· Ctifkabout Separatioll. [4[es abol4t '.Di11iJrce and Sepitratio1i. ~ell. ,. ys it lawful for HU<banJ ahdWife to be long abfe;,. from each other i a~d bow long, lmd f.:!rfl. ,; in what Cofes i . . · An[w. It is lawful to be fl.bfent either ih the Cafe ofprayer wl:i~h P.3ul mentioneth, or in c.tfe of the heedful affairs of their efiates; yo loni; as inay be no danger to etther of them as to mental or corpo... ral incontinency, nor to any other hurt which will be greater than the benefits of ,their. abfence ; nor caufe them to be guilty of the negkct of any real duty•. \hmfore the cafe; of ·ll:yeral perfon$ do much differ according to the different tempers of theu mmds_, and bodJt-s, and aJT.ms. He ~hat hath a Wife of a chafte, contented, prudent temper, may Hay many monerhs or years in Come cafes, whtn•·all things conlidcr~d, it rendeth to more good than-hurt. As Lawyers by their Callings arc: ofrcn necetliratcd to follow their Callings at Terms and Affizcs. And Merchants may be fome years ab .. fcnt in fame weighty cafes. But if you ask, Whether the getting of money be a fi1fficient caUfe? I anfwcr, that it is iufficient to thofc whofe families mufi be fo maintained, and their Wives are eafilf conrinent, and fa the good of their gain is greater than any .Jofs or dang~r that c~crhby ir. But when Covetoufnefs puts thern upon it needlcfiy, atld their Wives cannot beai it, or in ahy cafe, when the hurc that is like to follow, is greater than the good, it is unlawful. . . Queft. 2. May Hur;a•d and Wife be jiparattd by the hart commaml of Princes l If they maize a taw ~rfl. i. that in certain rafes tbry jhaU part: As fuppo[t it to Miniflers, Jud~" or Soldim l · . An[w. You rnufi diftinguifh between the bareCommand or Law, and the R.tafonr and En4r of that Command : and fo between a Lawful Comma•d and an Vnlawful. lo fom• Cales a Prince may juftll command a feparation for a time, or fuch as is like to prove for perpetuity, and in fame ca'fcs he may nor. Ifa King command a feparation without fufficient caufc, fo that you have no Motive but his Authority, and the quefiion is, Whether fvrrqaVy you are bound to obedience; I anfwer, No : Bccaufe whar God hath joyned, no man bath power to put afundcr. Nor can either Prince, Pope or Prelate difpe&fe with your Marriage Covenant : 111 fuch a cafe, it is as aPrivJtt atl, becaufe God ha~h given them no authmity for it : and lherefore their Commands or Laws are NUllities! On!)' if a Prince fay, He that will be a.Jlldge or a Jufiic: lhal! part with.his Wife, it is lawftr! to leave rhe Office 1 and fo obey the Law. But tf he fay to all Mtmftcrs of the Gofpel, you fllall fotf•ke your Wives ot your Minijlry, they lhould do neither, becaufe they are i}ivinelf obliged to both; and ht haih no power to forbid them, or to difpenfe with that obligation; But it may fall out, that the Ends ofrhe Command may be fo fiieat as to make it Lawful, and then it mufi be obeyed both formaUy for .rhe authority of the Prince, and finally for the reafons ofthe thing; As if the fafcry of the Commonwealth l'!tould r<quire, that Married perfons be Souldiers, and that theY. go far off; yea, though there be no 1ikelihoo9 of returning to their families~ and withal chey c.annoC take their Wives with them, without detriment or dacger to their fervice: In lhis cafe men m~fi obey the Magifirate, and arc Calkd by God to forfake their Wives, as if it were by dearh. Nor is it any violation of their Marriage. Covenant , becaufe that was intended Or ineant io fupj>ofe the Ex:. c;;cption of any fuch Call o£ God, which cannot be refi£led when it will make a ffparation. ~eft. a· Moy Minifters leave their Wives to go abroad to pre.cb tht Gofpell - ~·fl· 3• AM[w. lf they can neither do Gods work as well at home, nor yet lake their Wives with them;nOr be ~xcufed from doing that part of fervice, by mher mens doing it, who have no fuCh impcdimeu·r; they may and rnuft leave thtir Wives to do irJ ln this cafe, the .interefi of the Church, and Of the fouls of many, mull over·ru\e the interefi ofWife and Family. Thofe Pallors who have tixed tlati,. onS, mull neither leave flock or family, without neceniry, or a dear call fwm God. But in feveral Cafes a Preacher may be ncc~ffitated to go abroad : As in cafe of perfecution ar home, or of fame ne:. '"effity of forreign or remote parts, which cannot be otherwifc fi.lpplied; Or wheit fome door is opened for the ConverGon of Infidels, Hercricks:, or Idolaters, and none cffe fotit tOdo-that work. or ·none that will. In any fuch cafe, when the caufe ofGod in any part Of the.world con]ideratH ton[ule 4 randH doth require his help, a Min!Her mufi leave wife and F.unily, yea, and a particular flock to dO it. For our obligations arc grcatell to the Carholick Church, and publick good; and the grcateli good muft be preferred. Ifa King commwd a Subject to be an Embaffador irl the rem'wft pair of the world, and the publick good withal r<quireth it, if Wife and Children cannot be taken wirb him they muft be left behind, and he mull go. So muft a confccrared Miniller of Chrill for the fer vice of the Church, refufc all entanglements which would more hinder his work, than lht conttary b'cncfiCs will countervail. And this exccptiog alfo was fuppofed in the Marriage contiact, that family imCicils' and comforts mull: give way to the publick imcrett, and to Gods dirpofals~ . And therefore it is that MiniHers !hould not r:afhly venture upon Muriage, Oor apy woman that Js wife, v·enturC;to marry 01 ~initicr, till fhe is firfi well prepared for fuch acciilems as may{cpa;ati them, for a ihorter or a longer urnc. . QI_cn. 4• M~y one leave • Wi/e io fave h. it life, in cafe of ptrfolf•l perfec~tion or da,~rr l . ~efl. 1 • Anjw. Yes, H ihc ~annat b~ t~ken with htm.; for .the means which are fo.r the Hdps of Life; do f"p~ofe the prefervauon ofL1Ic It felf: If he Itv,e, he may further ferve God, and poilib!y rerum to his \V1le and family. Btu if he die, he is removed from them all. . ~eft. 5• May HU<band and Wife pari by mutual Confem, if they find it to bt fur the gocd of bot/J J. , . Z·ZZ . :An[rj:
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