departing from the Catholike faith is directly contrarie to S. Pauls and S. Peters doctrine 1 Cor. 7. 12 13 14. 1 Pet. 3. 1. As for soliciting and impelling vnto sinne though it may be cause to moue an husband or a wife to walke more warily and wisely and in extremitie to auoid societie for a time or to comâ—laine to the Magistrate for releefe who may see it meet to lay â—he delinquent person in prison or else otherwise keepe them sunder till that delinquent be reclaimed and brought to a better minde yet is it no sufficient cause finally to dissolue maâ—age in regard of bed and cohabitation They vrge that if the right eye cause to offend it must be plucâ—d out Ans 1. That is but a metaphor and may sundry other wayes 〈◊〉 applied 2. The words are not simply but by way of comparison to â—e taken rather plucke it out then to be made to stumble thereby 3. Plucking out applied to the point in hand may be by â—any other wayes then by dissoluing mariage 4. That generall inhibition whosoeuer shall put away his wife causeth her to commit adulterie restrained only with the exception of fornication admitteth neither this nor any other such cause of dissoluing mariage §. 17. Of husbands and wiues vnlawfull absenting themselues one from another Contrarie also to the forenamed dutie of cohabitation is the practise of many men who liuing themselues in one place suppose at London send their wiues vnto some countrey house and there euen mew them vp as Hawkes neuer caring to come at them but are then most merrie when their wiues are farthest off If their wiues liue at home they will be abroad mealing and lodging where their wiues shall not know their owne house is as a prison to them they are not well but when they are out of it Of the like lewd conceit and practife are many wiues who on no other occasion then meere lightnesse being eager in pursuing their pleasures and satisfying their lusts gad out of their owne houses in the day lie out of them in the night and remaine in other company dayes and nights or at least are glad when their husbands haue occasion to be from home not vnlike to the light huswife which Salomon describeth Prou. 7. 10. c. I speake of matters too famous or rather infamous I would there were no iust cause to taxe this lightnesse But let such as desire to approue themselues to God or man take heed of these hainous and more then heathenish vices Though Israel play the harlot yet let not Iudah offend Too neere to the forenamed kinde of vnlawfull separation doe they come who though they liue both in one house yet make that house by their estranging themselues one from another as two houses the man abiding in one end thereof his wife in another and so haue their seuerall roomes seuerall tables seuerall seruants all seuerall Or if the straitnesse of their house will not suffer them so to part other roomes yet they will haue seuerall bed-chambers or at least seuerall beds so as they that shall call them bed-fellowes shall but nicke-name them Thus they rob each other of that due beneuolence which they mutually owe one to another they expose themselues to the deuils snares they more and more estrange their hearts one from another and depriue themselues of such mutuall comforts and helpes as by matrimoniall societie they might afford to and receiue from one another §. 18. Of husbands and wiues mutuall prayers The matter whereabout husbands and wiues mutuall prouidence ought to be conuersant is in generall the good of one another that each of them doe that for the other which Salomon in particular applieth to a wife viz. good and not euill all the dayes of their life Now the good of man extendeth to his soule bodie good name and goods A generall dutie tending to the good of all these is prayer S. Peter requireth such a cariage of man and wife one towards another as their prayers be not hindred whereby he taketh it for grant that prayer is a mutuall dutie which one oweth to the other which dutie Isaak performed for his wife Herein may man and wife be helpfull each to other in all things needfull to either of them for it is the meanes which God in wisdome hath sanctified for the obtaining of euerie needfull blessing for ourselues or others By many it is counted but a slight dutie and of small vse but the truth is that to performe it aright in truth and faith is both difficult in the deed and powerfull in the effect It is the best dutie that one can performe for another and the least to be neglected We heard before that Isaak prayed for his wife and to shew the good he did to her thereby it is noted that the Lord was intreated of him so as she being barren before by that meanes conceiued All the physicke in the world could not haue done her so much good Alwayes therefore without ceasing is this dutie to be performed Whensoeuer man and wife make any prayer therein they must be mindfull of one another yea and oft must they of purpose take occasion to make prayers in speciall one for another and that both in absence and also in presence of one another This latter doth especially concerne the husband who is as a Priest vnto his wife and ought to be her mouth to God when they two are together yet I doubt not but that the wife may pray in the husbands presence when they two are alone â—ither for triall that he may haue knowledge of her abilitie and gift in that kinde or for helpe if the wife be much better able to performe that duty then the man is as many wiues are Not without cause therefore haue I reckoned this among common mutuall duties §. 