ready the arrowes of his vengeance whose portion is in that lake of fire vnquenchable Oh consider this yee that forget God least hee tare you in Psalme 50. peeces and there be none to helpe Regard the words of Salomon keepe thee from the wicked woman flattery of the tongue of a strange woman desire not her beauty in thine heart neither let her take thee with her eye lids for because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morcel of bread And a woman will hunt for Pro. 6. the precious life of a man can a man take fire in his bosom not be burnt or can he goe vpon coales his feete not be burnt so he that goeth into his neighbours wife shall not be innocent whosoeuer toucheth her should a man talke with one of these licentious liuers about some of his worldly affaires he would thinke himselfe wise enough to conferre with any man in the eyes of the world seeme so yet Salomon proueth him ot be but a foole for saith hee hee that doth it destroyeth his owne soule yea he shall find a wound dishonour his reproach shal neuer be put away againe in anothr place The mouth of a strange Pro. 22. woman is a pit and hee with whom the Lord is angry shall fall therein and thus I proceed somewhat the more largely in opening this breach of wedlocke to the end you may see into what dangers these men doe dayly run into which liue not louingly faithfully with their owne wiues as the word of God enioyneth them to doe The Fift Chapter WEe see now by our last Chapter how farre many husbands come short of the performance of that duty which by the word of God they are inioyned to performe vnto their wiues and the whole cause or chiefe ground we also see there to be the want of loue or rather of true loue for if there were in them that true loue which the feare of God worketh in the heart of euery good Christian then it would leade them to that knowledge wherewith S. Peter 1. Pet. 3. teacheth husbands to be furnished with which I must a little further touch for it is not enough for them to abide dwel with their wiues but they must dwell with them as men of knowledge and men of vnderstanding and experienced in the word of God yeelding themselues wholy vnto the guide of his word and the obedience of his will and holy Commandements this is the knowledge wherewith he instructeth them and this will bring Husbands to performe that which Saint Paul teacheth which is to loue your wiues Ephe. 5. as Christ loued his Congregatiō that is with a holy harty and a constant Husbands ought to liue with their wiues as men of knowledge experienced in the word of God loue for all these must bee performed by you and except you labour to gather this knowledge from the word of God as the Bee doth for her hony among the flowers by your continual exercise meditatiō therin assure your selues you shal neuer be able to performe your duties towards God nor receiue true comfort by your Mariages Hee telleth you also that you must giue honour vnto the wife as vnto the weaker vessell and because shee is the weaker vessel and more apt to frailty then thy selfe thou must beare with her weakenes and not expect to find that fulnesse of content which happily through thy wisedome thou wouldest shee should performe vnto thee in many things for for this cause also hast thou obtayned thy wisedome thy knowledge and thy vnderstanding that thou mightest beare with the weakenes of thy companion we reade that when Samuell had annoynted Saul to bee 1. Sam. 10. a King ouer the people so soone as hee had annoynted him vnto that kingly office God gaue vnto him another hart fitting him thereby vnto the place and calling he had appoynted him so no doubt but those men which he permitteth vnto that honorable function of Marriage he furnisheth with gifts fitting for that calling for it is a matter of no small waight when a man taketh vpon him the gouernement of a womā but if he rightly consider what he taketh in hand hee shall find he had need with Salomon to pray that the Lord will giue vnto him wisedome to rule gouerne the wife whith he hath taken as hee did for wisedome to gouerne his people both the Husband the Wife when they come together to pray with Tobias and Sarah that the power of Tob. 8. the Deuill haue no domination ouer them and so he shall be strengthned and enabled to beare with the weakenesse of his companion Wee see if wee put strong waters into a single weake glasse it breaketh the glasse because it wanteth substance of nature to beare it and therefore we will put such waters carefully into double glasses which may conserue and keepe them so wee should not ouerburthen the weake nature of the woman by imposing vpon her that which the husband himselfe ought to performe of which I haue formerly spoken and this is one Simile chiefe reason which should mooue the man to deale kindly with his wife euen her weaknes for wee see if we handle vessels A reason shewing why a man should deale kindly with his wife of glasse and earth roughly or rashly we crack breake them and I would that men were as wise and carefull to consider the weakensse of their wiues and to deale kindly gently and louingly with them so conseruing and preseruing that loue which ought to bee betwixt them and would be if it were not expulsed by their rough and vnkind dealing with them And there is another reason or chiefe ground to be considered greater then any of the former which should draw men to the performance of this their duty for so St. Paul doth teach vs also which is that euery man should Another more effectuall reason for the same cause haue a speciall care to performe these duties imposed vpon him the rather or for this cause because they are beires with you of the grace of life elected by the fauor of God in Christ Iesus to that fellowship of Saints wherein you your selues hope to bee nūbred as dearely beloued of God as your selues bought out of the power of Satan by the precious blood of his deare Sonne as well as you and heyres also of that eternall life which you your selues hope to enioy and therefore if you your selues thinke to liue as Saints in Heauen you must liue together as Saints here on earth These thinges as a loadestone should draw you to the performance of those dutyes which you ought to performe if you rightly consider it And so our blessed Apostle hauing giuen this godly prudent counsaile vnto Husbands to performe vnto their Wiues giueth a reason also wherefore these thinges should or ought to be thus performed which
vnto men that it is not enough for them to liue peacably and quietly with their wiues but they must liue louingly with them also thus did Iacob loue his wife yeelding Gen. 28. service to his vnckle and maister Fourteen yeares to the end hee might enioy her after Elkana 1. Sam. 1. loued Hanna his wife and Sampson Iudg. 1. Tob. â— his wife and Tobias and others their wiues And you see it must be no ordinary loue neither but it must bee like that extraordinary great loue which Christ shewed vnto his Church Ephe. 5. who gaue himselfe for it that Man is to loue his wife as Christ his Church hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be wholy without blame I will say with the blessed Apostle this is a great secret yea such a one which man is not commaunded in all poynts to imitate for the man is not commanded to giue his life for his wife as Christ did for his Church and yet he is to In what poynts to Imitate Christ protect her in all perils and dangers euen as hee doth his Church he must gouerne her in his wisedome by the word of God both by continuall instructions from thence and by his owne louing and gentle behauiour towards her and all others yea he must be laborious in his calling that so he may prouide all thinges necessary for her for so doth Christ for his Church he is alwaies protecting it and prouiding for it For this cause shall a man leaue his Father Mat. 19. 5. his Mother and shall cleaue vnto his wife and they twayne shall bee one flesh Saint Peter being himselfe a married man doth giue many notable instructions like these who speaking by the spirit of God and in the knowledge hee had of marriage yet imposeth this duty vnto men ye Husbands dwell with your Wiues as men of 1. Pet. 3. knowledge giuing honour vnto the woman as vnto the weaker vessell euen â— they which are heyres together of the grace of life that your prayers be not interrupted and the wise man giueth thee this counsell not to depart from a discreet and Eccle. 