matrymony / as adultery whiche be a cause of deuource / as sayeth Christ Math. 5. Fyrste it is to be shewed for what causes Matrimony was iÌ„stituted and ordinated of god One cause was that mankynde shulde be multiplied to the honour and glory of god by a lawefull meanes bytwene man and woman / thê mene was by matrimony ordinated of god / as appereth Gene. 1. where it is writen / that after god made man to his symylitude / he created the male and the female blessed them and sayd / growe and be multiplied and fyll the earthe / and this was one of the cheife causes of matrymonye Another cause wsa to auoyde adulterye fornication / and that matrymonye shulde be a lawefull remedye agaynste adultery forbodden in the generall coÌ„maundement Thou shalte nat coÌ„myt aduoutry Exo. 20 This cause saynt Paule sheweth 1. Corin 7. Sayeng let euery maÌ„ haue his wyfe to auoyde fornication / euery woman haue hyr husbande Aduoutery of the harte is as well forboddeÌ„ / as adultery in outwarde dede or acte / to auoyde all maner of adultery both of the harte of outwarde acte / and for a remedy lawfull for the same it is coÌ„maunded that they shall marye take a wyfe / that haue nat the gyfte of chastyte and of continence The thyrde cause of matrimony is the charite might more be enlarged and amonge straungers more dilated and scatered / that these that were straungers shulde be more couple togyther by charite / as the frendes of the wyfe and the husbande by affinite more ioyned togyther in loue and charite / and for that cause it doth appere that certaine degrees of kinred was forbodden to mary togither amongest whom was loue all redy opteyned coÌ„maundemeÌ„t that mariage shulde be out of certayne degrees of kynne / to make more loue and to dylate charite as appereth Leut. 18. and .10 And also this thing appereth in that / that there is more loue coÌ„maunded to be betwene the man the wyfe / then bytwene the chyldren and the father As it is wrytten Gene. 2. and Nume 18. For this saieth god let the maÌ„ forsake his father and mother / cleaue to his wyfe / and they shal be two in one fleshe To these maye be added many other causes of matrymony / that the wyfe shulde be as an helper to the husbande / and the husbande to the wyfe / that they shulde lobour togyther to prouyde necessaries for them / and their housholde / to brynge vp theyr chyldren vertuously in loue and dreade of god / and in other holsome doctrene or craft for these diuerse other causes that maye be gathered of scriptures was Matrymony ordinated of god / and nat of maÌ„ Therefore he that speaketh agaynst Matrymony / or condemneth it as an euyl thyng / he speaketh agaynst goddes ordinaunce / and condemneth that / that God hym selfe ordynated 2 Nowe I wyl speake sumthinge of the duety bytwene the man the wyfe / whose dueties Sayncte Paule here declareth Fyrste the duety of the wyfe towardes hyr husbaÌ„de he sheweth He sayth it is the deutye of the wyfe to be obedient to hyr husbande in all lawfull and honest thynges / and to be redy and diligent at his lawful coÌ„maundement / and in no wyse disobedieÌ„t to him and his lawful coÌ„maundementes / neyther in word nor yet in dede / nor in any behauour / neyther in mynde nor thought disobedient to hyr husbande And here he ryproueth all women that be disobedient to theyr husbandes / and wyll nat obey theÌ„ but wyll haue theyr husbandes obediente to them / eyther for the nobylyte of theyr stocke they come of / or els for theyr riches or for proudnes of harte and mynde that they wyll 〈◊〉 the rule and domynyon ouer theyr husbandes / contrary to goddes ordynaunce â—â—…d here peraduenture some 〈…〉 aske / why shulde the woman 〈…〉 obedient to the man / then the maÌ„ 〈…〉 To this I make aunswere say that the wyfe shulde be obedient to hyr husbande for many causes / nat the husbande to the wyfe The fyrst cheife cause is / for the ordinaunce of god whiche hath ordinated that the wyfe shulde be obedyeÌ„t to hyr husbande in all thynges lawefull Eph. 5. And they that resyst the ordinauÌ„ce of God / they brynge iudgemente to them self Roma 13. Wherfore it is no lytle taut the wyfe to be disobedient to hyr husbaÌ„de vs to desyre the rule / domynioÌ„ / or maistery ouer hyr husbande / althoughe hyr husbaÌ„d wold suffer it / for she that so doth / she doth resyste