hands will not be shut 3. But that which I alleadged this place for is Humblenesse of mind A grace hardly attained unto Many saith Augustin can more easily give all they have to the poore then themselves become poore in spirit Nay oftentimes pride takes her rising out of workes of charity But the more difficult it is it is the more needfull Needfull even in afflictions that we murmurre not nor fret nor swell against God but especially needfull for such as abound or have any eminencie that God be not forgotten and that others be not despised T' is a rare thing to be above others and not to scorne them Consider 1. What ever we have we have it of God not of our selves 2. That the good we have is little in respect of that we want 3. The more good we have received the more strict will be our account 4. Christ in whom the fulnes of the Godhead dwelt and so was perfectly good was lowlie and humble 5. Lowlinesse is Christs image and pride a principall part of the Divels 6. Pride is the staine of all graces and the defacer of every good worke One that doth ill and is humbled is more acceptable then one that doth good and is proud 7. Gods gracious eye is upon an humble heart but he casts a terrible eye upon such as are proud Besides this in the generall there are only two Texts of Scripture which I would commend to women as particularly concerning them in this point The one is about their acknowledgement of their subordination to man 1 Pet. 3.1 2. Wives saith St Peter be in subjection to your own husbands that if any obey not the Word they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with feare that is with a loving and carefull fear and reverence of your husband Thus holy women in old time were ver 5 6. being in subjection unto their own husbands even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord whose daughters ye are as long as ye doe well and are not afraid with any amazement As excellent as the woman-Sexe is yet it is in subjection to man Even Sarah the mother of Beleevers from whom Kings and Nations came called her husband Lord. The wife is also Lady for so did Sarah signifie but she is so to the family not to her husband Their Ornament as the Apostle saith that which best becomes them is to be subject and to preserve and contain themselves quiet indisturbed and unpassionate not hurried with sudden and inordinate affection as an horse not well managed that is apt to start at every thing This I take to be the proper meaning of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text which our Interpreters have translated Amazement The other place 1 Cor. 14 â—4 35. is that of Paul to the Corinthians Let your women keep silence in the Churches for it is not permitted unto them to speake but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the Law And if they will learne any thing let them aske their husbands at home for it is a shame for women to speake in the Church It seemes there was some disorder in Corinth and that their women took upon them to speake and teach publikely This the Apostle restrains Which he doth upon these three grounds 1. Because of their subjection by an originall law Gen. 3.16 That is the ground which he urgeth in this place But elsewhere in his writings he useth others also 2. Because the woman was created after Adam and for him 1 Tim. 2.13 1 Cor. 11.8 9. 3. Because the woman was first deceived 1 Tim. 2.12 and 14. But the Question will be what women the Apostle speakes of for it was prophecyed of the Gospel-times That God would poure his Spirit upon all flesh and that our sons and daughters should prophecie Joel 2.28 And we reade that Philip had foure daughters which did prophecie which seemes to some to be meant not of an extraordinary Spirit of Revelation and Prediction only as most Interpreters doe put off this place but of the interpretation of the Scripture And the rather because St Paul gives a rule concerning the covering of the womans head when she is praying or prophecying 1 Cor. 11.5 And in another place he speakes of Aged women that they must be Teachers of good things This hath therfore divided the Antient Divines for it is not a new Question Chrysostome thinking that married wives are only forbidden to speake in the Church but Tertullian applyes it unto all women even Virgins and Widowes too because of the universall subjection of their Sexe The comparing of the places satisfies me First that is to be laid as an unmoveable stone in the foundation That it is against Gods Ordinance against Church Order and Modesty for women publikely to preach This ground will hold for the words of the Apostle are expresse and will admit of no evasion Secondly There may be some extraordinary cases that will not admit of a generall rule Thirdly women may and must privately and familiarly exhort others Fourthly where men are not present women may speake I meane though others besides the maids and children of their own family be present There are some prints and footsteps of the