T. p. 226. velas, a meer confideration of avoiding all Impurity or Uncleannefs, but if only one of the Married Couple amongst the Greeks defires upon this account Solitude, they are fuffer'd to part, and the other (as is abovelaid) may Marry rather then burn. Divorces in all thefe Cafes, are not left to the meer humor and will or defire of the Parties, but are folely refer'd to, and only allow'd by, the dili gent and serious Examination and Judgment of the Reverend and Pious Prelate, who hears the Cafe; as in my Nomocanon and in their feveral directiP. 1. §. I. p. 344 345-555-ons to their Confeffors. Bafil. hom. 7. The Greeks very much Reverence the Opinions of their Fathers though they many times differ from one another, and fometimes (upon fome circumstances) even from themfelves. But most of thofe Citations, which are produced out of them by the Latins against Divorces, are looked upon as particular and private Concil. Arelat. Opinions, or only as grave and good Counfels, rather then Commands. This is 1. Tom. 1. p. made the Moral of a Fable of the Viper and the Lamprey. If the Husband 1428. c. 10. be of a rugged and falvage temper, the Woman must neceffarily bear it, and 7. in Hexam. upon no account what foever take upon her to break their Union or Society; P. 94. He beats her but he is her Husband; He is a Drunkard, but he is according to Nature united to her; He is furly and never well pleafed, but he is a Member of her, and that the most honourable one. And on the other fide, as the Viper vomits out his Poifon, fo the Man out of Reverence to Chryf.hom. 62, their Union must lay afide his bitterness of Spirit and Inhumanity: If one be Meek, Virtuous, and Good; the other Rails, Scolds, Spendall, is Proud, Haughty, Impudent, Fierce, Outragious, Tyrannize; if one upon any account of difeafe in Mind or Body can't endure the other, and all these fad Circumstances continue unalterable and incorrigible, they are advised to bear all this fervitude, only Death can make them free. Affronts, Reproaches, Beatings, and all ill ufages are patiently to be endured: in Math. C. 48. Mat. 19. 11. T. p. 227. Thefe and the like fayings are piously spoken by many of the Good Fathers, Hata The ȧUTâv graule, according to their private opinion, as Bafil fays of Chrif. ut fupr. himself; and one could not but confefs, opódga inaxtès & dones It seems a very heavy thing to have a Husband or Wife full of all Naughtiness, and to endure a wild untameable beast ever within fhut up with one; Therefore, fay the prefent Grecks, we must apply our Saviour's words to all thefe good Counfels, all Men cannot receive thefe fayings, fave to whom it is given. Which words we find by many Commentators apply'd only to the Unmarried State of Life; but the Greeks think them as neceffarily applicable to the Married Life, (if not in that place plainly refer'd to it) in the Circumstances and for the Reafons above mention'd. If any who are thus Married can be fo bleffed by Nature or Grace, as they can be able to bear a σódea iπaxon, these very hard burthens, they will pronounce them as perfect Saints, as St. Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7, was in his Unmarried State. For he that studies Men, and rightly confiders their Rom. 7. 23. Nature, and the circumftances and changes of Times, and Places, and Nations, will perhaps now find as much hardness of Heart and vile Inclinations, amongst many who call themselves Chriftians, as was of old amongst the Jews. Man is Man ftill, and made of Flesh and Blood; Every Nabal or Man of Beliel hath not an Abigal, and every one of the foolish Women hath not a Job to her Husband. Thefe good Counfels therefore fuit well with thoroughly regenerated Minds; Nay, they may work upon fome ill Perfous fo as to mend their bad Tempers a little, but never thoroughly to cure them; Whereas upon other Reprobate, or ungovernable Spirits, they have no more effect then whistling hath to the laying of a ftorm of Wind, or calming a tempeft of Thunder and Lightning. Therefore the Greeks in thefe Difinal Circumstances have allow'd a neceffary though unfortunate Remedy. No Man, faith St. Paul, ever yet hated his own Flesh, yet he will willingly part with a gangren'd Member, rather then endanger all the reft. 8. 9. 1 Sam. 25. 25. Job., 2. 10. Eph. 5. 29. There Afterius in Math. 19. 