of a materiall Apple because of some other words in the story that seems to carry a spirituall sence as vers 15. I will put enmity betwixt thy seed and the womans seed shall this be understood of the old serpent the Divel we suppose that he and his Angels were cast out of Heaven before the creation of man but in this Chapter the Serpent here is expresly called a beast of the field But if by this beast Vers 1. you will understand concupiscence it may perhaps in a spirituall sense be said to be the seed of the Divell because it works in the flesh by his instigation The day thou eatest thereof saith the Lord thou shalt surely * Ch. 2. v. 17. die And the Serpent said ye shall not surely die Chap. 3. v. 4. Now we see in the verses following they did not die the day they did eate but had mulcts and punishments threatned as the Serpent to goe on his belly and lick the dust the woman to bring forth children in sorrow the man to get his living by the sweat of his brow the earth to be cursed c. And Chap. 3. v. 22 23. Least he put forth his hand and take of the tree of life and live forever Therefore the Lord God sent them forth of the Garden c. This seems also to have some other sence for we are not taught to live for ever by carnall eating Resolve if you please the doubt of this question with the former THe next question is of marriage Genesis * Ch. 2. v. 18. And the Lord God said it is not good for man to be alone I wil make him a help meet for him vers 21 22. God tooke one of Adams ribs made a woman and brought her unto him v 23. Adam said this is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh which is one flesh v. 24. How comes it then that there are forbidden degrees in marriage or is it not so in truth but a Popish injunction for their profit for in that respect they have given their dispensations ad infinitum to the neerest kindred To recite particulars in a matter so well known as the houses of Austria Burbon and many others where profit or State policy is at stake were onely to spend Inke and Paper Then if it may be done by dispensation and for money which is but an Ordinance of man why may it not much more be done without seeing it is the Ordinance of God himselfe You know what Peter said to Simon Magus Thou and thy money perish because thou thinkest that these things may be bought for money And here we see the woman is not of the man derivatively and by descent but of his own proper substance then in regard there can be no more matches of this nature the very next of kin were to joyn in marriage and that both by custome and command For example we finde that Sara was Abrahams sister whom he took to wife a better president we can not have for he was the father of the faithfull his seed should be multiplied as the Stars in Heaven all the Nations of the earth be blessed therein * Gen 22. 17 18. c. If it be said that when Abraham went down to sojourne in Aegypt because of the famine he wish'd his wife to say she was his sister lest the Aegytians should kill him and take her to themselves for she was a faire woman to looke upon * Gen. 12. v. 1â— 12 13. And from thence you will argue that to be but simulation betwixt them to save his life then it will appeare in the same book of Genesis that in his returne to the South Countrey they used the like practice in saying she was his sister In so much that Abimelech King of Gerar tooke Sara but the Lord kept Abimelech from touching her and reproved him for taking another mans wife whereupon Abimelech blam'd Abraham saying What sawest thou that thou hast done this thing Abraham replied I thought the feare of God is not in this place and they will kill me for my wifes sake yet to let him know that he had not dissembled totally he said indeed she is my sister for she is the daughter of my father and she became my wife * Gen. 20 12. Moreover Cha. 24. v. 4. Abraham caused his servant to sweare charging him to goe to his owne Countrey and to his kindred to chuse a wife for his sonne Isaac And so naturally confident were the servants of God in propagating by the next of kin that Lots daughters when they fled out of Sodome with their father where the rest of their kindred perished did not doubt to raise up seed to their father saying There is not a man alive to come in unto us after the manner of the earth therefore let us lie with him c. Now there were thousands not to be * Gen. 19 31 32. numbred left alive but there was none of their Tribe and kindred for so the Text seems to infer We know also that many things are writ for our instruction not for our imitation and so Lot might justly be blamed for drinking so liberally that he perceived not what he did which we ought not to imitate yet we finde no reproofe upon the daughters because it seems what they did was onely for propagation according to the institution and not to satisfie appetite This appeares by their interchange yet Dr Willet saith they did offend and brings with him Augustines opinion which is that they should have done far better to have acquainted their father so then belike all had been well enough But withall in the same Annotations of Levit. 18. he brings against himselfe a Jury of Doctors that justifies their intention to be good and lawfull in their case viz. Soto Lopes Ledesma Bellarmine Lâ—â—inus with three of the Fathers also Chrysostome Theodores and Origen and we see God gave a blessing unto their act for the Text saith they were with child and there proceeded from them two great Nations the Moabites and the Ammonites And that these children were blessed appeares more plainly where the children of Israel in their warfaring journey were forbidden to distresse them and not to meddle with them for the Lord would not give them of the Land which he had given to the foresaid children of Lot for a possession * Gen. 13. 37 38. If you say that notwithstanding they were afterwards smitten and warred against so was it likewise with the most chosen people according to the covenant for their Idolatry infidelity c. The Ephramites fell by the men of Gilead * Deut. 2.18 19. 42000 at one time and it were supererrogate to cite the severall places of Scripture where the Israelites were punished and carried captive and cast off into a reprobate sense as now they are at this day for their transgression but that will be no argument to prove that propagating by their
