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Paul makes it one of the characters of thoſe that ſhould cheriſh the faith 1 Tim. iv. 3. Not to forbear marriage; which is not only lawful, but all honourable;—— to forbid which, is damnably ſinful, and only taught by the influence of devils. One of the Popes of Rome ſprinkles this unholy and impure drop upon it, "Carnis pollutionuem et immunditiem."
It is ſtrange that ſhould be a pollution, which was inſtituted before corruption; or that impurity which was ordained in the ſtate of innocency; or that they ſhould make that to be a ſin, which they make to be a ſacrament; ſtrange ſtupidity! ——But a bastard may be laid at the door of chaſtity, and a leaden crown ſet upon a golden head:—— Bellarmine, (that mighty atlas of the Papal power) blows his ſtinking breath upon it: "Better were it for a prieſt to defile himſelf with many harlots, than to be married to one wife." ——Theſe children of the purple whore prefer a monaſteries before marriages, a concubine before a companion. They uſe too many women for their luſts, to chooſe any for their love.——Their tables are ſo largely ſpread, that they cannot feed upon one diſh. As for their exalting of a virgin-ſtate it is like him who commended fasting when he had filled his belly. Who knows not, that virginity is a pearl of a ſparkling luſtre? But the one cannot be ſet up, without the other be thrown down: No oblation will pacify the former, but the demoliſhing of the latter. Tho' we find many enemies to the choice of marriage, yet it is rare to find any enemies to the uſe of marriage.
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