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IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden in the word; nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man, or consent of parties, so as those persons may live 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 husband's kindred nearer in blood than of her own. I

V. Adultery or fornication, committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract. " In the case of adul

with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? Gen. xxxiv. 14. Ex. xxxiv. 16. Compare 1 Kings xi. 4. Neh. xiii. 25, 26, 27.

P Lev. xviii. chap. 1 Cor. v. 1. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.

q Mark vi. 18. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. xviii. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.

Lev.

Lev. xx. 19, 20, 21. And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister; for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity. And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin: they shall die childless. And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness: they shall be childless.

Matt. i. 18, 19, 20. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was

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tery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce, and after the divorce to marry another, as if the offending party were dead."

VI. Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments, unduly to put asunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage; yet nothing but adultery, or such wilful desertion as can no way be remedied by the church or civil magistrate, is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage:▾ wherein a public and orderly course of proceedfound with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just 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 to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.

Matt. v. 31, 32. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement but I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery.

u Matt. xix. 9. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and whoso marrieth her which is put away, doth commit adultery. Rom. vii. 2, 3.

▾ Matt. xix. 8. He saith unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not 80. 1 Cor. vii. 15. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. Matt. xix. 6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh.

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ing is to be observed; and the persons concerned in it, not left to their own wills and dis cretion in their own case.

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CHAPTER XXV.

OF THE CHURCH.

THE catholic or universal church, which is invisible, consists 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 visible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel, (not confined to one nation as before under the law) consists of all those throughout the world, that profess the true religion, together with their child

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What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

w Ezra x. 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 counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

Eph. i. 10, 22, 23. That in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather 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 fulness of him that filleth all in all. Col. i. 18. And he is the head of the body, the church. Eph. v. 23, 27, 32.

y 1 Cor. i. 2. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus,

a

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ren; and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.

III. Unto this catholic visible church, Christ

called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. 1 Cor. xii. 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; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; andhave been all made to drink into one Spirit. Psa. ii. 8. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Rom. xv. 9, 10, 11, 12.

z 1 Cor. vii. 14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. Acts ii. 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 shall call. Gen. xvii. 7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant; to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. Rom. xi. 16. For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches. Gal. iii. 7, 9, 14. Rom. iv. throughout. a Matt. xiii. 47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind. Isa. ix. 7.

b Eph. ii. 19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. Eph. iii. 15. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. Prov. xxix. 18. Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

c Acts ii. 47. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world and doth by his own presence and Spirit, according to his promise, make them effectual thereunto. d

IV. This catholic church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less, visible. And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, or

a Eph. iv. 11, 12, 13. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 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 measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Isa. lix. 21. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord: My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.

e Rom. xi. 3, 4. Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Rev. xii. 6, 14. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days.-And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place; where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. Acts ix. 31.

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