ligious prudence can bee charity to himself, and what to his Wife, either in continuing, or in dissolving the mariage knot, hath bin already oft anough discours'd. So that what St. Paul saith of circumcision, the same I stick not to say of a civil ordinance, made to the good and comfort of man, not to his ruin; mariage is nothing, and divorce is nothing, but faith, which worketh by love. And this I trust none can mistake.
Against the fifth Argument, That a Christian in a higher order of Priest-hood then that Levitical, is a person dedicat to joy and peace; and therfore needs not in Subjection to a civil Ordinance, made to no other end but for his good, (when without his fault he findes it impossible to bee decently or tolerably observ'd) to plunge himself into immeasurable distractions and temptations, above his strength; against this hee proves nothing, but gadds into silly conjectures of what abuses would follow, and with as good reason might declaim against the best things that are.
Against the sixt Argument, that to force the continuance of mariage between mindes found utterly unfit, and disproportional, is against nature, and seems forbidd under that allegorical precept of Moses, Not to sow a field with divers seeds, lest both bee defil'd, not to plough with an Oxe and an Ass together, which I deduc'd by the pattern of St. Pauls reasoning what was meant by not muzzling the Oxe, hee rambles over a long narration, to tell us that by the Oxen are meant the Preachers: which is not doubted. Then hee demands, if this my reasoning bee like St. Pauls: and I answer him, yes. Hee replies that sure St. Paul would bee asham'd to reason thus. And I tell him, No. Hee grants that place which I alleg'd, 2 Cor. 6. of unequal yoking, may allude to that of Moses, but saies, I cannot prove it makes to my purpos, and shews not first how hee can disprove it. Waigh Gentlemen, and consider, whether my affirmations, backt with Reason, may hold balance against the bare denials of this ponderous confuter, elected by his ghostly Patrons to bee my copes-mate.
Proceeding on to speak of mysterious things in nature, I had occasion to fit the language therafter, matters not for the reading of this odious fool, who thus ever when he meets with ought above the cogitation of his breeding, leavs the noysom stench of his rude slot behind him, maligning that any thing should bee spoke or understood above his own genuine basenes; and gives sentence that his confu-
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