The Text of Scripture runs thus. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy Brother’s Wife, and Marry her, and raise up Seed to thy Brother. And Onan knew that the Seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his Brother’s Wife, that he spilled it on the Ground, lest that he should give Seed to his Brother. 38. Chap. Genesis, Verses 8, 9, 10.

Though some Authors seem to make Onan’s chief Crime to be Self-pollution, yet the learned Bishop Patrick, in his Commentary upon the 38th Chapter of Genesis, is of a contrary Opinion, viz.

‘Verse 8. Go in unto thy Brother’s Wife. This was an ancient Custom in force by the Law of Moses, which only exacted what had been formerly practis’d, viz. that when a Man died without issue, his next Brother should Marry his Wife. Deut. 25. 5.

‘And raise up Seed to thy Brother; is meant preserve thy Brother’s Name and Family, by begetting a Child, which may be accounted his, and inherit his Estate. For so the Law was, that the first Born of such a Match, was not to be look’d upon, as a Child of him that begot him; but as his Brother’s, who was the Mother’s first Husband; though all the following Children were to be his own.

‘Verse 9. Onan knew that the Seed should not be accounted his in the first Born, but his Brothers. And least the Child should be born in the Name of his Brother; v. 10. The Thing which he did displeased the Lord. This made the Sin the more heinous, that he acted against the divine Promise made to Abraham, concerning the multiplying of his Seed.

‘The contract of Marriage was so understood in those Days, that if the Husband died without Issue, the Woman was oblig’d to Marry his next Brother, and as long as any of his Brethren remain’d, they were bound to Marry his Wife, and preserve their Brother’s Memory, or solemnly renounce, to their very great Infamy. This was so well known, that no new contract was enjoyn’d in such a Case; for the first Husband being dead, she and the next Brother were Man and Wife, without any farther Agreement or Ceremony, by Virtue of the Original Law.’

The learned Prelate in this Comment, omits mentioning the spilling of the Seed, but it may be rationally presum’d he did it not so much out of a regard to Modesty, as its being a trifling part of the Charge against Onan; since he determines Onan’s great Crime to be his not complying with the Law of Moses, in the Marriage of his Brothers Wife; tho’ he adds, that his Sin was the more heinous for his acting contrary to the promise made to Abraham, in relation to the multiplying of his Seed.

What provok’d Onan to the Breach of this Law, I take to be evident, was his not being allow’d the Reputation of begetting the first Child on his Brothers Wife, which in all Marriages is attended with more satisfaction, than any of the future Progeny.

There might be other probable Reasons given for Onan’s breaking this Law of Moses; as envy to the Memory of his deceas’d Brother, dislike or prejudice to his Wife, &c. But to Comment a little farther upon the 38 Chapter of Genesis, in respect to Onan’s Crime, it may not be amiss to examine some preceding Verses.

Verse. 2. And Judah saw there, a Daughter of a certain Cananite, whose Name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. And she conceiv’d, and bare a Son, and he call’d his Name Er. By this, and many other parts of the Scripture it is apparent, that the Words going in unto a Woman, were meant in those times actual Copulation, so that when Onan went in unto his Brother’s Wife, it must be constru’d, that he began the pleasure of Matrimony, though, he did not perfect it by reason he spilt his Seed on the Ground; that is, he withdrew from his Brothers Wife, and did not consummate the Marriage; which displeas’d the Lord, wherefore he slew him.

Agreeable to this in some measure, is the modern Custom amongst Persons of distinction in their amorous Intrigues; who after they are actually ingag’d in the pleasures of Venus, by a sudden ereption of the Privities, separate from the Female the instant they feel the Titillation in the extreme Parts, and before the Emissio Seminis; to prevent the effects of a teeming Womb, which would not only occasion a considerable expence, but expose the Female, and very much impair the Beauty of her Form. And of this nature, I take the Sin of Onan to be, in relation to his spilling his Seed on the Ground, though not committed with the same design.

These particulars fully shew, that Onan’s Sin was not Self-pollution, as laid down by the Author of Onania, and for that he had the Assistance of his Brother’s Wife. I come now to the Sin of Self-pollution, and begin with the Causes.

