Concerning the place of Paul, that God hath call'd us to peace, [[1 Cor. 7. and therfore certainly, if any where in this world, wee have a right to claim it reasonably in mariage, it is plain anough in the sense which I gave, and confess'd by Paræus, and other Orthodox Divines, to bee a good sense, and this Answerer, doth not weak'n it. The other place, that hee who hateth, may put away, which, if I shew him, he promises to yeild the whole controversie, is, besides, Deut. 24. 1. Deut. 21. 14. and before this, Exod. 21. 8. Of Malachy I have spok'n more in another place; and say again that the best interpreters, all the ancient, and most of the modern translate it, as I cited, and very few otherwise, wherof perhaps Junius is the cheif.
Another thing troubles him, that mariage is call'd the mystery of Joy. Let it still trouble him; for what hath hee to doe either with joy or with mystery? He thinks it frantic divinity to say, It is not the outward continuance of mariage, that keeps the covnant of mariage whole, but whosoever doth most according to peace and love, whether in mariage or divorce, hee breaks mariage lest. If I shall spell it to him, Hee breaks mariage lest, is to say, hee dishonours not mariage; for least is tak'n in the Bible, and other good Authors, for, not at all. And a particular mariage a man may break, if for a lawfull cause, and yet not break, that is, not violate, or dishonour the Ordnance of Mariage. Hence these two questions that follow, are left ridiculous; and the Maids at Algate, whom hee flouts, are likely to have more witt then the Servingman at Addlegate.
Wheras hee taxes me of adding to the Scripture in that I said, Love only is the fulfilling of every Commandment, I cited no particular Scripture, but spake a general sense, which might bee collected from many places. For seeing love includes Faith, what is ther that can fulfill every Commandment but only love? And I meant, as any intelligent Reader might apprehend, every positive and civil commandment, wherof Christ hath taught us that man is the Lord. It is not the formal duty of worship, or the sitting still, that keeps the holy rest of Sabbath; but whosoever doth most according to charity, whether hee work or work not; he breaks the holy rest of Sabbath least. So Mariage beeing a civil Ordinance made for man, not man for it; hee who doth that which most accords with charity, first to himself, next to whom hee next ows it, whether in mariage or divorce, hee breaks the Ordinance of mariage least. And what in Re-
