had been untainted with so much as a Thought of Crime, so no Covering had been wanted to any Part of his Body, other than the Severities of Climate might make necessary; but to justify what has been done since, that I may take Notice of the Manner, and put you in Mind of the Authority of it too, we may observe that as his Guilt made him naked, GOD himself covered him with his own Hand, Gen. iii. 21, it is said positively, that GOD clothed them with the Skins (we suppose) of Beasts: Unto Adam also and to his Wife did the Lord God make Coats of Skins, and clothed them. So soon were the Creatures dedicated to the Convenience, as well as Life of Man.
Hence, tho' Nakedness in a state of Innocence had been no Offence at that time, it is otherwise now; and we have the Sanction of Heaven to enforce the Decency, as we have the Force of the Seasons to urge the Necessity of Clothing: It were to be wish'd we had nothing to say of the Indecency even of the Clothing, and how we study to go naked in our very Clothes, and that after God himself put them on to cover us too. But of that by it self.
God having then appointed, and Nature compelled Mankind to seek Covering, all the Pretences for going naked on that account are at an End; a meer Chimera, an Enthusiastick Dream, seldom attempted but by a Sect of Madmen, worse than Lunatick, who, heated with a religious Phrenzy, (the worst of all Possessions) pretend to Nakedness as the Effect of their Innocence, at the same Time making it a Skreen to all Manner of Lewdness and Debauchery.
