hole churche that euerie one shuld communicate with the coÌ„gregation what God had reueled to them prouidinge that it were orderlie done But frome this generall priuiledge he secludeth all woman sayinge let women kepe silence in the congregation And why I pray you was it because that the apostle thoght no womaÌ„ to haue any knowledge no he geueth an other reason saying let her be subiect as the lawe saith In which wordes is first to be noted that the apostle calleth this former sentence pronounced against womaÌ„ a lawe that is the immutable decree of God who by his owne voice hath subiected her to one meÌ„bre of the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ that is to her husbaÌ„d wherupon the holie ghost concludeth that she may neuer rule nor bear empire aboue man For she that is made subiect to one may neuer be preferred to many and that the holie ghoste doth manifestlie expresse saying I suffer not that woman vsurpe authoritie aboue man he sayth not I will not that woman vsurpe authoritie aboue her husband but he nameth man in generall taking frome her all power and authoritie to speake to reason to interprete or to teache but principallie to rule or to iudge in the assemblie of men So that woman by the lawe of God and by the interpretation of the holy ghost is vtterly forbidden to occupie the place of God in the offices afore said which he hath assigned to man whome he hath appointed and ordeined his lieutenant in earth secluding frome that honor aÌ„d dignitie all woman as this short argument shall euidentlie declare The apostle taketh power frome all woman to speake in the assemblie Ergo he permitteth no woman to rule aboue man The former parte is euideÌ„t wherupon doth the couclusion of necessitie folowe For he that taketh from womaÌ„ the least parte of authoritie dominion or rule will not permit vnto her that whiche is greatest But greater it is to reigne aboue realmes and nations to publish and to make lawes and to coÌ„mande men of all estates and finallie to appoint iudges and ministers then to speake in the coÌ„gregation For her iudgemeÌ„t sentence or opinioÌ„ proposed in the coÌ„gregation may be iudged by all may be corrected by the learned and reformed by the godlie But womaÌ„ being promoted in souereine authoritie her la wes must be obeyed her opinion folowed and her tyraÌ„nie mainteined supposing that it be expreslie against God and the prophet of the common welth as to manifest experience doth this day witnesse And therfore yet againe I repete that whiche before I haue affirmed to witt that a woman promoted to sit in the seate of God that is to teache to iudge or to reigne aboue man is a monstre in nature contumelie to God and a thing most repugnaÌ„t to his will aÌ„d ordinaÌ„ce For he hath depriued them as before is proued of speakinge in the congregation and hath expreslie forbidden them to vsurpe any kinde of authoritie aboue man Howe then will he suffer them to reigne aÌ„d haue empire aboue realmes and nations He will neuer I say approue it because it is a thing most repugnant to his perfect ordinance as after shalbe declared and as the former scriptures haue plainlie geuen testimonie To the whiche to adde anything were superfluous were it not that the worlde is almost nowe comen to that blindnes that what soeuer pleaseth not the princes and the multitude the same is reiected as doctrine newelie forged and is condemned for heresie I haue therfore thoght good to recite the mindes of some auncient writers in the same mater to the end that suche as altogither be not blinded by the deuil may consider and vnderstand this my iudgement to be no newe interpretation of Goddes scriptures but to be the vniforme consent of the most parte of godlie writers since the time of the apostles Tertullian in his boke of womens apparell after that he hath she wed many causes why gorgious apparell is abominable and odiouse in a woman addeth these wordes speaking as it were to euery womaÌ„ by name Dost thou not knowe saith he that thou art Heua the sentence of God liueth and is effectuall against this kind and in this worlde of necessity it is that the punishement also liue Thou art the porte and gate of the deuil Thou art the first traÌ„sgressor of goddes law thou diddest persuade aÌ„d easely deceiue him whome the deuil durst not assault For thy merit that is for thy death it beho ued the soÌ„ne of god to suffre the death aÌ„d doth it yet abide in thy mind to decke the aboue thy skin coates By these aÌ„d many other graue senteÌ„ces and quicke interrogations did this godlie writer labour to bring euerie woman in contemplation of her selfe to the end that euerie one depelie weying what sentence God had ê“nounced against the hole race aÌ„d doughters of Heua might not onely learne daily to humble and subiect them selues in the presence of God but also that they shulde auoide aÌ„d abhorre what soeuer thing might exalte them or puffe them vp in pride or that