allowance of this in the Antient Churches They may also privately admonish men and reprove them But in the exercise of all these Priviledges let them have respect to the Law of Humilitie without which they will never doe any thing becommingly 'T is a grace of such necessitie and beautie that we cannot too much commend it I have twice praised it The Hypocrite Discovered l. 1. cha 18. Help to Christian Fellowship chap. 7. and especially for one use of it that it disposeth and frameth the spirit to the maintaining of Christian Fellowship a duty much neglected and the more through the want of this grace of Conversation I might also commend it from the advantage that might be made of it It is the Vsher of honour Solomon hath said it Prov. 15.33 and again he repeates it Cha. 18.12 That whereas before destruction the heart is haughty Before honour is Humility Nay riches and safety also attend upon it As it is in another of his Proverbs By humility and the feare of the Lord are riches and honour and life CHAP. IX The Excellencie of Wisedome The usefulnesse of it The Maximes of Wisdome III. WIsdome and Discretion This grace of Conversation is so necessarie that without it beauty is without pleasantnesse according to that which I noted before out of Solomon Prov. 11.22 As a Jewel of gold in a swines snout so is a faire woman which is without discretion Yet there are many that have lived to many yeeres and have learned no skill but only to dresse themselves and to talke wantonly None ever are compleat unlesse they be brought up in the Schoole of
how she proceeds and prevailes I am one of them saith she that are peaceable and faithfull in Israel Thou seekest to destroy a city and mother in Israel Why wilt thou swallow up the Inheritance of the Lord When the Generall had told her upon what termes he would raise the seige She undertakes to persuade with the Inhabitants and doth so for presently they threw the head of Sheba the Rebell over the wall and the Generall is satisfyed and retreats Plutarch hath given us a paralel to this of the wisedome of the Celticke women who when their Countrie was fallen through mis-understanding and differences into a Civill warre would not rest or give over their mediation till Armes were laid down and peace was setled thorough all their Cities and Families which was so great a service to their Countrie and so acceptable that it grew to a custome among them to call and admit their women to Councell And in the league which long after they made with Hannibal this was one Article which for the strangenesse and fame of it I will record If the Celtans have any matter of complaint against the Carthaginians the Carthaginian Commanders in Spain shall judge of it But if the Carthaginians have any thing to object against the Celtans it shall be brought before the Celtan women The Policie of Stratageme is reckoned to the family of wisdome See what an Engine that great man Ioab used to bring about the Court Designe to have the popular young Prince Absalom brought backe from his banishment 2 Sam. 14. He subornes a woman of Tekoah who needed not much instruction but acts it with such closenesse and seeming passion that David though a wise and discerning Prince had much a-doe to find out the cunning and when he found it yet she so carried on the businesse even beyond her instructions that she fully brought about the mind of the King And if either Deliberation or Secrecie be necessarie to wisdome we find even these Qualities which many think most unlikely to be found in women When Manoah was surprised and thorough present consternation gave himselfe for a dead and lost man because he had seen an Angel his wife recovers her selfe and him out of that distemper and deliberately reasons that with which her husband was confounded Judg. 13.23 If saith she the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a burnt offring and a meat offring at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things nor would as at this time have told us such things as these And as for Secrecie of the want of which we do ordinarily accuse them behold the carriage of two women recorded in Scripture Rahab who not only hid Ioshua's spies in her house Josh 2. but also locked up their great businesse safely in her brest and though she were necessarily to communicate the thing to divers friends she doth manage it with so much privacie and silence that nothing was discovered but she and all her friends were saved in the common calamitie of her Country That other is that woman of Bahurim who preserved Ionathan and Ahimaaz whom David sent to gather up intelligence at Ierusalem And I might adde as a paralell Epicharia in the Romane story from whose brest no threats nor tortures could force a secret that lay there concerning a conspiracie against Nero. 2. Is it Learning that gives eminencie to men In this also women have a full share The Antients who delivered almost all things in Mythologies and Fables intended this when they made Minerva an Inventresse and Patronesse of Learning as well as Apollo the Inventor and Patron And as for Instances they are plentifull under this head In the Scripture we have Huldah the Prophetesse â— Ki. 22. â—4 who dwelt in the Colledge with whom those prime States-men Hilkiah Ahikam Achbor Shaphan and Asahiah thought it no disparagement to consult And can we judge other of Priscilla then that she was learned being able to instruct more perfectly that rare young man Apollos Act. 18.