is the head of Christ, and Christ the head of man, so man is the head of woman; I cannot see by this golden dependance of headship and subjection, but that Piety and Religion is the main tye of Christian Matrimony: so as if there be found between the pair a notorious disparity either of wickednes or heresie, the Husband by all manner of right is disingag'd from a creature, not made and inflicted on him to the vexation of his righteousnes; the wife also, as her subjection is terminated in the Lord, being her self the redeem'd of Christ, is not still bound to be the vassall of him, who is the bondslave of Satan: she being now neither the image nor the glory of such a person, nor made for him, nor left in bondage to him; but hath recours to the wing of charity, and protection of the Church; unless there be a hope on either side; yet such a hope must be meant, as may be a rationall hope, and not an endles servitude. Of which hereafter.
But usually it is objected, that if it be thus, then there can be no true mariage between misbeleevers and irreligious persons? I might answer, let them see to that who are such; the Church hath no commission to judge those without, 1 Cor. 5. But this they will say perhaps, is but penuriously to resolv a doubt. I answer therefore, that where they are both irreligious, the mariage may be yet true anough to them in a civill relation. For there are left som remains of Gods image in man, as he is meerly man; which reason God gives against the shedding of mans bloud, Gen. 9. as being made in Gods image, without expression whether he were a good man or a bad, to exempt the slayer from punishment. So that in those mariages where the parties are alike void of Religion, the wife owes a civill homage and subjection, the husband owes a civill loyalty. But where the yoke is mis-yok't, heretick with faithfull, godly with ungodly, to the grievance and manifest endangering of a brother or sister, reasons of a higher strain than matrimoniall bear sway; unlesse the Gospel instead of freeing us, debase it self to make us bondmen, and suffer evill to controule good.
[Male and female created he them.] This contains another end of matching man and woman, being the right and lawfulnes of the mariage-bed; though much inferior to the former end of her being his image and helpe in religious society. And who of weakest insight may not see that this creating of them male and female, cannot in any order of reason, or Christianity, be of such moment against the better and higher purposes of their creation, as to enthrall husband or wife to duties or to sufferings, unworthy and unbeseeming the image of God in them? Now when as
