Chap. XXIV. IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of confanguinity or affinity forbidden in the word b; nor can fuch incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man, or confent of parties, fo as thofe perfons may live together as man and wife i. The man may not marry any of his wife's kindred nearer in blood than he may of his own, nor the woman of her husband's kindred nearer in blood than of her own k.

V. Adultery or fornication committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth juft occafion to the innocent party to diffolve that contract 1. In the

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lem for Judah hath prophaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a ftrange gud. v. 12. The Lord will cut off the man that doth this: the mafter and the fcholar out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hofts.

2 Cor. vi. 14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteoufnefs with unrighteoufnefs? and what communion hath light with darkness?

IV. b (Lev. xviiith chapter.) 1 Cor. v. 1. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and fuch fornication, as is not fo much as named amongst the Gentiles, that one fhould have his father's wife. Amos ii. 7. That pant after the duft of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn afide the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the fame maid, to prophane my holy name.

i Mark vi. 18. For John had faid unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Lev. xviii. 24. Defile not you yourfelves in any of these things: for in all thefe the nations are defiled which I caft out before you. v. 25. And the land is defiled therefore I do vifit the iniquity thereof upon it,

cafe and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. v. 26. Ye fhall there. fore keep my ftatutes and my judg. ments, and fhall not commit any of thefe abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that fojourneth among you: (For all thefe abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled) v. 28. That the land fpue not you out alfo, when ye defile it, as it fpued out the nations that were before you.

v. 27.

k Lev. xx. 19. And thou fhalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's fifter, nor of thy father's fifter: for he uncovereth his near kin: they'fhall bear their iniquity. v. 20. And if a man fhall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their fin, they fhall die childlefs. v. 21. And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing he hath uncovered his brother's nakednefs, they shall be childlefs.

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V. / Matth. i. 18. Now the birth of Jefus Chrift was on this wife : When as his mother Mary was espoused to Jofeph, before they came together, fhe was found with child of the Holy Ghost. V. 19. Then Jofeph her husband being a just

man,

139 case of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to fue out a divorce m, and, after the divorce, to marry another, as if the offending party were dead n.

VI. Although the corruption of man be fuch as is apt to study arguments, unduly to put afunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage; yet nothing but adultery or fuch wilful desertion as can no way be remedied by the church or civil magiftrate, is caufe fufficient of diffolving the bond of marriage o; wherein a public and orderly courfe of proceeding is to be obferved, and the perfons concerned in it not left to their own wills and difcretion in their own cafe p.

man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. v. 20. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, faying, Jofeph, thou fon of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.

m Matth. v. 31. It hath been faid, Whofoever fhall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement. v. 32. But I fay unto you, that whofoever fhall put away his wife, faving for the caufe of for nication, caufeth her to commit adultery: and whofoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery.

n Matth. xix. 9. And I fay unto you, Whofoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and fhall marry another, committeth adultery: and whofoever marrieth her which is put away, doth commit adultery. Rom. vii. 2. For the woman which hath an husband, is bound by the law to her husband fo long as he liveth: but if the hufband be dead, fhe is loofed from the law of her husband. v. 3. So then,

CHAP.

if while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, fhe shall be called an adulterefs: but if her husband be dead, fhe is free from that law; fo that fhe is no adulterefs, though the be married to another

man.

VI. Matth. xix. 8. He faith unto them, Mofes, becaufe of the hardness of your heart, fuffered you. to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not fo. v. 9. (See letter n.) 1 Cor. vii. 15. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a fifter is not under bondage in fuch cafes: but God hath called us to peace. Matth. xix. 6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put afunder.

p Deut. xxiv. I. When a man hath taken a wife and married her, and it come to pafs that fhe find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found fome uncleannefs in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and fend her out of his house. v. 2. And when the is departed out of his houfe, fhe may go and be another man's wife. v. 3. And if the latter

husband

THE

Chap. XXV. Of the Church.

HE catholic or univerfal church, which is invifible, confiits of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or fhall be gathered into one, under Chrift the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all a.

II. The visible church, which is alfo catholic or univerfal under the gofpel, (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), confifts of all thofe throughout the world that profefs the true religion b, together with

husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth ir in her hand, and fendeth her out of his houfe; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; v. 4. Her former husband which fent her away may not take her again to be his wife, after that fhe is defiled: for that is abomination before the Lord, and thou shalt not cause the land to fin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for inheritance.

an

I. a Eph. i. 10. That in the difpenfation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Chrift, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth,even in him. v. 22. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church. v. 23. Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Eph. v. 23. For the hufband is the head of the wife, even as Chrift is the head of the church: and he is the Saviour of the body. v. 27. That he might prefent it to himself a glorious church, not having fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; but that it fhould be holy, and without blemish. v. 32. This is a great mystery: but I fpeak concerning Chrift and the church. Col. i. 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the

their beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.

II. b 1 Cor. i. 2. Unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are fanctified in Chrift Jefus, called to be faints, with all` that in every place call upon the name of Jefus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. I Cor. xii. 12. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: fo alfo is Chrift. v. 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one fpirit. Pfal. ii. 8. Afk of me, and I fhall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance; and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy poffeffion. Rev. vii. 9. After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. Rom. xv. 9. And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this caufe I will confefs to thee among the Gentiles, and fing unto thy name. v. 10. And again he

faith,

their children c; and is the kingdom of the Lord Jefus. Chrift d, the house and family of God e, out of which there is no ordinary poffibility of falvation f.

III. Unto this catholic visible church, Chrift hath given the miniftry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the faints in this life, to the end of the world; and doth, by his own prefence and Spirit, according to his promife, make them effectual thereunto IV. This

Chap. XXV. IV. This catholic church hath been fometimes more, fometimes leis visible h. And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or lefs pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances adminiftred, and public worthip performed more or lefs purely in them i.

V. The pureft churches under heaven are fubject both to mixture and error k; and fome have fo degenerated, as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan 1. Never

the body of Chrift; v. 13. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift. Matth. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft: v. 20. Teaching them to obferve all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway even unto the end of the world. Amen. If. lix. 21. As for me, this is my covenant with them, faith the Lord, My fpirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, fhall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy feed, nor out of the mouth of thy feeds feed, faith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.

IV. h Rom. xi. 3. Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they feek my life. v. 4. But what faith the anfwer of God unto him? I have referved to myfelf feven thoufand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Rev. xi 6. And the woman fed into the wilderness, where the hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred ard threefcore days. v. 14. And to the wo

man were given two wings of a great eagle, that he might fly into the wildernefs, into her place: where fhe is nourished for a time and times, and half a time, from the face of the ferpent.

(Rev. ii. and iii. chapters throughout.) 1 Cor. v. 6. Your glorying is not good: know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? v. 7. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleavened. For even Chrift our paffover is facrificed for us.

I

V. k 1 Cor. xiii. 12. For now we fee through a glafs, darkly; but then face to face : now I know in part; but then shall I know even as alfo I am known. (Rev. ii. and iii. chapters.) Matth. xiii. 24.—30. Another parable put he forth unto them, faying, The kingdom of hea ven is likened unto a man, which fowed good feed in his field; but while men flept, his enemy came and fowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was fprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares alfo, &c. v 47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was caft into the fea, and ga thered of every kind.

/Rev. xviii. 2. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, faying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fall

en,