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He zych vor tit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man eloquent or as Hezychias paraphraseth it A man learned in Historie and mightie in the Scripture But besides those that have their names in sacred Record other Histories both Ecclesiasticall and Secular antient and moderne are plentifull in Examples Aspatia instructed Pericles who of a great Souldier was one of the best Orators that hath been bred in Greece Pamphilia wrote many books of Historie which when they were extant were much esteemed Cornelia the mother of the Gracchi was such a Mistresse of Eloquence that Cicero admired some of her Letters Athenais the daughter of a meane father was yet thought worthy to be the wife of one of the Christian Emperours for her Wit and Learning Eudoxia the Empresse of Theodosius the younger wrote learned Poëms and especially one very singular one concerning our Saviour Iesus Christ Gregorie of Nazianzen speaks very high things of his sister Gorgonia And so doth Hierome of divers excellent Romane Ladies Neither have latter times wanted such ornaments Olympia Fulvia Morata an Italian by birth not long after the Reformation upon the preaching of Luther besides her exquisite knowledge in the Latine and Greeke tongues attained to the happinesse of knowing Christ and leaving her Countrie for Conscience sake marrying into Germanie she gave her selfe with much successe to the studie of the Holy Scriptures Of our owne among many others that might be remembred I will only name The Lady Iane Gray unhappy only in being forced for a while to weare a Crown a Lady who beside the Latine and Greeke had this advantage beyond Morata that she knew the Hebrew also and was thereby enabled to satisfie her selfe in both the Originals But in stead of more examples in this kind I will produce that great Ornament of the Netherlands Anna Maria van Schurman pleading and disputing the truth of what I have now propounded with that Learned and Reverend Divine Andreas Rivet that from a Womans Pen yee may have an Apologie for tho learned Pen's of Women CHAP. III. The Letters touching this argument between Andreas Rivet and Anna Maria à Schurman FOr the confirmation of the point in hand and for the honour of that Maiden Pen I will translate into our own tongue for the use of our English women so much of that learned Letter as concernes this present argument which that renowned Virgin Anne Marie SchurmaÌ„ of Vtrecht wrote in Latine to the Reverend and famous French Divine Andrew Rivet then at Leyden which Doctor Beverwick a learned Physitian of Dort hath communicated together with a Dissertation upon the same subject by the same Lady D. Rivet by a Letter dated from Leyden the Kalends of March 1632. having received some French Verses of Schurmans which he presented to the Princesse of Arts and Literature Princesse Elizabeth Sister to the Illustrious Prince Palatine
whether you may stay when you have a mind to stay or are out of breath 10. Know that Selfe-conceit puts out ones eyes 11. Before ye set out discover whether there be any ambushments 12. Consider how much better it is to knit then blossome 13. Make not too much haste lest ye out-run the businesse Speed is an entangler and haste is slow 14. Esteeme Honestie to be the first and fundamentall part of wisdome 15. Never account an unequall wavering ambulatorie humour of complying to be either honestie or wisdome Such as look at the Times are honest sometimes only by Accident and as it hits 16. Honestie is a free generous uniforme resolved walking according to right Principles whatere others think of it 17. Account the miserable wavering honestie of Formalists to be a pedanticall folly 18. Resolve upon some Marke at which all you doe may have a constant aime Fooles only live at randome 19. Think not of sticking arrowes in the clouds Attempt not what may not be attained 20. Think not of banishing desires and pleasures but of governing them 21. Be moderate and equall in adversities and prosperitie Distrust your strength most in prosperitie 22. Be not peremptorie but rather accustome your selves to the old forme of Ita videtur So it seemes to me rather then to say So it is 23. Tremble not at a scoffe 'T is weaknesse to leave vertue because others like it not 24. Be pertinent in speech rather then large 25. Penetrate into the spirits and dispositions of such as you choose for acquaintance of trust 26. Give not value to things according to the Market-price The people