Judgement of Martin Bucer Concerning Divorce

English · 1890 · 1h 36m · Family & Relationships, Law, Christianity - Other

In his thirty-fifth year, [John Milton] entered into the marriage state, at Whitsuntide, 1643, with Mary, the daughter of Richard Powell, of Forest-Hill. Whatever was the reason, 'tis certain, that after he had enjoyed her company at London for about a month, she was invited by her friends to spend the rest of the summer in the country: to which he consented, on condition that she returned at Michaelmas. Yet he saw her not at the time appointed, and after receiving several of his letters without sending him any answer, she did at length positively refuse to come, dismissing his messenger with contempt. As all his attempts to induce his wife to return to his house proved ineffectual, he thought his own reputation and repose demanded that he should declare her to be no longer his wife! It is said that he endeavoured to make his constrained widowhood, for nearly four years, as easy and cheerful as he could.

Having taken his firm resolution to repudiate his wife, and never to receive her back again, he thought it proper publicly to attempt a justification of this step, and therefore published, in the year 1644, his work on the "Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce." The grand position ho maintains is, "That indisposition, unfitness, and contrary humours, proceeding from any unchangeable cause in nature, hindering, and always likely to hinder, the main ends and benefits of conjugal society, that is to say, peace and delight, are greater reasons of divorce than adultery, or natural frigidity, provided there be a mutual consent for separation." On this book appearing, the clergy in general declaimed against it, charging its author with atheism, heresy, lewdness, &c. &c. They daily instigated the Parliament, but in vain, to pass their censure of condemnation upon it; This, and the opposition to it by some other ministers, led him to publish his Tetrachordon, which also was dedicated to the Parliament.

He published yet another piece on this subject, entitled, "The Judgments of the famous Reformer, Martin Bucer, touching Divorce, extracted out of the second book of the kingdom of Christ, dedicated to king Edward the Sixth." Bucer exactly agreed with Milton on this subject, though the latter had not seen it till after the publication of his first volume concerning it. - Summary by Joseph Ivimey