might be occasion that they shuld forget the curse and malediction of God And what I pray you is more able to cause woman to forget her owne condition then if she be lifted vp in authoritie aboue man It is a thing verie difficile to a man be he neuer so coÌ„stant promoted to honors not to be tickled some what with pride for the winde of vaine glorie doth easelie carie vp the drie dust of the earth But as for woman it is no more possible that she being set aloft in authoritie aboue man shall resist the motions of pride then it is able to the weake reed or to the turning wethercocke not to bowe or turne at the vehemencie of the vnconstant wind And therfore the same writer expreslie forbiddeth all woman to intremedle with the office of man For thus he writeth in his book de virginibus velandis It is not permitted to a woman to speake in the coÌ„gregation nether to teache nether to baptise nether to vendicate to her selfe any office of man The same he speaketh yet more plainly in the preface of his sixte boke writen against Marcion where he recounting certein monstruous thinges whiche were to be sene at the sea called Euxinum amongest the rest he reciteth this as a greate monstre in nature that women in those partes were not tamed nor embased by coÌ„sideration of their own sex and kind but that all shame laide a parte they made expenses vpon weapons and learned the feates of warre hauinge more pleasure to fight then to mary and be subiect to man Thus farre of Tertullian whose wordes be so plain that they nede no explanation For he that taketh from her all office apperteining to man will not suffre her to reigne aboue man and he that iudgeth it a monstre in nature that a woman shall exercise weapons must iudge it to be a monstre of
some to haue bene so desirous of dominion that for the obteining of the same they haue murthered the children of their owne sonnes Yea aÌ„d some haue killed with crueltie their owne husbandes and children But to me it is sufficient because this parte of nature is not my moste sure foundation to haue proued that men illuminated onlie by the light of nature haue seen and haue determined that it is a thing moste repugnant to nature that women rule and gouerne ouer men For those that will not permit a woman to haue power ouer her owne sonnes will not permit her I am assured to haue rule ouer a realme and those that will not suffer her to speake in defense of those that be accused nether that will admit her accusation intended against man will not approue her that she shal sit in iudgemeÌ„t crowned with the royall crowne vsurping authoritie in the middest of men But now to the second part of nature In the whiche I include the reueled will and perfect ordinance of God and against this parte of nature I say that it doth manifestlie repugne that any woman shal reigne or beare dominion ouer man For God first by the order of his creation and after by the curse and malediction pronounced against the woman by the reason of her rebellion hath pronounced the contrarie First I say that woman in her greatest perfection was made to serue and obey man not to rule and coÌ„mand him As saint Paule doth reason in these wordes Man is not of the woman but the womaÌ„ of the man And maÌ„ was not created for the cause of the woman but the woman for the cause of man and therfore oght the womaÌ„ to haue a power vpoÌ„ her head that is a couerture in signe of subiectioÌ„ Of whiche words it is plaine that the Apostle meaneth that woman in her greatest perfection shuld haue knowen that maÌ„ was Lord aboue her and therfore that she shulde neuer haue preteÌ„ded any kind of superioritie aboue him no more then do the angels aboue God the creator or aboue Christ Iesus their head So I say that in her greatest perfection woman was created to be subiect to man But after her fall and rebellion coÌ„mitted against God there was put vpon her a newe necessitie and she was made subiect to man by the irreuocable senteÌ„ce of God pronounced in these wordes I will greatlie multiplie thy sorowe and thy coÌ„ception With sorrowe shalt thou beare thy children and thy will shall be subiect to thy man and he shal beare dominion ouer the. Herebie may such as altogither be not blinded plainlie see that God by his sentence hath deiected all woman frome empire and dominion aboue man For two punishmentes are laid vpon her to witte a dolor anguishe and payn as oft as euer she shal be mother and a subiectioÌ„ of her selfe her appetites and will to her husband and to his will Frome the former parte of this malediction can nether arte nobilitie policie nor lawe made by man deliuer womankinde but who soeuer atteineth to that honour to be mother proueth in experience the effect aÌ„d streÌ„gth of goddes word But alas ignoraÌ„ce of God ambition and tyrannie haue studied to abolishe and destroy the secoÌ„d parte of Goddes punishment For women are lifted vp to be heades ouer realmes and to rule aboue men at