Exposition Upon Marriage or Nullities of Marriage, Title page – To the reader
Tetrachordon: EXPOSITIONS UPON The foure chief places in Scripture, which treat of Mariage, or nullities in Mariage.
On Gen. 1. 27. 28. compar'd and explain'd by Gen. 2. 18. 23. 24.
Deut. 24. 1. 2.
Matth. 5. 31. 32. with Matth. 19. from the 3d. v. to the 11th.
1 Cor. 7. from the 10th to the 16th.
Wherin the Doctrine and Diſcipline of Divorce, as was lately publiſh'd, is confirm'd by explanation of Scripture, by teſtimony of ancient Fathers, of civill lawes in the Primitive Church, of famouſeſt Reformed Divines, And laſtly, by an intended Act of the Parlament and Church of England in the laſt yeare of EDVVARD the ſixth.
By the former Author J. M.
foreign
foreign
foreign,
foreign.
Euripid. Medea.
LONDON: Printed in the yeare 1645.
To the PARLAMENT.
THat which I knew to be the part of a good Magiſtrate, aiming at true liberty through the right information of religious and civil life, and that which I ſaw, and was partaker, of your Vows and ſolemne Cov'nants, Parlament of England, your actions alſo manifeſtly tending to exalt the truth, and to depreſſe the tyranny of error, and ill cuſtome, with more conſtancy and proweſſe then ever yet any, ſince that Parlament which put the firſt Scepter of this Kingdom into his hand whom God and extraordinary vertue made thir Monarch, were the cauſes that mov'd me, one elſe not placing much in the eminence of a dedication, to preſent your high notice with a Diſcourſe, conſcious to it ſelf of nothing more then of diligence, and firm affection to the publick good. And tbat ye took it ſo as wiſe and impartial men, obtaining ſo great power and dignitie, are wont to accept, in matters both doubtfull and important, what they think offer'd them well meant, and from a rational ability, I had no leſſe then to perſwade me. And on that perſwaſton am return'd, as to a famous and free Port, my ſelf alſo bound by more then a maritime Law, to expoſe as freely what fraughtage I conceave to bring of no trifles. For although it be generally known, how and by whom ye have been inſtigated to a hard cenſure of that former book entitl'd, The Doctrine, and Diſeipline of Divorce, an opinion held by ſome of the beſt among reformed Writers without ſcandal or confutement, though now thought new and dangerous by ſome of our ſevere Gnoſtics, whoſe little reading, and leſſe meditating holds ever with hardeſt obſtinacy tbat which it took up with eaſieſt credulity, I do not find yet that ought, for the furious ineitements which have been uſed, hath iſſu'd by your appointment, that might give the leaſt interruption or diſrepute either to the Author, or to the Book. Which he who will be better advis'd then to call your neglect, or connivence at a thing imagin'd ſo perilous, can attribute it to nothing more juſtly, then to the deep and quiet ſtreame of your direct and calme deliberations; that gave not way either to the fervent raſhneſſe, or the immaterial gravity of thoſe who ceas'd not to exaſperate without cauſe. For which uprightneſſe and incorrupt refuſall of what ye were incens'd to, Lords and Commons, (though it were don to juſtice, not to me, and was a peculiar demonſtration how farre your waies are different from the raſh vulgar) beſides tboſe allegiances of oath and duty, which are my publie debt to your public labours, I have yet a ſtore of gratitude laid up, which cannot be exhauſted; and ſuch thanks perhaps they may live to be, as ſhall more then whiſper to the next ages. Yet that the Author may be known to ground himſelf upon his own innocence, and the merit of his cauſe, not upon the favour of a diverſion, or a delay to any juſt cenſure, but wiſhes rather he might ſee thoſe his detracters at any fair meeting, as learned debatements are privileg'd with a due freedome under equall Moderators, I ſhall here briefly ſingle one of them (becauſe he hath oblig'd me to it) who I perſwade me having ſcarſe read the book, nor knowing him who writ it, or at leaſt faining the latter, bath not forborn to ſcandalize