doing in the time present Baptisme saueth §. 43. What kinde of meanes of grace Baptisme is II. Baptisme is no physicall or naturall meanes of working grace as if the grace which is sealed vp thereby were inherent in the water or in the Ministers act of sprinkling it as in medicines salues hearbs meats and the like there is inherent that vertue which proceedeth from the vse of them and being applied they haue their operation whether a man beleeue it or no but it is only a voluntarie instrument which Christ vseth as it pleaseth him to worke what grace or measure of grace seemeth best to him so as grace is only assistant to it not included in it yet in the right vse thereof Christ by his Spirit worketh that grace which is receiued by it in which respect the Minister is said to baptize with water but Christ with the Holy Ghost and with fire Matth. 3. 11. §. 44. Of the necessitie of Baptisme III. A meanes of working a thing may be said to be necessarie two wayes 1. Absolutely so as the thing cannot possibly be without it Thus are the proper causes of a thing absolutely necessarie as in this case Gods couenant Christs bloud and the operation of the Spirit are absolutely necessarie for attaining any grace 2. By consequence so as according to that course and order which God hath set downe things cannot be without them Baptisme is not absolutely necessarie as a cause for then should it be equall to Gods couenant Christs bloud and the worke of the Spirit Yea then should all that are baptized without any exception be cleansed But it is by consequence necessarie and that in a double respect 1. In regard of Gods ordinance 2. In regard of our need thereof 1. God hauing ordained this a Sacrament to be vsed it is necessarie it should be vsed if for no other end yet for manifestation of our obedience He that carelesly neglecteth or wilfully contemneth any Sacrament which God shall enioyne him to vse his soule shall be cut off 2. Great is the need that we haue thereof in regard of our dulnesse in conceiuing things spirituall and of our weaknesse in beleeuing things inuisible We are carnall and earthly and by things sensible and earthly doe the better conceiue things spirituall and heauenly therefore hath God ordained visible elements to be Sacraments of inuisible graces Againe we are slow to beleeue such things as are promised in the word therefore the more to helpe and strengthen our faith God hath added to his couenant in the word his seale in and by the Sacrament that by two immutable things Gods couenant and Gods seale in which it is impossible for God to lie we might haue strong consolation Besides though in generall we doe beleeue the truth of Gods word yet we are doubtfull to apply it to our selues wherefore for better applying Gods couenant to our owne soule God hath added his Sacrament to his word §. 45. Of the contrarie extremes of Papists and Anabaptists about the necessitie and efficacie of Baptisme There are two extremes contrarie to the forenamed points about baptisme One in the excesse which is of Papists that attribute too much thereunto and make it a plaine Idoll Another in the defect of Anabaptists and Libertines which derogate too much from it and make it an idle ceremonie In two things doe Papists exceed 1. In the necessitie Of Baptisme 2. In the efficacie   They make it so absolutely necessary as if any die vnbaptized he cannot be saued which doome they passe against infants though they be depriued thereof without any fault of their owne yea or of their parents being still borne A mercilesse sentence without any warrant of Gods word yea against his word against the order which he hath prescribed He hath established his couenant promised to be the God of the faithfull of their seed on which ground S. Peter saith The promise is vnto you vnto your children S. Paul saith your children are holy Shall all these priuiledges be made void by an ineuitable want of baptisme if so would God haue enioyned circumcision which to the Iewes was as baptisme is to Christians to be put off to the eighth day before which day many infants died or would Moses haue suffered it to be forborne all the time that the Israelites were in the wildernesse If it be said that baptisme is more necessarie then circumcision I answer the Scripture layeth no more necessitie vpon it If it were so necessarie as they make it then the vertue of Christs death were lesse effectuall since he was actually exhibited then before For before it was effectuall for infants without a Sacrament but belike not now Had the ancient Churches conceiued so of the absolute necessitie of baptisme they would not haue had set times for the administring thereof nor suffered it to be put off so long as they did Some Churches appointed it to be administred only at Easter Some at Easter and Whitsuntide And though many who gaue euidence of their true faith died before they were baptized yet they did not thereupon iudge them to be damned This practise and iudgement of the ancients hath made many Papists somewhat to mitigate that absolute necessitie and to say that In this case God which hath not bound his grace in respect of his owne freedome to any Sacrament may and doth accept them as baptized which either are martyred before they could be baptized on else depart this life with vow and desire to haue that Sacrament but by some remedilesse necessitie could not obtaine it If remedilesse necessitie can helpe the matter