mothers then seruants are or can be vnder the power of their maisters by howe much next vnder God they do ovve their verie being vnto those that begat them vvhich they doe not vnto their maisters therefore is the band of their obedience greater and straighter vnto their fathers then is that of seruants vnto their maisters Here of it followeth that those vvhich are alike subiect vnto the gouernment of others are also alike debarred from the same freedoms liberties that otherwise if they were not thus subiect they might enioy but seruants and children are tied with a like and equall band of subiection insomuch that if in this behalfe ther be any ods it is in this that children owe more dutie vnto their fathers then seruantes vnto their maisters as was prooued a litle before they are therefore debarred from the same libertie and freedome whereof ensueth that if seruantes haue not this libertie without the leaue of their maisters to betake themselues vnto others no more may children without the authoritie of their parentes affiance and betroth themselues in mariage vnto others but seruants are by the lawes as the learned doe knowe and I speake of the lawes and seruants The lawes of elder times restrain seruants â—â—o liberty at their owne pleasure to be take themselues to others without the leaue of their maisters not as they are with vs at this day but as they were in the more ancient and elder times restrained of this libertie to place themselues with others against the will of their maisters therefore children may not giue themselues in matrimonie vnto others without the consent of their progenitors And albeit that by the lawes of our own land nowe in force there bee as yet no prouiso made against the matching of seruants without the approbation and allowance of their maisters yet vnder the correction of others it seemeth vnto me great reason that where there are no parents euen in those places the seruants should take the direction of their godly maisters in this behalfe in vvhich my iudgement I am not singular but can if need be auouch mine assertion by the authoritie of the learned But what shall this neede when as the equitie here of may bee inferred of that which we read in the books of Moses where such as please with diligence to conferre the places Exod. 21. Leuit. 25. Deut. 15.12 they may easily find that such seruaÌ„te as were Ebrues though the time of their seruice was shorter then was theirs which were strangers and of other nations yet during the space of their yeares they had to serue in they were not to marie at their owne libertie but their maisters hand bare the chiefe stroke in this busines This course beeing obserued in the Ebrue seruants it will not as I take it be gain-said that seruants of other people and countries whose bondage in manie respects was far heauier were likewise depriued of this libertie of marrying during the time of their seruitude and thraldom without the appointment of their Lordes and maisters yet hereby is not meant to preiudicate or impeach much lesse to controlle the libertie of our lawes or law-makers in such cases as God hath left free vnto them but onely out of that which God himselfe set downe vnto his owne people in debarring seruants as seruants to make their owne choise in cases of mariage to prooue that children which are in as great or rather greater subiection vnto their fathers authority are likewise bound by as hard a band to tarie for the consent of their parentes in their contractes of matrimonie Thirdlie the great soueraintie The third reason taken froÌ„ the large iurildiction and power the which in ancient times hath bin permitted vnto parentes ouer their childreÌ„ the which custome albeit that it be not simply to to be allowed yet it proos ueth their for ueraintie in other matters to be wel per lourmed by their children without any inconuenience rule power that by the law of Moses was giuen vnto the Iewish fathers ouer their children and by the ordinances of the Romanes to the parents ouer their sonnes and daughters by vertue whereof the one in cases of necessitie might sel their children for bondslaues to releeue themselues and the other might kill them in reuenge of their owne priuate iniuries done vnto themselues or publique enormities offered vnto others albeit that of Moses may be thought to be permitted like as other thinges for a time in regard of the hardnesse of their heart and this of the Romanes deserue iustlie to bee condemned as barbarous cruell and sauage yet doe they both argue that if parents authoritie were in those times so large in thinges that seeme so hardlie to be digested that they had a far greater authoritie in those matters duties the which might be performed with more conscience and much lesse difficultie and danger namelie in bearing chiefest sway in the mariage of their children and in other causes of like dutifull obedience The fourth reason from the condition of goods vnto the power that the owners haue ouer the same To this may be added that the children are worthelie to be reckoned among the goodes and substance of their fathers and that by a more especiall right then any thing els the the which belongeth vnto their possession as those which are more neerlie linked and ioyned vnto them and which cost them more dearlie being flesh of their flesh and bone of