Of MARRIAGE, confidered in a civil View, EXAMINATION of the PRINCIPLES and TENDENCY of the MARRIAGE-ACT-36 CHA P. XI. TIUS 307 GRO- 407 "THE grand question to be tried is "Whether a sYSTEM filled with obligation and re"fponfibility, of MEN to WOMEN, and of WOMEN 66 to MEN, even unto death itself, and this esta"blished by INFINITE WISDOM, is not better "calculated to prevent the ruin of the female fex, "with all its horrid confequences, both to the "public and individuals, than a SYSTEM of hu"man contrivance, where neither obligation nor "refponfibility are to be found, either of MEN to 66 WOMEN, or of WOMEN to MEN, in inftances of "the most important concern to BOTH, but more "especially to the weaker fex?” See Vol. i. Pref. xxiii. xxiv. ERRATA. VOL. I, Pref. p. xvii. 1. 6. dele that. P. 33. 1.7. for conferration, read confarreation. Page 7. 1. VOL. II. 3. of the second n. for coiri read coire. 72. 1. 19. after any, add, where God's law hath not made it so. 97. n. 1. 3. for alterations read altercations. 167. 1. 7. n. for be read he. 230. 1. 12. n. for Cramner read Cranmer. THELYPH THELYPHTHOR A. CHAP. VI. Of DIVORCE. TILL on this fubject, as on all the Sreft, we must keep the holy fcriptures alone in our view; as the will of GOD, touching this, and all things elfe, is only to be known from the revelation which He hath been pleased to make of it in His WORD. The first marriage we read of, was between our first parents Adam and Eve, and on that occafion, we find the will of THE MOST HIGH, with respect to the indiffolubility of the marriage, declared by the mouth of Adam, Gen. ii. 23, 24.-This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called WOMAN, becaufe fhe was taken out of MAN. Therefore (or, for this caufe) fhall a man leave his father and mother, and fhall CLEAVE unto his VOL. II. B wife, wife, and they shall be one flesh. Thefe are not to be looked upon merely as the words of Adam, but of HIM that made them male and female, declared by Adam. See Matt. xix. 4, 5; where CHRIST quotes this primary law of marriage, and abfolute prohibition of divorce, thusHave ye not red, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and faid, For this caufe fhall a man leave father and mother, and cleave unto his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh. Comp. 1 Cor. vi. 15, 16. The conclufion which CHRIST draws from this inftitution is as follows-Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh: what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put afunder. By this it appears, that when once a man and woman have become one flesh, they, by this act, though two distinct and independent perfons before, are fo indiffolubly one, in confideration of the divine law, that neither the parties themselves, nor any other perfon, or power upon earth, can put them afunder. It is not by the ordinance of man that they are joined together, but by the ordinance of GOD; therefore OUR SAVIOUR faith, What GoD hath joined together (by pronouncing them one flesh) let not man put afunder.-But was this rule to be understood in fo abfolute a fenfe as to admit of no relaxation or exception whatsoever ?-No: We read of one |