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III. It is lawful for all forts of people to marry who are able with judgment to give their confent, yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord. And, therefore, fuch as profess the true reformed religion fhould not marry with infidels, papifts, or other idolaters: neither fhould fuch as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are notoriously wicked in their life, or maintain damnable herefies.

IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of confanguinity or affinity forbidden in the word"; nor can fuch incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man, or confent of parties, fo as thofe perfons may live

let none
deal treacherously
against the wife of his youth.
d I Cor. 7. 2. 9. Neverthe-
lefs, to avoid fornication, let
every man have his own wife,
and let every woman have her
own husband. But if they
cannot contain, let them marry;
for it is better to marry than to
burn.

III. e 1 Tim. 4. 3. Forbidding to marry. Gen. 24. 57, 58. And they faid, We will call the damfel, and enquire at her mouth. And they called Rebecca, and faid unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And the faid, I will go.

f 1 Cor. 7. 39. The wife is bouud by the law as long as her

husband liveth; but if her hufbind be dead, he is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

g Gen. 34. 14. Exod. 34. 16. 2 Cor. 6. 14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellow. fhip hath righteoufnefs with unrighteoufnefs? and what communion hath light with darknefs? Compare 1 Kings 11. 4. Neh. 13. 25 26, 27.

IV. h Lev. 18 chap. 1 Cor. 5. I. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and fuch fornication as is not fo much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.

together, as man and wife'.

The man may not

marry any of his wife's kindred nearer in blood than he may of his own, nor the woman of her hufband's kindred nearer in blood than of her own.

V. Adultery or fornication, committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth juft occafion, to the innocent party, to diffolve that contract'. In the cafe of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to fue out a divorce", and after the divorce to marry another, as if the offending party were dead".

i Mark 6. 18. For John had faid unto Herod, It is not law ful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Lev. 18. 24, 25, 26, 27, 2S.

k Lev. 20. 19, 20, 21. And thou fhalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's fifter, nor of thy father's fifter, for he uncovereth his near kin; they fhall bear their iniquity. And if a man fhall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakednefs; they fhall bear their fin, they fhall die childlefs. And if a man fhall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakednefs, they fhall be childlefs.

V. 1 Mat. 1. 18, 19, 20. Now the birth of Jefus Chrift was on this wife; When as his mother Mary was efpoufed to Jofeph, before they came together, he was found with child of the Holy Ghoft. Then

Jofeph her husband, being a juft man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, faying, Jofeph thou fon of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghoft.

m Mat. 5. 31, 32. It hath been faid, Whofoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement. But I fay unto you, that whofoever fhall put away his wife, faving for the caule of fornication, caufeth her to commit adultery: and whofoever fhall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery.

n Mat. 19. 9. And I fay unto you, Whofoever fhall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and fhall marry

VI. Although the corruption of man be fuch as is apt to study arguments, unduly to put asunder thofe whom God hath joined together in marriage; yet nothing but adultery, or fuch wilful defertion as can no way be remedied by the church or civil magistrate, is caufe fufficient of diffolving the bond of marriage; wherein a public and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed; and the perfons concerned in it, not left to their own wills and difcretion in their own cafe".

another, committeth adultery: and whofoever marrieth her which is put away, doth commit adultery. Rom. 7. 2, 3.

VI. o Mat. 19. 8. He faith unto them, Mofes, because of the hardness of your hearts, fuffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not fo. 1 Cor. 7. 15. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a fifter is not under bondage in fuch cafes: but God hath called us to peace. Mat. 19.

6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but oue flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put afunder

p Ezra 10. 3. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God, to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counfel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the law.

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CHA P. XXV.

Of the Church.

THE catholic or univerfal church, which is

THE

invifible, confifts of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth

all in all'.

II. The vifible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel, (not confined to one nation as before under the law) confists of all thofe throughout the world, that profefs the true religion, together with their children; and is the

I. a Eph. 1. TO, 22, 23. That in the difpenfation of the fulness of times, he might ga. ther together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church. Which is his body, the fuinefs of him that filleth all in all. Col. 1 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: Eph. 5. 23, 27. 32.

I!. b I Cor. 1. 2. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are fanctified in Chrift Jefus, cal

led to be faints, with all that in every place, call upon the name of Jefus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. 1 Cor. 12. 12, 13. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; fo alfo is Chrift.-For by one Spirit, are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. Pfal. 2. 8. Afk of me; and I fhall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermoft parts

kingdom of the Lord Jefus Chrift", the house and family of God", out of which there is no ordina ry poffibility of falvation.

III. Unto this catholic visible church, Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the faints, in this life, to the end of the world: and doth by his own prefence and Spirit, according to his promife, make them effectual thereunto".

of the earth for thy poffeffion. Rom. 15. 9, 10, 11, 12.

c 1 Cor. 7. 14. For the unbelieving hufband is fanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is fanctified by the hufband: elfe were your children unclean; but now are they holy. Acts 2. 39. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God Thall call. Gen. 17. 7. And I will eltablifh my covenant between me and thee; and thy feed after thee, in their generations, for an everlafting covenant; to be a God unto thee, and to } thy feed after thee. Rom. 11. 16. For if the firft fruit be holy, the lump is alfo bbly; and if the root be holy, fo are the branches. Gál. 3. 7, 9, 14. Rome 4. throughout.

d Mat. 13. 47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was caft into the fea, and gathered of every kind. Ifa. 9. 7.

e Eph. 2. 19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers

and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the faints, and of the 'houfhold of God. Eph. 3. 15. Of whom the whole fa mily in heaven and earth is named. Prov. 29. 18. Where there is no vifion, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

f Acts 2. 47. And the Lord added to the church daily fuch as fhould be faved.

II. g Eph. 4. 11. And he gave fonie, apofties: and some, prophets; and fome, evangelifts; and fome, paftors and teachers; Verfe 12. For the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the miniftry, for theifying of the body of Chrift: verfe 13. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meafure of the ftature of the fulnefs of Chrift. Ifai. 59. 21. As for me, this is my covenant with them, faith the Lord, My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, fhall not depart

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