IT was not long after this, that Eugenius chancing to spy a little Nook, which seem’d to promise him a more convenient Station for his Angling, he invited Lindamor to share the advantage with him, and began to walk thitherward along the Rivers Brink, which the abundant moisture of the Waters that glided by it, had adorn’d with a pleasant Verdure; But he had not marcht very far, when chancing to tread on a place, where the course of the Water had worn off the Bank, and made it hollow underneath, he found the Earth falter under him, and could not hinder his Feet from slipping down with the Turf that betray’d him; nor could he have escaped so, had not his indeavours to cast the weight of his Body towards the Bank been assisted by Lindamor, who though not so near the Brink as to be in danger, was not so far off but that he was able to catch hold of him, and draw him to the firm Land. The noise that Lindamor made, when he saw his Friend falling, quickly drew Eusebius and me thither, where, after I had a while made my self merry with the Disaster, I found to have been so harmless; Eusebius (who arriv’d there a little later) as’d him how he came to fall, and Eugenius answering, that he thought he had trod upon firm Ground, because he saw the Bank look to the very edge as if it differ’d not from the rest of the Field, which it terminated; Eusebius took occasion from thence to tell him, You may from this take notice, that ‘tis not safe Travelling upon the confines of what is Lawfull, and what is Sinfull, no more than upon the Borders of two Hostile Nations: VVhen we suppose, that thus far we may go towards that which is Sinfull, without committing it, we are wont with more boldness than considerateness to conclude, that we need not scruple to venture, or rather that we shall run no venture, having firm footing all the way. But ‘tis much to be feared, that when we allow our selves to come as far as the utmost Verge of what is Lawfull, and to do that which in the Casuists Language, is, tantum non to Sin, the natural Proclivity of our minds to Evil, which carries them downwards, as weight does our Bodies, will sometime or other make us find hollow Ground, where we presume to find it firm: He that to Day will go towards Sin as far as he thinks he may, is in danger of going to Morrow further than he should; And it is far more easie for him to be secure than to be safe, that walks upon the Brink of a Precipice. He was a wise Man, that as soon as he had forbidden his Son to enter into the path of the Wicked, and to go in the way of Evil men, subjoyns, as the best course to conform to the Prescription, avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away: God’s indulgence leaves us a Latitude to comply with our Infirmities, and Necessities, and to give us opportunities of exercising a pious Jealousie over our selves, and of shewing how much we fear to offend him. But a wary Christian will say in this case, as Saint Paul did in almost a like, All things are Lawfull for me, but all things are not Expedient; And he must often go further than he can with Prudence, that will always go as far as he thinks he can with Innocence.
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