Wherein one cannot but admire the wisdom of the great Creator,
who having given to man foresight, and an ability to lay up for
the future, as well as to supply the present necessity, hath made
it necessary, that society of man and wife should be more
lasting, than of male and female amongst other creatures; that so
their industry might be encouraged, and their interest better
united, to make provision and lay up goods for their common
issue, which uncertain mixture, or easy and frequent solutions of
conjugal society would mightily disturb.
Sec. 81. But tho'these are ties upon mankind, which make
the conjugal bonds more firm and lasting in man, than the other
species of animals; yet it would give one reason to enquire, why
this compact, where procreation and education are secured, and
inheritance taken care for, may not be made determinable, either
by consent, or at a certain time, or upon certain conditions, as
well as any other voluntary compacts, there being no necessity in
the nature of the thing, nor to the ends of it, that it should
always be for life; I mean, to such as are under no restraint of
any positive law, which ordains all such contracts to be
perpetual.
Sec. 82. But the husband and wife, though they have but one
common concern, yet having different understandings, will
unavoidably sometimes have different wills too; it therefore
being necessary that the last determination, i.
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