what necessitie so remedilesse as for a childe to be still borne Againe they adde such efficacie to baptisme as it giueth grace of the worke it selfe wherein they equall it to the verie bloud of Christ and take away the peculiar worke of the Spirit and the vse of faith repentance and such like graces What can there be more in the water of baptisme then was in the bloud of such beasts as were offered vp for sacrifices But it is not possible that the bloud of Buls and Goats should take away sin They themselues attribute no such efficacie to the word preached and yet they cannot shew where the holy Ghost hath giuen more vertue to baptisme then to the word This text ioyneth them both together that he might cleanse it with the washing of water through the word What can be more said of a meanes then that which is said of the word It pleased God by preaching to saue them that beleeue The Gospell is the power of God to saluation c. On the other side Anabaptists and such like Libertines too lightly esteeme this holy and necessary ordinance of God in that they make it only a badge of our profession a note of difference betwixt the
that we might be of his flesh Thus saith Christ of himselfe I came downe from heauen to doe the will of him that sent me And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath giuen me I should lose nothing but should raise it vp againe at the last day The Spirit applieth vnto vs the vertue and efficacie of the flesh of Christ and so finisherh this blessed worke It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing namely of it selfe without the Spirit Thus we see that the applying of this worke of regeneration vnto Christ excludeth not the worke of the Father or of the Holy Ghost therein but excludeth the worke of man so as it is not of our selues nor of our parents nor of any other man for we are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God in which respect our new birth is said to be from aboue Obiect How is it then attributed to the word and to the ministerie of man Answ As vnto instruments which the Lord is pleased to vse Of the word it is said God hath begotten vs with the word of himselfe a Minister thus saith the Apostle In Christ Iesus I haue begotten you so as God and Christ are ioyned with these instruments or else they are no whit powerfull and effectuall for so great a worke for neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watreth but God that giueth the increase The worke of regeneration is a new creation a diuine worke aboue humane straine It must therefore be wrought by the Lord or it cannot be wrought at all This is to be noted both of those that haue not yet assurance of this blessed worke wrought in them and also of those who haue assurance thereof The former may here learne whither to haue recourse for it namely to him who came downe from heauen for that purpose and who saith Him that commeth vnto me I will in no wise cast out In all the meanes that we vse let vs looke vp vnto him and seeke a blessing of him The latter must with the tenth leper returne backe vnto Christ and glorifie God Whatsoeuer the meanes were or whosoeuer the Minister was the praise and glorie of all must be giuen to him §. 77. Of the matter of our regeneration Christ The preposition OF twice set downe OF his flesh and OF his bones being a proper note of the materiall cause sheweth that Christ is not only the author but the matter also of our new birth The new spirituall being which the Saints haue commeth out of him From him all the bodie hauing nourishment increaseth with the increase of God In this respect we are said to be blessed with all spirituall blessings in Christ The metaphor of a vine which Christ taketh vnto himselfe proueth also as much so doe these phrases My flesh is meat indeed my bloud is drinke indeed This Christ commeth to be by his incarnation God in himselfe is as a bottomlesse and a closed fountaine from him immediately we can receiue nothing But Christ made flesh is a fountaine opened In him all fulnesse dwelleth And of him haue all we receiued euen grace for grace Behold here the benefit of Christs incarnation by his taking part of our mortall flesh are we made partakers of his spirituall flesh namely of that spirituall life and grace which commeth from him who was made flesh to conuey the same into vs. To strengthen our faith the more firmly herein the Lord hath instituted the holy Communion of his bodie and bloud With what conscience reuerence and confidence ought this blessed Sacrament to be celebrated By this Doctrine we may further learne how to seeke euery thing at Gods hands which we desire to obtaine and how to offer that sacrifice of praise vnto God which wee would haue to be accepted namely in and through Iesus Christ by whom only we haue all that communion which we haue with God Well therefore doth the Church conclude all her formes of Prayers and Praises with this or such a like clause through Iesus Christ our Lord. §. 