him, unconferr'd with, unadmoniſht, undealt with by any Paſtorly or brotherly convincement, in the moſt open and invective manner, and at the moſt bitter opportunity that drift or ſet deſigne could have invented. And this, when as the Canon Law, though commonly moſt favouring the boldneſſe of their Prieſts, puniſhes the naming or traducing of any perſon in the Pulpit, was by him made no ſcruple. If I ſhall therfore take licence by the right of nature, and that liberty wherin I was born, to defend my ſelf publicly againſt a printed Calumny, and do willingly appeal to thoſe Judges to whom I am accus'd, it can be no immoderate, or unallowable courſe of ſeeking ſo juſt and needfull reparations. Which I had don long ſince, had not theſe employments, which are now viſible, deferr'd me. It was preacht before ye, Lords and Commons, in Auguſt laſt upon a ſpecial day of humiliation, that there was a wicked Book abroad, and ye were taxt of ſin that it was yet uncenſur'd, the book deſerving to be burnt, and impudence alſo was charg'd upon the Author, who durſt ſet his name to it, and dedicate it to your ſelves. Firſt, Lords and Commons, I pray to that God, before whom ye then were proſtrate, ſo to forgive ye thoſe omiſſions and treſpaſſes, which ye deſire moſt ſhould find forgivneſs, as I ſhall ſoon ſhew to the world how eaſily ye abſolve your ſelves of that which this man calls your ſin, and is indeed your wiſdome, and your Nobleneſſe, whereof to this day ye have don well not to repent. He terms it a wicked book, and why but for allowing other cauſes of Divorce, then Chriſt and his Apoſtles mention; and with the ſame cenſure condemns of wickedneſſe not onelyonly Martin Bucer that elect Inſtrument of Reformation, highly honour'd and had in reverence by Edward the ſixth, and his whole Parlament, whom alſo I had publiſht in Engliſh by a good providence, about a week before this calumnious digreſſion was preach'd; ſo that if he knew not Bucer then, as he ought to have known, he might at leaſt have known him ſome months after, ere the Sermon came in print, wherein notwithſtanding he perſiſts in his former ſentence, and condemnes again of wickedneſſe, either ignorantly or wilfully, not onelyonly Martin Bucer, and all the choiſeſt and holieſt of our Reformers, but the whole Parlament and Church of England in thoſe beſt and pureſt times of Edward the ſixth. All which I ſhall prove with good evidence, at the end of theſe Explanations. And then let it be judg'd and ſeriouſly conſider'd with what hope the affairs of our Religion are committed to one among others, who hath now onelyonly left him which of the twain he will chooſe, whether this ſhall be his palpable ignorance, or the ſame wickedneſſe of his own book, which he ſo laviſhly imputes to the writings of other men: and whether this of his, that thus peremptorily defames and attaints of wickedneſſe unſpotted Churches, unblemiſht Parlaments, and the moſt eminent reſtorers of Chriſtian Doctrine, deſerve not to be burnt firſt. And if his heat had burſt out onelyonly againſt the opinion, his wonted paſſion had no doubt bin ſilently born with wonted patience. But ſince againſt the charity of that ſolemne place and meeting, it ſerv'd him furder to inveigh opprobriouſly againſt the perſon, branding him with no leſſe then impudence, onelyonly for ſetting his name to what he had writt'n, I muſt be excus'd not to be ſo wanting to the defence of an honeſt name, or to the reputation of thoſe good men who afford me their ſociety, but to be ſenſible of ſuch a foule endeavour'd diſgrace: not knowing ought either in mine own deſerts, or the Laws of this Land, why I ſhould be ſubject, in ſuch a notorious and illegal manner, to the intemperancies of this mans preaching choler. And indeed to be ſo prompt and ready in the midſt of his humbleneſſe, to toſſe reproaches of this bulk and ſize, argues as if they were the weapons of his exerciſe, I am ſure not of his Miniſtery, or of that dayes work. Certainly to ſubſcribe my name at what I was to own, was what the State had order'd