276

Sect. 12.

I Cor. VII.
I.

The Apostle advifes them not to marry at that Seafon :

SECT. XII.

The Apoftle proceeds to anfwer certain Questions, which the Corinthians bad put to him; and first what related to the Marriage-ftate; and in thefe introductory Verfes, he deter mines that in fome Circumftances it should be entered into, and continued in, but in others, forbarn; and forbids Wives to depart from their Husbands. I Cor. VII. 1---11.

I..
1.

I CORINTHIANS VI
proceed to give you my Opinion concern-

I Now Proe Things about which you wrote to me. wrote things whereof od

And I begin with that, concerning the Lawful nefs or Expedience of Marriage. And here I must first observe, that as to its Expedience, [it is] in prefent Circumftances good for a Man, where he is entirely Master of himself, to have nothing to do with a Woman; fo many are the Conveniencies, which recommend a fingle Life: to those, who are Proof against fome of its moft 2 obvious Temptations. Nevertheless, as the GOD of Nature has for certain wife Reasons implanted in the Sexes a mutual Inclination to each other, in order to prevent Fornication, and every other Species of Uncleannefs, let every Man have, and retain, his own proper Wife; and let every Woman have, and retain, her own proper Hufband: For neither Divorce, nor Polygamy, are by any Means agreeable to the Genius of the Gofpel.

3

Let the Husband, where this Relation is commenced, render all due Benevolence to the Wife, and in like Manner alfo the Wife, to the Husband: Let them on all Occafions be ready mutually to oblige, and confult the Happiness of each other's Life. And let them not imagine, that there is any Perfection in living feparate from each other, as if 4 they were in a State of Celibacy. For the Wife

3

baib

unto me: It is good for a Man not to touch a

Woman.

2 Nevertheless, to avoid have his own Wife, and let Fomication, let every Man every Woman have her own

Hufband,

3 Let the Hufband render

unto the Wife due BenevoWife unto the Hufband.

lence: And likewife alfo the

4 The Wife hath not Power

Yet Marriage is necessary to prevent Fornication.

Power of her own Body, but the Husband: And like not Power of his own Body, but the Wife.

wife also the Husband hath

5 Defraud your not one the other, except it be with we may give yourselves to Fafting and Prayer; and Satan tempt you not for your Incontinency.

Confent for a Time, that

come together again, that

6 But I speak this by Permiffion, and not of Commandment.

7

For I would that all

4.

277

bath not in this Refpect Power over her own Body, Sect. 12.
but hath by the Marriage-covenant transferred it
to the Husband; and in like Manner alfo, the Huf- 1 Cor. VII.
band hath not Power over his own Body, but it is,
as it were, the Property of the Wife; their En-
gagements being mutual, fo that on every Occa-
Lion Conscience obliges them to remain appro-
priate to each other, and confult their mutual
Good.

Withdraw not therefore from the Company of 5
each other, unless [it be] by Confent. for a Time;
that ye may be at Leifure to devote yourselves
more intenfely to Fafting and Prayer, and that ye
may come together again as ufual, left Satan tempt
you on Account of your Incontinence, and take Oc-
cafion from the irregular Sallies of animal Na-
ture, to fill you with Thoughts and Paffions,
which Marriage was in its original Inftitution
intended to remedy.

But you will obferve, that I fay this by Per- 6
mifion from Chrift; but not by any exprefs Com-
mand (a), which he gave in Perfon in the Days
of his Flesh, or gives by the Inspiration and Sug-
geftion of his Spirit now: by which Infpiration,.
you may conclude, I am guided, when I lay in
no fuch Precautions as these.

But as for the main Question we are now up-
Men were even as I myself: on, I could wish that all Men were in this Re-
But every Man hath his
proper Gift of GOD, one fpect, even as myself; that all Chriftians could as
after eafily bear the Severities of a fingle Life in pre-
fent Circumstances, and exercife as refolute a
Command over their natural Defires (b). But
every Man has bis proper Gift of GOD, one in

this

(a) By Permiffion.] I cannot with Mr. Cradock, think, that the Meaning of this Claufe,. is, "I permit Marriage, but do not enjoin it," and have elfewhere obferved, that this Verfe, and others in this Context, nearly parallel to it, will be fo far from affording, on any Interpretation, an Objection against the general Infpiration of St. Paul's Epiftles, that they will rather ftrengthen the Proof of it. See Effay on Infpiration in Vol. iii.

(b) That all Men were even as myfelf.] Common Senfe requires us to limit this Expreffion, as in the Paraphrafe; for it would be a moft flagrant Abfurdity to fuppofe that St. Paul wifhed Marriage might entirely ceafe. It fhews therefore how unfair and improper it is, in various Cafes, to ftrain the Apostle's Words to the utmost Rigour, as if he perpetually ufed the most critical Exactnefs; but indeed Chap. ix. 22. is fo full an Inftance to the contrary,-. that it is not neceffary to multiply Remarks of this Kind.

7

(c) To

278

And it is to marry, than to burn.

Sect. 12. this Kind, or Manner, and another in that. So after this Manner, and anothat though I give the best Advice and Example

7.

8 not.

2

1 Cor. VII. I can, I would not exalt myself on Account of this Attainment, nor defpife thofe that have it But as to unmarried Men, who, like me, have buried their Wives, and to the Widows, I fay, it is good for them, (if they conveniently can,) to continue, as I do, in the widowed 9 State. But if they have not attained to fuch a Degree of Temperance, as to be eafy in it, let them by all Means marry. For tho' it be better to live calmly and foberly in a State of Widowhood, than to marry, it is undoubtedly much better to marry a fecond, or a third Time, than to burn, and to be tormented with thofe reftlefs Paffions, which fome in fuch Circumstances feel.