their bone and without whom they had neuer bone so that they owe themselues whollie vnto them in all maner of obedience and dutifull affection and shall in seeking to betroth themselues at their owne pleasures not regarding to haue the good will and leaue of their parentes deale as preposterouslie and ouerthwattlie as if the goodes should goe about to dispose the owner and possessor of the same and not be disposed and ordered by those vnto whom the possession and propertie of the same doeth by right and equitie belong and appertaine for it standeth with great reason that the owner dispose of the goodes and not contrariwise the goodes of the owner which were in deed a thing verie absurd or contrarie to all reason Now if any shall doubt Children are the goodes of the parents whether that the children bee to be reckoned among the goodes of their parentes or no he seemeth to bee ignorant of that point the which the deuill himselfe well enough vnderstood as we may reade in the first of Iob where it is set downe that when God gaue him leaue to deale withal that Iob had he medleth with his sonnes and daughters as well as with his seruants and rest of his substance taking them also to be a portion of the same Wherefore euen in this that children are their fathers riches as it is the common saying they must not bestow themselues but must be bestowed of their parents whose goods they are And least any
wiues for the sonnes is by the commandement of God himselfe laid vpon the parentes Places of scripture proouing that parēts ought to prouide wiues husbāds for their sonnes and daughters Deut. 7.3 concerning which matter in the booke of Deuteronomy we read thus Neither shatt thou make martages with thē he speaketh of the seuen nations the which by the Iewes were vtterly to bee rooted out neither giuethy daughter vnto his son nor take his daughter vnto thy sonne Here God giueth an especial charge vnto al fathers among the Iewish natiō that at no hand they should place in mariage citheir their sonnes with the daughters of those nations or take of their sons to be husbands for their daughters the which precept had bin in vain if they had not had this power and authoritie ouer their children or if their sons and daughters had bene at their own libertie in these cases to haue made their owne choise for they might easilie haue replied that their children in these pointes were not to be at their command and the children might haue complained of the hard dealing of their fathers in debarring thē their right in making their owne matches if any such priuiledge had belonged vnto them but the fathers neither taking any exception against God to excuse themselues from this dutie nor the sonnes pleading that by this lawe their interest shoulde be impeached doth argue sufficientlie that it was the ordinarie course of that time for parentes to giue their children in mariage and that their children were wel content with their fathers doings in this behalfe It will here peraduenture be saide That God by making this law Obiection setteth not downe an order the which he would haue generally to be obserued of the parentes in all matches of their children yea euen with their owne people and nation but onelie directeth them what they should doe concerning mariage of their sonnes and daughters among those seuen accursed nations this also to preuent a mischiefe least that by making and ioyning any such affinitie they might be pulled and drawen away from the true worship and seruice of God vnto idolatrie and superstition I answere Answere that God when he gaue vnto them this commandement had indeed an especiall regard to meet with before hand this danger of hauing his people caried by such matches to run a whoring after strange Goddes but this notwithstāding prooueth not that the fathers libertie to place his children in wedlock was not general amōg the people of his own nation but that hee had this authoritie to restraine them onelie from marying with that wicked people for feare of spirituall infection and pollution for that they had this power ouer their children in prouiding the marriage euen within their own land and limits of their owne countrie it is most clearlie to be seene in the last chapiter of the booke of Iudges where the Israelites hauing geuen that great and fearfull ouerthrowe vnto their brethren the Beniamites for their maintainance of that most horrible outrage in defiling in verie shamefull and beastlie maner of the Leuites concubine bound themselues by a solemne oth and sware saying None of vs shal giue his daghter vnto the Bentamits to wife This oath for my part reseruing to others their contrarie iudgment I doe not in anie case allowe but condemne the same as rash and vnaduised the which trulie repenting themselues of their rashnes they might with farre better conscience haue broken then kept and I could alleadge many reasons to confirme mine opinion but that is not appertaining to this present argument neither yet any part of my purpose in this place nor at this time onely I bring it to shew that hereby it is manifest that they made no doubt of their libertie in disposing of their children in mariage nor of their readines to obey them in that behalfe for if they might not ouerrule them in this matter or their children had bin to make their owne choise they had bene