thus talkinge with my God in the anguishe of my harte some what digressed yet haue I not vtterlie forgotten my former propositiō to witt that it is a thing repugnant to the ordre of nature that any woman be exalted to rule ouer men For God hath denied vnto her the office of a heade And in the intreating of this parte I remembre that I haue made the nobilitie both of England and Scotland inferior to brute beastes for that they do to women which no male amongest the cōmon sorte of beastes can be proued to do to their females that is they reuerēce them and qwake at their presence they obey their cōmandementes and that against God Wherfore I iudge them not onelie subiectes to women but sclaues of Satan and seruantes of iniquitie If any mā thinke these my wordes sharpe or vehement let him cōsider that the offense is more haynous then can be expressed by wordes For where all thinges be expressedly concluded against the glorie and honor of God and where the blood of the saintes of God is commanded to be shed whome shall we iudge God or the deuil to be presidēt of that counsel Plain it is that God ruleth not by his loue mercie nor grace in the assembly of the vngodlie Then it resteth that the deuil the prince of this worlde doth reigne ouer suche tyrannes whose seruantes I pray you shal then be iudged such as obey and execute their tyrānie God for his greate mercies sake illuminate the eyes of men that they may preceiue in to what miserable bondage they be broght by the monstriferous empire of women The seconde glasse whiche God hath set before the eyes of mā wherin he may beholde the ordre whiche pleaseth his wisdome concerning authoritie and dominion is that common welth to the whiche it pleaseth his maiestie to apoint and geue lawes statutes rites and ceremonies not onelie concerning religion but also touching their policie and regiment of the same And against that ordre it doth manifestly repugne that any woman shall occupie the throne of God that is the royall seate which he by his worde hath apointed to man As in geuing the lawe to Israel concerning the election of a king is euident For thus it is writen If thou shalt say I will apoint a king aboue me as the rest of the nations whiche are a boute me Thou shalt make the a kinge whome the Lorde thy God shall chose one frome amongest the middest of thy bretheren thou shalt apointe kinge aboue the. Thou maist not make a strangier that is not thy brother Here expressedly is a mā apointed to be chosē king and a man natiue amōgest them selues by whiche precept is all woman and all strāgier secluded What may be obiected for the parte or election of a strangier shalbe God willinge answered in the blast of the second trumpet For this present I say that the erecting of a woman to that honor is not onely to inuert the ordre which God hath established but also it is to defile pollute ād prophane so farre as in man lieth the throne and seat of God whiche he hath sanctified and apointed for man onely in the course of this wretched life to occupie and possesse as his ministre and lieutenant secluding frome the same all woman as before is expressed If any thinke that the fore writen lawe did binde the Iewes onelie let the same man consider that the election of a kinge and apointing of iudges did nether apperteine to the ceremoniall lawe nether yet was it mere iudiciall but that it did flowe frome the morall lawe as an ordinance hauing respect to the cōseruation of both the tables For the office of the magistrate oght to haue the first and chief respect to the glorie of God commanded and conteined in the former table as is euident by that whiche was inioyned to Iosue by God what time he was accepted and admitted ruler and gouerner ouer his people in these wordes Thou shalt diuide the inheritance to this people the whiche I haue sworne to their fathers to geue vnto them so that thou be valiant and strong that thou maist kepe and do according to that hole lawe whiche my seruant Moses hath commanded the. Thou shalt not decline frome it nether to the right hande nether to the left hand that thou maist do prudentlie in all thinges that thou takest in hand let not the boke of this lawe departe from thy mouth but meditate in it day and night that thou maist kepe ād do according to euery thing that is writen in it For then shall thy wayes prosper and then shalt thou do prudētly c. And the same precept geueth God by the mouth of Moses to kinges after they be elected in these wordes when he shal sit in the throne or seate of his kingdome he shall write to him self a copie of this lawe in a boke ād that shalbe with him that he may reade in it all the dayes of his life that he may learne to feare the Lorde his God and to kepe all the wordes of this lawe and all these statutes that he may do them c. Of these two places it is euident that principallie it apperteineth to the king or to the chief magistrate to knowe the will of God to be