A care-cloth

AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER.

Understand, good Reader, that in a former Treatise about the duties of the married, entitled, A Bride bush, I did occasionally deliver two positions: One this; The sin of adultery dissolveth the bond, and annihilateth the covenant of Matrimony. Another this; The sin of wilful desertion doth likewise dissolve the bond of Matrimony. Give me leave now to advertise thee of such reasons, as have been objected unto me against these two positions. Against the first thus: Whatsoever man and woman may lawfully converse together in matrimonial society, betwixt them the bond of matrimony remaineth undissolved: for upon this bond, the lawfulness of that society depends, as upon the next and immediate cause thereof. Now man and wife, even after the sin of adultery committed by one, or both of them, may lawfully converse together in matrimonial society: For who can think, that David sinned, in knowing any other of his wives, after his offence with Bathsheba? Or if any man or woman having transgressed in this kind so secretly, that none doth know of it, shall after forsake the sin, and without revealing it to the yoke-fellow, continue to render due benevolence; who can say, that such society is unlawful? Therefore betwixt ⟨image 9⟩man and wife, even after the sin of adultery, the bond of marriage remaineth undissolved, and therefore the contrary position ought not to be holden. Against the second thus: He that puts away his wife not for whoredom, and marries another, is guilty of wilful desertion, (yea, and of adultery too:) For, is it not all one to depart from ones wife, with a mind of never returning, and to put away his wife from him, with a mind of never reaccepting her? Now after such putting away of a mans wife, and marrying another, the bond of matrimony remaineth undissolved: for our Saviour saith, That he which marries a woman so put away,¹