de, ras great, rich and poor, free and bond,
The List a mian leave his father and his honourable in all, and the bed un.
But the brother, and shall cleave unto his . defiled: but whoremongers and
API mother, and shall cleave to his

wife : and they twain shall be one God said, It is not good that the

man should be alone : I will make sity, but hath power over his own

CHAP. XXIV. Of Marriage and Divorce. MARRIAGE is to be between one man and one wo

man: neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband at the same time a. II

. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wifeb; for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the church with an holy seed © and for preventing of uncleannessa.

III. It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry who are able with judgment to give their consent o: yet it is the

duty zii. 15. And he had power to give

C Mal. i. 15. And did not he life unto the image of the beast,

make one? Yet had he the residue that the image of the beast should of the Spirit. And wherefore one? both speak, and cause that as many

That he might seek a godly seed. as would not worship the image of Therefore take heed to your spirit, the beast should be killed. Ver. 16. and let. none deal treacherously And he causeth all, both small and against the wife of his youth.

di Cor. vii. 2. Nevertheless, to to receive a mark in their right avoid fornication, let every man domain hand, or in their foreheads: Ver. 17. have his own wife, and let every And that no man might buy or seli,

woman have

her own husband. save he that had the mark, or the

Ver. 9. But if they cannot contain, dane of the beast, or the number

let them marry: for it is better to I. a Gen, ii, 24. Therefore shall :

marry than to burn.

III. Heb. xiii. 4. Marriage is wife: and they shall be one flesh. Matth. xix. 5. And said, For this

adulterers God will judge. 1 Tim.

iv. 3. Forbidding to marry, and comcause shall a man leave father and manding to abstain from meats,

which God hath created to be receive ed with thanksgiving of them which

believe and know the truth. 1 Cor. no more twain, but one flesh.

vii. 36. But if any man think that he What therefore God hath joined behaveth himself uncomely towards together

, let not man put asunder his virgin, if she pass the flower Proy ii. 17. Which forsaketh the of her age, and need so require, enie, of her youth, and forget let him do what he will

, he sinneth H. 6 Gen, ii, 18. And the Lord

not: let them marry.

Ver., 37. Nevertheless, he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no neçes

dreams

of his name.

to that

flesh. Ver, 6. Wherefore they are

the w

saping

teth the covenant of her God.

bove

RE

him an help meet for him.

will, and hath so decreed in his

heart

duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord'

. And therefore such as profess the true reformed religion should not marry with infidels, Papists, or other idolaters : neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are notoriously wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresies 5.

IV. Marriage

heart that he will keep his virgin, do- other gods: and his heart was not eth well. Ver. 38. So then, he that perfect with the Lord his God, as giveth her in marriage doeth well; was the heart of David his father. but he that giveth her not in mar.

Neh. xii. 25. And I contended with riage doeth better.

Gen. xxiv. 57. them, and cursed them, and smote And they said, we will call the certain of them, and plucked off damsel, and enquire at her mouth. their hair, and made them swear Ver. 58. And they called Rebekah,, by God, saying, Ye shall not give and said unto her, Wilt thou go with your daughters unto their sons, nor this man? And she said, I will take their daughters unto your sons,

or for yonrselves

. Ver. 26. Did not fi Cor. vii. 39. The wife is

Solomon king of Israel sin by these bound by the law as long as her things ? yet among many natione husband liveth; but if her husband

was there no king like him, who be dead, she is at liberty to be

was beloved of his God, and God married to whom she will; only in

made him king over all Israel: the Lord.

nevertheless, even him did out& Gen. xxxiv. 14. And they said landish women cause to sin. Ver

