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Anf.

Nay, but who art thou, O Man, that Replyeft against God? God has fo ordained it, we must ask no more Questions.

And yet yet there is an obvious Reafon for this; for, if God fhou'd forbid Marriages with every Sinner, ther wou'd be no Marriages.

Therefor God fingles out the moft Abominable Sin which he hates, as Idolatry is fuperlatively called, Fer. xliv. 4. and God calls thofe Haters of Him who commit this Sin, Exod. xx. 5. and lays a particular Mark of His Fealoufie (which is His utmoft Indignation) upon That, above other Sins. The Jealoufie of God is particularly apply'd to Idolatry through the Scripture, and He calls it Whoredom and Adultery againft Him. It is a Bewitching Sin, and the Nature of faln Man is bent to this Spiritual Fornication, whence we fee how Univerfally it has Prevail'd, and Blindly, for no Man ever yet own'd himfelf to be an Idolater: It is hard to fuppofe a Man to continue in it, if he knew it. And this is the Ground of that which is the Great and the Strongest Reason why Marriages with Idolaters was forbidden, more than with other Sinners, as Drunkards, Adulterers, &c. And that is, The Danger of the Husband or Wife Tempting one another to this Sin, which is the Reafon God gives in the Prohibition, Ye shall not marry with them, for furely they will turn away your Hearts after their Gods.

And this they will do, as I faid before, becaufe all Idolaters think themselves in the Right, and therefor that they are under Obligation to convert others, efpecially their Husband or Wife, their Children, and Family.

But

But ther is little Danger that any Husband or Wife will Tempt one another to Adultery, Drunkenness, &c. It is rather feen that they endeavour to Reclaim one another, and are troubled for one another's Continuance in these Sins.

But Idolatry, that Serpent Sin, Infinuates it felf under the Notion of the Worship of God, and conforms it felf not only to Chriftianity, but fometimes is transformed even into Zeal; a Zeal to the Glory of God.

If notwithstanding of all thefe Precautions, any fhou'd yet think himself Strong enough to Grapple with this Tentation, and that he could keep himself from Idolatry, tho' he had an Idolatrous Wife.

I fay to that Man, That it wou'd be Juft with God to fuffer him to Fall, for his Prefumption; That God fuffer'd Solomon to Fall by this, that no Man after him thou'd Prefume upon his own Wifdom. That when we Tranfgrefs a Command of God in Confidence of our own Strength, we make our felves Wifer than God, and do Renounce his Protection: That if we cou'd be affur'd of not falling into Idolatry our felves; yet, how cou'd we be affur'd that our Children would not be Influenc'd by their Mother? Her very Example is an Influence, and Abates of the Horror of the Idolatry; of which we spoke in the Preface.

All Arguments in the World do confirm the Reasonableness of this Law of God, especially among Chriftians; who are forc'd to confefs their Guilt, while they can find no Topick to clear them from Idolatry, but by fuppofing that ther can be no fuch thing under the Gospel, or not in the fame meaning as it was under the Law. But,

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Where

1 Joh. iii. 15. Matth. v. 28. Eph. v. 5.

Where will they find in the Gospel another fort of Idolatry fet up different from that which was under the Law? Or will they fay that Idolatry was only a Ceremony, or Indifferent thing which the coming of Chrift render'd mild and Harmless?

Ther is no poffible Reason to think that Idolatry is not the fame under the Gospel, which it was under the Law, more than that ther is another fort of Adultery, or Murther under the Gofpel different from that which was under the Law.

The Gospel does indeed Prohibit and Distin guish thefe Sins more minutely than the Law had done it brings Murther to a Rafh Word, or a Thought; searches out Adultery in the Eyes, and in the Heart, and applies Idolatry even to Covetousness.

But, I hope, I need not be Requir'd to Prove that this is not a Lessening of these Sins, or Altering of their Nature.

The Gospel, like the Sun, Difcovers Sin the more, and Renders it more vile; and fpares not Idolatry more than Adultery, Murther, or any other Wickedness; but purfues it to its Fountain, and opens its fmalleft Springs.

Therefor all the Advantage that Idolatry will find under the Gospel, is, being fet in a clearer Light than it was under the Law, and rendring Chriftian Idolaters much more inexcufable than the Jewish, and from thence it must needs follow that thofe Commands and Precautions which were given under the Law against Idolatry, do oblige rather more ftrongly under the Gofpel: And as Chriftian Idolatry is worfe than the Jewish, fo Chriftian or Jewish is worfe than the Heathen Idolatry; as much more provoking, as Adultery is more than

Fornica

Fornication. All Mankind ftand in that Relation to their Creator, that Idolatry in any is committing of Fornication against Him; as you have heard from the frequent ftile of Scripture. But when People enter into a par- Pfal. 1. 5. ticular Covenant with God, when God Marries Jer. iii. 14. Ifai. liv. 5. Himself to a People, and calls Himself their Husband, as he did to the Jews, and much more to the Chriftian Church, which he calls His Spouse, His Wife, His Dearly Beloved, of Eph.v. 30. one Body, and Flesh and Bones with Him; There Fornication becomes Adultery; and the Adultery of a Chriftian Church is more heighnous than that of the Jewish, as much as the Gofpel is a ftri&ter Union to God, than the Law: And therefor where Idolatry is forbidden in the Law, it must be Inferr'd more strongly as to thofe under the Gospel.

But we are not in need of Deductions from the Old Teftament, the Gofpel speaks not only Plain but Paffionately in the Cafe.

Hear the Apostle of the Gentiles the Unbelievers.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with Un- 2 Cor. vi. 14. believers, for what Fellowship hath Righteouf nefs with Unrighteousness? and what Communion bath Light with Darkness? and what Concord hath Chrift with Belial? Or what Part hath be that Believeth with an Infidel? and what Agreement bath the Temple of God with Idols? For ye are the Temple of the Living God wherefor come out from among them, and be ye Separate faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.

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I know fome take this Text in a larger Sense; that is, of Joining in Church-Communion with Idolaters, and that to be the meaning of being Unequally Yoked,

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But

Mal.ii. II.

But the Expreffion of Yoke-fellows is more us'd in reference to Marriage, than of those who go to Church together; and therefor the applying it to Marriage is the more natural meaning, and the other more Precarious, at least borrow'd and the fecundary meaning.

But I am not concern'd against this Expofition, for, as faid before in the Preface, if it will bear against joining in Church-Communion with Idolaters, it must conclude likewife as to Marrying with them: for will not Marriage make them Toke Fellows? Can you fuppofe that it was permitted to Marry with them, and at the fame time commanded to come out from among them, and be feparate? Not to Touch the Unclean thing, and yet to make it Bone of our Bone, and Flesh of our Flesh? Is ther no Concord 'twixt Chrift and Belial, and shall they become both one? Hath the Temple of God no Agreement with Idols; and shall I make an Idol Poffeffor of that Temple; and Marry a Member of Chrift to the Daughter of a Strange God?

All this must be found Rational, or by this Text, Marrying with Idolaters must be forbidden.

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Bellarmin quotes St. Hierom in feveral places, De Matrimo proving this Text to be meant of not Marrying nio.l. 1. c. 23. with Infidels, neither, fays he, does Theophylad and others go against this Expofition, who generally expound it of fhunning Commerce with Infidels for if Commerce be forbidden with Infidels, certainly Marriage, which is the greatest and most dangerous Commerce, is forbidden. These are his Words, and confirm moft exactly the Argument I have made. Therefor give me leave to repeat St. Hierom's Application

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