19. Of the things for which husbands and wiues are to pray alone There are sundry needfull blessings which husbands and wiues are to pray for that appertaine only to themselues and are most meet to be mentioned in priuate praier betwixt themselues as 1. That as they two are one flesh so they may be also one spirit that their hearts may be as one knit together by a true spirituall matrimoniall loue alwayes delighting one in another euer helpfull one to another and readie with all willingnesse and cheerefulnesse to performe all those duties which they owe one to another 2. That their mariage bed may be sanctified and as it is by Gods ordinance so it may remaine to them by their well vsing it a bed vndefiled There is no other thing for which mutuall prayer in priuate betwixt man and wife is more needfull and that so much the rather because of the naturall heat of lust which is in most which if it be not by prayer the best meanes for that purpose asswaged it may proue a defilement of the vndefiled bed and
fall of man was ordained to liue chastely This the Apostle implieth where he saith to auoid fornication let euerie man haue his owne wife and let euerie woman haue her owne husband And againe If they cannot containe let them marrie 2. By chastitie is a godly seed preserued on earth By this reason doth the Prophet Malachie inforce this dutie For after he had said that the Lord made one meaning of two one flesh by mariage he inferreth this exhortation Therefore take heed to your spirit and let none deale vnfaithfully against the wife of his youth 3. An especiall part of the honour of mariage consisteth in chastitie whereupon the Apostle hauing giuen this high commendation of mariage that it is honourable in all addeth this clause and the bed vndefiled to shew the reason of that honour As if he had said Because the mariage-bed is in it selfe a bed vndefiled mariage is therefore in it selfe honourable and doth so farre remaine honourable as the bed remaineth vndefiled §. 5. Of Adulterie The vice contrarie to matrimoniall chastitie is Adulterie one of the most capitall vices in that estate a vice whereby way is made for Diuorce as is cleare and euident by the determination of Christ himselfe concerning that point first propounded in his sermon on the mount and againe repeated in his conference with the Pharisies where condemning vniust diuorces he excepteth the diuorce made for adulterie And great reason there is thereof For the adulterer maketh himselfe one flesh with his harlot Why then should he remaine to be one flesh with his wife Two saith the Law shall be one flesh not three The like may be said of a wife committing adulterie §. 6. Of pardoning adulterie vpon repentance Quest Seeing by adulterie iust cause of diuorce is giuen may this fault vpon the repentance of the delinquent person be so forgiuen as no diuorce be sought by the innocent person but both continue to liue together in wedlocke as before Answ Though it be not meet in this case to impose it as an inuiolable law vpon the innocent partie to retaine the delinquent because of repentance for we haue direct and strict warrant for it yet I doubt not but they may so doe if they will and that without iust exception to the contrarie they ought so to doe For the law of diuorce did not necessarily enioyne any to sue out the bill but only afforded them libertie to vse that punishment if they saw cause I doubt not but for warrant of this libertie we may take Gods patterne in retaining Churches and people after they haue committed spirituall adulterie and Christs forgiuing the woman that had committed adulterie For Seeing Christ said to an adult eresse I condemne thee not goe and sinne no more who cannot conceiue that an husband ought to forgiue that which he seeth the Lord both of husband and wife hath forgiuen and that he ought not to account her an adulteresse whose fault he beleeueth to be blotted out by the mercie of God vpon her repentance §. 7. Of the difference of adultery in a man and in a wife Quest Is the bond of mariage as much violated on the mans part when he committeth adulterie as on the womans when she doth so Answ Though the ancient Romans and Canonists haue aggrauated the womans fault in this kinde farre aboue the mans and giuen the man more priuiledges then the woman yet I see not how that difference in the sinne can stand with the tenour of Gods word I denie not but that more inconueniences may follow vpon the womans default then vpon the mans as greater infamy before men worse disturbance of the family more mistaking of legitimate or illegitimate children with the like The man cannot so well know which be his owne children as the woman he may take base children to be his owne and so cast the inheritance vpon them and suspect his owne to be basely borne and so depriue them of their patrimony But the woman is freed from all such mistakings Yet in regard of the breach of wedlocke and transgression against God the sinne of either partie is alike Gods word maketh no disparity betwixt them At the beginning God said of them both they two shall be one flesh not the woman only with the man but the man also with the woman is made one flesh Their power also ouer one another in this respect is alike If on iust occasion they abstaine it must be with mutuall consent If the husband leaue his wife she is as free as he should be if she left him Accordingly the punishment which by Gods law was to be inflicted on Adulterers is the same whether the man or the woman be the delinquent Deut. 22. 