78. Of the excellency of Regeneration The particular matter of our regeneration the flesh and bones of Christ here expressed sheweth that Regeneration is a most excellent worke The excellencie hereof will the better appeare if we compare it with the great and glorious worke of our creation and shew how farre it surpasseth it wherein I will hold close to this metaphor and touch no other differences then it doth point out vnto vs. 1. In our creation Christ was only a worker but he is the verie matter of our Regeneration we are of his flesh 2. The relation that then was betwixt Christ and man was Creator but here Head We are members of his bodie Creature  Bodie   The bond is now much neerer 3. The being which then we had was from Adam But the being which now we haue is from Christ of HIS flesh 4. That being was but naturall This is spirituall for that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit 5. Then our being was different from Christs but now it is the verie same with Christs Of his flesh 6. Then might man cleane fall from that estate wherein he was created as he did and yet Christ remaine as he was Now it cannot be so For if any of the Saints now fall away either Christ must fall with them or they must be pulled from Christ and so Christ remaine a maimed bodie Behold the riches of Gods mercie One might thinke it sufficient and more then man could euer haue beene thankfull enough for that God at first created man after his owne image in a most happie estate From which when we wittingly and wilfully fell God might iustly haue left vs as he did the euill Angels But he hath not only restored vs againe to that former estate but aduanced vs to a farre more excellent and glorious estate wherein his goodnesse appeareth to be as his greatnesse infinite incomprehensible Who can sufficiently set it forth For as the heauen is high aboue the earth so great is his mercie toward them that feare him §. 79. Of the ancient Law of mariage EPHES. 5. 31. For this cause shall a man leaue his father and mother and shall be ioyned vnto his wife and they two shall be one flesh THe same points which were before laid downe concerning the neere vnion of man and wife and of Christ and the Church are here further confirmed by the ancient law of mariage which the Apostle doth the rather mention because it followeth vpon that text whereunto he alluded in the former verse For when Moses had alledged these words of Adam concerning Eue This is bone of my bones and flesh of my
childe he gaue in charge to the Parent so to name him saying to him Thou shalt call his name thus and thus It is also euident that the time of Baptisme is the fittest time for giuing the name Vnder the Law childrens names were giuen at their Circumcision and so vnder the Gospell it hath in all ages beene vsed and that for these reasons 1. That their names may be a testimonie of their baptisme 2. That so oft as they heare their names they may be put in minde of their baptisme 3. That they might know how by name they are giuen to Christ to be his souldiers and therefore there must be no starting from him 4. That they may also be assured that being baptized with water and the spirit by name they are registred in heauen Now because names are so solemnly giuen and of so good vse most meet it is that fit names should be giuen to children And for proofe hereof let the names which in Scripture are recorded to be giuen by God himselfe and by such holy men and women as were guided by his spirit be obserued and we shall finde them to be holy sober and fit names For direction to parents in this dutie I will set downe some sorts and kinds of names as be fit and beseeming Christians 1. Names which haue some good signification and among them such as are warranted by the Scripture as Iohn the grace of God Ionathan the gift of God Andrew manly Clement meeke Simeon obedient Hannah gratious Prudens wise and such like that thus their name may stirre them vp to labour after the vertue signified thereby 2. Names which haue in times before vs beene giuen to persons of good note whose life is worthy our imitation as Isaak Dauid Peter Marie Elizabeth and such like that the names may moue them to imitate those worthies 3. Names of our owne ancestors and predecessors to preserue a memorie of the familie which appeareth to haue beene an ancient practise euen among Gods people in that the friends would haue had Zachariahs sonne named Zachariah and when the mother had iust cause to name him Iohn they answer none of thy kindred is called by this name 4. Vsuall names of the country which custome hath made familiar as Henry Edward Robert William and such like among vs. §. 21. Of Parents care in bringing their children to be baptized in due season Though Christians are not so strictly tied to a set day as the Iewes were to the eight day yet from that strict direction giuen to the Iewes we may well gather that it is not meet for Christians to defer the baptizing of their children beyond eight dayes for a young childe of that age may with more ease and lesse danger be baptized then circumcised The most seasonable time I take to be the day whereon Gods people vse in the place where the childe is borne publikely to assemble together to worship God next after the birth of the child if at least it fall not out within two or three dayes after which is somewhat with the soonest both for mother and childe Whether we respect the honour of God the riches of whose mercy is liuely set forth in the sacrament of baptisme or the good of our childe which in that sacrament receiueth a pledge and seale of that rich mercy of God Baptisme is of great consequence and therefore the first season of performing it to be taken For parents by their diligence and due speed therein giue euidence both of their zeale to Gods glory and also of their earnest desire of the childs spirituall good §. 