betwixt husbands and wiues in these dayes and yet who can deny but the world is too full of such what shall wee say to these thinges excuse it who will by laying the Faults in the Husband prouing him the cause of the disagreeing betwixt his wife and himselfe fault on the Wiues I say still the greatest part is in the Husband hee by his vnkind and churlish speeches not fitting a husband to giue vnto his wife his vnthriftines in wasting abroad what all doe labour for at home his drunkenesse his rash furiousnes these with the rest aforesaid and a number more not here expressed he I say by these occasions is dayly the cause of all these euills The third Chapter ANd there bee some of this number that will know no other way to gouerne their wiues but by extreamity why brother No way for a man to bring his with to loue him by compulsion dost thou thinke to make thy Wife loue thee by beating of her alas silly man how art thou deceiued loue is of another nature shee will run freely of her selfe where she liketh but will not bee drawne or compelled by any force how great soener And how canst thou thinke to haue her to shew any kindnesse or loue vnto thee when thou seekest to rule by force would'st thou haue her to stand in awe of thee it is thy seruants duty and thy childs not thy Wifes I confesse shee is to bee obedient vnto thee but her obedience must The wifes obedience must proceed from loue proceed through loue and a man may draw more from a woman by louing and kind vsing of her More may be done by loue with a woman then by force then any way by force nay more then he will or can expect of her for shee is of that free nature where shee loueth and is beloued I speake not of supposition but of knowledge But for a man to beate her whom both by the lawes of God and nature he is bound to loue nourish and cherish as his owne flesh it doth shew great want of The man that beateth and doth misuse his wife is voyd of the knowledge of God and of his lawes knowledge both of God and of his lawes in such a man for were the feare of God or wisedome in them they would rather striue to gouerne them in another nature I meane by loue and clementcie not by force besids what a scandall reproach doth such men raise vpon themselues What scandals doe arise by varience betweene man and wife amongst their neighbours kindred and acquaintance who liue thus discentiously making themselues a by-word or common talke among them which many times are not onely affrighted with them in their owne houses with the outcries of theÌ„ their children but are forced to spend their time their mony to make the man and his wife friends oh foolish madnes in men that cannot keepe their owne follies priuate to themselues but they must make others acquainted with it I do remember that a reuerend diuine writing vpon this matter saith that hee that cannot gouerne his Wife without beating her deserues to be beaten himselfe because hee did chuse no better but such a one whom hee could not rule without beating of all waies I assuer thee this is the worst to rule her by for by this thou not only withdrawest her loue from thee which otherwais to thy great comfort thou mighâ—estionioy for thâ— great good but also hardnest her heart against thee makest her carelesse euen of thy good and her owne yea many times such Dangerous euils arising by a mans vnkind dealing with his wife hard and vnkind dealing of the husband vnto the wife causeth her to fall into such inconuenience as bringeth the ruine both of her and of her husband and children and is not this folly in men to wrong theÌ„selues thus by their misgouernement respecting more their owne will then their good quiet yea all must bee â—â—t afside to giue place vnto will so it is not enough for such a one to bee Lord and ruler ouer his wife as it is reason he should but he will shew it and that not in priuate neither but openly taking a glory in doing it thereby explaining the follies of her whose weakenes he should hide and opening his owne whome wisedome would he should keep secret besides what euill examples Euill examples in maisters corrupting their families giue such men by these thinges vnto their families yea what haue such men to answer for vnto God which thus corrupt their families by these euill examples amongst whom as a vine it will extend it selfe into many branches such a sin is not easily put away he hath more need of Mary Magdalens teares and with Peter to weepe bitterly that is corrupt with such a sinne and yet when he hath all done he may winne as I sayd more by loue then hee shall get by force But I haue not yet done with this branch of Loue for I must tell you that that man that doth not loue and liue louingly with his Wife the spirit of God is not in such a one and