This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1780. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... of our religion; so Exod. xx. 14. and some other passages of the law. But why this, and not the rest of the whole law of God, where marriage, as His ordinance relating to all mankind, is concerned? Is not this proceeding of Chris* tian churchmen, like that of the Jewish, Mai. ii. 9. where God complains--Ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law? The man who renders a solid reason for adopting Exod. xx. to ver. 17, inclusive, and Lev. xviii. from ver. 6 to ver. 18, inclusive, as well as many other parts of that chapter, and at the fame time rejecting Exod. xxii. j 6, and Deut. xxii. 28, 29, as touching the moral intendment of them, will perform a very difficult task, unless he can prove that marrying a wife ssifter, for instance, is a greater crime, and of more evil tendency to mankind, as well as more inimical to the interests of civil society, than enticing a virgin--debauching her-- and then abandoning her to infamy and prostitution; or, that though this was a Jin in the days of Moses, yet it is no Jin now, and therefore the positive commandments which God enacted to prevent it, are no longer to be considered of any force or obligation. M 2 It It is true, that we do not keep precisely the * seventh day as the Christian Sabbath, looking upon the fourth commandment, in that respect, as ceremonial, typical, or prefigurative of something else (whether rightly or no does not come within my present design to consider) j but as to the moral part, which sanctifies a given portion of our time for the public worship of Him to whom we stand indebted for all, we very rightly look upon this as the bounden duty and service of Christians, as well as Jews, till time shall be no more. So with regard to the sum of fifty shekels, or the dower according ...