Page:Law of Marriage as relating to the prohibited degrees of affinity.djvu/102

4 that law are not co-extensive with the law, but only instances under it.

424. Then your construction of that passage (taking it first without reference to Church authority) would be that it does prohibit this description of marriage?—Yes, I would most decidedly take it as distinct from Church authority; but if you will allow me I will mention the grounds. First of all, the whole chapter is in contrast with heathen practices, those of Egypt and Canaan. God says in it, "Ye shall not do after their doings or their ordinances, but my judgments, and my ordinances, and my statutes," in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th verses of that chapter. And it concludes with, "Ye shall keep mine ordinances, that ye commit not any of those abominable customs."

425. Is there any reference to any specific customs in that passage of Scripture?—It says, "the customs of Egypt and Canaan."

426. But as to what those customs were, is there any evidence to show that?—They are plainly the customs mentioned in the whole chapter. It begins by saying, "Ye shall not do after the customs of those nations, but ye shall keep my judgments, my ordinances, and my statutes;" and amongst those customs is that forbidden by the 6th verse. Further, it is clear that all the prohibitions in the whole chapter are moral, not ceremonial or judicial, for all the acts prohibited God speaks of as "defilements." For it is said (v. 24—26), "defile ye not yourselves with any of these things, for in all these the nations are defiled and the land is defiled; ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations."

427. Then are you to be understood as meaning that all the customs of the Egyptians and the Canaanites are prohibited in your opinion by virtue of that prohibition contained in that chapter, and that those things alone are lawful which are pointed out by that chapter as the judgments of the Lord?—I suppose that the chapter alludes to certain customs and practices of the heathen, the Egyptians and the Canaanites, and that they are opposed to the customs which Almighty God lays down;