ΙΟ

A

7

But as to thofe, that are married (c), [it is] not I [who] command, but the Lord Jefus Chrift himfelf, who enjoins, that the Wife Jhould not withdraw 11 berfelf from [her] Hufband; But if he be withdrawn by her own rafh and foolish Act, let her not by any Means contract another Marriage; but remain unmarried, or rather, if it may be accomplished by any Submiffion on her Side, let her be reconciled to [her] Hufband, that they may, if poffible, live in fuch a Union and Harmony as the Relation requires. And let not the Huf band difmifs [his] Wife on any light Account, or indeed, for any Thing fhort of Adultery. For whatever particular Reafons Mofes might have, for permitting Divorces on fome flighter Occafions, Chrift our great Legiflator, who may reasonably expect higher Degrees of Purity and Virtue in his Followers, as their Affiftances are so much greater, hath feen fit exprefsly to prohibit fuch Separation, and we his Apoftles, in our Decifions upon this Matter, muft guide ourselves by the Authority of his Determinations.

ther after that.

ther

(c) To thofe that are married.] The Tranflation published by the English Jefuits at Bourdeaux, renders it, to thofe, who are united in the Sacrament of Marriage; which I mention, as one Inftance, felected from a vaft Number, of the great Difhonefty of that Tranflation.

IMPROVE

Reflections on the Apoftle's Obfervations about Marriage.

IMPROVEMEN T.

279

HE Decifions of the holy Apostle are here given with fuch Gra- Sect. 12.

Tvity, Serioufnefs and Purity, that one would hope, delicate as the

Subject of them is, they will be received without any of that unbecoming Levity, which the Wantonness of some Minds may be ready to excite, on fuch an Occafion.

It becomes us humbly to adore the Divine Wisdom and Goodness, manifested in the Formation of the first human Pair, and in keeping up the different Sexes thro' all fucceeding Ages, in so just a Proportion, that every Man might have his own Wife, and every Woman her own Huf. Ver. 2. band: That the Inftinct of Nature might, fo as far it is neceffary, be Ver. 4. gratified without Guilt, and an boly Seed be fought, which being trained up under proper Difcipline and Inftruction, might supply the Waftes that Death is continually making, and be accounted to the Lord for a Generation: That fo Virtue and Religion, for the Sake of which alone it is defirable that human Creatures fhould fubfift, may be tranfmitted thro' every Age, and Earth may become a Nursery for Heaven.

With thefe Views, let Marriages he contracted, when it is proper they should be contracted at all. Let none imagine the State itself to be impure; and let it always be preserved undefiled. Let all Occafion of irre- Ver. 5. gula Defire be prudently guarded againft, by those who have entered into it. And let all Chriftians, in every Relation, remember that the Obligations of Devotion are common to all; and that Chrift and his Apofiles feem to take it for granted, that we fhall be careful to fecure proper Seafons for Fafting, as well as for Prayer, fo far as may be needful, in Order that the fuperior Authority of the Mind over the Body may be exercised and maintained, and that our Petitions to the Throne of Grace may be offered, with greater Intensenefs, Copioufnefs, and Ardor.

280

Sect. 13.

1 Cor. VII. -12.

13

The Apostle exhorts Chriftians not to break Marriage on Account of Difference in Religion; and urges, in the general, Contentment with the Stations in which they were called, and a Concern to ferve GOD in their proper Condition, whether married or fingle, bound or free. 1 Cor. VII. 12,---24.

I CORINTHIANS VII. 12.

I CORINTHIANS VII. 12
UT to the Reft fpeak

HAVE reminded you of the Decifion of B

I,

Ichrift with Refpect to the Affair of Divorce + Broth nor the Lord, if any

And

Now as to the Reft of the Perfons and Cafes to
which I fhall address myself, it is to be obferved,
that I speak according to what Duty or Prudence
feems on the whole to require; and it is not to
be confidered, as if it were immediately spoken
by the Lord. If any Chriftian Brother bath an
unbelieving Wife, and the confent to dwell with
him, notwithstanding the Diverfity of their reli-
gious Perfuafions, let him not difmifs her.
on the other Hand, if any Chriftian Wife have
an unbelieving Husband, and be confent to dwell
with her, let her not difmifs him (a), nor feparate
herself from him, tho' the legal Conftitution of
14 the Country, in which the lives, may allow her
to do it. For in fuch a Cafe as this, the unbe-
lieving Husband is fo fanctified to the Wife, and
the unbelieving Wife is so fanctified to the Huf-
band (b), that their matrimonial Converfe is as

law

hath a Wife believeth not, and the be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

(a) Let her not difmifs him.] I have elsewhere observed, that in these Countries, in the Apofties Days, the Wives had a Power of Divorce, as well as the Husbands. See Vol. ii. pag. 227. Note (g).

(b) Is fanctified, &c.] Some think the Meaning is," The Chriftian may convert the "Infidel" as appears, in that the Children of fuch Marriages are brought up Chriflians. But this cannot poffibly be the Senfe; for that they were brought up fo, was not to be fure always Fact, and where it was, there was no Need of proving from thence the Converfion of the Parent, which would in itself be much more apparent, than the Education of the Child.

(c) Now