238. How doth defire of revenge tend to take away life? A As it is accompanied with an inward habitual impre cation of fome visible or remarkable judgement upon the perfon who is the object of it, quite contrary to the command of God, Rom. xii. 1. Avenge not yourselves ;-for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, faith the Lord.

2 39. How may we be guilty of what tendeth to take away the life of our neighbour with our tongues?

A. By bitter and provoking words, Prov. xii. 18.; or, threatening, reviling, and deriding fpeeches Mat. v. 22. 2. 40. How may we be guilty this way by our actions? A. By oppreffion, 'Ezek xviii 18.; quarrelling Gal. v. 15.; ftriking or wounding, Numb. xxxv. 27. and the like. Q4. What may we learn from this commandment? A. That however innocent we may be of the actual blood fhedding of others, yet we are ftill chargeable with the worst kind of murder, even that of our own fouls, while we will not come to Chrift, that we might have life, John v. 40.; he being the only living and true way, chap. xiv. 6.; and no other name under heaven given among men whereby we anust be faved, Acts iv. 12.

70. QUEST. Which is the feventh command

ment?

ANSW. The feventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

71. QUEST.What is required in the feventh commandment?

ANSW. The feventh commandment requireth, the prefervation of our own and our neighbours chastity in heart, fpeech, and behaviour.

Q. 1. What is [chaftity]?

A. It is an abhorrence of all uncleannefs, whether in the dy, or in the mind and affections, Job xxxi 1.

22. What doth this commandment require with referce to fuch chakity?

A. [The prefervation] of it, both in ourselves, and in our neighbours.

3. What is the best means for preferving our own and our neighbour's chastity?

A. The nourishing in our minds and confciences a continual regard, reverence, and awe of the divine Majesty, and a fear of difpleafing him, Prov. v. 20, 21.

24-What inflitence will this have upon the prefervation of chastity?

A. It will make us boldly refift all affaults or attacks that may be made upon it; as in the inftance of Jofeph, when folicited by his master's wife to lie with her, he refused; and faid—How can I do this great wickedness, and fin against God? Gen. xxxix. 7, 8, 9.

Q. 5. Wherein are we to preferve [our own and our neighbour's chastity]?

A. [In heart, fpeech, and behaviour.]

9. 6. How ought we [in heart] to preferve our own challity?

A By refifting the very firft emotions of luft in the foul, Prov iv. 23. by repelling all wanton imaginations, Mat. v. 28.; and by effaying both thefe in way of praying to God that he would turn away our hearts and eyes from beholding vanity, Pfal. cxix. 37.

Q7. How ought we to preferve our [neighbour's chaf tity] in our heart?

A. Not only by an ardent wishing the preservation thereof, but by loving one another with a pure heart fervently. 2 Pet. i. 22.

28 How ought we to preferve our own and our neighbour's chastity in our [fpeech]?

A. by letting no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouth, but that which is good, to the ufe of edifying, that it may minifter grace unto the hearers, Eph. iv. zc.

2. 9. How fhould we do this in our [behaviour] ?

A. By fuch an uniform modesty in our conduct and deportment, as may evidence that every one of us doth poffefs his veffel, that is, his body], in fanctification and honour, 1 Thef. iv. 4.

Q10. Why should we be fo careful to preferve our chastity?

A. Because we should study to have our bodies to be the temples of the Holy Ghoft, and therefore fhould keep them

free from thefe pollutions which are fo provoking to a holy God, 1.Cor. vi. 19.

2. 1. What is the ordinary mean of divine appointment for the prefervation of chastity?

A. Lawful wedlock or marriage, 1 Cor. vii. 2, Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Q. 12. When was marriage firft instituted?

A. Before the fall, in paradise, Gen. ii. 24.

2. 13. For what end was it instituted?

A.

For the mutual help of husband and wife, Gen. ii. 18; for the increase of mankind with a legitimate iffue, and of the church with a holy feed, Mal. ii. 15.; and for preventing uncleannefs, 2 Cor. vii. 2. *

2. 14. What is neceffary to conftitute marriage?

A. The voluntary and mutual confent of both parties; Gen xxiv. 18, 67.

215. Who may lawfully marry?

A. All forts of people, who are able, with judgement to give their confent,' Heb. xiii. 4. Marriage is honourable in all t.

