because not to be amended without a miracle. Nor hee who puts away an unquenshable vexation from his bosom, and flies an evil then which a greater cannot befall human society. Nor hee who puts away with the full suffrage and applause of his conscience, not relying on the writt'n bill of law, but claiming by faith and fulnes of perswasion the rights and promises of Gods institution, of which hee finds himselfe in a mistak'n wedlock defrauded. Doubtlesse this man hath baile anough to bee no adulterer giving divorce for these causes.
[His Wife. ] This word is not to be idle here, a meere word without a sense, much less a fallacious word signifying contrary to what it pretends; but faithfully signifies a wife, that is, a comfortable helpe and society, as God instituted; does not signify deceitfully under this name, an intolerable adversary, not a helplesse, unaffectionate and sullen masse whose very company represents the visible and exactest figure of lonelines it selfe. Such an associate he who puts away, divorces not a wife, but disjoyns a nullity which God never joyn'd, if she be neither willing, nor to her proper and requisite duties sufficient, as the words of God institute her. And this also is Bucers explication of this place.
[Except it bee for fornication, or saving for the cause of fornication, as Matt. 5th. ] This declares what kind of causes our Saviour meant; fornication being no natural and perpetual cause, but only accidental and temporary; therefore shewes that head of causes from whence it is excepted, to bee meant of the same sort. For exceptions are not logically deduc't from a divers kind, as to say who so puts away for any naturall cause except fornication, the exception would want salt. And if they understand it, who so for any cause what ever, they cast themselves; granting divorce for frigidity a naturall cause of their own allowing, though not heer exprest, and for desertion without infidelity when as he who marries, as they allow him for a desertion, deserts as well as is deserted, and finally puts away, for another cause besides adultery. It will with all due reason therefore be thus better understood, who so puts away for any accidental and temporary causes, except one of them, which is fornication. Thus this exception finds out the causes from whence it is excepted, to be of the same kind, that is casuall, not continuall.
[Saving for the cause of fornication.] The New Testament, though it be said originally writt in Greeke, yet hath nothing neer so many Atticisms as Hebraisms, & Syriacisms which was the Majesty of God, not filing the tongue of Scripture to a Gentilish Idiom, but in a princely manner off-