3. There is a Greek Father who fpeaks very honourably of Marriage and the T. p. 127. Bed undefiled; and faith indeed pofitively, that Matrimony can be cut off only by Death or, paxea, Adultery. Where the Greek word must be taken in p. 81. fuch a Latitude as to include, ogvéla, Fornication, otherwife it would clash with the words of our Saviour. In this cafe of uncleanness he praiseth, 7ov Mat. 5. 32. Quyúvta Twv Éπíbuλor, him that thus drives out his Treacherous Wife, and cuts afunder. Tov deoμor, the bond by which he was tied to the Ape and the Vi per. For the first maker of all things, faith he, pardons him as one who on a just account was grieved, and had defervedly chafed out the Plague of his House and Family. For Marriages are contracted for these two ends, mutual affection and getting of Children; but none of these can be attain'd where there is Adultery or Fornication. Now if one of the Parties (or both) be, (in his own words) θηριώδης καὶ ἀμείλικτο, ἐκ δρυός ἡ πέτρας, brutish and x implacable, made of a Crab tree or of a Rock; or guilty of any of those unnatural enormities before spoken of; or Impotent; or feifed with fome filthy incurable disease; are not these two ends (to pafs by the third) as much disappointed or fruftrated, as by plain Adultery. His advice in many of these Cafes will, I fear, do but little good; let each Party, faith he, oopgooúver άχρησάτω, τὸν ἀρραγὴ τῶν γάμων σύνδεσμον, prattife or ufe Moderation and Prudence, that being the Indiffoluble band of Matrimony; If then, according 91. to him, Moderation or Prudence be the bond of Matrimony, where that is loft, or can no ways be had, Man and Wife are no longer one Flesh; where, μngo- Eph. 5. 31. Juxía, Incurable weakness of Mind and violent and outragious Paffions, (the ordinary Effects of that Poorness and Pettishness of Spirit,) where vile Af fections and Lufts and incorrigible Lewdness of Life, (the common attendants of Madness and Folly,) govern the Heart, it is ufually Deaf and will not Hearken to the most charming Advices which can be given. Bray a Fool Pfal. 58. 4. 5. in a Mortar yet will not his Foolishness depart from him. Afterius ut fup. Prov. 27. 22. T. p. 228. P. 415. 442. 1. 48. For these and the like Reasons the Greeks allow'd of Divorces; and they could count all, that their Fathers have faid to the contrary, only as good Counfels, or rather good Wishes. For the civil Laws were continually in force, and Practifed even from Conftantine's time to Juftin; and in not one of all the general Councils kept through all that Period, is there any notice at all taken of Divorces; much lefs are they restrain'd or abfolutely forbidden; yet these very Fathers were then fucceffively living, and most of them were Members of thefe very Councils, as the learned Selden hath moft judiciously observ'd. And Ux heb. 1. 3. Balfamon allows all the cafes of Divorce in Juftinian as good and reasonable. c. 28. & c. 31. And as he faith that Divorce is not right if it be done aganóyws without Rea- In can. Apoft. fon, fo he allows it, if it be done a vóμes according to the Laws preEdit. paris. fcribed and ano gnтev diтiar, upon the Caufes recited. And all this was al- 1620. p. 258. ways done meta dinasins diay wσrws, with a due Examination before a Judge, or by a judiciary proceeding; which now amongst the prefent Greeks is before their Prelate as is before said. From all which conftant Practice, and at least tacite consent, if not univerfal approbation, Marriage feems to me to have been accounted by them only as a Civil Rite, though published and honoured with the folemnity of the Churches Prayers and Benediction; as the Coronation or Installment of Emperors, Princes, Kings, and Knights of Noble Orders, is; and this folemn Investment of them may as truly be called a Sacrament as Marriage; I am fure it is in it self, (and is generally counted) more truly Indiffoluble then that, It would be too tedious a work to fet down here the Office and Rites at large of the Greeks Marriage, or of those used in any other Nation; I fhall have occafion elsewhere to give an account of the Greek Weddings, at which I have oft been prefent. I fhall only add here this fingle Remark; That the Church of Rome fince the Council of Trent feems to me intheir Rituals more favourable or at least not fo declarative in this Indiffolubility of Marriage. For in their old bibl. Cantab.p. Rituals in the preceding contract