live yet as man and wife together, mutually performing conjugal
v. 21+ ſpeaks of Caling being a ſervant, ſhew thisinterpretation to be too narrow; Theſenſe of che Text is : That the Profeſſion of
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TLEORINTHIASHNS. Chap. y
| s In whatſoever ftate ot condition, whether he be «,...; unmarried, whether he be a maſter or a ſervant, whethe w t&d or before circumciſed or uncircumciſed, let him not think (4 © Were ty obligeth him to alter it, he may abide in ir, only h iſtiani. bide in it with God, as one who remembres God's E Sy mult «, him, and ſeeth him, and that he is bound to approve hin. 0 itunto God, and to keep a good conſcience towards = [1 one that is a Member of the Church of God und:r th on a5 of 1t. e Lig 25 Now concerning virgins , I have no commang
Chap. VII.
Chriſtianity is conſiſtent with any honeſt calling or courſe of life, = Te" 4 will of God that Chyiſtians ſhould nor pretend their profeſſion of Religion, ro excuſe them from the duties of any rela- tion wherein they are ſer. This is an univerſal Rule, / and con- cerned not the '- fant of Corinth only, but all other Churches of Chriſt, being an Apoſtolical Conſtitution. | ;
18 Is any man called being circumciſed? let him not
become uncircumciſed : Is any called inuncircumciſion?
tet him not become circumciſed m:.
Is any one who was a native Jew, and ſocircumciſed accord- : ; 20g to the jeviſh Law converted (while he is in that ſtate) to the| MENT of the Lord x: yet I give my judgment h
Faith of Chriſt, let him not affe& the ſtate of him, that having| ONE har hath obtained mercy of the Lord (0 be been formerly a Gentile, was never circumciſed. On the other ſide,| faithful z. | : is any, being anative Gentile, and ſo not circumciſed, converted| w He had before ſpoken to married Perſons and Widows ro Chriſtianity, let not him affef the ſtate of one converted from | he comes to ſpeak concerning Virgins ; and though he __ Judaiſm, who was circumciſed. This 15 doubtleſs the ſenſe of the | only the female Sex, yet the following words ſhew thar his _— verſe, not (as ſome would haveit) ler him not endeavour by art to | extended to both. x As to them he faith, he had no ſpeciul q; make himſelf uncircumciſed, which was the wicked prattice of | re&ion from Chriſt, none that would ſuit the caſe of every Virs; # ſome (for a better compliance with the Gentiles) of whom we read | y but yet he would give his advice, what ſ:emed to him ory z And he would have them look upon him asone that himſelf, | received mercy from the Lord, and as he deſired to be fairhgy : the diſcharge of histruſt, ſo might and ought to have cregje 61... him in what he ſaid. In which ſenſe we read in ſcripture ofa in ful Saying, a faithful Creator, a faithful Man, &c. ;
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1 Maccab. 1. 17. ; : F * I9 * Circumciſion is nothing, and uncircumciſion
is nothing », but the keeping the commandments of God o.
Ci ion was an Ordinance of God,a ſign of God's Cove- | ""_ La ens to Salvation in its time, as the fulfilling of any 26 I ſuppoſe therefore that this is good 2 for tha precept ofthe Law contained in Ordinances : and Uncircumciſion| preſent {| diſtreſs b, 7 ſay that ic z good for a n a4 alſo was ſomething ; for by the Law relating to that Ordinance,the {c an' (
| | 0 to be. i uncircumciſed male is derermined to have broken God's Cevenant, | Good here fionifieth corvenient (as before) if o i and dctermined to a cutting off, Ger. 17. Io, 11,12,13, 14. 0But gn ( ) if other circum,
| ſtances of particular perſons make it not ſinful: or berre yy; : : Ith re, in the preſent ſtate of cho (aged, np rd ſpe& 6 to the preſent diſtreſsof neceſlity, by which, withour HS momentin the buſineſs O 5 dag RIGS T Ps: IoF but Fai , ,, 3 , the Apoſtle meaneth, not the common neceſſities of all men w ther circumciſion aguaileth any thing, nor uncircumciſion, but Faith whic are born once todie, (which isthe more eaſi? the fewer relations = wor keth by love. have to part from) nor yet of family-rroubles- and c k Dn : | family- oncerng, 29 Let every man abide in the ſame calling where: | there isnone who hath a family in this world to losk h—_—_ in he was called p. have trouble in the fleſh ; but the continual troub!
_ . R 1 > 1C$ with the p Let every man abide in the ſame ſtate and condition of life in |the Church of God was diſquieted,as the Ark upnn the mi " which he was when he was firſt converted tothe Faith of Chriſt, -
the more ſpecial troubles of the Primitive Church; for though cheir thar is, ſuppoſing that he was in an honeſt courſe of life (for we read] great Perſecutions from the Heathen were not poſſibly at thy thar the Conjurers in the ,4#s burnt their books, and unlawful | time begun,yet Chrift had foretold them,and the Apoſtles hadthen courſesof life muſt not be adhered to after men have once given up
in a very near proſpe&t (Paul is thought to have died the 12124 gr their namesto Chriſt.) The Apoſt'c's deſign is only to ſhew, thar | eleventh year of Nero.) For this preſent neceſſity or diſtref, th. the Profefſion of Chriſtianity maketh no ſtate of life unlawful, which | Apoſtle gives his opinion, That it was convenient and better for thoſ was before that profeſſion lawful, nor diſchargeth any from ſuch as; that could honeſtly abſtain from marriage, to keep themlclys, ;n
were before the duries | 20 eh in _ circumſtances and; their ſingle and unmarried condition.
relations. Thev too far ſtrain this Text who interpret it unto an © 5
obligation upon all men,not to alter that particular way and courſe | i! "oy Poe oy a wite 7 ok not to be of life andtrading, to which they were educated,and in which they OOIEA. rt thou looked irom a wile ? ſeek not 2 formerly have been ingaged. Though ſuch a thing be of too great wife c. :