I am by no means of the Author’s Opinion, that Self-pollution is entirely occasion’d by Ignorance, Secrecy, Shame, or other particular Causes mention’d in his Treatise, as I have already observ’d, with my Reasons confuting the same; to which I may add, this farther, that few, or no Persons can be ignorant, that Self-pollution is a Sin. I look upon it to be more a natural Distemper occasion’d by a vicious ferment of the Blood, than to proceed from any of the Causes set forth by the Author of Self-pollution, and that this may be agitated by lewd Company, Obscene Pictures, &c. It is impossible, that ignorance can increase this Crime, when it is esteem’d the Mother of Devotion, and in my Opinion, the firmest limits to Chastity. Without some experience, no considerable progress can be made, and ’tis the highest inconsistency to call an experienc’d Person ignorant.

Other Causes of Self-pollution, I take it may be justly attributed to the very great hazards Young Gentlemen are constantly expos’d to with Women of the Town (not that I allow any unlawful desires) for tho’ the Crime of Self-pollution be in its nature heinous, and the Consequences are to be fear’d by all considerate Persons, yet the Sin doth not in any respect seem so dreadful to vigorous Youth, as that of Whoredom, and the Calamities attending, are generally more remote in prospect. A Clap or a Pox will immediately ensue in the most terrible manner (the Beauty of the Front, and the most valuable parts of the Body, being particularly in danger) in the case of Copulation with an unsound Woman, when the consequences of Self-pollution only steal on you by degrees, and will be a considerable space before the direful Effects shall be visible. This I take to be a principal Cause of Self-pollution, especially where Persons have suffer’d in their Intrigues with lewd Women; and what encreases it in this case, is the pernicious Salt of a transmissive Nature, oftentimes remaining in the center of the Blood, upon taking unbounded quantities of Mercurial Preparations; some Young Gentlemen have confess’d to me, that after the cure of the secret Disease by Quack-physicians, their Inclinations have encreas’d, with the number of their venerial Maladies, which can proceed from no other cause than a pollution of the Blood occasion’d by the Dregs of ill prepar’d Medicines.

I have known two very remarkable Cases of this kind in the Country. One was a half witted young Fellow, being with artifice entic’d to the act of Fornication with an unclean Woman, who after a cure of the Disease he receiv’d by her, was so strangely addicted to Self-pollution, that at length there was far greater difficulty to preserve his impair’d Carcass, than in curing of his nauseous Distemper, notwithstanding, he had it with severity: He would sit down upon the Floor, and with Eyes lift up violate Nature in a seeming Transport, and oftentimes repeat this unnatural Sin, with an uncommon pleasure: At last he confess’d it, and on a private Examination declar’d, that he never had any inclination to Self-pollution, before he had receiv’d his venerial Injury, and largely taken of the Surgeons Preparations, tho’ this Woman was not the first that he had carnally known. The other Case within my knowledge, was, that of a rakish Young Gentleman, who having run through his Fortune in Extravagancies, particularly on the fair Sex, when he could no longer splendidly subsist, or afford the expence of unlawful Pleasures, being perpetually tormented with a violent inclination to Women; at last after a long continuance of Self-pollution, he couragiously Castrated himself, as the only cure of his vicious Appetite. But the next News I heard, as indeed I expected, was, that he had with equal resolution shot himself through the Head.

’Tis very certain, that Persons in mean Circumstances, are thereby in many Respects render’d unable to pursue their darling Vices; but where the Principles are vitiated, or the Passions prevalent, there is no Shield of Self-defence against ill Actions: The Person wholly void of Honesty, will commit Thefts and Robberies upon the Persons of others to enrich himself; and the lustful Person will satisfy his Brutal inclinations by Friction, or other abominable Enjoyments, for want of ability, to purchase more acceptable Crimes: And as the want of Circumstances is many times a cause of Self-pollution, so the Person in possession of a large Fortune, is frequently guilty of the Sin of Whoredom, accompanied with more dreadful Consequences, and Nature only, under the severest Discipline, must in all Cases regulate the lustful Appetite.

