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dominions or lives, if he shall judge them to be heretics, or upon any other pretence whatsoever 0.

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CHAP. XXIV. Of Marriage and Divorce..

ARRIAGE is to be between one man and on one wo man; 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.

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11. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of hufband and wife b; for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the church with an holy feed c; and for preventing of uncleanness d.

body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but faid, the Lord rebuke thee. v. 10. But these speak evil of those things which they know not; but what they know naturally, as brute beasts in those things they corrupt them felves. V. 11. 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.

02 Theft. ii. 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; fo that he as God fitteth in the temple of God, thewing himself that he is God. Rev. xiii. 15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many would not worship the image of the beast should be killed, v. 16. And he caufeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a nmark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: v. 17. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

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

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

e Mal, ii. 15. and did not he make one? yet had he the residue of the Spirit: and wherefore one? that he might feek a godly feed: therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

di Cor. vii. 2. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. v. 9. Bur 9. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

LAL. It is lawful for all forts of people to marry, who are able

with judgment to give their consente. Yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lordf; and therefore fuch as profess the true reformed religion, should not marry with infidels, papifts or other idolaters: neither should fuch as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with fuch as are notorioufly wicked in their life, or maintain damnable herefies. g.

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. vũ. 36. But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomly towards his virgin, if the pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he finneth not: let them marry. v. 37. Nevertheless, he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necefiity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin deth 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 damsel, and enquire at her mouth. v. 58. And they called Rebekah, and faid unto her, Wilt thou go With this man and she said, I will go.

S1 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 she will; only in the Lord.

g Gen, xxxiv. 14. And they faid

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unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister 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 sons go a whoring after their gods. Deut. vii. 3. Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his fon, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy fon. v. 4. For they 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 destroy thee suddently. r Kings xi. 4. For it came to pass when. Solomon 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 cursed them, and smote certain of them, and pluckt off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall 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 him, 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

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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 consent of parties, so as those persons 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 just occafion to the innocent party to diffolve that contract /. In the cafe of adultery after marriage, 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.

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unto you to do all this great evil, to tranfgrefs against our God, in mar rying strange wives? Mal. ii. 11. Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is commited in If rael, and in Jerufalem: for Judah hath profaned the holiness 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 fellowship 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 such fornication as is not so much as named amongst the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife, Amos ii. 7. That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man, and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name.

Mark vi. 18. For John had said 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 cast 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 shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and thall not commit any of these abominations: neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: v. 27. (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled.) v. 28. That the land spue not you out also, when ye desile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.

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

V. / Mat. i. 18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wife : When as his mother Mary was espoused to Jofeph, before they came together,

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 disertion as can no way be remedied by the church or eivil-magiftrate, is cause sufficient of diffolving the bond of marriage 0: wherein a public and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed; and the perfons concerned in it, not left to their own wills and difcretion in their own cafe p.

together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. v. 19. Then Joseph 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, saying, Jofeph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghoft.

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

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Mat. xix. 9. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whosoever 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

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

VI. o Mat. xix. 8. He faith unto them, Mofes, because of the hardness of your hearts, fuffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not fo. v. 9. (fee letter n. 1 Cor. vii. 15. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a fifter is not under bondage in such cafes: 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 asunder

Deut. xxiv.dr. When a man hath taken a wife and married her, and it come to pass that the find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness 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 she is departed out of his house, the may go, and be another man's wife. v. 3. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a

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CHAP. XXV. Of the Church.

HE catholic or universal church which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the Elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered unto 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 catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law) consists of all those throughout the world, that profess the true religion b, together with their chil

⚫ bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, who took her to be his wife; v. 4. Her former husband who sent 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 shalt 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. pensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, 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 husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the Saviour of the body. v. 27. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish, v. 32. This is a great mystery: but Ispeak concering Christ and the church. Col. i. 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who

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

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11. b 1 Cor. i. 2. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Chrift Jefus, called to be faints, with all that: in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. 1 Cor. xii. 12, For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the mem bers of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Chrift. 13. For by one Spirit, are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jewsor Gentiles, whether we be bond or free: and have been all made to drink into one spirit. Pfal. ii. 8. Afk of me, and I shall give thee. the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Rev. vii. 9. After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could num-: ber, 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 cause I will confess to thee

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