I proue it by his words who was directed by the spirit of truth in that hee spake I meane the blessed Apostle Saint Iohn for he saith that 1. Iohn 4. hee that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him so then it must needes appeare that hee that dwelleth not in loue dwelleth not in God nor God in him yea hee proueth his words by these following hee that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue yea he goeth so farre that hee teacheth vs to know whether this loue be in vs or no for saith he if we loue one another we will loue God keepe his Commandements also I know he speaketh there of the children of God but as it ought so to bee in them one towards another so it ought also more especially to bee in euery man particularly towards his owne Wife here is a toutchstone will tell euery man truly whether he liue with his wife as hee ought to doe or no namely if hee liue in loue with her and according to the Commandements of God S Iohn saith that if any man saith hee loueth God and hateth his brother hee is a liar and if a man say hee loueth God and yet loueth not his wife I say he is a lyar also But what shall I say when I haue all done I must leaue men to the consideration of what I haue witten and wish and intreat them to be wise submit themselues vnto the gouernement of the word of God that so they may liue quietly and louingly with their wiues and not onely so but ioyfully as the wise man saith for surely hee hath obtayned a good portion that hath a wife that hee can liue ioyfully with for if that a man do abound with wealth so that he is able to
vnto men that it is not enough for them to liue peacably and quietly with their wiues but they must liue louingly with them also thus did Iacob loue his wife yeelding Gen. 28. service to his vnckle and maister Fourteen yeares to the end hee might enioy her after Elkana 1. Sam. 1. loued Hanna his wife and Sampson Iudg. 1. Tob. â— his wife and Tobias and others their wiues And you see it must be no ordinary loue neither but it must bee like that extraordinary great loue which Christ shewed vnto his Church Ephe. 5. who gaue himselfe for it that Man is to loue his wife as Christ his Church hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be wholy without blame I will say with the blessed Apostle this is a great secret yea such a one which man is not commaunded in all poynts to imitate for the man is not commanded to giue his life for his wife as Christ did for his Church and yet he is to In what poynts to Imitate Christ protect her in all perils and dangers euen as hee doth his Church he must gouerne her in his wisedome by the word of God both by continuall instructions from thence and by his owne louing and gentle behauiour towards her and all others yea he must be laborious in his calling that so he may prouide all thinges necessary for her for so doth Christ for his Church he is alwaies protecting it and prouiding for it For this cause shall a man leaue his Father Mat. 19. 5. his Mother and shall cleaue vnto his wife and they twayne shall bee one flesh Saint Peter being himselfe a married man doth giue many notable instructions like these who speaking by the spirit of God and in the knowledge hee had of marriage yet imposeth this duty vnto men ye Husbands dwell with your Wiues as men of 1. Pet. 3. knowledge giuing honour vnto the woman as vnto the weaker vessell euen â— they which are heyres together of the grace of life that your prayers be not interrupted and the wise man giueth thee this counsell not to depart from a discreet and Eccle. 7. good woman which is fallen vnto thee for thy portion in the feare of the Lord for sayth he the guift of her honesty is farre aboue gold If thou haue a wife after thine owne mind forsake her not and commit not thy selfe to the hatefull vse thy selfe to liue ioyfully with thy wife whom thou louest all the dayes of thy life which is but vaine that God hath giuen thee vnder the Sunne all the dayes of thy vanity for that is thy portion in this life of all thy labour and trauile that thou takest vnder the sunne And our Sauiour Christ himselfe confirming on earth what his Father had done in paradice vouchsafed to grace a nuptiall feast with his blessed presence to expresse his loue the more which hee bare to the holy vnion then there knitte betwixt the Iohn 2. Man and his wife he expresseth his glory in shewing his first miracle which he wrought on earth at this mariage that of ioy by turning there water into wine to comfort and glad their hearts withall And now that wee haue found that the most principall duty of The principal duty of the Husband towards his wife is loue the Husband towards his Wife is loue that the word of God teacheth vs in what nature to expresse