their pleasure and appetites But horrible is the veÌ„geance which is prepared for the one aÌ„d for the other for the promoters and for the persones promoted except they spedelie repent For they shall be deiected from the glorie of the sonnes of God to the sclauerie of the deuill and to the tormeÌ„t that is prepared for all suche as do exalte them selues against God Against God caÌ„ nothing be more manifest then that a woman shall be exalted to reigne aboue man For the coÌ„trarie senteÌ„ce hath he pronounced in these wordes Thy will shall be subiect to thy husband and he shall beare dominion ouer the. As God shuld say forasmuch as thou hast abused thy former condition and because thy free will hath broght thy selfe and mankind in to the boÌ„dage of Satan I therfore will bring the in bondage to man For where before thy obedience shuld haue bene voluntarie no we it shall be by constreint and by necessitie and that because thou hast deceiued thy man thou shalt therfore be no longar maistresse ouer thine own appetites ouer thine owne will nor desires For in the there is nether reason nor discretion whiche be able to moderate thy affectioÌ„s and therfore they shall be subiect to the desire of thy maÌ„ He shall be Lord and gouernour not onlie ouer thy bodie but euen ouer thy appetites and will This sentence I say did God pronounce against Heua and her daughters as the rest of the Scriptures doth euideÌ„tlie witnesse So that no woman can euer presume to reigne aboue man but the same she must nedes do in despite of God and in contempt of his punishment and malediction I am not ignorant that the most part of men do vnderstand this malediction of the subiection of the wife to her husband and of the dominion which he beareth aboue her but the holie ghost geueth to vs an other interpretation of this place taking from all women all kinde of superioritie authoritie aÌ„d power ouer man speaking as foloweth by the mouth of saint Paule I suffer not a woman to teache nether yet to vsurpe authoritie aboue man Here he nameth women in generall excepting none affirming that she may vsurpe authoritie aboue no man And that he speaketh more plainlie in an other place in these wordes Let women kepe silence in the congregation for it is not permitted to them to speake but to be subiect as the lawe sayeth These two testimonies of the holy ghost be sufficient to proue what soeuer we haue affirmed before aÌ„d to represse the inordinate pride of women as also to correct the foolishnes of those that haue studied to exalt womeÌ„ in authoritie aboue man against God and against his sentence ê“nounced But that the same two places of the apostle may the better be vnderstand it is to be noted that in the latter which is writen in the first epistle to the Corinthes the 14 chapitre before the apostle had permitted that all persones shuld prophecie one after an other addinge this reason that all may learne and all may receiue consolation And left that any might haue iudged that amongest a rude multitude and the pluralitie of speakers manie thinges litle to purpose might haue bene affirmed or elles that some confusion might haue risen he addeth the spirites of the prophetes are subiect to the prophetes As he shuld say God shall alwayes raise vp some to whome the veritie shalbe reueled and vnto such ye shal geue place albeit they sit in the lowest seates And thus the apostle wold haue prophecying an exercise to be free to the
monstres that a woman shalbe exalted aboue a hole realme and natioÌ„ Of the same minde is Origen and diuers others Yea euen till the dayes of Augustine whose sentences I omit to to auoide prolixitie Augustine in his 22. boke writen against Faustus proueth that a woman oght to serue her husbaÌ„d as vnto God affirming that in no thing hath woman equall power with man sauing that nether of both haue power ouer their owne bodies By whiche he wold plainlie coÌ„clude that woman oght neuer to pretend nor thirst for that power aÌ„d authoritie which is due to maÌ„ For so he doth explane him selfe in an other place affirming that woman oght to be repressed and brideled be times if she aspire to any dominion alledging that dangerous and perillous it is to suffre her to procede althogh it be in temporall and corporall thinges And therto he addeth these wordes God seeth not for a time nether is there any newe thinge in his sight and knowledge meaninge therby that what God hath sene in one woman as concerning dominion and bearing of authoritie the same he seeth in all And what he hath forbidden to one the same he also forbiddeth to all And this most euideÌ„tlie yet in an other place he writeth mouing this question howe can womaÌ„ be the image of God seing saith he she is subiect to man and hath none authoritie nether to teache nether to be witnesse nether to iudge muche lesse to rule or beare empire These be the verie wordes of Augustine of which it is euident that this godlie writer doth not