worthy of double blame both in taking vpon them the placing of their daughters and also in binding thēselues with an oth for the due execution and performance of that thing The rashness of the Israli◠taketh not a way their ri◠in making choise for th◠in their ma◠ages the which they had no right to lay vpō them And howsoeuer it be that this place may be thought of some not of force suffiicient to warrant this authoritie of Parentes in making the choise for their sonnes and daughters in their marriages because the oath was taken vnaduisedlie albeit that their offending in one thing be not plea good inough to disfrauchize them of their freedome and libertie in an other thing yet if the cause had bene good it shall appeare by an other place that they might by oath haue bound themselues for the not giuing of their daughters in mariage whereby may bee gathered that the choise in these cases lay in the parentes and not in their children for herein they fault in this action not that they seeke to keepe their right and authoritie in prouiding for their children but in that they make an oath both rash and full of crueltie against their brethren Now that the choise was in parents of prouiding wiues husbands for their children and in such sort that they might in honest godlie matches bind themselues so to do it is certaine by that which we reade in the last chapiter of the booke of Nehemiah who caused manie of them that were returned from the captiuitie not onely to take an oath that they would not take wiues vnto their sonnes nor husbands vnto their daughters of the strange nations there specified but also made them to curse and ban themselues and to wish heauie iudgmentes and plagues of God to fall vpon them if they should doe the contrarie That the mater may be out of all doubt controuersie it shall not grieue me to sette downe the wordes as they lie in the text Nehem. 13.23.24 In those daies also saieth Nehemiah I saw Iewes that maried wiues of Ashdod of Ammon and of Moah And their childrē spake halfe in the speech of Ashdod and could not speake in the Iewes language and according to the language of the one people and of the other people Then I reprooued thē and cursed them and smote certaine of thē pulled of their hair and took an oth of thē by God ye shall not giue your daughters vnto their sonnes neither shall you take of their daughters vnto your sonnes nor for your selues Whosoeuer shall with him selfe weigh and consider of this most excellent and worthy man of his true godlinesse and zeale in religion of his great care forwardnes to build vp the citie and Temple of his faithfulnes in his gouernment and rule ouer the people committed to his charge he may not go about to offer vnto him this iniurie insomuch as once dreaming that a man of his holines
the gift of chastitie the which verie seldome falleth out vnles by some griefe or defect and want in nature Beza de repudiis diuorâ—lis Beza in this case is so sure on our side that he holdeth not onely the stolen contracts to be void and vnlawfull but also the mariage it selfe that followeth after the same to be of no force and vnlawfull But it is best to heare him tell his owne tale himselfe But what saith hee if mariage in deede haue followed after such coÌ„rracts Doubtles if the cause be considered why such contracts are vtterly void be cause he namlie caÌ„not consent to the bestowing of himselfe the which is not in his owne power it wil follow that the mariage it selfe ought much lesse to bee of force as verely wherin there is required a more expresse and sure consent And Aretius in his common place of mariage among other things that make the same vnlawfull rekoneth vp the contracting of the same without the consent of parentes Aretius His wordes be these That mariage is vnlawful the which is against the commandement and lawe of God And this faulteth either in the degrees forbidden or else because it is made vp with priuie and stolen contractes against the will of the parentes or els when as manie wiues are admitted or taken at one time But we will conclude shut vp this point with the testimonie of M. Luther Luther the thunderbolt of Germanie whome wee haue reserued vnto this last place not for that hee is the least among my witnesses who worthilie ought to be accompted off euen with the verie foremost for his most profitable seruice done vnto the Church of GOD but because hee doeth verie euidentlie and clearelie with great courage and boldnesse of heart set downe his iudgement in this cause writing vpon the 24. Chapiter of the booke of Genesis Therefore saith hee doe I handle this place albeit odious or hatefull Because Isaac doeth not marie a wife where hee pleaseth but is forbidden of his father to marie one of the land of Canaan The mischiefs the which do growe or â—riuy contracts and his father himselfe doeth carefullie prouide his sonne of a wife and his sonne with all willingnesse doeth obey his father For dailie experience doeth teach that those priuie and stolen contractes are the cause of great mischiefes daylie braules strifes periuries and murthers and also the most shamefull plague and garboile of the Church and coÌ„mon wealth So the popish Canonists do nothing els but seek to teare in sunder the Church and trouble the world because of their doltish vnlearned Cannons And shall wee suffer