7. good woman which is fallen vnto thee for thy portion in the feare of the Lord for sayth he the guift of her honesty is farre aboue gold If thou haue a wife after thine owne mind forsake her not and commit not thy selfe to the hatefull vse thy selfe to liue ioyfully with thy wife whom thou louest all the dayes of thy life which is but vaine that God hath giuen thee vnder the Sunne all the dayes of thy vanity for that is thy portion in this life of all thy labour and trauile that thou takest vnder the sunne And our Sauiour Christ himselfe confirming on earth what his Father had done in paradice vouchsafed to grace a nuptiall feast with his blessed presence to expresse his loue the more which hee bare to the holy vnion then there knitte betwixt the Iohn 2. Man and his wife he expresseth his glory in shewing his first miracle which he wrought on earth at this mariage that of ioy by turning there water into wine to comfort and glad their hearts withall And now that wee haue found that the most principall duty of The principal duty of the Husband towards his wife is loue the Husband towards his Wife is loue that the word of God teacheth vs in what nature to expresse it let vs looke into the glasse of our times and see how this duty of loue is performed but I feare that among a hundred wee shall scarce finde one that striueth to performe this duty of loue as he ought and too many that know not of any duty at all Few to bee found which loue their wiues as they should to be obserued or at least wise will know of none and euen of those that doe know all and yet make no conscience to performe any for who or where is hee that loueth his wife as himselfe and nourisheth and cherisheth her euen as Christ doth his Church nay see we not rather the contrary doe wee not see dayly many which consume great estates which their wiues doe bring them through their owne vicious liues some by Foure chiefe causes of the ruinating of mans estate idlenesse some by gaming some by drunkennesse some by whoring but of this I shall speake hereafter some by one thing some by another who can deny but if there were loue in the man to his wife he would be more carefull in preseruing his and her estate then thus and yet wee see dayly a good woman brought to beggery by such lewd Husbands where is any duty or loue in such And are there not others which to shew their authority Churlish husbands voyd of the knowledge of the law of God will hold their wiues in stead of fellowship in such subiection seruitude that no seruant will performe the like vnto them being euen a very Nabal vnto them in churlishnes of speech crabbed conditions that the poore wife is euen at her wits end in seeking to giue him contentâ— where is wisedome in such Husbands that should gouerne their wiues according to knowledge alas it appeareth that these men forgetting their duty to God know not how to performe any duty at all towards their Wiues Others there are that will follow no vocation or labour at all but liue idely and lewdly put the poore woman to shift for all shee must prouide for her selfe her Children and her idle Husband too or if he hap sometimes to get something abroad yet shee shall bee sure to be neuer the better for it he wil bring none home to comfort her nay not so much as to put cloathes to his owne backe but that his poore Wife must prouide them yea and discharge the Landlord too or else shee shal want a house to put her head in nay hauing a profession to doe all this sufficiently of himselfe yet will he no way benefit his wife or himselfe but wil impose all still vpon her what shall we say of such men and yet such there be I protest vpon mine owne knowledge I know some of them Saint Paul saith he is worse then an Infidell that doth No feare of God nor loue in them which doe not prouide for their families not prouide for his family but to cast pearles among such swine is not meet for they will stoppe their eares at the voyce of the charmer charme hee neuer so wisely I will leaue them to the iust iudgement of God who wil assuredly giue them their due what loue doe these men show nay is there any loue at all in them or any feare of God either It is a harts griefe to any good Christian or well minded man to see and heare the dayly contentions vproares quarrelles and disagreements
giue vnto himselfe as much pleasure as Salomon possessed as his Where peace and loue doe want all other things do seeme vnpleasing heart can desire yet if hee liue not peaceably at home in loue with his wife euen all the rest are but a burthen vnto him but the poore man hauing little and yet liuing frendly louingly and ioyfully with his wife hath his heart more full of content then the rich man hath of all his wealth Indeed as the old prouerbe sayth in loue is no lacke Where man wife agree all thinges prosper well 1. Sam. 6. for where loue is vnited in the feare of God in the harts of man and wife they will like yoake fellowes draw together the right way like the two Milch Kine which brought the Arke of God in the new cart from the land of the Philistims yea they will plow together sow together there is no doubt but through the blessing of him which gouerneth them they shall so doing receiue a plentifull haruest together Thus we haue found that the principall duty of the Husband vnto the Wife is loue and doe also finde that this duty is much neglected contemned euen despised of many as appeareth by the euills dayly arising betwixt man wife here before expressed which I confesse to bee to many yet there is one mayne defect in husbands which I may not ouer-passe because it is the greatest breach of loue that may bee which I will speake of in the Chapter following The Fourth Chapter THis duty of the Husband vnto the Wife being wholy included in the bonds of loue it stretcheth it selfe farther into many branches for we finde also by the word of God that the Husband must dwell with his wife according to knowledge so we see here that is not lawfull for the Husband to forsake his Wife but howseuer whether it be in weale or woe in riches or in pouerty yet he must abide dwell with her still onely Adultry No cause whatsoeuer should separate man and wife except Adultry separateth man and wife for this cause a man may forsake his wife and shee her husband but if the wife be not an Adultresse thou must not forsake her no not for any other cause I confesse the wise man saith giue me any plague but the plague of the tongue and it may bee thy wife hath this fault yet this is not a sufficient cause for to forsake her for our Saviour Christ telleth Mat. 19. vs it is not lawfull for a man to put away his wife except it be for whoredome yea hee doth vtterly forbid to separate whom God hath ioyned together and saith further that whosoeuer shall put away his wife except it bee for fornication causeth her to commit Adultery and whosoeuer Whosoeuer marrieth her that is diuorced doth commit Adultry shall marry her that is diuorced committeth Adultry But the firebrands of hell I meane the wicked and abominable Adulterers of our time neither respecting the word of God nor yeelding any obedience to his Commandements or fearing the iustice of his vengeance to come for their disobedience will notwithstanding like the swine possessed by the Deuill runne violently to their destructions But Saint Paull 1. Cor. 6. telleth them plainely that neither Fornicators Adulterers wantons An item for whoremongers and Adulterers nor such like shall inherite the kingdome of God whither they shall goe then I tremble to thinke of for these men not regarding these things will haue a wife here another there one in this Country and another in another country or if thy cannot range abroad to doe thus but must abide at home they will keepe a whore euen there and yet the poore wife must not know of it or if shee doe shee must not seeme to know it or dare to speake of it though shee bee neuer so much wronged by it nay this will not serue the beastly minds of some but they will haue a whore in this corner and another in another corner and bee continually seeking of whores and whorish places for all bread is sweet to a whoremonger saith the wise man hee will not leaue off till hee perish Eccle. 23. a man that breaketh wedlocke and thinketh thus in his heart who seeth me I am compassed about with darkenesse the walls couer mee no body seeth mee whom need I to feare the most high wil not remember my sins the same man sayth he shall bee punished in the streets of the citty and shall bee chased like a young horse foale and when he thinketh not vpon it hee shall be taken thus shall he be put to shame of euery man because he would not vnderstand the feare of the Lord. But what speake I of the wise mans words whē God himselfe saith Thou shalt not commit Adultry Exodus 20. and that thou shalt not couit thy neighbours Wife nor his maide nor his Daughter and yet his wife his maid nor daughter wil serue to satisfie the beastly minds of many men in this wicked age but wiues maides and all that they may any way allure to their wicked purposes they will thus abuse The Lord commanded there Deu. 23. should bee no whore-keepers among his people the Israelites but if all such should bee swept out of this kingdome I thinke a great part of our land would be vnpeopled for neuer was this sin of whoredome adultry at such a haight as at this day it is amongst vs amongst young men it is now counted but a tricke of youth among others of more yeares which should haue more grace it is called the sweet pleasing sin of Letchery Oh England England Sodom Gomorah committed not more sinne then thou dayly dost and these haue felt the heauy hand of God long since consuming them with fire and brimstone from heauen and thinkest thou Heb. 13. to escape no no the bed vndefiled is honourable but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will iudge Saint Iohn telleth such Reu. 21. plainely they shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire brimstone you will thinke I am too bold to bee thus sharpe with you but I say the tongues of men can neuer speake enough of this sinne for the Lord hath set himselfe against such and will be aswift witnesse against them for saith he They assemble themselues Mala. 3. by companies in the Harlots houses and rise vp in the morning like fed horses for euery man neigheth Iere. 5. after his neighbours wife and now marke what followes shall I not visit for these thinges sayth the Lord shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this Woe be to you Whoremongers Whoremongers Adulterers doe not onely draw vengeance on thē selues but also on the nations among whom they liue and Adulterers who not onely draw vengeance vpō your selues but even vpon the whole nation wherein you liue against whom the Lord maketh