it let vs looke into the glasse of our times and see how this duty of loue is performed but I feare that among a hundred wee shall scarce finde one that striueth to performe this duty of loue as he ought and too many that know not of any duty at all Few to bee found which loue their wiues as they should to be obserued or at least wise will know of none and euen of those that doe know all and yet make no conscience to performe any for who or where is hee that loueth his wife as himselfe and nourisheth and cherisheth her euen as Christ doth his Church nay see we not rather the contrary doe wee not see dayly many which consume great estates which their wiues doe bring them through their owne vicious liues some by Foure chiefe causes of the ruinating of mans estate idlenesse some by gaming some by drunkennesse some by whoring but of this I shall speake hereafter some by one thing some by another who can deny but if there were loue in the man to his wife he would be more carefull in preseruing his and her estate then thus and yet wee see dayly a good woman brought to beggery by such lewd Husbands where is any duty or loue in such And are there not others which to shew their authority Churlish husbands voyd of the knowledge of the law of God will hold their wiues in stead of fellowship in such subiection seruitude that no seruant will performe the like vnto them being euen a very Nabal vnto them in churlishnes of speech crabbed conditions that the poore wife is euen at her wits end in seeking to giue him contentâ— where is wisedome in such Husbands that should gouerne their wiues according to knowledge alas it appeareth that these men forgetting their duty to God know not how to performe any duty at all towards their Wiues Others there are that will follow no vocation or labour at all but liue idely and lewdly put the poore woman to shift for all shee must prouide for her selfe her Children and her idle Husband too or if he hap sometimes to get something abroad yet shee shall bee sure to be neuer the better for it he wil bring none home to comfort her nay not so much as to put cloathes to his owne backe but that his poore Wife must prouide them yea and discharge the Landlord too or else shee shal want a house to put her head in nay hauing a profession to doe all this sufficiently of himselfe yet will he no way benefit his wife or himselfe but wil impose all still vpon her what shall we say of such men and yet such there be I protest vpon mine owne knowledge I know some of them Saint Paul saith he is worse then an Infidell that doth No feare of God nor loue in them which doe not prouide for their families not prouide for his family but to cast pearles among such swine is not meet for they will stoppe their eares at the voyce of the charmer charme hee neuer so wisely I will leaue them to the iust iudgement of God who wil assuredly giue them their due what loue doe these men show nay is there any loue at all in them or any feare of God either It is a harts griefe to any good Christian or well minded man to see and heare the dayly contentions vproares quarrelles and disagreements
is required of women towards their husband of feare this is which is here required and how it must be performed for it is not a slauish kind of feare which is here required where the Apostle sayth your cōuersation must be in feare but here is required of you a holy conuersatiō zealous towards God and pure and vndefiled towards the world with vertue chastity modesty temperance sobriety faithfulnesse and louing obedience for surely shee that is fully possessed with these vertues will so loue and so liue that shee will feare to offend her Husband but rather yeeld all humility and obedience for the commandement sake thus by this holy cariage of your selues shall you winne those that are without the knowledge of God or his word to the knowledg both of him and his word when they shall behold your godly conversation in feare And see farther the mercy of our good God vnto whom he hath cōmitted you to be gouerned by not vnto your enemies or vnto strangers but vnto a kind louing Husband vnto whom you are as neere as the very flesh vnto his skin and as deare vnto him as the aple of his eye whose tender harted affections are alwaies yeelding vnto a dutifull louing wife I hope now that good wiues will willingly yeeld vnto this their duty of obedience vnto their Husbands seeing by whom it is commanded and to whom it ought to be done And the rather for that the mercy of God doth extend it selfe vnto them euen to the full in that notwithstanding their transgression against him yet he hath ordayned them to eternall salvation by the merits of his 1. Tim. 2. beloued Sonne the words are worthy your best obseruation and these