22. If difference be made it is meet that adulterous husbands be so much the more seuerely punished by how much the more it appertaineth to them to excell in vertue and to gouerne their wiues by example §. 8. Of the hainousnesse of Adulterie But to returne to the discouery of the hainousnesse of Adulterie I finde no sinne thorowout the whole Scripture so notoriously in the seuerall colours thereof set forth as it is For besides that it is by name forbidden in the Decalogue it is further expresly branded to be committed 1. Against each person in the holy Trinitie the Father whose couenant is broken the Sonne whose members are made the members of an harlot and the Holy Ghost whose Temple is polluted 2. Against ones neighbour as the partie with whom the sinne is committed for this sinne cannot be committed singly by one alone the husband and wife of each partie who cannot rest contented with any satisfaction the children borne in adulterie whom they brand with an indelible character of infamie and depriue of many priuiledges that otherwise they might enioy the alliance and friends of each partie to whom the griefe and disgrace of this foule sinne reacheth the whole family appertaining to either of them for this is as a fire in an house the towne citie and nation where such vncleane birds roost for all they lie open to the vengeance of God for this sinne and the very Church of God the holy seed whereof is by this sinne hindred 3. Against the parties themselues that commit this sinne and that against their soules bodies name goods and all that appertaineth to them As this sinne is in it selfe a sinfull sinne so by the bitter and cursed fruits which proceed from it it is made out of measure sinfull For 1. By it husbands and wiues affection which of all other ought to be the most inuiolable is so alienated as seldome it is reconciled againe 2. By it the goods of the family are much wasted the adulterous husband spending that wherewith he should prouide for his family on his harlot and the adulterous wife
purloining what she can from her husband 3. By it husbands and wiues are stirred vp to wish and long after one anothers death and not only inwardly in heart to wish it but outwardly also in deed to practise it 4. If from this sinne there arise not a gauling and terrifying conscience as oft there doth then which is worse a seared conscience an hard heart a reprobate sense and an impudent face Wherefore God accordingly deales with such sinners In his soule he hateth them by his word he hath denounced many fearefull iudgements against them both in this world and in the world to come against no sinne more This sin is reckoned to be one of the most principall causes of the greatest iudgements that euer were inflicted in the world as of the generall deluge of that fire and brimstone which destroied Sodome and Gomorrah of Canaans spuing out her Inhabitants of that plague which destroied in one day 24000 and of the Israelites captiuitie with the like By all which we see that fearefull doome verified Whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge Now consider what a fearefull thing it is to fall into the hands of the liuing God §. 9. Of remedies against Adulterie and in particular of due beneuolence and of defect or excesse therein For preuenting this hainous sinne to omit many other remedies which Gods word hath prescribed as a diligent keeping of the heart that lustfull thoughts proceed not from thence of the eies that they wander not on the beautie or propernesse of any ones person or on lasciuious pictures or any other like allurements of the eares that they hearken not to any inticements of others of the tongue that it vtter no vnchaste and corrupt communication of the lips that they delight not in wanton kisses of the hands that they vse no wanton daliance of the feet that they carry thee not too neere to the place where adulterie may be committed of thy company that thou be not defiled with others wantonnesse and vncleannesse of thy diet that it be not immoderate of thine apparell that it be not garish and lasciuious of thy time that it be not vainly and idly spent to omit I say these and other like remedies One of the best remedies that can be prescribed to maried persons next to an awfull feare of God and a continuall setting of him before them wheresoeuer they are is that husband and wife mutually delight each in other and maintaine a pure and feruent loue betwixt themselues yeelding that due beneuolence one to another which is warranted sanctified by Gods word and ordained of God for this particular end This due beneuolence as the Apostle stileth it is one of the most proper and essentiall acts of mariage and necessary