is that your prayers be not let or hindred as if hee should say if you liue discoÌ„tently or frowardly one with When man wife agree not as they ought they cannot pray as they should another it is vnpossible that you should performe that deuotion in your praiers which you ought to performe to God or haue them accepted of him as you would therfore if you would haue God to heare you when you pray vnto him or to grant you the things which you pray for and desire of him agree and liue in loue together that so your praying together may receiue comfort together and that the God of loue may blesse your Loues together I beseech you haue a care of these thinges and separate not yourselues in these holy actions for I know there be too many infected with these sins amongst vs in these dayes which liue vntowardly and frowardly God knowes yet feare not to present themselues before his diuine Maiesty in this case oh dangerous thing hath God ioyned you together that you might be one and will you diuide your selues and then appeare before him and bring him but halfe when his due is to haue the whole thinke you hee will bee serued thus no hee is like the true Mother which wil not haue 1. King 3. her child diuided he will either haue the whole or none he will not haue you thus to separate your selues and then to presume to come in his presence but if any contention do arise betwixt the Man and his Wife quench the fire before it doe burne too farre reconcile yourselues one to another speedily that your loues may not fade nor your hearts stray but ioyne together in God that so your prayers be not interupted but accepted of him as you see the word of God teacheth you thus briefely for the duty of Husbands The duty of Wiues The Sixt Chapter YOu see I haue proued that the duties of Husbands are wholy grounded vpon Loue but we shall find that the duty of the Wife reacheth yet further then so for it is not enough for her to It is not enough for a woman to loue her Husband but shee must be ruled and gouerned by him also be kind louing vnto her Husband but shee must be obedient and dutifull and vnder the subiection gouernement of him also but because I will not bee offensiue by presuming to write any thing herein of my selfe I will lay my foundations on a sure ground and goe no farther then the word of God shall giue mee warrant heerein Wee find that for the sinne of disobedieÌ„ce in our grandmother Eue vnto her maker amongst the rest of her punishments laid vpon her for it this is one Thy desire shall be subiect to thine Husband Gen. 3. and he shall rule ouer thee yee see here what duty is layd vpon the the woman that by the Commandement of God himselfe you haue now no power left vnto your selues to order your owne wils and desires as your owne selues please no your wils must accord to the wils of your Husbands your desires must be subiect to their wils it is your duties to yeeld them obedience the preheminence of rule the very heathen Phylosophers which knew not the word of God yet could teach that the rule for the Wife to liue by was her Husband if he liued obedient to the lawes publique how much more then if they liue according to the lawes of God are you bound to performe it but Simile as a blocke though it bee decked with Gold and Iewels is not to be respected except it represent the shape of somewhat euen so a wife bee shee neuer so rich if shee bee not obedient vnto her Husband shee is nothing worth to be regarded and whatsoeuer or whersoeuer we shall find any thing concerning this duty of the Wife in the whole booke of God we shall find it to bee built vpon this foundation which God himselfe hath layde S. Paul well vnderstanding the mysterie of his Maisters mind hath very plainely in many of his Epistles largely expressed this Ephe. 5. matter teaching wiues to submit theÌ„selues vnto their Husbands as vnto the Lord here is the loue taught you that you must performe vnto them here is the duty too For as you must performe all harty loue and true affectioned zeale vnto the Lord with all faithfull obedience vnto his holy and heauenly will so you vnder your Husbands vnto them must performe the like and Saint Paul sheweth the reason too why you must doe this for saith hee The Husband is the Wiues head euen as Christ is Ephe. 5. the head of the Congregation and hee is the Sauiour of the whole body therefore as the whole congregation is in subiection to Christ likewise let the wiues bee in subiection to their Husbands in all things Thus you see how Saint Paul hath laboured to expesse this duty vnto you and Saint Peter he teacheth the same in effect also in these words ye women be subiect 1. Pet. 3. to your Husbands that euen they which beleeue not the word may without the word be wonne by your conuersation when they behold your conuersation in feare And againe 1. Cor. 14. let your wiues keepe silence with all subiectioÌ„ suffer not a womaÌ„ to teach nor to haue authority ouer the man but for to bee in silence for Adam Gen. 3. was first formed then Eve also Adam was not deceiued but the woman was deceiued and hath brought in the transgression Againe Let your wiues keepe silence in the congregation for it shall not bee permitted vnto them to speake but to bee vnder obedience as the Law saith but if they will learne any thing let them aske their Husbands at home for it becommeth not a woman to speake in the Congregation yea a man shall bee Lord and ruler in his owne house and the woman shall bee subiect vnto her Husband Yea we shall find that among the ordinances which Moses gaue vnto the Children of Israel this is one That if a woman hauing a Num. 30. Husband voweth or pronounceth ought with her lips either by â—ath or Women oughr not to make vowes without the consent of their Husbands solemne promise whereby shee bindeth her selfe if her Husband heard it and holdeth his peace concerning her the same day he heareth it then her vow shall stand and her bond wherewith shee bound her selfe shall stand in effect but if her Husband disallow her the same day that hee heareth it then shall hee make her vowe which shee had made and that which shee pronounced with her lips when shee bound her selfe of none effect and the Lord shall forgiue her Thus you see how the Scriptures do all accord to that which God in the beginning had commanded namely That the woman Gen. 18. should be subiect to the rule and gouernement of her Husband to this