onelie agree withe Tertullian before recited but also with the former sentence of the lawe whiche taketh frome woman not onelie all authoritie amongest men but also euerie office apperteining to man To the question howe she can be the image of God he answereth as foloweth WomaÌ„ saith he coÌ„pared to other creatures is the image of God for she beareth dominion ouer them but coÌ„pared vnto man she may not be called the image of God for she beareth not rule and lordship ouer maÌ„ but oght to obey him c. And howe that woman oght to obey man he speaketh yet more clearlie in these words the womaÌ„ shalbe subiect to man as vnto Christ. For womaÌ„ saith he hath not her example frome the bodie and from the fleshe that so she shalbe subiect to man as the fleshe is vnto the spirite Because that the flesh in the weaknes and mortalitie of this life lusteth and striueth against the spirit aÌ„d therfore wold not the holie ghost geue example of subiection to the womaÌ„ of any suche thing c. This senteÌ„ce of Augustine oght to be noted of all women for in it he plainlie affirmeth that woman oght to be subject to man that she neuer oght more to desire preeminence aboue him then that she oght to desire aboue Christe Iesus With Augustine agreeth in euerie point S. Ambrose who thus writeth in his Hexaemeron Adam was deceiued by Heua and not Heua by Adam and therfore iust it is that woman receiue and acknowledge him for gouernor whom she called to sinne lest that again she slide and fall by womanlie facilitie And writing vpon the epistle to the Ephesians he saith let women be subiect to their owne husbandes as vnto the Lorde for the man is heade to the woman and Christ is heade to the coÌ„gregation and he is the sauiour of the bodie but the congregation is subiect to Christ euen so oght womeÌ„ to be to their husbaÌ„des in all thin ges He procedeth further saying women are commanded to be subiect to men by the lawe of nature because that man is the author or beginner of the woman for as Christ is the head of the churche so is man of the woman From Christ the church toke beginning and therfore it is subiect vnto him euen so did woman take beginning from man that she shuld be subiect Thus we heare the agreing of these two writers to be such that a man might iudge the one to haue stolen the wordes and sentences from the other And yet plain it is that duringe the time of their writinge the one was farre distant frome the other But the holie ghost who is the spirite of concorde and vnitie did so illuminate their hartes and directe their tonges and pennes that as they did conceiue ceiue aÌ„d vnderstaÌ„d one truth so did they pronounce and vtter the same leauing a testimonie of their knowledge and concorde to vs their posteritie If any thinke that all these former senteÌ„ces be spoken onelie of the subiection of the maryed womaÌ„ to her husband as before I haue proued the coÌ„trarie by the plain wordes aÌ„d reasoning of S. Paule so shal I shortlie do the same by other testimonies of the forsaid writers The same Ambrose writing vpon the second chapitre of the first epistle to Timothie after he hath spoken much of the simple arraymeÌ„t of women he addeth these wordes woman oght not onelie to haue simple arraymeÌ„t but all authoritie is to be denied vnto her for she must be in subiection to man of whome she hath taken her originall aswell in habit as in seruice And after a fewe wordes he saith because that death did entre in to the world by her there is no boldenes that oght to be permitted vnto her but she oght to be in humilitie Hereof it is plain that frome all woman be she maried or vnmaried is all authoritie taken to execute any office that apperteineth to man Yea plain it is that all woman is commanded to serue to be in humilitie and subiection Whiche thing yet speaketh the same writer more plainlie in these wordes It is not permitted to womeÌ„ to speake but to be in silence as the lawe saith What saith the lawe Vnto thy husband shall thy conuersion be and he shall beare dominion ouer the. This is a speciall lawe saith Ambrose whose sentence lest it shulde be violated infirmed or made weake women are commanded to be in silence Here he includeth all women And yet he ê“cedeth further in the same place saying It is shame for them to presume to speake of the lawe in the house of the Lord who hath commaÌ„ded them to be subiect to their men But moste plainly speaketh he writing vpoÌ„ the 16. chapitre of the epistle of S. Paule to the Romaines vpon these wordes Salute Rufus and his mother For this cause saith Ambrose did the apostle place Rufus before his mother for the election of the administration of the grace of God in the whiche a woman hath no place For he was chosen and promoted by the Lorde to take care ouer his busines that is ouer the churche to the whiche office could not his mother be appointed albeit she was a woman so holie that the apostle called her his mother Hereof it is plaine that the administration of the grace of God is denied to all woman By the administration of