instructed in his lawe ād statutes and to promote his glorie with his hole hart ād studie which be the chief pointes of the first table No mā denieth but that the sworde is committed to the magistrate to the end that he shulde punishe vice and mainteine vertue To punishe vice I say not onelie that whiche troubleth the tranquillitie and quiet estat of the common welth by adulterie thest or murther committed but also suche vices as openly impugne the glorie of God as idolatrie blasphemie and manifest heresie taught and obstinatly mainteined as the histories and notable actes of Ezechias Iosaphat and Iosias do plainlie teache vs. Whose study and care was not onlie to glorifie God in their own life and cōuersation but also they vnfeinedlie did trauel to bring their subiectes to the true worshipping and honoring of God And did destroye all monumentes of idolatrie did punishe to deathe the teachers of it and remoued frome office and honors suche as were mainteiners of those abominations Wherbie I suppose that it be euident that the office of the king or supreme magistrate hath respect to the lawe morall and to the conseruation of both the tables Nowe if the lawe morall be the constant and vnchangeable will of God to the which the gentil is no lesse bounde then was the Iewe and if God will that amōgest the gentiles the ministres and executors of his lawe be now apointed as sometimes they were apointed amongest the Iewes further if the execution of iustice be no lesse requisite in the policie of the gentiles then euer it was amongest the Iewes what man can be so
monstres that a woman shalbe exalted aboue a hole realme and natioÌ„ Of the same minde is Origen and diuers others Yea euen till the dayes of Augustine whose sentences I omit to to auoide prolixitie Augustine in his 22. boke writen against Faustus proueth that a woman oght to serue her husbaÌ„d as vnto God affirming that in no thing hath woman equall power with man sauing that nether of both haue power ouer their owne bodies By whiche he wold plainlie coÌ„clude that woman oght neuer to pretend nor thirst for that power aÌ„d authoritie which is due to maÌ„ For so he doth explane him selfe in an other place affirming that woman oght to be repressed and brideled be times if she aspire to any dominion alledging that dangerous and perillous it is to suffre her to procede althogh it be in temporall and corporall thinges And therto he addeth these wordes God seeth not for a time nether is there any newe thinge in his sight and knowledge meaninge therby that what God hath sene in one woman as concerning dominion and bearing of authoritie the same he seeth in all And what he hath forbidden to one the same he also forbiddeth to all And this most euideÌ„tlie yet in an other place he writeth mouing this question howe can womaÌ„ be the image of God seing saith he she is subiect to man and hath none authoritie nether to teache nether to be witnesse nether to iudge muche lesse to rule or beare empire These be the verie wordes of Augustine of which it is euident that this godlie writer doth not onelie agree withe Tertullian before recited but also with the former sentence of the lawe whiche taketh frome woman not onelie all authoritie amongest men but also euerie office apperteining to man To the question howe she can be the image of God he answereth as foloweth WomaÌ„ saith he coÌ„pared to other creatures is the image of God for she beareth dominion ouer them but coÌ„pared vnto man she may not be called the image of God for she beareth not rule and lordship ouer maÌ„ but oght to obey him c. And howe that woman oght to obey man he speaketh yet more clearlie in these words the womaÌ„ shalbe subiect to man as vnto Christ. For womaÌ„ saith he hath not her example frome the bodie and from the fleshe that so she shalbe subiect to man as the fleshe is vnto the spirite Because that the flesh in the weaknes and mortalitie of this life lusteth and striueth against the spirit aÌ„d therfore wold not the holie ghost geue example of subiection to the womaÌ„ of any suche thing c. This senteÌ„ce of Augustine oght to be noted of all women for in it he plainlie affirmeth that woman oght to be subject to man that she neuer oght more to desire preeminence aboue him then that she oght to desire aboue Christe Iesus With Augustine agreeth in euerie point S. Ambrose who thus writeth in his Hexaemeron Adam was deceiued by Heua and not Heua by Adam and therfore iust it is that woman receiue and acknowledge him for gouernor whom she called to sinne lest that again she slide and fall by womanlie facilitie And writing vpon the epistle to the Ephesians he saith let women be subiect to their owne husbandes as vnto the Lorde for the man is heade to the woman and Christ is heade to the coÌ„gregation and he is the sauiour of the bodie but the congregation is subiect to Christ euen so oght womeÌ„ to be to their husbaÌ„des in all thin ges He procedeth