is required of women towards their husband of feare this is which is here required and how it must be performed for it is not a slauish kind of feare which is here required where the Apostle sayth your cōuersation must be in feare but here is required of you a holy conuersatiō zealous towards God and pure and vndefiled towards the world with vertue chastity modesty temperance sobriety faithfulnesse and louing obedience for surely shee that is fully possessed with these vertues will so loue and so liue that shee will feare to offend her Husband but rather yeeld all humility and obedience for the commandement sake thus by this holy cariage of your selues shall you winne those that are without the knowledge of God or his word to the knowledg both of him and his word when they shall behold your godly conversation in feare And see farther the mercy of our good God vnto whom he hath cōmitted you to be gouerned by not vnto your enemies or vnto strangers but vnto a kind louing Husband vnto whom you are as neere as the very flesh vnto his skin and as deare vnto him as the aple of his eye whose tender harted affections are alwaies yeelding vnto a dutifull louing wife I hope now that good wiues will willingly yeeld vnto this their duty of obedience vnto their Husbands seeing by whom it is commanded and to whom it ought to be done And the rather for that the mercy of God doth extend it selfe vnto them euen to the full in that notwithstanding their transgression against him yet he hath ordayned them to eternall salvation by the merits of his 1. Tim. 2. beloued Sonne the words are worthy your best obseruation and these they are Notwithstanding through bearing of Children shee shall bee saued if they continue in the faith and loue and holinesse with modesty see here the benefit of Mariage which bringeth so great a blessing with it And note I beseech you you that are women of vnderstanding here is saluatiō offered vnto you by bearing of Children indeed but it is with a prouiso if if you continue in the faith and loue and holinesse with modesty you must yeeld all The first duty of the Wife is obedience harty obedience vnto the blessed will of God else what is the fruits of your faith or where is it or the hope of your saluatiō so you see it alludes vnto al these vertues I formerly spake of and the obedience which God himselfe commandeth for all these should bee in women for if you marke it as it is worthy your marking you shall see that al our poeticall paynters wheresoeuer they doe paynt or set forth any of the vertues as Faith Hope Eight chiefe vertues which ought to be in women Loue Charity Patience Chastity Temperance Humility the like all these they doe not set forth vnto vs in the shaddow of men but in the shaddow of women shewing thereby that in them these vertues dwell or should at the leastwise I will run no farther in this poynt of obedience but will turne mee to the next duty of the Wife which is Loue. The Eight Chapter ANd now concerning the duty of Loue The second duty of the Wife is Loue. which euery woman ought to performe vnto her Husband I haue in some manner touched it before as occasion serued in the duty of obedience for indeed they are as too twins they goe hand in hand one with another and may not well bee Obedience and Loue ought not to be separated separated for where there is true obedience rightly performed there also loue will be attendant as an agent helpe to performe the businesse and in deed it is so naturall a thing for a woman to loue a man that we would think she needed not be prompted or to bee instructed in this poynt but to performe it truly faithfully as it ought to be I thinke wee shall scarce find one in fiue that doth it no not among ten I pray God there bee one in 20 And yet I make no doubt but that a woman loueth her Husband when she marrieth with him but the Apostle saith shee must continue in loue Why then it appeareth that the loue shee must performe vnto her Husband must be like the ring wherwith he marrieth her What the Marriage ring doth signifie it must haue no end it must continue as long as shee continues to him yea if it be to the end of her life and as the ring is not of any mixt or base mettall but of the most precious pure mettal which may be so it teacheth the woman that the loue shee must performe vnno her Husband must bee pure holy and chast it must allow no mixture no copartner in this fellowship but she must remember to performe the vow shee made in the presence of God and before his Saints at the time of her Marriage that shee would keepe her selfe onely vnto him so long as shee should liue with him and this you see the ceremony or vse of the ring teacheth and therefore with great and good consideration hath our Church ordayned the vse of it and great in the error of those men which refuse at such times to make vse of it And now I haue begune to speake of this vow which the woman maketh vnto her Husband at the time of her Marriage it giueth me an occasion to take notice of the small regard that women for the most part doe take of this businesse for if wee note the conuersation of A woman ought to haue regard of the vow that shee maketh at the time of her marriage Wiues vnto their Husbands in these times it will appeare as I sayd for the most part that they neuer regard that vow they made or know that they haue made any at all for sure I thinke there bee some so brutish they know it not but rather thinke they bee but words of course or ceremonial rites of the Church and not concerne them at all yea I doe know there bee such but alasse their errors is exceeding great in taking so little regard of so waighty a cause But I beseech you in the feare Note of God note what I shal say vnto you concerning this matter for you shal see it is a vow which shee promiseth with her lips yea and a great vow and such a one as in the whole course of her life shee cannot make a greater for if a woman shall say or protest Numb 5. she will doe such or such a thing this is a vow shee bindeth her selfe to performe it but as I said before If her Husband hearing her shall disallow of it and shall say shee shall not doe it shee is then freed from her vow because of his authority ouer her and it is sayd the Lord shall forgiue her for vowing so we see then it is a sinne for a woman to vow or protest to doe any
run farre into this poynt of the pride of women but it is not my purpose to doe it but rather to follow the example of the Apostle which telleth them that such thinges ought not to be and to wish them that they would array themselues as becommeth women which professe the faith of Iesus Christ in comely apparrell with shamefastnesse modesty that the word of God bee not euill spoken of through you The Tenth Chapter THere bee yet many duties more which are very needfull for women both to learne to obserue as appeareth by the instructions which the blessed Apostle gaue vnto his Sonne Titus whereby to instruct the Timo. 2. Creets with wherein he instructeth the elder women that their behauiour bee such as becommeth holinesse not false accusers not giuen to much wine but teachers of honest things that they may instruct the yonger women to be sober minded that The good properties which ought to be in women they loue their Huabands that they loue their Children that they be discreet chast keeping at home good and subiect to their Husbands that the word of God be not euill spoken of but many of these things I haue in some sort touched before only here I would haue women take norise of a thing or two not yet spoken of and so I will draw to a conclusion The Apostle warneth them not to be false accusers and this toucheth busie bodies of our time which will goe pratling to carrie newes and bring debates The Husbands smart sometimes for the wiues tongues and contention amongst neighbours by lying and slaunderouse speeches so that many times the men smart for the womens tongus and neighbours liue at great varience one with another which otherwise would liue in loue and peace together This ought not to be amongst womeÌ„ but to be such as SalomoÌ„ speaketh of in the last of his Prouerbs who speaking there of a vertuous woman shee will saith he open her mouth with wisedome and the law of grace is in her tongue doing thus should they bee able to performe the things here commanded and to instruct others in the duties belonging vnto them Againe hee commandeth that women be not giuen to much wine I would that women were more carefull to auoyd this sinne then Women ought not to delight in much drinking of wine or strong drinke they be for wee haue too many women-drunkards amongst vs as well as men-drunkards now adayes the more is the pitty but woe bee to those that rise vp early to follow drunkenesse and to them that continue vntill night till the wine do enflame them woe be to them that Ecclu â—6 are mighty to drinke wine and to theÌ„ that are strong to powre in strong drinke great is the plague of a drunken woman saith the wise man for shee cannot couer her owne shame we haue example of this in Noah and Lot though otherwaies a righteous man yet being drunke with wine coÌ„mitted Incest with his owne Daughters And euen in these dayes wee see many that haue wasted great Ill diseases beggery the fruits of drunkennesse substance by this meanes and some bringing themselues to diseases shortning their owne dayes by inordinate drinking these are the fruits of excesse drinking and taking delight in wine and strong drinke therefore very great care had women need to take of themselues that they be not giuen to much wine or to take delight in strong drinke Another thing I note that the Apostle doth admonish women of and that is that they bee home-keepers or keepers of their owne houses hence it is that the woman is often called the howse-wife not the street wife shee must be no gadder abroad shee must not spinne streat thread as too many doe which when they haue forced their Husbands to lay more vpon their backes then he is able to put in his purse along time after their owne house will not hold them but they must gad from this place to that place and Women ought not to bee gaddars abroad but keepers of their owne houses euery where to show their pride and their Husbands follie thus did not that vertuous woman which I told you of before which Salomon speakes of it