A. Yes; Lev. xvii. 18. Thou jhalt not take a wife to her fifter, to vex her—in her life time 2. 11. What is the meaning of taking a wife to her fifter? A The meaning is (according to the marginal reading) Thou shalt not take one wife to another; that is, thou thilt not have more wives than one at a time, 22. But may not this be a prohibition of inceft, name. ly, of marrying the wife's fifter? A. No; because it is faid, Thou shalt not do it in her life time; whereas it would be incestuous in a man to marry his fifter in law, after his wife's death, as well as to do it in her life time fo that the meaning is, Thou shalt not take another wife to her whom thou haft married, by which means they would become fifters. Q3. Who was the first poligamift we read of in fcripture ? A.Lamech, of the pofterity of Cain, who had two wives. Gen. iv. 19. Q. 14. Were not feverals of the godly likewife guilty in his matter, as Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, and others? A Yes: but though these and other bad actions of good men be recorded in feripture, they are not approved of, nor propofed for our imitation; but rather fet up as beacons, to prevent our making fhipwreck on the fame rocks. 2. 15. Has not God even teftified his displeasure at the fin of poligamy, in the godly, though we do not read of his reproving them for it in exprefs words? A Yes: he has teftified his displeasure in the courfe of his providence, by the emulations, quarrels, and difturbances that were hereby occafioned in their families; as in the inflances of Sarah and Hagar in Abraham's family, Gen. xxi. 10, 11.; of Leah and Rachel, in Jacob's, Gen. xxx. 1, 15.; and of Hannah and Peninnah, in Elkanah's family, Sam. i. 6. 2. 16. Does not God feem to approve of poligamy, when he fays to David, I give thee thy mafter's wives into thy bofom, z Šam xii, 8 ? A. It being the cuftom of thefe times, for fucceeding kings to take poffeffion of all that belonged to their predeceffors, the meaning is, I have made thee king, in room of Saul, and have given thee the property of all that appertain ed to him but we do not read of David's taking any of Saul's wives into his bed. 2. 17. What is an unjuft DIVORCE? A. It is the profecuting and obtaining a diffolution of marriage upon other grounds than fuch as are warranted in the word of God, and by right reafon. 218. What are the grounds upon which a divorce may be fued for, and obtained, according to the word of God and right reafon? A Although the corruption of man be fuch as is apt 'to ftudy arguments, unduly to put affunder thofe whom God hath joined together in marriage: yet nothing but adultery, or fuch wilful defertion, as can no way be remedied by the church or civil magiftrate, is caufe fufficient of diffolving the bond of marriage, Mat. xix. 8, 9. 1 Cor. vii. 15. * 2. 19. Did not Mofes fuffer the Ifraelites to put away their wives, upon flighter grounds than that of adultery, as may be alleged from Deut. xxiv. 1.? A. Mofes, in the text cited, gives no pofitive command about divorces in such cases; but only in order to restrain the licentious freedom of the Ifraelites, in turning off their wives, at their own hand, upon every trivial occafion, he injoins, that none put away his wife, but upon a legal procefs, or a bill of divorce, obtained in the ordinary course of law; which is the true meaning of the place. 2 ac. Why then doth our Lord tell the Pharifees, Mat. xix. 8. Mofes, becaufe of the hardness of your hearts, fuffered you to put away your wives? A. The meaning is; Mofes, because of the wicked and roalicious difpofition of the Jews, and in order to prevent a greater evil, namely, the ill ufage, or even killing of their hated wives (if they could not be feparated from them) permitted proceffes of divorce to be legally commenced. Q21. Why is it added, but from the beginning it was not fo? A. Becaufe according to the original inftitution of marriage, nothing could diffolve it but the death of one of the parties, Mat. xix. 6. Wherefore they are no more trwain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let ne man put afunder. * Confeffion of Faith, chap. xxiv. fe&. 6. Q22. Is it lawful to marry after a divorce is obtained? A. It is lawful for the innocent party to fue out a divorce; and after the divorce, to marry another, as if the offending party were dead †' 223. Is the innocent party obliged, from Mat. v. 31. to fue for a divorce? A. No: divorces are not injoined as a precept, but allowed as a privilege, which the innocent party may claim, or not, as they please. Q24. What if the adultery be on both fides? A. In that cafe the right of divorce feems to be taken away from each of them. Q 25. What is FORNICATION? A. It is uncleanness committed between a man and a woman, both of them being unmarried; as it would feem Shechem and Dinah were, when guilty this way, Gen. χχχίν. 