foundation needs such under proppings as Those and they allso so feeble by the gnawings of chankring Obloquie as well as mouldring time that the building shakes at every blast Grant those incredible stories to be true yet how can any person in his right witts proove from their inhumane Actions that such deeds are Lawfull Since all was done unadvisedly without discussing of the matter and wrongfully themselves alone and in the hight of passion too beeing doth their wives Accusers their Jury their Judge and their cruell Executionners likewise O horrendum nefas Let this not onces more be mentioned amongst us who bear the name of Christians theise being savage and heathenish murthers both against Nature and the Law of God oâ— Reason of Religion and of Nations Let me demand who ever stained their Names their Relation their City Country Age or Generation with greater shame and Ignomie leaving such an indelible Stigma of their just disgrace to all posterity that nothing can wipe out except such inhumans monsters of humane kind as shall adventure to vindicate their Acts or from this day forward walk in their untrodden stepps Who received the greater foyle those tyrannous husbands who in their excess of rage and madness did so rashly abuse their own flesh and blood or those modest wives who with such patience did endure If any yet dare vindicate the former I le remoove the case into the Court of Morallity or civil Pâ—llicie where if the Jury pass on their side such shall have cause still to embrace their diabolicall suggestions but if They find them Guilty nothing more remaines then to lopp off such Gangreend members of an unhappy state or Kingdome least they infect the whole Body with such a fatall Distemper as will proove mortall and destructive to all humane societies with whom they shall converse CHAP. III. The same confirmed by the Rules of Morallity or Civill Pollicie MArriage of all humane actions is the one and only weightiest It is the present disposall of the whole life of man it is a Gordian knott that may not be loosed but by the sword of Death it is the Ring of union whose Poesie is Pure and endless In a word it is that state which either imparadiced man in the Eden of felicity or else exposeth him unto a world of misery Hence it is that so mature deliberation is required before such an eternall Bond be made The mutuall affection of each partie the consent of parents the approbation of friends the triall of acquaintance besides the especiall observation of disposition kindred of education of behaviour Now then if a man solemnize marriage upon theise due respects he can hardly make his choise amiss because he is guided by vertue which never faileth her followers But if not he may well be styled a foole because he is carryed away by passion which easily imprisoneth the best designes The man therefore who is truly wise cannot but choose a vertuouse wife and so by consequence live quietly and comfortably with her And if any take a vicious woman it argues his own â—olly and so by good reason may patiently endure her for now he hath but what before he desired and he desired that which then he fancied tho indeed not from the informace of a true judgment but by the inducement of a giddie affection And yet in this infortunate case it is the greatest folly of all follies for a man to aggravate and multiply his own misfortunes by quarrelling with his own choyse for that dissention takes away the very end and use of marriage debarreth from all comfort and enjoyment thereof banisheth its joy and felicity no man is so ignorant but he may well know none so obstinate but he must needs acknowledg the truth of what I say What wife is there so absolutely voyd of all passionate spleen who will so lovingly performe her marriags-rites so carefully bring up her children so providently order her house so diligently direct her servants for a preevish and waspish husband as for a sweet and loving one Who will buy blowes so dear as shee will pay for Love Or what husband is there so clear from all that will so intentively augment his patrimonie so warily imploy his stock so diligently follow his affaires so well in all things use his uttmost diligence for a wife whom he loutheth as for her whom he entirely loveth Who will be as devout a Bâ—adsman to the saint he fancyeth not as to Him whom he chiefly adoreth So that indeed neither as they should caring for the other both receive an unparndled dammage to themselves and for their posteritie leave it most unfortunate Infortunate in their birth for fear their dissentious parents derived to them their dissentious spirits in fortunate in their education for fear their Back ward parents hinderd their instruction unfortunate in their estate for feare their carelesse parents diminish their Portions unfortunate in their credit unfortunate in all for feare least all their parents faults redound unto the childrens griefe When as in agreeing matches where man and wife make up the sweet harmony of mutuall Love in a reciprocall consent and union you may observe a heaven like government the husband intent on his business the wife imployed in her house their children brought up religiously their attendants their servants and every one as Virgils common wealth of Bees busyed in their proper place and work whence towards the Autumne of their yeares they gather