Incest, Spiritual

Incest, Spiritual an ideal crime committed between two persons who have a spiritual alliance, by means of baptism or confirmation. This ridiculous fancy was made use of as an instrument of great tyranny in times when the power of the pope was unlimited, even queens being sometimes divorced upon this pretence. Incest spiritual is also understood of a vicar or other beneficiary who holds two benefices, one whereof depends upon the collation of the other. Such spiritual incest renders both the one and the other of these benefices vacant. — Henderson's Buck.