Hugo Grotius · 44 of 132

SECT. XIII. About the conjunction of male and female.

THE conjunction of man and woman, whereby mankind is propagated, is a thing that highly deserves to be taken care of by law; which that the heathen neglected is no wonder, when they relate stories of the whoredom and adulteries of those gods which they worshipped. And, which is worse, the conjunction of males with one another is defended by the examples of their gods; in the number of which, Ganymedes of old, and Antinous afterwards, were reckoned upon this account: which horrid crime is also often esteemed lawful amongst the Mahometans, Chinese, and other nations. The Greek philosophers seem to take great pains to put a virtuous name upon a vicious thing. The most eminent of which same Greek philosophers, recommending intercourse with women, what did they do else but turn a whole city into one common stew, when even brute creatures observe some sort of conjugal league? How much more reasonable is it then, that man, who is the most divine creature, should not be born from an uncertain original, whereby the mutual affection betwixt parents and children is destroyed? The Hebrew law indeed forbade all uncleanness, but a man was allowed to have more wives than one at a time, and the husband had a power to put away his wife for any cause whatsoever; which is the custom at this day among the Mahometans: and formerly the Greeks and Latins took so great a liberty, that the Laconians and Cato permitted others to have their wives for a time. But the law of Christ, which is most perfect, strikes at the very root of vice, and accounts him guilty before God (who can see into and judge the hearts or men) that lusts after, though he has not committed, the crime; or that attempts the chastity of any woman, or looks upon her with such desires. And, because all true friendship is lasting, and not to be broke, it would, with very good reason, have that to be so which contains the union of their bodies, as well as the agreement of their minds; and which, without doubt, is more convenient for a right education of their children. Among the heathen, some few nations were content with one wife, as the Germans and Romans; and in this they are followed by the Christians: namely, that the wife, having resigned herself entirely to her husband, may be recompensed with a like return; that the government of the family may be better managed by one governor, and that different mothers might not bring a disturbance in amongst the children.