their Hearts must not be attach'd to these Things, and their grand Hope
be in Futurity. This notable Proviso being once made, tho' in Words
only, all is safe; and no Luxury or Epicurism are so barefac'd, no Ease
is so effeminate, no Elegancy so vainly curious, and no Invention so
operose or expensive, as to interfere with Religion or any Promises
made of Renouncing the World; if they are warranted by Custom, and the
Usage of others, who are their Equals in Estate and Dignity.

Oh rare Doctrine! Oh easy Christianity! To be moderate in numberless
Extravagancies, _Terence_ would tell them was as practicable as _cum
ratione insanire_: But if we grant the Possibility of it, how shall we
know and be convinced that they are sincere; that their Hearts and
Desires are so little engaged to this vile Earth, as they pretend; or
that the Thoughts of a World to come are any Part of their real
Concern, when we have Nothing but their bare Word for it, and all other
Appearances are unanimous, and the most positive Witnesses against
them?

I know, that my Enemies won't allow, that I wrote with this View; tho'
I have told them before, and demonstrated, that _The Fable of the Bees_
was a Book of exalted Morality; they refuse to believe me; their
Clamours against it continue; and what I have now said in Defence of
it, will be rejected, and call'd an Artifice to come off; that it is
full of dangerous, wicked and Atheistical Notions, and could not have
been wrote with any other Design than the Encouragement of Vice. Should
I ask them what Vices they were; Whoring, Drinking, Gaming; or desire
them to name any one Passage, where the least Immorality is
recommended, spoke well of, or so much as conniv'd at, they would have
Nothing to lay hold on but the Title Page. But why then, will you say,
are they so inveterate against it? I have hinted at it just now, but I
will more openly unfold that Mystery.

I have, in the Book in Question, exposed the real Pleasures of the
Voluptuous, and taken Notice of the great Scarcity of true Self-denial
among Christians, and in doing this I have spared the Clergy no more
than the Laity: This has highly provoked a great many. But as I have
done this without the least Exaggeration, meddled with Nothing, but
what is plainly known and seen, and always said less than I could have
proved, my Adversaries were obliged to dissemble the Cause of their
Anger. What vex'd them the more was, that it was wrote without Rancou