Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	evil_a	good_a	indifferent_a	2,973	5	9.5052	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00554	Counsel to the husband: to the wife instruction A short and pithy treatise of seuerall and ioynt duties, belonging vnto man and wife, as counsels to the one, and instructions to the other; for their more perfect happinesse in this present life, and their eternall glorie in the life to come.	Ste. B.	1608 (1608)	STC 1069; ESTC S118841	33,892	104

hearken all ye wiues or maidens that may bee wiues especiallie you that feare the Lord and doe take his word to be your guide Necessarie things to be knovvne for the quiet of maried persons if you doe desire the happie life of Matrimonie behold your condition know your place and station and who hath subiected you If will and desire be taken from you touching rule and gouernment what is left you to vse of your owne authoritie If therefore you will contend at law about superioritie you are bid lay down your interest for God hath disposed it vnto your husbands not so much as to desire any thing or doe any thing as of your selues but is made tributarie vnto your husbands The shrewde wife saith this is hard And from hence I take it it came Prou. 19.13 Contention properly ascribed to the vvife by Salomon that Salomon spake so much and that so bitterly about the contentions of the wife calling them as by a proper name the Contentions of the wife and her the contentious person if there be any strife betweene her and her husband Who although he spake of diuers wicked men and of diuers imperfections of men yet neuer speaking of the husband doth hee call it the husbands contention but the contention of the wife Prou. 27.15 comparing her and her contentions to the dropping of an house or gutter noting therby the poore husbands misery that is so matched with a contentious wife The poore husbands miserie as if he stoode continually vnder the dropping of an house as also noting her dishonour thereby where he saith that Hee which hideth her or would seeme to couer such infirmities hideth the winde Vers 16. that is is like him that would goe about that that were impossible and shee is saith he as the oyle in his right hand that vttereth it selfe Vers 16. which cannot bee concealed though hee would neuer so faine Heare the verie text Pro. 27.15.16 A continuall dropping in the day of raine and a contentious woman are alike Hee that hideth her hideth the wind and she is as the oyle in his right hand that vttereth it selfe In another place thus hee hath it A foolish sonne Prou. 19.13 is the calamitie of the father and the contentions of the wife are like a continuall dropping c. To this you will obiect and Obiect 1 say May not the wife contend for lawfull and good things May the wife doe nothing but the husband may denie her To these two questions thus I answere Answ I cal them two because they are diuers and distinct First vndoubtedlie The vvife may not contend by any meanes VVhat contending is she must not contend no not for good things that is vnderstanding by contending that brawling bickering and vexing disposition whereby as it were shee will seeme to wrestell and wage warre for that which is wanting through which either she constraineth his patience offendeth his loue breaketh quiet peace or resisteth his authoritie Admit you will say it bee for most necessarie duties as for good gouernmēt in the family for prayer to bee performed for restraint of euill exercises or entertainement of godly friends may shee not striue for these things I answere The wife may vse perswasion but not contention for these she may intreate for these shee may wisely speake and counsell for the reformation of these amisse shee may moue friends to perswade but to fall out to braule to lower to be sullen and fret or which is a degree worse as it is a note aboue Ela to scold and speake presumptuouslie A note aboue Ela. this is beyond her place it is intolerable contention The contrarie to which is contained vnder those wordes of the virtuous wiues expressed dutie Prou. 31.26 She openeth her mouth with wisedome and the Law of grace is in her tongue To open her mouth with wisedome is not to braule but to intreate her husband for things amisse to be redressed and how contrarie is scolding contentious words to the Law of grace But you will say what if all Obiect 2 this preuaile not may she not yet contend for answere I say Answ Admit the case to be betweene thee and thy Prince For reformation or otherwise in withholding right wilt thou trie him by vnquietnes in words or deedes beware of that Eccles 8.3 saith Salomon For he will doe euen what hee list I know the conditions are very diuers and vnequall in their different degrees yet this may be drawne out of the comparison that as there is no striuing with a Prince because of his power so there is or should be no contending with the husband for whatsoeuer cause because of that absolute soueraigntie which is in his hand hee will doe whatsoeuer hee list lawfull honest and indifferent and shee cannot hinder him So that looke how vaine a thing it is for one to striue with another that is bound hand and foote and cannot wagge a finger so vaine a thing it is for the wife who for euery thing must depend vpon her husbands will to striue and wrestle with him If therefore the things which are to bee obtained or redressed bee to bee done by him and cannot be done by her The vvife discharged by informing rather then by reforming the burthen being his and not hers she hauing done her dutie by intreatie she is discharged and he standeth guiltie he being King Priest and Prophet in his house he shall answere for it 2. Quest The other question viz. whether the wife may doe nothing but the husband may denie her must be thus considered If they be partely of the aforesaid nature things indifferent he may forbid her or things good and lawfull being extraordinarie and not common duties of religion and Gods seruice hee may restraine her but he doth euill it may bee in it which is not the question My reason of which restraint or authoritie is this Numb 30.9 where Moses saith that if a woman shall vow a vow vnto God if her husband disallow her the same in the day that hee heareth it hee shall make her vow that she hath pronounced with her lippes of no effect As touching common ordinarie duties and partes of Gods holy seruice as the hearing of his Word Prayer Sacraments such like or shall command her things vnlawfull or vncomely she is not bound to obey herein neither can he restraine her or if hee shall do it by violēce she is excused as one violently hindred from her dutie and he shall beare the sinne neither may the hazard of his displeasure wrath or offence The vvife must do some duties with hazard of her husbands displeasure be any iust excuse if violently she be not hindred touching the duties of Gods seruice which with patience she is to beare and submit her selfe vnto But in any case shee must not contend for any cause or matter The

