Page:A Treatise concerning the Use and Abuse of the Marriage Bed.djvu/141

 his Wife, he does her no Wrong, if he takes ten Wives together, because she consented to it, and took him under the express Condition.

, I think, is a true state of the Case, and confirms this Point; that let us pretend to what Excuse we will for Poligamy, from the pretended Silence of the Scripture, yet we are effectually prohibited and fore-closed by the Laws of the Land, and, by our voluntary Consent, expressed in the solemnest of all Oath, the Marriage Contract.

then under the Obligation of single-handed Matrimony, let us talk of it as it lies, and go back to where we left off: This Matrimony is at least the only, lawful, established and regular Means of Propagation of the Species. All Births out of this Circle are, as it was in the old Jewish Constitution, out of God's Congregation, for a Bastard was excluded to the fourth Generation; and all our Births extra Matrimonial, or, as the Scots call it, on the wrong Side of the Blankets, are spurious, illegitimate, and given up to the Reproach of Bastardy, esteemed Corrupt in Blood, and carry the Blot or Blend in the Escutcheon to the End of Time, so that the Brand is indelible; no Time, no Merit of Persons, no Purchase of Honours or Titles, can wipe out the remembrance of it.

then being the Case, I need not tell the Ladies that this is the only Way by which they are allowed, with Honour and Reputation, to bring forth Children; 'tis the only Protection to their Characters when they are with Child, viz. That they have a Father for it; that it was born in Wedlock; such a young Lady is big with Child, there Scandal begins to open its Mouth: Well, what then, she is married!