the ordinaunce of god / and taketh to hyr selfe dampnation Therfore let womeÌ„ beware they be nat disobedieÌ„t to their husbandes / nor desyre to be mayster ouer them / for in so doyenge they bryng iudgement damnation to them self / although that faute is counted but a lytle faute / before men / yet before god it is a great faute and it must nedes be a greate faute / for the whiche iudgement and daÌ„nation doth folowe The seconde cause why that wemen shulde be obeidiente to men / is for the transgressyon of Eue / whiche was punyshed and al hyr posteryte after hyr / that is to saye all wemen / that they shulde be in subiection to men and the wyfe in obedience to the husbande / for Eues thransgression / whiche payne remayneth styll in wemen shall do for euer / in a sygne of Eues transgressyon as a payne for synne The thyrde cause is / for the infyrmite of wemen / whiche for the moste parte be nat so wyse / wyttye / constante / sobre / dyscrete / patient / sad / well reasoned / stronge in body and for other suche lyke infirmities of wemen / whiche be foolyshe / lyght / vnconstant / hasty / angry / bablynge / full or wordes lyght / of conditions / mutable / vnlerned other suche like infirmities which for the most parte be more in wemen then in men Therfore it becommeth the wemen to be obedient to men and be ruled by meÌ„ / as of more wytte wysdome learnynge / iudgement / sadnes sobernes / and other good qualities / whiche for the mooste parte be more in men then iÌ„ wemeÌ„ / for these and other causes it becommeth the wyfe to be obedient to hyr husbande / for a decente order to be had amongest men 3 He sheweth howe the wyfe shulde be obediente to hyr husbande / euen as to the lorde for the wyfes seruynge theyr husbandes in al harty obedience with reuereÌ„ce / do serue the lord god / and do goddes seruyce / goddes coÌ„maundemente / and they please god so doyng / and no seruyce of the wyfe to god caÌ„ please god better / then when she obeyth hyr husbande lowely in harte / wyl mynde / worde and in dede / in all lawfull thinges Therfore let the wyfe be obedyent to hyr husbande nat onely in outward thynges / but
the same As perauenture some desperate noughtye felowes be amonges vs that thought whoredome / fornycation / adultery / fylthye speakynge and vncomly raylynge / vncomely gesture couetousnes / to be no synnes / nor no displeasure to god / but fornication or lechery to be man hed or propre to man / fylthy raylynge or gestyng to be good pastyme / and that God wolde nat be greately displeased with suche lytyl fautes / so they did extenuat and make lytle or no fautes these crymes and synnes that God called great fautes and obomynable synnes before him / and so cared nothynge for goddes inhibition of these synnes / but played it awaye / laughynge / mockynge and scornynge at goddes commaundemente / that no man shulde do so / or thynke fornicatioÌ„ adulterye whoredome / couytousnes / to be no synnes before god but to knowe them for greate synnes for the whiche God threateneth so greuouse punyshemente as expulsion frome heauen and that none shulde thynke these vices / to be no synne before God The Apostle sayeth that the vengeauÌ„ce of god to come for fornication adulterye / whoredome / couetousnes / and suche lyke vyces aboue rehersed / he threateneth payne and punishment that none shulde haue pleasure any more in theÌ„ / that none shulde commyt them for feare of punyshement / and that none shulde commyt these synnes / and thynke to escape vnpunysshed / or that God wyll wynke at these fautes and suffer them vnpunysshed And nat onely the vengeaunce of god wyl com vpon all them that commyt these fautes and vyces / but also vpon all them / that do consente or approue them any wayes / for lucre vantage / profyte / pleasure / or for feare of man / or that do knowe them to be vsed / and wyl nat correcte and reproue / and studye to amende them that in these damnable synnes offende god / punyshemente vpon these sinners and conseÌ„ters to them for doers and consenters are worthy lyke payne Roma 1. 