The Practical Works of Richard Baxter: with a Life of the Author and a Critical Examination of His Writings by William Orme

CONTENTS

Q. Whether Marriage be indifferent? Who are called to
marry? Who may not marry?...

Q. What if parents command it to one that it will be a hurt

to? What if I have a corporal necessity, when yet Mar-

riage is like to be a great hurt to my soul? Of parents'

Q. What if parents forbid Marriage to one that cannot live
chastely without it? or when affections are unconquerable?
Q. What if the child have promised Marriage, and the pa-
rents be against it? Of the sense of Numb. xxx. How far
such promise must be kept?

Q. What if the parties be actually married without parents'

consent?

Q. May the aged marry that are frigid, impotent, sterile? ..

The incommodities of a married life to be considered by them

that need restraint....

Especially to ministers

Several cases about marrying with an ungodly person,....

Q. 1. What rule to follow about prohibited degrees of con-
sanguinity. Whether the law of Moses, or of nature, or
the laws of the land or church, &c. ....

Q. 2. What to do if the law of the land forbid more degrees

than Moses's law...

Q. 3. Of the Marriage of cousin germans, beforehand.

Q. 4. What such should do after they are married

....

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33

ibid.

34

Q. 5. What must they after do that are married in the de-
grees not forbidden by name, Lev. xviii. and yet of the
same nearness and reason

Q. 6. If they marry in a degree forbidden, Lev. xviii. may not

necessity make it lawful to continue it, as it made lawful the

marriage of Adam's sons and daughters

ibid.

35

Q. 7. Whether a Vow of Chastity or Celibate may be broken,

and in what cases

36

DISPUTATION, WHETHER THE SOLEMN WORSHIP OF GOD IN AND

BY FAMILIES AS SUCH, BE OF DIVINE APPOINTMENT.

Aff. Proved against the cavils of the profane, and some secta-

The natural obligation on Families to worship God...,

54

Of the frequency and seasons of Family Worship. 1. Whe-

ther it should be every day. 2. Whether twice a day. 3.

Whether morning and evening

General Directions for the Holy Government of Families....

How to keep up authority

Of skill in Governing...

Of holy willingness

CHAPTER V.

Special Motives to persuade men to the Holy Government of

their Families

CHAPTER VI.

Motives for a holy and careful Education of Children

CHAPTER VII.

The mutual Duties of Husbands and Wives towards each

other

How to maintain due conjugal Love

116

117

Motives and means to further each others' salvation

The special Duties of Husbands to their Wives

141

CHAPTER IX.

PAGE

The special Duty of Wives to their Husbands

Q. How far may a wife give, without her husband's consent?

Q. Of Wives' propriety.

145

150

151

Q. Is a Wife guilty of her Husband's unlawful getting, if

she keep it? And is she bound to reveal it, (as in robbing?) 152

Q. May a Wife go to hear sermons when her Husband for-
biddeth her?.

Q. Must a woman proceed to admonish a wicked Husband

when it maketh him worse?

Q. What she must do in controverted cases of religion, when

her judgment and her Husband's differ

Q. How long, or in what cases may Husbands and Wives be

distant

.....

Q. May the bare commands of princes separate Husbands and

Wives, (as ministers, judges, soldiers?)

Q. May Ministers leave their Wives to go abroad to preach

the Gospel?

157

....

Q. May one leave a Wife to save his life in case of personal

persecution or danger?

Q. May Husband and Wife part by consent, if they find it to

be for the good of both?

Q. May they consent to be divorced, and to marry others?

Q. Doth Adultery dissolve Marriage?..

Q. Is the injured person bound to divorce the other, or left

Q. Is it the proper privilege of the man to put away an adul-

terous Wife, or is it also in the woman's power to depart

from an adulterous Husband?

Q. May there be putting away, or departing without the Ma-

gistrate's divorce or licence?

Q. What if both parties be adulterous?

Q. What if one purposely commit adultery to be separate from

the other?

164

Q. Doth the desertion of one party disoblige the other?

Q. Must a woman follow a malignant Husband that goeth

from the means of grace ?

Q. Must she follow him, if it be but to poverty or beggary?

Q. What to do in case of known intention of one to murder

Q. Or if there be a fixed hatred of each other?

:

Q. What if a man will not suffer his wife to hear, read, or
-pray or do beat her so, as to unfit her for duty or a wo-
man will rail at the Husband in prayer time? &c.

Q. Who may marry after parting or divorce? . .

Q. Is it lawful to suffer, yea, or contribute to the known sin

materially of Wife, Child, Servant, or other relations?

Where is opened what is in our power to do against sin, and

what not.

Q. If a Gentleman have a great estate by which he may do

much good, and his Wife be so proud, prodigal, and peevish,

that if she may not waste it all in housekeeping and pride,

she will die or grow mad, or give him no quietness, what is

his duty in so sad a case?

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