in the fruitfull harvest of true friendship of competent riches of good estimation and what excells all of sweet self content and satisfaction But let us turn our eyes away from beholding theise blessed fruites and advantages for some time at least and suppose every marryed woman not as a wife but as one of the female sex Tell me then I pray since every action of man must be tutored by some vertue or other what appearance of vertue can it be for a man to demeane himself in a Lordlie or Surlie manner towards a woman in a sowre sterne romose way and behaviour But especially what ease or pleasure can it be to a soul that 's endued with the least spark of reason or morallity to beate a woman or offer her any violent injurie at all It is not valour because that demands equality of Combatants it is not VVisdom because that depends on a stayde carriage It is not Justice because that requires a serious deliberation It is not Temperance because that wants unsettled passion and if none of theise then no vertue at all for all other vertues are comprized under them as some lesser dignitie under a more ample stile Tell me likewise to what end should men attempt such violence If a woman be perverse she thereby amendeth not if gentle she deserves it not if any seek praise thereby they will certainly merit laughter if reward they shall besure of shame And whereas such
THE GREAT ADVOCAâ— AND ORATOUR for WOMEâ— Or The Arraignment Tryall 〈◊〉 Conviction of all such wicked Hâ—â—bands or Monsters who hold 〈◊〉 lawfull to beate their Wives or to demeane themselves severely and Tyrannically towards them where Their crafty pleas are fully heard aâ—â— their Objections plainly answered anâ— Confuted And the 〈…〉 Condemnation passed 〈…〉 the Law of Nature the Law 〈…〉 Pollicy or Morallity the Civill and Canon Law and the Law of God Coloss 3. 19. Husbands Love your wives and be not bitter 〈◊〉 them Prov 16. 27 An ungodly man diggeth up 〈…〉 and in 〈…〉 there is as burnin◠〈…〉 froward 〈…〉 man soweth 〈◊〉 A. D. 1682. The Contents CH. 1. The Introduction CH. 2. That it is not lawfull for husbands to beat their wives prooved from the law of Nature CH. 3. The same confirmed by the Lawes of Morallity or of civile Pollicy CH. 4. The same argued and cleared up from the Civile Canon Lawâ— CH. 5. The same evinced from the Law of God CH. 5. The Conclusion To all married Women whose â—usbands rule over them with rigour and severity And likewise a word to all such irrationall husbands Ladies and Gentlewomen THE wiseman tells us that a word spoken 〈…〉 like apples of Goâ—â—◠〈◊〉 pictures of Silver 〈…〉 to your selves to judg how oppoâ—â—â—â—â—ely this Treatise comes unto your hands whose tendernicks are galled by your wearysome uneasy yoakes â— hope these few sheets may some what revive your drooping Spirits â—t beeing no small comfort when you have a friend at hand whose tender compassion towards your tender Sex makes him deplore your sad case and Plead your cause with such affection as if it were his own Me thinks I see how strangely your heart-breaking husbands are hurried by the violent Whirlewind of unbridled Passion me thinks I hear their loud murmurings their angry voice together with the ecchoing sound of servile blowes wounding my sorrwfull eares more then the dreadfull noyse of the disquieted seas more dangerouse then their forming rage more amazing theâ— Aetna's wrath whose wide throat â—â—â—gorgeth smoaks flames and â—under at one breath methinks 〈◊〉 see their shadow swiftly drawing on you like the black terrifying Hierricane that makes the tendeâ— Reedes whose nature yeelds to every gentle gale lie prostrate croudâ— together and whisper in trembling feare I am sensible how theiâ— austere demeanure and tyrannicaâ— behaviour have plunged diverse 〈◊〉 you into a deep and dangerous Gulph of sorrow and disparation who not finding peace and content at home are in an exorbitant manner seeking it else where and like persons disarmed of sence and reason by this Paroxisme of feare are Acting directly contrary to your own genuine and inclinations c. Now alltho I dare not justifie such enormities of yours but as a faithfull frind exhort your speedy Repentance and Amendment yet I lay the guilt tho not sufficient to excuse your fact in a more peculier manner to your husbands Charge and as the wicked Instrumentall cause of sins in you I Summon him without a deeper Repentance to prepare to Answer before the Great Tribunall judg both for himselfe and you Others there are more virtuosly inclined who are desponding in solitary corners and whose best remedy is to seek out some melancholy cave or desart place that may entertainâ— their pensive minds whilest their distracted thoughts are feeding oâ— soliscitude and care who instead oâ— teaching their eyes to weepe are endeavouring how to wiipe off their Christall teares as pure and cleare as is their Innocency without the discovery of their grief On whose pale eyâ— lids sits a sad messinger of wo more unwell come then the harbinger of death it selfe For such this book was chiefly designed and to every such desponding wife I now address my self advising you to trie once more what influence the violent cords of your laborious Love may have upon your misguided husband Take him by the hand and fall about his neck with sweet embraces hold him fast and compell him alltho against his will