tions of princes are not above the conftitutions of clergy, but beneath them. Ufing this very inftance of divorce as the first prop of their tyranny; by a falfe consequence drawn from a paffage of Ambrofe upon Luke where hee faith, though Mans law grant it, yet Gods law prohibits it. Whence Gregory the Pope writing to Theoctista inferrs that Ecclefiafticall Courts cannot be diffolv'd by the Magiftrate. A faire conclufion from a double error. First in saying that the divine law prohibited divorce, for what will hee make of Mofes; next fuppofing that it did, how will it follow, that what ever Chrift forbids in his Evangelic precepts, should be hal'd into a judicial constraint against the patterne of a divine law: Certainely the Gofpel came not to enact fuch compulfions. In the meane while wee may note heere that the restraint of divorce was one of the first faire seeming pleas which the Pope had, to step into fecular authority, and with his Antichriftian rigor to abolish the permiffive law of Chriftian princes conforming to a facred lawgiver. Which if we confider, this papal and unjust reftriction of divorce need not be fo deere to us, fince the plaufible restraining of that, was in a manner the first loofning of Antichrift; and as it were the substance of his eldest horn. Nor doe we lefs remarkably ow the first meanes of his fall heer in England to the contemning of that reftraint by Henry 8. whofe divorce he oppos'd. Yet was not that rigour executed anciently in fpiritual Courts untill Alexander the third, who trod upon the neck of Frederic Barbaroffa the Emperor, and fummond our Henry 2. into Normandy about the death of Becket. He it was, that the worthy author may be known, who first actually repeal'd the imperial law of divorce, and decreed this tyranous decree, that matrimony for no caufe fhould be difolv'd, though for many causes it might feparate; as may be feen decret. Gregor. I. 4. tit. 19. and

in other places of the Canonicall Tomes. The main good of which invention, wherein it confifts who can tell? but that it hath one vertue incomparable, to fill all christendom with whordomes, and adulteries beyond the art of Balaams or of divells. Yet neither can these, though so perverse, but acknowledge that the words of Chrift under the name of fornication allow putting away for other causes then adultery both from bed and bord, but not from the bond; their only reason is, because mariage they beleeve to bee a Sacrament. But our Divines who would feem long fince to have renounc't that reafon, have fo forgot them felves, as yet to hold the abfurdity, which but for that reason, unleffe there be fome mystery of Satan in it, perhaps the Papist would not hold. Tis true, we grant divorce for actual and prov'd adultery, and not for leffe then many tedious and unreparable yeares of desertion, wherein a man shall loose all his hope of pofterity, which great and holy men have bewail'd, ere he can be righted; and then perhaps on the confines of his old age, when all is not worth the while. But grant this were seasonably don; what are these two cafes to many other, which afflict the ftate of mariage as bad, and yet find no redreffe? What hath the foule of man deferv'd, if it be in the way of falvation, that it should be morgag'd thus, and may not redeem it felfe according to conscience out of the hands of such ignorant and slothfull teachers as these, who are neither able nor mindful to give due tendance to that pretious cure which they rafhly undertake; nor have in them the noble goodneffe to confider thefe diftreffes and accidents of mans life; but are bent rather to fill their mouthes with Tithe and oblation. Yet if they can learne to follow, as well as they can feeke to be follow'd, I fhall direct them to a faire number of renowned men, worthy to be their leaders, who will commend to them a doc

trin in this point wiser then their own, and if they bee not impatient, it will be the same doctrin which this treatis hath defended.

Wicklef that Englishman honor'd of God to be the first preacher of a general reformation to all Europe, was not in this thing better taught of God, then to teach among his cheifeft recoveries of truth, that divorce is lawfull to the chriftian for many other caufes equall to adultery. This book indeed through the poverty of our Libraries I am forc't to cite from Arnifaus of Halberstad on the right of mariage, who cites it from Corafius of Toloufe, c.4. Cent. Sct. and he from Wicklef. 1. 4. Dial. c. 21. So much the forrier, for that I never lookt into author cited by his adversary upon this occafion, but found him more conducible to the question, then his quotation render'd him.

