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this work by a third Addrefs to the Parliament, and, fpeaking of their justice and candour in difdaining to think of perfecuting him for his doctrine, according to the inftigation of his enemies, he expreffes his gratitude in the following animated terms: "For which uprightness and incorrupt refufal of "what ye were incenfed to, lords and commons (though it were done to juftice, not to me, and "was a peculiar demonftration how far your ways

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are different from the rafh vulgar) besides those "allegiances of oath and duty, which are my public "debt to your public labours, I have yet a store of "gratitude laid up, which cannot be exhaufted,

and fuch thanks, perhaps, they may live to be, "as fhall more than whifper to the next ages." This fentence is remarkable in various points of view, but chiefly as it fhews us that the peculiar eagerness and energy with which Milton, at a future period, defended the parliament, originated not only in his paffionate attachment to freedom, but in his ardent fenfe of perfonal gratitude to the legislature of his country. He was, however, too magnanimous to wish for shelter under any authority, without vindicating his innocence and the merit of his caufe; he therefore fays to the parliament, in fpeaking of an antagonist who, in their prefence, had traduced him from the pulpit," I fhall take licence "by the right of nature, and that liberty wherein "I was born, to defend myfelf publicly against a printed calumny, and do willingly appeal to thofe judges to whom I am accused.”

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The preacher had reprefented the doctrine of divorce as a wicked book, for allowing other caufes of divorce than Chrift and his Apoftles mentioned, and the parliament as finners for not punishing its authors.

This induces Milton to exclaim with devotional fpirit, which feems predominant in his mind upon every occasion, “First, lords and commons, I pray to "that God, before whom ye then were proftrate, so "to forgive ye those omiffions and trefpaffes, which

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ye defire most should find forgiveness, as I fhalí "foon fhew to the world how easily ye abfolve your"felves of that, which this man calls your fin, and "is indeed your wifdom and noblenefs, whereof to "this day ye have done well not to repent.'

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The scope of Milton, in his do&rine of divorce, is thus explained by himfelf: " This fhall be the "tafk and period of this difcourfe to prove, first, "that other reafons of divorce befides adultery "were by the law of Mofes, and are yet to be al"lowed by the Chriftian magiftrate, as a piece of

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justice, and that the words of Christ are not here"by contraried; next that, to prohibit abfolutely any divorce whatfoever, except thofe which Mofes excepted, is against the reason of law.”

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This doctrine he first delivered as the refult of his own diligent ftudy of the fcripture. He afterwards found and declared it confonant to what many eminent divines of the reformed church, particularly Martin Bucar and Erafmus, had maintained; lastly, to grace his opinions with the highest human fupport, he afferts," they were fanctioned

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by the whole affembled authority of England, "both church and state, and in those times which

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are on record for the pureft and fincerest that "ever fhone yet on the Reformation of this land, "the time of Edward the Sixth. That worthy prince, having utterly abolished the canon law "out of his dominions, as his father did before “him, appointed by full vote of parliament a com"mittee, of two and thirty chofen men, divines and "lawyers, of whom Cranmer the archbishop, Peter

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Martyr, and Walter Haddon, not without the "affiftance of Sir John Cheek, the king's tutor, a ... man at that time accounted the learnedeft of Englishmen, and for piety not inferior, were the "chief to frame anew fome ecclefiaftical laws, that might be instead of what was abrogated. The "work with great diligence was finished, and with as great approbation of that reforming age was "received, and had been doubtlefs, as the learned "preface thereof teftifies, established by act of par"liament, had not the good king's death fo foon enfuing arrested the farther growth of religion alfo from that feafon to this. Thofe laws, "thus founded on the memorable wisdom and

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piety of that religious parliament and fynod, al"low divorce and fecond marriage not only for "adultery and defertion, but for any capital en"mity or plot laid against the other's life, and "likewife for evil and fierce ufage. Nay, the "twelfth chapter of that title, by plain confequence "declares, that leffer contentions, if they be per"petual, may obtain divorce, which is all one

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really with the pofition by me held in the former

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"treatise published on this argument, herein only

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differing, that there the caufe of perpetual ftrife "was put, for example, in the unchangeable difcord "of fome natures; but in these laws, intended us "by the best of our ancestors, the effect of conti"nual ftrife is determined no unjust plea of divorce, "whether the cause be natural or wilful."

The author exults fo much in this authority, that he concludes with the following expreffions of confidence and triumph :

"Henceforth let them, who condemn the affer❝tion of this book for new and licentious, be forry, " left, while they think to be of the graver fort, "and take on them to be teachers, they expose "themselves rather to be pledged up and down by men who intimately know them, to the difcovery and contempt of their ignorance and pre"fumption."

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I have dwelt the longer on this fubject, because it occupied fo deeply the mind and heart of Milton. In these treatises the energy of his language is very striking; it forcibly proves how keenly he felt the anguifh of connubial infelicity, and how ardently he laboured to remove from himself and others that" fecret affliction" (to use one of his own expreffive phrafes)" of an unconfcionable fize. "to human strength."

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He argues, indeed, for what the majority of modern legiflators and divines have thought inconfiftent with found morality and true religion; but they who deem his arguments inconclufive, may yet admire the powers and the probity of the advocate.

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THE LIFE OF MILTON.

His view of the queflion is as extenfive and liberal as his intention was pure and benevolent: if a few words of our Saviour, in their literal fense, are against him, the spirit of the gospel may be thought, by fincere Chriftians, to allow him all the latitude for which he contends; the most rigid opponent of his doctrine may be frequently charmed with his rich vein of fervid eloquence and chriftian philanthropy.

His three publications on divorce were followed by Colafterion, a reply to a nameless answer against his doctrine. This work is an angry invective, in which he endeavours, but not happily, to overwhelm his antagonist with ridicule.

In the account which he gives of his own compofitions, in his Second Defence, he fpeaks of his treatife on divorce, as forming a part of his progreffive labour to vindicate liberty in various points of view; he confidered it in three different shapes, ecclefiaftical, domeftic, and civil; he thought it of high moment to establish a more enlarged fyftem of domeftic liberty, at a time when connubial difcord was fo common, in confequence of civil diffenfion; when, to use his own forcible expreffion, alluding probably to his particular fituation, "the wife "might be found in the camp of the enemy, threatening ruin and flaughter to her husband." He seems to exult in saying, that his doctrine of divorce was more abundantly demonstrated, about two years after his publication, by the illuftrious Selden, in his Uxor Hebræa *.

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* Cum itaque tres omnino animadverterem libertatis effe species, quæ nifi adfint, vita ulla tranfigi commodè vix poffit, ecclefiafticam,

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