7 Let vs learne here for what thynges commeth the wrath of god vpon disobedient chyldren Nat for egges eatynge vpoÌ„ the fryday / for eatyng of fleshe vpon same Laurence euen / for breakyng of Thomas Beckectes daye in Christenmasse / nat for eatynge whyte meate in lent / but for fornication adulterye / whoredome / vnclennes / couetousnes fylthy speakyng / and folyshe speakynge whiche often tymes be cause of noughtye maners / for by euyll speakynge the good is corrupted made euyl by euyll coÌ„pany or coÌ„munication of euyl ⧠For some tyme ye were darkenes / but nowe are ye lyghte in the Lorde walke as the Chyldren of lyght for the frute of the spirite is all maner of goodnes and ryghtuousnes and truth and proue what is pleasynge vnto the Lorde / and haue no felowshyppe with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenes but rather rebuke them for it is shame euen to name those thynges whiche are done of theÌ„ in secrete But all thynges are manyfeste when they are rebuked of the lyghte for what soeuer is manifest that same is lyght Therfore sayth he Awake thou that slepest and stande vp frome the deade and Christe shall gyue the lyght ¶ Of the vocation of men / nowe he exhorteth them to holynes of lyfe / sayenge you were some tyme darkenes / nowe you belyght in the lorde / and delyuered frome darkenes and from synne Walke therfore as it becoÌ„meth children of lyght to walke in all goodnes / iustice / equite / and trueth / whiche be fruites of the spirit of god / the Apostle willeth alway that we shuld haue before our eies / what we were / and what we are oure selfe without the grace of God / that we are darkenes of the whiche no lyghte dothe come but by the grace of God / we be made lyght in the Lorde and nat by our owne merytes or deseruynges that we shulde brynge furthe workes of lyght to the glorye of god / and to the profyte of other Math. 5. 2. He sheweth howe we shulde walke as chyldren of lyght / that is to brynge forth fruites of the spirite / in al goodnes / iustice and trueth / sekynge alway these thynges that maye please god / hauynge no coÌ„pany with workes of darkenes / but reprouyng them and the doers of euyl that they may repent and amende 3 He sheweth that he is ashamed to tell all there fautes that they secretly do thinkynge theÌ„ to be no synne / but after warde they be examined by the lyghte / they be knowen to be synne / and these that hathe done them are ashamed and repent study to refourme and amende themselfes 4 He moueth men to arise from sleepe and from synne and from deadly workes by repentaunce and amendemente of lyfe and he promyseth that God wyll be mercyfull to all penytente persons and that wyll amende they re lyfe and lyue a newe lyfe ⧠Take hede therfore howe you walke circumspectely / nat as the vnwyse / but as the wyse / and redeme the tyme / for it is a myserable tyme / wherefore be nat ye vnwyse but vnderstaÌ„de what the wyl of the Lorde is âš¹ The Apostle monisheth meÌ„ to take hede with whome hey walke / with whom they vse company or be conuersaunt / and that the walke circumspectely nat as vnwyse men but as wysemen / and as it becommeth wyse men to do / yf they wyl reproue men / loke that they reproue thinges worthy to be reproued / and that in tyme and place / as becommeth wysemen to do / and as for there workes / loke they be suche as please God / nat of mannes inuention / but ordinated of god for vs to walke in 2 Redemyng the tyme / that is watchiÌ„g all oportunite of tyme to do good / to reproue synne in tyme and place conuenient / or elles amendynge tyme paste / euyll spente in idlenes / in wyl workes omyttynge goddes workes / or in synnes and pleasures of the flesshe or in other euyll workes to the whiche moueth / the worlde / the fleshe / and the noughtye tyme / whiche moueth men to euyll 3 For the dayes be euyl / the dayes be called euyll / because of the malyce of maÌ„ whiche is done vpon dayes / for the dayes are good for they are the creaturê of god / and so are good 4 Therfore be nat vnwyse / but vnderstande what the wyll of the lorde is They are vnwyse that do nat seke tyme place to speake well and to do good / that seke more the glory of man then of God / that desyre to knowe the wyl of man more theÌ„ of god This place sheweth many to be foles that thynke them selfe wyse men / that be more diligent to knowe the law of man then of God / that be well learned in mannes lawe / and ignoraunt in goddes lawe / that be wysemen in maÌ„nes lawe / ideote fooles in goddes lawe This place reproueth all them that be very diligente in