The design of providence, for the preservation of Mankind in a State of Innocence, is visible throughout all the works of the Creation; there is no condition of Life, but a Person may go thro’ free from Guilt and Infamy; and particularly in Uncleanness, Nocturnal-pollution proceeding meerly from Nature without force, is certainly intended to correct lustful Inclinations; but when it arises from vicious contemplations, and impure Ideas conceiv’d in the Mind, it is a sinful Act, though not equally criminal to Self-pollution.

Pollution by the hand of a Woman, is always attended with more fatal consequences to the Man than any other; the impure Thoughts are more strongly impress’d by the presence of the Female, than its possible in her absence, and the imaginations so heighten’d by her Touch, as to commit the greater violence on Nature. By this, the parts are more considerably strain’d, and their natural Strength and Vigour abated. This naturally leads me to the various ways of Self-pollution in wanton Females, which are so intolerable, that Modesty forbids a particular Description. I shall only mention, that a Lascivious Woman, by the use of a pleasurable Toy, and an injection of Milk, or other Moisture, may possibly continue Self-pollution for a longer space than copulation with a Man, no Spirits being drain’d or Strength exhausted by the means herein applied; and ’tis reported that some lewd Females will commence this vile practice, before their Privities are fledg’d with Maturity.

To demonstrate the consequences of a lewd Conversation in regard to the Crime of Self-pollution, I shall here present you with an ample account of a Club of Young Gentlemen, I have been inform’d, was not many Years ago establish’d in, or near Long-Acre; the most abominable Nursery of Lewdness and Debauchery, perhaps, that ever was heard of in any Country, unless it be in the remote parts of Europe amongst the vile Sects of incestuous Adamites, whom Histories mention, when the Words increase and multiply, were repeated in their religious Service (which was very common) they immediately extinguish’d their Candles, and promiscuously mix’d in carnal Enjoyments. This Club ’tis said, was held thrice a Week at the House of a noted Victualler, who was a Stranger to the Actions of his Guests for a considerable time; they had a Supper and plenty of strong Liquors constantly provided to their no small Expence; they were govern’d by a President of the Night, who was commonly elected after Supper, and the whole Assembly struggled for this Honour: The method of Election was thus; every one according to his Seniority advanc’d himself in turn upon a high Joint-stool plac’d against a Wall, and with a sort of Emulation, there practis’d Self-pollution as long, as his strength would permit, and he that repeated the Sin the greatest number of times, was immediately declar’d their Chief for the next time of meeting: And to facilitate their unnatural Pleasures; their Eatings generally consisted of strong Soops, Gravies, Fish, Jellies, and other provocatives to Lust; and their whole Conversation turn’d on their Excellency and Perfection in this most detestable Crime. This Account I have had of this Club, with this Addition, that a Member of it might be known by his spindle Shanks, fallen Jaws, and pale wither’d Countenance, but as it is not within my own knowledge, I cannot aver it to be fact, and to me it seems so monstrous as not to be credited in the whole, what ever it may in part; however I thought fit to insert it, to render the Crime the more odious and hateful to all.

And to this I may add other pernicious Consequences proceeding from this Crime, as an irrecoverable Impotency, which renders a Man inanimate, intoxicates his reason, and debases Nature, so as to occasion the Diabetis and other fatal lingering Diseases; for the aliment of the Blood is so far vitiated and impair’d by a frequent repetition of this Sin, that it is wholly unable to perform its office of Circulation with any regularity.

Thus I have detected the several Fallacies, Inconsistencies, and Impositions of the Author of Onania; prov’d that he is mistaken in the Crime of Onan; that the design, of his Book was to encourage Lewdness, and thereby promote the sale of destructive Medicines, which many times occasion a conflux of Humours, and incurable Diseases; shewn that Quack Preparations promote the very Sin he with views of Interest pretends to discountenance, set forth the real Crime of Onan, and the Causes and fatal Consequences of Self-pollution: I now proceed to the heinousness of the Sin.