by all the retorick you have and by all the charming Eloquence of your loyall and constant Love c. â—f this prevaile not with him then conâ—ure him by all that 's dearest unto â—imselfe that he would please to â—ondescend to walk along with you â—nto this Temple of Eroto or the Muse of Love which is erected for your sakes alone Perhaps it may proeve and who knowes but it may O would to God it might such as was the Temple of the Goddesse Viri placa in Rome of whome Livie writes that whatever man and wife came to sacrifice Therein alltho never so much at strife and variance before yet they allways returned home again in Love and unity And that I may help one lift forward I desire now to speak a word or two to your contentious husbands whose words are fire brands arrowes and death or that which is much worse my advise to such shall be no other then thâ—t wise mans councell Prov. 25 8. 9. Go not forth hastily to strive least thou know not what to doe in the end thereof when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame debate thy cause By long forbearing is a Prince perswaded and a soft tongue breaketh bone it self Suppose thy wife to be what thou wouldst have all men think she is willfull froward and perverse consider whither thou hath not made her so doth her affections fit loose to thee examine well the grounds debate the matter with thy selfe Go nots forth hastily to trive with any person no not thy adversary much less with thy friend and least of all with her who lieth in thy bosome and should be dearest to thy heart nay who should be as deare unto thee as thy Life for as much as she is thy very selfe If a King with whom is commanding Majesty and power will be perswaded by a wise deportement how much more then will thy lowing wife whose tender Sex doth naturally dispose her to such sweetnesse softnesse Gentlenesse such melting and relenting teares such heart winning demeanure c. that the mollifying hand of Love may mould her into any stamp that vertue formes and who recoyles at nothing more then raggid usage because it is so directly contrary to her soule whose essence is compacted of ardent Love stronger then death it selfe and which many waters cannot quench From this time forward therefore goe thy wayes and reconcile thy selfe to thy offended selfe then let hand joyn in hand haste both of you to pay your Sacrifices to this Temple of unfeigned Love that when you returne from thence Heart may then joyn in Heart and both of you may be willing to live no longer then you live united in One soule which will redound to both your peace and tranquillity heer on earth and your future happinesse in the world to come and crowne your names to there present honour and my cordiall wishess with that palme of victorious and triumphant Successe which
same joy and as in a clear mirrour of sincere good will see a lively picture of his own gladnes For which cause especially as I conceive Isocrates condemned him for a person most lewdly disposed who by his faire speech and Proteus like behaviour hath wooed a virgin and in pompe and Joviality married her his wife and yet will in his folly thro anger and variance live discontentedly with her Seneca termes brawles in marriage worse then divorce from marriage Cato plainly calls it Sacriledge for a husband to beate his wife Such as the soule saith Plutarch in regard of the body such is the husband in respect of his wife both doe live in union in disunion both doe perish True love is the best amatorie or chiefest medicine to breed true love And therefore if thou looke truly to be loved of thy wife first love her truly for else how canst thou require that from her for thy selfe which thou affordest not from thy self to her She may in this case answer thee as L. Crassius the Senator replyed to L. Philippus the Consul how should I shew my self a Senator unto you whereas you behave your self not as a Consul unto me How should a wife proove loving unto her husband when as a husband prooves not loving unto her for both in Love and friendship the demand of Martial unto his Marcus stands with good reason If Phylades thou wilt me have Then Marke I le thee Orestes crave And not in words thou must it proove Wilt be belovd then thou must love Love is a relation and must have two Subjects for its residence as well the husband as the wife if it find not good intertainment with one it departs from both Both therefore must be like Crateres and Hyparchia who where said to see with double eyes because in mutuall love they acquainted one the other with all passages and events that concerned themselves So that as the Prophets in Israel were sacredly intitled Seers because they had a double sight from nature and from God so was Crateres in Athens jestingly termed a Seer because he used a double fight his wives and his own And how soever we exclaime against women that they are unworthy of such respect by reason of the multiplicity of their supposed infirmities such words often flash forth indeed but from the pregnancie of witt not from the soundnes of judgment spoken either from a prejudicate opinion which ever miscarrieth or from particular Example which never concludeth For instance we may hold them unconstant in their resolutions shallow in their judgment lavish of their tongue and with so many weaknesses beweaken this weake Sexe as that we may revive