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ments, and refusing to legitimate those Engagements, however solemn, and however attested, so as to admit them to pass for a real and legal Marriage; at the same time forbidding all Consummation of such Agreements, till the open and appointed Form of Marriage, settled by the Legislature, is submitted to, and mutually performed. All coming together of the Man and Woman, upon the Foot of such private Engagements, Promises or Contracts, is thereby declared unlawful, and is certainly sinful; 'tis no Marriage; the Children are Bastards; the Man and Woman are guilty of Fornication; the Woman, let her Quality be what it will, is no better or other than a W———, and the Man a ———; what you please to call him.
But now, notwithstanding all this, we have an Excuse ready, which is, it seems, growing Popular; at least, it is calculated for abatement of the Censure, and alleviating the Crime or the Guilt, and consequently it is calculated to legitimate the Practice also; that is to say, they allow it is not strictly legal; 'tis not a full Compliance with the Laws of the Land, and therefore they comply with that Part, and marry afterwards.
It may be supposed, the Advocates for this Practice have ranged over all the Protestant or even Christian Nations of Europe, to find out some Allowance for this Wickedness in the Practice of any other Country, and I have traced them in the Enquiry, and can testify, that they have but one little Corner of Europe to fix it in, and that is, our little diminutive would-be-Kingdom, called, The Isle of Man. And here Mr. Cambden tells us, it is a Custom, or rather was a Custom, that if a Woman bewith
