His faults are, 1.1 He corrupted the ordinance of marriage by taking two wives; God at first made but one man and one woman and joined them together, and Adam said, they shall be one flesh, signifying that he conceived it to be the will of God, that one woman should serve for one man, and adds, A man shall forsake Father and ⟨p. 42⟩Mother and cleave to his wife, not wives. But this man would not satisfy himself with Gods appointment, his lust (in all likelihood it was his lust, for what other cause should move him I cannot conjecture) would not be contained within the bounds of lawful matrimony. He dares add a second wife and so bring into the world a painted whoredom, a gilded adultery, a pretended marriage, but indeed a very breach of wedlock. For our Saviour Christ telleth us, that he which putteth away his wife and marrieth another commits adultery, and if that be true as we must confess,2 for his authority sake that spake it, then without all question he that keepeth his former wife still and will needs take another to her, is guilty too of committing adultery. The reason is clear and cannot be denied. For if it were not adultery to have more women then one at one time, then the taking of another wife upon a causeless divorce should not deserve that odious title, and if it be so, polygamy must needs take the same title to it self. This was therefore a grievous audaciousness in this wicked man, that he would leap over the poles as it were which God had fixed. The thing was naught, and his doing it first before others made it worse in him, and made him guilty of their faults that after followed it upon his example. For indeed it was quickly taken up and practised in the world, insomuch that it continued to the time of Abraham, and was practised also by him as a thing not reputed sinful. For when sin hath gotten years and examples upon its back it doth many times cease to be counted what it is, and goes under the repute of a lawful thing, though it be in it self even somewhat evidently unlawful; because partly the mind of man corrupted by the pleasing or profitable effects of it, is willing not to think it sin, and the judgement is easily swayed by the will, and partly because the example of men doth work too much to draw unto evil, as an heavy thing is easily cast downward.
His faults are, 1.1 He corrupted the ordinance of marriage by taking two wives; God at first made but one man and one woman and joyned them together, and Adam said, they shall be one flesh, signifying that hee conceived it to be the will of God, that one woman should serve for one man, and addes, A man shall forsake Father and ⟨p. 42⟩Mother and cleave to his wife, not wives. But this man would not satisfie himselfe with Gods appointment, his lust (in all likelihood it was his lust, for what other cause should move him I cannot conjecture) would not be contained within the bounds of lawfull matrimonie. He dares adde a second wife and so bring into the world a painted whoredome, a guilded adultery, a pretended marriage, but indeed a very breach of wedlock. For our Saviour Christ telleth us, that he which putteth away his wife and marrieth another commits adultery, and if that be true as we must confesse,2 for his authority sake that spake it, then without all question hee that keepeth his former wife still and will needs take another to her, is guilty too of committing adultery. The reason is cleare and cannot be denied. For if it were not adultery to have more women then one at one time, then the taking of another wife upon a causelesse divorce should not deserve that odious title, and if it be so, poligamy must needs take the same title to it selfe. This was therefore a grievous audaciousnesse in this wicked man, that hee would leape over the poles as it were which God had fixed. The thing was naught, and his doing it first before others made it worse in him, and made him guilty of their faults that after followed it upon his example. For indeed it was quickly taken up and practised in the world, insomuch that it continued to the time of Abraham, and was practised also by him as a thing not reputed sinfull. For when sinne hath gotten yeeres and examples upon its backe it doth many times cease to be counted what it is, and goes under the repute of a lawfull thing, though it be in it selfe even somewhat evidently unlawfull; because partly the minde of man corrupted by the pleasing or profitable effects of it, is willing not to thinke it sinne, and the judgement is easily sweyed by the will, and partly because the example of men doth worke too much to draw unto evill, as an heavie thing is easily cast downeward.
- 1Lamechs faults, His Polygamy, the first beginner of it.
- 2Luke 16.18.
