Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/493

 bah power to &maul' any of tho impediments reelfished in Levitious, and can add new ones, and dissolve any now in use. Thus the coum,. cil umlertekes to add to, or annul the laws of Cod. In proof of the doctrine of the council, B,iily argues, "The chunh can exercise tjte power which the sposdes exercised, as 'ministers of the church: bu the apostles, as ministers of the church, have dete,nslned on impedi- ments which dissolve marriage. For St. Paul (10or. vii, 15) intro- duces an impediment which is called disparity of w(wship: for there he permits the believing wife to depart from the unbelieving husband. If the unbeliever depart, let him depart, for a brother or a sister is not in subjection in such a case: '�t the Church of Pome possessed such power as the apostles did, guided by plenary inspiration, is glar* mgly absurd, and cannot for a moment be admitted: because it would follow that the church could chauge the nature of' the sacraments, as well as add to, and subtract from, the word of God. In regard to the text of Scripture quoted above, it is proper to re- mark, that St. Paul does not give liberty to one pe. rty, at pleasure to renounce the other, as though they were no longer man and wife; for he says, if the in_el party be content to dwell with the other, he or she is not to put the other away. His meaning is, that if tim infidel party wilfully depart, the other is not bound to perform the mutual duties of marriage. And if the infidel be content to dwell with the Christian, she is not to forsake him; and the reason given is, "What howest thou, 0 wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband." The pope or a general council, but rather the former, is the person to make these dispensations. 2. The imp?.di.ments which they throw in the way of marriage are various, the pnnczpal of which is the reception of holy orders, or of' a religions life, as they call it. This they have added to the Levitical law, as well as to the prohibitions of the New Testament. The de- ,rees of ajity too have been made void by thom in numberless cases. The pope granted Henry VIII. a dispensation to marry his brothers wife while he was yet a true (3atholic; and the sovereigu pontiff would have granted him one or more subsequent divorces, had the politics of Henry suited his views, or could he have done as without breaking with the emperor of Germany. They say that separation from bed and board may be admitted for several reasons, such as adubry, Aerf, &c., &c. But according to Scripture, fornication is the only exception. "For whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication," &c., Matt. v, 3'2, and xix, 9. It is unlawful for Christians to marry withiu the degrees prohibited by Scripture; nor can any human power dispense with such marriages; for the equity of the law is founded on nature, and is of perpetual force. Wherefore the pope of Pome, iu grnting such dispensations, hath erred egregiously. The following are the reasons: I. The ressoft of the law was, (Lev. xviii, 24,) that they should not &fib tAem in any one of these things, because the Centties in this de61ed themselves, and were cast out before the chihtren of Israel on that aecount. Therefore it is a perperu-! law. 2. John the Bsptis  to Herod, "It is not Jawhi br dies to here thy brotber's wife ;"therefore the hw forbidding
 * De Matt., e. iT, min. vip. Ol. 1

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