love, and makes an equilibrium, n. 455.  Care is to be taken, lest by immoderate and inordinate fornications conjugial love be destroyed, n. 456.  Inasmuch as the conjugial principle of one man with one wife is the jewel of human life, and the reservoir of the Christian religion, n. 457, 458.  With those who, from various reasons, cannot as yet enter into marriage, and from their passion for the sex, cannot moderate their lusts, this conjugial principle may be preserved, if the vague love of the sex be confined to one mistress, n. 459.  Keeping a mistress is preferable to vague amours, provided only one be kept, and she be neither a maiden nor a married woman, and the love of the mistress be kept separate from conjugial love, n. 460.

ON CONCUBINAGE, n. 462-476.

There are two kinds of concubinage, which differ exceedingly from each other, the one conjointly with a wife, the other apart from a wife, n. 463.  Concubinage conjointly with a wife, is altogether unlawful for Christians, and detestable, n. 464.  It is polygamy, which has been condemned, and is to be condemned by the Christian world, n. 465.  It is an adultery whereby the conjugial principle, which is the most precious jewel of the Christian life, is destroyed, n. 466.  Concubinage apart from a wife, when it is engaged in from causes legitimate, just, and truly excusatory, is not unlawful, n. 467.  The legitimate causes of this concubinage are the legitimate causes of divorce, while the wife is nevertheless retained at home, n. 468, 469.  The just causes of this concubinage are the just causes of separation from the bed, n. 470.  Of the excusatory causes of this concubinage some are real and some not, n. 471.  The really excusatory causes are such as are grounded in what is just, n. 472, 473.  The excusatory causes which are not real are such as are not grounded in what is just, although in the appearance of what is just, n. 474.  Those who, from causes legitimate, just, and really excusatory, are engaged in this concubinage, may at the same time be principled in conjugial love, n. 475.  While this concubinage continues, actual connection with a wife is not allowable, n. 476.

ON ADULTERIES AND THEIR GENERA AND DEGREES, n. 478-499.

There are three genera of adulteries,—­simple, duplicate, and triplicate, n. 479.  Simple adultery is that of an unmarried man with another’s wife, or of an unmarried woman with another’s husband, n. 480, 481.  Duplicate adultery is that of a husband with another’s wife, or of a wife with another’s husband, n. 482, 483.  Triplicate adultery is with relations by blood, n. 484.  There are four degrees of adulteries, according to which they have their predications, their charges of blame, and after death their imputation, n. 485.  Adulteries of the first degree are adulteries of ignorance, which are committed by those who cannot as yet, or cannot at all, consult the understanding, and thence check them, n. 486.  In such cases adulteries