he hath power to call 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 perfons, to pay them tribute and other dues, to obey their lawful commands, and to be fubject to their authority, for confcience' fake1. Infidelity, or difference in religion, doth not make void the magiftrate's just and legal authority, nor free the people from their due obedience And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers. 2 Chron. xv. 12. And they entered into a covenant, to feek the Lord God of their fathers, with all their heart, and with all their foul; V. 13. That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Ifrael thould be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 82 Chron. xix. 8. Moreover in Jerutalem did Jehoshaphat fet of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Ifrael, for the judgment of the Lord, and for controverfies, when they returned to Jerufalem. V.9. And he charged them, saying, Thus shalt ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. V. ro. And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them that they trefpass not against the Lord, and so wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do, and ye fhall not trespass. V. 11. And behold, Amariah the chief prieft is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah, the fon of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king's mat to ters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageoufly, and the Lord shall be with the good. (2 Chron. Chapters xxix. and xxx.) Matth. ii. 4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. V. 5. And they faid unto him, In Beth-lehem of Judea for thus it is written by the prophet. IV.hr Tim. ii. 1. I exhort, therefore, that, first of all, fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men: V. 2. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. i Pet.in. 17. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. k Rom. xiii. 6. For, for this cause pay you tribute alfo: for they are God's minifters, attend. ing continually upon this very thing. V. 7. Render, therefore, to al their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour. 1 Rom. xiii. 5. Wherefore ye muft needs be subject, not only for wrath, but alfo for confcience' sake. Tit. iii. 1. Put them in mind to be subject to principali ties 1 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 leaft of all to deprive them of their dominions or lives, if he mall judge them to be hereticks, or upon any other pretence whatsoever°. ties and powers, to obey magi- work. m 1 Pet. ii. 13. Submit your- CHAP. among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable herefies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. V. 10. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh, in the luft of uncleanness, and despise govern. 'ment: presumptuous are they, felf-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. V. rr. 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. V. 9. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, (he difputed about the body of Mofes,) durft not bring against him a railing accusation, but faid, The Lord rebuke thee. V. 10. But these speak evil ofthose things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. V. II. Woe 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 gairifaying of Core. 2 Theff. ii. 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God fitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Rev. xiii. 15. CHAP. XXIV. Of Marriage and Divorce. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman: neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband, at the fame time.. 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 feed; and for preventing of uncleanness ". III. It is lawful for all forts of people to marry who are able with judgment to give their confent: yet it is the duty of Chriftians xiii. 15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beaft, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. V. 16. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: V. 17. And that no man might buy or fell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 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. Mat. xix. 5. And faid, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh. V. 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 forfaketh the guide of her youth, and forget teth the covenant of her God. II. b Gen, ii. 18. And the Lord God faid, It is not good that the man should be alene: I will make him an help meet for him. * • Mal. ii. 15. And did not he make one? Yet had he the refidue of the Spirit. And wherefore one? That he might feek a godly feed. Thereforetake heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacheroufly against the wife of his youth. d 1 Cor. vii. 2. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. V. 9. But if they cannot contain let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn, III. Heb. xiii. 4. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God willjudge. 1 Tim. iv. 3. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. Cor, vii, 36. But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely towards his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he finneth not; let them marry. V. 37. Nevertheless, he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no neceffity, but hath power over his own will, and hath fo decreed G in Chriftians to marry only in the Lord. And therefore fuch as profess the true reformed religion should not marry with infidels, Papifts, or other idolaters: neither should fuch as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are notorioufly wicked in their life, or maintain damnable herefies, in his heart, that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. V. 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 faid, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. V.58. And they called Rebekah, and faid unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. f. Cor. vii. 39. The wife is bound by the law as long as her husbandliveth: but if her husband be dead, the is at liberty to be married to whom the will; only in the Lord. 8 Gen. xxxiv. 14. And they faid unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our fister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us. Exod. xxxiv. 16. And thou take of their daughters unto thy fons, and their daughtersgo a whoring after their gods, and make thy fons go a whoring after their gods. Deut. vii. 3. Neither shalt thoumakemarriages with them; thy daughter, thou shalt not give unto his fon, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy fon. V. 4. For they will turn away thy fon from following me, that they may ferve other gods: fo will the anger of the Lord be kindled againft you, and destroy thee suddenly. 1 Kings xi. 4. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned faway his heart after other IV. Marriage gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. Neh. xiii. 25. And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smotecertain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them fwear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their fons, nor take their daughters unto your fons, or for yourselves. V. 26. Did not Solomon king of Ifrael fin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all frael: nevertheless, even him did outlandish women cause to fin. V. 27. Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this greatevil, to tranfgrefs against our God, in marrying strange wives? Mal. ii. 11. Judah hath dealt treacheroufly, and an abomination is committed in Ifrael, and in Jerufalem: for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. V. 12. The Lord will cut off the man that doeth this: the master and the scholar out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hofts. 2 Cor. vi. 14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what com munion hath light with dark nefs? IV. h [Levit. IV. [Levit. Chapter xviii.] I Cor. v. 1. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. Amos ii. 7. That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn afide the way of the meek; and a man and his father will go in unto the fame maid, to profane my holy name. IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of con fanguinity or affinity forbidden in the word; nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man, or confent 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 juft occafion to the innocent party to diffolve that contract. In the case of adul tery Mark vi. 18. For John had faid unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Lev, xviii, 24. Defile, not ye yourselves in any of these. things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out. before you: V. 25. And the land, is detiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. V. 26. Ye shall, therefore, keep my ftatutes and my judgmente, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: V. 27. (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled:) V. 28. That the land spue not you out alfo, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. k Lev. xx. 19. And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's fifter, nor of thy father's fister: for he uncovereth his near kin; they fhall bear their iniquity. V. 20. And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their fin; they shall die childless. V. 21. And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childlefs. V. Mat. i. 18. Now the birth of Jesus Chrift was on this wife: When as his mother Mary was efpoused to Joseph, before they came together, the was found with child of the Holy Ghoft. V. 19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing. to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. V. 20. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, faying, Jofeph, thou fon of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghoft. G2 Mat. |