the studye and knowledge of mannes lawe to knowe the wyll of man and howe they shulde come to ryches and goodes in the worlde / but to knowe the wyll of god / and his lawe they be nothyng diligent / ye nor desyrous of yt / it is well yf they be nat aduersaries to Goddes worde / but all suche shewe them selues what they be / perauenture wyse men to the worlde but fooles before god / men that loue more this presente lyfe theÌ„ the lyfe to come This place shulde moue al lawyers and iudges to be deligeÌ„t to knowe goddes lawe / least in there iudgementes they do iudge other wayes then goddes lawe wyll / by the whiche al mannes lawe shulde be ruled / yf goddes lawe shulde be the rule of mannes lawe as it is in dede howe shall they rule well mannes lawe that be ignoraunce in Goddes lawe Surely after my mynde there is nothynge more to the hynderaunce of Goddes worde or more to the destructyon of men soules in this realme theÌ„ that the nobilite and lawers and other that haue rule ouer the people both in the spiritualtye in the temporalty be ignoraunte in goddes lawe / in the whiche it becommeth theÌ„ most cheifely to be lerned / that they might ordre all causes and matters accordynge to Goddes lawe / geltylmen and a greate parte of lawyers be ignoraunt in Goddes lawe And therefore seldome they do loue goddes worde / or the true teachers of yt / and the laye people folowe the gentylmen or rulers As touchynge the spyrytualtye vnder the Byshoppes / rulers be lawyers brought vp in the Byshop of Romes law and for the most parte suche men that be ignoraunt in goddes worde be Chauncellours / Comysaries / Officials / which oftymes do hate Goddes worde and the true preachers of it / and fauoureth as muche as they darre the byshop of Romes lawes and his waies It is a very seldome thing to haue a lawyer a Chancellour / a Commyssary / a Preacher of Goddes worde / a setter forth of it / howe by theÌ„ that be ignoraunte it hathe ben hyndered and letted we haue experience enoughe I pray God that all Byshoppes with al there offycers vnder them may be true fauourers of goddes worde / and ernestly set forwardes and moue and exhorte al men to goddes word and to lyue after yt that God may more more be glorified of al men Amen ⧠AND be nat dronken with wyne wherin is excesse but be ful of the spyryte / and talke amonge youre selfes of Psalmes and Himnes and spyrytuall songes / syngynge and makynge melodye vnto the Lorde in youre hartes / gyuynge thankes alwaye / for all thynges / vnto God the father in the name of our Lorde Iesê° Christ submyttynge your selfes one to another in the fear of god âš¹ The Apostle here forbiddeth dronkeÌ„nes as a cause of fornication or adultry / he monysheth to ware of drinkyng wyne whiche prouoketh to adultery or fornication In these wordes he forbyddeth also al excesse and ryot in eatyng and drynkyng or other bankettynge of the whiche coÌ„meth many incoueniences and greate diseases bothe to the body and soule / of vnreasonable drynkynge or riotynge we se daylye greate syckenes to come to the bodye / as the goute / dropsy / palsey / other diseases many of the body Also dronkennes / adultry / fornication / chydynge / fyghtyng maÌ„ slaughter dothe come of greate drynkyn-whiche be destructyon and deathe of the soule The Apostle here nat onely forbyddeth synne and vyce / but also he forbyddeth the occasion and causes of them 2 Dronkennes oughte to be eschewed for many causes that commeth of it / that bryngeth men to deathe oftymes bothe of the body and of the soule it depriueth men of wytte wisdome and reason and maketh them worse then a brute beaste / yee then aswyne that walters ouer and ouer in the myre Drokennes it causeth many deseases in the body / it bringeth with it idelnes chydynge / braulynge / fyghtyng / murder / ye what myscheife doth it nat bryng with it / death both to body soule It is therfore to be aborred of all men 3 He nat onely reproueth vyce but he sheweth vertue to be taken in the place of vyce / as here he reproueth dronkennes / wylleth me not be fulfylled with the holy ghoste and to synge in their hertes spiritual Psalmes and Hymnes / gyuyng thaÌ„kes to god alwayes for his benefytê / these spirituall Psalmes and Hymnes he setteth for the fruytes of dronkennes And in this me thinke the Apostle willeth