Page:A Treatise concerning the Use and Abuse of the Marriage Bed.djvu/359

 turned, and applied to gratify unchast Desires.

is greatly wanted that our Governours and constituted Powers should take notice of such Things, and, as far as lies in them, prevent the turning and inverting the End of these nice Institutions, that they may not be apply'd to wrong Purposes, or debauched by Men of vitious Inclinations, to such Ends as are scandalous to Religion, and to humane Society.

' true, it would be hard to make a Regulation which should suit to every Circumstance which might happen, and to the nature of the Thing too; yet something might be done; for Example, I think there might be a Law made which should limit the Rule of Decency in the Case of second Marriages, binding the Parties surviving to a certain Time, in which it should not be lawful for the Man or the Woman to marry after the Death of the Wife or Husband that went before, and if any did marry within that Time, it should be esteemed not only unlawful but shameful and odious, done in meer sensuality, and to gratify the worst Part, not the Christian Part; it should, in short, be a Brand of Infamy on the Person, whether Man or Woman, either to marry, or even to treat of, or about Marriage, within that Time.

a Law would, at least, distinguish People one from another; they would be known and mark'd out; and if that Law was duly and exactly executed, the Offence would, in time, grow out of use, be really scandalous, no Body would be guilty of it that had