which shee had in the LORD But to vnderstand this Historie the better I pray you reade the seaventh Chapter of the second Booke of Maccabees where it is alreadie most excellentlie set downe even by the Spirit of GOD vnto whom I consecrate my selfe for ever recommend all good Women vnto whom next vnto God I dedicate my mynde since my might is not able to performe what my Muse would fayne amount vnto And to excuse my brevitie I must conclude with Master Taylor That The shortest Writ the greatest Wit affordes And greatest Wit consists in fewest wordes A false ECHO truelie answered The first Summonds Come ECHO I doe thee summon Tell mee truelie What is a Woman ECHO If worne shee is a Feather If wooed shee 's frostie weather If wonne the wind 's not slighter If vexed the Moone 's not lighter If lyen withall shee 's Apish If lyen with none shee 's snappish The ECHO thus replyed But yet mee thought it lyed The second Summonds Come ECHO I thee Summon Tell me once more What 's a Woman ECHO If fayre shee 's coy in courting If wittie loose in sporting If readie shee is loathing If naked shee is nothing If well belov'd shee scornes thee If not belov'd shee hornes thee The Answere And for all good Womens sake This Replye now doe I make If worne shee 's a jewell If wooed shee is not cruell If wonne the Rock's not surer If weyghed the Golde's not purer If lyen withall Delicious If lyen with none not vicious False ECHO goe you lye For this is a Woman truely And for your second Summon I answere for a Woman If fayre shee 's heavenlie Treasure If wittie shee 's all Pleasure If readie farre from Vaynties If naked shee is Daynties If well belov'd shee feares not If not belov'd shee cares not False ECHO goe you lye For this is a Woman truely The Conclusion BLest bee the Heavenlie Powers which brought to light This precious jemme call'd WOMAN Man's Delight This Free-borne Princesse Casket full of Treasure This solid Author of Man's wished Pleasure This harmlesse spotlesse Saynct not knowing evill A Goddesse though prowde man would proue a Devill Why Shee 's a Worke so purelie wrought that Nature Knew not whether 't was more adorn'd with Feature Or with chaste Honestie And this was Shee Fruit of whose wombe fred Man from Miserie For which Shee 's blest that Her Sexe Faults shall fall From small to lesse from lesse to none at all And therefore thus wee may defyne a WOMAN Shee 's louelie faythfull harmlesse false to no man Altho that Man as an incarnate Devill Of Her whom GOD made good would fayne make evill And if sweete Womens loue doe not Men cherish Those that contemne their Sexe with shame shall perish Epilogue THus to avoyde the imputation of Ingratitude which was holden for so haynous an Offence even amongst the Heathen that Periander of Corinth made a Law that whosoever was found vnthankefull having receaved anie Gift should bee put to death Therefore With lowlie Heart and eke with thankfull Mynde I sende my Labours to Good Woman-kynde Indeede what the loftinesse of the Argument requyreth I confesse I haue not attayned vnto Yet haue I bestowed such willing paynes as I was able to vndergoe but nowayes heerein can I satisfie my selfe to doe them Good Neverthelesse I shall holde my selfe recompensed to the full if by anie willingnesse I may reserue the Memorie of Honourable Women in relating the Trueth in Honestie and Wisedome Desiring no more but to find a place for a tyme amongst the pettie Writers of great matters thinking my paynes ever well bestowed if once well accepted no wayes taking vpon mee to Instruct but onelie to Remember Surelie if the poore Persians water in a potsheard was acceptable to the Emperour and an apple from a poore Pessant was receaved by Artaxerxes a great ARTAXERXES ALEXANDER Prince if Alexander tooke water courteouslie from a common Souldiours Helmet and our Saviour crowned the Widow with everlasting prayse for two mytes casten into the Treasurie Then am I assured that your generous dispositions will sparinglie censure and courteouslie receaue these my poore Endeavours Which howsoever they be they be yours so am I Ever wishing To buy the ABATEMENT of mine owne HONOUR with the ritch pryce of WOMANS TRUE GLORIE Concluding with Master GIBSON That It is no BOUNTIE which doth flow from STORE Who giues his Heart what Gift can hee giuE moRe THE Duetie of Husbands Drawne out of MASTER CARTER his Booke of Christian Common-Wealth EPHES. 5. 33. Let everie one of you so loue his Wyfe even as himselfe PROV 31. 11. 