that lay men and lay women shulde synge spyritual Pslames and Hymnes as preestes and spirituall men / and gyue thankes to god for all his benefites gyuen to theÌ„ and and in this he sheweth playnely that it is lawefull for laye men and laye women to reade the holy scriptures / to haue them by harte / that they may talke of them / speke of them to theyr edyfieng / and synge spyrituall Psalmes and Hymnes gyuynge thankes to the Lorde / howe shulde they synge spirituall Psalmes and Hympnes excepte that they knewe them before / and had redde them or lerned them This place euidently sheweth that it is lawfull for laymen and lay womeÌ„ to rede the scriptures of god / to talke of them to goddes glorye and to theyr edyfienge The Apostle dothe nat heare speake onelye to mynysters in the Churche / but to all men / to whome he forbyddeth dronkennes and hê fruites / and for them the holy gooste and his fruytes to be receyued with spirituall thankes Psalmes and Hymnes gloryfyenge god alwaye 4. He wylleth that euery man shall be obedieÌ„t one to another in his state and degree and that in the feare of God / that none shulde contemne another thynkyng hym selfe better then other / but euery one humyle him vnder other / and thynke hym selfe worse in his owne syght / and in this he reproueth proude hartes and stomakes and moueth euerye one to mekenes and lowlynes in them selfe ¶ Let the women submytte them selfes vnto their husbandes as vnto the Lorde / for the husbande is the wyues heade euen as Christe also is the heade of the congregacion / and he is the sauyoure of his bodye Therfore as the congregacion is in subiection to Christe / lykewyse let the wyues be in subieccion to thei husbandes in all thinges ¶ Before the Apostle hathe vniuersally taught euery man Nowe he commeth to perticular persons as to the wyfe and the husbande he sheweth ther duetye on to the other But before I wyll shewe of their dewties I thynke it expedient som thiÌ„ge so entreate of matrymonye by the whiche the man and the wyfe be ioyned togyther and the one bouÌ„de to the other by the law of god / and that with suche knottes as caÌ„ nat be lowsed with out the breakynge of goddes law and displeasure of god / except it be for suche causes as by the scriptures may lowse the bounde of
Anabaptistes and flee their errours / heresyes / and deceyuable doctrine / that briÌ„geth to death and receyue the true doctrine of Christe that briÌ„geth to lyfe Now I wyl retourne agayne to saynt Paule ☞ So oughte men also to loue thyre wyues euen as theyr owne bodyes he that loueth his wyfe loueth hym selfe For no man yet euer hated his owne flesshe but norissheth and cherisseth it euen as the Lorde dothe also the Congregacion for we are membres of his bodye / of his flesshe and of his bones ⧠⧠♣ The Apostles here sheweth howe the maÌ„ shuld loue his wife eueÌ„ as his owne body / for the man and the wyfe be one body coupled togyther by matrymony a knot nat to be lowsed at maÌ„nes pleasure / who hath euer ben so mad / of so lytle wyth that hath hated hys owne body / were it neuer so deforme or out of facyon / so wayke / so lene / so syckely / so fylthy / and so full of noughtynes / but hath euer cherished norished his owne bodye and hyd the fautes of it / and redy to amende it / so shulde a man be affected towardes his wyfe / as towardes his owne bodye / ye euen as Christe hathe loued his Churche / whiche hath nat put it away when it was a brodel and polluted with fylthynes and synnes / but hath takeÌ„ it to him and hath purged it and made it cleane holy and gay / and hath dissembled many thinges in it / and at the laste healed all hyr sores and diseases and wasshed clere away hyr spottes and sinnes After the example of Christe towardes his churche let the husbande do to the wyfe / and euer haue before his eies what thyng he wolde shulde be done to hê owne body / the same thynge let him do to his wyfe This place reproueth those husbandes that loue nat their wifes / that conteÌ„ne and dispise their wyfes / wheÌ„ they are sycke / nat prouyding for them necessaries / nat comfortynge theÌ„ with all comforte they can / ye this place checketh all them that wyl nat couer and hyde the fautê of their wyues if they be no table crimes and do nat study to refourme and amende they re wyues / and to make them