THE FIRST BLAST OF THE TRUMPET AGAINST THE MONSTRVOVS regiment of women Veritas temporis filia M. D. LVIII THE KINGDOME APPERTEINETH TO OVR God VVonder it is that amongest so many pregnant wittes as the Ile of greate Britanny hath ê“duced so many godlie and zelous preachers as England did somtime norishe and amongest so many learned and men of graue iudgement as this day by Iesabel are exiled none is found so stowte of courage so faithfull to God nor louing to their natiue countrie that they dare admonishe the inhabitantes of that Ile how abominable before God is the Empire or Rule of a wicked woman yea of a traiteresse and bastard And what may a people or nation left destitute of a lawfull head do by the authoritie of Goddes worde in electing and appointing common rulers and magistrates That Ile alas for the contempt and horrible abuse of Goddes mercies offred and for the shamefull reuolting to Satan frome Christ Iesus and frome his Gospell ones professed doth iustlie merite to be left in the handes of their own counsel and so to come to coÌ„fusion and bondage of strangiers But yet I feare that this vniuersall negligeÌ„ce of such as somtimes were estemed watchemen shall rather aggrauate our former ingratitude then excuse this our vniuersall and vngodlie silence in so weightie a mater We se our countrie set furthe for a pray to foreine nations we heare the blood of our brethren the meÌ„bres of Christ Iesus most cruellie to be shed and the monstruous empire of a cruell woman the secrete counsel of God excepted we knowe to be the onlie occasion of all these miseries and yet with silence we passe the time as thogh the mater did nothinge appertein to vs. But the coÌ„trarie examples of the auncient prophetes moue me to doubte of this our fact For Israel did vniuersalie decline frome God by embrasing idolatrie vnder Ieroboam In whiche they did continue euen vnto the destruction of their common welthe And Iuda withe Ierusalem did followe the vile superstition and open iniquitie of Samaria But yet ceased not the prophetes of God to admonishe the one and the other Yea euen after that God had poured furthe his plagues vpon them For Ieremie did write to the captiues in Babylon and did correct their errors plainlie instructing them who did remaine in the middest of that idolatrouse nation Ezechiel frome the middest of his brethren prisoners in Chaldea did write his vision to those that were in Ierusalem and sharplie rebukinge their vices assured them that they shuld not escape the vengeance of God by reason of their abominations committed The same prophetes for comfort of the afflicted and chosen saintes of God who did lie hyd amongest the reprobate of that age as coÌ„monlie doth the corne amongest the chasse did prophecie and before speake the changes of kingdomes the punishmentes of tyrannes and the vengeance whiche God wold execute vpon the oppressors of his people The same did Daniel and the rest of the prophetes euerie one in their season By whose examples and by the plaine precept which is geuen to Ezechiel commanding him that he shall say to the wicked Thou shalt die the death We in this our miserable age are bounde to admonishe the world aÌ„d the tyraÌ„nes therof of their sodeine destruction to assure them and to crie vnto them whether they list to heare or not That the blood of the saintes which by them is shed coÌ„tinuallie crieth and craueth vengeance in the presence of the Lorde of hostes And further it is our dutie to open the truthe reueled vnto vs vnto the ignorant and blind world vnlest that to our owne coÌ„demnation we list to wrap vp and hyde the talent committed to our charge I am assured that God hath reueled to some in this our age that it is more then a moÌ„stre in nature that a woman shall reigne aÌ„d haue empire aboue man And yet with vs all there is suche silence as if God there with were nothing offended The naturall man ennemy to God shall fynd I knowe many causes why no suche doctrine oght to be published in these our dangerous dayes First for that it may seme to tend to sedition secondarilie it shal be dangerous not onlie to the writer or publisher but also to all such as shall reade the writinges or fauor this truth spoken and last it shall not amend the chief offenders partlie because it shall neuer come to their eares and partlie because they will not be admonished in such cases I answer yf any of these be a sufficient reason that a truth knowen shalbe coÌ„celed then were the auncient prophetes of God very fooles who did not better prouide for their owne quietnes then to hasard their liues for rebuking of vices and for the opening of such crimes as were not knowen to the world And Christ Iesus did iniurie to his Apostles commaÌ„ding them to preache repentance and remission of synnes in his name to euerie realme and nation And Paule did not vnderstand