§. 80. And herein, I think, lies the chief, if not the only reason, why the
male and female in mankind are tied to a longer conjunction than other
creatures — viz., because the female is capable of conceiving, and, de
facto, is commonly with child again, and brings forth too a new birth, long
before the former is out of a dependency for support on his parents' help and
able to shift for himself and has all the assistance due to him from his
parents, whereby the father, who is bound to take care for those he hath begot,
is under an obligation to continue in conjugal society with the same woman
longer than other creatures, whose young, being able to subsist of themselves
before the time of procreation returns again, the conjugal bond dissolves of
itself, and they are at liberty till Hymen, at his usual anniversary season,
summons them again to choose new mates. Wherein one cannot but admire the
wisdom of the great Creator, who, having given to man an ability to lay up for
the future as well as 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.
