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'Anf.

to Divorce the Wives, and Put away fuch as were Born of them?

No, not at all, for the cafes are totally Dif ferent: That in Ezra was Fews (which is Be lievers) marrying with Idolaters; (which voided the Marriage from the beginning:) But that in St. Paul, was Infidels or Idolaters Marrying with one another (of the Lawfulness of which ther is no manner of doubt) and then afterwards one of the Parties being Converted and not the other, which fhall not Diffolve the Marriage, unless the Unbelieving will Depart. Object. of the But ther is a farther Objection yet behind. Succeffion of Rehoboam was the Son of an Ammonites, yet he fucceeded Solomon; and the like may be found of others.

Rehoboam.

Anf.

To this it may be Anfwer'd, that it does not 1 Kin. xiv. 21. Appear but that he was a Profelyte, and it is the more probable, because Rehoboam was 41 Years old when he began to Reign, and fo born before Solomon's old Age, wherein he fell to Idolatry and it is not likely that before that time he wou'd fo notorioufly offend the Law of God as to marry an Idolater.

2. Anf.

Ezra. X. 3.

V. 14.

v. 9.

But fuppofing that he was not a Profelyte, then the Difpute will lie 'twixt this Act of Solomon's, and the Reformation made by Ezra.

This A&t of Solomon's is not faid to be according to the Law; and he fell by Idolatrous Wives: But Ezra's Reformation was done according to the Law (given by Mofes, Neh. x. 29, 30.) and the Counsel of thefe who trembled at the Commandment of God, Ezra x. 3.

And ther was fierce Wrath from God upon them for this Matter until they did Reform it. This was probably exprefs'd in the extraor dinary Rain that fell at that time.

And

And if we reckon the moft miferable Event of Rehoboam's Reign, the Divifion of the 12 Tribes not Heal'd to this Day; we will find more Prefumptions of God's Difpleasure at his Succeffion, than we can make Arguments from thence for fetling it as a Precedent. But what if Rehoboam's Mother was not a Profelyte? And what if the like may be faid of feveral of the future Succeffions of the Kings of Ifrael?

It goes indeed against the Grain to condemn whole Generations of our Fore-Fathers, and not to be done without mighty Cause, and the Proof very clear.

But it hath been done by Approved Hands; Long Tradiand the Providence of God may have great tions of our FaEnds in it to correct human Prefumption; to thers no Rule against Scripteach us to make God's Law our Rule; and not ture. to be mifled by the Errors of Great Men; to Inftances in the fix our Hearts in God alone, and not to Glory High-Places. in Men. Ther were many Godly Reformations made by the Kings of Judah; but in none of them were the High-Places taken away: That was left as a Mark of Infirmity upon all Reformation by Human Inftruments; therefor no Reformation was Perfect but that only which was made by Chrift himself: That after the Captivity was more Perfect than any before it, being built upon Greater Experience. And ther are feveral Inftances in this fame Reformation after the Captivity, of their going against the Cuftoms of many Ages of their Predeceffors: They made Scripture their only Rule, and minded not the Prefcription of their Fathers that went contrary to it.

It was written in the Law, that the Children Neh. viii. 14. of Ifrael fhou'd dwell in Booths in the Feast of Booths. the seventh Month. This Command was neg

lected

Neh. viii. 17. lected all along from the Days of Joshua to the Return from the Captivity; yet they Re form'd it, and God gave them very great Gla nefs.

Sabbatical
Year.

Ezra ix. 13.

10.7.

Another great Inftance is of every Sevent which was the Sabbatical Year, commanded Lev XXV. 4. with fuch a particular fudgment, Threat ned to the Neglect of it, Lev. xxvi. 34, 35, 43 as we fee was executed, 2 Chr. xxxvi. 21. with a Respect to the Length of Time in which the had neglected it, that was lxx Sabbatical Years, which makes ccccxc Years, before the Captivi ty, which reaches up to the time of Samuel. And yet we find not this Neglect reprehended by Him, or David, or Solomon, or any of the Prophets, or Amended in any of their Reforma

tions.