they are Notwithstanding through bearing of Children shee shall bee saued if they continue in the faith and loue and holinesse with modesty see here the benefit of Mariage which bringeth so great a blessing with it And note I beseech you you that are women of vnderstanding here is saluatiō offered vnto you by bearing of Children indeed but it is with a prouiso if if you continue in the faith and loue and holinesse with modesty you must yeeld all The first duty of the Wife is obedience harty obedience vnto the blessed will of God else what is the fruits of your faith or where is it or the hope of your saluatiō so you see it alludes vnto al these vertues I formerly spake of and the obedience which God himselfe commandeth for all these should bee in women for if you marke it as it is worthy your marking you shall see that al our poeticall paynters wheresoeuer they doe paynt or set forth any of the vertues as Faith Hope Eight chiefe vertues which ought to be in women Loue Charity Patience Chastity Temperance Humility the like all these they doe not set forth vnto vs in the shaddow of men but in the shaddow of women shewing thereby that in them these vertues dwell or should at the leastwise I will run no farther in this poynt of obedience but will turne mee to the next duty of the Wife which is Loue. The Eight Chapter ANd now concerning the duty of Loue The second duty of the Wife is Loue. which euery woman ought to performe vnto her Husband I haue in some manner touched it before as occasion serued in the duty of obedience for indeed they are as too twins they goe hand in hand one with another and may not well bee Obedience and Loue ought not to be separated separated for where there is true obedience rightly performed there also loue will be attendant as an agent helpe to performe the businesse and in deed it is so naturall a thing for a woman to loue a man that we would think she needed not be prompted or to bee instructed in this poynt but to performe it truly faithfully as it ought to be I thinke wee shall scarce find one in fiue that doth it no not among ten I pray God there bee one in 20 And yet I make no doubt but that a woman loueth her Husband when she marrieth with him but the Apostle saith shee must continue in loue Why then it appeareth that the loue shee must performe vnto her Husband must be like the ring wherwith he marrieth her What the Marriage ring doth signifie it must haue no end it must continue as long as shee continues to him yea if it be to the end of her life and as the ring is not of any mixt or base mettall but of the most precious pure mettal which may be so it teacheth the woman that the loue shee must performe vnno her Husband must bee pure holy and chast it must allow no mixture no copartner in this fellowship but she must remember to performe the vow shee made in the presence of God and before his Saints at the time of her Marriage that shee would keepe her selfe onely vnto him so long as shee should liue with him and this you see the ceremony or vse of the ring teacheth and therefore with great and good consideration hath our Church ordayned the vse of it and great in the error of those men which refuse at such times to make vse of it And now I haue begune to speake of this vow which the woman maketh vnto her Husband at the time of her Marriage it giueth me an occasion to take notice of the small regard that women for the most part doe take of this businesse for if wee note the conuersation of A woman ought to haue regard of the vow that shee maketh at the time of her marriage Wiues vnto their Husbands in these times it will appeare as I sayd for the most part that they neuer regard that vow they made or know that they haue made any at all for sure I thinke there bee some so brutish they know it not but rather thinke they bee but words of course or ceremonial rites of the Church and not concerne them at all yea I doe know there bee such but alasse their errors is exceeding great in taking so little regard of so waighty a cause But I beseech you in the feare Note of God note what I shal say vnto you concerning this matter for you shal see it is a vow which shee promiseth with her lips yea and a great vow and such a one as in the whole course of her life shee cannot make a greater for if a woman shall say or protest Numb 5. she will doe such or such a thing this is a vow shee bindeth her selfe to performe it but as I said before If her Husband hearing her shall disallow of it and shall say shee shall not doe it shee is then freed from her vow because of his authority ouer her and it is sayd the Lord shall forgiue her for vowing so we see then it is a sinne for a woman to vow or protest to doe any