his owne libertie when he cried wo be to me if I preache not the Euangile Yf feare I say of persecution of sclander or of any inconuenience before named might haue excused aÌ„d discharged the seruantes of God from plainlie rebuking the sinnes of the world iuste cause had euerie one of them to haue ceased frome their office For sodeinlie their doctrine was accused by termes of sedition of newe learning and of treason persecution and vehement trouble did shortlie come vpon the professours with the preachers kinges princes and worldlie rulers did conspire against God and against his anoynted Christ Iesus But what Did any of these moue the prophetes and Apostles to faynt in their vocation no. But by the resistance whiche the deuill made to them by his suppostes were they the more inflamed to publishe the truthe reueled vnto them and to witnesse with their blood that greuous condemnation and Goddes heuie vengeance shuld folowe the proude contempt of graces offred The fidelitie bold courage and coÌ„stancie of those that are passed before vs oght to ê“uoke vs to folowe their footsteppes onles we loke for an other kingdome then Christ hath ê“mised to such as perseuere in ê“fession of his name to the end Yf any think that the empire of women is not of such importance that for the suppressing of the same any maÌ„ is bounde to hasarde his life I answer that to suppresse it is in the haÌ„d of god alone But to vtter the impietie and abomination of the same I say it is the dutie of euerie true messager of God to whome the truth is reueled in that behalfe For the especiall dutie of Goddes messagers is to preache repentaÌ„ce to admonishe the offenders of their offenses and to say to the wicked thou shalt die the death except thou repent This I trust will no man denie to be the propre office of all Goddes messagers to
Goddes grace is vnderstād not onely the preaching of the worde and administration of the sacramentes by the whiche the grace of God is presented and ordinarilie distributed vnto man but also the administration of ciuile iustice by the whiche vertue oght to be mainteined and vices punished The execution wherof is no lesse denied to womā then is the preaching of the Euangile or administration of the sacramētes as herafter shall most plainlie appeare Chrysostome amongest the Grecian writers of no small credit speaking in rebuke of men who in his dayes were becomen inferior to some women in witt and in godlines saith for this cause was woman put vnder thy power he speaketh to man in generall and thou wast pronounced Lorde ouer her that she shulde obey the and that the head shuld not folowe the feet But often it is that we see the contrary that he who in his ordre oght to be the head doth not kepe the ordre of the feet that is doth not rule the feet and that she that is in place of the foote is constitute to be the head He speaketh these wordes as it were in admiration that man was becomen so brutish that he did not cōsider it to be a thing most monstruouse that woman shulde be preferred to man in any thing whom God had subiected to man in all thinges He procedeth saying Neuer the lesse it is the parte of the man with diligent care to repel the woman that geueth him wicked counsel and woman whiche gaue that pestilent counsel to man oght at all times to haue the punishment whiche was geuē to Heua soūding in her eares And in an other place he induceth God speaking to the womā in this sorte Because thou left him of whose nature thou wast participant and for whome thou wast formed ād hast had pleasure to haue familiaritie with that wicked beast and wold take his counsel therfore I subiect the to man and I apointe and affirme him to be thy Lorde that thou maist acknowledge his dominion ād because thou couldest not beare rule learne well to be ruled Why they shulde not beare rule he declareth in other places saying womankinde is imprudent and soft or flexible imprudent because she can not consider withe wisdome and reason the thinges which she heareth and seeth and softe she is because she is easelie bowed I knowe that Chrysostome bringeth in these wordes to declare the cause why false prophetes do commonlie deceiue women because they are easelie persuaded to any opinion especiallie if it be against God and because they lacke prudence and right reason to iudge the thinges that be spoken But hereof may their nature be espied ād the vices of the same whiche in no wise oght to be in those that are apointed to gouerne others For they oght to be constant stable prudent ād doing euerie thing with discretion and reason whiche vertues women can not haue in equalitie with men For that he doth witnesse in an other place saying womē haue in them selues a tickling and studie of vaine glorie ād that they may haue common with men they are sodeinlie moued to anger and that they haue also common with some men But vertues in which they excell they haue not cōmon with man ād therfore hath