PREFACE
TO THE
THIRD VOLUME.
THE AUTHOR was in great hopes, that, when he had finished the Second Volume of this work, his labours were at an end; nor had he any intention of carrying the treatise to any greater length. But, notwithstanding the clear and plain manner in which he thought he had laid the several matters therein contained before the Reader, and on a weight of evidence, which seemed to carry its own conviction with it—he was sorry to find himself not sufficiently understood, and that what charged as error, and mere human invention; was still to be regarded in a much more respectable light.
The great and interesting question which was laid before the public for examination and trial, appeared at the end of the Preface to vol. I. It was repeated in the same words, by way of memorandum, facing the first page, vol. II. The reason of this was, that the Reader might be the more easily induced to carry in his mind the question which he was to try, while he was attending to the evidence on which it was to be determined.
Instead of taking the whole of the evidence together, as applying to the whole of the question, partial quotations of the work have been made and censured, and the question itself kept entirely out of sight. This, as far as the Author has yet seen, has been the method of opposition; therefore he saves himself the trouble of any farther remarks on his opponents, than to recommend to them a more serious and attentive perusal of the work, than they seem to have hitherto given it, and to connect the importance of the question with the authority of the evidence on which it is supported.
The Author has most evidently taken the affirmative side of the question, and flatters himself that he has uniformly pursued it throughout the whole work; nor has he the least notion of changing his opinion, till it can be proved, that punishment is an incentive to the commission of crimes—and that a most severe responsibility for our actions, tends to promote a licentiousness in our determinations.
Being conscious that nothing but the love of truth, and a strong desire to make it known, as involving the preservation of his fellow-creatures, could have ever led him to the publication of a performance which carries with it so much opposition to our whole system respecting the commerce of the sexes—and thinking the affair of too much importance to be left in doubt as to its original—he not only has been at the pains to shew its unconformity to the Divine system, in the former parts of this work, but, as a farther proof of that point, now undertakes to manifest its derivation from, and almost entire and total conformity with, the church of Rome.
He could wish particularly, that those pious ministers of the gospel, who have done Thelyphthora the honour of publicly preaching against it, as well those who have red it, as those who have not (for this, it seems, has made no difference) would give this third volume a very diligent perusal, as it may save them the trouble of inventing arguments to elude the force of scripture-testimony, and qualify them, if they chuse to migrate, for becoming Doctors of the Sorbonne—with a—
Dignus, dignus est intrare
In nostro docto corpore.
Moliere.
One thing, however, may be worth observing in this place, which is, that some of the most violent against Thelyphthora, have themselves laid down, in their own comments on the Bible, the very principle on which the grand argument, which runs throughout the book, is founded—viz. that of the "obligation which men are under to marry the women they seduce."—One says—on Deut. xxii. 29—"Seduction of an unmarried woman was punished with a fine to the father, and with an obligation to marry the woman, without power to divorce her." His observation on this is, that—"he who robs a woman of her honour, can never make her reparation but by taking her for his wife."—
Another thus comments on the same passage—"Happy will it be for that country, in which this divine statute is carried into execution—it will save many from ruin, both of body and soul."
The Author of Thelyphthora very explicitly declares, that this "divine statute" includes all men without exception, as to their being married or not, for which he appeals to the words of the statute itself, compared with those of ver. 22. and ver. 25; and asserts, that it was never repealed. (See vol. i. Introd. p. 10.) And, furthermore, he would hereby be understood to challenge his adversaries to prove the contrary.—One thing is clear, that God has not repealed it; and it is equally clear, that man cannot.—The Author is entirely of opinion with the last-mentioned commentator, that, "if this divine statute was carried into execution, it would save many from ruin, both of body and soul;" and on this position has he ventured his work into the world.
It must be confessed, that the above comments are so cautiously worded, as to leave a niche, as it were, in which may be placed the word unmarried—"If any unmarried man," &c.—This has actually been done by some—(see before vol. i. 258. 2d edit.)—but as it has not been done by the Lawgiver Himself—and I am for giving Him credit for knowing best how to express His own meaning—I doubt not, that, if He had had any other than what appears from the passage itself as it stands, and indeed from the whole texture of the Jewish law, He would not have left it, either to the Jewish rabbies or Christian expositors, to have made it out—but have been as particular with regard to the description of the man, as He is with respect to that of the woman.———I own myself to be one of those people who despair of ever seeing an edition of the Divine Law auctior & emendatior—or any other plan whatsoever proposed, equal in wisdom, purity, and holiness, or so nicely and exactly calculated to preserve the chastity of women from the violation to which it is now subjected, by an almost total irresponsibility of the men towards them.—For this, we little think ourselves chiefly, if not wholly, indebted to the Pope and his clergy—but so it is, as from the authentic testimonies, recorded in the following extracts from their proceedings, will be made manifest.
The daring insolence of mortals, in laying aside the oracles of God, and, in defiance of the fixed and determinate laws of Heaven, taking upon themselves to frame such plans, and to devise such schemes, as seemed to them good—making or unmaking marriage, as in God's sight, just as they saw most conducive to their own interest or ambition—raising impediments which are unwarranted by the scriptures, and inventing obstacles which oppose the mind of God as revealed in those scriptures—vacating obligation which God hath made, and continuing obligation which God hath vacated—putting those asunder whom He hath joined together—and joining together those whom He hath put asunder—forbidding to marry where He has allowed it, and even commanded it, and allowing to marry where He has forbidden it—this, by dispensing with His laws in some instances, and rejecting them in others—making no sin where God hath made it, and making it where God hath not made it—assuming powers and offices in God's name, which He hath no where warranted—obscuring by human rites and ceremonies the simple and clear nature of divine institutions—putting human laws in the place of God's commandments—dealing distress, destruction, and ruin among their fellow-creatures, under colour of God's authority—and, to this end, misconstruing and misinterpreting the very scriptures which were revealed for their preservation—thus seething the kid in its mother's milk:—all this, and much more, will be opened to demonstration, in the following extracts from the annals of the church of Rome.
It then will evidently appear, by what means, and by what degrees, marriage, and every thing belonging to it, has been taken out of God's hands into the hands of men, and on what authority that system is built, which we are accustomed to think so highly of, and, consequently, from whence is derived that source of female misery, which so loudly calls for redress, and of that power to destroy without limitation or restraint, now indulged to mankind.
———Longa est injuria, longæ
Ambages, sed summa sequar fastigia rerum.
Virg.
References:
Uncharted Knowledge
Wisdom From Previous Realities
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