thority of parliament: nor fhould I believe it one jot the lefs, if the efforts of their Arian and Socinian adverfaries were to fuc-*• ceed, and the parliament was to declare their obligation upon men's confciences, as well as the articles themfelves, and all things contained therein" null and void "to all intents and purposes whatsoever; 66 any law or ufage to the contrary notwithstanding.

There is a fatute which has been before mentioned, viz. 31 Hen. VIII. c. 14. which makes it felony, without benefit of clergy, to affert that the communion in both kinds is neceffary to the laity, or ought to be administered or received but this law could have no effect upon the nature of the ordinance as in GoD's fight.So 1 Jac. c. 11. makes a man a felon, and to fuffer death, for having two wives together-but ean this be proved to affect fuch a marriage, or to make it null and void or finful in GOD's fight? The only way to prove that either of thefe laws are binding on men's confciences, is, to prove that they harmonize with God's truth as revealed in the fcripture, otherwife one is just as much unauthorized as the other.

As to mere circumftantials, which refpect outward order and decency, as they are no part of the ordinances themselves, they may be under the appointment and con

troul

troul of man. So when our Rubric fays, that there fhall be "a table with a fair "white linen cloth upon it" at the administration of the facrament of the LORD'S Supper and again, with refpect to baptifm: that without great cause and neceffity, "the people fhall be warned that they :

procure not their children to be bap"tized at home in their houses"-I fee no fort of harm in all this; but if the act of parliament, which confirmed the Rubric, had gone on" And be it enacted, that if: "the facrament of the LORD's fupper be "adminiftered without fuch fair white "linen cloth upon the table, or baptifm be "administered in private houses, unless "for fuch great caufe and neceffity afore"faid, fuch facraments of the LORD's fupper, and baptifm, fo administered, fhall be

utterly null and void to the receivers of "the fame, to all intents and purpofes what-. "foever"-this had been an attack upon the ordinances and truths of fcripture-not a lawful and authorized ftatute. Let this reafoning be applied to the question of marriage, as it is a civil contract, and as.

fuch

The outward contract between the parties, is certainly of a civil nature, and ought to belong to the civil magiftrate. In this refpect, the clergy have no more to do with it than they have with fines and recoveries, or any other temporal caufes. The pay

ment

fuch the object of human laws—and as it is a divine inftitution, and as such not the object of human laws-then it may easily be determined how far these ought to be binding on the confciences of men, where marriage is concerned.

ment of the or dowry (fee before, vol. i. p. 26.) among the Jews, which was in nature of a civil contract, was tranfacted between the man and the damfel's father; but had nothing to do with the priests and Levites, nor was it any part of the Temple fervice,

CHAP.

CHAP. VIII.

Of SUPERSTITION, more especially relating to the Subjects treated in this Book.

WH

WHEN man fell from Gon by difobedience, in ftriving to make himfelf wiser than GOD had made him, and that by a means which God had forbidden, he loft that image of knowledge and wisdom in which he was originally created. (Comp, Gen. i, 26. Col. iii. 10.) The only means of any reftoration to this, muft be by revelation; for as man by tranfgreffion had brought darkness into his foul, as well as guilt, this could never have been removed by any powers of the human will or understanding; HE alone who created the material light, could dispel the clouds in which the human mind was involved, and cause once more the light of the knowledge of the glory of GoD to thine into the defolate and benighted heart of man. Nothing could have discovered any traces of the divine

*

"God hath giyen out to us the whole of His mind and counsel concerning us in writing, as a "merciful and ftedfast relief against all that confufion, darkness, and uncertainty, which the va

"nity,

divine mind and will, but thofe gracious declarations of them, for which fallen man ftands folely indebted to the free and gratuitous interpofition of divine mercy and goodness. For what man knoweth the things of a man, fave the spirit of man which is in him? Even fo the things of GOD none (des) knoweth-but the Spirit of GoD. I Cor. ii. 11.-Who bath known the mind of the LORD, and who hath been His counfellor? Rom. xi. 34.-My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, faith the LORD; for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. If. lv. 8, 9.-Canft thou by Searching find out GOD, canft thou find out the ALMIGHTY to perfection? It is as high as heaven, what canft thou do?-deeper than bell, what canft thou know? Job xi. 7, 8.

This is giving us fair warning of our deplorable ignorance with refpect to GoD and His will and ways.-Still-vain man would be wife, though man be born like a

"nity, folly, and loofenefs of the minds of men, "drawn out and heightened by the unfpeakable al"terations which fall out amongst them, would "otherwise certainly have run into." Dr. Owen on the Scriptures, p. 28. to which we may add-which they have run into by leaving the written word.

VOL. II.

H

wild