thing like reverence to the law of GOD'; for though that does not fay what the punishment was to be, in case the man refused to comply with the law which faid He fhall furely endow her to be his wife-yet if fuch a cafe had happened, and Mofes, as in the cafe of the man who gathered fticks on the fabbath (Numb. xv. 32.) had confulted GoD by Urim and Thummim, he probably would have received the fame anfwer; disobedience to a commandment fo emphatically delivered would fcarcely have met with a milder punishment in this case than in the other. However, we may with certainty pronounce that death would have been the confequence on the wilful and obftinate offender, as it appears to have been a capital offence to despise the sentence of the judges, (Deut. xvii. 11, 12.) and they must have passed sentence according to law.

But the French as well as ourselves are improved in their manners, therefore the faid advocate adds-" Depuis on s'eft "relaché de la feverité de cet ufage, & "l'on s'eft contentè de les condamner "a doter ces filles, ou a leur donner de

dommages interêts."-"Since then we "have relaxed from the severity of that 66 cuftom,

"cuftom, and content ourselves with condemning them to give portions "to these girls, or to pay them da66 mages." So amongst us, a woman may bring an action on a breach of promife of marriage; but then actual promise must be proyed, or fhe will be nonfuited. This therefore does not reach the original cause of the evil complained of.

29.

GOD does not make an actual promife of marriage neceffary, Deut. xxii. 28, -but the man lying with the woman was to be confidered as a marriage, and as fuch ought to be enforced under the feverest penalties.

The French advocate farther faiththat this giving a portion, or pecuniary. damages" eft le feul parti qui reste, lorfque le feducteur eft marie-“ is

the only thing that remains, where "the feducer is already a married man." So fpeaks human wisdom-but not fo the law of GOD; that made not the least difference as to the fituation of the man,

*The caufe in question was inftituted against a married man who had gotten a young woman with child; and ended with the DEFENDANT's being condemned to pay the plaintiff 400 liv. damages-to take the whole charge of the child, as to its maintenance and education, upon himself-and to pay the whole cofts of fuit.

though

though it so exprefsly does as to that of the woman. Portioning fuch a woman out to marry another man, would have been causing her to commit adultery, as she was the wife of the first man, by that act which made her one flesh with him. The man who married fuch an unjustly-divorced woman, would also be guilty of adultery. It might seem strange to go into an houfe, and to see a man with two wives; but this would be much better than to go along the street, and fee a number of young women perishing with disease and filthiness, fome of them because the men would not, others because they could not, marry them.

I have been lately informed, that by the laws of Switzerland, though polygamy is not tolerated there, yet if a fingle man gets a girl with child, he is obliged to marry her, be his rank in life what it may. Here is at least a partial remedy against child-murder and prostitution; but then it must be observed, that it is only just fo far extenfive as it agrees with the divine law.

The Jews are more righteous and merciful in the refpects above mentioned than we Chriftians are; for the law of GOD,

GOD, is, as far as their difficult fituation will admit, obferved in all cafes of this kind; and if any man refuses to fubmit to it, he is put under fentence of excommunication; which, as they have no public government, is the utmost which can be done. On converfing with a gentleman who is a Jew, on this fubject, he told me, that fome time ago a rich young few at Amfterdam feduced a poor Jewess, who was a fervant-girl: fhe infifted on his publicly marrying her, which he refused. She complained to the fynagogue; who fummoned him to appear before them, that they might enquire properly into the fact. Finding it true, they fentenced him to marry her publicly. He would not-urging the difference of his rank from her's; but this plea was not allowed, they urged the law of GOD against him; but he continuing obftinate in his refusal, they excommunicated him. He applied to fome of the States of Holland, that they would interfere; but they refused it, faying"the fynagogue had a right to enforce "their own laws." I afked the gentleman, with whom I was converfing, "what would have been the cafe if "this young man had been before mar

"ried

*ried to another woman then living?" -he answered" Juft the fame-for "by the law of Mofes, no man can take

}

a virgin, and afterwards abandon her

at his pleasure.” So that the very Jews may fhame us Chriftians for the little refpect we pay to the prefervation of the female fex, or to thofe laws of Heaven which were made to insure it! Our faying that the SAVIOUR of the world (whom we call Lord and Mafterand in this we fay well, for fo he is-John xiii. 13.) came to fet thofe laws afide, is only going a step farther out of the way of truth, and into the way of abomina→ tion.

I would obferve, that if the young Jew above mentioned had lived in the days of Mofes, he would not have come off fo cheaply as with a bare excommu→ nication, but death had also been the confequence of his contumacy. (Deut. xvii. 11, 12.) On which I cannot omit remarking that what GOD pofitively commanded to be done in all cafes, we Chrif tians do not enforce in any-nay, by the marriage-act we have abfolutely prohibited -that " any fuit fhall be inftituted to

compel a marriage in facie ecclefiæ, by reafon of ANY CONTRACT of matri "anony

- VOL. II.

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