that old Theorem hissed long agoe from of the stage of vertue Of women kind found good there 's none And if perchance there be found one I know not how it comes to passe The thing 's made good that evil was As likewise this following Men have many faults Women have but Two There 's nothing good they Say There 's nothing good they doe c. A flat impiety against the all Creators all sufficiency who when he had built this worlds faire house lookd in every corner thereof and saw that All was good yet they in the fairest roome of all have found that all is naught And if you flie from their first unspotted Creation unto their now corrupted disposition what pâ—iviledge have men beyond women they are both made of one mettal cast both in the same mould all are not good nor the most the best but if any might challenge preheminence it should seeme the woman might whose complexion is purer which argues a richer witt whose passions are stronger viz of Fear Joy Greef and so by consequence of Love it self pure innocent and strong as death that many waters cannot quench which proclaimes a much better disposition then is in man and is the Topp Gemm of the largest size and appeares more beautyfull then any of the rest in the Crown of Vertue In short dislike them we cannot whom Nature hath so curiously composed and hath sh'ewn as we may say the Perfection of his glorious Workmanship that so their Illustrious Soules in which so great a Spark of the Divinity hath lodgdit self might have a Choise cabbinet or Receptacle whose out side Splendor and beauty might be such as beares some proportionable shadow and resemblance of that Heavenly-Ghuest within Dislike women now who can since in disliikning them if any such there are they more dislike themselves for Nature hath every way much more curiously framed them then us poor men who are the moments of her rougher Workmanship Yet for your pleasures sake suppose women to be as bad as some would make them say they are past all vertuous modesty swear they are beyond all hopefull recovery c. be it so I demand wherefore should they be beaten None but finall puishment in such cases should be inflicted where the person punished cannot be amended Women say some are past amendment and therefore they are past punishment It is an axiome in Philosophy that where the Cause is taken away the effect ceaseth and it is again as firm a position in humanity that amendment is the Chief if not sole cause of every such punishment There beeing then no hope of the one there ought likewise to be exaction of the other Now that women will never be amended it is as common a phrase in some persons mouthes as what lack yee in the Exchange so that it was grown long since to a proverbe They wach a jeat and make it white as snow VVho women beat To make them vice forgoe Aristotle in Oecon. lib. 1. c. 3. and 4 whose words are maxims in Philosophy and his Ipse dixit an authentick proof seemes heerin to soar above himself and leaving his wonted Schoole of humanity to speake from out of the sacred Chaire of Divinity when he sayd The divine Providence so framed man and woman that of necessity they must be of one Society otherwise how could they perpetuate the world by their offsprings succession since neither without woman nor woman without man can have any Issue wherefore they were made both alike and yet dislike alike in specificall nature and alike in the features and liniaments of their bodies and their soules of the same Essence Dislike in the Individual the one hotter and drier the other colder and moyster that out of this disagreeing concord of a diverse temper should proceed the sweet Harmony of Agreeing of Love The one valiant and laborious in the fields the other milde and diligent within the dores that what the one had painfully gotten abroad the other might carefully preserve at home The one fairer and as a delightsome Picture of beauty the other more steme and as a mirror of manhood The one more deeply wise the other of a more quick and pregnant
perfection Then was not his reason over cast with any clouds of Sensuality his judgment not tainted with errour his Affections not disturbed or diverted by sinfull temptations and there by allured to sin on other Objects of delight and pleasure his Conscience not stained with Sinn the eye of his understanding Clear like the Sunn in its strentgh and beauty the propension of his will free and then we may assure our selves his was most exquisite and his words the true Oracles of Wisdom In this so absolute and Angelical an estate which now the nature of man can no ways pretend unto see how the Proper state and first venture or marriage ratifyeth and Confirmeth the amiable Bond and indiâ—soluble knot the firme conjunction and perfect Union of Man and Wife Man shal leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife Parents there is no man doubts are to be regarded with all filiall and reverentiall dutie they should be the Second in our honour as they are the Second causes of our beeing Yet as though there were a Nescio quid in marriage some higher mysterie and a relation more essentiall we are authorized to relinquish them and therefore much more all other friends and acquaintance or whatsoever love the love of God only excepted and to live with our companion who is our Second self An absolute Law we see for Adam and for all his