will not bee amisse if I doe discribe her vnto you for surely she that performeth that which the blessed Apostles haue here taught concerning the duty of Wiues will omit nothing of that vertuous woman hee speaketh of or come short of her perfections and these are the words Who shal finde a vertuous woman for her price is far aboue the pearles the heart of her Husband trusteth in her and hee shall haue no need of spoyles shee will doe him good and not ill all the dayes of her life shee seeketh wooll and flaxe and laboureth chearefully with her hands shee is like the Shippes of Marchants shee bringeth her foode from farr and she The discription of a good Wife riseth while it is yet night and giueth the portion to her houshold and the ordinary to her maides shee considereth a field and getteth it and with the fruit of her hands shee planteth a Vineyard shee girdeth her loynes with strength and strengtheneth her armes shee feeleth that her marchandise is good and her candle is not put Pro. 31. out by night shee putteth her hands to the wheele and her hands to the spindle shee stretcheth out her hands to the poore putteth out her hands to the needy she feareth not the snow for her family for all her family are cloathed with scarlet she maketh her selfe carpets fine linnen and purple is her garments her Husband is known in the gates when hee sitteth with the elders of the land she maketh sheetes and selleth them and giueth girdles vnto the Marchants strength and honour is her cloathing and in the latter day shee shall reioyse shee openeth her mouth with wisedome and the law of grace is in her tongue shee ouerseeth the waies of her Houshould and eateth not the bread of idlenesse her Children rise vp and call her blessed her Husband shall prayse her saying many daughters haue done vertuously but thou surmountest them all fauour is deceitfull and beauty is vanity but a woman that feareth the Lord shee shall bee praysed giue her the fruit of her hands and let her owne workes prayse her in the gates I hope now I shall not need to amplifie this duty of Wiues any further seeing I haue already laboured thus farre in it I will therefore conclude leauing you to the consideratioÌ„ of these things you to the tuitioÌ„ of our good God whome I do beseech to looke mercifully vpon vs all and by his grace and powerfull spirit to worke in our harts a true and speedy reformation of our sinfull liues that so by the holy intercession of our blessed Mediator and the merits of his blessed passion wee may enioy that blessednesse which euery good soule doth long to enioy
it had beene so indeed but know you that the wisedome of the Iob. 37. world is foolishnesse with God for in his word by which wee are to be ruled he hath commanded vs otherwaies For although you haue brought vp your Children to the yeares of discression so that then you thinke they are able to make shift for themselues as you say yet may you not then so leaue them to themselues for there is yet more to bee done that must not bee left vndone for thou must prouide for thy sonne a Wife for thy Daughter an Husband so as the wise man sayth Thou shalt performe a waighty matter Eccle. 7. thou must not leaue the younglings Parents ought to provide for the marriages of their children both sonnes daughters to themselues for to make their owne choyse but thou must doe it and that in his due time we find that Abraham was very carefull to performe this duty althought he was so farre Gen. 24. in yeares that hee could not travile about the businesse himselfe for he appoynted his servant the steward of his house what to doe and where to provide a Wife for his Sonne Isaacke and thus did Isaacke vnto Iacob his Sonne Gen. 28. appoynting him where to goe there only to make his choise thus did Hagar although but a woman dwelling in the wildernesse yet shee provided a Gen. 25. Wife for her sonne Ishmaell Yea the very heathen did obserue this rule for Sechem the father Gen. 34. of Hamor did sue vnto Iacob for his daughter Dina to bee a wife vnto his sonne yea Ibzâ—n Iudge of Israell though hee had Iug. 12. Thirty sons as many daughters yet he did provide for them all both Wiues for his sonnes Husbands for his daughters and many such proofes wee haue in the Scrptures by all which it appeareht that Parents haue alwaies euen from the beginning beene vere carefull to obserue this as a principall poynt of their duty to their Children And this must be done in due time thou must not doe as too many do in these daies which wil not suffer their childreÌ„ to marry but when they will to whom Parents not to force or limite their childrens mariage they plase nay fathers will doe more then fathers ouhgt to doe they will disinherite their Sons and bereaue their Children of their patrimonyes if they will not marry to their liking where wealth may serue to satisfie their coveteous mindes so in stead of being kind and loving Fathers vnto their Children they become tyrants vnto them not so much regarding the younglings likings whereby they may liue the rest of their daies in loue together and so bring vp their children together in the feare of God as their owne affections Whereupon by such enforced marriages if often commeth to passe that when the young couples beginne as it were to tast each of other they so dislike one of the other that they forsake one another the Wife the companie The danger that ensueth by constrayned marriages of her Husband or the Husband of the Wife and fall to that abhominable act of adultery and thus such Parents doe become both culpable and authors of their sinne Yet I doe not speake against this â—as giuing liberty vnto youthes that they may marry at their owne pleasure or liking without the consent of Parents or abridging the authority of Parents in this case God forbid I should so doe or thinke but I speake this against marriages constrayned limited for marriage was ordained as a remedy 1. Cor. 7. against sinne but they which prolong the time of their childrens marriage either for pleasing their own affections in their choyse or for the desire of wealth through coveteousnesse or for that they wil not part with any of their substance in dowrie with them such I say are many times the occasion of their childrens sinne for Saint Paule sayth it is better to marry then to burne in desire Had Iudah giuen his daughter in law vnto his sonne Shelah in Gen. 38. time according to his promise he had not committed that horrible fact of Incest with her himselfe Againe when Samson had made his choyse of a wife of that heathen generation the vncircumcised Philistines which were not onely enemies to the people of Israell but also vnto God himselfe when hee desired this woman of his Father and would needs marry her hee did not disinherit him or cast him out of his favour for it but yet wisely rebuketh him saying is there neuer a wife among the daughters of thy breatheren and amongst all my people that thou must goe to take a Wife of the vncircumcised Philistians yet when hee saw that his affection was setled on What Parents ought to doe in case of mariage to their children her he was content both to goe with him to procure the mariage for him it is sayd there that this marriage did come of the Lord though his Father knew it not I could wish therefore that Parents would follow the counsaile of Manoah in this â—â—g â—4 place by their wisedomes to perswade when occasion shall serue but nor otherwise The 16. Chapter ANd now concerning how Parents ought to bestow their goods wee reade that Abraham was Gen. 15. minded to make Eliazer the steward of his house heire of all that he had but it was before he had any Children and yet hee was forbidden by God himselfe so to doe for God hauing determined to giue him issue of his A plaine profe that a man may not giue his goods from his children own body would not suffer him so to doe but telleth him directly that one that should proceed out of his owne bowels hee should be his heyre And the Prophet Dauid hee telleth vs likewise that it is the speciall gift of God his great Psal 127. blessing vnto man when he hath heyres of his owne body to possesse those lands or goods which hee hath gathered together and shall leaue behind him and this alone might serue to approue that a man may not dispose of his goods from his children but the Scriptures are plentifull of these examples Abraham gaue his goods vnto Gen. 25. his Sonne Isacke as you see he was appoynted of God Aaron Exod. 28. was commanded of God to santifie his sonnes vnto the order of priesthood vnto which the Lord had chosen him and Elye did 1. Sam. 2. place his sonnes in the same order nay he did not take it from theÌ„ although hee knew that they were wicked and Dauid did not 1. King 1. at his death devide his Kingdome vnto his sonnes but left it wholy vnto his sonne Salomon 1. King 11. neither did he deuide it but left it vnto his sonne Rehoboam and he also left it vnto his son Abâ—am 1. King 14. and he vnto his sonne Asa and 2. Cro.