for the maine and principall ends thereof as for preseruation of chastitie in such as haue not the gift of continency for increasing the world with a legitimate brood and for linking the affections of the maried couple more firmely together These ends of mariage at least the two former are made void without this duty be performed As it is called beneuolence because it must be performed with good will and delight willingly readily and cheerefully so it is said to be due because it is a debt which the wife oweth to her husband and he to her For the wife hath not the power of her owne body but the husband and likewise also the husband hath not the power of his owne body but the wife I haue my warrant from the Apostle to prescribe this dutie as a remedie against adulterie For to auoid fornication he aduiseth man and wife to render due beneuolence one to another If then this question be moued How will mariage keep men and women from adulterie this answer out of the Apostles words may be giuen by rendring due beneuolence which he further inculcateth by declaring the mischiefe that may follow vpon the neglect of this dutie namely a casting of themselues into the snares of Satan Well might he presse this dutie to that end because no other meanes is of like force nor fasting nor watching nor hard lodging nor long trauell nor much labour nor cold nor solitarinesse nor any thing else Some that haue by these meanes endeuoured much to beat downe their bodies and subdue lust but neglected the forenamed remedie haue notwithstanding felt lust boiling in them There are two extremes contrarie to this dutie One in the defect another in the excesse Defect therein is when in case of need it is not required or being required by the one it is not yeelded by the other Modestie is pretended by some for not requiring it but in a duty so warrantable and needfull pretence of modesty is to speake the least a signe of great infirmitie and a cause of much iniquitie To denie this dutie being iustly required is to denie a due debt and to giue Satan great aduantage The punishment inflicted on Onan Gen. 38. 9 10. sheweth how great a wrong this is From that punishment the Hebrews gather that this sinne is a kinde of murther It is so much the more hainous when hatred stoutnesse nicenesse feare of hauing too many children or any other like respects are the cause thereof Excesse is either in the measure or in the time In the measure when husband or wife is insatiable prouoking rather then asswaging lust and weakning their naturall vigor more then suppressing their vnnaturall humor Many husbands and wiues are much oppressed by their bedfellowes vnsatiablenesse in this kinde In the time when it is against Pietie Mercy or Modestie 1. Against Pietie when no day nor dutie of Religion no not extraordinarie daies and duties of humiliation will make them forbeare The Prophets bidding the bridegroome and â—ride goe out of their chamber in the day of a Fast and the Apostles excepting of Praier and fasting where he enioineth this dutie of due beneuolence shew that in the time of a Fast it must â—e forborne 2. Against Mercy when one of the married couple being weake by sicknesse paine labour trauell or any other like â—eanes and through that weaknesse not well able to performe his dutie the other notwithstanding will haue it performed â— will haue mercy and not sacrifice saith the Lord. Shall Gods sacrifice giue place to mercy and shall not mans or womans 〈◊〉 for so I may well terme this vnseasonable desire Quest What if an husband or wife continue so long sicke â—â— otherwise weake as the other cannot containe Answ In such cases of necessitie the body must be beaten â—wne and earnest praier made for the gift of continency for â—redly the Lord who hath brought thee to that necessitie all giue thee grace sufficient 3. Against Modesty when husbands require this duty in that me which vnder the Law was called the time
occasions of discord are offered say Let there be no strife betwixt thee and me for we are man and wife no more two but one flesh §. 14. Of husbands and wiues dwelling together From a mutuall affection of loue proceedeth a mutuall prouident care in husband and wife one for another In handling whereof we will first note the meanes whereby their mutuall prouidence may be the better effected and manifested and then the matter whereabout it must be conuersant The meanes in one word is cohabitation For a dutie it is that man and wife dwell together The phrase vsed in setting out the womans creation he built a woman whereby the erecting of a family is intimated implieth as much so doth the law of mariage whereby man is enioyned to leaue father and mother and to cleaue vnto his wife that is to goe out of his fathers house and to dwell with his wife and so doth this phrase forget thy fathers house taken from the dutie of a wife and mystically applied to the Church Saint Peter expresly chargeth husbands to dwell with their wiues and Saint Paul layeth it to the charge both of husbands and wiues not to leaue one another but to dwell together yea though the one be an infidell Surely it was conscience of this dutie which made the Leuite to goe after his wife that went away from him to bring her home againe and which made Iaakobs wiues to leaue their fathers house and goe with their husband The word vnder which Saint Peter compriseth this dutie is a title appropriated to an husband and an answerable title is appropriated to a wife from which the notation of our two vsuall English words husband housewife doth not much differ The power which the one hath of the others body and the aduantage which by liuing asunder they giue vnto Satan both of which are expresly noted 1 Cor. 7. 