Page:Tetrachordon - Milton (1645).djvu/93

 love as Christ loves his Church; but where the religion is contrary without hope of conversion, there can be no love, no faith, no peacefull society, (they of the other opinion confess it) nay there ought not to be, furder then in expectation of gaining a soul; when that ceases, we know God hath put enmity between the seed of the woman, and the seed of the Serpent. Neither should we love them that hate the Lord, as the Prophet told Jehosaphat. 2 Chron. 19. And this Apostle himselfe in another place, warns us that we be not unequally yokt with Infidels 2 Cor. 6. for that there can be no fellowship, no communion, no concord between such. Outward commerce and civil intercours cannot perhaps be avoided; but true friendship and familiarity there can be none. How vainly therefore, not to say how impiously would the most inward and dear alliance of mariage or continuance in mariage be commanded, where true freindship is confest impossible. For say they, wee are forbidd heer to marry with an infidel, not bid to divorce. But to rob the words thus of their full sense will not be allow'd them: it is not said, enter not into yoke, but be not unequally yokt; which plainly forbids the thing in present act, as well as in purpose; and his manifest conclusion is, not only that we should not touch, but that having toucht, we should come out from among them, and be separat; with the promise of a blessing thereupon that God will receave us, will be our father, and we his sons and daughters. v. 17. 18. Why we should stay with an Infidel after the expence of all our hopes, can be but for a civil relation; but why we should depart from a seducer, setting aside the misconstruction of this place, is from a religious necessity of departing. The wors cause therefore of staying (if it be any cause at all, for civil government forces it not) must not overtop the religious cause of separating, executed with such an urgent zeal, & such a prostrate humiliation by Ezra and Nehemiah. What God hates to joyn, certainly he cannot love should continue joyn'd: it being all one in matter of ill consequence, to marry, or to continue maried with an Infidel, save only so long as we wait willingly, and with a safe hope. St. Paul therefore citing heer a command of the Lord Almighty, for so he terms it, that we should separate, cannot have bound us with that which he calls his own whether command or counsel that we should not separate.

Which is the fourth reason, for he himselfe takes care least we should mistake him, [But to the rest speak I, not the Lord.] If the Lord spake not, then man spake it and man hath no Lordship to command the conscience: yet modern interpreters will have it a command maugre St. Rh