Q. 16. What is the duty of Chriftians with reference to marriage?

A. It is to marry only in the Lord, 1 Cor. vii. 29.

Q. What is the native import of marrying only in the Lord?

A. It plainly imports, that fuch as profefs the true reformed religion fhould not marry with infidels, Papists, or • other idolaters: neither should fuch as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with fuch as are notoriously wicked in their life, or maintain damnable herefies .' 2. 18. What is an inceftuous marriage?

A. It is that which is within the degrees of confanguinity, or.affinity, forbidden in the word, Lev. xviii. 6-18.

2. 19. What is the meaning of the words confanguinity and affinity?

A. CONSANGUINITY is a relation by blood, being betwixt perfons defcended from the fame family: AFFINITY is an alliance by marriage, between perfons who are not blood. relations before.

Confeffion of Faith, chap. xxiv. felt. 2.
Ibid, with the fcripture proofs.

+ Ibidem.fect. 3.

2, 20. What is the general rule for preventing incestuous marriages?

A. The man may not marry any of his wife's kindred · nearer in blood than he may of his own; nor the woman ⚫ of her husband's kindred nearer in blood than of her own**

Q. 21. Is it proper to call marriage a HOLY eftate?

A. No; because they who are without the vifible church, fuch as Heathens, Turks, and Jews, may marry as well as the profeffed members thereof, Heb. xiii. 4.

Q22. Was marriage inftituted to fignify the mystical union that is between Chrift and his church,' as the book of common prayer affirms ?

A. No; because this borders too near upon making marriage a facrament, as the Papifts do; in as much as an outward vifible fign, of divine inftitution, and a fpiritual benefit fignified thereby, would make it partake of the nature of a facrament.

Q. 23. Doth not the apoftle make it a fignificant fign, when he fays, Hufband's, love your wives, even as Chrift loved the church, Eph. v. 25.?

A. He exhorts hufbands to have fuch a love to their wives, as may bear a faint resemblance, in some respects, to the love of Chrift; but does not make the one fign fig. nificant of the other.

Q. 24. Is not marriage called a great mystery, ver. 32.? A. It is not marriage that is called a great mystery, but the union that is between Chrift and the members of his mystical body; as will appear by reading the whole verse, This is a great mystery; but I fpeak concerning CHRIST and the

CHURCH.

72.QUEST.What is forbidden in the feventh commandment ?

ANSW. The feventh commandment forbiddeth, all unchafte thoughts, words, and actions.

2. 1. What is forbidden in this commandment under the name of ADULTERY?

• Confeffion of Faith, chap, xxiv. fett. 31
R

PART II,

A. All forts of unchastity or uncleanness of what kind, or in what manner foever committed, Eph. v 3.

Q. 2. In what refpects may perfons be guilty of unchaf tity or uncleanness ?

A. They may be guilty this way, in their [thoughts,words, and actions]

23. When are perfons chargeable before God with unchafte thoughts]? !

A. When luftful defires are entertained and gratified in the mind; and, as it were, acted in the imagination, Prov. vi. 18. Mat. v. 28

Q4. What are the ufual incentives to unchafte thoughts? A. Lafcivious fongs, books, pictures, dancings, ftage. plays,' and the like *.

Q.5 What influence have ftage plays upon fomenting unchale thoughts

A. They are generally ftuffed with fuch amorous adventures, many of them of a moft criminal nature, that they have a native tendency to debauch and defile the mind. If no corrupt communication is to proceed out of our mouth, according to Eph. iv. 29. neither ought we to lif ten to it with our ears, as is done by those who attend the profane diverfions of the stage.

2. 6. What is meant by unchafte [words]?

A All filthy, obfcene, or fmutty difcourfe; than which, nothing can be more grating and difagreeable to modeft ears, Eph. v. 4.

27. What are the unchafte [actions] that are forbid. den in this commandment?

A. Befides feveral others, that ought not to be named among Heathens far lefs Chriftians; there are thefe following, poligamy, unjuft divorce, fornication, and adultery, properly fo called.

Q. 8. What is POLIGAMY?

A. It is the having more wives or husbands than one, at the fame time, Mal. ii. 14.

Q. 9. Is this a fin contrary to the law of nature ?

A. Yes; for it is contrary to the firft inftitution of marage; God having created but one woman, as an help meet or man, Gen. ii. 22-25. compared with Mat. xix. 5, 6. 2. 10. Is it a fin prohibited in fcripture?

Larger Cat, Quest. 139.