they were to promife to each other, to for fake 217. b. 218. Ff2 all nediet. Lloyd MS. in MSS. Coll. E T. p. 228. all others, and, adhærere, to keep fast to one another only, so long as they both fhould live; And in the mutual obligation following, in words, de prefenti, of a prefent import, they (that very Moment) took one the other exprefly till Death them depart; But now as if they were afham'd or weary of it, in their prefent Rituals, all this is left out; and the Prieft only asks them, (A.B.) wilt thou take (B. A.) here prefent for thy Lawful (Wife or Husband) according to the Rite of Holy Mother Church? To which both anfwer refpectively, I will. Then the Priefst make them join their Hands and fạith, I do join you into Wedlock, in the name of the Father, &c. Amen. The Church of England retain much of the old Form, but instead of the French word, Departe, the plain English is put, till Death us do part; and what follow'd in the old Roman Form, if Holy Church will Ordain, we leave out; and yet that plainly fhews, that, of old, Marriage in the Latin Church was not counted a Sacrament or Covenant made by God or Chrift, more then the Coronation of a King or the like; but was a meer Ordination of the Church, and as it was fo made, it might be fo upon occafion diffolved, as it is the Difcipline and Practice of the Greeks to this very day, notwithstanding what this JeruJalem Synod pretends to the Contrary. Neither is their to be found in any Copies of their Office or Form of Matrimony, either Antient or Modern, (that T. p. 229. ever I yet could fee) any fuch kind of mutual Obligation of the Married Couple, or Promife to one another, to keep join'd and separate from any other Perfon as long as they should live, or till Death fhould part them. The various and far different ways and Manners of celebrating Marriage in all Nations and Places and Ages of the World (amongst Chriftians, Jews, and Gentiles) fhew to me plainly that it was always and every where accounted only a civil Conftitution; But becaufe it was of fuch weighty Confideration, as the Propagation and in a manner the Immortalizing of Human kind, it was every where folemnized by religious Ceremonics and circumftances, according to the various Fafhions devifed in every Country, Place, or People; as the Coronation of their Kings; the Inauguration or Inftalment of their Governors, or Officers; their Proceffions, Funerals, and all the like Politick or Publick performances were; all wich have as real a foundation in Nature, and an Original from God, as well as Matrimony hath. Marriage therefore in reality is no more then a plain mutual contract or Bargain, (or at most a kind of Vow or Oath,) but no ftipulation or Covenant between God and Man; for there is no peculiar Promife on God's part made; He is only made a Supreme Witness in that, as in all other common leagues and mutual engagements between Man and Man; and if any common Bargain or Agreement was of fuch confequence or weight, as to be made before a Prieft, and his Prayers and Bleffings upon it were folemnly added; and Mancy or Bonds, or only any bare Earneft were mutually or refpectively given and taken; a fubtle Schoolmen might find out as fubftantial a Matter and Form, and make it altogether as good a Sacrament, as they can make of Matrimony. Synod. Hierofol. I will now pafs on to the next Mystery or Sacrament of Dofitheus, Th μetaνοιαν ᾗ τινί ἐτι σύμμικτο ή μυστηριακὴ ἐξομολόγησις, Repentance, with which is jonn'd Myftical or Sacramental Confeffion; or, what he would fain make all one with it, the Latins Penance and Auricular Confeffion. Faith and Repentance, and upon thefe previous conditions Forgiveness or Remiffion of Sins, are the main and principal concern and end of the Gospel revealed to the World by Jefus Chrift; They were the common Texts or Dotrines which the Apoftles Preach'd throughout all Nations. Forgiveness of Sin was believed long before both by Jew and Gentile, but they thought it was not to be obtained without fubftituting in their ftead, the Flesh of Bulls, the Fat of Beafts, the Blood of Goats and Sheep, and other Innocent Creatures; or at least without fome outward Performances, Offerings, Luftrations, or Washings, and the like, thinking by thefe means to pacify the offended Deity; Numb.35.39. Nay, for Murder, Adultery, and many other fuch like heinous Sins, the Jews 31. Exod. 21. 