William Gouge on Desertion
This article examines William Gouge's theological treatment of spousal desertion in 1 Corinthians 7:15, drawing on his practical wisdom as a Puritan minister and author of the influential work *Of Domesticall Duties*. Gouge's exegesis clarifies the biblical grounds for understanding desertion when an unbelieving spouse abandons a Christian believer due to religious conviction. The resource provides insight into Reformed domestic ethics and biblical interpretation during the Westminster era.
Dr. William Gouge (1575–1653) was a lecturer in logic, philosophy and Hebrew at Cambridge University and a minister at St Anne’s or Blackfriars Church in London for the last forty-five years of his fruitful life. He was one of the most active members of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, an Assessor (or assistant) to the Prolocutor (or presiding officer) and the Chairman of the committee set up to draft the Westminster Confession. He was appointed to work on the Westminster Annotations of the...