and requires. And he who liſts not to be malicious, would call it ingenuity, cleer conſcience, willingneſſe to avouch what might be queſtion'd, or to be better inſtructed. And if God were ſo diſpleaſ'd with thoſe, Iſa. 58. who on the ſolemne faſt were wont to ſmite with the fiſt of wickedneſſe, it could be no ſigne of his own humiliation accepted, which diſpos'd him to ſmite ſo keenly with a reviling tongue. But if onelyonly to have writ my name muſt be counted impudence, how doth this but juſtifie another, who might affirm with as good warrant, that the late Diſcourſe of Scripture and Reaſon, which is certain to be chiefly his own draught, was publiſht without a name, out of baſe fear, and the ſly avoidance of what might follow to his detriment, if the party at Court ſhould hap to reach him. And I, to have ſet my name, where he accuſes me to have ſet it, am ſo far from recanting, that I offer my hand alſo if need be, to make good the ſame opinion which I there maintain, by inevitable conſequences drawn parallel from his own principal arguments in that of Scripture and Reaſon; which I ſhall pardon him, if he can deny, without ſhaking his own compoſition to peeces. The impudence therfore, ſince he waigh'd ſo little what a groſſe revile that was to give his equall, I ſend him back again for a phylactery to ſtitch upon his arrogance, that cenſures not onelyonly before conviction ſo bitterly without ſo much as one reaſon giv'n, but cenſures the Congregation of his Governors to their faces, for not being ſo haſty as himſelf to cenſure.
And whereas my other crime is, that I addreſſ'd the Dedication of what I had ſtudied, to the Parlament, how could I better declare the loyalty which Iowe to that ſupreme and majeſtick Tribunal, and the opinion which I have of the high-entruſted judgement, and perſonall worth aſſembl'd in that place. With the ſame affections therfore, and the ſame addicted fidelity, Parlament of England, I here again have brought to your peruſal on the ſame argument theſe following Expoſitions of Scripture. The former book, as pleas'd ſome to think, who were thought judicious, had of reaſon in it to a ſufficiencie; what they requir'd, was that the Scriptures there alleg'd, might he diſcuſſ'd more fully. To their deſires, thus much furder hath been labour'd in the Scriptures. Another ſort alſo who wanted more autorities, and citations, have not been here unthought of. If all this attain not to ſatisfie them, as I am confident that none of thoſe our great controverſies at this day, hath had a more demonſtrative explaining, I muſt confeſſe to admire what it is, for doubtleſſe it is not reaſon now adayes that ſatisfies, or ſuborns the common credence of men, to yeeld ſo eaſily, and grow ſo vehement in matters much more diſputable, and farre leſſe conducing to the daily good and peace of life. Some whoſe neceſſary ſhifts haeve long enur'd them to cloak the defects of their unſtudied yeers, and hatred now to learn, under the appearance of a grave ſolidity, which eſtimation they have gain'd among weak perceivers, find the eaſe of ſlighting what they cannot refute, and are determin'd, as I hear, to hold it not worth the anſwering. In which number I muſt be forc'd to reck'n that Doctor, who in a late equivocating Treatiſe plauſibly ſet afloat againſt the Dippers, diving the while himſelfwith a more deep prelatical malignance againſt the preſent ſtate, & Church-government, mentions with ignominy the Tractate of Divorce; yet anſwers nothing, but inſtead thereof (for which I do not commend his marſhalling) ſets Moſes alſo among the crew of his Anabaptiſts; as one who to a holy Nation, the Common-wealth of Iſrael, gave Laws breaking the bonds of mariage to inordinate luſt. Theſe are no mean ſurges of blaſphemy, not onelyonly dipping Moſes the divine Lawgiver, but daſhing with a high hand againſt the juſtice and purity of God himſelf; as theſe enſuing Scriptures plainly and freely handl'd ſhall verifie to the launcing of that old apoſtemated error. Him therefore I leave now to his repentance.