〈…〉 CARTERS CHRISTIAN Common VVealth OR Domesticall Dutyes deciphered ¶ Printed at London by Tho Purfoot 1627. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL THE Maister Wardens and the Assistants of the worthy and famous Company of Gouldsmithes of this Honourable Citie of London Worshipfull Sirs INgratitude was a sin even vnto the Heathens so odious that Periander among the Corinthians made this law that if any in a Common weale prove◠vnthankefull hauing receiued a benefit he was to bee put to death and as the reliques of Gods Image in them soe nature in the sensible creatures hath ingrafted thankefulnesse to passe by those presidents produced by Historians which may seeme incredible the Naturalists obseruation of the Merlyon not to prey on the Larke which hath giuen warmth to her cold feet is remarkeable And the spirit of God in Scripture hath plentifully inioyned it That I may proue my selfe therefore instructed in this duty not by nature onely but by grace in this glorious light of the Gospell I present vnto your view and patronage these poore indeavours the fruit of a thankefull heart expect you cannot a loftie stile or curious phrase for I take not vppon mee to instruct but onely to remember your curteous acceptation I doubt not of from the former experience of your worthinesse Surely if the poore Persians water in a potsheard was exceptable to the Emperour and an Apple from a poore Pessant was received by Artaxerzes a great Prince if Alexander tooke curteously water from a common Souldiers helmet and our Sauiour crowned the poore widdow with everlasting prayse for two Mites to the Treasury your generous dispositions will sparingly censure and curteously accept these my poore labours which howsoeuer they bee your worships and so is the Author Yours in all humblenesse to continue THOMAS CARTER To the Reader AMongst all the blessings that God hath bestowed vpon vs curteous Reader the word of God next to our Sauiour challengeth the most eminent place as being the guide and direction vnto him and the instrument to preserue vs vnblameable in a froward and crooked generation The Prophet Zacharie speaketh of Zach. 9. last ver the wine that Christ doth offer to drinke whereof virgins are gendred and begotten other kind of wines are wont to kindle evill lusts but this wine the Gospell restraineth those lusts and maketh the heart pure hence is the instruction of our Lord to search the Scripture as being able to instruct the ignorant to reforme the vertuous and so to make perfect the man of God in all good workes This excellent vertue hauing drawne mee to a diligent study of sacred Writ and considering in the last worst dayes the great neglect of family dutyes frō whence springes so many corruptions in children and seruants being dayly spectators of the heads corruptions I haue thought it my duty not to let my Talent rest but by that small portion of knowledge God hath giuen vnto me to set vp some way-marke to direct others to the waters of Shiloh which run pleasantly to coole the heate of corruption and frowardnesse and to teach vs obedience privately and publikely If it bee obiected that many eminent men haue already sufficiently performed this worke I answer that another performing his duty excuseth not me Secondly none euer so fully and amply hath put to the presse dutyes in this nature as I can hereof Thirdly they came not to my hands till I had finished this worke It seemed thē necessary not to let it suffer obortion but to bring it to a charitacle view censure of the vnderstanding reader May it please you then to accept of these vnpolished yea vnsquared documents neither it may bee methodicall in respect of order nor curious in respect of phrase onely the token of a willing heart and affording some good generall motions if thou please to afford a little diligence in the reading and care in the prctising This performed I haue the end I ayme at and thus remaine thine ever in the Lord Thomas Carter The Introduction to the worke HEe that sayd the Iob. 7. 1. whole life of man was nothing else but a time of temptations spake most fearefully and yet most truly for we are tempted in our old age in our cradle we are not free if any euill bee set before vs we are provoked vnto it If we abound with Adam in Paradice there may be death in that And if wee want with our Sauiour in the wildernes there are temptations in that So subtill is Sathan and so envious is our enemie to serue himselfe vpon all occasions In the former age of the world hee wrought and prevailed with men by bringing errors of mind and doctrine of Diuels to seduce the Church but now the cleare light of the Gospell is come in knowledge doth abound he laboreth to bring in error of life and depravitie of conversation for that notwithstanding men know their maisters wil yet they performe it not that all meanes possible both the spirituall sword of the Minister temporal sword of the Magistrate ought to be vsed for the reformation of these known euils yea euery mā to set a hand to this worke amongst which nūber I haue brought forth my poore abortiue talent to farther the same labouring by reproofes to beate downe vice and by instructions to informe the Husband to loue his wife and the wife to obey her Husband the Father to bring vp his Children in the feare of God not provoking them to wrath and the Childrens obedience to their Parents the Maister to guide the seruant and the seruant to obey his Master in all things in the Lord what if I bee no Minister nor the sonne of a Minister Shepheards and clownes haue beene Diuines sometimes and why not I and therfore not doubting the entertaynement I set forward to the worke and first for the duty of Husbands The duty of Husbands The first Chapter ANd the cause why I haue first begun with this duty of Husbands is for that I find it to bee the first degree which God gaue vnto Man after his Creation therein that when God gaue vnto man the rule of the whole earth and the domination of all Gen. 2. the creatures therein contained yet vntill hee gaue vnto him a Wife hee had no true content in all the rest besides for euery creature had solace in their kind except Man but so was it not with Man till God gaue vnto Man had no true content till God gaue vnto him a Wife him a Wife Then finding her a companion fit to associate him selfe withall with her he setled his content And this did God for Man in the time of his innocencie giue vnto him this wife thereby leauing vnto vs this instruction that we also ought to liue so vprightly so holily and so purely in the state of wedlocke that we sinne not against God nor against one another And heere is one especiall thing to be noted that God
betwixt husbands and wiues in these dayes and yet who can deny but the world is too full of such what shall wee say to these thinges excuse it who will by laying the Faults in the Husband prouing him the cause of the disagreeing betwixt his wife and himselfe fault on the Wiues I say still the greatest part is in the Husband hee by his vnkind and churlish speeches not fitting a husband to giue vnto his wife his vnthriftines in wasting abroad what all doe labour for at home his drunkenesse his rash furiousnes these with the rest aforesaid and a number more not here expressed he I say by these occasions is dayly the cause of all these euills The third Chapter ANd there bee some of this number that will know no other way to gouerne their wiues but by extreamity why brother No way for a man to bring his with to loue him by compulsion dost thou thinke to make thy Wife loue thee by beating of her alas silly man how art thou deceiued loue is of another nature shee will run freely of her selfe where she liketh but will not bee drawne or compelled by any force how great soener And how canst thou thinke to haue her to shew any kindnesse or loue vnto thee when thou seekest to rule by force would'st thou haue her to stand in awe of thee it is thy seruants duty and thy childs not thy Wifes I confesse shee is to bee obedient vnto thee but her obedience must The wifes obedience must proceed from loue proceed through loue and a man may draw more from a woman by louing and kind vsing of her More may be done by loue with a woman then by force then any way by force nay more then he will or can expect of her for shee is of that free nature where shee loueth and is beloued I speake not of supposition but of knowledge But for a man to beate her whom both by the lawes of God and nature he is bound to loue nourish and cherish as his owne flesh it doth shew great want of The man that beateth and doth misuse his wife is voyd of the knowledge of God and of his