LIB.XJ. ThedefolationofBE NIAMIN. [99I ~~~~~~--~~~~~~--~--~-=~ A of)u,icrement: In the maine quarrels ofrbe Church neutrals arc puoifl'"' '· Thi, c'<ccu~ion fhall make amends for the former;ofrhc fpoik of Ja6e[h-Gzl!lld,t1:·al tile B..::nj-trnires be ftorod with wives: that no man may think thcfe ·men {b.in tOr their d tu5hrors, they pl1inly die forcheir tinne ; a~d thefe Gile•dites might not ha,c lived, wit hour the perjury oflfracl: and now,firh tbey mull: dtc, u ts good ro make bcnefitofnecefliry. I inquire not into tl;e rigour oftbc oath: If tllClr folemne vow dtd not bind them to kill all of both fexesin Rmjami,,why did tl:cy nor fpare their Virains?Andifir did fo bind tl1~m, why did they fparc the Virgins ofGtlcad? Fa- . vou~s mufi be inlargcd in all thefe religious rell:ricltons; Where breath may betaken in them, iris nor fit nor fafe they fhouldbe O:roinrcd. Foure hundred Virgins of Gilcad have loft parents and brethrcn,and kinred,and B now finde husbands in lieu of them. An inforced marriage was but a mifc~able comfort for fuch a lofic: likeWards, or Captives, they arc takcn,and chufe not. Th<:fe fullice not; their friendly adxerfaries confult for more upon worfe conditi· ons. Into what troublcfome and dangerous O:uirs doe men thru£1: themfc!ves, by either unjufi, or inconfiderate Vowes? In the mid£1: of all this common lawlefiJcffe of Ifrael,here was ~onfciencc made on both fides,of matchingwith Infidels: Tbe Ifraelites can rather be conrent their daughters fhould be O:olnc by theirownc, tban that the daughrcrs of al iens. fhould be given them. Thefc men which had not grace enough to ,detell: and punifh the bcafllinelfc of their Gi!cadites,yct are nor fo gracelcffc, as to chufc tbem wives of the Heathen. All but Atbeifis (howfoever they let rhemfelvcs loofe) yec in fomc c things finde themfdves rcihained,and fhe1v to others that they bave a confcicncc. Ifthere were nor much danger and much finne in this unequall yoke, they would never have pcdivaded to fo heavy an inconvenience: Di[parity ofReligion in ma- ~rimoniall conruets, bath fo many mifchiefes, that it is worthy to bC redeemed with much prejudice. · Tbey which might not give tHeir. owne daughters to Benjamin, yet give others, whiles they give feave to Jtealc them. Stolnc marriages are both ¥nnaturall, and full of hazard, for love (whereofmarriage is rhe knot)cannot be forced:this was rdthcr rape,than wedlock. What unlikcneffe (perhaps contrariety)ofdifpofition, whar avcrfncffe ofaffeetion,may therebe in not only a fudden,but a forceable meeting? If 'thcfe Bcnjaminites had not taken liberty of giving themfclves eafe by D · divorcemenr,they would often have found leafure to rue this ftolne booty:This att I may not be drawne to example; andyet here was a kind of indefinite confcnr:both deliberation, and good liki,ng, are little enough for a during cll:a te,.and that which is oncedone for ever. - Thefc Virgins wmc up to thcfea£1: of the Lord, and now, out ofthemidll:of tl1eir dances :frc carriea to a double captivity. How many Vugins have loll themfelves in dances? and yet this fport was not immodefi. Thefe Virgins danced &y f themfelves,wtthout the company ofthofewhtch mtght move tmnrds unchafiity· I for, ifany men had beenwith them, they had found fo many refcuers,as the)Ohadaf. faulters ; no,v, the expolingoftheir weake fexe to this inJury, provestheir inno1 cencc. Our ufuall dances arc guilty of more fin ; Wanton gell:ures, and unchafi E couches, looks, motions,draw tlle heart to folly: The ambufhes ofevtll fpirits carry away many a foulc from dances, to a fearcfull defolation. It is fuppofcd, that the parents thuo rob'd oftheir daughters, .... m take it heavily. There cannot be a greattr. croffe than the mifcarriagc ofchildren: They are not onclythc hvmg goods, but ptcces oftheir parents; that they fhould therefore be tome from rhem by violence, i• no leffe inJury,than the difmembring of their own I bodies. NAoMI
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