12. The Heart of Her Husband doeth safelie trust in Her For Shee will doe him good and not evill all the dayes of his lyfe TO All Good Husbands Good Husbands all receaue in thankfull part This Sacrifice which may my Will approue Upon the Altar of a faythfull Heart Consumed in the Flames of Zeale anâ— Loue. Let Honourable Woman liue for ever In all that Arte that Tyme that Fame can giue hER The Introduction PAtient IOB saying that the whole lyfe of Man was nothing else but a tyme of Temptations spake most fearfullie and yet most truelie for wee are tempted in our olde Age and in our Cradle wee are not free If anie evill bee set before vs wee are easilie provoked vnto it If wee abound with Adam in Paradise there may bee Death in that And if wee want with our Saviour in the Wildernesse there are Temptations in that also So subtile is Satan and so envyous is our Enemie to serue himselfe even vpon all occasions In the former age of the World hee wrought and prevayled with Men by bringing in Errours of Mynde and Doctrines of Devils to seduce the Church But now the cleare light of the Gospell beeing come in and Knowledge abounding hee laboureth to bring in Errour of lyfe and depravitie of Conversation for that notwithstanding men know their Masters will yet they performe it not that all meanes possible ought to bee vsed for the Reformation of these so notorious and knowne Evills yea everie man to put a hand to this worke amongst the number of which I haue brought foorth this my poore Talent to the fartherance thereof that wee married Men may stryue yet with our Arch-enemie and through the assistance of GOD'S Spirit giue him the foyle even by showing our vpright duetie towardes our Wyues and our wyues towards vs in the true loue and feare of GOD. As for these contentious objectours and barkers agaynst the Moone I weygh not Shepheardes Cow-heardes and Clownes haue writen good thinges yea Divyne matters Why then may not I show my good will desiring no other Reward nor Thankes for my paynes but onlie good acceptance And so I goe forwardes to thE WoRke The Duetie of Husbands THE FIRST CHAPTER THis Duetie of Husbands is sayd to bee the first Degree which GOD gaue vnto Man after his creation for when
wyfe â— SAM 1. â—UD 14. TOB. 6. most dearlie and so did Samson and both olde and young Tobias with manie others And as wee haue sayde before this Loue must not bee ordinarie but extraordinarie towardes our wyues and must imitate that Great Loue which CHRIST showed vnto His Church who gaue Himselfe for it Yet this is a great mysterie For we are not coÌ„manded to follow CHRIST punctuallie perfectlie but in imitation as farre as it shall please Him to inable vs therevnto That is Wee must protect our Wyues and defend them in all perils dangers wee must governe them in wisdome according to the Rule of GOD'S Word both by continuall Instructions from thence by our owne louelie wyse and gentle behaviour towards them and we must be laborious carefull in our Callings in the feare of GOD so that wee may provyde all thinges necessarie for their mayntaynance For so doeth CHRIST for His Church He is still defending and provyding for her For this cause sayth He blessed for ever shall a man leaue father and mother and cleane vnto his wyfe and MATTH 19. 5. they twaine shall bee one flesh Saynct Peter beeing himselfe a married Man giveth manie notable instructions lyke these who speaking by the Spirit of GOD and in the knowledge hee had of Marriage imposeth this duetie vnto Men Yee Husbands sayeth hee dwell with your Wyues as men of Knowledge giving honour vnto the woman as vnto the weaker vessell even as 1. PET. 3 they which are heyres together of the grace of lyfe that your Prayers bee not interrupted And the wyse man giveth this counsell Not to depart from a discreet and good Woman which is fallen vnto thee for thy portion in the feare of the LORD Vse thy selfe to liue joyfullie with thy wyfe all the dayes of thy lyfe for that is thy Portion in this lyfe of all thy labour ECCLES 7. and travell that thou takest vnder the Sunne And our blessed Saviour CHRIST Himselfe confirming on earth what His Father had done in Paradise vouchsafed to grace a nuptiall feast with His blessed presence And to manifest His Loue the more which Hee bore to the holy Union then there knit betwixt the Man and his Wyfe Hee expressed His Glorie and Power in showing His first miracle at this marriage and that of joy by turning water into wyne even to comfort and IOHN 2. glad their hearts withall But now seeing wee haue proven out of GOD'S word that the principall duetie of Husbandes towards thier Wyues is Loue let vs looke into the glasse