Nevertheless the reason of polygamists is taught from
experience, that both public and private peace require that promiscuous
lust in general should be restrained, and be left to every one within
his own house: hence comes polygamy.
350. It is well known, that a man (_homo_) by birth is viler than the
beasts. All the beasts are born into the knowledges corresponding to the
love of their life; for as soon as they are born, or are hatched from
the egg, they see, hear, walk, know their food, their dam, their friends
and foes; and soon after this they show attention to the sex, and to the
affairs of love, and also to the rearing of their offspring. Man alone,
at his birth, knows nothing of this sort; for no knowledge is connate to
him; he has only the faculty and inclination of receiving those things
which relate to knowledge and love; and if he does not receive these
from others, he remains viler than a beast. That man is born in this
condition, to the end that he may attribute nothing to himself, but to
others, and at length every thing of wisdom and of the love thereof to
God alone, and may hence become an image of God, see the MEMORABLE
RELATION, n.
Pages:
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659