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
some to haue bene so desirous of dominion that for the obteining of the same they haue murthered the children of their owne sonnes Yea aÌ„d some haue killed with crueltie their owne husbandes and children But to me it is sufficient because this parte of nature is not my moste sure foundation to haue proued that men illuminated onlie by the light of nature haue seen and haue determined that it is a thing moste repugnant to nature that women rule and gouerne ouer men For those that will not permit a woman to haue power ouer her owne sonnes will not permit her I am assured to haue rule ouer a realme and those that will not suffer her to speake in defense of those that be accused nether that will admit her accusation intended against man will not approue her that she shal sit in iudgemeÌ„t crowned with the royall crowne vsurping authoritie in the middest of men But now to the second part of nature In the whiche I include the reueled will and perfect ordinance of God and against this parte of nature I say that it doth manifestlie repugne that any woman shal reigne or beare dominion ouer man For God first by the order of his creation and after by the curse and malediction pronounced against the woman by the reason of her rebellion hath pronounced the contrarie First I say that woman in her greatest perfection was made to serue and obey man not to rule and coÌ„mand him As saint Paule doth reason in these wordes Man is not of the woman but the womaÌ„ of the man And maÌ„ was not created for the cause of the woman but the woman for the cause of man and therfore oght the womaÌ„ to haue a power vpoÌ„ her head that is a couerture in signe of subiectioÌ„ Of whiche words it is plaine that the Apostle meaneth that woman in her greatest perfection shuld haue knowen that maÌ„ was Lord aboue her and therfore that she shulde neuer haue preteÌ„ded any kind of superioritie aboue him no more then do the angels aboue God the creator or aboue Christ Iesus their head So I say that in her greatest perfection woman was created to be subiect to man But after her fall and rebellion coÌ„mitted against God there was put vpon her a newe necessitie and she was made subiect to man by the irreuocable senteÌ„ce of God pronounced in these wordes I will greatlie multiplie thy sorowe and thy coÌ„ception With sorrowe shalt thou beare thy children and thy will shall be subiect to thy man and he shal beare dominion ouer the. Herebie may such as altogither be not blinded plainlie see that God by his sentence hath deiected all woman frome empire and dominion aboue man For two punishmentes are laid vpon her to witte a dolor anguishe and payn as oft as euer she shal be mother and a subiectioÌ„ of her selfe her appetites and will to her husband and to his will Frome the former parte of this malediction can nether arte nobilitie policie nor lawe made by man deliuer womankinde but who soeuer atteineth to that honour to be mother proueth in experience the effect aÌ„d streÌ„gth of goddes word But alas ignoraÌ„ce of God ambition and tyrannie haue studied to abolishe and destroy the secoÌ„d parte of Goddes punishment For women are lifted vp to be heades ouer realmes and to rule aboue men at their pleasure and appetites But horrible is the veÌ„geance which is prepared for the one aÌ„d for the other for the promoters and for the persones promoted except they spedelie repent For they shall be deiected from the glorie of the sonnes of God to the sclauerie of the deuill and to the tormeÌ„t that is prepared for all suche as do exalte them selues against God Against God caÌ„ nothing be more manifest then that a woman shall be exalted to reigne aboue man For the coÌ„trarie senteÌ„ce hath he pronounced in these wordes Thy will shall be subiect to thy husband and he shall beare dominion ouer the. As God shuld say forasmuch as thou hast abused thy former condition and because thy free will hath broght thy selfe and mankind in to the boÌ„dage of Satan I therfore will bring the in bondage to man For where before thy obedience shuld haue bene voluntarie no we it shall be by constreint and by necessitie and that because thou hast deceiued thy man thou shalt therfore be no longar maistresse ouer thine own appetites ouer thine owne will nor desires For in the there is nether reason nor discretion whiche be able to moderate thy affectioÌ„s and therfore they shall be subiect to the desire of thy maÌ„ He shall be Lord and gouernour not onlie ouer thy bodie but euen ouer thy appetites and will This sentence I say did God pronounce against Heua and her daughters as the rest of the Scriptures doth euideÌ„tlie witnesse So that no woman can euer presume to reigne aboue man but the same she must nedes do in despite of God and in contempt of his punishment and malediction I am not ignorant that the most part of men do vnderstand this malediction of the subiection of the wife to her husband and of the dominion which he beareth aboue her but the holie ghost geueth to vs an other interpretation of this place taking from all women all kinde of superioritie authoritie aÌ„d power ouer man speaking as foloweth by the mouth of saint Paule I suffer not a woman to teache nether yet to vsurpe authoritie aboue man Here he nameth women in generall excepting none affirming that she may vsurpe authoritie aboue no man And that he speaketh more plainlie in an other place in these wordes Let women kepe silence in the congregation for it is not permitted to them to speake but to be subiect as the lawe sayeth These two testimonies of the holy ghost be sufficient to proue what soeuer we haue affirmed before aÌ„d to represse the inordinate pride of women as also to correct the foolishnes of those that haue studied to exalt womeÌ„ in authoritie aboue man against God and against his sentence ê“nounced But that the same two places of the apostle may the better be vnderstand it is to be noted that in the latter which is writen in the first epistle to the Corinthes the 14 chapitre before the apostle had permitted that all persones shuld prophecie one after an other addinge this reason that all may learne and all may receiue consolation And left that any might haue iudged that amongest a rude multitude and the pluralitie of speakers manie thinges litle to purpose might haue bene affirmed or elles that some confusion might haue risen he addeth the spirites of the prophetes are subiect to the prophetes As he shuld say God shall alwayes raise vp some to whome the veritie shalbe reueled and vnto such ye shal geue place albeit they sit in the lowest seates And thus the apostle wold haue prophecying an exercise to be free to the