of our tymes and see how the duetie of Loue is performed But I feare that amongst an hundreth wee shall scarcelie finde one that stryveth to performe this duetie of Loue as hee ought For see wee not daylie rather the contrarie by many Men consume the estates which they haue gotten by their wyues thorow their owne vicious lyues some by sloathfull ydlenesse some by gayming some by drunkennesse some by whoring and manie other sorts of damnable living And thus are good Women brought to Beggerie by lewde shamelesse and godlesse Husbands who haue altogether forsaken the LORD showing neyther Loue nor Duetie to their Wyues who are their owne verie flesh blood and bones Other Husbandes agayne to show their authoritie forsooth will holde their wyues in such subjection and servitude that no servand nor slaue could abyde the lyke beeing even a verie Naball vnto them in churlishnesse of speach and crabbednesse of Conditions Where is wisdome in such Husbands who are commanded to governe their Wyues in loue and according to Knowledge Other fellow-impudents with these will not labour nor care for nothing but put the poore woman to shift for all Or if perhaps hee get something abroad yet shee is sure not to bee the better thereof it must bee spent before hee come home or else hidden from her presence What shall we say of such veth GOD and yet loveth not his wyfe I say hee is a lyar in graine But when I haue all done and sayd what I can yet I must leaue men to the consideration of what is written and wish and intreate them to bee wyse and submit themselues vnto the governament of the Word of GOD that so they may liue quyetlie and lovinglie with their Wyues and not onlie so but joyfullie also as the wyse man sayeth for surelie hee hath obtayned a good portion who hath a wyfe that hee can liue joyfullie with For what if a Man doe abound in wealth so that hee can giue vnto himselfe as much pleasure as Salomon possessed even what his heart can desire yet if hee liue not peaceablie at home and in loue with his wyfe all is but an heavie and sorrowfull burden vnto him But the poore man having little and yet living friendlie lovinglie and joyfullie with his wyfe hath ten thousand tymes more than the rich coÌ„tentious wretch his heart beeing filled with contentment in the LORD and the other his heart full of wretchednesse and the sting of an evill conscience Wee haue an olde Proverbe That in Loue is no lacke For where Loue is vnited with the feare of GOD in the hearts of Man and Wyfe they will lyke yoak-fellowes draw together the right way lyke the two milke-kyne which brought the Arke of GOD in the new Cart from the land of the Philistimes Yea they will plow together and sow together and there is no doubt but through the blessing of Him who governeth them they shall receaue a plentifull harvest together Thus wee haue found that the principall duetie of the Husband towardes his Wyfe is Loue which duetie is now-a-dayes neglected contemned and even despysed of manie who haue turned aside and forsaken the way of the LORD as appeareth by the evills and mischiefes which daylie aryse betwixt Man and Wyfe And therefore having descryed a mayne defect in Husbands the which wee may not passe over because it is the greatest breach of Loue that may bee wee shall speake something thereof 〈◊〉 the next Chapter GOD permmitting vs. THE FOURTH CHAPTER THis duetie of the Husband vnto the Wyfe beeing whollie included in the Bands of Loue it streatcheth it selfe farder into manie branches For wee finde also by the Word of GOD that the Husband must dwell with his Wyfe according to Knowledge So wee see heere that it is not lawfull for the Husband to forsake his Wyfe but howsoever whether it bee in weale or woe in ritches or povertie yet hee must abide and dwell with her still except it bee onlie for the fact of Adulterie and for no other cause may a Man forsake his Wyfe nor a Wyfe her Husband Indeede the wyse man sayeth Giue mee anie plague but the plague of the tongue And it may bee some wyues haue this imperfection but consider rightlie if thou thy selfe bee not the vrgent cause thereof Howsoever it is not a cause sufficient to forsake her as testifieth our Saviour who vtterlie