sometimes cry up worthlesse things and undervalue rich 27. Beleeve not the croud Credit one that hath his eyes rather then an hundred blind men 28. Prefer Eternity before this moment 29. Lose not that you hold for a shadow that you see of greater 30. Live so as not to be ashamed to live longer I might be plentifull but I take off my hand In stead of all these Maximes the Law of wisedome would serve The Storie is that a King of France one day required of a great Councellour an antient Statesman that he should set downe some rules of wisedome and state he undertook it and in a large sheet of Paper wrote only Modus in great letters and wrapping it up delivered it into the hand of the King implying that if he could observe Temper it would be instead of all particular directions So for the frame of conversation I would only write Discretion CHAP. X. Silence a great proofe of wisedom The hatefulnesse of Dissimulation THere is one particular concerning wisedom in women that I may not forget that is Silence It was one of the Qualities which the wise Socrates required in his schollers and the old Romans erected Altars to it It is a rare ornament especially of Knowing women when they have the skill not to speake all that might be spoken and to understand that discretion as it is more difficult so it is better then Eloquence Some have thought Silence to be to speech as Shadow is to a picture without which it cannot be well set off and as the Rests are to Musick which make it to be much more relishing and sweet They cannot be wise that talke much for hearing is the learning Sense and they will not have the patience to heare much The Apstle St Iames in that same Chapter where he had sayd Jam. 1.19 If any of you lack wisedom aske it of God soon after gives this rule Be swift to heare slow to speake Implying surely That indeed God gives wisedom but ordinarily by the meanes of others tongues But least I seeme to disarme them and envy them the use of their best weapon it shall suffice that I have only named this particular I will forbeare to enlarge it I have only one thing put in by way of Caution concerning wisedom that under that name there be not a learning of Dissimulation It is so disguised and lookes so like to wisedom that one may easily be deceived There are some that doe not mistake but professe and are not ashamed to professe that they goe to this Schoole We know what Prince it was that said he would have his sonne learne no more Latine then that He that knowes not how to dissemble knowes not how to live Many blame his speech but yet they practise upon his principle They study vailing and disguising of their thoughts We meet some of these darke lanthorns sometimes they will give one leave almost to come neare them by the light they hold forth and we think we know where to find them by the demonstrations and profers they make but presently they turne the darke side and we loose them and cannot find out their designes This makes conversation so unsafe and so difficult for if dissembling had no more faces then one as truth hath we should be in better termes then we are for whatsoever a lyer or dissembler should say or doe we would take it in a quite contrarie sense But this opposite of Truth hath many-many faces T' is a strange art that words which were invented to expresse and cleare the thought are now put to another contrary service handsomely to hide them I confesse that in evill and snaring times Innocencie may have need of a masque for it may be a folly to shew an open heart among many ambushments We are not bound to speake or reveale all truths at all times But take heed of craving Ayde for Securitie of falsehood Honestie is better then craft Some Naturalists have told us of a strange fish The Vranoscope that hath but one eye and that is upward directly on the top of the head but with that one eye she keepeth her selfe from all dashings and crushes against the rockes and sees all the approaches of dangers One eye if it be toward Heaven is much better and surer then two of the quickest sights of such as have all of the serpent and nothing at all of the Dove We have seen many of the most subtle dissemblers entangle themselves into ruine and brush themselves upon rockes hidden from them before they were aware And certainly it is a thing full of unquiet feares and it cannot be but painfull to live under a canopie There is the greatest pleasure in the freedome of Sincere honestie But it may be said surely I am speaking to men to Polititians all this while not to women Nay I have not forgotten the Subject of my discourse The Sinne which I am making odious is thought to be very naturall to women But I am very angry with those authors that have given a kind of allowance unto Princes and unto women to counterfeit I thinke it is not sound doctrine in policie and morallity I am sure it is starke naught in Divinitie If people knew thoroughly the evill of lying they would pursue it with fire and sword till they had banisht it out of