At least I hope that one way or other, they will be convinced how much it concerns them to put a stop to this Insolent Course, and find out some other Diversions, till these at least are reform’d, more suitable to the Christian Religion, and less threatning their Virtue and Fame.  And such no doubt may be found, tho’ some perhaps will be apt to reply, that, at this way of talking, all are condemn’d.

But this I conceive is not fair, nor rightly deduced from what has been said; good reasons I know are sometimes press’d with these kind of Extremities, when Men have not a mind to admit their natural force; and to hinder inferring any thing from them, they frowardly insist on their proving too much:  And thus I think it wou’d be in those, who shou’d offer to urge that this sort of arguing puts an end to all kind of Mirth.

For are then all Diversions alike?  And can there be none without such follies, as no Man in his sense wou’d endure?  Must all easie Conversation be lost, unless Men have leave to be loose and profane?  And can there be no coming together of Strangers or Friends, but some naked Vice must dance and be praised, or some Virtue made a Sacrifice of, to fill up the Feast?

There may very well be, and no doubt but there is, in most Conversation, a great deal of that which shou’d never be there; and this is what one cannot wholly avoid without leaving the World.  But can this be reason why we must let People make to themselves new and needless Occasions of Vanity, and lay dangerous snares in the way of unwary People?  I shou’d rather think the Argument lay; that since there were so many faults, in all parts of the World and divertion of life, Men shou’d not look out for more of this Trash to offend their Company with, and foment the Disease, but get clear away from all the Infection they cou’d, and lay in a Stock of such agreeable and wholsom provisions, as might enable them to treat others with Safety and Ease, and sometimes to correct the ill humours they found.

But then they must not go to such Books and prescriptions for these, as are full of the leaven they shou’d put out from amongst them, and can serve for nothing else but to poyson their Food:  To converse with Impiety here, is to give it all the advantage they can, it is to surrender the Mind entirely up to whatever assaults it, without being able to save so much as a stragling thought.  For they whose Closets are fill’d with nothing but these, do not even pretend to resist the force they call in, and a good Book standing idly by, will be little security, against the strong Delusions of those they read with concent:  And therefore they who wou’d have their own virtue preserved, and see more in the World, must not only avoid ill commerce abroad, but reject it at home, and employ their Retirements in preparing themselves to appear in publick without danger, and to some kind of life.