the apostle remoued thē from the office of teachinge which is an euidēt proof that in vertue they farre differ frome man Let the reasons of this writer be marked for further he yet procedeth after that he hath in many wordes lamented the effeminate maners of men who were so farre degenerate to the weaknes of womē that some might haue demanded why may not women teache amongest suche a sorte of men who in wisdome and godlines are becomē inferior vnto women He finallie concludeth that not withstanding that men be degenerate yet may not women vsurpe any authoritie aboue them and in the end he addeth these wordes These thinges do not I speake to extolle them that is women but to the confusion and shame of our felues and to admonish vs to take again the dominion that is mete and conuenient for vs not onelie that power which is according to the excellencie of dignitie but that which is accordinge to prouidence and according to helpe and vertue For then is the bodie in best proportion when it hath the best gouernor O that both man and woman shulde consider the profound counsel and admonition of this father He wolde not that mā for appetit of any vaine glorie shuld desire preeminence aboue woman For God hath not made mā to be heade for any suche cause but hauing respecte to that weaknes and imperfection which alwayes letteth woman to gouerne He hath ordeined man to be superior and that meaneth Chrysostome saying then is the bodie in best proportion when it hath the best gouernor But woman can neuer be the best gouernor by reason that she being spoiled of the spirit of regiment can neuer attein to that degree to be called or iudged a good gouernor Because in the nature of all woman lurketh suche vices as in good gouernors are not tolerable Which the same writer expresseth in these wordes womākind saith he is rashe and fool-hardie and their couetousnes is like the goulf of hell that is insaciable And therfore in an other place he will that woman shall haue no thing to do in iudgement in common affaires or in the regiment of the cōmon welth because she is impaciēt of troubles but that she shall liue in tranquillitie and quietnes And if she haue occasion to go frome the house that yet she shal haue no mater of trouble nether to folowe her nether to be offered vnto her as commonlie there must be to such as beare authoritie And with Chrysostome fullie agreeth Basilius Magnus in a sermon which he maketh vpon some places of scripture wherin he reproueth diuers vices and amōgest the rest he affirmeth woman to be a tendre creature flexible soft and pitifull whiche nature God hath geuē vnto her that she may be apt to norishe children The which facilitie of the womā did Satā abuse ād therby broght her frome the obediēce of God And therfore in diuers other places doth he conclude that she is not apt to beare rule and that she is forbidden to teache Innumerable mo testimonies of all sortes of writers may be adduced for the same purpose but withe these I stand content iudgeing it sufficient to stoppe the mouthe of such as accuse ād condemne all doctrine as hereticall whiche displeaseth them in any point that I haue proued by the determinations and lawes of mē illuminated onelie by the light of nature by the ordre of Goddes creation by the curse and maledictiō pronounced against womā by the mouth of saint Paule who is the interpreter of Goddes sentence and lawe and finallie by the mindes of those writers who in the church of God haue bene alwayes holden in greatest
reuerēce that it is a thing moste repugnant to nature to Goddes will and apointed ordinance yea that it can not be without contumelie committed against God that a woman shuld be promoted to dominion or empire to reigne ouer man be it in realme natiō prouince or citie Now resteth it in fewe wordes to be shewed that the same empire of women is the subuersion of good ordre equitie and iustice Augustine defineth ordre to be that thing by the whiche God hath apointed and ordeined all thinges Note well reader that Augustine will admit no or dre where Goddes apointment is absent and lacketh And in an other place he saith that or dre is a disposition geuing their owne propre places to thinges that be vnequall whiche he termeth in Latin Parium disparium that is of thinges equall or like and thinges vnequall or vnlike Of whiche two places and of the hole disputation which is cōteined in his second boke de ordine it is euidēt that what soeuer is done ether whithout the assurance of Goddes will or elles against his will manifestlie reueled in his word is done against ordre But suche is the empire and regiment of all woman as euidentlie before is declared and therfore I say it is a thing plainlie repugnant to good ordre yea it is the subuersion of the same If any list to reiect the definition of Augustin as ether not propre to this purpose or elles as insufficiēt to proue mine intent let the same man vnderstand that in so doinge he hath