342, V 8CAV. V. ---- v<[[o faft and pray. M01k<bowrhe Apollleaddes, (that you maygivcyourfelvcs A tofafting and prayer.) Iris folcmne excrcifc, which the Apoftlc here imcnds, fuch as is joyr.cdwith fafting and <xtcrnall humiliatioc;whcrcin all cattblycomforrs muli be forborne; but what ifa man lift to ra•ke himfdfc continually, and will b< alwaics painfully devote ~ may he then ever ablbinc !' No: Let them meet together againc, faith the Apoftle; nor as a toleration, but as a·charge. Bur what if they both can live fafdy rhus fevered~ This ismore then they can und<rrake : there is danger, faith our Apoftle,in this abftinence (left Satan tempt you for your inconrinencir) what can b< more pbinc~ Neither may the maried refraioe this convcrfarion without confenr, neither may they without confent refraine it for ever. Wlm can you now urge us with, but the examples and fenrences of fome Ancients ~ Let this ftand evicted for the true and necdfary fenfe of the /\poftle; and what is this but ro lay men inrhe balance with God~I fee and confdfe how much fome ofthe Fathers admired Virgi- B niry;fo farre,rhat therewanted not (ome,whicb both dctefted mariage asvicious,and would force a fingle life upon mariage, as commendable : ;whofe authority fl10uld move me, if I faw nor fome ofthem oppofire to others,and others no ldfe to S. P•ol himfdfe. How oftdoth S. Aujlin redouble that rule,aod importunately urge it to his E&diei•, in that ferious Epillle, that without confenr the continence of the maried cannot be waranrablc; reaching her (from thefc wordsofS.P••I, whil:h he charges her, in the contrary prallicc, not to have read, heard, or marked) rhar ifher husband lhould conraine, and lhewould not, he were bound to pay her the debt ofmariage b<ncvolencc; an.t that God would impure ir to him for cominencc norwithfhnding. "'"'·"',c.,.,. Henccisrhat of Chryf1f•mt, thatthe wife is both the ftrvanr and the mifiris ofher C husband; a fcrvant ro yedd her body, a millris to have power of his : who alfo in thefame place determines it forbidden fraud, for the husband, orwife, to containe alone: according ro that ofthe Paraphrall1 Let either both conrainc, or neither. Hie. romeconrrarily,ddincsrhus :But ifoneofrllc two (faith he) confidcring the reward of chafiiry,will conrainc,hc ought nor to a!fent to the other which conraincs n<>t,&c. b<caufe luft ought rathcrro come to conrinc!ncic, then conrinencie decline to luft: concluding that a brother or a fillet is not fubjctt in fuch a cafc1 and that God bath not called us ro uncleannetfe, but to holioc!fe. A llrange glo!fc to fall fromthe pen ofa Father which yet I durll pqr fay,ifit wcte more boldne!fe for me to di!fcntfrom him, then for him to diffenr from all others.He that cenfures S. PAul to argoc grofly to his Galatians, may as well tax him ofan unfit diredion to his Corinrhians :It D fhallbenoprefomprionrofav,tharinrhispoint all his writings bewray more zcale then truth: whether the confciencc ofhis former flip caufed him to abhorrc that fex; or his admiration of Virginity tranfporred him to acontempt ofmariage. Antiquity will afford you many el<amples ofholy men voluntarily fequcllred from theirwives: PreceptSmull be our guides, and nor patrerncs. You may tell me ofs,~mtnr <.Am· m•~, that famous Monke, who having perfwaded hisbride the firft day to continuance ofVirginity, lived with her r8.yeares in a ftverall bed, and in a fcverall habitation, Up<'D the mountaine Nitria, 21. y('ar(:S : you may tell me of ltr1mts tMAI&hll4, Aujlim Edili•, and ten thoufand others: I care not for their number, and fufpcct thdr example : Doe but reconcile their practice with S. P•ulr rule,! lhall both mag• oifie and imitatethem.I profe!fc before God and men, nothing fhould hinder me but E rhislawofthe Apolllc: wherero confider, I befeechyou, what can be more oppofitc then this opinion, rhenchiscourfc of life. · The Apolllc faycs, Refraine not but with confent for a rime : your words, and their practice faith, Rcfraine with confcnt for ever: he faith (meet together again<) you fay never more : he faith (mc<t !ell you be tempted) you fay, meet not though you be tempted. I willingly grant with Ath•n-Jius, that for fome fer time,cfpecially (as A»Jilme interprets it)for fome holy rime, we may,and(in this latter cafe)wemuft forb<are all marrimoniall ads, and rho~ghrs: not for rhat they arefiofull,bur uofeafonable. As mariagc mull be alwaiesufcdchallly; and moderately : fo fometimcs it mull be forgotten. How many arc druolt:cwith their ownc vines,and furfct of their owne fruits~ either immodclly, or immoderation io man or wifc,is adulterous. Ifyet I
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