them to bring in so many mischiefes into our Churches Let the Deuill winke at this and no other man nay rather I my selfe will excommunicate all those doctors then that we will to lerate and beare in our Churches their wicked and vngodlie sentences iudgement And some prety space after he hath these wordes The doctrine therefore of this place is that parentes ought to prouide their sons and daughters of honest mariage When pareÌ„ts do abuse their authorltie Although this be not to be let passe that it often times falleth out in mans life that the parentes do sometimes abuse their power and authoritie and will compel their children to marie with those whom they loue not the which commeth often to passe in the great families of noble men They are to be found fault withall because they carie no sparke of a fatherlie mind affection but are blockes stockes they haue not that same natural loue towards their children In such a case let the Pastor of the Church or the ciuil magistrate set in their authoritie Because that this is not a fatherlie power but a tyrannie Wee therefore do so diligentlie vrge the authoritie of parents first because of the commandement ordinaÌ„ce of God the examples of the scriptures and the ciuill lawes Secondlie because of that no table wickednes being vnto al godlie and honest parentes verie grieuous the which hath raunged in the world in all ages namelie that when as they haue brought vp their children godly and honestlie that they might be heires of their fathers goodes after wardes there haue bene some found they not knowing of it and against their willes The common â—â—actise anongSt vs at his daie the which by disceit and subtilty haue ouer-recht and compassed the maidens and honest yong men that they shoulde by stealth marie with those the which were both of small honestie and also vnfit for them and vnto their parents most vnwelcome The Pope hath set open a window and a broad gate vnto these horrible offences The Pope glueth leaue to steale away children from their parents and hath made a way for baudes that they might steale away mens sonnes and daughters for me for thee for euerie one of vs. Shall wee thinke these thinges to bee suffered or defended But they say that men must looke diligentlie vnto the keeping of their children haue an especiall care of them But how can this be inso great wickednes and vntowardnes of men Howe easilie are the plaine and simple meaning mindes corrupted and beguiled Let parents therfore remember that power and authoritie is giuen them from God to bestow their children in mariage Contractes uoid without the consent of parents and that contractes made without their consent are not good neither by the lawe of God nor man Furthermore let children knowe that they are to aske their aduise and to knowe their pleasure Let not a yoong man A graue coâ—â— sell vnto alâ— honest yourâ— whose age is fit for mariage be afraid to opeÌ„ his mind vnto his parents that he is in loue with an honest maiden and desire that they will geue her him to wife For albeit this seeme to be a token of lust scarce comelie yet let them know that God his mercy doth couer the same in mariage hath giuen a remedie for this disease Let them therfore humble theÌ„selues before their parentes and plainelie and freelie say vnto them my deare father my good mother giue me such a yoong man or such a maiden whome I loue And if she be worthy to be matched with thee or worthie of thine affinitie or thy parentes thine honest parentes will not denie thee albeit the dowrie or wealth bee not answerable Such mariages cannot choose but bee happie and prosperous God doth co uer beautify lust with nest mariage and God of his infinite goodnesse dooth blesse pardon and couer the heat of lust as it were with the couer of mariage Yea more ouer the holie scripture dooth allowe and alleadge for example the loue and speach of the bridegroome and bride Thus God pardonneth the filthinesse and miserable lust wherein wee are borne and that which more is dooth beautifie and honest the same with lawfull mariage But let yoong men take heede and beware of this vsuall
therfore we also wil choose for ourselues according vnto our owne liking besides that the breach of dutie in the father doth not excuse the like disobedience in his sonne A bad sonne that wil haue his father go with him vnto the deuil for companie what art thou that thinkest it not inough that thou goe vnto the Deuill thy selfe vnlesse thou haue thy father to go with thee also for companie For as thy sin of disobedience if God graunt thee not repentance of the same shall in his iustice presse thee down euen vnto hel So likewise shall thy fathers marieng without the allowance of his parents be sufficient to condemne him if together with the rest of his sinnes it bee not couered in the merites of Iesus Christ our Sauiour And the example of Iudah may fitlie serue to instruct thee in this point that though thy father haue maried without the choise of his friendes yet thou art not in like maner to marie without the coÌ„sent of them Gen. 38. for albeit Iudah tooke vnto himselfe a Cananitish woman without the priuitie and liking of his father Iaacob yet did hee prouide a wife for his owne children Er and Onan whereby wee gather that the fault the which hee committed in himselfe hee did not like nor allow