infirmed mine argumēt nothinge For as I depend not vpon the determinations of men so think I my cause no weaker albeit their authoritie be denied vnto me Prouided that god by his will reueled and manifest worde stand plain and euidēt on my side That God hath subiected womankinde to man by the ordre of his creatiō and by the curse that he hath pronounced against her is before declared Besides these he hath set before our eyes two other mirrors and glasses in whiche he will that we shulde behold the ordre which he hath apointed and established in nature the one is the naturall bodie of man the other is the politik or ciuile body of that cōmon welth in which God by his own word hath apointed an ordre In the natural body of māGod hath apointed an ordre that the head shall occupie the vppermost place And the head hath he ioyned with the bodie that frome it doth life and motion flowe to the rest of the mēbres In it hath he placed the eye to see the eare to hear and the tōge to speake which offices are apointed to none other mēbre of the bodie The rest of the mēbres haue euery one their own place ād office apointed but none may haue nether the place nor office of the heade For who wolde not iudge that bodie to be a monstre where there was no head eminēt aboue the rest but that the eyes were in the hādes the tōge and mouth beneth in the belie and the eares in the feet Men I say shulde not onlie pronounce this bodie to be a mōstre but assuredlie they might cōclude that such a bodie coulde not lōg indure And no lesse mōstruous is the bodie of that cōmon welth where a womā beareth empire For ether doth it lack a laufull heade as in very dede it doth or els there is an idol exalted in the place of the true head An idol I call that which hath the forme ād apparāce but lacketh the vertue and strength which the name ād proportiō do resemble ād promise As images haue face nose eyes mouth hādes ād feet painted but the vse of the same can not the craft and art of man geue thē as the holy ghost by the mouth of Dauid teacheth vs saying they haue eyes but they see not mouth but they speake not nose but they smell not handes and feet but they nether touche nor haue power to go And suche I say is euerie realme and nation where a woman beareth dominion For in despite of God he of his iust iudgement so ge uing them ouer in to a reprobat minde may a realme I cōfesse exalt vp a womā to that monstriferous honor to be estemed as head But impossible it is to mā and angel to geue vnto her the properties and perfect offices of a laufull heade For the same God that hath denied power to the hād to speake to the bely to heare and to the feet to see hath denied to womā power to cōmande man and hath taken a way wisdome to consider and prouidence to forsee the thinges that be profitable to the common welth yea finallie he hath denied to her in any case to be head to mā but plainly hath pronounced that mā is head to woman euen as Christ is heade to all man If men in a blinde rage shulde assemble to gether and apointe them selues an other heade then Iesus Christ as the papistes haue done their romishe Antichrist shuld Christ therefore lose his owne dignitie or shulde God geue to that counterfet head power to geue life to the bodie to see what soeuer might endamage or hurte it to speake in defense ād to heare the request of euerie subiect It is certein that he wold not For that honor he hath apointed before all times to his onelie sonne and the same will he geue to no creature besides no more will he admit nor accept woman to be the lauful head ouer man althogh man deuil and angel will coniure in their fauor For seing he hath subiected her to one as before is saide he will neuer permit her to reigne ouer manie Seing he hath commāded her to heare and obey one he will not suffre that she speake and with vsurped authoritie cōmand realmes and natiōs Chrysostome explaning these wordes of the apostle the heade of woman is man cōpareth God in his vniuerfall regimēt to a king sitting in his royall maiestie to whome all his subiectes cōmanded to geue homage and obedience appeare before him bearing euerie one suche a badge and cognisance of dignitie and honor as he hath geuen to them which if they despise and contemne then do they dishonor their king Euen so saith he oght man and womā to appeare before God bearing the ensignes of the condition whiche they haue receiued of him Man hath receiued a certein glorie ād dignitie aboue the woman and therfore oght he to appeare before his high maiestie bearing the signe of his honor hauinge no couerture vpon his heade to witnesse that in earth man hath no head beware Chrysostome what thou saist thou shalt be reputed a traytor if Englishe men heare the for they must haue my souereine lady and maistresse and Scotland hath drōken also the enchantment and venom of Circes let it be so to their owne shame and confusion he procedeth in these wordes but woman oght to be couered