the Woman of her Husband's Kindred nearer in Blood than of her own, 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 Cafe 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". VI. Although the Corruption of Man be fuch as is apt to study Arguments, unduly to put afunder defiled. y 28. That the land fpue not you out alfo, when ye defile it, as it fpued out the nations that were before you. 12 thofe not to take unto thee Mary thy wifet for that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghoft, vorcement. v. 32. But fay unto you, that whofoever fhall put away his wife, faving for the caufe of fornication, caufeth her to commit adultery: and whofoever thall-marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery. Mar. 9.3t. It hath been faid, k Lev. 20, 19. And thou fhalt Whofoever fhall put away his wife, not uncover the nakedness of thy let him give her a writing of dimothers fifter, nor of thy fathers fifter: for he uncovereth his near kin they fhall bear their iniquity. 7. 20. And if a man fhall lie with his uncles wife, he hath uncovered his uncles nakednefs they that bear their fin, they fhall die child lefs. v. 21. And if a man fhall take his brothers wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his bro thers nakedness, they shall be child lefs. Mar. 19.9. And I say unto you, Whofoever fhall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and fhall marry another, committeth adultery: and whofoever marrieth V. 1 Mar.254 18. Now the birth hef which is put away, doth commit of Jefus Chrift was on this wife: adultery. Tom. 7. z. For the woman When as his mother Mary was which hath an husband, is bound efpoufed to Jofeph, before they by the law to her husband fo long as came together, the was found with he liveth but if the husband be child of the holy Ghost. v. 19. Then dead, the is loofed from the law of Jofeph her husband being a juft her husband. v. 3: So then if while man, and willing to make her her husband liveth, the be married a publick example, was minded to to another man, the fhall be called pur her away privily. v. 20. But an adulterefs: but if her husband while he thought on these things, be dead, she is free from that laws behold, the angel Lord ap fo that the is no adulterefs, though peared unto him inafaving, the be married to another man. Jofeph, thou fon of David, fear K-240 VI. Mat. those whom God hath joined together in Marriage; yet nothing but Adultery, or fuch wilful Defertion as can no way be remedied by the Church or Civil Magiftrate, is Cause fufficient of diffolving the Bond of Marriage: wherein a publick and orderly Courfe of proceeding is to be observed; and the Perfons concerned in it, not left to their own Wills and Dif cretion in their own Cafe P. T CHA P. XXV. HE Catholick or Univerfal Church which is invifible, confists 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 2. VI. • Mat. 19. 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. [See letter ".] I Cor. 7. 15. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a fifter is not under bondage in fuch safes: but God hath called us to peace. Matth. 19. 6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh, What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put afunder. P Deut. 24. 1. When a man hath taken a wife and married her, and it come to pass that fhe 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 house. v.2. II. The And when she is departed out of his houfe, fhe may go, and be another mans wife. v. 3. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it 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 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. 1. 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, II. The Visible Church, which is alfo Catholick or Universal under the Gospel, (not confined to one Nation, as before under the Law) confifts of all those throughout the World, that profefs the true Religion, together with their Children ; and even in him. II. 1 Cor. 1. 2. Unto the church is held,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. 15. 9. And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy, as it is written, For this cause I will confefs to thee among the Gentiles, and fing unto thy name. v. 10. And again he faith, Rejoice ye Gentiles with his people. v. II. And again, Praife the Lord all ye Gentiles, and laud him all ye people. v. 12. And again, Efaias faith, There fhall be a root of Jeffe, and he that fhall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him fhall the Gentiles truft. CI Cor. 7. 14. For the unbelieving husband is fanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is fanctified by the husband: elfe were your children unclean; but now are they holy. Acts 2. 39. For the promife is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call. Ezek. 16. 20. Moreover, thou haft taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou haft born unto me, and these haft thou facrificed unto them to be devoured: is this of thy whoredoms a small matter, v. 21. That thou hast slaiu my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them? Rom. 11. 16. For if the K 3 firft is the Kingdom of the Lord Jefus Chrift, the House and Family of God, out of which there is no ordinary Poffibility of Salvation. III. Unto this Catholick Vifible Church, Chrift hath given the Ministry, Oracles, and Ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the Saints 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 8. IV. This firft fruit be holy, the lump is alfo boly and if the root be holy, fo are the branches. Gen. 3. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy feed and her feed it fhall bruife thy head, and thou fhalt bruife his heel. Gen. 17. 7. And I will eftablish my covenant between me and thee, and thy feed after thee, in their genera, tions, for an everlasting covenants to be a God unto thee, and to thy feed after thee. 4 Mar. 13.47. Again, the king dom of heaven is like unto a net that was caft into the fea, and gathered of every kind, Isai, 9.7. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to eftablish it with judgment and with juftice, from henceforth even for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hofts will perform this. Eph. 2. 19. Now therefore ye are no more ftrangers and foreign, ers, but fellow-citizens with the faints, and of the houshold of God. Eph. 3. 15. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, Acts 2. 47. Praifing God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily fuch as fhould be saved, III. I Cor. 12. 28. And God hath fet fome in the church, firft apoftles, fecondarily prophets,thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diverfities of tongues. Eph. 4. 11. And he gave fome, apoftles: and fome, prophets and fome, evangelifts: and fome, paftors and teachers; v. 12. For the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the miniftry, for the edifying of 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 meature of the ftature of the fulnefs of Chrift. Mat. 28. 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 whatfoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you alway even unto the end of the world. Amen. Ifai. 59. 21. As for me, this is my covenant with them, faith the Lord, My Spirit 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, TĮV. A Ram, IV. This Catholick Church hath been sometimes more, fometimes lefs vifible b And particular Churches, which are Members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the Doctrine of the Gofpel is taught and embraced, Ordinances adminifired, and publick Worship performed more or lefs: purely in them. V. The pureft Churches under Heaven are fubject both to Mixture and Error: and fome have fo degenerated as to become no Churches of Chrift, but fynagogues of Satan'. Nevertheless there fhall IV. Rom. 11.3. Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. v. 4. But what faith the answer of God unto him? I have referved to my felf seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Rev. 12. 6. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where the hath a place prepared of God, that they fhould feed her there a thoufand two hundred and threescore days. v. 14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that the might flee into the wilderness, into her place: where fhe is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the ferpent. i [Rev.2. and 3. chapters throughout.] 1 Cor. 5. 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. V. 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now we see thorow a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then fhall I know even as alfo I be am known. Rev. 2. 3. chapters.] Mat. 13. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 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 gathered of every kind. Rev. 18.2. And he cried mightily with a ftrong voice, faying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul fpirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Rom. 11. 18. Boaft not against the branches: but if thou boaft, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. v. 19. Thou wilt fay then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. v. 20. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou ftandeft by faith. Be not high-minded, but v. 21. For if God fpared not K 4 fear. the |