otnote: This, like some other of the author's remarks, is not so
applicable to English laws and customs as to those of several of the
continental states, especially Germany, where men are not allowed to
marry till they have attained a certain age, or can show that they
possess the means of supporting a wife and family.]

451. VI. THEREFORE IN POPULOUS CITIES PUBLIC STEWS ARE TOLERATED. This
is adduced as a confirmation of the preceding article. It is well known
that they are tolerated by kings, magistrates, and thence by judges,
inquisitors, and the people, at London, Amsterdam, Paris, Vienna,
Venice, Naples, and even at Rome, besides many other places: among the
reasons of this toleration are those also above mentioned.

452. VII. FORNICATION IS (COMPARATIVELY) LIGHT SO FAR AS IT LOOKS TO
CONJUGIAL LOVE AND GIVES THIS LOVE THE PREFERENCE. There are degrees of
the qualities of evil, as there are degrees of the qualities of good;
wherefore every evil is lighter and more grievous, as every good is
better and more excellent. The case is the same with fornication; which,
as being a lust, and a lust of the natural man not yet purified, is an
evil; but as every man (_homo_) is capable of being purified, therefore
so far as it approaches a purified state, so far that evil becomes
lighter, for so far it is wiped away; thus so far as fornication
approaches conjugial love, which is a purified state of the love of the
sex, (so far it becomes a lighter evil): that the evil of fornication is
more grievous, so far as it approaches the love of adultery, will be
seen in the following article. The reason why fornication is light so
far as it looks to conjugial love, is, because it then looks from the
unchaste state wherein it is, to a chaste state; and so far as it gives
a preference to the latter, so far also it is in it as to the
understanding; and so far as it not only prefers it, but also pre-loves
it, so far also it is in it as to the will, thus as to the internal man;
and in this case fornication, if the man nevertheless persists in it, is
to him a necessity, the causes whereof he well examines in himself.
There are two reasons which render fornication light with those who
prefer and pre-love the conjugial state; the first is, that conjugial
life is their purpose, intention, or end, the other is, that they
separate good from evil with themselves. In regard to the FIRST,--that
conjugial life is their purpose, intention, or end, it