4 5. doe shew the necessity of this dutie and the many benefits arising from thence doe further presse the equity of it By husbands and wiues dwelling together all mariage duties are better performed mutuall loue is better bred preserued and increased the good gifts of either of them are better obserued by the other better helpe and succour is mutually by each afforded to the other and in fine they are made more capable of doing good one to another and of receiuing good one from another Why then should they haue any minde of liuing asunder vnlesse they be forced by extraordinary occasions as captiuity close imprisonment contagious sicknesse and such like which are no faults of theirs but crosses to be borne with griefe and instant praier together with all other good meanes to be vsed to bring them together againe Yea if the imprisonment banishment or other like kinde of absence be such as one may if they will come at the other the partie that is free ought to come to the other if at least that other require it §. 15. Of the respects for which man and wife may for a time liue asunder Quest May there be any iust causes for man and wife willingly to liue asunder Answ There can nor ought to be any cause of vtter relinquishing one another which is a kinde of desertion but for liuing asunder for a time there may be iust causes as 1. Weighty and vrgent affaires which concerne the good of the Church or commonwealth as when a man is sent forth to warre or on an ambassage in which case though he may take his wife with him yet is he not necessarily bound there to especially if the place whither he is sent be farre off the passage thereto difficult and dangerous and his abode there not long When Reuben Gad and halfe the tribe of Manassch passed ouer Iorden to helpe their brethren in their battels against the Canaanites they left their wiues behinde them in their families when Vriah went to warre he left his wife at home and when Moses was to bring Israel out of Egypt his wife remained at her fathers house 2. Maine duties of their particular calling as of Mariners who are oft to be on the sea Merchants who trade in other countries Lawyers who attend publike places of iustice Courtiers who in their months or quarters attend their Prince Keepers of women in child-bed and sicke persons and other nurses Prouided alwaies that in these and other like cases there be a ioynt and mutuall consent of both parties for if man and wife may not defraud one another for a time to giue themselues to fasting and praier without consent much lesse may they for lighter occasions liue any time asunder without consent Prouided also that they take no delight to liue asunder but rather be grieued that they are forced so to doe and in testimony thereof to take all occasions that they can to manifest their longing desire one after another by letters messages tokens and other like kindnesses and to returne with all the speed they can No distance or absence ought any whit to diminish their mutuall loue §. 16. Of the errour of Papists about man and wifes separation Contrarie to the dutie of cohabitation is the doctrine of Papists whereby they teach that Separation may be made betwixt man and wife for many causes from bed or cohabitation for a certaine or vncertaine time The Councell of Trent is bold to denounce Anathema against such as say the Church erreth therein If the many causes which they alledge besides adulterie be well weighed we shall finde them without all warrant of Gods word They draw them to two heads 1. Mutuall consent 2. Demerit By consent say they of both parties maried to attaine a greater and perfecter estate mariage consummate may be loosed from bed and cohabitation Answ 1. In mariage there is a couenant of God Prou. 2. 17. as well as of the two parties the consent therefore of parties is not sufficient to breake it 2. No estate in this world can be greater or perfecter then is meet for maried persons Adam and Eue in their best estate were maried and now is mariage honourable in all 3. The estates which they count more perfect are either such as are not in mans power as perpetuall continencie or such as may be as well performed by maried persons as by single persons as Ecclesiasticall functions if at least they be such as are warranted by Gods word High Priests and other Priests all sorts of Leuites extraordinarie Prophets and Apostles were maried What greater functions then these The causes which for demerit they say make a separation â—re 1. Adulterie 2. Departing from the Catholike faith 3. Soliâ—iting or impelling vnto sinne Concerning Adulterie we denie not but that it giueth â—ust cause of diuorce but withall we say as we haue good warrant from Christs words that it is the only cause of iust diâ—orce For to make a separation for