22. Of Parents faults in neglecting their childrens Baptisme Contrary to the forenamed dutie of Parents about well baptizing their children are many aberrations as 1. The corrupt opinion of Anabaptists who denie the lawfulnesse of baptizing children The arguments before noted are sufficient to stop their mouthes 2. The practise of Separatists comming too neere to Anabaptisme who excepting against the ministerie and orders of our Church doe what they can to keepe their children from that Sacrament And to that end carry their wiues ready to be deliuered vnto a strange place where they are not knowne and anon after they are deliuered priuily conuey wife childe and all away that so the Magistrate may not against their will cause their childe to be baptized and hauing no ministerie of their owne nor meanes to conuey the childe ouer sea keepe it many yeeres vnbaptized Where is the euidence of their faith in Gods promise of their respect to Gods ordinance and of their desire of their childs spirituall good Though it be a great wrong to children to be kept from baptisme yet the sinne lieth on such parents as procure not baptisme for their children especially at that age when their children cannot gainsay it 3. The peruerse opinion and practise of certaine ancient heretikes who in stead of baptizing children with water had them branded with an hot iron They grounded their error on a false interpretation of this phrase he shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire Answ 1. They erre in taking this word fire literally and properly which was meant mystically and metaphorically 2. They erre in applying that to the outward action of a Minister which was meant of the inward operation of Christ By this their misinterpretation they thwart the maine scope of him who first vsed that phrase which was to manifest the difference betwixt all other Ministers and Christ Iesus 4. The opinion and practise of those who vse other formes of Baptisme besides this In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Their opinion and practise is grounded on certaine concise phrases vsed by the Apostles such as these Baptized in the name of Iesus Christ In the name of the Lord In the name of the Lord Iesus c. Answ Those phrases rather set forth the very substance and inward matter of Baptisme then the forme thereof 5. Their opinion and practise who care not by whom their children are baptized whether heretiques idolaters laicks or women Little doe they regard the comfort of conscience and strength of faith that ariseth from this that a lawfull Minister in Gods roome and name as Gods ambassador putteth the seale of God to his couenant 6. The practise of those as I know not vpon what nicenesse or state must haue their children baptized at home in their priuate house This manner of baptising taketh away much from the honour of that high ordinance which ought to be done with all the seemly solemnitie that may be 7. Their practise who bring their childe to Church to be baptised accompanied only with the Midwife and three witnesses It were almost as good be baptised in a priuate house for it is not the walls of the Church but the assembly of Saints that addeth to the honour of the Sacrament and is most of all
true and false Church a signe of mutuall fellowship a bare signe of spirituall grace a resemblance of mortification regeneration inscition into Christ with the like but no more These indeed are some of the ends and vses of Baptisme But in that they restraine all the efficacy thereof hereunto they take away the greatest comfort and truest benefit which the Church reapeth thereby as may be gathered out of the points noted before §. 46. Of the inward washing by Baptisme In that with this washing of water Christ cleanseth his Church I obserue that Whosoeuer are fully baptised are cleansed from sinne Fully that is powerfully and effectually as well inwardly by the Spirit as outwardly by the Minister Cleansed both from the guilt of sinne by Christs bloud and from the power of sinne by the worke of his Spirit To this purpose tend the many emphaticall phrases attributed by the Apostles to Baptisme as that we are baptised into Iesus Christ baptised into his death buried with him by baptisme that Baptisme doth saue vs that Baptisme is the washing of regeneration with the like Vaine is the reioycing of many who boast of their baptisme and thinke themselues by vertue thereof to be as good Christians as the best and yet liue and lie in their sinne being more besmeered and defiled therewith then they were when they were first borne Iohn saith Christ baptiscth with the holy Ghost and with fire the Apostle saith Christ cleanseth with the washing of water If that fire of the holy Ghost burne not vp the drosse of sinne in thee and this water wash not away the filth of sinne thou wert neuer fully baptised It may be the hand of some Minister hath sprinkled a little water on thy face but Christs bloud hath not as yet beene sprinkled on the soule all the benefit which thou reapest by thy baptisme is that another day thou shalt dearely answer for the abuse of so honourable an ordinance §. 