12. and T. p. 229. Levit. 20. 10. in Conftantin. Mark. 2. 17. and Gentiles thought there could be no Attonement at all; zagadédoła naθαρμᾶ τρόπο δυσεβήματα τηλικαντα καθήςαι δυνάμεν@, There was no manner over 2. of Expiation taught them fufficient to take away fuch enormous Crimes. But Zofim. hift.1.2. the Doctrine of Forgiveness taught us by Jefus Chrift, is infinitely more Gracious and fo comprehenfive as to take in all manner of Sins, in all forts of Pcople throughout the whole World. His first words were Repent for the King- Mat. 4. 17. dom of Heaven is at hand, as if he had faid, I am come just now to open the Kingdom of Heaven, and by your fincere and unfeigned Repentance I will let you in. He bad the Impotent Man, and the Adultrefs Sin no more, and Joh. 5. 14. let them go uncondemn'd; and he told the Hypocritical Scribes and Pharifees, c. 8. 11. that be came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance, The nice Luk. 15.7.10. Puritan Jews, murmur'd when they faw him receive and eat with Publicans T. p. 230. and Sinners, but he fufficiently checkt their Spiritual Pride, telling them that there was Joy in Heaven in the Prefence of the Angels of God over one Sinner that Repenteth, more than over ninety and nine juft Perfous, which need no Repentance; And he illuftrated that his Doctrine, by three moft Gracious and Comfortable Parables there together. On the other fide he informed those that wondred at the Galileans who had fuffer'd by Pilate, and at those on Luk. 13. 5. 6. whom the Tower of Siloam fell, (and by the Parable of the barren Figtree,) That without Repentance we shall all likewife Perish. I will add but one Inftance more in the Sinful, but Penitent, Woman, which wash'd his Feet Luk.7. 37.&c. with Tears, and wip'd them with the Hairs of her Head, he difmissed her with thefe ravishing and moft remarkable words, thy Sins are forgiven, thy Faith bath Saved thee; go in Peace. And he gave this reafon of the matter to St. Peter, Her Sins which were many were forgiven, for he loved much; as the fully exprest it by her behaviour. 41. The fumm therefore of the Gofpel as to this Point, is, as if Chrift had thus (in the words of Ifaiab) declared it to all the World, Wash you, make you c. 1. 16, 18. clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine Eyes, ceafe to do Evil, learn to do well; If you do this, Believe me, (without any Legal or Gentile Sacrifices, or Offerings, or outward Rites,) though your Sius be as Scarlet, they shall be as white as Snow, though they be red like Crimson, they shall be as Wool. And the Apoftles Preach'd every where this very Doctrine. St. Peter with the eleven gain'd about three thousand Souls at his Acts 2. 14,38, firft Sermon; when the People asked them what they should do, Peter faid, Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the name of Jefus Christ, for the Remiffion of Sins; And again we find him declaring the fame Glad tidings. 3. 19, 26. of the Golpel, Repent and be Converted that your Sins may be blotted out; God having raifed up his Son Jefus, fent him to bless you, in turning every one of you from his Iniquities. St. Paul taught every where the fame faving Truth; at Athens coufuting the long Practifed Idolatrous Worship of the Heathen, he told them, the times of that Ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all Men, every where, to Repent. And yet more fully, in a mixt Congregation of Jews and Gentiles at Antioch, he with full Authority de- c. 13. 38, 39. clared this moft gracious Charter (as I may fo fay) or everlasting Prerogative of the Gospel, Be it known unto you Men and Brethren that through this Man (Jefus Chrift, ) is Preached unto you the forgiveness of Sins, and by him, all that Believe, are Juftified from all Things, from which ye could not be fuftified by the Law of Moses; and I will add, or by any expiation of the Gentiles. And here before I proceed, I cannot but make these two brief Reflections. One great Reafon (of which I find not much notice hath been taken) why the Preaching of the Gospel was fo hotly oppofed both by Jew and Gentile, might be this very Thing; The Preaching up Forgiveness of Sins; that it was now to be had by Repentance alone, without any outward Legal or Gentile Solemnities or outward Performances, muft needs exafperate all the Jewish and Hea- then Priests in those days; because it quite destroy'd their entire Ministrations, their c. 17. 