II. This law settles the degrees of marriage; without specifying all the particular cases which come within the compass of these degrees.
This, with few exceptions, has been the judgment of the Church in every age. So thought the Jews. "The Jews," says Poole, "and even the Karaites, (who followed most rigidly the letter of the Scriptures,) admitted it to be correct to ascertain the cases not specified, by just reasoning."[1] If this rule were not allowed, neither marriage with a sister from the same father and mother, nor marriage with the wife of a mother's brother, nor marriage with a sister's daughter, could be proved to be unlawful; for neither of these cases are specified in the law. See vs. 9, 10, 11, 14. In this the law resembles the Decalogue; which lays down general principles to be applied to cases as they may arise. Had all the cases been specified, the law would have been unnecessarily prolix.
III. This law is addressed to women, as well as to men.
This rule is not regarded either by the Puri-
- ↑ Synopsis Crit. vol. I. Levit. 18:16.
