Ch. What do you mean by that?

Au. Because Fish-eating, by its corrupt Humours, renders the Body liable to a great many Diseases, that it can’t subserve the Spirit as it should do.

Ch. To what Diseases?

Au. Gouts, Fevers, Leprosies, the King’s-Evil.

Ch. How do you know?

Au. I believe Physicians.  I had rather do so than try the Experiment.

Ch. Perhaps that happens to a few.

Au. Indeed I believe to a great many; besides, in as much as the Mind acts by the material Organs of the Body, which are affected with good or bad Humours, the Instruments being vitiated, it can’t exert its Power as it would.

Ch. I know Doctors do very much find Fault with the eating of Fish; but our Ancestors thought otherwise, and it is our Duty to obey them.

Au. It was a Piece of Religion formerly not to break the Sabbath; but for all that, it was more eligible to save a Man on the Sabbath-Day.

Ch. Every one consults his own Health.

Au. If we will obey St. Paul, Let no Body mind his own Things, but every one the Things of another.

Ch. How come we by this new Divine at our Table?  Whence comes this new upstart Master of ours?

Au. Because I don’t like Fishes.

Ch. What, then won’t you abstain from Flesh?

Au. I do abstain, but grumblingly, and to my great Detriment too.

Ch.  Charity suffers all Things.

Au. It is true; but then the same requires but little.  If it suffers all Things, why won’t it suffer us to eat those Meats the Gospel has given us a Liberty to eat?  Why do those Persons, from whom Christ has so often required the Love of himself, suffer so many Bodies of Men to be endanger’d by capital Diseases, and their Souls to be in Danger of eternal Damnation, because of a Thing neither forbidden by Christ, nor necessary in itself?

Ch. When Necessity requires it, the Force of a human Constitution ceases, and the Will of the Lawgiver ceases.

Au. But the Offence of the Weak does not cease.  The Scruple of a tender Conscience does not cease.  And lastly, it is uncertain with what Limits that Necessity shall be bounded; shall it be when the Fish-eater shall be a giving up the Ghost?  It is too late to give Flesh to a Man when he is dying; or shall it be when his Body becomes all feverish?  The Choice of Meats is not of so much Consequence.

Ch. What would you have prescrib’d then?

Au. I can tell well enough, if I might be allow’d to be a Dictator in Ecclesiastical Affairs.

Ch. What do you mean by that?

Au. If I were Pope I would exhort all Persons to a perpetual Sobriety of Life, but especially before an holy-Day; and moreover, I would give every one leave to eat what he would, for the Health of his Body, so he did it moderately, and with Thanksgiving; and I would endeavour that what was abated of these Observations should be made up in the Study of true Piety.