Such encouragement they give to use the preparatives, and play with the incentives, and dally with the Temptations to lust and actual ⟨p. 345⟩uncleanness; for the act it self, how little they make of self-popution we have seen before, they conclude that single pollution (though a sin against nature) is of it self, (o)no sin at all, and so they may (p)desire it before-hand, or (q)delight in it when it is past, for an honest end, and use the incentives, if it be but for gluttony. Moreover Whoredom it self has excessive favour and encouragement, from this holy Church. This is too plain by their Authors, and their practice, to be denied; and too heinous to be excused by any, but those, who have a mind to have mortal sins, to pass for small, or no faults. It seems it is no sin to build Stews for the entertainment of common Whores, and the best accommodation of them for their Trade of uncleanness. Pope Sixtus did it, as Cornelius Agrippa (q)tells us, and they were so multiplied long since, that as one of their Doctors observes, (r)under Christ's Vicars, and Peter's Successors, urbs est jam tota lupanar, Now the whole City is one Whore-house. 'Tis no sin to farm out Whoredom (s)and to take so much a head of the Strumpets weekly, for their practice: the Popes Holiness hath done it long at Rome, and does it to this day; and the Whores daily commit lewdness, not only for themselves, but for the Pope their Benefactor's advantage, who is to share in their gain; they drive this Trade for him. And the number of his Farmers was so great long since, that they brought him in yearly an intrado of above Twenty thousand Ducats, a great sum then, and probably very much improved since. Such an abominable ⟨p. 346⟩Tribute nature, even corrupted, blushes at: but that Holiness at Rome, thinks it no shame, to maintain his honour and state, as Christ's Vicar, by the hire of Whores. Evagrius extolling Anastasius the Emperor for abolishing such a detestable practice, brands it, (t)as a wretched Tribute, abominable to God, and shameful to the most barbarous people; as that which was a Reproach to nature it self, and the civil Government; as that which did, as it were, by a law Authorize this wickedness. Nor do the Popish Writers deny, that it is as bad, as he represents it; and yet since the Pope hath made it a custom, they have the confidence to justify it.
Such incouragement they give to use the preparatives, and play with the incentives, and dally with the Temptations to lust and actual ⟨p. 345⟩uncleanness; for the act it self, how little they make of self-popution we have seen before, they conclude that single pollution (though a sin against nature) is of it self, (o)no sin at all, and so they may (p)desire it before-hand, or (q)delight in it when it is past, for an honest end, and use the incentives, if it be but for gluttony. Moreover Whoredom it self has excessive favour and incouragement, from this holy Church. This is too plain by their Authors, and their practice, to be denyed; and too hainous to be excused by any, but those, who have a mind to have mortal sins, to pass for small, or no faults. It seems it is no sin to build Stews for the entertainment of common Whores, and the best accommodation of them for their Trade of uncleanness. Pope Sixtus did it, as Cornelius Agrippa (q)tells us, and they were so multiplied long since, that as one of their Doctors observes, (r)under Christ's Vicars, and Peter's Successors, urbs est jam tota lupanar, Now the whole City is one Whore-house. 'Tis no sin to farm out Whoredom (s)and to take so much a head of the Strumpets weekly, for their practice: the Popes Holiness hath done it long at Rome, and does it to this day; and the Whores daily commit lewdness, not only for themselves, but for the Pope their Benefactor's advantage, who is to share in their gain; they drive this Trade for him. And the number of his Farmers was so great long since, that they brought him in yearly an intrado of above Twenty thousand Duckets, a great sum then, and probably very much improved since. Such an abominable ⟨p. 346⟩Tribute nature, even corrupted, blushes at: but that Holiness at Rome, thinks it no shame, to maintain his honour and state, as Christ's Vicar, by the hire of Whores. Evagrius extolling Anastasius the Emperour for abolishing such a detestable practice, brands it, (t)
- (o)Non est in se peccatum secundum omnes. Navar. c. 16. n. 7.
- (p)Cajetanus. Sylvester. & alij ibid.
- (q)Aquinas. Paludanu• & Communis. ibid. Si autem placeat ut est exoneratio naturae non creditur peccatum—appetere pollutionem in somnis sine omni delectatione propter alleviationem naturae, non est peccatum; sed dare operam, utendo calida, vel alio modo, esset mortali peccatum, si propter hoc facit, Secus si faceret propter gulositatem, dubitando nihilominus de ea, quia sic esset veniale peccatum. Angel. sum. v. pollut. n. 2.
- (q)Recentioribus temporibus Sixtus Pontifex maximus nobile admodum lupanar Romae extrux•t. de vanit. scient. cap. 64.
- (r)Nunc vero sub Christi vicarijs & Petri successoribus, ut alius quidam cecinit—Urbs est jam tota Lupanar. Espencaeus de continent. l. 3. c. 4.
- (s)Romana scorta in singulas hebdomadas julium Pontifici pendunt. Agrippa. ibid.
- (t)[Greek or Hebrew], &c. l. 3. cap. 39. p. 567. Hist. Eccles.〈non-Latin alphabet〉, &c. l. 3. cap. 39. p. 567. Hist. Eccles.
