Mary Magdalen's tears wip't off. Or The voice of peace to an unquiet conscience.: Written by way of letter to a person of quality. And published for the comfort of all those, who mourn in Zion.

SOLUTION.

26. YOu must prove, that our Saviour injoyns that as a Precept, and not proposeth it as his Advice or Counsell; otherwise it cannot be thought to contain in it the force of a Command; and conse∣quently hath not in it the obligatory of a Law, but the perswasory efficacie of an Ad∣vice.

Now that those words do not contain the force of a Precept in them, will (I believe) be evident, if you consider the passage to which they are immediately related; and that is the saying of the Disciples v. 10. conclu∣ding Mariage to be (in point of Prudence) much worse than a single life, in case there ought to be no divorce of Man and Wife, save for Adultery only. It is not (say they) good to marry, if the case be thus; which clearly im∣plies thus much, that it is best in point of prudence, (this being in every mans choyce) not to marry; to which our Saviours Answer is to this purpose, that they are in the right, if it were alike with all men in respect of ab∣staining from Marriage; but being it is not so, they that cannot contein ought to marrie, but if a Man can contein, their Judgement is good, and is confirmed with our Saviours own Resolution therein, it is best for him not to marry. I believe Saint Baul will give full sa∣tisfaction

to this scruple, if you read his 7th. chapter, 1 Cor.