his putting away, meerly that he may marry again. Christ teaches not contrary to Moses, the justice of divorce hath Christ the asserter: he would not have mariage separat, nor kept with ignominy, permitting then a divorce; and guesses that this vehemence of our Saviours sentence was cheifly bent against Herod, as was cited before. Which leavs it evident how Tertullian interpreted this prohibition of our Saviour: for wheras the text is, Whosoever putteth away and marieth another, wherfore should Tertullian explain it, Whosoever putteth away that he may marry another, but to signify this opinion that our Saviour did not forbidd divorce from an unworthy yoke, but forbidd the malice or the lust of a needles change and cheifly those plotted divorces then in use.
Origen in the next century testifies to have known certain who had the government of Churches in his time, who permitted som to marry, while yet their former husbands liv'd, and excuses the deed, as don not without cause, though without Scripture, which confirms that cause not to be adultery; for how then was it against Scripture that they maried again. And a little beneath, for I cite his 7. homily on Matthew, saith he, To endure faults wors then adultery and fornication, seems a thing unreasonable, and disputes therefore that Christ did not speak by way of precept, but as it were expounding. By which and the like speeches Origen declares his mind farre from thinking that our Saviour confin'd all the causes of divorce to actual adultery.
Lactantius of the age that succeeded speaking of this matter in the 6. of his institutions, hath these words. But lest any think he may circumscribe divine precepts, let this be added, that all misinterpreting, and occasion of fraud, or death may be remov'd, he commits adultery who marries the divorc't wife, and, besides the crime of adultery, divorces a wife that he may marry another. To divorce and marry another, and to divorce that he may marry another, are two different things; and imply that Lanctantius thought not this place the forbidding of all necessary divorce, but such only as proceeded from the wanton desire of a future chois, not from the burden of a present affliction.
About this time the Councel of Eliberis in Spain decreed the husband excommunicat, If he kept his wife being an adultress; but if he left her, he might after ten yeares be receav'd into communion, if he retain'd her any while in his house after the adultery known. The councel of Neocæsærea in the year 314. decreed, that if the wife of any Laic were convicted of adultery, that man could not be admitted into the ministery: if after ordination it