Others, which is their courteſie, confeſſe that wit and parts may do much to make that ſeem true which is not (as was objected to Socrates by them who could not reſiſt his efficacy, that he ever made the worſe cauſe ſeem the better) and thus thinking themſelves diſcharg'd of the difficulty, love not to wade furder into the fear of a convincement. Theſe will be their excuſes to decline the full examining of this ſerious point. So much the more I preſſe it and repeat it, Lords and Commons, that ye beware while time is, ere this grand ſecret, and onelyonly art of ignorance affecting tyrany, grow powerfull and rule among us. For if ſound argument and reaſon ſhall be thus put off, either by an undervaluing ſilence, or the maiſterly cenſure of a rayling word or two in the Pulpit, or by rejecting the force of truth, as the meer cunning of eloquence, and Sophiſtry, what can be the end of this, but that all good learning and knowledge will ſuddenly decay: Ignorance, and illiterate preſumption, which is yet but our diſeaſe, will turn at length into our very conſtitution, and prove the hectic evill of this age: worſe to be fear'd, if it get once to reign over us, then any fift Monarchy. If this ſhall be the courſe, that what was wont to be a chief commendation, and the ground of other mens confidence in an Author, his diligence, his learning, his elocution whether by right, or by ill meaning granted him, ſhall be turn'd now to a diſadvantage and ſuſpicion againſt him, that what he writes though unconfuted, muſt therefore be miſtruſted, therfore not receiv'd for the induſtry, the exactneſſe, the labour in it, confeſſ'd to be more then ordnary; as if wiſdome had now forſak'n the thirſtie and laborious inquirer to dwell againſt her nature with the arrogant and ſhallow babler, to what purpoſe all thoſe pains and that continual ſearching requir'd of us by Solomon to the attainment of underſtanding; why are men bred up with ſuch care and expence to a life of perpetual ſtudies, why do your ſelves with ſuch endeavour ſeek to wipe off the imputation of intending to diſcourage the progreſſe and advance of learning? He therfore whoſe heart can bear him to the high pitch of your noble enterpriſes, may eaſily aſſure himſelf that the prudence and farre-judging circumſpectneſſe of ſo grave a Magiſtracy ſitting in Parlament, who have before them the prepar'd and purpos'd Act of their moſt religious predeceſſors to imitate in this queſtion, cannot reject the cleerneſſe of theſe reaſons, and theſe allegations both here and formerly offer'd them; nor can over-look the neceſſity of ordaining more wholſomly and more humanly in the caſualties of Divorce, then our Laws have yet eſtabliſht: if the moſt urgent and exceſſive grievances hapning in domeſtick life, be worth the laying to heart, which, unleſſe charity be farre from us, cannot be neglected. And that theſe things both in the right conſtitution, and in the right reformation of a Common-wealth call for ſpeedieſt redreſſe, and ought to be the firſt conſider'd, anough was urg'd in what was prefac'd to that monument of Bucer which I brought to your remembrance, and the other time before. Hence forth, except new cauſe be giv'n, I ſhall ſay leſſe and leſſe. For if the Law make not timely proviſion, let the Law, as reaſon is, bear the cenſure of thoſe conſequences, which her own default now more evidently produces. And if men want manlineſſe to expoſtulate the right of their due ranſom, and to ſecond their own occaſions, they may ſit hereafter and bemoan themſelves to have neglected through faintneſſe the onelyonly remedy of their ſufferings, which a ſeaſonable and well grounded ſpeaking might have purchas'd them. And perhaps in time to come, others will know how to eſteem what is not every day put into their hands, when they have markt events, and better weigh'd how hurtfull and unwiſe it is, to hide a ſecret and pernicious rupture under the ill counſell of a baſhfull ſilence. But who would diſtruſt ought, or not be ample in his hopes of your wiſe and Chriſtian determinations? who have the prudence to conſider, and ſhould have the goodneſſe like gods, as ye are call'd, to find out readily, and by juſt Law to adminiſter thoſe redreſſes which have of old, not without God ordaining, bin granted to the adverſities of mankind, ere they who needed, were put to ask. Certainly, if any other have enlarg'd his thoughts to expect from this government ſo juſtly undertak'n, and by frequent aſſiſtances from heaven ſo apparently upheld, glorious changes and renovations both in Church and State, he among the formoſt might be nam'd, who prayes that the fate of England may tarry for no other Deliverers.
JOHN MILTON.