believe, that they have, or may buy, a Share in it: Besides, all _Roman
Catholicks_ are brought up in the firm Belief of the Necessity there is
of Self-denial. They are strictly forbid to eat Flesh on Fridays; and
Pains are taken to inspire them from their very Childhood with a
Honour against the breaking of this Commandment. It is incredible,
what Force such a Precept is of, and how closely the Influence of it
sticks to men, when it has been earnestly inculcated to them from
their early Youth. There is no Difficulty in the Thing when they are
grown up; and I'll engage, that a _Roman_ Catholick, who always has been
accustom'd to this Piece of Observance till he is Five and Twenty
Years of Age, will find it more easy afterwards to continue than to
leave it off, tho' he should turn Protestant, or even Turk.

Hor. I have often admired at the great Force this senseless Piece of
Superstition is of; for I have seen great Reprobates and very loose
Fellows among the _Roman_ Catholicks, who stuck at no Manner of
Debauchery, and would often talk prophanely, that yet refused to eat
Flesh on a _Friday_, and could not be laugh'd out of their Folly; tho'
at the same Time I could see, that they were actually ashamed of it.

Cleo. No Set of People have so artfully play'd upon Mankind as the
Church of _Rome_. In the Use they have made of Scripture, they have
consulted all our Frailties; and in their own Interpretations of it,
most dextrously adapted themselves to the common Notions of all
Multitudes. They knew perfectly well, not only, that all Men are born
with the Fear of an invisible Cause, but likewise that it is more
natural, or, at least, that the rude and ignorant of our Species are
always more apt to suspect, that this invisible Cause is their Enemy,
than they are to think it to be their Friend, and will sooner believe
it to be an evil and malicious, than a good beneficent Being. To turn