of in his sonnes Setting a side therefore all cunning gloses and colourable deuises hammered in the Deuill his forge A profitable counsaile for all good natured childreÌ„ whereby hee teacheth his schollers to be subtile in inuenting reasons to maintaine their stubborne disobedience in not being ruled by the graue aduise godlie counsaile of their parentes as touching their mariage matches let all dutifull and good natured children in the reuerence and feare of God consider what honour and obedience they doe owe vnto their parents and what power and authoritie he hath in his worde sanctified vnto theÌ„ ouer their children in the Lord in regard hereof let them yeeld vnto them this dutie that their fathers hauing prouided for them such as are not of a wicked life nor deformed or euill fauoured nor of a contrarie religion they willinglie submit themselues vnto their choise which if for the present or vpon the suddain they caÌ„not yeeld vnto let them by earnest cal ling vpon the name of God desire him to subdue in them this corrupt affection that he will frame their wil to bee plyable vnto their fathers in such lawful cases lawful I may well call them because that the ciuil constitutions and ordinances do ratifie and allow of them the two former especiallie setting downe that children are to giue the consent vnto the fathers choise where the partie chosen is not of infamous life 2 Cor. 6.14 nor in shape or fauour so blemished as it may worthelie bee supposed that the same may be an occasion of the withdrawiug of loue As for the third caution or prouiso of not graÌ„ting vnto the fathers choise in the cause of contrarie religion it is confirmed flatlie by the counsell of the Apostle where he willeth that we should not draw the yoke with infidels which if it hold in other cases of the affaires of this life much more ought it to bee of force in mariage matters mariage I meane hereafter to bee made and not such as are alreadie made for where the knot is once already knit there disparitie or vnequalnes in religion is no iust cause of seperation Yea in this most graue waighty cause In prouiding of watches for their children parâ—ntes ought to begin with praier I would be author vnto all christian parentes that they take not the same lightly in hand as if it were but a toy or a iest but that they begin it with praier that in the whole actioÌ„ they may in such sort be directed that they do nothing against the word of God or vnbeseeming the same authority the which God himself in this cause hath imposed or laid vpon them And thus doing God no doubt will ad a blessing vnto their godlie indeuour and holie care worke obedience in the heartes of their children as hee framed the heart of Isaac with entire affection to imbrace Rebeccah whom his father Abraham had by his Steward prouided for him And least that any should imagine that this counsell is a pecuish fancie of a too much spiced and nice conscience the parents ought to bee induced and perswaded hereunto Gen. 24.7 Aben Ezra holdeth this to haue bene a praier first by the example of Abraham who committing the charge of prouiding a wife for his sonne vnto his seruant praieth that God will send his Angell before him to direct him in this businesse Secondlie the course which Abraham his seruant taketh in the effecting of this charge dooth teach no lesse Gen. 24.12 of whom we reade that he entred into this businesse with praier Gen. 24.26 that he geueth thankes vnto God when hee meeteth with Rebeccah Gen. 24 5â— that hee praiseth God when at the deliuerie of his message the parentes without gaine-saieng graunted their consent And whilest I giue this counsell vnto the parentes Children mariage-able are to pray vnto God to direct their parentes in a godly choise and to incline their mindes to accept of the same I woulde not haue the children thinke that I discharge them of this dutie of whom the same is by so much the more to be put in practise by how much they are more subiect to bee caried away with the swift current of their stay-lesse affections from whome wee heare too often these and such like more then prophane and heathenish speaches ' I will marie to please mine owne eie and not to satisfie the mind of my father I will neuer match with him that woeth my parents before he woeth me Shal I go to the father before I am sure of the daughter c. Whereas in verie deede they are not at all once so much as to make the least motion of mariage vnto the daughter vnlesse before they haue obtained the good will and liking of the father For in these cases let the daughters if they shall be thereunto sollicited and woed learne of the example of the maiden out of the Poet and of Cyrus out of Xenophon cited before to say vnto their suters My Father and my mother haue to determine and dispose of my mariage this is a matter not belonging nor appertaining vnto me The heathen haue borne themselues in this dutifull sort towardes their parentes and shall I that professe my selfe a christian come so far short of theÌ„ in this dutie as to coÌ„tract my self without the consent knowledge of my elders Nay let theÌ„ say with Tamar as it is in the story of the kings Speake I pray thee vnto my father for he will not deny me vnto thee c. 2 Sam. 13 verse 13 And here when as I enter into the consideration of the contrarie bad course practise of