ycastsusdown.Heisblessedwhoisassuredthattheanimalisdyingoutinhimdaybyday,andthedivinebeingestablished.Perhapsthereisnonebuthascauseforshameonaccountoftheinferiorandbrutishnaturetowhichheisallied.Ifearthatwearesuchgodsordemigodsonlyasfaunsandsatyrs,thedivinealliedtobeasts,thecreaturesofappetite,andthat,tosomeextent,ourverylifeisourdisgrace.—
“Howhappy’shewhohathdueplaceassigned
Tohisbeastsanddisafforestedhismind!
*****
Canusethishorse,goat,wolf,andev’rybeast,
Andisnotasshimselftoalltherest!
Elsemannotonlyistheherdofswine,
Buthe’sthosedevilstoowhichdidincline
Themtoaheadlongrage,andmadethemworse.”
Allsensualityisone,thoughittakesmanyformsallpurityisone.Itisthesamewhetheramaneat,ordrink,orcohabit,orsleepsensually.Theyarebutoneappetite,andweonlyneedtoseeapersondoanyoneofthesethingstoknowhowgreatasensualistheis.Theimpurecanneitherstandnorsitwithpurity.Whenthereptileisattackedatonemouthofhisburrow,heshowshimselfatanother.Ifyouwouldbechaste,youmustbetemperate.Whatischastity?Howshallamanknowifheischaste?Heshallnotknowit.Wehaveheardofthisvirtue,butweknownotwhatitis.Wespeakconformablytotherumorwhichwehaveheard.Fromexertioncomewisdomandpurityfromslothignoranceandsensuality.Inthestudentsensualityisasluggishhabitofmind.Anuncleanpersonisuniversallyaslothfulone,onewhositsbyastove,whomthesunshinesonprostrate,whoreposeswithoutbeingfatigued.Ifyouwouldavoiduncleanness,andallthesins,workearnestly,thoughitbeatcleaningastable.Natureishardtobeovercome,butshemustbeovercome.WhatavailsitthatyouareChristian,ifyouarenotpurerthantheheathen,ifyoudenyyourselfnomore,ifyouarenotmorereligious?Iknowofmanysystemsofreligionesteemedheathenishwhosepreceptsfillthereaderwithshame,andprovokehimtonewendeavors,thoughitbetotheperformanceofritesmerely.
Ihesitatetosaythesethings,butitisnotbecauseofthesubject,—Icarenothowobscenemywordsare,—butbecauseIcannotspeakof