in mutual love and friendship for the happi→ nefs of each other, and that they may bring up their children in the fear of God, to be useful members of fociety. I may add alfo, that marriage is a Divine Institution, for the purposes of mutual affistance, and mutual happiness, (I repeat these again because most neceffary to be known); alfo for propagating the fpecies, and educating them in the principles of religion and virtue; looking forward to fociety, that when formed, men might know the relation they stand in to each other and to God. These two views of marriage may ferve to fhew the fimilarity of intention between what, for distinction's fake, we will call a human ordinance, and the Divine appointment. When we contemplate these things, we cannot but be a little furprised at hearing "the accidental living together of a man and woman, if

they agree upon matters themselves," pronounced "a valid § marriage," the children legitimate in confequence of this fortuitous connection; that it comes the nearest "to "the fimplicity of the Divine Institution;"

and that it is the disgrace of us Christians that we do not conform *hereto. I have only to obferve on this, that it looks more like the language of a profeffed debauchee, than that of a grave Divine: it evidently tends, let the defign be what it will, to give a fanction to the fashionable vice of Keeping. For admitting this, a man may take into keeping as many miftreffes as he pleases, give way to the most uncontrouled luft, and wanton enjoyment of the fex; all which, we are folemnly told, is agreeable to the word of God. Indignant! every fober christian ftarts back at pofitions fo antifcriptural, horrid, and blafphemous!

* This connection is directly oppofite to the doctrines of the Apoftolical fathers. Ignatius, in an Epiftle infcribed to Polycarp, speaks of marriage with the greatest respect, and advises the intervention of a bishop-including fome public and religious ordinance, that marriage may be engaged in Kära xupio-according to the Lord; from principles of religion, as μn xala exiliar-and not from luft; which chafte maxim must appear "horrid ftuff" to the author of the licentious fyftem of Thelyphthora.

και μη

καλα

СНАР,

CHA P. IV.

On FORNICATION and WHOREDOM.

EFORE I proceed to any comment, it

B will not be improper to enquire into

the fcriptural notion of the two terms, Fornication and Whoredom.

THE Scripture notion of a whore is,---a common prostitute; the bafeft of these were fuch as devoted themselves, or were devoted by their parents, to the service of those heathen filthy deities, as were then worshipped, such as Venus, &c. by acts of lewdness in their temples. Both men and women were kept there as perfons confecrated to fuch uses. Against this practice Lev. xix. 29. is directly levelled, "Do not prostitute

thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore." It can hardly be fuppofed that parents would be fo unfeeling and abandoned as to cause a daughter to do this, except it had the appearance of fomething religious; and it was a

part

ANOTHER fpecies of whoredom was when an Ifraelitish woman was debauched by a man, whom the law forbad her to marry; and an Ifraelitish man, who had personal knowledge of a woman, in the fame predicament, was guilty of the fame crime. Then, if I am not wrong informed, the odious name of whoredom, according to its true fcriptural import, cannot be applied to polygamous contracts among the Jews; but, notwithstanding, it is a fpecies of adultery, as shall be proved; and a moral offence against the feventh commandment.

As to Fornication, its description has in some measure been anticipated; I mean as to the general notion of it; fo fhall only fay, at prefent, that on the part either of a man or woman, it is fimilar. As to the general notion of it, I look upon that to be wrong; for I think movía fhould not be tranflated Fornication, but Whoredom; otherwise the diftinction is destroyed. Whoredom is prostitution for gain, as the word vía imπορνεία ports, and Fornication is the accidental criminal connection of the different fexes, C 2 without

without the formalities of marriage, and properly comes under the idea of åxabaçoix.

AFTER thefe definitions, and incidental remarks, I cannot refrain calling to mind, and lamenting, the prevalency of those vices I have been defcribing: the shameful prostitution, that prevails at present in the abandoned part of the female world, certainly calls aloud for fome prevention and remedy. It is the profligacy of the times that makes this fcandalous practice seem trifling. Many causes may be affigned for the present great number of prostitutes. The national degeneracy is one great mover of their enormities, as alfo luxury and indolence, productive of an infolent contempt of all law, human and divine. That a national degeneracy does exist in a high degree, and is discoverable in our religion, morality, and politics, in their prefent form among us, has been convincingly proved in a moft elegant fermon, preached before the Houfe of Lords on the 13th of December, 1776, by a learned Prelate.*

* Dr. Hurd, now Bishop of Worcester.

THERE