discover, or discovering could not subdue, no nor indeavour to restrain without multiplying sorrow to them, for whom all was indeavour'd. The guiltles therefore were not depriv'd thir needful redresses, and the hard hearts of others unchastisable in those judicial Courts, were so remitted there, as bound over to the higher Session of Conscience.
Notwithstanding all this, ther is a loud exception against this Law of God, nor can the holy Author save his Law from this exception, that it opens a dore to all licence and confusion. But this is the rudest, I was almost saying the most graceles objection, and with the least reverence to God and Moses, that could be devis'd: This is to cite God before mans Tribunal, to arrogate a wisdom and holines above him. Did not God then foresee what event of licence or confusion could follow? did not hee know how to ponder these abuses with more prevailing respects, in the most eevn ballance of his justice and purenes, till these correctors came up to shew him better? The Law is, if it stirre up sin any way, to stirre it up by forbidding, as one contrary excites another, Rom. 7. but if it once come to provoke sin, by granting licence to sin, according to Laws that have no other honest end, but only to permit the fulfilling of obstinat lust, how is God not made the contradicter of himself? No man denies that best things may bee abus'd: but it is a rule resulting from many pregnant experiences, that what doth most harm in the abusing, us'd rightly doth most good. And such a good to take away from honest men, for beeing abus'd by such as abuse all things, is the greatest abuse of all. That the whole Law is no furder usefull, then as a man uses it lawfully, St. Paul teaches 1 Tim. 1. And that Christian liberty may bee us'd for an occasion to the flesh, the same Apostle confesses, Galat. 5. yet thinks not of removing it for that, but bidds us rather Stand fast in the liberty wherwith Christ hath freed us, and not bee held again in the yoke of bondage. The very permission which Christ gave to divorce for adultery, may bee fouly abus'd, by any whose hardnes of heart can either fain adultery, or dares committ, that hee may divorce. And for this cause the Pope, and hitherto the Church of England, forbid all divorce from the bond of mariage, though for openest adultery. If then it bee righteous to hinder for the fear of abuse, that which Gods Law, notwithstanding that caution, hath warranted to bee don, doth not our righteousness come short of Antichrist, or doe we not rather