gaue vnto Man but one Wife and not two or three or many and yet hee could haue giuen him more as well as one if he had knowne it meete so to be But the Prophet Malachie doth tell vs why hee gaue him but one because saith Malachie 2. he he sought a godly seed See heere my bretheren God reiecteth your seed of bastardie begotten in your filthy fornication and abomninable adultery he chuseth none of these it is the seed of lawfull wedlocke whereof he maketh his choyse to inherite his Kingdome and raigne in glory with his beloued Sonne And whence proceeded this breach of Gods Commandement at first came it not from that wicked blood of Caine was not Lamech that murtherer like The first breach of wedlocke from Lamech his Father the first author therof yea he was so for you plainly see that God at the first ordained it not so to be and what he Gen. 4. first ordained hee still confirmeth for when hee drowned Gen. 7. the whole world yet he preserued vnto Noah but one woman and that his owne Wife thereby teaching vnto man that he ought to keepe himselfe vnto his owne wife onely when he gaue his lawes vnto his owne chosen people with his owne hand writing Exodus 20. he then saith Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife speaking in the singular number so that by him we find no nomination of any plurall Obiect But it may be you will obiect and say that the Saints and servants of God as Abraham Iacob Dauid and others haue not obserued this rule but haue had diuers wiues and therefore being the beloued and chosen of God they could not erre in these things Answer To this I answer it pleased God to permit his seruants to doe many things which hee commanded not he suffered Abraham to say Sarah his wife was Gen. 11. his sister and Ioseph to sweare by Gen. 44. the life of Pharoah and Dauid to 2. Sam. 11. commit adultery and murther and many other the like and yet we know that all these thinges were directly against the will of 1. King 11. God Salomon had many wiues indeed but they drew him to Idolatry We reade that Moses suffered the people of Israell to giue their wiues a bill of diuorcement Deu. 24. and so to put them away but our blessed Sauiour telleth Math. 10. the Iewes that it was for the hardnes of their hearts and to preuent further euils that Moses permitted it so to bee and that from the beginning it was not so But to returne to our former matter againe let vs see from whence this wife came that God If a man will respect the gift of his friend for his friends sake how much more ought he to esteeme of his wife which God giues vnto him hath giuen vnto man that so of him she may accordingly be regarded as indeed shee should we find it to be most true that of mans owne selfe God made him this compannion and wife and that not from the head of man neither least shee should claime to rule where her power consists not nor of the foot least shee should be disdayned despised of her Husband but from the very body is shee taken nay it is not enough for thee to spare of thine own flesh for to make thee a wife of but thou must spare a bone too if thou wilt haue a fit companion for thee And now oh man hauing receiued so rich a Iewell rich and deare indeed being so neare vnto thee and that from the onely hand of the great and Almighty God shee being the worke of his owne hands sure it must needs be exceeding good which he maketh and of an exceeding value which he vouchsafeth to giue and consider it well and you shall find it so to bee wee haue an old prouerbe that it is a sweet collop that is cut out of the owne flesh but I am sure it must needs bee sweet and deere for that is both of thine owne flesh and bone Oh man be wise in vsing this thy Iewell as thou oughtest least thou bee found vnworthy of her by him that gaue her vnto thee and so hee take her againe then too late thou lament thy losse Will you haue my aduice herein I see no better way then to be How to keepe a good wiâ—e when a man hath her wise and discreet in the vsing of her nor any fitter place to keepe her in then that from whence shee came neere thy heart man I meane I know shee came from thence lay her there againe lay her there againe let her not stray from thence nay locke her in there with the key of good discretion and so shalt thou be sure to find a comfortable treasure of her at thy need a comfortable treasure indeed as thou mayest vse her You will happily say vnto me Obiect I speake well for a good Wife for shee deserues that place indeed but there are many wiues of such lewd and froward condition that their Husbands are most happiest when they are farthest from them and such a wife deserues not that place I answer Answer with the words of Salomon Eccle. 