MATTH 19. forbiddeth to separate those whom GOD hath joyned together Adulterie onlie beeing accepted But the verie fyre-brandes of Hell even the wicked and abominable Adulterers of our tyme neyther respecting the Word of GOD nor yeelding any obedience to His cōmandements or fearing the justice of His vengeance to come for their stiff-neckednesse will notwithstanding lyke the Swyne possessed by the Devill runne violentlie to their Destruction But Saynct Paull telleth playnlie that neyther Fornicators Adulterers Wantons or such 1. COR. 6 lyke shall inherite the Kingdome of GOD. Whither they shall goe then let everie good Christian tremble to thinke of For these men not regarding any thing will haue a Wyfe heere and another there one in this Countrey and another else-where or if they be no Travellers will thinke no shame to keepe a whore vnder his wyues nose and shee dare not finde fault with it but may know and dare not know Yea manie not yet contented heerewith but proceed farder for all these damnable abuses seeme sweet to a whore-monger sayeth the wyse man neyther will hee leaue off till hee perish But ECCLES 23 hearken what hee sayeth farder to wit that such a man shall be put to shame because hee would not vnderstand the wayes of the LORD What neede wee cite pettie Authors for this Adulterous generation Let the mouth of GOD take chiefe place and condemne them where Hee expresslie sayth Thou shalt not commit Adulterie EXOD. 20. thou shalt not covet thy neyghbours wyfe c. And the LORD commanded stricklie That there should bee no whore-keepers amongst His people DEUT. 23. Israell But if all such should be swept out of Britane the land would be thinlie inhabited It is counted amongst young men A tricke of youth and amongst other of middle age A veniall sinne yea the verie aged themselues with their Hoarie and Snow-lyke head and beard their furrowed and wrinckled browes and their carion face lyke a dead corpse though their abilitie of bodie be spent and consumed in abhominable and damnable filthinesse yet they will speake now more filthilie than before they lived lasciviouslie Beholde of all Monsters Lust is the worst and that especiallie in olde age testifieth that worthie Clerke Erasmus of Rotterdam in his Booke of Christian ERASMUS Warrefare Capitulo 32. Where he verie pithilie exhorteth all such men to turne backe from such great wickednesse saying That if it be possible for them to get true repentance it is also possible for them to bee saved But who so heere repenteth never A Reprobate shall die for ever So great abhominations were not committed in Sodome and Gomorrah loe as now reygne amongst vs who were consumed with fire and brimston long agoe and can wee then thinke to escape Alace no except wee repent in tyme. And therefore let vs bee warned by the holie PSALMIST who sayeth thus Oh consider this yee that forget GOD lest that Hee teare you in PSAL. 50. 22. pieces and there bee none to deliver Heare yet what Saynct Paul sayeth Whore-mongers and Adulterers sayeth HEB. 13. hee GOD will judge And it is sayd in the Revelation that they shall haue their part in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is REVEL 24. the second death And thus sayeth the LORD by His Prophet IEREMIAH They assemble IEREM 5. themselues by companies in the harlots houses and ryse vp in the morning lyke fed horses everie man neyghing after his neyghbours wyfe And now mark what followeth And shall I not visit for these thinges sayeth the LORD Shall not My Soule bee avenged on such a nation as this And thus shortlie haue wee proceeded in opening the breach of Sacred Wedlocke to the ende that every one may clearlie see into what dangers those men doe daylie runne who liue not lovinglie and faythfullie yea and joyfullie with their owne Wyues even as the Word of GOD enjoyneth them to doe And such a man the wise SALOMON proveth to be the most foolish of all the fooles vnder the Sunne saying That such a man destroyeth his owne soule yea hee shall finde a wound sayeth PROV 22. hee and dishonour and his reproach shall never bee put away And into such a pit shall that man fall with whom the LORD is angrie THE FIFT CHAPTER BY our former Chapters wee haue showne howe farre manie Husbands come too short of those Dueties which by the Word of GOD they are enjoyned to performe vnto their onlie owne Wyues and the whole cause and chiefe ground whereof wee see to bee The want of Loue or rather of True Loue. For if in Husbands were that True Loue which the feare of GOD worketh in the heart of true Christians it would surelie leade them to that Knowledge wherewith Saynct Peter exhorteth them to bee 1. PET. 3 furnished and the which poynt wee must needes handle a little broader before wee ende this Treatise Now as wee haue showne before it is not anough for Husbandes to abyde and dwell with their Wyues but they must dwel with them as men of knowledge and vnderstanding well experienced in the Word of GOD yeelding whollie to the Rule thereof and obeying His holie Will and Commandementes Heereby commeth that Knowledge which will bring Husbandes to performe that Duetie which Saynct Paull teacheth them towardes their Wyues to wit To loue them even as CHRIST EPHES. 