to be prefent at them, and to provide that whatfoever is tranfacted in them be according to the mind of God g. God of our fathers, who hath put fuch IV. It 33. And Jofiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Ifrael, and made all that were prefent in Ifrael to ferve, even to ferve the Lord their God. And all his days they departed not from following the Lord,. the God of their fathers. 2 Chron. xv. 12. And they entered into a covenant, to feek the Lord God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their foul; v. 13. That whofoever would not feek the Lord God of Ifrael, fhould be put to death, whether fmall or great, whether man or woman. g 2 Chron. xix. 8. Moreover, in Jerufalem did Jehoshaphat fet of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Ifrael, for the judgment of the Lord, and for controverfies, when they returned to Jerufalem. v. 9. And he charged them, faying, Thus fhall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and with a perfect heart. v. 1o. And what caufe foever shall come to you of your bre thren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, ftatutes and judgments, ye fhall even warn them that they trefpafs not against the Lord, and fo wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do, and ye fhall not trefpafs. v. II. And behold, Amariah the chief prieft is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the fon of Ifhmael, the ruler of the houfe of Judah, for all the king's matters: alfo the Levites fhall be officers before you. Deal coúragiously, and the Lord fhall be with the good. (2 Chro. xxix. and xxx. chapters.) Mat. i 4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and fcribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Chrift fhould be born. v. 5. And IV. It is the duty of people to pray for magiftrates h, to honour their perfons i, to pay them tribute and other dues k, to obey their lawful commands, and to be fubject to their authority for confcience fake /. Infidelity, or difference in religion, doth not make void the magiftrate's juft and legal authority, nor free the people from their due obedience to him m: from which ecclefiaftical perfons are not exempted n; much lefs hath the pope IV. b 1 Tim. ii. 1. I exhort therefore, that first of all, fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks be made for all men: v. 2. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinefs and honesty. i I Pet. ii. 17. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. k Rom. xiii. 6. For, for this caufe pay you tribute alfo for they are God's minifters, attending continually upon this very thing. v. 7. Render therefore to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, cuftom to whom cuftom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour. / Rom. xiii. 5. Wherefore ye must needs be fubject, not only for wrath, but alfo for confcience fake. Tit. iii. 1. Put them in mind to be fubject to principalities and powers, to obey magi ftrates, to be ready to every good work. m 1 Pet. ii. 13. Submit yourfelves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's fake, whether it be to the king, as fupreme, v. 14. Or unto governors, as unto them that are fent by him, for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. v. 16. As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of malicioufnefs, but as the fervants of God. 22 Rom. xiii. 1. Let every foul be fubject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the any powers that be, are ordained of God.. I Kings ii. 35. And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiadah in his room over the hoft; and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar. Acts xxv. 9. But Feftus willing to do the Jews a pleafure, anfwered Paul, and faid, Wilt thou go up to Jerufalem, and there be judged of these things before me? v. 1o. Then faid Paul, I ftand at Cefar's judgment-feat, where I ought to be judged to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knoweft. v. 11. For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refufe not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accufe me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Cefar. 2 Pet. ii. 1. But there were falfe prophets alfo among the people, even as there fhall be falfe teachers among you, who privily fhall bring in damnable herefies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves fwift deftruction. v. 10. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the luft of uncleannefs, and defpife government, prefumptuous are they, felf-willed: they are not afraid to fpeak evil of dignities; v. II. Whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, bring no railing accufation against them before the Lord. Jude 8. Likewife alfo thefe filthy dreamers defile the flesh, defpife dominion, and speak evil of dignities. v. 9. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, he difput ed any power or jurifdiction over them in their dominions, or over any of their people; and leaft of all to deprive them of their dominions or lives, if he fhall judge them to be hereticks, or upon any other pretence whatsoever o. MA CHAP. XXIV. Of Marriage and Divorce. ARRIAGE is to be between one man, and one woman; neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband at the fame time a. - II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife b; for the increase of mankind with a legitimate iffue, and of the church with an holy feed c; and for preventing of uncleannefs d. III. It is lawful for all forts of people to marry, who are able ed about the body of Mofes, durft not bring against him a railing accufation, but faid, the Lord rebuke thee. v. 1o. But thefe fpeak evil of thofe things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beafts, in thofe things they corrupt themfelves. V. II. Wo unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gain-faying of Core. o 2 Theff. ii. 4. Who oppofeth and exalteth himfelf above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; fo that he as God fitteth in the temple of God, fhewing himself that he is God. Rev. xiii. 15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beaft, that the image of the beaft fhould both fpeak, and caufe that as many as would not worship the image of the beaft fhould be killed. v. 16. And he caufeth all, both fmall and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: v. 17. And that no man might buy or fell, fave he that had the mark, or the name of the beaft, or the number of his name. with I. a Gen. ii. 24. Therefore fhall a man leave his father and his mother, and fhall cleave unto his wife and they fhall be one flefh. Mat. xix. 5. And faid, For this caufe fhall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain fhall be one flefh: v. 6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flefh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put afunder. Prov.fi. 17. Which forfaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. II. b Gen. ii. 18. And the Lord God faid, It is not good that the man fhould be alone: I will make him an help meet for him. c Mal. ii. 15. And did not he make one? yet had he the refidue of the Spirit: and wherefore one? that he might feek a goodly feed: therefore take heed to your fpirit, and let none deal treach eroufly against the wife of his youth. d1 Cor. vii. 2. Neverthelefs, to avoid fornication, let ery man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own hufband. v. 9. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. III. e Heb. Chap. XXIV. with judgment to give their confente. Yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord f: and therefore fuch as profess the true reformed religion, fhould not marry with infidels, papifts or other idolaters: neither fhould fuch as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with fuch as are notorioufly wicked in their life, or maintain damnable herefies g. III. e Heb. xiii. 4. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. 1 Tim. iv. 3. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abftain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thankfgiving, of them who believe and know the truth. I Cor. vii. 36. But if any man think that he behaveth himfelf uncomely towards his virgin, if the pafs the flower of her age, and need fo require, let him do what he will, he finneth not: let them marry. v. 37. Neverthelefs, he that ftandeth ftedfaft in his heart, having no neceffity, but hath power over his own will, and hath fo decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doth well. v. 38. So then, he that giveth her in marriage, doth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage, doth better. Gen. xxiv. 57. And they faid, We will call the damfel, and enquire at her mouth. v. 58. And they called Rebekah, and faid unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? and fhe faid, I will go. f1 Cor. vii. 39. The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth but if her husband be dead, fhe is at liberty to be married to whom the will; only in the Lord. IV. Mar them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his fon, nor his daughter fhalt thou take unto thy fon. v. 4. For they will turn away thy fon from following me, that they may ferve other gods: fo will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and deftroy thee fuddenly. 1 Kings i. 4. For it came to pafs when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. Neh. xiii. 25. And I contended with them, and curfed them, and fmote certain of them, and pluckt off their hair, and made them fwear by God, faying, Ye fhall not give your daughters unto their fons, nor take their daughters unto your fons, or for yourfelves. v. 26. Did not Solomon king of Ifrael fin by thefe things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Ifrael: neverthelefs, even him did outJandith women caufe to fin. v. 27. Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to tranfgrefs against our God, in marrying ftrange wives? Mal. ii. 11. Judah hath dealt treacheroufly, and an abomination is committed in Ifrael, and in Jerufalem: for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord, which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. v. 12. The Lord will cut off the man that doth this: the mafter and the fcholar out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of holts. 2 Cor. vi. 14. Be IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of confanguinity or affinity forbidden in the word b; nor can fuch inceftuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man, or confent of parties, fo as thofe perfons may live together as man and wife i. 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 hufband's kindred nearer in blood than of her own k. V. Adultery or fornication committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth juft occafion to the innocent party to diffolve that contract. In the cafe of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to fue out a divorce m, and, after the divorce, to marry another, as if the offending Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteoufnefs with unrighteoufnefs? and what communion hath light with darkness? IV. h (Lev. xviii. chapter.) 1 Cor. v. I. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and fuch fornication as is not fo much as named amongst the Gentiles, that one fhould have his father's wife. Amos ii. 7. That pant after the duft of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn afide the way of the meek: and a man, and his father will go in unto the fame maid, to profane my holy name. i Mark vi. 18. For John had faid unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Lev. xviii. 24. Defile not your felves in any of thefe things: for in all thefe the nations are defiled which I caft out before you. v. 25. And the land is defiled: therefore I do vifit the iniquity there. of upon it, and the land it felf vomiteth out her inhabitants. v. 26. Ye fhall therefore keep my ftatutes and my judgments, and fhall not commit any of thefe abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any ftranger that fojourneth among you: v. 27. (For all thefe abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled.) v. 28. That the land fpue not you out alfo, when ye defile it, as it fpued out the nations that were, before you. k Lev. xx. 19. And thou fhalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's fifter, nor of thy father's fifter: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity. v. 20. And if a man fhall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakednefs: they fhall bear their fin, they shall die childlefs. v. 21. And if a man fhall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakednefs, they fhall be childless. V. Mat. i. 18. Now the birth of Jefus Chrift was on this wife: When as his mother Mary was efpoufed to Jofeph, before they came together, fhe was found with child of the holy Ghoft. v. 19. Then Jofeph her hufband being a juft man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. v. 20. But while he thought on thefe things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, faying, Jofeph, thou fon of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghoft. 772 Mat. v. 31. It hath been faid, I 2 Who |