lawes knowledge both of God and of his lawes in such a man for were the feare of God or wisedome in them they would rather striue to gouerne them in another nature I meane by loue and clementcie not by force besids what a scandall reproach doth such men raise vpon themselues What scandals doe arise by varience betweene man and wife amongst their neighbours kindred and acquaintance who liue thus discentiously making themselues a by-word or common talke among them which many times are not onely affrighted with them in their owne houses with the outcries of theÌ„ their children but are forced to spend their time their mony to make the man and his wife friends oh foolish madnes in men that cannot keepe their owne follies priuate to themselues but they must make others acquainted with it I do remember that a reuerend diuine writing vpon this matter saith that hee that cannot gouerne his Wife without beating her deserues to be beaten himselfe because hee did chuse no better but such a one whom hee could not rule without beating of all waies I assuer thee this is the worst to rule her by for by this thou not only withdrawest her loue from thee which otherwais to thy great comfort thou mighâ—estionioy for thâ— great good but also hardnest her heart against thee makest her carelesse euen of thy good and her owne yea many times such Dangerous euils arising by a mans vnkind dealing with his wife hard and vnkind dealing of the husband vnto the wife causeth her to fall into such inconuenience as bringeth the ruine both of her and of her husband and children and is not this folly in men to wrong theÌ„selues thus by their misgouernement respecting more their owne will then their good quiet yea all must bee â—â—t afside to giue place vnto will so it is not enough for such a one to bee Lord and ruler ouer his wife as it is reason he should but he will shew it and that not in priuate neither but openly taking a glory in doing it thereby explaining the follies of her whose weakenes he should hide and opening his owne whome wisedome would he should keep secret besides what euill examples Euill examples in maisters corrupting their families giue such men by these thinges vnto their families yea what haue such men to answer for vnto God which thus corrupt their families by these euill examples amongst whom as a vine it will extend it selfe into many branches such a sin is not easily put away he hath more need of Mary Magdalens teares and with Peter to weepe bitterly that is corrupt with such a sinne and yet when he hath all done he may winne as I sayd more by loue then hee shall get by force But I haue not yet done with this branch of Loue for I must tell you that that man that doth not loue and liue louingly with his Wife the spirit of God is not in such a one and I proue it by his words who was directed by the spirit of truth in that hee spake I meane the blessed Apostle Saint Iohn for he saith that 1. Iohn 4. hee that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him so then it must needes appeare that hee that dwelleth not in loue dwelleth not in God nor God in him yea hee proueth his words by these following hee that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue yea he goeth so farre that hee teacheth vs to know whether this loue be in vs or no for saith he if we loue one another we will loue God keepe his Commandements also I know he speaketh there of the children of God but as it ought so to bee in them one towards another so it ought also more especially to bee in euery man particularly towards his owne Wife here is a toutchstone will tell euery man truly whether he liue with his wife as hee ought to doe or no namely if hee liue in loue with her and according to the Commandements of God S Iohn saith that if any man saith hee loueth God and hateth his brother hee is a liar and if a man say hee loueth God and yet loueth not his wife I say he is a lyar also But what shall I say when I haue all done I must leaue men to the consideration of what I haue witten and wish and intreat them to be wise submit themselues vnto the gouernement of the word of God that so they may liue quietly and louingly with their wiues and not onely so but ioyfully as the wise man saith for surely hee hath obtayned a good portion that hath a wife that hee can liue ioyfully with for if that a man do abound with wealth so that he is able to
Gen. 31. haue all good women euer accorded The obedience of Sarah vnto Abraham calling him 1. King 1. Lord approueth her duty The obedience of Rachell and Lea vnto Ester 8. their Husband Iacob affirmeth it no lesse doth the reuerent duty of Bathsheba vnto Dauid expresse it the obedience of Ester vnto Ashuerus purchased not onely her owne life renowne but the liues of the whole Nation of the Iewes And although it cannot be gaine said of any but that this Cōmandement of Almighty God ought reuerently to be obeyed of all women yet how much it is disobeyed in these dayes wee dayly see nay despised disdayned at so that we may iustly complaine against them and say they bee a rebellious seede For as in the beginning they rebelled against their Almighty God so doe they still repugne against him refusing to bee gouerned according to his will the ordinance which he hath appoynted to gouerne them by for by their husbands now many of them will not bee gouerned they will gouerne both themselues Many women very vnquiet if they may not haue the rule of the whole family which by them ought not so to be and their Husbands yea and the whole family too or else there shall bee no quiet rule there so that now it is growne to a prouerbe that where the wife beareth the sway the house is the quieter all the day is not this badge giuen you to your shame and yet you will not see it in these dayes the Diuell hath so bewitched you that many of you do not stick to say that your Husbands haue not wit enough to performe such matters think you that he that gaue them their authority cannot giue them wit enough to peforme that charge which hee committeth vnto them but that you must bee vmpire and iudge too in your owne cause to take the authority out of his hand and as false vsurpers make vse of that authority to which you haue no lawfull right If you suppose such a defect If any defect be in the Husband how it should bee redressed to be in them why doe not you rather pray for them that God may supply their defects and wants but it is too common a thing amongst you now a dayes to make your choyse of such men as you may thus deale withall and I would some of you did indent before marriage for these things but such womē as would rather haue foolish Husbands whome they might rule rather then to bee ruled by sober wise men are like to him that would rather bee led of a blind man in an vnknown way then to follow one that can see know the way well Oh that your supposed knowledge or wisedome on which you so much depend would open vnto you the danger in which you stand by committing this error but it cannot so long as your wils do not with all obedience subiect themselues vnto the will commandement of him vnto whom all power should yeeld their obedience The Seauenth Chapter I Had almost ouerslipt the repetition of an vndutifull Wife of whom we reade in Scripture but I may not for it is worthy your best consideration I meane of Vasta Queene and wife of Ahashuerosh Ester 1. the great King of Persia Media whom vpon a certaine feast day the King commanded to bee brought before him in her great estate of pompe euen with the Crowne Royall vpon her head that as his loue was great vnto her so shee beeing brought vnto him in that glorious pompe which hee desired the delights of his heart might be satisfied in her comely and beautifull person and likewise his Princes Peeres might see the same And wee would thinke that this was but a small request which the King required of her yet many a man doth require as little as this at the hands of his wife or lesse and yet obtaines it not well the storie telleth vs shee did no better but euen so for though shee were a Queene and should haue been a patterne of obedience vnto all women both in her Court Kingdome yet shee refused to come and would not come although commanded by her Husband yea that a King But Ecce Ecce behold behold she refusing to come to her Husband with the Crowne on her head who gaue it her and first placed it there her royalty and regaltie was therefore taken from her by him as vnworthy of such a glory and because she refused to bee obedient vnto the Commandement of her Husband whom shee ought with all reuerence to haue obeyed shee was not onely reiected of her Husband for being Queene but A