. unto them, We cannot do this thing, 27. Shall we then hearken unto you to give our sister to one that is un to do all this great evil, to transgress circumcised; for that were a

against our God, in marrying strange proach unto us. Exod. xxxiv. 16. wives? Mal. ii. 11. Judah hath And thou take of their daughters dealt treacherously, and an abomi. unto thy sons, and their daughters nation is committed in Israel, and in go a whoring after their gods, and Jerusalem; for Judah hath profan. make thy sons go a whoring after

ed the holiness of the Lord which their gods. Deut. vii. 3. Neither he loved, and hath married the shalt thou make marriages with daughter of a strange god. Ver. them; thy daughter thou shalt not

12. The Lord will cut off the man give unto his son, nor his daughter that doeth this : the master and the shalt thou take unto thy son.

scholar out of the tabernacles of Ver. 4. For they will turn away thy Jacob, and him that offereth an ofBon from following me, that they fering unto the Lord of hosts may serve other gods: 80 will the

2 Cor. vi. 14. Be ye not unequally anger of the Lord be kindled against

yoked together with unbelievers : you, and destroy thee suddenly

for what fellowship hath righteous when Solomon was old, that this communion hath light with darko

ness with unrighteousness? and what mivu turned away his heart after Dess?

IV. [Levit.

re

sojourneth among you: Ver. 27. (For

IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden in the word "; nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man, or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together as man and wife'. The man may not marry any of his wife's kindred nearer in blood than he may of his OWA, nor the woman of her husband's kindred nearer in blood than of her ownk.

V. Adultery or fornication committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract'. In the case of

adultery IV, 6 [Leviticus Chapter xviii.] also, when ye defile it, as it spued 1 Cor. v. 1. It is reported commonly

out the nations that were before you. that there is fornication among you,

k Lev. xx. 19. And thou shalt not and such fornication as is not so much

uncover the nakedness of thy moas named among the Gentiles, that

ther's sister, nor of thy father's sisone should have his father's wife.

ter: for he uncovereth his near kin; Amos ii. 7. That pant after the dust they shall bear their iniquity..., Veri of the earth on the head of the poor,

20. And if a man shall lie with his and turn aside the way of the meek;

uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his and a man and his father will go in

uncle's nakedness: they shall bear unto the same maid, to profane mig

their sin; they shall die childless.

Ver. 21. And if a man shall take his Mark vi. 18. For John had said brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee

he hath uncovered his brother's nato have thy brother's wife. Lev. xvii, 24. Defile not ye yourselves in

kedness; they shall be childless.

V. I Mat. i. 18. Now the birth of any of these things: for in all these

Jesus Christ was on this wise : When the nations are defiled which I cast

as his mother Mary was espoused out before you: Ver. 25. And the island is defiled a therefore I do visit

to Joseph, before they came together,

she was found with child of the the iniquity thereof upon it, and is not the land itself vomiteth out her inha

Holy Ghost. Ver. 19. Then Joseph bitants. Ver. 26. Ye shall therefore

her husband, being a just man, and

not willing to make her a publick keep my statutes and my judgments,

example, was minded to put her and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your

away privily, Ver. 20. But while own nation, nor any stranger that

he thought on these things, behold,

the angel of the Lord appeared unte all these abominations have the men

him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou

son of David, fear not to take unte of the land done, which were before

thee Mary thy wife: for that whick you, and the land is defiled :) Ver.

is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost,
G 2

m Mat:

holy name.

That dae land cpue not you out

adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce, and, after the divorce, to marry another, as if the offending party were dead ".

VI. Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments, unduly to put asunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage; yet nothing but adultery, or such wilful desertion as can no way be remedied by the church or civil magistrate, is cause sufficient lite of dissolving the bond of marriage o: wherein a publick and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed, and the persons concerned in it not left to their own wills and dis. cretion in their own case P.

CHAP.

m Mat. v. 31. It hath been said, (See Letter ".) 1 Cor. vii. 15. But if Whosoever shall put away his wife,

the unbelieving depart, let him dedet him give her a writing of di

part. brother or a sister is not worcement: Ver. 32. But I say unto,

under bondage in such cases: but you, That whosoever shall put away

God hath called us to peace. Mat. his wife, saving for the cause of for

xix. 6. Wherefore they are no more nication, causeth her to commit adul- .

twain, but one flesh. What there tery: and whosoever shall narry 'her fore God hath joined together, let xhat is divorced, committeth adultery. n Mat. xix. 9. And I say unto you,

not man put asunder.

