CHAP. XXV. OF MARRIAGE. I. MARRIAGE is to be between one man and one woman neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband, at the same time. a a Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19: 5, 6; Prov. 2: 17. II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife, for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the church with an holy seed, and for preventing unclean d Gen. 2: 18. c Mal. 2 15. b 1 Cor. 7: 2, 9. III. It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their consent; yet it is the duty of Christians to marry in the Lord, and therefore such as profess the true reformed religion, should not marry with infidels, papists, or other idolaters: neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying such as are wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresy." e Heb. 13:4; 1 Tim. 4:3; 1 Cor. 7: 36, 37, 38; Gen. 24: 57, 58. f1 Cor. 7:39. g Gen. 34: 14; Exod. 34:16; Deut. 73, 4; 1 Kings, 11:4; Neh. 13: 25, 26, 27; Mal. 2: 11, 12; 2 Cor. 6: 14. IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden in the Word; nor can such incestuous marriage ever be made lawful by any law of man or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together as man and wife.i h Lev. 18: 1 Cor. 5: 1; Amos, 2: 7. Lev. 18: 24 to 29. i Mark, 6: 18; CHAP. XXVI. OF THE CHURCH. I. THE Catholic or Universal Church which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ, the Head thereof, and the Spouse, the Body, the fullness of Him that filleth all and in all.a a Eph. 1: 10, 22, 23, and 5: 23, 27, 32; Col. 1: 18. II. The whole body of men throughout the world, professing the faith of the Gospel, and obedi с ence unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, they and their children with them, are, and may be called the visible Catholic Church of Christ, although as such it is not intrusted with any officers to rule or govern over the whole body." b 1 Cor. 12; Col. 2: 19; c 1 Tim. 1: 19, 20. d 2 Tim. 2 19; Tit. 1: 16. e1 Cor. 7: 14; Acts, 2: 39; Rom. 11: 16; Gen. 177. f 1 Cor. Ezek. 16: 20, 21; 8 Eph. 4: 8, 11, 12; Rom. 12 6, 7, 8; 1 Cor. 12: 28, 29, 30. III. h The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error, and some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan: Nevertheless Christ always hath had, and ever shall have a visible kingdom in this world, to the end thereof, of such as believe in him, and make profession of his name.k h 1 Cor. 13: 12; Rev. 2d and 3d chapters; Matt. 13: 24 to 30, 42. i Rev. 28: 2; Rom. 11: 18 to 23. k Matt. 16 18; Psal. 72: 17, and 102: 28; Matt. 28: 19, 20. IV. There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ; nor can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition that exalteth himself in the Church against Christ and all that is called God, whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." 1 Col. 1: 18; Eph. 1: 22. Thes. 2: 3, 4, 8, 9; Rev. 13: 6. V. m Matt. 23: 8, 9, 10; 2 As the Lord, in his care and love towards his Church, hath in his infinite wise providence, exercised it with great variety in all ages, for the good of them that love him, and his own glory;" so according to his promise, we expect that in the latter days, Antichrist being destroyed," the Jews called,P and the adversaries of the kingdom of his dear Son broken; the churches of Christ, being enlarged and edified through a free and plentiful communication of light and grace, shall enjoy in this world a more quiet, peaceable, and glorious condition than they have enjoyed. r n Acts, 7:1 to 51, and 14: 22, and 8: 1, with 9: 31. 2 Thes. 2: 8, 9, 10; Rev. 18: 2, 4, 21, and 17: 16. p Rom. 10: 1, and 11: 23 to 32. m Psal. 110: 1, and 2: 9. r Isa. 11:9; Joel, 2: 28, 29; Isa. 2: 2, 3, 4; Mic. 4:3; Psal. 87: 2 to end; Dan. 7: 27. CHAP. XXVII. OF THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. I. ALL saints that are united to Jesus Christ their head by his Spirit and faith, although they are not made thereby one person with him, a have fellowship in his graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory and being united to one another in love, they have communion in each others' gifts and graces, and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man.d a Col. 1: 18, 19; 1 Cor. 86; Isa. 428; 1 Tim. 6: 15, 16; Psal. 45: 7, with Heb. 1: 8, 9. 1 John, 1: 3; Eph. 3: 16 to 19; John, 1: 16; Eph. 2:5, 6; Phil. 3: 10; Rom. 6 5, 6; 2 Tim. 2: 12. c Eph. 415, 16; Col. 2: 19. d1 Thes. 1 John, 3: 16, 17, 18; 1 Cor. 127, and 3: 21, 22, 23; 5: 11, 14; Rom. 1 : 11, 12, 14; Gal. 6: 10. II. All saints are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God, and in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification, as also in relieving each other in outward things according to their several abilities and necessities : |