and the agrieved person shall doe more manly, to be extraordinary and fingular in claimyng the due right whereof he is frustrated, then to piece up his loft contentment by visiting the Stews, or stepping to his neighbours bed, which is the common fhift in this mif-fortune; or els by fuffering his useful life to waft away, and be loft under a fecret affliction of an unconscionable fize to humane ftrength. Against all which evills the mercy of this Mofaick Law was graciously exhibited. CHAP. III. The ignorance and iniquity of Canon Law, providing for the right of the body in mariage, but nothing for the wrongs and greevances of the mind. An objection, that the mind should be better lookt to before contract, anfwerd. Ow vaine therefore is it, and how prepofterous in the Canon Law to have made fuch carefull provifion against the impe diment of carnall performance, and to have had no care about the unconverfing inability of mind, fo defective to the purest and most facred end of matrimony: and that the veffell of voluptuous enjoyment must be made good on him that has taken it upon trust without any caution, when as the mind from whence muft flow the acts of peace and love, a farre more pretious mixture then the quinteffence of an excrement, though it be found never fo deficient and unable to performe the best duty of marriage in a cheerfull and agreeable conversation, shall be thought good enough, however flat and melancholious it be, and muft ferve, though to the eternall disturbance and languishing of him that complains him. Yet wisdome and charity waighing Gods owne institution, would thinke that the pining of a fad fpirit wedded to lonelines should deserve to be free'd, afwell as the impatience of a fenfuall defire fo providently reliev'd. Tis read to us in the Liturgy, that we must not marry to satisfie the fleshly appetite, like brute beafts that have no understanding; but the Canon fo runs, as if it dreamt of no other matter then fuch an appetite to be fatisfy'd; for if it happen that nature hath ftopt or extinguisht the veins of fenfuality, that mariage was annull'd. But though all the faculties of the understanding and converfing part after triall appeare to be fo ill and fo averfly met through natures unalterable working, as that neither peace, nor any fociable contentment can follow, 'tis as nothing, the contract fhall ftand as firme as ever, betide what will. What is this, but fecretly to instruct us, that however many grave reafons are pretended to the maried life, yet that nothing indeed is thought worth regard therein, but the prefcrib'd fatisfaction of an irrationall heat; which cannot be but ignominious to the state of mariage, dishonourable to the undervalu'd foule of man, and even to Christian Doctrine it felfe. While it seems more mov'd at the difappointing of an impetuous nerve, then at the ingenuous grievance of a mind unreasonably yoakt; and to place more of mariage in the channell of concupifcence, then in the pure influence of peace and love, whereof the foules lawfull contentment is the one onely fountain. But fome are ready to object, that the difpofition ought seriously to be confider'd before. But let them know againe, that for all the warineffe can be us'd, it may yet befall a discreet man to be mistak'n in his choice, and we have plenty of examples. The fobrest and best govern'd men are leaft practiz'd in thefe affairs; and who knowes not that the bashfull muteness of a virgin may oft-times hide all the unlivelyness and naturall floth which is really unfit for converfation; nor is there that freedom of acceffe granted or prefum'd, as may fuffice to a perfect difcerning till too late and where any difpofition is fufpected, what more ufuall then the perfwafion of friends, that acquaintance, as it increases, will amend all. And lastly, it is not strange though many who have spent their youth chaftly, are in fome things not fo quick-fighted, while they haft fo eagerly to light the nuptiall torch; nor is it therefore that for a modeft error a man fhould forfeit fo great a happineffe, and no charritable means to release him. Since they who have liv'd most loosely by reason of their bold accustoming, prove most fuccesfull in their matches, because their wild affections unfetling at will, have been as fo many divorces to teach them experience. When as the fober man honouring the appearance of modefty, and hoping well of every fociall vertue under the veile, may eafily chance to meet, if not with a body impenetrable, yet often with a mind to all other due converfation inaceffible, and to all the more estimable and fuperior purposes of matrimony uselesse and almost liveleffe: and what a folace, what a fit helpe fuch a confort would be through the whole life of a man, is leffe pain to conjecture then to have experience. CHAP. IV. The Second Reafon of this Law, because without it, mariage as it happ'ns oft is not a remedy of that which it promifes, as any rationall creature would expect. That mariage, if we pattern from the beginning as our Saviour bids, was not properly the remedy of luft, but the fulfilling of conjugall love and helpfulness. Nd that we may further see what a violent cruell thing it is to force the continuing of those together, whom God and nature in the gentleft end of mariage never joyn'd, divers evils and extremities that follow upon fuch a compulfion, shall here be fet in view. Of evils the first and greatest is, that hereby a most abfurd and rash imputation is fixt upon God and his holy Laws, of conniving and difpencing with open and common adultery among his chofen people; a thing which the rankeft politician would thinke it shame and difworship, that his Laws fhould countenance; how and in what manner this comes to paffe, I fhall reserve, till the course of method brings on the unfolding of many Scriptures. Next the Law and Gospell are hereby made liable to more then one contradiction, which I referre also thither. Laftly, the fupreme dictate of charitie is hereby many wayes neglected and violated. Which I fhall forthwith addreffe to prove. First we know St. Paul faith, It is better to marry then to burn. Mariage therefore was giv'n as a remedy of that trouble: but what might this burning meane? Certainly not the meere motion of carnall luft, not the meer goad of a sensitive defire; God does not principally take care for such cattell. What is it then but that defire which God put into Adam in Paradife before he knew the fin of incon As tinence; that defire which God faw it was not good that man should be left alone to burne in; the defire and longing to put off an unkindly folitariness by uniting another body, but not without a fit foule to his in the cheerfull fociety of wedlock. Which if it were so needfull before the fall, when man was much more perfect in himselfe, how much more is it needfull now against all the forrows and casualties of this life to have an intimate and speaking helpe, a ready and reviving affociate in marriage: whereof who miffes by chancing on a mute and fpiritleffe mate, remaines more alone then before, and in a burning leffe to be contain'd then that which is fleshly and more to be confider'd; as being more deeply rooted even in the faultles innocence of nature. for that other burning, which is but as it were the venom of a lufty and overabounding concoction, strict life and labour, with the abatement of a full diet may keep that low and obedient enough: but this pure and more inbred defire of joyning to it felfe in conjugall fellowship a fit converfing foule (which defire is properly call'd love) is ftronger then death, as the spouse of Chrift thought, many waters cannot quench it, neither can the floods drown it. This is that rationall burning that mariage is to remedy, not to be allay'd with fafting, nor with any penance to be fubdu'd, which how can he affwage who by mif-hap hath met the most unmeeteft and unfutable mind? Who hath the power to struggle with an intelligible flame, not in paradice to be refifted, become now more ardent by being fail'd of what in reason it lookt for; and even then most unquencht, when the importunity of a provender burning is well anough appeas'd; and yet the foul hath obtained nothing of what it justly defires. Certainly fuch a one forbidd'n to divorce, is in effect forbidd'n to marry, and compell'd to greater difficulties then in a single life; for |