Page:The Hardships of the English Laws in Relation to Wives. Bodleian copy.pdf/9

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All religious Truths may, and ought to be the Subject of an humble and modeſt Enquiry; but are by no Means, the proper Objects of Ridicule and Contempt. But ſince ſome Men by their extraordinary Flights of Conceit have thought fit to aſſail the Almighty, and are endeavouring to bring over the reſt of their Sex, as faſt as they can, 'tis Time for Us to look about us, and to uſe all juſtifiable Methods to provide againſt the impending Danger: For ſince we ſeem to be haſtening into a State of Nature, in which there can be no Appeal but to the Laws of our Country, and the Authority of Scripture is going down, which directs a Man to erect a private Court of Equity in his own Breaſt, what ſhall reſtrain the Strong from oppreſſing the Weak, if the Laws of our Country do not, they being in ſuch a State the only eſtabliſhed Rules of Society?

I humbly hope therefore, that this will not be thought an unſeaſonable Repreſentation of our Condition, ſince ſuppoſing a Man no Chriſtian, he may be as Deſpotick (excepting the Power over Life itſelf) as the Grand Seignior in his Seraglio, with this Difference only, that the Engliſh Huſband has but one Vaſſal to treat according to his variable Humour, whereas the Grand Seignior having many, it may be ſuppoſed,

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