Ofan adulterous Eye. Chap.d; 4 andunder this name, all kind of pollution or uncleannefs is contained, that fo the hainoufnefs of this fin may be the more difcovered. And though the politick Laws of menhave not made it fo, yet bythe judgment of many Divines,it is capital: And good reafon it should be fo. Forit is the perverting ofthe wholeeftate of thofe two Families, whereof the parties delinquent are members. , If it be not known (which God feldotn fuffers tobe kept "fecret, forthough he deal otherwife in other crimes, Númb.S.tá. yet herehe ftaies not for a legaláccufation, but gives the.reins to the jealous man to put the womanto her purgation , though he cannot direfflyaccufe her ) then if it be kept clofe, and thefault be in the woman; there is .a notorious theft committed: for the man nouritheth and bringeth up a child, that is not his and layeth up inheri- tance for it, to the great wrong and prejudice of his otherchildren. If it be known to the parties, then God giveth this fin aplainmark, by takingawaysnqytw eurncbr:, natural affeElion, both from the children tothe parents, â contra, from the parents to the children., Betides this, fuch children (hall not take deep root, they (hall be rooted out at the Eccl.232e; Lail : as appears by Augullue's dealing withhis Baftards ; Medea with her iffue ; by .Abfoloms andAdónijabs fall. fared fo between Abimelecbb and his brethren,there was no natural affeéfion between them. Inwhich foever of them the fault be, there isa finagainft the refs ofthe children ; yea, and a finagainll one that is not,namely againli him thatis tobe begotten for he shall beborn a Ballard: and confequentlyfuch an one as shallnot be accounted or re- puted one of the congregation of the Lord, to thetenth generation. Deut.z3.2. It is alto againft the fete of the Common-wealth, for it polluteth the Land , fo Lev.tEz7. that it willfpue out the inhabitants, and the Land cannot be quit of pollution with- out bloodshed. And therefore it is certain, that ifadultery be not punithed,it makes way for the ruineof the Land, rather than other things committed againftthepub- lick tlate,as Murders,Poyfonings, &c. (the fruitsof this fin) which yet were puni-. shed with death by the Lexyulia: the groundof which Law is,becaufe theAdulte- ree livingwith the lawful wife, hath opportunity toMingle poyfon withher meats: andtherefore every Common-wealth hath caufe to make it capital. Davidafter a- dultery falls to murther : and Herodias, becaufe Sohn Baptift reprehended it, could notabide him, and never left till he had got his head off whereas a good wife is a poffefon abovepearls, the heart of ber Husband mayfafely troll in her, as the Wife Pro.3I, rota, man faith. Betides this, twomifchiefs more attend this crime. r. Incefl, where the fault is kept dole; for by this means, thofe that marry, not knowinghow they are allied, nor who is of their race or lineage, it falls out;that fometimes they may joyn them- selves with thofe they arenear unto, and fo commit ince/l, 2. Frequent divorces , or feparations, whenone party knows or fufpells the incontinencyof theother, from whence Hatred and Debate ufually arife: and it is plain by the whole courfe of prophane Hiflories , that the greatenWars both forraign and domef}ick in many Nations have from hence had their original,becaufe there commonly followethan ex- treamhatred of eachother upon this occafon; asAmmon hated Tamar exceedingly: z sans.r3, t9; fo that his hatred, after he had knowledge of her, was greater than his love was to her before. To this we may add the breach of the ninth Commandment ; Perfidiam,unfairb- fulneff, and of the third, Perjurium, perjury : For at the folemnization of marriage, there paffeth a mutual and folemnOath,and vow unto God in the prefence of the Congregation,to keep the marriage-bed undefiled. Befides,God by the Apof}le tells us, that this fin (hall darken the underflanding EpheC4.ts; of the wife, and make them foolish: which effe&we fee it wrought in Solomon : xof.4.tr. and the Prophet tells us, that Aufert cor, it takes away the bears of theffrong,as it did Judg.tó in Sampfon. By all which we fee, that this vice is prejudicial to the Common-wealth ; for the curt&of God for it, is not only againft the parties offending,but upon the Common- wealth too. God faith, They fhall commit adultery, but fhal not 'increafe; and Idof.4.1o: where there is defect of men to till the ground, there mull needs be barrennefs, a Jer,23.t0, jut# punishment of this barrennefsof the womb. For this fault were the two Tribes punished,as the ten Tribes fox Ineeft. So that the Common-wealth is endàmaged L i l a by
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