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Polygamy Town, and which I thought you had been too fober ti not lawful have urged. As for your Argument for Polygamy, drawn from the Practice of the ancient and patriarchal Age Practice of the Anci- of the World, I think, That is no Argument for us now. If it was permitted after the Flood, for the fpeedy Pe pling the World, then the fame Reafon will not hold now when 'tis better ftock'd. And then Nature muft abound most with Females for this very Purpose; the contrary of which we rather find now. But the cafe was altered in our Saviour's Time, Polygamy and Concubinage began grow more out of Fashion than formerly, in most Par the World, by the prevailing of the Romans, who did not them; and his Religion being to be planted chiefly with the Confines of that Empire, it was a more eafy Injun to ordain fingle Marriage, than in Abraham's or Maft's Time, when Polygamy was almost univerfal.

Nor from

the Practice of the Barbarous.

Forbid by Chriftia nity, because too Carnal.

2. Neither is it any Argument that Polygamy is ground. zd upon the Law of Nature, because many barbarous No tions do at this Day, and have in all Ages, practifed it For fuch Nations live in a Number of cruel unnatural Cu ftoms, which Nature could never direct them to, fuch as eating Man's Flesh, and even that of their own Chil dren, publick Commixtures, Incefts, and the like.

3. Our Saviour Chrift taught, a Religion of the mo fpiritual Nature, that was ever known in the Work which oblig'd Men not only to avoid all grofs Sins, but to curb all unruly and extravagant Appetites. And there fore it was but reasonable, that Men fhould not be allow ed, under this pure Inftitution, in the intemperate Excelles of a vagrant Love, which Polygamy or Concubinage would tempt Men to. Such Luxuries would be inconfiften with that Purity of Mind, which the Gospel requires and thofe flethly Delights would be too great an Impedi ment, of that heavenly Mindedness, which we Chrift ans are obliged to have.

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More Com- 4. And though there may be fomething in Polygam fort in finor Concubinage, which may gratify a fenfual Man, ye gle Marthey want the Satisfactions, Tenderness, and Endearments of fingle Marriage. Love, when it is fo divided, is like

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a River cut into feveral Chanels, it lofes it felf when it runs into fo many Streams. For there is rarely any true conjugal Love, and fincere Affection to be found among. thofe People or Countries, where thefe are allowed; for there they generally matter no more the Death of one of their Wives or Concubines, than of one of their Horfes. But if you will take the Opinion even of the ancient Love-Poets, who did not care to have their Liberty in this Matter too much abridged, they declare it for fingle Marriage, as to the Point of Comfort and Satisfaction, in Oppofition both to Divorce and Concubinage.

HORACE fays*:

Felices ter & amplius,

Quos irrupta tenet copula: nec mali»

Divulfos querimonijs

Suprema citius folvet amor die.

Thrice Happy is that Pair, and more than fo
Whom undiffolved Nuptials tie;

In Age and Peace who to the Grave do go,
And never part before they die.

And thus PROPERTIUS, Lib. 1 Eleg. 15.

Exemplo juncta tibi fint in amore Columbia,
Mafculus, & totum Famina Conjugium,

Take for Example of your Love,

The Mating of the Faithful Dove,

In couples they together Coo,

And all the Wedlock is in Two.

*Hor lib. 1. Car. 13.

Affections of the Married do not

5. Neither is it true what you fay, That Men's Affecti ons wear off as the maturer Age of their Wives comes on, naturally and that they are leaft agreeable to them then. Indeed, there wear off by is no Account to be given for the luftful Fancies of lewd Age. Men; but generally fpeaking, Men are naturally moft pleafed with a Parity of Age; the Soberness and Discretion, and decent Comelinefs of thofe latter Years, in Women, are more pleafing to Men of a proportionate Age, than the finer Charms of a blooming Beauty. Nay, Ovid himfelf, who must be fuppofed to understand these Matters well enough, before he grew in Years, declares for the ferior atas, the maturer Äge of at least Thirty-five, One cito poft feptem luftra venire folet.

Nor by the

nine Beau

ty.

And thefe, perhaps, your Gentlemen would begin to reckon among your Unagreeables. But, in fhort, if Men lead good and fober Lives, and behave themfelves with that Tendernefs and Affection which they ought to do in a conjugal State, their Love would not decline with their Years, but they would carry on a Warmth of Affection, even to the Extremities of Old Age. But as for the Affections of lewd Men, 'tis not Youth or Beauty, or any thing else, can fix them; for we often find, that they flight and defpife their virtuous and moft agreeable Conforts, for the fake of filthy, and often-times unhandsome Prostitutes.

