es from slavery, and made ourselves
free, and who is angry with a prisoner for asserting his freedom when it
is in his power?" to this we replied, "You speak, friend, as if without
any sense of religion. What rational person does not know that
adulteries are profane and infernal, and that marriages are holy and
heavenly. Do not adulteries take place with devils in hell, and
marriages with angels in heaven? Did you never read the sixth
commandment [Footnote: According to the division of the commandments
adopted by the Church of England, it is the _seventh_ that is here
referred to.] of the decalogue? and in Paul, that adulterers can by no
means enter heaven?" Hereupon our host laughed heartily, and regarded me
as a simpleton, and almost as out of my senses. But just then there came
running a messenger from the chief of the city, and said, "Bring the two
strangers into the town-hall; and if they refuse to come, drag them
there: we have seen them in a shade of light; they have entered
privately; they are spies." Hereupon the angel said to me, "The reason
why we were seen in a shade, is, because the light of heaven in which we
have been, is to them a shade, and the shade of hell is to them light;
and this is because they regard nothing as sin, not even adultery: hence
they see what is false altogether as what is true; and what is false is
lucid in hell before satans, and what is true darkens their eyes like
the shade of night." We said to the messenger, "We will not be pressed,
still less will we be dragged into the town-hall; but we will go with
you of our own accord." So we went: and lo! there was a great crowd
assembled, out of which came some lawyers, and whispered to us, saying,
"Take heed to yourselves how you speak any thing against religion, the
form of our government, and good manners:" and we replied, "We will not
speak against them, but for them and from them." Then we asked, "What
are your religious notions respecting marriages?" At this the crowd
murmured, and said, "What have you to do here with marriages? Marriages
are marriages." Again we asked, "What are your religious notions
respecting whoredoms?" At this also they murmured, saying, "What have
you to do here with whoredoms? Whoredoms are whoredoms: let him that is
guiltless cast the first stone." And we asked thirdly, "Does your
religion teach that marriages are holy and heavenly, and that adulteries
are profane and infernal?" Hereupon several in the crowd