47. Of ioyning the word with Baptisme The other meanes of sanctifying and cleansing the Church here expressed is the word This being applied vnto Baptisme and ioyned with it must needs be meant of the promise of Grace sealed vp in Baptisme which is Gods promise of iustifying vs freely and sanctifying vs effectually plainly made knowne and truly beleeued This meanes being thus added to this Sacrament we may well inferre that It is necessary that the word and Baptisme goe together that where this Sacrament is administred the doctrine thereof be truly plainly intelligibly taught so as the nature efficacy end and vse thereof may be made knowne and the couenant of God sealed vp thereby beleeued So saith Christ Goe teach all nations baptising them So did the Baptist and the Apostles they preached the Gospell to them whom they baptised 1. A Sacrament without the word is but an idle ceremony no more then a seale without a couenant for it is the word that maketh knowne the couenant of God 2. It is the word which maketh the greatest difference betwixt the sacramentall washing of water and ordinary common washing 3. By the word the ordinary creatures which we vse are sanctified much more the holy ordinances of God whereof Baptisme is one of the principall Quest Is it not then lawfull to administer Baptisme without a Sermon Answ Though it be a very commendable and honourable manner of administring that Sacrament then to administer it when the word is preached yet I thinke not a Sermon at that time to be so necessary as it should be vnlawfull without one to administer Baptisme For the ioyning of the word and Sacrament here spoken of is that they who are baptised or who present children to be baptised and answer for them or are present at the administring of Baptisme or liue in the places where it vseth to be administred should be instructed in the Gospell and taught the couenant which Baptisme sealeth vp Besides the liturgie and publike forme prescribed for the administring of Baptisme both in our Church and other reformed Churches laieth downe the nature efficacy end vse and other like points appertaining to that Sacrament plainly declareth the couenant of God sealed vp thereby so as in our and other like Churches where such formes are prescribed to be alwaies vsed the word is neuer separated from Baptisme though at the administring of Baptisme there be no Sermon The Church of Rome doth directly transgresse against the forenamed rule of ioyning the word and Baptisme together For though they haue a publike forme prescribed yet it being in an vnknowne tongue not vnderstood of the people nor expounded to them it is all one as if there were no forme at all no word at all for that which is not vnderstood is all one as if it were not vttered Much more hainous is their transgression who liue vnder the Gospell where it is preached plainly to the vnderstanding and capacity of the meanest and yet are carelesse in comming to it or in attending vnto it and so remaine as ignorant as if they liued in places where the word is not preached at all or in an vnknowne tongue Such ignorant persons if they were not baptised are not worthy while they remaine so ignorant to be baptised nor yet to present their children to be baptised or to be present at the baptisme of others As Ministers that baptise ought to preach the word so ought they who are baptised to be instructed in the word §. 48. Of the Inference of Glorification vpon Iustification and Sanctification EPHES. 5. 27. That he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church c. THe most principall end in regard of the Churches good which Christ aimed at when he gaue himselfe for her is her glorious estate in heauen this is the end of the forenamed end For why did Christ giue himselfe for the Church That he might sanctifie it hauing cleansed it why did he cleanse and sanctifie it That he might present it to himseife a glorious Church Hence note these three points 1. Iustification and sanctification must goe before glorification 2. The end why the Saints are cleansed and sanctified in this world is that they may be presented glorious to Christ in the world to come 3. The only meanes to make vs glorious before Christ our spouse is righteousnesse 1. All those places of Scripture which set our righteousnesse in this world before our glory in the world to come as very many places doe doe proue the first point that Iustification and Sanctification must goe before Glorification Among other proofes note especially the order of the seuerall linkes of that golden chaine that reacheth from Gods eternall counsell before the world vnto our euerlasting glory after this world Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified 1. Heauen the place of our glorification is
Sanctification of the Saints shall be perfect in heauen They shall not only be iustified by hauing their sinnes couered to them nor only haue their sanctification truly begun in them but also in euerie part point and degree thereof absolutely perfected in which respect they are said to be iust men made perfect Adam in his innocencie was not more pure then the Saints shall be in heauen yea they shall farre surpasse Adam as in the measure so in the stabilite and perpetuitie thereof In our endeuour after holinesse let vs haue an eye to this perfection and not faint if we attaine not to that measure which we desire Perfection is reserued for the world to come Yet know we that the more holy and blamelesse we are the neerer we come to that heauenly estate the more spots and blemishes of sinne we haue the more vnlike we are vnto it and the lesse hope we haue of enioying that heauenly happinesse All the forenamed seuerall points of the glorious estate of the Church in heauen should rauish our spirits and euen breake our hearts with an holy admiration of Christs good-nesse and fill our mouths with praises for the same and make vs sigh and long after the same and with all good conscience and diligence vse all the meanes we can to attaine thereunto no labour will be lost herein Surely this is either not knowne or not beleeued or not remembred or not duly and seriously considered by such as make light account thereof Let that which hath beene but briefly touched be further meditated vpon and let vs pray that the eyes of our vnderstanding may be enlightned that we may know what is the riches of the glorious inheritance of the Saints Were it not for this hope the Saints were of all the most miserable whereas now they are the most happy §. 