A10322:53
A defence of the judgment of the Reformed churches. That a man may lawfully…A defence of the iudgment of the Reformed churches. That a man may lawfullie…
A defence of the judgment of the Reformed churches. That a man may lawfully not only put away his wife for her adultery, but also marry another. / Wherein both Robert Bellarmin the Jesuits Latin treatise, and an English pamphlet of a nameless author maintaining the contrary are co[n]futed by John Raynolds. A taste of Bellarmins dealing in controversies of religion: how he depraveth Scriptures, misalleagthe [sic] fathers, and abuseth reasons to the perverting of the truth of God, and poisoning of his Church with error..A defence of the iudgment of the Reformed churches. That a man may lawfullie not onelie put awaie his wife for her adulterie, but also marrie another. / Wherin both Robert Bellarmin the Iesuites Latin treatise, and an English pamphlet of a namelesse author mainteyning the contrarie are co[n]futed by Iohn Raynolds. A taste of Bellarmins dealing in controversies of religion: how he depraveth Scriptures, misalleagthe [sic] fathers, and abuseth reasons to the perverting of the truth of God, and poisoning of his Churche with errour..
Dordrecht: printed by George Walters, 1609
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
perhaps for perspicuity & commodiousness of giving other men thereby to understand the rather that both the words going before, and coming after were qualified with saith the Lord. which is to be likewise thought of the exception placed by our Saviour between the two branches of his speech. And that with soe much greater reason, in my judgment because if he had placed it after the later And shall marry another, the words▪ 1Except for whoredom might have seemed to signify that it were lawful for a man having put away his wife for any cause,2 to marry another, if he could not contain; as it is written4 because of whoredom, let every man have his wife: where now, the exception being set before (the pharisees whose question Christ therein did answer) could gather no such poison out of his words: to feed their error: but they must needs acknowledge this to be his doctrine, that a man may not put away his wife for every cause, and marry another, but for whoredom only. As for Christs omitting of the exception afterward, Bellarmin himself will quickly see there might be another cause thereof, if he consider how S. Paul repeating this doctrine of Christ doth wholly omit the exception, which nevertheless must needs be supplied and understood. For why doth S. Paul say that to married persons, othe Lord gave commandment; Let not the wife depart from her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife; without adding to either part, except it be for whoredom, which the Lord did add? Bellarmi•s greatest pDoctor saith that he omitted it because it•was very well known, most notorious. If then S, Paul had reason to omit it wholly because it was so well known: How much more justly might Christ in part omit it for the same cause, having mentioned it immediately before, & made it known thereby? Chiefly s•ing that as he framed his speech to mens understanding, so did he follow the common use of men therein. And if I should say upon the like occasion whosoever draweth his sword, except he be a magistrate, and killeth a man committeth murder; and whosoever abetteth him that killeth a man committeth murder: what man of sense and reason would not think I meant that the exception set down in the former sentence touching manquellers pertaineth