me nor trouble me with thy disswasions neither hinder me from going with thee Whether thou goest I wil goe I am ready to suffer all troubles with thee and because she had said ORPAH was going to her countrey and her Gods she addeth thy people my people vnderstand is or shalbe Thy God my God I will acknowledge no other God nor other people but that God of Israel whome thou doest worshippe and in whome thou doest hope and beleeue neyther will I hereafter worshippe BAAL PEOR or CHEMOS the Gods of my nations or of any other nations Where thou diest will I die and there will I be buried This is the affection of men that they woulde be buried in the graues of them whome they loue dearlie and not be seperated from them after they were dead It it read In GENESIS that ABRAHAM bought ground of EPHRON the HITTITE wherin there was a Caue whiche he conuâ—â—ted to a buriall place for him and his first he was buried there then ISAAKE then IACOB would not be buried in Aegipt but bound IOSEPH by an othe that when he was dead hee would bury him in the land of CANAAN in the Sepulcher of his fathers GEN. 47. 49. TOâ—IAS said vnto his sonne I shall die bury me honourably and honour thy mother and also bury her honourably by me in my sepulcher MEZENTIVS although hee was a wicked man yet in Virg in the end of the 10. Aeneid he entreateth Aeneas that he might be buried in the sepulcher of his sonne LANSVS It is accounted as a cursse to lacke the honor of buriall and not to be buried in the Sepulchers of their fathers contrariwise it is accounted as a blessing to be buried honourably But true Religion being decayed superstitious men did thinke that pompous burials profited the soules departed c. RVTH addeth an othe by the whiche she confirmeth that shee will not leaue her mother in-law The Lord doe so to me and more also if ought but death depart mee and thee Shee doth not simplye sweare but curseth her selfe if she keepe not her promise This kinde of swearing is often times vsed in the scriptures The Lord doe so to me and more also But it is not expressed what euils they do wish for themselues which vse those words or to what vengeance they yeeld themselues if they falsifie their faith For the holy Ghost by these Aposiopeses would teach vs that we must deale warily in swearing and beware least that our toong runne before our minde for here that saying ought especially to haue place Toong whether doest thou goe It is to be obserued that godly men oftentimes vsed swearinges in the old and newe Testament Not in all causes but onely in graue and waightie matters And the maner which they vsed is noted for all othes are not of one sorte This maner which RVTH vsed sheweth that all they should at length perish who prophane the name of God by violating their othe moreouer the sainctes doe performe in deede those thinges which they promised by othe as RVTH also did There are some who do enterpret these words conditionally The Lord doe so to me and so forward if God giue me power and abilitie as hee hath done hitherto I will be constant and so forward But the first sence that it should be the forme of an othe is more playne and simple Here is a notable example in RVTH propounded to vs first her conuersion to God and confession of her faith denying her own nation and religion She doth confesse that she will ioyne her self to the true God and his people RAHAR made the like confession In IOSVA 2. cap. for the Lord himselfe is your God and so forward Next here is an example of loue to God and our neighbour Because without doubt she had learned of her father in law of her mother in lawe and husband and especially by the inspiration of the holy Ghost the God of Israell to be the true God and leauing BAAL Pâ—OR and other Gods and Goddesses of the nations she hasteneth her selfe to that land where the true God is worshipped neyther doth shee suffer her selfe to be hindered by any pleasures of this life She might haue liued more pleasantly amongest her friendes and as it seemed haue gotten her a husband more easily Yet she had rather as it is sayd of MOSES in the Epistle to the Hebrues to suffer trobles with the people of god then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the reproche of Christ to be greater riches than the treasures of MOAB If she had bin without fayth shee woulde haue returned home to the Idolaters for euery imagination of a better marriage of riches and such other commodities She dyd heare the word of God with profite and therefore she might be compared to the tree well planted and the house builded on a rocke MATT. 7. cap. Here we haue also an example of loue towardes our neighbour hee is our neighbour who wanteth our helpe or wealth or counsell LVKE 10. NAOMIE being striken in age and care did lacke the helpe of others Therefore RVTH would not go away from her who had not receaued small giftes from her and though she also was destitute of necessary thinges yet shee trusting in Gods goodnes would not forsake her mother in law whom shee esteemed as her own mother Good Lord how few are there at this day I say not daughters in-lawe which will shew such friendship to their mothers inlaw but how fewe children are there which will shew suche friendship to their mothers inlaw or affection to their parentes being olde Many cannot be perswaded by any reasons be they neuer so great to be present and to serue their parents when they are diseased But when their parents are in good estate they abhorre theyr company if they be somewhat seuere They are very rare who thinke that they cannot bestowe so many benefites vpon their Parents as they haue receiued from them yea they do oftentimes forsake them in greatest daungers and the cause of this matter is because they are destitute of fayth and loue In that that RVTH denied her countrie religion and embraced the Israelites religion the vocation of the Gentiles is prefigured who leauing their superstitions turned to the God of ISRAEL At last NAOMIE seeing her daughter in law fully purposed to go with her she would trouble her no more but when shee had sufficiently seene and tried her constancy shee willingly tooke her as a companion of her iourney she did wish also the other to bee conuerted to true religion Without doubt shee reioyced and did thanke God that he had prouided her being afflicted so many wayes so faithfull a daughter For it should haue bene a troblesome a hard iourny to her to trauel so farre without a trusty companion Shee doth teach vs by her example that we must not be troblesome to theÌ„ who doe propound to themselues to do good things we
