Milton the Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce

The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce by John Milton led to a great stir in society during his time. Milton used his ideas and made many different Biblical names, even Christ, sound like they agreed with him. In his prose, he took words from the Bible and changed the meaning to make the Bible sound as if it preached the same idea he tried to convey. The prose argues that the main purpose of marriage is not to procreate, but to share a deeper, meaningful relationship with your significant other. Milton wanted to propose irreconcilable differences as grounds for divorce. That indisposition, unfitnes, or contrariety of mind, rising from a cause in nature unchangeable, hindring and ever likely to hinder the main benefit of conjugall society, which are solace and peace, is a greater reason of divorce then naturall frigidity, especially if there be no children and that there be mutuall consent. (p937)
Milton tries to say that if the nature of two people will not produce harmony then they should not have to stay together. If they both agree that the differences they share cause too much negativity then a divorce would be the best resolution, especially with no children involved because then they have not followed the basis for the marriage. The first passage Milton uses comes from Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Deuteronomy uses the word uncleanness, which Milton puts his own meaning to. The passage follows: When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; her former husband, which sent her