P Deut. xxiv. 1. When a man hath Whosoever shall put away his wife, taken a wife, and married her

, and it except it be for fornication, and shall

come to pass that she find no favour Diarry another, committeth adultery: in his eyes, because he hath found and whoso marrieth her which is

some uncleanness in her; then let put away, doth commit adultery. hin write her a bill of divorcement, Rom. vii. 2. For the woman which and give it in her hand, and send her hath an husband, is bound by the daw to her husband so long as he

out of his house. Ver. 2. And when liveth : but if the husband be dead,

she is departed out of his house, she she is loosed from the law of her

may go and be another man's wife. husband. Ver. 3. So then, if while

Ver. 3. And if the latter husband her husband liveth she be married to

hate her, and write her a bill of dianother man, she shall be called an

vorcement, and giveth it in her hand, adulteress: but if her husband be

and sendeth her out of his house; or dead, she is free from that law; co

if the latter husband die, which took that she is no adulteress, though she

her to be his wife; Ver. 4. Her forbe married to another man.

mer husband, which sent her away VI. ° Mat. xix. 8. He saith unto

may not take her again to be his them, Moses, because of the hard

wise, after that she is defiled; for Dess of your hearts, suffered you to

that is abomination before the

Lord: and thou shalt not cause the put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

I. a Ephi

Ver. 9.

CHAP. XXV. Of the Church.
THE catholick or universal church, which is invisibles

consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ 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 catholick or unia pul versal under the gospel, (not confined to one nation, as bee.

fore under the law, consists of all those throughout the m'a world that profess the true religion", together with their

children:

1. ' Eph. i. 10. That in the dispen- body is one, and hath many memsation of the fulness of times he might bers

, and all the members of that one gather together in one all things in

body, being niany, are one body : 80 Christ, both which are in heaven, also is Christ. Ver. 13. For by one and which are on earth, even in him, Spirit are we all baptized into one Ver. 22. And hath put all things un

body, whether we be Jews or Gene der his feet, and gave him to be the

tiles, whether we be bond or free; and head over all things to the church,

have been all made to drink into one Ver. 23. Which is his body, the ful

Spirit. Psal. ii. 8. Ask of me, and ness of him that filleth all in all.

I shall give thee the heathen for Eph. v. 23. For the husband is the

thine inheritance, and the uttermost head of the wife, even as Christ is

parts of the earth for thy possession. the head of the church; and he is the

Rev. vii. 9. After this I beheld, and, saviour of the body. Ver. 27. That

lo, a great multitude, which no man he might present it to himself a glo

could number, of all nations, and rious church, fiot having spot, or

kindreds, and people, and tongues, wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that

stood before the throne, and before it should be holy and without ble

the Lamb, clothed with white robes, mish. Ver. 32. This is a great mysa

and palms in their hands. Rom. xv. tery: but I speak concerning Christ

9. And that the Gentiles might gloand the church. Col. i. 18. And rify God for his mercy , as it is writhe is the head of the body, the

ten, For this cause I will confess to church; who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all

thee among the Gentiles, and sing un

to thy name. Ver. 10. And again things he might have the pre-emi

he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with

his people. Ver. 11. And again, II. 6 1 Cor, i. 2. Unto the church

Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and of God which is at Corinth, to them

laud him, all ye people. Ver. 12, that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, And again Esaias saith, There shall called to be saints, with all that in

be a root of Jesse, and he that. every place call upon the name of shall rise to reign Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs

tiles, in him shall the Gentiles 1 Cor. xii. 12. For as the trust,

GS

e 1 CON.

nence.

over the Gene

and ours.