Next Luther, how great a fervant of God, in his book of conjugal life quoted by Gerard out of the Dutch, allowes divorce for the obftinate denial of conjugal duty; and that a man may fend away a proud Vafthi, and marry an Efther in her ftead. It feemes, if this example shall not be impertinent, that Luther meant not onely the refufall of benevolence, but a ftubborn denial of any main conjugal duty; or if he did not, it will be evinc't from what he allowes. For out of question, with men that are not barbarous, love and peace, and fitneffe will be yeelded as effential to mariage, as corporal benevolence. Though I give my body to be burnt, faith Saint Paul, and have not charity, it profits me nothing. So though the body prostitute it felfe to whom the mind affords no other love or peace, but constant malice and vexation, can this bodily benevolence deferv to be call'd a mariage between Chriftians and rationall creatures.

Melanchton, the third great luminary of reformation in his book concerning marriage grants divorce

for cruell ufage, and danger of life, urging the authority of that Theodofian law, which he esteemes written with the grave deliberation of godly men; and that they who reject this law, and thinke it dif agreeing from the Gospel, understand not the difference of law and Gofpel; that the Magiftrat ought not only to defend life, but to fuccour the weake confcience, left broke with greif and indignation it relinquish praier, and turn to fom unlawful thing. What if this heavy plight of despaire arife from other difcontents in wedloc which may goe to the foule of a good man more then the danger of his life, or cruel using, which a man cannot bee liable to, fuppofe it be ingratefull usage, suppose it be perpetuall spight and difobedience, fuppofe a hatred, shall not the Magiftrat free him from this difquiet which interrupts his prayers, and difturbs the cours of his fervice to God and his Country all as much, and brings him such a mifery, as that he more defires to leave his life then feares to loose it: Shall not this equally concerne the office of civil protection, and much more the charity of a true Church to remedy?

Erafmus who for learning was the wonder of his age, both in his notes on Matthew, and on the first to the Corinthians in a large and eloquent difcourse, and in his answer to Phimoftomus a Papist, maintaines (and no proteftant then living contradicted him) that the words of Chrift comprehend many other caufes of divorce under the name of fornication.

Bucer, whom our famous Dr. Rainolds was wont to preferr before Calvin, in his comment on Matthew, and in his fecond booke of the Kingdome of Chrift, treats of divorce at large to the fame effect, as is written in the doctrine and difcipline of divorce lately publisht, and the translation is extant: whom left I should be thought to have wrested to mine own purpose, take somthing more out of his 49. Chap. which

I then for brevity omitted. It will be the duty of pious princes, and all who govern Church, or common wealth, if any, whether husband or wife, shall affirme their want of fuch who either will, or can tolerably performe the necessary duties of maried life, to grant that they may feeke them fuch, and marry them; if they make it appeare that fuch they have not. This book he wrote heer in England, where he liv'd the greatest admir'd man, and this hee dedicated to Edward the fixth.

Fagius rankt among the famous divines of Germany, whom Frederic at that time the Palatine sent for to be the reformer of his Dominion, and whom afterwards England fought to, and obtain❜d of him to come and teach her, differs not in this opinion from Bucer, as his notes on the Chaldey paraphraft well teftify.

The whole Church of Straßburgh in her most flourishing time, when Zellius, Hedio, Capito, and other great Divines taught there, and thofe two renouned magistrates Farrerus and Sturmius govern'd that common wealth and Academy to the admiration of all Germany, hath thus in the 21. Article. We teach that if according to the word of God, yea or against it, divorces happen, to doe according to Gods word, Deut. 24. 1. Mat. 19. 1 Cor. 7. and the obfervation of the primitive Church, and the Chriftian conftitution of pious Cæfars.

Peter Martyr feems in word our eafy adversary, but is in deed for us: toward which though it be fomthing when he faith of this opinion, that it is not wicked, and can hardly be refuted, this which followes is much more, I fpeake not heer faith he, of natural impediments which may fo happ'n, that the matrimony can no longer hold: but adding, that he often wonder'd, how the antient and most chriftian Emperors eftablisht thofe lawes of divorce, and neither Ambrose,