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Bible Dictionaries
Fornication
Charles Buck Theological Dictionary
or Whoredom, or the act of incontinency between single persons; for if either of the parties be married, it is adultery. While the Scriptures give no sanction to those austerities which have been imposed on men under the idea of religion, so on the other hand, they give no liberty for the indulgence of any propensity that would either militate against our own interest or that of others. It is in vain to argue the innocency of fornication from the natural passions implanted in us, sense "marriage is honourable in all, " and wisely appointed for the prevention of those evils which would otherwise ensue; and, besides the existence of any natural propensity in us, is no proof that it is to be gratified without any restriction. That fornication is both unlawful and unreasonable, may be easily inferred, if we consider,
1. That our Saviour expressly declares this to be a crime, Mark 7:21-23 .
2. That the Scriptures declare that fornicators cannot inherit the kingdom of God, 1 Corinthians 6:9 . Hebrews 12:16 . Galatians 5:19-22 .
3. Fornication sinks into a mere brutal commerce, a gratification which was designed to be the cement of a sacred, generous, and tender friendship.
4. It leaves the maintenance and education of children as to the father at least, utterly unsecured.
5. It strongly tempts the guilty mother to guard herself from infamy by methods of procuring abortion, which not only destroys the child, but often the mother.
6. It disqualifies the deluded creatures to be either good wives, or mothers, in any future marriage, ruining that modesty which is the guardian of nuptial happiness.
7. It absolutely disqualifies a man for the best satisfactions; those of truth, and generous friendship.
8. It often perpetuates a disease which may be accounted one of the sorest maladies of human nature, and the effects of which are said to visit the constitution of even distant generations.
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Buck, Charles. Entry for 'Fornication'. Charles Buck Theological Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/cbd/f/fornication.html. 1802.
