of the ifue of Beleevors. 329 him in my Pofifcript is defeaive. They are to blame that call on him to it , and will not undeceive him in this that it is not yet done : And I muff tell him that I have had no filch free dealing from friends as he bath found ; no man ever yet told me of the infufficiency of my anfwer , but he bath had of his neareff friends that have told him to his face , that they have been afhamed of that which he bath written in his Apology , This I had from their own mouthes ; If he objeft, it is untrue I fay then they are not honeft ; If he fay they were not able to judge, then he is at leaf to blame : I have teen a teftimony under his own hand , both of their honefy and judgement. An eminently learned man lately obferved that he bed donum impudeuti e ; now he will be found to have merited another that of imprttdentiæ, in publifhing thefe things. His friends importunities for his anfwer it feemes are as loud as thofe reverend mens cracks of my anfwcr , or elfe he need not to have done this do to foppe their mouthes : And fo the Reader cannot but think there is fome- what in it. Having examined that which he would make (by his conje- dure) the ground of their fcruple ; I muf fpeak to that which we make the occafion of it before fuggefted , that cafe of thofe Ifraelites, Ezra 9, 10. ch. upon their returne from their captivity who had married ftrange wives , and were ordered not to live with their wives , but to put them away with their children. Here, to prevent tedious impertinencies, and unneceffary con- tentions , and to make this piece as brief as pofíible; let me pre- mife this as an undoubted truth ; That thefe Corixthianj had their fcruples concerning their iffue upon their marriage in this difparity. That which the Apofle fatisfies in his Anfwer, that the Corin- thians fcrupled in their Letter; This no man can deny for he writes to give fatisfatlion, as is plain ver/ I. to their letter - cafes : But we fee in the Text that he fatisfies as fcruples con- cerning themfelves, fo all() concerning their iffue. . 2. Let the Reader know,that I do not peremptorily determine,that the deter- mination of, the cafe ofthe Ifraelites for theirfeparation from their wives, and putting away their children with them, did occafion this fcruple in the thoughts of thefe Corinthians thus 'oyned with unbelieving yoke - fellowes; but I fay, it is -exceeding (if d may 1 fay fo) more then probable, that it did either occafion, or ti u mighti-
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