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have something further to say presently as to "the expressed command," and the "plain letter of this latter verse;" but at present let me merely remark, that we have, at any rate. Dr. M'Caul's admission that between these two verses there is a conflict and an over-riding. In his view even, there is discrepancy. What is, in the one, he tells us, at least inferentially prohibited, is, in the other, expressly commanded; and this, not in a case or manner parallel to the variation between the 16th verse, prohibiting as the general law, and the passage in Deut. xxv. 5, enjoining in the exceptional contingency named, but, on the contrary, in a case of a universal negative met and confronted, two verses afterwards, by a case of a, not exceptional, contradictory affirmative. And the only palliation of such a startling discrepancy in Holy Scripture is, we are to understand, that it is inadmissible to draw the inference from the woman being forbidden to marry two brothers, that the man is forbidden to marry two sisters. Although throughout the restrictions this principle is necessary to prevent the most revolting permissions under the law, and although, but for the 18th verse, no one, we believe, would have dreamed of questioning it in the particular of the man and two sisters, yet here it must be at once ignored, or you have an absolute contradiction of commands, in the same enunciation of law, within two verses.[1] I notice this point expressly, because I think we cannot too strongly entertain the conviction of the unlikelihood of such a thing occurring thus in the word and law of God; and therefore, as a reason for the most careful examination, whether we may not have overlooked the real scope and object of this 18th verse, even if we admit the correctness of the translation and of the sense. Observe, there is a great distinction between the sense and the application. Admitting the sense, I must deny the application, as I shall presently shew. But here
- ↑ See Note at the end of Appendix.
