To this Objection, I answer, That it is universally allow’d as one of the greatest Perfections of the Christian Religion, that its Precepts are calculated to promote the Happiness of Mankind in this World as well as the next; if so, then it is a direct Arraignment of the Lawgiver’s infinite Wisdom, _i. e._ a Contradiction to assert, that, in Matters of Law and Government, the Publick Breach of any Gospel Precept can possibly be for the temporal Good of any _Society_ whatever: And therefore we may with Confidence affirm, that no sinful Laws can be beneficial, and _vice versa_, that no beneficial Laws can be sinful. Now we have already given sufficient Proof of the Benefit the _Public_ would receive by licensing the _Stews_, and therefore ought to conclude such Licence lawful; but lest the apparent Wickedness of the _Stews_, should be objected against this general Reasoning, it is fit that we examine this Matter a little nearer. _Fornication_ is, no doubt, a direct Breach of a _Gospel_-Precept, and is therefore a Sin; but this Sin, barely as such, concerns the _Government_ no more than the Eating of _Black-puddings_, equally prohibited in the same[8] Text. The Reason is this: The Sin consists in a full Intention to gratify a Lustful Desire; which Intention the _Legislature_ cannot possibly prevent: Penalties indeed may deter Men from gratifying their Desires, at the Expence of the Public, but will rather increase than lessen the Desires themselves. If it is argu’d, that the Sin of the Intention is aggravated by being put in Execution, so much the better for our Purpose; for then the Argument stands thus: [8] Acts, c. 15. v. 29. _That ye abstain from Meats offered to Idols, and from Blood, and from Things strangled, and from Fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye do well. Fare ye well._ Since the Sin of the Intention is entirely out of the _Legislature_’s Power, the utmost they can do, with regard to this Sin, is, to prevent its being aggravated by actual Commission. But the _Public Stews_, as we have already prov’d, will prevent as much as possible this actual Commission. Therefore the _Publick Stews_ will prevent as much as possible this SIN. Another Branch of this Objection, without which the Objection itself would be of no Force, is, that the authorizing of _Public Stews_ is a Public Encouragement for People to Whore. If by People are meant those in the _Stews_, I hope it will be thought no Crime to encourage such People, rather to confine themselves to the Practice of one Vice, than live by committing a Thousand; especially when that one Vice is what they would really practise, whether they were encourag’d or not.