Cafes about Divorce. 539 ~efl. 1 g, What ifa Woman have a Husband that will not fulfer her to read the Scrip!uJes, nor go ~efl. 1 8. to Gods Wodhip publick or private, or th~t fo beareth or abufcth her, as that It canqot be expected that humane nature lhould be in fuch a cafe kept fit for any holy adion : or if a man have a Wife that will fcold at him when he is praying or infiruCting his family, and make it irnpollible to him to it:rve God with freedome, or peace and comfort ? An[w. The Woman mull (at necdfary feafon's, though not when fhe would ) both read the Scri– ptures, and Worfhip God, and fuffer patiently what is infl.iCled on her: Martyrdorne may be as comfortably [utTered from a Huihand, as from a Princi. ~ut yet if ncirhcr her own Love, and duty, and patience, nor friends perfwafion, nor the Magifirates Jullice, can free her from fuch inhumane cruclry, as quite difableth her for her dury to God and man, I fee not but (he may depart from fuch a Tyranc. Buc the man hath more means w rdlrain his Wife from bearing him, or doing fi.Ich intoi– Jerable things: Either by the MagiJharc, or by denying her what cl[e flu: might have, or by his own violenr rcflraining her, as belongfth to a Conjugal Rukr, and as circumJhnccs ihall direCt a prudent man. But yet in cafe that unfuirablenefs or fin be to great, that aftu long tryal, there is no Jikdi– hood of any other co-habitation, but what will tend to their fphirual hun and calamity, it is their leffcr fin to live afunder by murual confcm. . . !l<!!•fl· I9· May one part from a Husband or Wife that bath the Leprofie, or tha.< hath the French ~tfl; 19., Pox by their adulterous praCtices; when the mnocenr perfons l1fe ts endangered by tr. An[r:v. If it be an innocent perfons difeafe, the other mull co-habite, and tenderly cherilh and comfort the difeafed; yea, fa as £6mewha.t to hazard their own lives ; but not fo as apparently to call them away, upon a danger not like to be avoided, y.nlcfs the others life, or fame greater good be like to be purchafed by i<. · But if it be the Pox 0f an Adulrerer, the innocent party is at liberty by the othefs adultery: and the r.~.ving of their own lives, doth add thereto. But without AdultcTy, ti;}e difeafe alont will not excufc them from co-habitation, though it may from Congrcfs. . [;!0efl. 20. Who be they that may or may not ma.~;ry again when they are parted> !f<.:!efl· zo•. An[w. I· They that arc relcafed by divorce upon the others Adultery, Sodomy, &c. may marry again. 2• The cafe of all the reft is harder. They that part Py confcnt, to avoid mutual hurt, may not many again : Nor the pany that departeth for,felf-prefervation, or for the prtfervation ofellare, or children, or comforts, or for liberty of Worfhip, as aforcfaid: Bccaufe it is but an intermiffion of Conjugal fruition, and nOt a total diffolution of the Relation~ And the innocent party rnufi wait to fee whether there be any bope of,a return. Yea, Chrill feemeth to r~folve it, Matth. 5· 3 I, 3 2. that he is an Adulterer that marricth the innocent parry that is put away: becaufe the other living in adultery, their firfl: conuaetcd Relation feemeth to be ftill in being. But GrotiJH and fo":le others think, that Chrill meanerh this only of the man that over-hafiily marrieth the innocent divorced Woman, before it be feen whetRcr he will repent and rcaffurne her : But how can.that hold, if the Husband after Adultery free her? May it not theiefore_be meant, that1the Woman mufi: fiay unmarried in hope of his reconciliation, till fucll time as his adultery with his next married Wife doth difoblige her. But then it mull be taken as a Law fo~ Chrifiians; For .the Jew that mighr have many Wives, difobligeth not one by taking another. 1 A fhort defertion I'I\llll be endured in hope ; But in cafe of a very long, or total defenion or reje– d:ion, if the injured party fhould have an untameable lull, the cafr is difficult. I think there are few. but by jufi means may abllain. But if there be any that cannot (after all means) without fuch trou· ble as ovetthroweth their peace, and plainly hazarderh ~heir continence, 1dare not fay that Marriage ,in th.at -cafe is unlawful to the innocent. <2!!,efi. 1. IS .it larvf'!l t~ fuJ!tr o~ toUer~te, yea, or cOntribute to tbe matter of known fin in af.l· mzry, o~dm.arzly, m JYift, Chzld or Servant: And confequently in any other Relation~. ~- ., An{w. In this fame .lukewarm men arc apt to run inro the e)ctream of Remifsncfs; and fame unex– perienced young men, that never had families, into rhe exueam of cenforious rigor, as not knowing whar they talk of. r. It i~ not Lawful. either in Family, Commonwealth, Church, or ""Y whore, to aUowof fin, nor to !ollerate 1~, .or lea~e 1t u~cured, when it is truly in our power to cur.c it. 2· So that all the qliefiion ts, Wher1t u, or IS not 1u. our power? Concerning Which_, I (b~ll anfwer by fome inllances. I. It is not ~n. ?ur P~wer to do that which we are Naturaliy unable to do. No Law of God bindeth us t0 lmpoffibihtlcs. And Natural Impotency btrc is found in thcfe feveraI cafes. 1. When we are ovcrroatcht in lirengtQ; when Wife,Cbildren or Serva~ts ate too {\rang for the Malitr of the houfe, fo ~hat ~e .cannot correct them, nor remove them. A .Kmg is nor bou!l(i to puni(h rebellioos or off!!nd– mg SubjeCts, when they are too firong for him, a11d he is unable ; either by cheir Numbers or orher adv,amag~s. Ifa Pallor cenfure an p:tfe,ndor~ and all the Church be againll: the cenfurc, he cannot procure 1t executed, but muft acquiefce m having done his part) and leave their guilt 1.1pon themfelves. •· When the thiqg 'to be done is an lmpotlibility ; at leall Moral. As to hinder all tht perfons of a h m,ly,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=