6. Neither is your Argument for Polygamy drawn from Speedy De- the fpeedier Decay of feminine Beauty, and their Sterility cay off femi- before that of Men, any ways concluding. For in moft Marriages the Men are, or ought to be fo much fuperior in Age to the Women, as will make up this Difproportion, fo that they may grow old together by equal Degrees of Declenfion. That Women grow fterile fooner than Men, is no Argument that Nature defign'd the Woman fhould be difmiffed, or another Wife taken in; for this may be a Thing purely accidental in Nature, and no Defign of it; but owing to the more numerous Caufes of feminine than mafculine Sterility. But what Reason is there that a faithful and fruitful Wife should be caft off for another, when the has already born her Husband more Children than he perhaps can well maintain and provide

provide for? And when Heaven has given her a Manu miffion from the Pains and Dangers of Child-Birth, why fhould he be abridged then of any Comforts of Matrimony, which the Man has enjoy'd his whole Time without Trouble?

7. But the Slavery of the Wives, and the conftant Fa- Objectiona mily-Quarrels where Polygamy is practiced, are unanswe-gainst Polyrable Arguments against the Ufe of it. There is a Sort gay from the flavery of Equality in Marriage, and the Man is as much beholdof fuch en to the Woman, as the Woman to the Man. But wives. where Polygamy is practiced, the Wife has no Right at all, the whole Set of Wives being all their Husband's Slaves, and encouraged or discountenanced, bedded or turned out, according to his defpotick Will and Pleafure. Which is fuch a perfect Enflaving one half of God's Creation, that it can never be esteemed a natural Law, or proceeding from the Establishment of a wife and juft God. Or, if we look into the Quarrels and Animofities, among the Mothers and Children in the Families of Turkey; to obferve their conftant Scolding and Fighting, the rending and tearing away their Husband's Goods for their respective Children, their Jealoufies, Stabbings, and Poisonings; if we have any Confideration, we must needs highly applaud the Inftitution of fingle Marriage in the Chriftian Religion, by which wife Injunction, Families are freed from thefe miferable Fewds and Distractions infeparably attending the other State.

8. But Laftly, 'Tis to me a Demonftration, that Poly- From the gamy has no ground in Nature, and that it does not at all Equality of contribute to the Peopling the World, but that it rather Males and hinders it. If Nature defigned Polygamy, fhe would Females. have made three or four Women for one Man; but Experience fhews, that more Males are born than Females. In all Accounts of the Births of Children, there is one in twenty born more of Boys than Girls; which feems to be a prudent Design of Nature for a Supply, for the Confumption of Men in the Wars, and other difficult Labours, which they are exposed to. Therefore the Number of marriageable Men and Women are equal; fo that

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if one Man was allow'd to have four Wives, there must three other Men go without any Wife at all; which would be very great Injuftice to be forced to. Neither would this contribute to the Peopling of the World, for if all the Men and Women in the World were joined in fingle Marriage, they would have more Children, than if they were fo forted,that fometimes one Man fhould have half a dozen Wives, and a great many none at all. For it is not to be doubted, but that fix Men and fix Women, hall, generally fpeaking, have more Children, than one Man and fix Women. Therefore, I fay, that seeing there are but an equal Number of Men and Women in the World, Polygamy has no Ground in Nature, nor would the World be better peopled, if it were allow'd. And the fame Reafon holds against Plurality of Husbands, or Community of Wives, or any other Way of Concubinage or Matrimony, befides fingle Marriage, which 'tis plain Nature directs to folely, by the producing an Equality of Males with Females.

Phil. The next Doctrine of Chriftianity I except against, is, its not allowing Divorce, upon Difparity of Temper, and Intolerablenefs of Converfation, There are fome Wives of that hellish Difpofition, that a Man had better be coupled for Life with a Succubus, or She-devil; their intolerable Peevifhnefs, clamorous and fpightful Behavi our, make a Man's Life a Sort of Damnation, and occafions feveral to venture it in another World, to get rid of it here. But what reafon is there, that a Man fhould be forced his whole Life-time, to abide this Misfortune, without Redrefs? Here was an Errour commited in the very fundamental Contract of Matrimony, and therefore ought in all Equity, to be redreft. A Man thought of marrying a fweet-difpofition'd peaceable Wife, and not fuch an infernal Shrew; he reckon'd in his Bargain, to have a meet Help, as you call it, and not a Plague, for Life. But if Adultery be a fufficient Reafon for Divorce, why not Intolerablenefs of Converfation? For I had a thousand times rather be married to a good-naturd Whore, than fuch an eternal, Scold.

Gred

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