most holy fathers, and even civil laws, prohibit such marriages, and pronounce them incestuous. Wherefore we also judge that this law is to be preserved in all the Churches as a divine, a natural, and a moral law; nor will we dispense with or permit in our Churches, that such marriages shall be contracted: and this doctrine we can, and, as God shall enable us, we will resolutely defend."[1] Now whatever Luther or Melancthon may have hastily written, it is not likely that they, after mature deliberation, differed from these brethren of their Church, who, having solemnly investigated the subject, wrote their noble letter.
Let the reader turn to pp. 153 and 155 of the Doctor's dissertation, and he will see that Zuinglius, Calvin, and Ecolampadius speak in strong language about the binding authority of the Levitical law of marriage.
Further, to show the views entertained by the Protestant Churches of Europe, we submit for consideration the following acts of the National Synod of France. In the second National Synod, held at Poictiers, in the year 1560, the
- ↑ Disser. pp. 157, 158.
