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MArriage is a lawfull & indissoluble coniunction of one man and one woman, instituted by God, that we might know him to be chast, and to detest all lust: that also we might therein chastly serue the Lord, and that especially it might be a meanes whereby mankind might be multiplied, and God gather thence afterwardes vnto himselfe a Church; Lastlie, that it might bee a societie and fellowship of labours, cares, and praier. That marriage may bee
a lawfull coniunction, these thinges are thereto required: 1 That matrimonie bee contracted by the consent of both parties. 2 That there be adioined also the consent of others, whose consent is required, as namelie Parents, or those who are in the place of Parents. 3 That honest conditions be obserued. 4 That there be no errour committed in the persons. 5 That Matrimonie be con∣tracted betweene such persons as are not forbidden by Gods Lawe, as betweene them, vnto whome the degrees of consangui∣nitie may be no hinderance. The degree of consanguinity is the distance of kinsfolke in discent. Concerning those degrees this rule is to be obserued: How manie persons there are from the stock so manie degrees there are. Now the stocke is the person from whome the rest are deriued. The Line is either of ascendents, or descendents, or collaterals. The Ascendents are all the ancestors and progenitors. The Des∣cendents are all the posterity or progenie. The Line of Colla∣terals is either equall, or vnequall; It is Equall, when there is equall distance from the common stocke. Vnequal, when the distance is vnequall. Those prohibitions of degrees of consanguinitie from marriage, which are expressed and set downe, Leuit. 18. are Morall, 1 Because the Gentiles are saide to be cast out for these abominations. But the Gentiles had no ceremoniall Lawe. 2 Paul doth most sharplie reprooue him, who married his fathers wife. 1. Cor. 5. Iohn Baptist saith vn∣to Herod, Mar. 6.18. It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy bro∣thers wife. From the end, because the end, that is, the prohibi∣tion of incest in reuerence of Bloud was made vniuersall, perpetuall, and morall. 4 Jt is the Law of nature. 5 The con∣iunction shal be lawfull, or the marriage lawfull, if such persons be ioined in matrimonie, as are fit to be ioined. 6 If this coniunction be in the Lord, that is, that a beleeuer marrie not with an vnbeleeuer, but with a beleeuer, and that religiouslie in the feare of God. 7 If Matrimonie be contracted between two persons. For they shall be two in one fleshe. Obiection. The Fa∣thers had moe wiues. Aunswere. We must iudge not accor∣ding to examples, but according to Lawes.