2. Q. 26. Was this esteemed a fin among the Heathens? A. No: they made light of it (as too many profeffed Chriftians have always done); hence the fynod at Jerufalem injoined the converted Gentiles to abftain from fornication, Acts xv. 29. 2 27. Wherein lies the evil of this fin? A. It defiles the body, 1 Cor. vi 18.; ftupifies the conscience, Hof. iv. 11.; and expofes to eternal wrath and damnation, 1 Cor. vi. 9. 2. 28. What is ADULTERY, properly fo called? A. It is uncleannefs committed betwixt a man and a woman, either both, or one of them at least, in a married relation. 2. 29. What is it commonly called when both the guilty perions are married? A. It is called double adultery, as was the cafe between David and Bethfheba, 2 Sam. xi. 3, 4. Q30. Whether are the confequences to families worst, when the man is married and the woman free; or when the woman is married and the man free? A. The confequences to families feem to be worse when the woman is married; because hereby a man's offspring is corrupted, and his inheritance alienated to a spurious iffue. Confeffion of Faith, chap. xxiv. Self. 5. Q3. What are the aggravations of this heinous fin? A it is a breach of the marriage oath, Mal ii. 14.; an involving of two at once in the fame guilt, 1 Cor vi. 16.; and it is a crime committed after obtaining the remedy which God has provided against it, chap vii. 2. 232. What are the fatal effects of adultery in this life? A. It confumes the boy, Prov v. 11.; waftes a man's eftate, bringing him to a piece of bread, chap. vi. 26.; and it leaves an indelible blot upon his name, His reproach shall not be wiped away, ver. 33. 233. What will be the effect thereof in the life to come? A. Eternal wrath and damnation, if rich mercy and grace prevent it not, Eph. v. 5. 34. How doth God testify his abhorrence of this fin! A. By declaring that he will referve the punishment thereof in his own hand, to be inflicted in a very peculiar manner upon fuch as are guilty of it, Heb. xiii. 4. Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Q. 35. What are the uiual incentives to this, and other acts of uncleannefs? A. Drunkenness, Gen. xix 33.; fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness, Ezek. xvi. 49. 236. What is the evil of idleness? 4. It is a deliberate waiting of precious time, to the manifeft detriment both of foul and body, Eccl. x. 18.; and is a fit feafon for temptations to luft, Prov. vii. 7, 8. Q37. Wherein confists the evil of gluttony? A. It indifpofeth for all duty, both religious and civil, Pro. xxiii 2.; and is a making a god of our belly, Phil iii, 19. 238. What is the evil of drunkenness? A. It deforms the image of God in the foul, by divesting a man of the right ufe of his reafon; and leaves him defenceless against all temptations Prov. xxiii. 29, 30. Q 39. What are the proper remedies against luft, and all the incentives to it? 4. A ferious reflecting upon the all-feeing eye of an infinitely holy God, Gen. xxxix. §.; a walking in the Spirit, whereby we shall be preferved from fulfilling the lufts of the flesh, Gal. v. 16.; keeping a frict watch over our hearts, Prov. iv. 23.; ftudying to fhun all occafions of this fin hy the external fenfes, Job. xxxi. 1.; and fervent prayer to God, to be kept from it, and all temptations to it, Pfal. cxix. 37. 73. QUEST. Which is the eighth command ment? ANSW. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not fleal? 74 QUEST. What is required in the eighth commandment? ANSW. The eighth commandment requireth, the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward eftate of ourselves and others. 21. What is the subject matter of this commandment? A. [The wealth and outward eftate of ourselves and others] Q2. What doth it require with reference to the fe? Q. 3. In what manner doth it injoin us to procure and further them? A. Only in a [lawful] manner; for it requires the LawFUL procuring and furthering of them Q4 Whofe wealth is it we fhould procure and further? A. Our own wealth, and that of others. 2.5. By what lawful means fhould we procure and further OUR OWN wealth? A. By labour and induftry in fome honeft calling, Eph. iv. 28. Q6. What is included in the labour and indufiry we fhould exercife in our respective stations and callings? A. Frugality in managing the affairs of our calling, and a moderate endeavour to recover our own when wrongfully detained from us. 2.7. What is to be understood by frugality in manageing the affairs of our calling? A. Prudence and moderation in our expences, fo as to be fure to spend within our incomes, Prov. xxxi. 16. 2. 8. Is it warrantable to go to law, for recovering our un, when wrongfully detained? |