Marriage of Cosin-Germans.

1. SOme Men forbear to marry Cosin Germans out of this kind of scru∣ple of Conscience, because it was unlaw∣ful before the Reformation, and is still in the Church of Rome. And so by rea∣son their Grand-Father, or their great Grand-Father did not do it, upon that old Score they think they ought not to do it: as some Men forbear Flesh upon Friday, not reflecting upon the Statute, which with us makes it unlawful, but out of an old Score, because the Church of Rome forbids it, and their Fore-Fathers always forbore Flesh upon that Day. Others forbear it out of a Natural Con∣sideration, because it is observ’d (for Ex∣ample) in Beasts, if two couple of a near Kind, the Breed proves not so good. The same Observation they make in Plants and Trees, which degenerate being grafted upon the same Stock. And ’tis also fur∣ther observ’d, those Matches between Cosin-Germans seldom prove Fortunate. But for the lawfulness there is no Colour but Cosin-Germans in England may mar∣ry, both by the Law of God and Man: for with us we have reduc’d all the De∣grees of Marriage to those in the Leviti∣cal-Law, and ’tis plain there’s nothing a∣gainst it. As for that that is said Cosin-Germans once remov’d may not Marry, and therefore being a further degree may not, ’tis presum’d a nearer should not, no Man can tell what it means.