The ſum of theſe ewo Verſes is, Thar the Salvation of our Immorral Souls, is to be preferred betore all rhinzs, be they ne- ver fo dear and precious to us ; and it thac Men crdinary Dit. cretion teacherh rhem tor the Preſervation of their Bodics, ro cur oft a particular Member, which would neceflarily endanzer the whole Body; it much more reacherh them ro parc with any thing, which will prejudice the Salvation of their Soul. Nox that any Perſon is by this Text oblized to cut off any bodily Mem- ber (as ſome have done) becauſe tizere can be no ſuch Necefliry . but only to mortifie their Members, Col. 3. 5. the Deeds of the B;.Jv, Rom. 8. 13. their inward Lufts; which beins mvrtified, there will be no need of Mutilating our ſelves; tor the Members of the Body are bur commanded and animarcd to their Motions, from the in- ward Lults of the Heart « Bur if there could happen ſuch a Cafe,
| as that a Man muſt vluntarily part wich the moſt utcful Member
of his Body, or tin againſt God, to the Damnation of his Soul, he ought rather to chuſe che tormer than rhe latter. How much more ten oughr Chriſtians ro I;7tifie rheir Inward Luſts and Unlawtul Defires, which can be of no Profit nor Advanraze 5 them, but will certainly make them co offend , God, and to run them upon the Danger of Hell-Fire?
31 It hath been ſaid, Whoſcever * ſhall put away his Wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement.
32 ButI fay untoyou, That * whoſoever ſhall put away his Wite, ſaving for the cauſe of fornication, cauſeth her to commir adultery: and whoſoever ſhall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery.
The Law to which our Saviour referreth here, or rather che Indulgence and Toleration, (for none was obliged ro pur away their Wives 1n caſe of uncleanneſs) is that Deut. 24. 1. where we have it in theſe Words: When a Mar hath taken a Wife and married her, and it cometh to paſs, that ſhe findeth no Favour in his Eyes, becauſe he hath found ſome Uncleanneſs in her, then let im wrire her a Bill of Divorcement and give it her in her hand, and {end her out of his Houſe, The Phariſees had extended this Tilzration which Gcd gave Husbands among{t the ews to orher Cafes, hetides chat of Uncleanneſs or Adultery; fo as they pur away their Wives upon every ſlizhr Occafion, interpreting thoſe Words, | If fhe find n9 Favour in his Eyes, ) ſeparately from the tollowing Words, Becaje he hath found ſome Uncleanneſs in her, and gave a Liberty tor Men, upon any Diflike of their Wives, 79 put them away, provided that they firſt gave them a Bill of Divycement ; and that in theſe Ca- fes it was lawful for the Parries thus feparared each trom orher, ro Marry to whom either of them pleaſed : And rhis 1s exprefled in terms in their Form of thofe Writings of Divorcement in 7 ſephus and other Writers. This” indeed is a Caſe properly rela- ring to the Fudicial Law ;, bur all the Judicial Laws are either Appendices ro the Moral, or to the Ceremomial Law. This particu- lar Indulgence was an Appendix to the 2fral Law, in the Se- venth Commandment ; to which our Saviour is now ſpeaking, and giving the true Senſe of ir. He here oppoleth the Phariſees in ewo Points. I. Afſerting, that all Divorces are untueful, except in caſe of Adultery. 2. Afſerting, that whoſoever Mairied her that was put away, committeth Adultery, It hach been a great Quelſti- on, not ſo much amongſt Divines as amongſt Lawyers, Whether it be not lawful in any Caſe to put away a Wife, unleſs for Adultery ? The Canoni$ts have found our many Cafes, 1n which chey aificm ic lawful. And the Council of Trent (from whom we may learn rhe Senſe of the Popiſh Divines) Anathematize thoſe who deny the Church a Power of determining other Cauſes of Divorce, But rheir Blaſphemos Curſe callerch upon him, who is above them, God over all, Bleſſed for ever, who in this Text hath derermined that Point: Nor indeed did 2ſes give a Toleration in any orher Cafes: There may indecd be a parting berwixt Mam and Wife upon gvher Accounts; eicher wholly or in part. In Cafe one of chein will part from the other, which the Apoſtle derterminerh, 1 Cor. 7, 11, 15 In which Caſe, the Perſon departing is only Guilty, if he or ſhe Marry again; In Caſe of an Error, chrough Tanoance or Tnadvertency upon the Marriage, that ir appearerh, that the Perſons married were ſuch, as by the Law of Nazrure, and of God, ought not to have married, gc, Bur it we take Div9rce for the voluntary AZ of the Husband, putting away of his Wife, it 15 unlawful in any Caſe, bur char of Adultery, which dillolves che Marriaze-knor and Covenant. 2, A ſecond Queſtion is alfo here determined by our Saviour, vt. That it is unlawful fir her, that is unjuſtly put away, to Marry to any other, or for any other to Harry her wittingly.
23 Again, ye have heard that it hath been ſaid by
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Chap. V.
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