10. Our christian liberty ought perhaps in many cafes to be given up in favor of incurable weakness, especially where it is general. Suppofe a whole neighborhood of weak chriftians had got it in their heads, from the apoftolic decree, that it was finful to eat blood, or things ftrangled; or, from any other means were perfuaded, that it was an unpardonable crime to eat with unwafhen hands, or to fhave their heads or beards, or any other whimfy; it would perhaps become the duty of an intelligent chriftian, living among them, and who could not reafon them out of their fuperftition, to conform to thefe cuftoms and ufages, left he might, by his example, induce fome of these poor people to act against their confciences, and fo to contract guilt. This is that giving up of christian liberty which is plead for by St. Paul.*

11. But if fuch a community fhould hold it finful to marry; or to worship GoD in public affemblies (as the Familists and Brownists); or to receive the facraments (as the Quakers ;) or fhould infift on the neceffity of doing fomething forbidden by GOD, or of omitting fomething commanded by him; in thefe cafes we ought not to comply, but infift on our chriftian liberty.

12. Many things which are fimply law. ful in themselves, yet because of the abuses * Rom. xiv. and, Cor. viii. and ix.

made of them, ought to be fhunned and denied by chriftians. There can be no moral evil in often vifiting a tavern, or a house of infamous report, fuppofing there is no ill defign, or ill practice; nay, perhaps, it may be done with the beft views and from the best motives: Yet, because of the fcandal that might attend this practice, it might be best to refrain it. I know not whether card-playing and dancing may not be perfectly innocent in themselves; yet if these practices are generally abused, it were beft to discountenance and refrain them.

13. The general rule feems to be this, that wherever the use of our chriftian liberty, has a direct tendency to hurt the fouls of others (unlefs in fome capital point where it ought not, and cannot with fafety be given up) it is beft to forego it and recede from it; for our neighbour's good and edification is a charity we owe him." But, as all things may be abused to evil purpofes, fo may the lawful ufe of our chriftian liberty. And after all, prudence and discretion must be the umpires in this

matter.

ESSAY LVII.

What DIVERSIONS are lawful, and the WAY to regulate them.

THE

HE beft moralifts have condemned fome fashionable diverfions, as un

lawful in themfelves. Such are games of hazard, and fuccefs in which depends in a great measure on lottery, fuch as cards, dice, &c. &c.

2. If there are any other diverfions which are either directly finful in themfelves, or lead unavoidably to the corruption of manners, these are wholly out of the question at prefent, as being in themfelves unlawful, and therefore forbidden to chriftians; fuch as rioting and drunkenness, chambering and wantonnefs, impure dalliances, lafcivioufnefs, effeminacy, &c.

8. Of lawful diversions, fome are calculated to exercife the body, and thofe are best suited to fedentary perfons, whofe callings afford them too little exercise for the purposes of health; fuch as running, walking, leaping, fencing, and all those plays or diverfions which give motion and exercife to the body, and tend to circulate the blood, and promote digeftion and perfpiration. Others are calculated to recreate and unbend the mind, fuch are chess, and a number of others; and thefe feem best adapted for those who live an active, laborious, fatiguing life.

4. The very words, diversions and amusements, point out the ufe and defign of thefe paftimes. They are only intended to unbend the mind, and refresh the body and animal spirits, that those who use them may

be the better fitted and qualified to discharge the ferious, neceffary and important bufineffes of life; the care of the foul and of tru body.

aeed From this notion of diversions, amusewill hob or recreations, we may learn many important leffons about the right choice, ufe and regulation of them. As,

(1.) It is evident, that a life spent in a continual, or almost perpetual round of diverfions, must be a wicked, ill spent life. This is wholly to mifemploy life, and neglect the proper bufinefs of it; and that too under the wicked notion, that it is innocent, proper and beneficial to do fo.

(2.) If diverfion or amufement may be properly confidered as the physic of life, by which the diforders of the body and mind, contracted by an intenfe application to the ferious and proper bufinefs of it, are relieved and cured, and their vigor, fprightliness and activity restored, for a fresh application: Then, to spend one's life in a perpetual round of diverfions, is as abfurd and prepofterous, as though a perfon neglecting all food, fhould live wholly upon phyfic, under a pretence of preferving his health and vigor.

(3.) If habits are contracted by repeated acts; then a life fpent in giddy diverfions and amufements, muft in courfe of time fo relax and effeminate both the body and

mind, as to render them wholly unfit for any application to the ferious and important bufineffes of life; must beget an inveterate habit of the worfe kind of idlenef-* and, in fine, muft turn perfons, thus de. ich ed to diversions, into mere whirligigs, or useless drones, burdens and nuifanees ciety. A life of perpetual diverfion; life of perpetual intoxication; and peras devoted to it, are generally the most useless and mifchievous members of fociety. Witnefs perpetual dancers and gamefters.

(4.) When diverfions are turned into the conftant business of life, they wholly change their nature, and lofe their good effects; they are so far from unbending the mind, that they become its only burden; they are fo far from recreating and refreshing the body, that they fatigue it, and exhauft the animal fpirits; they are fo far from rendering the body vigorous, and the mind cheerful, that they injure the health and fink the fpirits. This is, with a witnefs, to make a toil of pleafure; and to turn that cordial drop, which makes life's bitter draught go glibly down, into a rank and deleterious poison.

(5.) If the proper defign of diverfions is, by refreshing the body and recreating the mind, to render both more lively and vigo rous, and thereby fit them for a more vigorous application to the proper, neceffary