special and limited prohibition of that particular case. We have further to observe that the marriage with the wife's granddaughter, which is a relationship by affinity of the second degree, is prohibited in verse 17 on the very ground of her being "a near relation" of his wife, and such a union is said to be wickedness, whilst the union with the wife's sister (related in the same degree of nearness as a grandchild) is supposed by our opponents to be sanctioned by the verse next immediately following.
In the third degree we find no prohibition as to great-grandparents and great-grandchildren; but we find express prohibition of marriage between nephew and his paternal or maternal aunt, and between nephew and uncle's wife, whilst nothing is said as to uncle and niece, whether the relationship be by affinity or consanguinity, or even as to a man and his wife's aunt.
It appears to me that our opponents must either take the course of refusing to recognize any but direct prohibition, which would leave the cases perhaps of father and daughter, and certainly of the grandmother and of the niece, open amongst relations by consanguinity, and the cases of the wife's sister and of the aunt as regards relationship by affinity, whilst, nevertheless, by verse 17 union with the wife's grandmother and grandchild is prohibited; or they must admit the inference to the extent for which I contend, but then say that verse 18 affords a special exemption. In the first