But the Command against Marrying of Idolaters is frequently Repeated, the Breach of it more feverely Threatned, and often Reproved by the Prophets, tho' it Began not fo Early, nor Prevail'd fo Univerfally among the Jews as that of the Booths; and therefor we must Imagine it of Greater Importance, and confe quently the Reformation of it the more Neceffary, even tho' its Prefcription had been Older.

But this Objection was not forgot by the Reformers, tho' indeed they made it no Objection, but rather urg'd their Fathers long continuance in this Sin, as a ftronger Argument for their fpeedy Reformation of it.

Ezra in his Confeffion of this Sin, calls it their Great Trefpafs, for which all their Evil was come upon them; and that fince the Days of their Fathers they were in a Great Trespass unto that Day, speaking ftill of the fame Sin.

And

And the Seed of Ifrael feparated themselves Neh, ix. 2 from all Strangers, and ftood and confef fed their Sins, and the Iniquities of their Fathers.

This is the Ufe they made of the Example of their Fathers, when it was against the Law of God, and that in every Cafe: Thus they Argu'd concerning the Prophanation of the Sabbath; Did not your FATHERS thus, and did not xiii, 18. God bring all this Evil upon us? And of the Cafe we are upon, of Idolatrous Marriages, Did not Solomon King of Ifrael fall by thefe things?

The Example of our Fathers is not our Rule, but the Scripture is our Rule, whereby to Examine the Practice of our Fa thers.

Ther are likewise feveral Examples in the Chriftian Church of Marrying with Idolaters; as Monica the Mother of St. Augustin, who was Marry'd to an Heathen, and Clotildis a Chriftan Marry'd to Clodovit King of France, who was an Heathen.

But the fame Answer that has been given of the like Marriages before the Gospel will serve as to thofe fince.

I will to close this Head, fet you down Bellarmin's Answer to all thefe Examples. De Ma trimon. 1. i. c. 23.

"He fays thefe Examples are either of those "who were led only by the Law of Nature, "before ther was any particular Law against "these Marriages: Such were Facob, Foseph,

Efther, &c. or of these who marry'd Hea"then Wives, but who had been converted to "the Faith, for that was always Lawful, and thus Salmon marry'd Rabab the Harlot from Paleftine, and Booz marry'd Ruth the Moabis

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Chriftians who

have Marry'd Heathens.

"tefs, &c. for they were converted to the "Faith and Jewish Religion, tho' otherwife "they were of the Heathen, with whom it

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was not Lawful for the Jews to Marry; or "of those who were plainly Reproved for their Marrying with the Heathen, contrary to the "Law; among thefe was Solomon, who is Reproved, 1 Kin. xi. that he had marry'd Moa"bites, Ammonites, and Canaanites, contrary to the Law. And among thefe, thofe Chri"ftians are now to be Reckon'd, who are mightily Reprehended by the Holy Fathers "for this, as we have above fhew'd out of Cyprian, Ambrofe, and Hierom; or laftly, "of thofe whom Ignorance and a Cuftom that was Introduc'd may Perhaps excufe. And "in this Number it thou'd feem that St. Mo"nica ought to be put, the Mother of St. Auguftin; for in her time the Cuftom had fo Prevail'd, that it was thought no Sin to "Marry with the Heathen, as Auguftin wit"neffes in his Book of Faith and Works. Chap. 19.

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"Therefor St. Monica was, it may be, Ex"cufed from the Sin, by her Ignorance, and "the Cuftom of her Country; or certainly did purge that Sin by Repentance and Tears nor ought the to Diffolve the Marriage once "contracted, because the Cuftom of the Faithful People had not at that time reckon'd "the difference of Worship among those Impe "diments which do Diffolve Marriage, as it "did afterwards.

These are Bellarmin's Words; concerning which I will not ftay to fhew you how he dwindles the Prohibition of God against these Marriages (which he had at first confeffed to be moral) into a meer Cuftom of the Church,

thereby

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