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ceive the sister, and it will hardly be contended, that two persons of opposite sexes may live together simply because a legal impediment exists. To justify them in doing so, the impediment must be of such a nature as to exclude, not only all hope of marriage, but all tendency to sexual inclination; and this, in the case before us, the legal impediment has proved utterly unable to effect. The experiment has been fairly tried on the largest possible scale, and it has failed at all times and in all countries.
If, therefore, persons so related by affinity have (as the Bishop of London takes for granted) been in the habit of living together, in full reliance on the power of the legal impediment to exclude unholy wishes, and if (as the Bishop of London also takes for granted) it be, generally speaking, injurious to morality for persons of opposite sexes to live together without marrying, the sooner persons so related give up the habit, the better; for assuredly they are leaning on a reed. Those among them who are anxiously calling for the interposition of the legislature, have evidently become aware of their danger, for they say in effect, "We dare not live together, as the Bishop of London says we may." They may be mistaken, but they are at all events entitled to
