Mr. Blount's oracles of reason examined and answered in nine sections in which his many heterodox opinions are refuted, the Holy Scriptures and revealed religion are asserted against deism & atheism / by Josiah King ...

ANSWER.

This Case of Marrying two Sisters was much agitated in the Primitive Times; the Apostolical Canons, and the Council of Eli∣beris, are sufficient Proofs hereof. In the times of St. Basil this Question was Controverted; especially between him and one Diodorus, or by one under his Name; (as appears out of St. Basil, Epist. 197.) and as great brags were then made, as now by Mr. Blount. And this Oracle was then carried about as a Trophy, over that eminent Father.

The excellent Reply St. Basil made, may make us cease to wonder why Grotius did not cite it. To be sure his Silence is a sufficient Shield for Mr. Blount, we will therefore tran∣slate what is there written, and pass over the Original which is very long.

Because (says he) the Writer of the Epistle by corrupt Argumentation hath endeavoured to induce Men into the Commission of so gri∣evous a Sin: It is a necessary Duty incumbent on us to prevent the same by true Ratiocinati∣on. The Epistle says 'tis written in Leviticus, Thou shalt not Marry thy Wife's Sister to vex her, whilst she is living. From whence (saith the Epistle) 'tis manifest, you may Marry her Si∣ster when your Wife is dead.

We are asked, Whether it is not written, That a Man may Marry his Wife's Sister? We say it is a certain Truth, that no such thing is written. No Person but the Legislator ought by virtue of any Consequence to infer any thing from the silence of a Law. For if this Liberty be allowed, a Man may Marry his Wife's Sister tho' his Wife be Living. For this, Sophism will serve that turn too; 'tis written, Thou shalt not take thy Sister, that she may not vex thy Wife; therefore where there is no Vexation in the case, the thing is lawful. They who are for this Opinion may soon pre∣tend, that there will be no Vexation nor Jea∣losies between the two Sisters. Wherefore the Cause being removed, for which the Le∣gislator prohibited a Man to have two Sisters to Wife at one time, What should hinder it? But you will say this is not written in the Law; neither (say I) is the other there writ∣ten. But, I say, if Consequences be allowed, the Consequence is equal on either side, it grants equal License and Liberty.

How much this sort of Marriage was abo∣minated by the Ancient Christians, St. Basil abundantly declares, when in his Epistle he makes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Uncleanness to be the cause of it, and the Marriage it self he calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, an unlawful dwelling together, and no Marriage.

You may see how effectually Basil hath re∣futed this pretended Oracle without Recourse

to the Hebrew; for he makes use only of the Translation of the 70. and Quotes the place of Leviticus in the same manner our Deist doth; the Septuaginta having suffered no Al∣teration in this place.