Onanism display'd / being, I. an enquiry into the true nature of Onan's sin. II. of the modern Onanists. III. of self-pollution, its causes, and consequences; with three extraordinary cases, of two young gentlemen and a lady, who were very much addicted to this crime. IV. of nocturnal-pollutions natural and forc'd. V. the great sin of self-pollution, with the judgment of the most eminent divines upon this subject. VI. a dissertation concerning generation, with a curious description of the parts, and of their proper functions, &c. according to the latest, and most approv'd anatomical discoveries

by Unknown

DISPLAY’D.

Introduction.

The Author of a late Pamphlet entitled Onania has by a Bundle of Theological Phrases, Scripture Quotations, and an affected Simplicity, attempted to possess the World with an Opinion, that his Designs in publishing that Treatise, were meerly with spiritual Views, and out of a tender regard to the preservation of the Healths and Constitutions of the degenerate part of Mankind, without any the least Mercenary Expectations; and since it may possibly bear this Construction with Persons carelesly perusing his Performance, and the ignorant Multitude: I shall make it my Business to set forth the Absurdity, inconsistency, and imposture of this supercilious Scribler in every part; to prove that his Treatise tends to the encouragement of Lewdness and Debauchery; that his own Medicines promote the very Sin, he, for Interest sake, takes upon him to Discountenance; and to demonstrate, that he is really ignorant of what was the Crime of Onan. But I shall premise that my Scheme is no ways calculated to propagate any manner of Uncleanness, but on the contrary to discourage the practice of self-pollution, by illustrating the Sin more particularly; and enumerating more extraordinary Instances than hitherto any Author has done on the Subject.

I agree with this Author in the Opinion of the Divine he has quoted, that Self-pollution is a Crime in it self, monstrous and unnatural; its Practice filthy and odious, its Guilt crying, and its Consequences ruinous: It destroys conjugal Affection, perverts natural Inclination, and tends to extinguish the hopes of Posterity; but I take leave to observe that the Author of Onania is egregiously mistaken in fixing this Crime upon Onan, as I shall incontestably prove when I have gone thro’ my Examination of his trifling Performance, which I purpose to do with all the exactness imaginable.

And first, in Page 14. After setting forth Ignorance to be the first cause of Self-pollution, this Author goes on and tells you, that the second is the secrecy with which Self-pollution may be committed: All other Actions of uncleanness (says he) must have a Witness, this needs none. Some lustful Women of sense, have made all the outward shew of Virtue and Morality that can be requir’d; they have had prudence enough, in the midst of strong Desires, to refuse disadvantageous Matches, and yet have abandon’d themselves to this Vice, when at the same time they would rather have died than betray’d a weakness to any Man living, as afterwards, becoming Penitents, they have confessed themselves. And again some young Men of vicious Inclinations, have either naturally, or for want of a liberal Education been shame-fac’d to excess; they have not dar’d to look upon a Woman, and their Bashfulness has secur’d them from every act of Impurity but this. From all which it is evident that the secrecy of this Sin, has betray’d many into it, whom hardly any thing else would have tempted.

In answer to this, tho’ it must be confess’d that secrecy in some measure promotes this Vice, yet Ignorance and the want of a liberal Education can in no respect be constru’d to have an equal Effect: An ignorant Person may be rationally presum’d to be less influenc’d by impure Imaginations, than a Person of a tolerable share of Sense; his Ignorance may be so extensive, as to cloud all manner of Enjoyments, and allow him no Thoughts of pursuing imaginary pleasures; whilst the Man of sense is perpetually devising new Diversions, and proportions his Enjoyment to the extent of his Capacity; he vigorously pursues the Tracts of Lewdness and Debauchery, and is restless and uneasy, until he has acted in all Scenes, and gone thro’ the utmost variety of brutal Enjoyments; this I take to be highly conspicuous in the Rakes of the Town, who are frequently Persons of sprightly Wit, and endu’d with no small share of substantial Sense.

And as for the want of a liberal Education, I cannot easily guess at the meaning of the Author, unless it be the want of being train’d up in the Hundreds of Drury, it being very certain that in a Scholastick Education, the perusal of ludicrous Authors, which all Youths of Spirit are fond of making choice of for their Studies, excites them to uncleanness infinitely beyond Ignorance; and that the want of Education should occasion such an invincible Bashfulness, as to deter a Person from looking on a Woman, is such an imposition upon the illiterate part of Mankind, which make up at least three Parts in four of the Creation, that nothing can be like it, when we consider that the Enjoyment of a Woman is so natural, that no bounds of Shame will confine it, and that Persons in all other Respects modest, have a strong propensity to copulation, and cannot conquer this passion, like others more visible to the World, by Shame or any other means.

Shame I take to be more a defect in Nature, and want of Resolution to act in Publick, than to discourage the private Amours of Youth, which by a due management may be easily carried on with sufficient secrecy: And we oftentimes find a bashful Person more inclinable to Vice than the Man of assurance, tho’ he supports the Character with more Hipocrisy; his Intrigues are carried on with an entire secrecy, and he can enter upon his Lewdness with an air of Gravity and Innocence, when the Sinner of Resolution as frankly owns his Experience, as he commits the Crime. But to go on with this Author, in page 17. He says, it is the general Opinion, that the shameless are the worst of People, yet shame when ill plac’d, has often wrought worse Effects, than the reverse alone has been able to produce. When a Bastard Infant is found Dead, and the Mother, lately deliver’d without Witness, is not able to prove either that she had made Provision for it, or during her pregnancy imparted the secret to another, besides the Father, our English Law, without any other Evidence, presumes the Woman to have murder’d the Child. From whence it is evident the Legislators must have suppos’d that some Women may have cruelty enough to commit the most unnatural Murder of all, and at the same time want Courage to bear shame.

This penetrating Author does not consider, that ’tis not so much the want of Courage to bear a present shame, as to prevent a future expence in the maintaining and breeding up a Child, which most commonly occasions these unnatural Murders; and where a Crime of this Nature can be perpetrated with secrecy, so that the guilty Persons may come off with impunity, I take it that in all Cases the incumbrance is more consider’d than the shame.

I am not of his Opinion in Page 18. that Women are equally immodest with Men, and that Custom and Education only prevents their shewing it. For in the Infancy of Children, before the force of Education can possibly take place, or sense prevail, as a Guide to their Actions, we frequently find an abounding Modesty in the Female, and a large share of Boldness in the Male, produc’d from the same Loins, and this I have observ’d is generally the Case, which can proceed from nothing but Nature.