16. A vertuous woman shall bee giuen vnto him that feareth the Lord and therefore he that will haue Good counsell for a man to get a good wife by such a one let him seeke to bee vertuous himselfe first that so he may obtayne such a blessing of the Lord for sure happy is the man that hath such a one her price is farre aboue the pearles his treasure is vnvaluable if I should explaine her vertues as much as Salomon yet I should not at full expresse her worth but leaue her as he hath done that her owne workes may giue her her due praise The Second Chapter ANd now wee see that God hath giuen vnto man so deare and pretious a Companion to liue with him let vs see what dutyes he would haue these to performe one towards the other and first to beginne with the man because he is the head Gen. 3. for so we find him to bee And if in this case wee seeke the whole booke of God through yet wee shall find the effect and end thereof to be wholy and only loue for Saint Paule teacheth Ephe. 5. that men ought to loue their wiues as their owne bodies and he sheweth the reason of it for saith he no man euer yet hated his owne flesh but nourisheth cherisheth it euen as Christ doth the Church for thus the Gen. 23. Saints and seruants of God gouerned their wiues in times past Abraham loued Sarah his Wife Isaack loued Rebecka his Wife Gen. 26. yea the storie recordeth that they sported together This hath that great Prophet It is not enough for a man to liue quietly with his wife but he must liue louingly with her also seruant of God Moses expressed thereby to show
is that your prayers be not let or hindred as if hee should say if you liue discoÌ„tently or frowardly one with When man wife agree not as they ought they cannot pray as they should another it is vnpossible that you should performe that deuotion in your praiers which you ought to performe to God or haue them accepted of him as you would therfore if you would haue God to heare you when you pray vnto him or to grant you the things which you pray for and desire of him agree and liue in loue together that so your praying together may receiue comfort together and that the God of loue may blesse your Loues together I beseech you haue a care of these thinges and separate not yourselues in these holy actions for I know there be too many infected with these sins amongst vs in these dayes which liue vntowardly and frowardly God knowes yet feare not to present themselues before his diuine Maiesty in this case oh dangerous thing hath God ioyned you together that you might be one and will you diuide your selues and then appeare before him and bring him but halfe when his due is to haue the whole thinke you hee will bee serued thus no hee is like the true Mother which wil not haue 1. King 3. her child diuided he will either haue the whole or none he will not haue you thus to separate your selues and then to presume to come in his presence but if any contention do arise betwixt the Man and his Wife quench the fire before it doe burne too farre reconcile yourselues one to another speedily that your loues may not fade nor your hearts stray but ioyne together in God that so your prayers be not interupted but accepted of him as you see the word of God teacheth you thus briefely for the duty of Husbands The duty of Wiues The Sixt Chapter YOu see I haue proued that the duties of Husbands are wholy grounded vpon Loue but we shall find that the duty of the Wife reacheth yet further then so for it is not enough for her to It is not enough for a woman to loue her Husband but shee must be ruled and gouerned by him also be kind louing vnto her Husband but shee must be obedient and dutifull and vnder the subiection gouernement of him also but because I will not bee offensiue by presuming to write any thing herein of my selfe I will lay my foundations on a sure ground and goe no farther then the word of God shall giue mee warrant heerein Wee find that for the sinne of disobedieÌ„ce in our grandmother Eue vnto her maker amongst the rest of her punishments laid vpon her for it this is one Thy desire shall be subiect to thine Husband Gen. 3. and he shall rule ouer thee yee see here what duty is layd vpon the the woman that by the Commandement of God himselfe you haue now no power left vnto your selues to order your owne wils and desires as your owne selues please no your wils must accord to the wils of your Husbands your desires must be subiect to their wils it is your duties to yeeld them obedience the preheminence of rule the very heathen Phylosophers which knew not the word of God yet could teach that the rule for the Wife to liue by was her Husband if he liued obedient to the lawes publique how much more then if they liue according to the lawes of God are you bound to performe it but Simile as a blocke though it bee decked with Gold and Iewels is not to be respected