5 loved His Congregation that is with an holie heartie vnfeygned and constant loue Which wee can no other wayes attayne vnto but by the aforesayde Godlie Knowledge which must bee gathered from the Word of GOD even as a Bee gathereth her honey from the sweetest flowers and that by continual exercyse or else bee yee sure you shall never receaue true Comfort in your Marriages VVhen Samuell had anoynted Saull 1. SAM 10. to bee King of Israell the LORD gaue vnto Saull another heart than hee had before even a heart according to his Calling So no doubt but those men whom the LORD calleth vnto that Honourable Estate of Marriage Hee will and doeth furnish them with Giftes according to their places For indeed it is no small matter but verie weyghtie of a Novice to become the Father of a Familie the governour of a Wyfe Children and Servantes c. Such a man hath need of another heart than hee had before even an heart to pray vnto the LORD with Salomon That He would vouchsafe to giue him wisdome to goe in and out and governe that Charge with Godlie Knowledge which the GOD of all Wisdome and Knowledge hath committed vnto him Yet before wee conclude let vs also consider the Duetie of FORBEARANCE which Husbandes owe vnto their Wyues as beeing the weaker Vessels and Saynct PAVL teacheth vs the reason playnlie why Because sayeth hee they meaning the Wyues are Heyres with you of the Grace of Lyfe Elected by the favour of GOD in CHRIST JESVS to that fellowship of Saynctes wherein your selues hope to bee numbered And as dearlie beloved of GOD as your selues are 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 Lyfe which you your selues hope to enjoye And therefore if you your selues thinke to liue as Sayncts in Heaven heere-after you must first liue together as Sayncts heere on Earth Let these thnges then bee as a Load-stone to draw Husbandes vnto the performance of all their Dueties towardes their Wyues For this same Apostle yeeldeth yet a farther reason of the Dueties of LOVE AMITIE and FORBEARANCE of Husbandes to wit That your Prayers sayeth hee bee not hindered That is If you would haue GOD to heare you when you pray vnto Him and to grant you the thinges you desire of Him together vvhy then in the Name of GOD let vs agree together liue together loue together and pray together That so our praying together may receaue comfort together And That THE GOD OF LOVE may blesse our Loues togethER AMEN
GOD had made Man the Ruler of the whole Earth and gaue him dominion over all the creatures therein yet vntill Hee gaue vnto him a Wyfe hee had no true contentment in all the rest For everie creature had solace in their kynde except Man but so was it not with Man till he had a Wyfe But then finding her a fit Cōpanion to associate himselfe withall with her hee setled his Content And this did GOD for Man in the tyme of his innocencie giving vs thereby this instruction That wee also ought to liue so vprightlie holilie louelie purelie in the state of Wedlocke that we sinne not against GOD nor agaynst one another Now heere is one speciall thing to bee noted That GOD gaue vnto Man but one Wyfe and not two or three or manie altho Hee could haue given him moe if hee had knowne it meete so to bee But the Prophet Malachie MALAC. 2. telleth vs why GOD gaue him but one Because sayeth hee Hee sought a Godlie Seede See then GOD rejecteth the seede of Bastardie begotten in filthie lustfull fornication and abominable Adulterie Hee chooseth none of these it is the seed of lawfull Wedlocke whereof Hee maketh His choyse to inherite His Kingdome and reygne in Glorie with His beloved Sonne And whence proceeded this breach of GOD'S commandement at the first Came it not from that wicked blood of Caine Was not Lamech that murderer lyke his father the first author thereof Yea hee was so For wee see plainlie that at the first GOD ordayned it not so to bee and what Hee first ordayned Hee still confirmeth For when hee drowned the whole GEN. 4. World yet Hee preserved vnto Noah but one Woman and that his owne wyfe thereby teaching vnto Man That he ought to keepe himselfe vnto his owne wyfe onlie And when the LORD gaue His Lawes vnto His own chosen People written even with His owne Hand Hee then sayeth Thou shalt not covet thy Neyghbours EXOD. 20. Wyfe speaking in the singular number