further saying women are commanded to be subiect to men by the lawe of nature because that man is the author or beginner of the woman for as Christ is the head of the churche so is man of the woman From Christ the church toke beginning and therfore it is subiect vnto him euen so did woman take beginning from man that she shuld be subiect Thus we heare the agreing of these two writers to be such that a man might iudge the one to haue stolen the wordes and sentences from the other And yet plain it is that duringe the time of their writinge the one was farre distant frome the other But the holie ghost who is the spirite of concorde and vnitie did so illuminate their hartes and directe their tonges and pennes that as they did conceiue ceiue aÌ„d vnderstaÌ„d one truth so did they pronounce and vtter the same leauing a testimonie of their knowledge and concorde to vs their posteritie If any thinke that all these former senteÌ„ces be spoken onelie of the subiection of the maryed womaÌ„ to her husband as before I haue proued the coÌ„trarie by the plain wordes aÌ„d reasoning of S. Paule so shal I shortlie do the same by other testimonies of the forsaid writers The same Ambrose writing vpon the second chapitre of the first epistle to Timothie after he hath spoken much of the simple arraymeÌ„t of women he addeth these wordes woman oght not onelie to haue simple arraymeÌ„t but all authoritie is to be denied vnto her for she must be in subiection to man of whome she hath taken her originall aswell in habit as in seruice And after a fewe wordes he saith because that death did entre in to the world by her there is no boldenes that oght to be permitted vnto her but she oght to be in humilitie Hereof it is plain that frome all woman be she maried or vnmaried is all authoritie taken to execute any office that apperteineth to man Yea plain it is that all woman is commanded to serue to be in humilitie and subiection Whiche thing yet speaketh the same writer more plainlie in these wordes It is not permitted to womeÌ„ to speake but to be in silence as the lawe saith What saith the lawe Vnto thy husband shall thy conuersion be and he shall beare dominion ouer the. This is a speciall lawe saith Ambrose whose sentence lest it shulde be violated infirmed or made weake women are commanded to be in silence Here he includeth all women And yet he ê“cedeth further in the same place saying It is shame for them to presume to speake of the lawe in the house of the Lord who hath commaÌ„ded them to be subiect to their men But moste plainly speaketh he writing vpoÌ„ the 16. chapitre of the epistle of S. Paule to the Romaines vpon these wordes Salute Rufus and his mother For this cause saith Ambrose did the apostle place Rufus before his mother for the election of the administration of the grace of God in the whiche a woman hath no place For he was chosen and promoted by the Lorde to take care ouer his busines that is ouer the churche to the whiche office could not his mother be appointed albeit she was a woman so holie that the apostle called her his mother Hereof it is plaine that the administration of the grace of God is denied to all woman By the administration of
hole churche that euerie one shuld communicate with the coÌ„gregation what God had reueled to them prouidinge that it were orderlie done But frome this generall priuiledge he secludeth all woman sayinge let women kepe silence in the congregation And why I pray you was it because that the apostle thoght no womaÌ„ to haue any knowledge no he geueth an other reason saying let her be subiect as the lawe saith In which wordes is first to be noted that the apostle calleth this former sentence pronounced against womaÌ„ a lawe that is the immutable decree of God who by his owne voice hath subiected her to one meÌ„bre of the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ that is to her husbaÌ„d wherupon the holie ghost concludeth that she may neuer rule nor bear empire aboue man For she that is made subiect to one may neuer be preferred to many and that the holie ghoste doth manifestlie expresse saying I suffer not that woman vsurpe authoritie aboue man he sayth not I will not that woman vsurpe authoritie aboue her husband but he nameth man in generall taking frome her all power and authoritie to speake to reason to interprete or to teache but principallie to rule or to iudge in the assemblie of men So that woman by the lawe of God and by the interpretation of the holy ghost is vtterly forbidden to occupie the place of God in the offices afore said which he hath assigned to man whome he hath appointed and ordeined his lieutenant in earth secluding frome that honor aÌ„d dignitie all woman as this short argument shall euidentlie declare The apostle taketh power frome all woman to speake in the assemblie Ergo he permitteth no woman to rule aboue man The former parte is euideÌ„t wherupon doth the couclusion of necessitie folowe For he that