This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
COLASTERION.
19

marrying her who is put away. Acutely, as if the Pharises might not have offended as much in marrying the divorc'd, as in divorcing the maried. The recept may bind all, rightly understood; and yet the vehement manner of giving it, may be occasion'd only by the Pharises.

Finally, hee windes up his Text with much doubt and trepidation; for it may bee his trenchers were not scrap'd, and that which never yet afforded corn of savour to his noddle, the Salt-seller was not rubb'd: and therfore in this hast easily granting, that his answers fall foule upon each other, and praying, you would not think hee writes as a profet, but as a man, hee runns to the black jack, fills his flagon, spreds the table, and servs up dinner.

After waiting and voiding, hee thinks to void my second Argument, and the contradictions that will follow, both in the Law and Gospel, if the Mosaic Law were abrogated by our Saviour, and a compulsive prohibition fixt instead: and sings his old song, that the Gospel counts unlawfull that which the Law allow'd, instancing in Circumcision, Sacrifices, Washings. But what are these Ceremonial things to the changing of a morall point in houshold dutie, equally belonging to Jew and Gentile; divorce was then right, now wrong, then permitted in the rigorous time of Law, now forbidd'n by Law, eevn to the most extremely afflicted, in the favourable time of grace and freedom. But this is not for an unbutton'd fellow to discuss in the Garret at his tressle, and dimension of candle by the snuffe; which brought forth his cullionly paraphrase on St. Paul, whom he brings in, discoursing such idle stuff to the Maids, and Widdows, as his own servile inurbanity forbeares not to put into the Apostles mouth, of the soules conversing: and this hee presumes to do, being a bayard, who never had the soul to know, what conversing means, but as his provender, and the familiarity of the Kitchin school'd his conceptions.

Hee passes to the third Argument, like a Boar in a Vinyard, doing nought els, but still as hee goes champing and chewing over, what I could mean by this Chimera of a fit conversing Soul, notions and words never made for those chopps; but like a generous Wine, only by overworking the settl'd mudd of his fancy, to make him drunk, and disgorge his vileness the more openly. All persons of gentle breeding (I say gentle, though this Barrow grunt at the word) I

D 2
know