Page:Tetrachordon - Milton (1645).djvu/51

 might have lookt better before to her breeding under religious Parents: why did hee not more diligently inquire into her manners, into what company she kept? every glance of her eye, every step of her gate would have propheci'd adultery, if the quick sent of these discerners had bin took along; they had the divination to have foretold you all this; as they have now the divinity to punish an error inhumanly. As good reason to be content, and forc't to bee content with your adultress, if these objecters might be the judges of human frailtie. But God more mild and good to man, then man to his brother, in all this liberty givn to divorcement, mentions not a word of our past errors and mistakes, if any were, which these men objecting from their own inventions, prosecute with all violence and iniquity. For if the one bee to look so narrowly what hee takes, at the peril of ever keeping, why should not the other bee made as wary what is promis'd, by the peril of loosing? for without those promises the treaty of mariage had not proceeded. Why should his own error bind him, rather then the others fraud acquit him? Let the buyer beware, saith the old Law-beaten termer. Belike then ther is no more honesty, nor ingenuity in the bargain of a wedloc, then in the buying of a colt: Wee must it seems drive it on as craftily with those whose affinity wee seek, as if they were a pack of sale men and complotters. But the deceiver deceivs himself in the unprosperous mariage, and therin is sufficiently punisht. I answer, that the most of those who deceiv, are such as either understand not, or value not the true purposes of mariage; they have the prey they seek, not the punishment: yet say it prove to them som cross, it is not equal that error and fraud should bee linkt in the same degree of forfeture, but rather that error should be acquitted, and fraud bereav'd his morsel: if the mistake were not on both sides, for then on both sides the acquitment will bee reasonable, if the bondage be intolerable; which this Law graciously determins, not unmindful of the wife, as was granted willingly to the common Expositors, though beyond the letter of this law, yet not beyond the spirit of charity.

Tenthly, Mariage is a solemn thing, som say a holy, the resemblance of Christ and his Church; and so indeed it is where the persons are truly religious; and wee know all Sacred things not perform'd sincerely as they ought, are no way acceptable to God in thir outward formality. And that wherin it differs from personal duties, if they be Rh