posterity of men therefore shall a man c. not enjoyning this condition to Eve or to the after posterity of women kind that they should leave their father and mother and cleave unto their husbands no but for this cause shall a man leave c. It may be that his propheticall soule saw the future obdurity of man would proove to be so stony as it might stand in need of Lawes to mollifie it but womans nature to be so gentle so affable so Obsequious so compact of Love that her choise affections would easilie prevent any law for the increase or continuance of her Sympathizing Love stronger then death it self and which many waters could not quench And in this nearest of all near affinities if Concord be our protector though we live not in the glory of the world though we be as poore as imagination can conceive though prosperitie shines not in at our windowes and pleasures honours riches and vanities attend not at our gates Notwithstanding all we have an Asylum at home or Refuge whereunto when we retire our selves we are sure to finde sincerity of Love standing on the treshold of our dore ready to welcome us and true Contentment within to entertaine us The councell-house may proove distastefull to us the citty may perchance deride us the court peradventure not smile upon us the fields thro Solitarines may possibly feed and nourish our melancholie the streets-trough popularitie may displease us all things abroad may not relish with us nay gold and silver if we had abundance of it might distract our mindes yet after all our comfort lies in this that at our sweet home we have Soveraigne Physick a choise Cordiall a most admirable Antidote viz the Quintesence and highest Elixir of pure and spottles Love to recover our diseased mindes and to revive our drooping Spirits a present Restorative for every malady we mun withal in this Cretd dust and infectious aire where in we liveâ— But where discontent and Discord swayes though our posessions knew no other limitts then the Artick and Antartick Poles of Earth our attendants as numberles as Xerxes Army our fate as costly and luxurious as Heliogabalus our house and furniture as glorious as Salomons Temple c. yet all this is but poor and beggarly riches or a rich beggarie Wher as our minde which is the seat of true peace and content is all this while inhabited by the outragious Spirit of strife and contention and is a fitt habitation for no other Objects then such who devour and prey upon each other with the ravenous appetite of hatred envie malice murders and revenge Suppose flattering Prosperity were thy conseâ—nt Minion and gave thee the whole world at thy command let the rich Indies overlay thy floores and every thing thou hast with purest gold The Choisest Gemms and Orientall pearls of richest worth prostrate themselves before thy feet and Cohabite in thy armes and the sweet Arabia perfume thee with its costly odours let the Sea the air the land bring their rarest offerings to the honour of thy exalted name and let Ivory beds nay massie beds of gold or silver inshrine thee from the dismall night yet when thou returnest home unto thy own bosome thou shalt then find a hell of Torments and that bitter root of the Colliquintida of strife and emulation which impoysons all the rest Farr from the example of the first institution was any such enormitie It was here decreed They two shall bee-one flesh Here was an Union proclaymed their bodies are one flesh their Soules one Spirit themselves no more destinctly two but perfectly united into One. And if wee may be so bold to draw the comparison from God himself I would affirme with reverence that man and wife are reall shadowes or Pictures of the most Sacred Trinity where there is a distinction of Persons but an Unity of Essence even so man and wife all tho two Severall persons yet ought they to abide as one Individuum or one entire Soul Spirit and Affection One and the self same great end each others mutuall good and furtherance of their outward and inward happynes and one and the self same Méanes in order to that sole end viz. in beeing and continuing a mutuall de light and Satisfaction unto each others minde centring both in Unity of Love On this bargaine our first parents agreed and the termes and conditions they truly performed in their first state of Innocency when as the Soule of man was enameled only with the flowers of vertue no thistles were then grouwing no thornes or bryars were then planted Passions of Anger fear guilt and shame were not yet borne nor Vice her daughter then begotten This was once the Age whereof we have read The first and best of times were pure a golden age Next to the Gods and farthest from tempestuous rage Of vice No other Empress of the world was known As yet but Sacred Vertue she rul'd then alone Then was eternall Spring the earth with richest flowers Was allways richly clad which when the Christall showers Performed their morning Sacrifices gave such breath As tho the Gods had daily new perfumed the Earth The Sister aire a virgin for thâ— piercing gunn The mother earth not yet was wounded by her sonne The iron instrument The rugged Oceans back Not Sadled with tbe pine to beare the Merchants pack Yet then the Earth the Sea the aire untouched did yeeld More fruits then laboured now doth aire or sea or fielde c. Bellona had not yet in sanguine field displaide Her sable