Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace…

For the 1. That Believers may thus go wrong, we shall confirm it from 4. Instances; The 1. whereof is, That frequent and famous instance of Bigamy and Polygamy, or marrying of two or of moe wives, in the Old Testament amongst the Fathers and Saints; we are far from aggredging their failing in this▪ and from making it in them so very odious, yea, we think it may be in some ⟨p. 72⟩respect justly extenuated, and far removed from that degree of sinfulness that it would be among us, and might possibly in some cases had a Dispensation in them; Yet considering 1. The nature of the thing, and the institution of marriage, and that of Mal. 2. 15. That he made but one man, and one woman for the man, that he might have a godly▪ seed, neither can the multiplication of mankind have sufficient weight to make it simply to be no sin. 2dly. Considering the frequency of it, or its being in so many, that it became almost ordinary; And 3dly. Considering the effects that followed on it, viz. The many discontents and heart-burnings amongst the Wives and Children in the Families of Abraham and Jacob; It cannot absolutely be excused, in all Cases and Circumstances, else it should make an extraordinary dispensation (if indeed it was) to be very ordinary, which we have no warrant for. A 2d. Instance is in Jobs friends, who were (no question) gracious men, (as the Lords accepting of them, and Job for them, Job 42. 8. showeth) yet that they Erred, and were wrong in a Truth in their Judgements, is clear from v. 7. of that Chapter, where the Lord telleth them that they had not spoken right as his servant Job had done; And that they did very un-tenderly handle Job, is also clear. The 3d. Instance is in the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord, They were Believers no doubt, according to Christ's own Testimony given them, John 17. 8. And yet we will find them in several things thinking themselves to be right, and that with some sort of persuasion, when yet they were wrong; As in that one tenet concerning the nature of Christ's Kingdom, which they fancied was to be with some earthly Grandeur and Pomp, and wherein they expected some Worldly Credit, and Greatness; and in that of Peter,