30. T. p. 231. T. p. 231, their Sacrifices, their Lustrations, and all their other Expiatory observances; and by confequence it took away their Office as well as their Livelihood. This must needs every where make as great a Tumult and Uproar, as St. Paul's Preaching down the Silver Shrines of Diana at Ephefus. The Priests must every where cry out against the Apostles proceedings herein, as violently as Demetrius and the Silver Smiths then, are faid to have done. Nay, the common People, or fuch as now we call the Laity, must have been wonderfully furprised with this new Doctrine, and must have been moft horribly enraged to think what dreadful things they had done to the contrary; and must have most furioufly fallen, either upon St. Paul, or upon their own Priefts, for teaching them to do, or not to do fuch dismal deeds; They that listened to the Gofpel would revile their own Priefts with St. Paul's words, have you thus long cheated us and made us partakers of the Tables of Devils? Have you fo groffly abused us all this while, as to make us Sacrifice to Devils and not to God? Others would thus have treated St. Paul, have we given thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl, nay, our very first Born for our Tranfgreffions, the Fruit of our Bodies for the Sins of our Souls, that we might be reconciled to our offended Deities, and doth this, oxiguoroy &, Babling prating Fellow tell us that there was no need of all this; nay, that these Practices infinitely increase our Guilt, and that only a hearty Repentance would have effectually made our Peace? Away with him, away with him, for it is not fit that he should live. 1 Cor. 10. 20, 21. Mic. 6. 7. A&s 17. 18. A&s. 22. 22. Pf. 7. 12. My next thought is this, the Notion of God's forgiving Sins, only upon a true and hearty forrow and fincere Repentance feems to me as great an Argument as any of divine Revelation. For when I fee how very difficult and in a manner fcarce poffible a matter it is to be forgiven by a displeased or of fended Prince, or King, or Lord, or Master, nay, by our very equal, and to be fully and thoroughly restored to his entire Favour and Kindness again; and yet to think that the Incomprehenfible Majesty of Heaven and Earth, the God of Gods, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords fhould be y Zognem, Angry difpleafed or Provoked every day, by us ungrateful Creatures, and yet upon our humble Acknowledgments and fincere Repentance would freely and fully Pardon us and Forgive us, I fay, this Notion is fo Tranfcendent, and Amazing, as it could never have enter'd into the Mind and belief of miferable Man, had it not fome way or other been plainly revealed to him from God himself; it could not poffibly be a meer human Invention, but muft have had its Sanction and Promulgation from him alone; and therefore it was made by our good God, his own most gracious Meffage and Declaration by the Bleffed Jefus his only T. p. 232. Son, our Lord, who is the Propitiation for our Sins, and not for ours only, 1 Joh. 2.2. but also for the Sins of the whole World. 2 Cor. 7. 9, 10. &c. Thus then we may be fully affured of the Remiffion of our Sins, if we firmly believe in Jefus Chrift, and turn to God with a Godly forrow for them, and (what is its Effect or Confequence,) with a true Penitent and relenting Heart. This Doctrine is fo clearly fet down and fo often repeated in the Gospel, as not only its Truth is put beyond all doubt or manner of Difpute, but it is in its felf fo plain as the meaneft Capacity can understand it, and Practise it. Say not therefore O poor Sinner, that it is too hard to be LearnRom. 10. 8. ed or to be Conceived by thee, for this word is nigh thee even in thy Month, and in thy Heart; Thou knoweft in thy Heart when willfully thou offendest thy God, or thy Neighbour; and thou understandest what thou meanest when with thy Mouth, thou fayeft to one, God forgive me, and to the other, I pray. Sir, Pardon me; I am heartily forry for what I have done; I will do So no more. But speculative, busy, and defigning Heads have, in these latter Ages, by their Airy inventions and cunning Contrivances fo confounded and perplext, and nicely cramp'd or limited this fimple and common Doctrine, of Faith, Repentance and forgiveness of Sins, as they have made it not an easy Subject for the |