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admitted but upon very clear and exprefs authorities from scripture, which could not reasonably be understood in any other fenfe. And, though a man cannot form an explicit notion of a myftery, for then it would be no longer a mystery, yet, in general, he may believe a thing to be, though he cannot give, himself, a particular account of the way of it; or, rather, though he cannot answer fome objections which lie against it. We know we believe many fuch in human matters, which are more within our reach; and it is very unreasonable to fay we may not do it in divine things, which are much more above our apprehenfions.

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For the fevere reftraint of the ufe of women, it is hard to deny that privilege to Jefus Chrift, as a lawgiver, to lay fuch reftraints as all inferior legiflators do; who, when they find the liberties their subjects take prove hurtful to them, fet fuch limits, and make such regulations, as they judge neceffary and expedient. It cannot be faid, but the restraint of appetite is neceffary in fome inftances; and, if it is neceffary in thefe, perhaps other reftraints are no lefs neceffary to fortify and fecure them: for, if it be acknowledged that men have a property in their wives and daughters, fo that to defile the one, or corrupt the other, is an unjust and injurious thing, it is certain that, except a man carefully governs his appetites, he will break through these reftraints;

reftraints; and therefore our Saviour, knowing that nothing could fo effectually deliver the world from the mischief of unrestrained appetite as fuch a confinement, might very reafonably enjoin it. And in all fuch cafes, we are to balance the inconveniences on both hands; and, where we find they are heavieft, we are to acknowledge the equity of the law. On the one hand there is no prejudice, but the reftraint of appetite; on the other are the mischiefs of being given up to pleasure, of running inordinately into it, of breaking the quiet of our own family at home and of others abroad, the engaging into much paffion, the doing many false and impious things to compass what is defired, the wafte of mens eftates, time, and health. Now, let any man judge whe. ther the prejudices on this fide are not greater than that fingle one on the other fide, of being denied fome pleasure. For polygamy, it is but reasonable, fince women are equally concerned in the laws of marriage, that they should be confidered as well as men; but, in a ftate of polygamy, they are under great misery and jealousy, and are indeed barbarously ufed. Man being alfo of a fociable nature, friendfhip and converfe were among the primitive intendments of marriage; in which, as far as the man may excel the wife in greatness of mind and height of knowledge, the wife fome way makes that up with her affection and tender care; fo that, from both

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happily mixed, there arifes a harmony, which is, to virtuous minds, one of the greatest joys of life: but all this is gone in a ftate of polygamy, which occafions perpetual jarrings and jealoufies. And the variety does but engage men to a freer range of pleasure; which is not to be put in the balance with the far greater mifchiefs that must follow the other courfe. So that it is plain our Saviour confidered the nature of man, what it could bear, and what was fit for it, when he fo reftrained us in these our liberties. And for divorce, a power to break that bond would too much encourage married perfons in the little quarrellings that may arife between them, if it were in their power to depart one from another : for, when they know that cannot be, and that they must live and die together, it does naturally incline them to lay down their refentments, and to endeavour to live together as well as they can. So, the law of the Gospel being a law of love, defigned to engage Chriftians to mutual love, it was fit that all fuch provisions should be made as might advance and maintain it, and all fuch liberties be taken away as are apt to enkindle and foment ftrife. This might fall in fome inftances to be uneafy and hard enough; but laws confider what falls out moft commonly, and cannot provide for all particular cafes. The beft laws are, in fome inftances, very great griev ances; but the advantages being balanced with D

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the inconveniences, meafures are to be taken accordingly. Upon this whole matter, I faid, that pleasure stood in oppofition to other confiderations of great weight, and fo the decifion was eafy and, fince our Saviour offers us fo great rewards, it is but reasonable he have the privilege of loading these promises with fuch conditions as are not in themfelves grateful to our natural inclinations; for all that propose high rewards have thereby a right to exact difficult performances.

To this he faid, we are fure the terms are difficult, but are not so sure of the rewards. Upon this I told him, that we have the fame affurance of the rewards that we have of the other parts of the Chriftian religion. We have the promises of God, made to us by Christ, confirmed by many miracles; we have the earnests of thefe, in the quiet and peace which follow a good confcience, and in the refurrection of him from the dead who hath promised to raise us up. So that the reward is fufficiently affured to us; and there is no reason it should be given to us before the conditions are performed on which the promises are made. It is but reafonable we fhould truft God, and do our duty, in hopes of that eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, hath promifed. The difficulties are not fo great as those which fometimes the commoneft concerns of life bring upon us: the learning fome trades or

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fciences, the governing our health and affairs, bring us often under as great ftraits: fo that it ought to be no just prejudice that there are fome things in religion that are uneafy, fince this is rather the effect of our corrupt natures, which are farther depraved by vicious habits, and can hardly turn to any new course of life without fome pain, than of the dictates of Chriftianity, which are in themselves juft and reasonable, and will be easy to us when renewed and in a good measure reftored to our primitive integrity.

As for the exceptions he had to the maintenance of the clergy, and the authority to which they pretended if they ftretched their defigns too far, the Gospel did plainly reprove them for it; fo that it was very fuitable to that church, which was fo grofsly faulty this way, to take the fcriptures out of the hands of the people, fince they do fo manifeftly difclaim all fuch practices. The priests of the true Chriftian religion have no fecrets among them which the world muft not know; but are only an order of men, dedicated to God, to attend on facred things, who ought to be holy in a more peculiar manner, fince they are to handle the things of God. It was neceffary that fuch perfons should have a due efteem paid them, and a fit maintenance appointed for them, fo that they might be preferved from the contempt that follows poverty, and the diftractions which

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