esty;" and in regard to the duties of slaves and masters; it may be asked, what circumstances respecting the divine ordinance of government are left unnoticed, except the form of government, and the manner in which power is to be distributed; how the laws are to be framed, and what penalties are to be annexed to them? Has the supreme Lawgiver given such particular instruction in regard to his ordinance of government, and said no more, in his written word, on the subject of incest than may be gathered from his intimation in Gen. 2:24? Has He left the rest, so intimately connected with moral purity and human happiness, to the legislation of men apt to err under the influence of strong passions pleading for indulgence, and guided by reason, where it is so incompetent to lead? The exact boundaries in this matter human reason cannot determine. He who formed man, instituted marriage for the propagation of our race, and constituted the nature of things; He alone has knowledge and wisdom sufficient to determine the limits of marriage.
It is not for us to determine à priori what Infinite Wisdom ought to do; but when we know