so that by Him wee finde no nomination of a plurall But if anie will object and say That the Saynctes and Servantes of GOD as Abraham Jaacob David Salomon and others haue not observed this rule but haue had dyverse wyues and beeing the beloved and chosen of GOD therefore they could not erre in these thinges To this I answere It pleased GOD to permit his Servants to doe manie thinges which Hee commanded not Hee suffered Abraham to say that Sarah his wyfe was his sister Joseph to GEN. 11. GEN. 44. ◠SAM 11 sweare by the lyfe of Pharaoh David to commit Adulterie and Murder and manie other the lyke and yet wee know that all these thinges were directlie contrarie to the will of God And Salomon had manie wyues indeed 1. KINGS 11. but they drew him to Idolatrie Wee reade that Moses suffered the People of Israell to giue their Wyues DEVT. 24. a bill of Divorcement and so to put them away But our blessed Saviour telleth the Jewes That it was for the hardnesse of their hearts And to prevent farder evills that Moses permitted it to bee so and That from the beginning MATTH 10. it was not so But to come to our matter agayne let vs see from whence this wyfe came which GOD hath given vnto Man that so of him shee may accordinglie bee reguarded as indeede shee should Wee finde it to bee most true That of Mans owne selfe GOD made him this Companion and Wyfe And that not from the hand of Man neyther lest shee should clayme to rule where her power consisteth not nor of the foot lest shee should bee disdayned despysed of her Husband but from the verie bodie is shee taken Nay it is not anough for thee to spare of thyne owne flesh for to make thee a wyfe of but thou must spare a bone also if thou wilt haue a fit Companion for thee Then O Man bee thankfull for so ritch a Iewell ritch and deare indeede beeing so neare vnto thee and that from the onlie Hand of the Great and Almightie GOD. Surelie it must needes be exceeding good which Hee maketh and of a great value which hee vouchsafeth to giue Wee haue an olde Proverbe That it is a sweete Collop that is cut out of the owne flesh Then it must needes bee both sweete and deare which is both of thyne owne flesh and bone Therefore let vs bee wyse in vsing this jewell as we ought lest wee bee found vnworthie of her by Him that gaue her vnto vs and then too late wee lament our incomparable losse Then who so would keepe a good Wyfe let him keepe her in the place from whence she came that is from neare thyne heart O Man therefore lay her there agayne let her not stray from thence yea locke her in there with the Key of good Discretion and so shalt thou be sure to find a comfortable Treasure of Her in thy need But if anie would say Where is the Wyfe that deserveth such a place For there are manie such lewde and froward ECCLUS 26. wyues that their husbandes are happiest when they are fardest from them I answere such to their owne shame with these wordes of SALOMON That a vertuous and good woman shall bee given vnto him that feareth the LORD and a wicked woman is given as a reward vnto a wicked man And therefore he that would haue a good wyfe let him earnestlie stryue to feare the LORD that hee may bee a good husband and so of the free mercie of GOD obtayne such a Blessing as is a good wyse whose commendations wyse Salomon himselfe could no wayes sufficientlie expresse and farre lesse sillie Raban but let her owne workes giue her her due prayse THE SECOND CHAPTER NOw since Man hath receaved so precious a jewell and deare Companion as is WOMAN let vs justlie consider the Dueties which hee is bound vnto first to wardes GOD for such an incomparable Blessing and then towardes Her And if in this case wee search the whole Booke of GOD thorow wee shall finde the effect and ende thereof to be wholie and onlie Loue. Saynct Paul teacheth That men ought to loue their wyues as their owne bodies And hee showeth the reason why For sayth he no man ever yet hated his owne flesh but EPHES. 5◠nowrisheth and cherisheth it even as Christ doeth His Church And thus did the Saynctes and Servantes of GOD loue their wyues in tymes past Abraham loved Sara intirelie GEN. 23 and 26. and so did Isaac loue Rebecca This hath that great Prophet and Servant of GOD Moses worthilie expressed thereby to show vnto men That it is not anough for them to liue peaceablie and quyetlie with their Wyues but they must liue lovinglie with them also Thus did Jaakob loue his wyfe making service vnto his vncle Laban not onlie seaven years but fourteen to the GEN. 28. ende hee might enjoy her thereafter And Helkana loved Hanna his