reuerēce that it is a thing moste repugnant to nature to Goddes will and apointed ordinance yea that it can not be without contumelie committed against God that a woman shuld be promoted to dominion or empire to reigne ouer man be it in realme natiō prouince or citie Now resteth it in fewe wordes to be shewed that the same empire of women is the subuersion of good ordre equitie and iustice Augustine defineth ordre to be that thing by the whiche God hath apointed and ordeined all thinges Note well reader that Augustine will admit no or dre where Goddes apointment is absent and lacketh And in an other place he saith that or dre is a disposition geuing their owne propre places to thinges that be vnequall whiche he termeth in Latin Parium disparium that is of thinges equall or like and thinges vnequall or vnlike Of whiche two places and of the hole disputation which is cōteined in his second boke de ordine it is euidēt that what soeuer is done ether whithout the assurance of Goddes will or elles against his will manifestlie reueled in his word is done against ordre But suche is the empire and regiment of all woman as euidentlie before is declared and therfore I say it is a thing plainlie repugnant to good ordre yea it is the subuersion of the same If any list to reiect the definition of Augustin as ether not propre to this purpose or elles as insufficiēt to proue mine intent let the same man vnderstand that in so doinge he hath infirmed mine argumēt nothinge For as I depend not vpon the determinations of men so think I my cause no weaker albeit their authoritie be denied vnto me Prouided that god by his will reueled and manifest worde stand plain and euidēt on my side That God hath subiected womankinde to man by the ordre of his creatiō and by the curse that he hath pronounced against her is before declared Besides these he hath set before our eyes two other mirrors and glasses in whiche he will that we shulde behold the ordre which he hath apointed and established in nature the one is the naturall bodie of man the other is the politik or ciuile body of that cōmon welth in which God by his own word hath apointed an ordre In the natural body of māGod hath apointed an ordre that the head shall occupie the vppermost place And the head hath he ioyned with the bodie that frome it doth life and motion flowe to the rest of the mēbres In it hath he placed the eye to see the eare to hear and the tōge to speake which offices are apointed to none other mēbre of the bodie The rest of the mēbres haue euery one their own place ād office apointed but none may haue nether the place nor office of the heade For who wolde not iudge that bodie to be a monstre where there was no head eminēt aboue the rest but that the eyes were in the hādes the tōge and mouth beneth in the belie and the eares in the feet Men I say shulde not onlie pronounce this bodie to be a mōstre but assuredlie they might cōclude that such a bodie coulde not lōg indure And no lesse mōstruous is the bodie of that cōmon welth where a womā beareth empire For ether doth it lack a laufull heade as in very dede it doth or els there is an idol exalted in the place of the true head An idol I call that which hath the forme ād apparāce but lacketh the vertue and strength which the name ād proportiō do resemble ād promise As images haue face nose eyes mouth hādes ād feet painted but the vse of the same can not the craft and art of man geue thē as the holy ghost by the mouth of Dauid teacheth vs saying they haue eyes but they see not mouth but they speake not nose but they smell not handes and feet but they nether touche nor haue power to go And suche I say is euerie realme and nation where a woman beareth dominion For in despite of God he of his iust iudgement so ge uing them ouer in to a reprobat minde may a realme I cōfesse exalt vp a womā to that monstriferous honor to be estemed as head But impossible it is to mā and angel to geue vnto her the properties and perfect offices of a laufull heade For the same God that hath denied power to the hād to speake to the bely to heare and to the feet to see hath denied to womā power to cōmande man and hath taken a way wisdome to consider and prouidence to forsee the thinges that be profitable to the common welth yea finallie he hath denied to her in any case to be head to mā but plainly hath pronounced that mā is head to woman euen as Christ is heade to all man If men in a blinde rage shulde assemble to gether and apointe them selues an other heade then Iesus Christ as the papistes haue done their romishe Antichrist shuld Christ therefore lose his owne dignitie or shulde God geue to that counterfet head power to geue life to the bodie to see what soeuer might endamage or hurte it to speake in defense ād to heare the request of euerie subiect It is certein that he wold not For that honor he hath apointed before all times to his onelie sonne and the same will he geue to no creature besides no more will he admit nor accept woman to be the lauful head ouer man althogh man deuil and angel will coniure in their fauor For seing he hath subiected her to one as before is saide he will neuer permit her to reigne ouer manie Seing he hath commāded her to heare and obey one he will not suffre that she speake and with vsurped authoritie cōmand realmes and natiōs Chrysostome explaning these wordes of the apostle the heade of woman is man cōpareth God in his vniuerfall regimēt to a king sitting in his royall maiestie to whome all his subiectes cōmanded to geue homage and obedience appeare before him bearing euerie one suche a badge and cognisance of dignitie and honor as he hath geuen to them which if they despise and contemne then do they dishonor their king Euen so saith he oght man and womā to appeare before God bearing the ensignes of the condition whiche they haue receiued of him Man hath receiued a certein glorie ād dignitie aboue the woman and therfore oght he to appeare before his high maiestie bearing the signe of his honor hauinge no couerture vpon his heade to witnesse that in earth man hath no head beware Chrysostome what thou saist thou shalt be reputed a traytor if Englishe men heare the for they must haue my souereine lady and maistresse and Scotland hath drōken also the enchantment and venom of Circes let it be so to their owne shame and confusion he procedeth in these wordes but woman oght to be couered