53. Of the application of the things which Christ hath done for the Church vnto husbands EPHES. 5. 28. So ought men to loue their wiues c. THE first clause of this verse serueth both for an application of the former argument and also for a transition to another argument The particle of relation So sheweth that that which hath before beene deliuered of Christs loue to his Church ought to be referred and applied to husbands For as Christ loued his Church So ought husbands to loue their wiues Quest Why are these transcendent euidences of Christs surpassing loue to his Church set before husbands can any such things be expected from husbands to their wiues Answ No not for measure but for likenesse For in this large declaration of Christs loue there are two generall points to be noted 1. That the Church in her selfe was no way worthie of loue 2. That Christ so carried himselfe towards her that he made her worthie of much loue This ought to be the minde of husbands to their wiues 1. Though they be no way worthie of loue yet they must loue them 2. They must endeuour with all the wit and wisdome they haue to make them worthie of loue I say endeuour because it is not simply in the husbands power to doe the deed Yet his faithfull endeuour shall on his part be accepted for the deed Of these points I shall hereafter more fully speake §. 54. Of the application of the loue which a man beareth to himselfe vnto an husband EPHES. 5. 28. So ought men to loue their wiues as their owne bodies THe forenamed particle So hath also relation to another patterne namely of a mans selfe to his bodie and so it is a transition from one argument to another There is some more Emphasis here vsed in setting downe an husbands dutie then was before vers 25. There it was laid downe by way of exhortation Husbands loue your wiues Here it is laid downe with a straiter charge Husbands ought to loue their wiues So as this dutie is not a matter arbitrarie left to the husbands will to doe it or leaue it vndone there is a necessitie laid vpon him he must loue his wife Woe therefore vnto him if he doe it not In setting downe this argument taken from a mans selfe the Apostle resembleth a mans wife vnto his bodie wherein he hath relation to vers 23. where he said the husband is the head of the wife Whereby he sheweth that as an husbands place is a motiue to his wife for her to performe her dutie so to himselfe for him to performe his dutie He is her head therefore she must be subiect to him She is his bodie therefore he must loue her This example of a mans selfe is both a reason the more to moue husbands to loue their wiues and also a rule to teach them how to loue them The reason is implied vnder that neere vnion that is betwixt a man and his wife she is as neere to him as his owne bodie therefore she ought to be as deere to him The bodie neuer dissenteth from it selfe nor the soule against it selfe So neither should man and wife The rule is noted vnder the manner of a mans louing his owne bodie as intirely as he loueth his bodie so intirely he ought to loue his wife Of the manner of a mans louing himselfe see Treat 4. § 74. 76. The more to enforce this comparison the Apostle addeth He that loueth his wife loueth himselfe By this clause two things are implied 1. That a wife is not only as a mans bodie namely his outward flesh but as his person his bodie and soule She is as his bodie because she was taken out of his bodie and because she is set vnder him as his bodie vnder his head She is as himselfe by reason of the bond of mariage which maketh one of two In which respect a wife is commonly called a mans second selfe 2. That an husband in louing his wife loueth himselfe so as the benefit of louing his wife will redound to himselfe as well as to his wife §. 55. Of the amplification of a mans loue of himselfe EPHES. 5. 29. For no man euer yet hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it euen as the Lord the Church THe former patterne of a mans selfe is here further amplified For first the Apostle proueth that a man loueth himselfe and then he sheweth how he loueth himselfe Two arguments are vsed to proue the point One is taken from the contrarie No man euer yet hated his owne flesh Therefore he loueth it The other is taken from the effects of loue To nourish and cherish ones flesh is a fruit of loue But euerie man nourisheth and cherisheth his flesh Therefore he loueth it This latter argument sheweth the manner of a mans louing himselfe and therein a mans loue of himselfe is a rule to teach him how to loue his wife This indefinite particle no man is to be restrained to such as haue the vnderstanding and affection of a man in them as if he had said no