Queene punished for disobedience vnto her Husband vtterly abandoned of him for euer and diuorced from him by law nay this was not all for it was not long before shee saw another enioy that maiesty honour and pleasure which she but lately possessed by her owne folly lost what greater hart-griefe in the world can come to a woman then this to see her selfe degraded and disgraced another to possesse that honour which was hers before her face and thus shee which should haue beene a mirror vnto others in her obedience is now made for disobedience a mirror vnto all women in her punishment I could not omit this historie being so fitting to this matter of the wiues obedience but shall I tell you good wiues it is well for you that this law is not executed now in these dayes amongst vs for I assure you if it were we should haue Ten wiues diuorsed before one buried so apt are you to peforme this bad act of disobedience And therefore I cannot yet passe it ouer for the Apostle doth open this poynt of duty vnto you very plaine and therfore I beseech you bee not ignorant of it but marke it well I recited the words in the former Chapter Hee would haue you so subiect your selues to your Husbands that euen they which beleeue not the word may without the word be won by your conuersation when they shall behold your conuersation in feare See you must so subiect your The Wife ought to be fearefull of giuing any cause of offence vnto her Husband selues vnto them that you shall euen feare to giue any occasion of offence vnto them I know there bee many that will not like of this that the wife should so subiect her selfe vnto her Husband that shee shal stand in feare of him and yet it must be so for do we not reade that God commandeth that euery man shall stand in feare of his Father and Mother he doth not say that euery child onely shall feare but that euery man shal feare if then it must bee so how much more should the woman performe this vnto her Husband vnder whose subiection he hath committed her as a portion of her punishment for her disobedience vnto him But will you know what kind What kinde of feare it is which
thing if she performe it not vnlesse it bee contradicted by her Husband But here the case is otherwise and farre more greater for wheÌ„ shee commeth to be Married to a man shee is then solie of her selfe free from the command of any and hath free liberty to doe then for her selfe what shee How great a sinne it is to breake the vow made in Matrimony will and therefore her vow shee then maketh is of very great effect and it is as great a sinne to breake it great indeed in the regard of these things the place where shee made it the house of God the congregation there the Saints of God but far more greater in respect shee is demanded if she will performe these things by the Angell and Minister of God in Gods behalfe shee then there answereth she will So wee find when God had determined to giue his chosen people the Children of Israell his law whereby they might know how to performe their duty vnto him hee sent his seruant Moses vnto them to know if they would performe the law which he was to giue them and they answered they would performe it but as rhe Lord did tell them after hee had giuen them the Lawes That if they did not regard his Commandements and obey Exâ— 19. his will hee would send his punishment A proofe by example that God will punish the breach of the vow made in matrimony vpon them in abundance vntill hee had vtterly consumed them so I must say vnto euery woman that regardeth not her vow and promise which shee maketh at the time of her marriage and doth not endeauour to performe the same as shee ought to doe let her assure her selfe shee shall no lesse expect the iudgement and punishment of God then they did Looke in your Booke of common The Booke of common prayer a looking glasse for women to see their duties in Prayer in the solemnizatioÌ„ of Matrimony and there you shall see what you haue vowed to performe it is that you will liue with your Husbands according to the ordinance and Commandements of God that you will obey and serue them and this you see God hath commanded you to doe what greater vow then this can you make and it followeth more there that you vow to loue honour and keepe them in sicknesse and in health so here you see that loue is the next thing for the woman here to doe and this also shee voweth freely of her selfe to performe also the next and last shee voweth to forsake all other men and to keepe her selfe wholy onely to her Husband here is the effect and end of her loue to be chast pure and without spot this is the loue which wiues ought to performe to their Husbands I know all those which feare God will acknowledge performe as much but I appeale vnto themselues euen against their owne sect if there bee not too many in these dayes which liue so brutish so obstinate and rebellious against God and theiâ— Husbands that they seeme not to know that either they owe this loue as a duty vnto their Husbands or haue made so great a vow to performe it Looke but into one of their actes let the rest though many alone I meane their breach of wedlocke those Adultrous workes and then where is this loue how many forsake their Husbands vnto whom they haue made this vow of Loue and chastity and yet liue adulterously with other men oh how many The abhomominable whoredome of women haue their secret friends loues as they terme them at home in their Husbands absence or meeting them abroad in priuate places nay haunting common brothell houses so insatiate that euen whores in stewes are not more common and what is the cause of this but their disobedience vnto the Commandement of God which would direct theÌ„ to performe this duty of Loue holily as it ought to be if they would But shall I display their actions abroad with my pen oh no if I should I should weary my selfe with writing and you in reading it they themselues by their lewd actions dayly committed doe too much explaine themselues to the world and therefore to tell such their duty to their Husbands which will not learne to performe their duty towards GOD will bee but vaine before such swine I will not cast such pearles But to those which desire to know their duty to the end they may performe it to these I write still let their loue bee pure and steadfast and their whole conuersation so holy that as the Apostle telleth them others may bee wonne by their godly ensamples and so shall they themselues be brought vnto eternall happinesse The Ninth Chapter OVr blessed Apostle hauing giuen instructioÌ„s vnto Women how they ought to behaue themselues towards their Husbands now proceedes to giue instructions vnto them also how to tyre and array themselues whose apparrell sayth he shall 1. Pet. 3. not bee outward with brayded haire and hanging on of gold or in putting Women ought not to array themselues in gorgeous apparell but in decent aâ—tirâ— on of gorgeous array but let the inward man of the heart be vncorrupt with a meeke and quiet spirit which before God is much set by for after this manner in the old time did the holy women which trusted in God ttyre themselues â— were obedient vnto their Husbands euen as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord againe in another place he fayth let the women array themselues in 1. Tim. â— comely apparrell with shamefostnesse and modesty not with broyded hayre or gold or pearles or costly apparrell but as becommeth women which professe the feare of God with good workes I doe not a little admire that Many women haue read concerning these things yet make no good vse of it as they ought to doe so many women which would bee accounted wise in their knowledge haue themselues so often read these things and been so long instructed in these principals yet seeme either not that euer they themselues haue read such things or euer haue heard them of others for I am sure so it seemeth in these dayes amongst them for the most part but shal I tell you you haue learned from the greatest to the meanest and the eldest to the yongest to adore decke your selues according to the fashions of the world which shall perish and they which delight in them but to array decke your selues with modesty and shamefastnes and such comely apparrell as becommeth those that professe the feare of God in this you are all to seeke or disdaine to learne to know although God by his word commandeth it of you But if there bee any amongst you which maketh conscience of these things and so striue to liue according as they ought to Women giueÌ„ to pride mockers and scoffers of those whiaâ— do religiously reforme them selues doe are not such disdayned and