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the compulsory marriage of a brother with his deceased brother's widow."
The Apostles are silent on the point, but reference has been made to the practice and doctrine of the early Christians. Now, admitting that their inclination was to condemn such marriages, their inclination was certainly much stronger to prevent clergymen from marrying at all. They also considered any second marriage, or marriage with a widow, as communicating a taint. It is impossible, therefore, to adopt their practice or doctrine, without distinguishing what is reconcilable with the existing constitution of society from what is not; and the moment we come to distinguish, the force of the authority (as such) is at an end.
With regard to the individual opinions of the Fathers (who are far from unanimous), these must be viewed in connection with the ascetic nature of their lives, which led them to consider even connubial intercourse as inconsistent with perfect purity. Every fresh restriction on marriage was regarded as a gain to Christianity. It was by adroitly availing themselves of this feeling that the Popes contrived to enlarge the list of prohibited degrees to the extent mentioned by Lord Coke; who instances a case in which a marriage was declared null, and the children bastardized, on the ground of the hus-
