not only men, but good men, doe stand upon their right, their estimation, their dignity, in all other actions and deportments with warrant anough and good conscience, as having the image of God in them, it will not be difficult to determin what is unworthy and unseemly for a man to do or suffer in wedlock; and the like proportionally may be found for woman: if we love not to stand disputing below the principles of humanity. He that said, Male and female created he them, immediatly before that said also in the same verse, In the image of God created he him, and redoubl'd it, that our thoughts might not be so full of dregs as to urge this poor consideration of male and female, without remembring the noblenes of that former repetition; lest when God sends a wise eye to examin our triviall glosses, they be found extremly to creep upon the ground: especially since they confesse that what here concerns mariage is but a brief touch, only preparative to the institution which follows more expressely in the next Chapter: and that Christ so took it, as desiring to be briefest with them who came to tempt him, account shall be given in due place.
This declares another end of Matrimony, the propagation of mankind: and is again repeated to Noah and his sons. Many things might be noted on this place not ordinary, nor unworth the noting; but I undertook not a generall Comment. Hence therefore we see the desire of children is honest and pious; if we be not lesse zealous in our Christianity, then Plato was in his heathenism; who in the sixt of his laws, counts off-spring therefore desirable, that we may leav in our stead sons of our sons, continuall servants of God: a religious and prudent desire, if people knew as well what were requir'd to breeding as to begetting; which desire perhaps was a cause why the Jews hardly could endure a barren wedlock: and Philo in his book of speciall Laws, esteems him only worth pardon that sends not barrennes away. Carvilius the first recorded in Rome to have sought divorce, had it granted him for the barrennes of his wife, upon his oath that he maried to the end he might have children; as Dionysius and Gellius are authors. But to dismisse a wife only for barrennes, is hard: and yet in som the desire of children is so great, and so just, yea somtime so necessary, that to condemn such a one to a childles age, the fault apparently not being in him, might seem perhaps more strict then
