Exposition Upon Marriage or Nullities of Marriage, Treatise · Part 2 · Section 5
Verſ. 10. His Diſciples ſay unto him, if the caſe of the man be ſo with his wife, it is not good to marry.
This verſe I adde, to leave no objection behind unanſwer'd: for ſome may thinke, if this our Saviours ſentence be ſo faire, as not commanding ought that patience or nature cannot brook, why then did the Diſciples murmur and ſay, it is not good to marry. I anſwer that the Diſciples had bin longer bred up under the Phariſaean doctrin, then under that of Chriſt, and ſo no marvel though they yet retain'd the infection of loving old licentious cuſtoms; no marvel though they thought it hard they might not for any offence that throughly anger'd them, divorce a wife, as well as put away a ſervant; ſince it was but giving her a bill, as they were taught. Secondly, it was no unwonted thing with them not to underſtand our Saviour in matters farre eaſier. So that bee it granted their conceit of this text was the ſame which is now commonly conceiv'd, according to the uſuall rate of their capacity then, it will not hurt a better interpretation. But why did not Chriſt ſeeing their error informe them? for good cauſe; it was his profeſt method not to teach them all things at all times, but each thing in due place and ſeaſon. Chriſt ſaid Luke 22. that hee who had no ſword ſhould ſell his garment and buy one: the Diſciples tooke it in a manifeſt wrong ſenſe, yet our Saviour did not there informe them better. He told them it was eaſier for a Camell to go through a needles eye, then a rich man in at heav'n gate. They were amaz'd exceedingly: he explain'd himſelfe to meane of thoſe who truſt in riches, Mark 10. They were amaz'd then out of meaſure, for ſo Marke relates it; as if his explaining had increas'd their amazement, in ſuch a plaine caſe, and which concern'd ſo neerely their calling to be inform'd in Good reaſon therefore, if Chriſt at that time did not ſtand amplifying, to the thick prejudice and tradition where in they were, this queſtion of more difficulty, and leſſe concernment to any perhaps of them in particular. Yet did he not omitt to ſow within them the ſeeds of a ſufficient determining, agen the time that his promis'd ſpirit ſhould bring all things to their memory. Hee had declar'd in their hearing not long before, how diſtant hee was from aboliſhing the law it ſelfe of divorce; hee had referr'd them to the inſtitution; and after all this, gives them a ſet anſwer, from which they might collect what was cleer anough, that all men cannot receive all ſayings, verſe 11. If ſuch regard bee had to each mans receiving of mariage or ſingle life, what can ariſe, that the ſame chriſtian regard ſhould not bee had in moſt neceſſary divorce? All which inſtructed both them and us, that it beſeem'd his Diſciples to learne the deciding of this queſtion, which hath nothing new in it, firſt by the inſtitution, then by the generall grounds of religion, not by a particular ſaying here or there, temper'd and level'd only to an incident occaſion, the riddance of a tempting aſſault. For what can this bee but weake and ſhallow apprehenſion, to forſake the ſtandard principles of inſtitution, faith, & charity; then to be blanke & various at every occurrence in Scripture, and in a cold Spaſm of ſcruple, to reare peculiar doctrines upon the place; that ſhall bid the gray autority of moſt unchangeable and ſovran rules to ſtand by & be contradicted. Thus to this Evangelic precept of famous difficulty, which for theſe many ages weakly underſtood, and violently put in practice, hath made a ſhambles rather then an ordinance of matrimony, I am firme a truer expoſition cannot be given. If this or that argument heer us'd, pleaſe not every one, there is no ſcarſity of arguments, any halfe of them will ſuffice, Or ſhould they all faile, as Truth it ſelfe can faile as ſoon, I ſhould content me with the inſtitution alone to wage this controverſie, and not diſtruſt to evince. If any need it not, the happier; yet Chriſtians ought to ſtudy earneſtly what may be anothers need. But if, as mortall miſchances are, ſom hap to need it, let them be ſure they abuſe not, and give God his thanks, who hath reviv'd this remedy, not too late for them, and ſcowr'd off an inveterat miſexpoſition from the Goſpel: a work not to periſh by the vaine breath or doome of this age. Our next induſtry ſhall bee, under the ſame guidance, to try with what fidelity that remaining paſſage in the Epiſtles touching this matter, hath bin commented.