A10322:67
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.
For the first of them is in the fifth of Matthew fWhosoever shall putt away his wife, except it for whoredom, doth cause her to commit adultery, And whoso marrieth her that is put away doth commit adultery, These words (saith Bellarmin; and look what Bellarmin saith the pamphleteer saith with him, so that one of their names may serve for both and reason Bellarmin have the honour) These words. And whoso marrieth her that is put away doth commit adultery, must be either generally taken without exception, or with the exception. Except it be for whoredom. If generally, Then he who marrieth her that is put away, even for whoredom too, doth commit adultery. The band then of Marriage is not dissolved and loosed by her putting away: but company debarred only. For he that marrieth her should not commit adultery unless she were bound yet to her former husband. And thus far Bellarmin saith well; but superfluously. For the words may not be generally taken, sith they have relation to the former sentence, whereto they are coupled; and that sentence speaketh of her which is put away except for whore dome. Their meaning then must needs be that he who marrieth her which is so put away doth commit adultery. Neither could Bellarmin be ignorant hereof, or doubt with any likely hood, but that this is our judgment, and would be our answer. Wherefore his two forked dispute about the words, was a flourish only to make us a frayde: as if he fought with a two hand sword, which would kill all that came in his way. But now he goeth forward upon his enemies pike, & layeth about him on the other side. If the words must be taken with the exception: then he that marrieth a whore put away from her husband, committeth not adultery. And consequently the whore is in better case then the innocent and chaste. For the whore is free and may be married, whereas the innocent that is unjustly put away, can neither have ⟨p. 21⟩her former husband, nor marry another. But this most absurd, that the law of Christ being most just, would have her to be in better case and state, that is justly put away, then her that is unjustly. For answer unto which reason of Bellarmin, I would spur him a question, whether by the Popes law, which forbiddeth a man that ghath been twice married, orh