infamous Perfons commit. Now can he who is delighted with Evil, and who fupports it, be a Good Man? A THE OPINION OF St. Francis de Sales, Concerning Balls, Plays, Games, &c, With Remarks upon it. CHAP. XXIII. Of the first Part of the Introduction to a Devout Life. AMES, Balls, Feafts, Plays, and Pompous Drefs are not in themfelves Evil, but indifferent, and may be well or ill us'd; yet notwithstanding these things are dangerous, and to be fond of them is yet more dangerous. I fay then, Philotheus, that tho it is lawful to game, to dance, to adorn ones felf, to banquet, to hear vertu" ous Plays; yet to have an Affection for thefe Things is entirely contrary to Devotion, and extreamly Hurtful ' and Dangerous. There is no Evil in doing fuch things, but very much in 'having an Affection for them. 'Tis pity to fow fuch vain and foolifh Affections in the Field of our Heart; they take up the room of vertuous Impreffions, and hinder the 'Soul from nourishing good Inclina • tions. 'The ancient Nazarites abstain'd not only from all that might inebriate or make them drunk, but from Grapes and from Verjuice likewise: • not that Grapes or Verjuice could in'ebriate, but because it was to be fear'd, that tafting the Verjuice might tempt them to eat the Grapes, and that eating Grapes might raise an Appetite of drinking Wine. I deny not but that we may use thefe dangerous Things, but I affert fabfolutely that we can never have an ⚫ Affection E |