hast not followed young men whether poore or rich Then Boas called into judgement the next kinsman who out of covetousnesse suffered the accustomed disgrace for refusing to performe the duty he ought to have done And Boas as the next in degree tooke Ruth to be his * Ruth 4.10 wife In this story we discerne the many vertues of Ruth it is to be observed also that she was a Moabitesse of the line of Lot and of the issue he had by his daughters of this off-spring shortly after came the Prophet David from whom also in processe of time proceeded the Saviour of mankind Next we observe the passage betwixt Ammon and Tamar where it is said that Ammon loved Tamar in an unlawfull manner which the mayd as discreetly reproved desiring him not to force her but to aske her of the King for a wife in that sence she knew the King would not withhold her * 2 Sam. 4.13 but Ammon after his lust was satisfied despised her which act turned to his confusion and was the occasion of his slaughter Still we see the sister did not doubt to be her brothers wife but did detest the act of fornication which certainly is the thing meant in the forbidden degrees formerly mentioned And assuredly also that act proceeding from lust in kindred is the highest degree of fornication and of some perhaps not improperly termed incest if there be such a distinction But for the holy institution of marriage with the next of Kindred We see by all examples before and after it hath not onely been permitted but commanded Neither doe we finde any thing to the contrary in the whole progresse of the Gospell but still reproofe of fornication and especially amongst kindred which seems to confirme what is formerly said for so St. Paul It is reported commonly that there is fornication * 1 Cor. 5. amongst you and such as is not used among the Gentiles that one should have his fathers wife But the same Saint Paul hath these following words in the same booke Ch. 7 v. 3. touching marriage To avoyd fornication let every man excepting no degree or profession have his own wife and let every woman have her own husband And in verse 4. the wife hath not power of her own body but the husband nor the husband power of his own body but the wife in the singular number From hence may be inferred that men since the Gospell ought not to have plurality of wives but neither there nor in any other place where the like precept is given is there any exception to the next of kin but in case of fornication aforesaid Then let every man have his own wife this doth most and best represent the mistery betwixt Christ and his Spouse the Church else where it is said the man and his wife is one flesh not the man and his wives Although the Patriarks and Prophets under the Law had plurality of wives for the greater increase of a good Tribe or for other reasons and misteries which here we have not time to discusse And though the Turks and other Nations doe allow themselves plurality of wives perhaps alleaging the foresaid custome of the Patriarks as also to uphold the vastnesse of their Empire having such use for unmerous Armies yet we take their reasons to be more sensuall and politick then religious for we that live under the Gospell ought to conforme our selves unto that rule Let every one have his own wife in the singular mumber aforesaid but then seeing there is not one word in the Gospell to the contrary that any Popish Ordinance or other should bar a man to choose that single woman he liketh best to be his wife if she be also consenting and of ripe judgement seems to be both against the law of nature and reason Wherefore we conclude this point with the Apostles words that the forbidding of marriage is the doctrine of devils Again marriage * 1 Tim. 4.3 is honourable in all and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Heb. 13.4 in all marke this here 's no exception yet it would have been here or somewhere if it had been unlawfull either in kindred or Ministers as the Popish doctors teach for lucres sake as is formerly mentioned But we are to beware of such as would spoile us through vaine deceipt that follow the traditions of men the rudiments of the world and not after Christ * Colos 28. so then the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery fornication uncleannesse lasciviousnesse idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditious heresies envyings murders drunkennesse with many others c. But as touching * Gal. 5.19,20 the holy institution of marriage intended according to the Ordinance with true love and sincerity of heart we finde no exception in any degree or profession And if the prohibition in the law formerly mentioned were meant of marriage as it is fully and amply proved to intend fornication onely because of the practice in marrying with their next of kin as well after as before formerly proved also yet were it not binding now for we understand the Law contained in Ordinances to be * Ephes 2.15 abolished And againe blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us nayling it to the Crosse Colos 2. 14. for the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity also a change of the Law Heb. 7. 12. observe also the second of the Corinthians There is a veile in reading of the old Testament which veile is taken away in Christ and * Ch. 3. v. 14 17. where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty But how what liberty to doe the works of the flesh formerly touched no God forbid The holy Ghost will witnesse with those that the Lord hath made his Covenant with he will put lawes into their hearts and in their minds will he write them their sinnes and iniquities will he remember no * Heb 10.16 17. more And in 1 Tim 4.9 The law is not made for a righteous man supposing such a one as contriveth not against a good conscience but for the lawlesse disobedient ungodly whoremongers liers stealers c. And in 2 Tim. 3. we have a large description of such as have no testimony of the good Spirit but are called perilous viz. Lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient unthankefull unholy truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce traytors highminded having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof And of this sort are they which creep into houses leading captive silly women laden with sins led away with divers lusts ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Now as James and Jambres withstood Moses so doe these also resist the truth men of corrupt minds c. Then was the chiefe Magistrate withstood how is it now if this portion of Scripture strike not point blanke at