except it represent the shape of somewhat euen so a wife bee shee neuer so rich if shee bee not obedient vnto her Husband shee is nothing worth to be regarded and whatsoeuer or whersoeuer we shall find any thing concerning this duty of the Wife in the whole booke of God we shall find it to bee built vpon this foundation which God himselfe hath layde S. Paul well vnderstanding the mysterie of his Maisters mind hath very plainely in many of his Epistles largely expressed this Ephe. 5. matter teaching wiues to submit theÌ„selues vnto their Husbands as vnto the Lord here is the loue taught you that you must performe vnto them here is the duty too For as you must performe all harty loue and true affectioned zeale vnto the Lord with all faithfull obedience vnto his holy and heauenly will so you vnder your Husbands vnto them must performe the like and Saint Paul sheweth the reason too why you must doe this for saith hee The Husband is the Wiues head euen as Christ is Ephe. 5. the head of the Congregation and hee is the Sauiour of the whole body therefore as the whole congregation is in subiection to Christ likewise let the wiues bee in subiection to their Husbands in all things Thus you see how Saint Paul hath laboured to expesse this duty vnto you and Saint Peter he teacheth the same in effect also in these words ye women be subiect 1. Pet. 3. to your Husbands that euen they which beleeue not the word may without the word be wonne by your conuersation when they behold your conuersation in feare And againe 1. Cor. 14. let your wiues keepe silence with all subiectioÌ„ suffer not a womaÌ„ to teach nor to haue authority ouer the man but for to bee in silence for Adam Gen. 3. was first formed then Eve also Adam was not deceiued but the woman was deceiued and hath brought in the transgression Againe Let your wiues keepe silence in the congregation for it shall not bee permitted vnto them to speake but to bee vnder obedience as the Law saith but if they will learne any thing let them aske their Husbands at home for it becommeth not a woman to speake in the Congregation yea a man shall bee Lord and ruler in his owne house and the woman shall bee subiect vnto her Husband Yea we shall find that among the ordinances which Moses gaue vnto the Children of Israel this is one That if a woman hauing a Num. 30. Husband voweth or pronounceth ought with her lips either by â—ath or Women oughr not to make vowes without the consent of their Husbands solemne promise whereby shee bindeth her selfe if her Husband heard it and holdeth his peace concerning her the same day he heareth it then her vow shall stand and her bond wherewith shee bound her selfe shall stand in effect but if her Husband disallow her the same day that hee heareth it then shall hee make her vowe which shee had made and that which shee pronounced with her lips when shee bound her selfe of none effect and the Lord shall forgiue her Thus you see how the Scriptures do all accord to that which God in the beginning had commanded namely That the woman Gen. 18. should be subiect to the rule and gouernement of her Husband to this
mistaâ—â—e me nor for though I haue shewed that a father ought â—â—do thus for his sonne yet I doe not say he ought to doe this for a disobedient wicked or vnthriftie son for such a one I haue shewed ought to bee punished by the Magistrate and that seuerely neither did the father of this prodigall giue him a new portion wheÌ„ hee had ryoted away that which That this priuiledge belongeth not vnto lewd and wicked children he gaue him although vpon his repentance he receiued him into his fauour againe neither doe we finde that any of these aforenamed gaue any double portion Gen. 27. to any of their sonnes Isaok had but one blessing to giue though hee had two sonnes nay these men did giue these portions vnto their sons at the time of their deathes but not before but if a father for the aduancement of his sonne bee pleased out of his loue to spare him som part of his goods while hee doth liue yet if hee wastfully royotously consume it I see not that his father Parents supplying the wnats of vicious children becommeth authors of their vnthriftinesse should feede him with a new supply for so he may be authour of his sonnes vnthriftinesse And thus briefely you see how a man may or should dispose of his goods by the rule of the word of God and this may suffice to satisfie our pollitition for this matter The duty of Children The 18. Chapter ANd now concerning the duty of Children whereof I am purposed to write indeede there was neuer more neede to write of these thinges then now and neuer more teaching of them then in these dayes but neuer was instructions either by word or writing lesse regarded of them then now they