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
be sit to lye upon a blocke to receive the sword of persecution Oh let those Ladies those brave ones consider they professe a crucified Saviour and serve not a God crowned with Roses and Pearles But I insist not much upon this there is one thing only that I cannot thinke of without indignation nor speake of but with passion that is of Love-spots and Painting Oh the earnest and holy zeale of the Antients against this I would rather speake in their words then mine owne Tertullian bitterly he cals painted women Ancillas Diaboli The Devils wayting-women and urgeth that it is neither agreeable to the Creation nor the Resurrection I remember I once made use of and alluded to a Similitude of Cyprians in the presence of some great women of qualitie Suppose one should come into the Kings gallerie and daube some other colours over a picture that the King had hung there being the work of an excellent Artist would not the King be much displeased at it You are Gods owne workmanship doe ye despise his hand that ye presume to alter it and pretend to mend it Hierome directing Laeta how to bring up her daughter tels her of a woman that was graviter percussa the heavie hand of God was upon her because she suffered her daughter to paint and he cals such The Violators of the Temple of Christ and he loades it with much infamie that it is The inflamer of young men The fomentation of lusts The discoverie of an unchast mind Yea the Fathers doe generally speake in that manner When the case was put to Augustine by his friend Possidonius he determines it to be an Adulterous fallacie And Ambrose goeth so farre that he saith it is worse then Adulterie and he gives reasons for it I am loath to speake so fully but yet I professe my self a very enemie unto it and so I doe to spotting upon the same grounds But to leave these Pageants I returne to my modest woman I allow her a lawfull difference of apparell according to the difference of her qualitie and estate Only I would have them to consider that they are to give honour to their Clothes and not their clothes to them Let them despise and renounce the vanities of their Sexe and as the Iewish women gave up their looking-glasses to Gods service Exod. 30. so let them give up their nicenesse and braverie for heaven Elias neglected his Mantle when he went up in the fiery Chariot so where the mind is raised to an heavenly ambition there will not be so many thoughts of outward decking Remember only 1. That sin brought in Clothes 2. That Clothes are a Monument of our shame 3. That the best ornament is that of the inner man Say not then This with Lace will doe well but this or this will doe well with Discretion Modestie and Grace CHAP. VIII Humility a Grace of great Ornament Womans Subjection The question whether women may be Teachers II. HVmility This is the sweetest of Graces The fittest for great Personages Those stars that are highest seeme least The sea is not bigger though many rivers empty themselves into it and it keepes the same taste and temper though an abundance of fresh water be poured into it out of the clouds It becomes those upon whose Birth and beautie both riches and honors are heaped to be still the same neither swollen nor freshed This grace that makes you low in your own eyes sets you high in the sight of God For so saith the Apostle expressely the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit 1 Pet. 3 4. is in the sight of God of great price It is the most attractive the most winning grace Thus Hester gained upō Ahasuerus and Abigail upon David But the greatest women lose themselves by pride Iezabel by her arrogancie made her selfe contemptible her owne servants threw her out of the window and she was eaten of doggs Let great ones consider they were made of the same flesh and shall be resolved into the same dust the Philosopher could not discerne any difference in a charnalhouse betwene the sculls of Kings and beggars but that which is of most weight is that they shall answer before the same Eternal Iudge at the same tribunall Boast not of extraction it is not Birth but new birth that shall be availeable Be not poisoned with flatteries She that is extolled in verses may be loathsome before God Be not proud of cloths it may be all the worth is in the out-side A porter may as well be proud of his load The walls of a chamber that is covered with rich hangings are in the same condition with the back and shoulders of a bravely-decked foole Challenge not the eyes of every beholder as if it were their duty to doe obeysance to your beautie for beautie is but clay well coloured As for riches and honors a sneaking player might as well be proud of the part he beares upon the Stage You will be undrest in the Tyring house of the grave lay all these off Set before your eyes the great examples of Humilitie Ruth the daughter of the King of Moab if we may receive the generall opinion of the Rabbins or if that be not so probable yet one that we may well suppose to have bin of good qualitie in her own country as being wife of Mahlon the elder brother of the family of Prince Naasson yet she accounts her selfe scarce equall to one of the maid servants in the house of Boaz. Ruth 2.13 And Abigail speakes the like language 1 Sam. 25.41 Behold saith she to David let thine hand-maid be a servant to wash the feet of the Servants of my Lord. Elizabeth though the elder woman and the better for outward qualitie yet challenged not respects and visits from Mary but was even confounded with it as too great a weight of honor that Mary vouchsafed to come to see her Luk. 1 42. Whence is this to mee that the Mother of my Lord should come to me And as for Mary her self when the Angel had told her things sufficient to have overwhelmed a weake spirit unable to beare and digest honor She returnes Luk. 1.38 Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Consider with what earnestnesse the Apostle presseth this dutie Ephes 4.1 ◠I the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walke worthy of the Vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowlinesse and meekeness Col. 3.12 with longsuffering forbearing one another in love And in another place put on as the elect of God holy and beloved bowells of mercies kindnesse humblenes of mind meekenesse longsuffering forbearing one another These are the garments that sit best upon Gods chosen people such as are holy and beloved of God 1. The bowells of mercie Dorcas is most famous for the coates which she made for widdowes 2. Kindnesse This is the exercise of that compassion which is in the bowells If the heart be open the