to enforce the euill of contention by discouering the cause and fault therof that by wisdome it may be preuēted or with speed remoued which being absolutelie I meane the fault of contending in the wife she must of necessitie take care to remoue it or beare the blame thereof Neither yet is it a vile estate whereunto the wife is thus subiected as partly hath bin shewed though her will and desire bee both captiued neither yet the ●ight way for her to relieue her selfe if the burthen be too heauie to contend for ease For as the husband may lawfully if he will impart his authoritie with his wife which who so doth not is not wise if his wife bee virtuous and fit to vse it so yet it behooueth her to take the best course to obtaine and winne it Now contending as hath been proued is absolutely denied her what then may compasse it Surely her subiection shall get her gouernment True subiection the right vvay to rule and her obedience rule the more subiect the greater power shall shee obtaine and the more humble in her obediēce the more libertie shall she win If therefore there were not an euill spirit a corrupt nature to blind the wife rather with the wind to contend by force for her will then patiently with the sunne to gaine it by virtue and diligence they might much more preuaile for rule and gouernment then by the warre of contention Contention consumeth loue which consumeth loue I will giue that by intreatie which by constraint I will not and remit a debt Matth. 18.26 if the debter craue patience whereas if he be insolent he may rot in prison for it why then do not wiues consider this that virtue rather then violence submission then contention refusing then vsurping patience then stubbornnes will more preuaile for peace in their fellowship and libertie to their will then al their crossing inuentions can euince and conquere But what if no grace or virtue will preuaile to whom then are they subiect if the husband be vnreasonable is it vnto man or vnto God I say vnto God The threefold pledge 1. To loue 2. To cherish 3. To obey and vnto his ordinance to whom shee sweareth obedience in the mariage knot Now out of all this deare friend I shall neede no great exhortation vnto you to imbrace this wisedome seeing the course I prescribe is not onely the euidence of the word of God but in all sense and reason both the easiest the faithfullest and most honorable for the wife yea of both good and bad it is most commendable except some rare woman for wickednes that excelleth other For was there euer commendation giuen to Sarah aboue her obedience of whom the holie Ghost saith 1. Pet. 3.6 That shee obeyed her husband and called him Lord whose meeke and quiete spirit opposed to the contentious spirit the Apostle saith Vers 4. is a thing much set by of God Whose daughters saith hee againe yee are whiles yee do well Vers 6. not being affraid with any terror Or is there a more odious reproch vnto a wife whoredome set aside which dissolues the knot how much more then when whoredome and contention are met in one I say is there a more shamefull reproch vnto the wife then to bee Salomons contentious woman of whom wee spake before Prou. 6.33 there can be no greater that euerlasting blot excepted for that it ouerthroweth the virtue of the wife prooueth her to haue neither meeke nor quiet spirit but froward insolent and contentious Which meeknes quietnes if it be as the Apostle auouched a thing of God so much set by then needes must frowardnes and contention bee vnto him most detestable and so consequently that which is so odious to God and so offensiue to man as to stand vnder the dropping of a gutter must needes be a diuellish nature and a reprochfull qualitie Prou. 12.4 But saith Salomon the virtuous wife is a crowne to her husband shee will doe him good and not euill Prou. 31.12 and that not a day or twaine but in an vnwearied course all the daies of her life giue her therefore the fruit of her hands and let her owne workes praise her in the gates Now in all the subiection that I haue spoken of in the wife I haue meant no seruil subiectiō or dutie but dutie with a kind of equalitie and equalitie with reuerence For the dutie Obedience according to degree or word of obedience is very large and generall and must bee considered according to his degree There is the seruants dutie the sons dutie and the wiues dutie The sonnes differeth from the seruants dutie because the seruant abideth not in the house for euer whereas the sonne being heire shall inherit and abide His obedience is with loue the seruants with feare The wiues dutie or obedience also differeth from the sonnes and is by degree more excellent in that it is graced and seasoned with a kind of equalitie being fellow heires as Peter saith or heires together of the grace of God 1. Pet. 3.7 to whō the holy Ghost there commandeth honour as to the weaker vessell that is by honour hee meaneth tender regard as not to prouoke or discourage but as a vessell so profitable for vse and as the weaker vessell so with wisedome to be gouerned And this putteth a difference also and exceedeth the sonnes obedience in boldnes in kindnes and in equalitie 1. Cor. 7.4 The husband saith the Apostle hath not power ouer himself but the wife so then the wise hath that interest in and ouer the husband the faithfull and dutifull wife I meane which neither the seruant nor son can require nor the husband impart with any other Hitherto you will say I haue wholly as it were intreated of the dutie of the wife And you will further say I haue laid loade vpon their shoulders who are the weaker vessels longing it may be to heare the dutie of the husband in like sort set forth to see what bonds he is to bee tied withall in his conuersation to his wife It is true that the further our duties are discouered vnto vs the more grieuous and tedious it doth seeme vnto vs each delighting to heare rather the others dutie then their owne and proper dutie the husband is pleased when the wiues dutie is extended to the vttermost and the wife likewise when the husbands is enlarged Jt is a good token of a good spirit to delight in the ●earing of our ovvne duties especially but this is no good signe either of a good husband or a virtuous wife The better husband the more hee delighteth to see and vnderstand both the properties of the good husband that hee may the better follow them and the qualities of the bad husband that he may auoid them The good wife likewise hath her eyes bent to the things that may be excellent that her obedience may bee perfect