taketh from womaÌ„ the least parte of authoritie dominion or rule will not permit vnto her that whiche is greatest But greater it is to reigne aboue realmes and nations to publish and to make lawes and to coÌ„mande men of all estates and finallie to appoint iudges and ministers then to speake in the coÌ„gregation For her iudgemeÌ„t sentence or opinioÌ„ proposed in the coÌ„gregation may be iudged by all may be corrected by the learned and reformed by the godlie But womaÌ„ being promoted in souereine authoritie her la wes must be obeyed her opinion folowed and her tyraÌ„nie mainteined supposing that it be expreslie against God and the prophet of the common welth as to manifest experience doth this day witnesse And therfore yet againe I repete that whiche before I haue affirmed to witt that a woman promoted to sit in the seate of God that is to teache to iudge or to reigne aboue man is a monstre in nature contumelie to God and a thing most repugnaÌ„t to his will aÌ„d ordinaÌ„ce For he hath depriued them as before is proued of speakinge in the congregation and hath expreslie forbidden them to vsurpe any kinde of authoritie aboue man Howe then will he suffer them to reigne aÌ„d haue empire aboue realmes and nations He will neuer I say approue it because it is a thing most repugnant to his perfect ordinance as after shalbe declared and as the former scriptures haue plainlie geuen testimonie To the whiche to adde anything were superfluous were it not that the worlde is almost nowe comen to that blindnes that what soeuer pleaseth not the princes and the multitude the same is reiected as doctrine newelie forged and is condemned for heresie I haue therfore thoght good to recite the mindes of some auncient writers in the same mater to the end that suche as altogither be not blinded by the deuil may consider and vnderstand this my iudgement to be no newe interpretation of Goddes scriptures but to be the vniforme consent of the most parte of godlie writers since the time of the apostles Tertullian in his boke of womens apparell after that he hath she wed many causes why gorgious apparell is abominable and odiouse in a woman addeth these wordes speaking as it were to euery womaÌ„ by name Dost thou not knowe saith he that thou art Heua the sentence of God liueth and is effectuall against this kind and in this worlde of necessity it is that the punishement also liue Thou art the porte and gate of the deuil Thou art the first traÌ„sgressor of goddes law thou diddest persuade aÌ„d easely deceiue him whome the deuil durst not assault For thy merit that is for thy death it beho ued the soÌ„ne of god to suffre the death aÌ„d doth it yet abide in thy mind to decke the aboue thy skin coates By these aÌ„d many other graue senteÌ„ces and quicke interrogations did this godlie writer labour to bring euerie woman in contemplation of her selfe to the end that euerie one depelie weying what sentence God had ê“nounced against the hole race aÌ„d doughters of Heua might not onely learne daily to humble and subiect them selues in the presence of God but also that they shulde auoide aÌ„d abhorre what soeuer thing might exalte them or puffe them vp in pride or that might be occasion that they shuld forget the curse and malediction of God And what I pray you is more able to cause woman to forget her owne condition then if she be lifted vp in authoritie aboue man It is a thing verie difficile to a man be he neuer so coÌ„stant promoted to honors not to be tickled some what with pride for the winde of vaine glorie doth easelie carie vp the drie dust of the earth But as for woman it is no more possible that she being set aloft in authoritie aboue man shall resist the motions of pride then it is able to the weake reed or to the turning wethercocke not to bowe or turne at the vehemencie of the vnconstant wind And therfore the same writer expreslie forbiddeth all woman to intremedle with the office of man For thus he writeth in his book de virginibus velandis It is not permitted to a woman to speake in the coÌ„gregation nether to teache nether to baptise nether to vendicate to her selfe any office of man The same he speaketh yet more plainly in the preface of his sixte boke writen against Marcion where he recounting certein monstruous thinges whiche were to be sene at the sea called Euxinum amongest the rest he reciteth this as a greate monstre in nature that women in those partes were not tamed nor embased by coÌ„sideration of their own sex and kind but that all shame laide a parte they made expenses vpon weapons and learned the feates of warre hauinge more pleasure to fight then to mary and be subiect to man Thus farre of Tertullian whose wordes be so plain that they nede no explanation For he that taketh from her all office apperteining to man will not suffre her to reigne aboue man and he that iudgeth it a monstre in nature that a woman shall exercise weapons must iudge it to be a monstre of