good / vertuouse and holy 2 For we are membres of one body / he sheweth why he called the wyfe the flesshe of the man / it was because the woman was made of the man / of a rybbe takeÌ„ out of the syde of Adam / and the womannes bone was made of a bone of Adam as it is wryten Gene. 2. to the whiche place saynte Paule dothe allude here For this cause that the man shulde nat conteÌ„ne the womaÌ„ as a creature made of a vyler matter then he was of and to certifie the man that he shulde nat contemne his wyfe excepte he shulde contemne hym selfe his owne flesshe this thynge he sheweth that there shulde be more loue bytwene the maÌ„ and the wyfe / no stryfe / no contention / no debate / no contemnynge one another ⧠For this cause shall a man leue father and mother and cleaue vnto his wyfe and they two shall be one flesshe This is a greate secrete I speake of Christe and the Congregacyon Neuerthelesse do ye so that euery one of you loue hê wyfe / euen as hym selfe / but let the wyfe feare hyr husbande ☞ Here the Apostle wylleth that there shulde be more loue bytwene the husbande and the wyfe / then bytwene the chyldren and the parentes he wylleth the soÌ„ne shall preferre the loue to his wyfe aboue the loue to father or mother 2 The Apostle speaketh here onelye of the loue that shulde be bytwene the man the wyfe / of the other deuties of the man to the wyfe it is spoken in other place of scripture / as Peter 1. Pe. 3. sheweth that it is the offyce of the man to dwell with his wyfe / to entreate hyr after knowledge and to liue togither as perpetual felowes of good and euyl / for al theyr lyfe tyme / in peace / concorde / vnite / loue / and dewe obedience accordynge to goddes lawe / prouydynge togyther necessaryes / that they myght lyue holyly and godly and bringe vp their children vertuously in the knowledge of god in loue and feare of god / to order and rule theyr famylye accordynge to goddes wyll gyuynge them example of al goodnes to folowe Peter addeth after knowledge / that is that the man shulde order his wyfe after knowledge wysedome whiche be more in men then in women / for men muste beare the infirmitie of women / and many thiÌ„ges to pardone iÌ„ them and ouer se and wynke at / and dyssemble as they had nat knoweÌ„ or elles there shal be lytle agremente betwene the man and the wyfe / and some tyme to exhorte gentylly / to rebuke sharpely and some time clerely to remyt the matter as he for his wysedome shall se mo he expedient to entreat hyr alway endeuerynge hym to make his wyfe gentle / lowly / obedient / louynge / honest / good / holye / and vertuouse In man it is to supply that lacketh in women / to haue more wytte / wysedome / reason / prudence / counsell / lernyng wayes to prouyde necessaries for theyr lyuynges / and to ordre euery thynge well Also it pertayneth to men sayeth Peter there / to gyue to wemeÌ„ deu honour / that is that the maÌ„ shulde nat contemne or despyce his wyfe / or vse hyr as his hande mayde or seruaunte / but to take hyr as felowe of his perpetual lyfe and as ioynte heyres of God This place of Peter reproueth those men that conteÌ„ne and dyspyse there wyfes / wyll nat vse theyr company at bed or at borde and other conuersacion of lyuynge / but leue theÌ„ forsake them / put them away from them / Also if reproueth all them that vse they re wyfe as theyr hande mayde or seruaunte / that vse muche chydynge or brawlynge or fyghtynge with theyr wyues / or vse do bounch beate read vnder theyr fote their wyues as dogges or swyne / or any other vngodlye wayes do entreate are their wyfes / they be reproued of the Apostle Therfore let all suche frowarde husbandes amende least the plage of god fal on theÌ„ for theyr vngodly entreatinge of their wyues / whoÌ„ they shulde knowe to be felowes with theÌ„ and boughte with the precyous bloude of Chryste / and called to be partakers of the heuenly kyngedome asswell as they that be men Fynally it is the offyce of husbandes to vse the company of theyr wyues to paye deuty as saynt Paule calleth it 1. Corin. 7. sayeng Let the man gyue deuty to his wyfe for the man hathe nat power of his bodye / but the wyfe / lykewyse the wyfe hath nat power of hyr body / but the husbande / Sayncte Paule reproueth all these maryed men / that do nat theyr deutye to theyr wyfes / but wyll take