affuredly go to

+

hell, i Cor. vi. 9, 10. And if the man be damned, certainly the gentleman is in a bad cafe.

6. In a word, I am past all doubt, and fo may you too, that this genteel mode of fwearing, drinking, and whoring, which hath spread fo far in this prefent infamous age, into Proteftant ftates and kingdoms, is the very spirit and strength of a Popish plot, fubtlely projected, and induftriously managed, for their effectual reduction to Popery.

For nothing in the world can reconcile men to Popery; yea, and even endear them to it, like debauchery. Under Popery, gentlemen may come up to the rates of coftly pardons and indulgences, for their greateft fins. They may give themfelves liberty to wallow in profanenefs all the days of their life. They may give their lufts the utmost scope and liberty, and yet have a plenary pardon when they die. So that they need not abridge themselves of any finful liberty, or boggle at the loudest blafphemy, whilft they have that in their pocket to ftill and quiet fomething that grumbles in their bofom. Do you not fee, gentlemen, the natural tendencies of thefe things? Does not debauchery look like a fhoeing-horn to Popery.

Besides, gentlemen, the devil and the Pope are confederates in a farther design upon you; and if their defign hit, they hope to win by power, what they may mifs by policy; and that by the very fame method of corrupting and debauching perfons of eminent rank and quality, in Proteftant kingdoms and commonwealths. For (as a * learned man in queen Elizabeth's days rightly obferved) thefe are the men especially interested in the public affairs of kingdoms. Thefe reprefent the people in parliaments. Thefe make their laws, adminifter the government in peace and war. To their hands are committed the great concerns of nations. These are they that fill the feats of public judicature.

*Who manages the reins of government, who is prefent at, and prefides over, both private and public matters, but perfons of eminent rank and quality? Who moderates in the Senate, prefides in courts, commands at home and abroad? Chief men and nobles surely. Who commands and countermands, acts and overacts, manages and canvaffes all affairs, who makes laws and refcinds them, who governs the state in time of peace, and commands the forces in time of war; but great men and nobles? No wonder that the management of public affairs be committed to him, who by perfonal merit and renown of his ancestors hath recommended himfelf to the good report and esteem of mankind. Humphred on nobility.