III. The civil magistrate may not assume to himself the administration of the word and sacraments, or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven: yet he hath authority, and it is his duty, to take order, that unity and peace be preserved in the church, that the truth of God be kept pure and entire, that all blasphemies and heresies be suppressed, all corruptions and abuses in worship and discipline prevented or reformed, and all the ordinances of God duly settled, administered, and observed. For the better effecting whereof, he hath power to call

and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. Ver. 10. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith. no, not in Israel Acts x. 1. There was a certain man in Cesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, Ver. 2. A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much aims to the people, and prayed to God alway. Rev. xvii. 14. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. Ver. 16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

cles? Eph. iv. 11. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; Ver. 12. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. 1 Cor. iv. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Ver. 2. Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. Rom. x. 15. And how shall they preach except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! Heb. v. 4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

'Isa. xlix. 23. And kings shall be thy nursing-fathers, and their queens thy nursing-mothers: they shall bow III. 2 Chron. xxvi. 18. And they down to thee with their face toward withstood Uzziah the king, and said the earth, and lick up the dust of thy unto him, It appertaineth not unto feet; and thou shalt know that I am thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord: for they shall not be ashanithe Lord, but to the priests the sons ed that wait for me. Ps. cxxii. 9. of Aaron, that are consecrated to Because of the house of the Lord our burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; God I will seek thy good. Ezra vii. for thou hast trespassed: neither shall 23. Whatsoever is commanded by the it be for thine honour from the Lord God of heaven, let it be diligently God. With Matt. xviii. 17. And if done for the house of the God of heahe shall neglect to hear them, tell it ven: for why should there be wrath unto the church: but if he neglect to against the realm of the king and his hear the church, let him be unto thee sons? Ver. 25. And thou, Ezra, after as an heathen man and a publican. the wisdom of thy God that is in And Matt. xvi. 19. And I will give thine hand, set magistrates and judges, unto thee the keys of the kingdom of which may judge all the people that heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt are beyond the river, all such as know bind on earth shall be bound in hea- the laws of thy God; and teach ye ven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose them that know them not. Ver. 26. on earth shall be loosed in heaven. And whosoever will not do the law 1 Cor. xii. 28. And God hath set some of thy God, and the law of the king, in the church, first, apostles; secon- let judgment be executed speedily darily, prophets; thirdly, teachers; upon him, whether it be unto death, after that miracles; then gifts of or to banishment, or to confiscation healings, helps, governments, diversi- of goods, or to imprisonment. Ver. ties of tongues. Ver. 29. Are all 27. Blessed be the Lord God of our apostles? are all prophets? are all fathers, which hath put such a thing teachers? are all workers of mira- as this in the king's heart, to beau

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synods, to be present at them, and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the mind of God.

IV. It is the duty of people to pray for magistrates, to honour their persons, to pay them tribute and other dues, to obey their lawful

commands, and to be subject to their authority for conscience' sake.' Infidelity, or difference in religion, doth not make void the magistrate's just and legal authority, nor free the people from their due obedience to him: from which ecclesiastical persons are not exempted; much less hath the Pope any power or jurisdiction over them in their dominions, or over any of their people; and least of all to deprive them of their dominions or lives, if he shall judge them to be hereticks, or upon any other pretence whatsoever."

tom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

1 Rom. xiii. 5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. Tit. iii. 1. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.

m 1 Pet. ii. 13. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Ver. 14. Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. Ver. 16. As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. Ver. 10. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despisc government: presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities: Ver. 11. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. Jude, ver. 8. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Ver. 9. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. Ver. 10. But these speak evil a Rom. xiii. 1. Let every soul be of those things which they know not: subject unto the higher powers. For but what they know naturally, as there is no power but of God: the brute beasts, in those things they powers that be are ordained of God. 1 Kings ii. 35. And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host; and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar. Acts xxv. 9. But Festus, • 2 Thess. ii. 4. Who opposeth and willing to do the Jews a pleasure, an- exalteth himself above all that is swered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go called God, or that is worshipped; so up to Jerusalem, and there be judged that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of these things before me? Ver. 10. of God, shewing himself that he is Then said Paul, I stand at Cesar's God. Rev. xiii. 15. And he had power judgment-seat, where I ought to be to give life unto the image of the judged to the Jews have I done no beast, that the image of the beast wrong, as thou very well knowest. should both speak, and cause that as Ver. 11. For if I be an offender, or many as would not worship the image have committed any thing worthy of of the beast should be killed. Ver. death, I refuse not to die: but if there 16. And he caused all, both small and be none of these things whereof these great, rich and poor, free and bond. accuse me, no man may deliver me to receive a mark in their right hand, unto them. I appeal unto Cesar. 2 Pet. or in their foreheads: Ver. 17. And ii. 1. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable

corrupt themselves. Ver. 11. Woc 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 gainsaying of Core.

that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

CHAP. XXIV.-Of Marriage and Divorce.

་ཟྭ་

ARRIAGE is to be between one man and one woman: neither

IM is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband at the same time.

b

II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife; for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the church with an holy seed; and for preventing of uncleanness.

III. It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry who are able with judgment to give their consent: yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord. And therefore such as profess the true reformed religion should not marry with infidels, Papists, or other idolaters: neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are notoriously wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresies.

I. Gen. ii. 24. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh. Matt. xix. 5. And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh. Ver. 6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Prov. ii. 17. Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the Covenant of her God.

II. Gen. ii. 18. And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Mal. ii. 15. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the Spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

d1 Cor. vii. 2. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Ver. 9. But if they cannot contain, let them marry for it is better to marry than to burn.

comely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not; let them marry. Ver. 37. Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. Ver. 38. So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage, doeth better. Gen. xxiv. 57. And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth. Ver. 58. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

1 Cor. vii. 39. The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

8 Gen. xxxiv. 14. And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us. Exod. xxxiv. 16. And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons IIL Heb. xiii. 4. Marriage is hon- go a whoring after their gods. Deut. ourable in all, and the bed undefiled: vii. 3. Neither shalt thou make marbut whoremongers and adulterers God riages with them; thy daughter thou will judge. 1 Tim. iv. 3. Forbidding shalt not give unto his son, nor his to marry, and commanding to abstain daughter shalt thou take unto thy from meats, which God hath created son. Ver. 4. For they will turn away to be received with thanksgiving of thy son from following me, that they them which believe and know the truth. 1 Cor. vii. 36. But if any man think that he behaveth himself un

may serve other gods; so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. 1

IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden in the word; nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man, or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together as man and wife. 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 husband's kindred nearer in blood than of her own.

V. Adultery or fornication committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract. In the case of adultery after marriage, it is