Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

dominions or lives, if he fhall judge them to be heretics, or upon any other pretence whatsoever o..

M

CHAP. XXIV. Of Marriage and Divorce

ARRIAGE is to be between one man and one woman; neither is it lawful for a man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband at the fame time a.

1. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of bufband and wife b; for the increase of mankind with a legitimate iffue, and of the church with an holy feed c; and for preventing of uncleannefs d.

body of Mofes, durft not bring againft him a railing accufation, but faid, the Lord rebuke thee. v. 10. But thele fpeak evil of those things which they know not; but what they know naturally, as brute beafts in those things they corrupt them felves. V. II. Wo unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gain-faying of Core.

IlI. It

I a Gen. ii, 24. Therefore fhall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they fhall be one flesh. Mat. xix. 5. And faid, For this cause fhall a man leave his father and mother, and hall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one fiefh: v. 6. Wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put afurder. Prov. ii. 17. Which forfaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

[ocr errors]

II. b Gen. ii. 18. And the Lord God faid, It is not good that the man should be alone: I will make him an help meet for him.

02 Theff. ii. 4. Who oppofeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; fo that he as God fitteth in the temple of God, fhewing himself that he is God. Rev. xiii, 15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beaft, that the image of the Mal, ii. 15. And did not he beaft should both fpeak, and caufe make one? yet had he the refidue that as many would not worship of the Spirit: and wherefore one? the image of the beaft fhould be that he might feek a godly feed: killed. v. 16. And he caufeth all, therefore take heed to your fpirit, both fmail and great, rich and poor, and let none deal treacherously afree and bond, to receive a mark in gainst the wife of his youth. their right hand, or in their forebeads: v. 17. And that no man might buy or fell, fave he that had the mark, or the name of the beaft, or the number of his name.

dj Cor. vii. 2. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. v., 2. But

Itl. It is lawful for all forts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their confent e. Yet it is the duty of Chriftians to marry only in the Lord f; and therefore fuch as profels the true reformed religion, fhould not marry with infidels, papifts or other idolaters: neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with fuch as are notorioufly wicked in their life, or maintain damnable herefies. g. IV. Mar

9. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to mar ry than to burn.

III.e Heb. xiii. 4. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adul terers God will judge. 1 Tim. iv. 3. Forbidding to marry, and command ing to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving, of them who believe and know the truth, I Cor. vü. 36. But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomly towards his virgin, if the pafs the flower of her age, and need fo require, let him do what he will, he finneth not let them marry. v. 37. Nevertheless, be that ftandeth ftedfaft in his heart, having no neceffity, but hath power over his own will, and hath fo decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin doth well. v. 38. So then, he that giveth her in marriage, doth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doth better. Gen. xxiv. 57. And they faid, We will call the damfel, and enquire at her mouth. v. 58. And they called Rebekah, and laid unto her, Wilt thou go With this man? and the faid, I

will go.

1 Cor. vii. 39. The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth: but if her husband be dead, fhe is at liberty to be married to whom the will; only in the Lord.

g Gen, xxxiv. 14. And they said

unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our fifter to one that is uncircumcifed: for that were a reproach. unto us. Exod. xxxiv. 16. And thou take of their daughters unto thy fons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make. thy fons go a whoring after their gods. Deut. vii. 3. Neither fhalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give. unto his fon, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy lon. v. 4. Forthey will turn away thy fon from following me, that they may ferve other gods: fo will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and deftroy thee fuddently. ↑ Kings xi. 4. For it came to pafs when Solonon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his Father. Neh. xiii. 25. And I contended with them, and curfed them, and fmote certain of them, and pluckt off their hair, and made them fwear by God, faying, Ye fhall not give your daughters unto their fons, nor take their daughters unto your fons, or for yourselves. v. 26. Did not Solomon king of Ifrael fin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like hirn, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Ifrael: nevertheless, even him did outlandish women caufe to fin, v. 27. Shall we then hearken

unte

Chap. XXIV abIV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of confanguinity or affinity forbidden in the word h; nor can fuch in ceftuous 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. In the case of adultery after marriage,

anto you to do all this great evil, to tranfgrefs against our God, in mar rying ftrange wives? Mal. ii. 11. Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is commited in If rael, and in Jerufalem: for Judah hath profaned the holinefs of the Lord, which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. v. 12. The Lord will cut off the man that doth this; the master and the scholar out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hosts, 2 Cor. vi. 14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowthip hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness ?

IV. 6(Lev. xviii, chapter.) 1 Cor. V. 2. 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 profane my holy name.

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 yourselves in any of these things: for in all

these the nations are defiled which I cait out before you. v. 25. And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. v. 26. Ye fhall therefore keep my ftatutes and my judg ments, and fhall not commit any of these abominations: neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that fojourneth among you: v. 27. (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.

Lev. xx. 19. And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mo ther'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 fhall bear their fin, they shall die childless. V. 21. And if a man fhall take his brother's wife,it is an unclean thing he hath uncovered his brother's nakednefs, they fhall be childless.

V. Mat. i. 18. Now the birth of Jefus Chrift was on this wife : When as his mother Mary was efpoufed to Jofeph, before they came

together,

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 fudy arguments, unduly to put asunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage; yet nothing but adultery, or such wilful difertion as can no way be remedied by the church or eivil-magiftrate, is cause fufficient of diffolving the bond of marriage o: wherein a public and orderly courfe of proceeding is to be observed; and the perfons concerned in it, not left to their own wills and discretion in their own cafe p.

together, fhe was found with child of the Holy Ghost. v. 19. Then Jofeph her husband being a just 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 Ghoft.

[ocr errors]

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

#Mat. 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 huf band be dead, fhe is loofed from the

CHAP.

law of her hufband. v. 3. So then, if while her husband liveth, the be married to another man, the shall be called an adulterefs: but if her hufband be dead, fhe is free from that law; fo that she is no adulterefs, though fhe be married to another man,

VI. o Mat. xix. 8. He faith unto them, Mofes, because of the hardnefs of your hearts, 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 cases: but God hath called us to peace. Mat. xix. 6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put alunder

1

Deut. xxiv. When a man hath taken a wife and married her, and it come to pafs that the find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found fome uncleanness in her :" then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and fend her out of his houfe. v. 1. And when the is departed out of his houfe, the may go, and be another man's wife. v. 3. And if the latter hufband hate her, and write her a

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

CHAP. XXV. Of the Church.

HE catholic or univerfal church which is invifible, confifts

TH

of the whole number of the Elect, that have been, are, or fhall be gathered unto 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 also catholic or univerfal under the gospel (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 their children.c;

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

I. a Eph. i. 10. That in the dif. penfation 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, y. 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 husband 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, . 32. This is a great mystery: but fpeak concermog Chrift and the church. Col. i, 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who

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

P

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. 1 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 Sp.rit, 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, ftood 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

« AnteriorContinuar »