be And no maruaile for if God himselfe haue spoken and none would heare him if hee haue stretched out his hands none Esai 1. would regard so that hee hath beene forced to cry out vnto the The great disobedience both of men and children in former ages heauens and the earth to beare witnesse of the disobedience of his Children if it bee thus with men of vnderstanding what will it bee with Children if it were thus with men thousands of yeares agoe what will it be with Children in these times if the Apostles of Christ were mocked Act. 2. and sayd to be full of new wine when they preached the word of God vnto the people and Luke 3. Christ himselfe despised for teaching them and sayd to haue a diuell in him surely if grace feare of God were then fled froÌ„ men what hope shall wee haue to finde it now in Children who haue beene disobedient euen froÌ„ the beginning scoffers mockers as Ismaell of Isack Ham of his owne father and of the saints Prophets of God as of Elisha But bee wise ye children and take heed for neuer such did escape the heauie iudgements of God nor neuer shall in time to come as appeareth by these Ismaell cast out of his fathers Gen. 21. house and fauour yet his first borne sonne Ham also not onely Gen. 9. loosing the blessing of his father but both hee and his posterity became accursed the Children which wicked Elish 42. of 2. King 2. theÌ„ deuour'd by two shee Beares well I will yet with patience rest in hope if Ionas be commanded Ionah 1. to preach against Nineue he may not leaue to doe it fly to Tharsus my maister hath giuen mee a talent to vse shall I lay it vp in a napkin for him noe I dare not doe so but I say still for Sions sake I will not be silent but with Salomon exhort you that be childreÌ„ Prou. 4. to heare the instruction of a father and to giue eare to learne vnderstanding despise not instructions by Good counsell ought not to be refused by whomsoeuer giuen whomsoeuer it be taught whether from the mouth of a learned diuine or of a lay man for gold of it selfe is pure in what base thing soeuer it bee put and the diamond is stil precious though God the author of all good things proceeding from man it lye in the dunghill neither is there any good thing that can proceede from the heart of man but by the powerfull working of the spirit of God therefore let mee intreate you who hearts God shall moue with desire to seeke the knowledge of your duty to reade these few chapters following wherein I haue briefely set downe what duty you owe and must performe vnto your Parents if you meane to please God And although I write these things vnto children yet for that the younger sort for want of yeares are not able to vnderstand them I will leaue these ABC trewants whose delight is rather in their play theÌ„ learning and will addresse my words to those of more riper yeares whose time should shew their knowledg hauing loÌ„g since learned past the graces and now haue their rules by roate without booke what said I that they are past grace by learning too many rules without booke yea indeed it is true therfore I may the bolder speake it though with griefe for wee see many in these dayes which should haue knowledge by their learning but doe The great abuse which schollers make of their learning shew by the leawdnesse of their liues that grace hath not yet wrought any good knowledge in them but that they haue learned too many rules without booke as I sayd for in Gods booke or any other good booke I am sure they neuer learned such things There be many such schollers Youth comming to learne lattine and yet forget their Primer lessons that haue learned many lattine bookes ouer but haue quite forgotten their English Primer lessons to beleeue in God and to keepe his Commandements therefore to the end they may become good schollers in Gods schoole it shall not be amisse to put them to conne ouer their old lessons againe of their obedience vnto their Parents Honour thy Exo. 20. Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee and it is not amisse for others neither it may doe well for both let none despise it the wiser sort I am sure will not It hath pleased the Almighty and powrefull God which worketh all in all thinges for a secret Iudgement and purpose and for his owne godly will and pleasure to prouide and appoynt an howre in the which thy Father and Mother should come together to the end that thou thorough them mightest bee made he was present with thee in the wombe of thy mother fashioned thee and breathed life into thee and for the great loue hee beare vnto thee provided milke in thy mothers breasts against thou wast borne mooÌ„ed also thy Father and Mother and all other to loue thee to pitty thee and to nourish thee and as hee hath made thee through them so hath