shoulde vse many wordes in this place BOAZ first concluded the matter with his kinsman We vse in other contractes to consider of all things thorowly there is more neede of great care in marriage Also we must beware in contractes that we doe not anie thing deceitfully And it is good after marriage is contracted not to delai the mater ouer long for many dangers which may arise of the same but to confirme it openly He affirmeth by an othe that he will marry her if the other refuse it It is also read of other Sainctes that oftentimes being not required they vsed othes in weighty matters This is to be noted against them which doe altogether reiect an othe He sweareth that hee might put her out of doubt But vnlesse there were a greater religion of swearing in the old time thē is nowe truely hee could not haue put her out of doubt For sometime euen great Princes doe deceiue others thorowe swearing and oppresse them before they be aware That which BOAZ promised he thorowly performed He commaunded her to sleepe vntill morning he would not haue her in the night to wander in the streetes It is the part of women in the night time to stay at home for many dangers which may befall them Also it is very profitable for youths to be kept at home in the night for the night doth yeelde many occasions of great euils Let them spend their time at home in reading or other honest exercises The. 19. Sermon 14 And she lay at his feet vntill the morning and shee arose before one could know another for hee sayd let no man knowe that a woman came into the floore 15 Also he sayd bring the sheet that thou hast vpon thee and holde it and when shee held it he measured six measures of barly and layde them on her and she went into the Citie 16 And when she came to her mother in-law she sayd who art thou my daughter And she told her all that the man had done to her 17 And sayd these six measures of barly gaue be me for he said to me Thou shalt not come emptie vnto thy mother in-law 18 Then sayd shee my daughter sit still vntill thou know how the thing will fall for the man will not bee in rest vntill hee haue finished the matter this same day WE must diligently obserue the course of this historie for the better vnderstanding of this booke Wee haue heard in the former sermon howe BOAZ taking RVTH in the floore behaued himselfe towardes her nowe we shall heare of her dimission and returne to her mother in-law Yet first it is sayd that shee slept all night at his feet After the talke had betweene themselues of making marriage they contained themselues in their places If BOAZ had behaued himselfe otherwise then hee should truely the holy Ghost which did not passe ouer with silence the dronkennesse of NOAH the incest of LOTT the adulterie of DAVID the deniall of PETER and the sinne of MAGDELEN would not haue passed ouer this BOAZ doth not abuse the occasion offered him to fulfill his lust He doth teache vs by his example continencie and chastitie Wee read in prophane histories of great Emperours when they had vanquished Cities they would not see moste bewtifull matrons and virgins or haue them brought in their sight or being brought to them though they looked vppon them yet they did gouerne theyr lustes and send them backe againe vntouched to theyr parentes or husbandes and so wanne great fauour with thē The great Alexander when he was biddē that he shuld see the daughters of Darius king of the Persians which were prisoners and of wonderfull beautie woulde not goe saying that it was not in him that when he had ouercome men he should be ouercome of women But they were rather shadowes of vertues then vertues amongest the Gentiles for that which they did came not of true fayth but rather of ambition IOSEPH is worthie to be praysed who oftentimes being prouoked by his mistresse who was in loue with his beauty would not doe that iniurie to his maister nor violate the commaundement of God which was not yet set downe in tables GENE 39. For as a man ought to shunne other occasions of euils so also of adultery And though thou be alone with a woman yea in the night yet the bridles of vnchastitie are not to be let lose we must thinke of the commandement of God thou shalt not commit adulterie wee must thinke of the punishment of adulterie whoredome and lust we must not iudge of sinnes according to the corrupt iudgement of the worlde Howe vnlike are those young men who eyther vnder the pretence of mariage or by force doe defile mayds or other mens wiues also some old men which are decrepite doe entise other mens wiues to adulterie as they did Susanna But what do I speake of them when Monkes whiche doe vowe chastitie doe often-times defile matrones and virgins And it is euident that for this purpose they doe vse auriculare confessions and sometimes magicall artes In the meane season if a woman doe come into their monastery they doe sweepe their pauement with besomes RVTH arose before one could know another for darkenesse that is at the dawning of the daye For BOHAZ sayde as the olde translation hath beware least any bodie do know that thou camest hyther or he commaunded his seruaunts as some will haue it lest they should tell that she was at the flowre in the night which doth not like me That is more alowable that IOSEPHVS sayth that he badd her to be gone before hee raised vp his seruaunts although he did know that hee was not guiltie neyther that he had done any thing whereof he might worthely bee ashamed yet hee would not offēd others nor lay a stumbling blocke before them It is knowne out of the Gospell what they are worthy of which do offend their neighbors eyther in word or deede he doth teach vs to beware not onely of the euill it selfe as S. PAVLE warneth vs in the 1. THES 5. chap. but also he warneth vs to beware of the appearaunce of euill There are many thinges wee may say or do with a good conscience but we must alwaies haue a regard of our neighbour and all our sayings and doings must be applied to the edyfiyng of others If any woman will not be accounted for an harlot let her beware least she shew the appearāce of an harlot either in speach behauiour apparell and such other We must haue a care of our good name according to those common verses Omnia si perdas famam seruare memento Qua semel amissa postea nullus eris The losse of goods may easely be recouered by labour and diligence but if any body bee suspected of chastitie it is not so with it Yet there are some wicked men which take delight in wickednesse ISAY 3. chap. sayth of his people that they haue boasted of their sinnes as the
word Mikraeh signyfieth the successe the issue or chance 1. SAM 6. verse 9. of the ark it is sayd if it go to Bethshemesh it is he that did vs al this euill but if not we shall know then that it is not his hand which touched vs but it was a chaunce that happened vs c. If thou doest consider RVTHES will it was by chaunce that she went into that fielde if the purpose of God he led her as it were by the hand those thinges which seem to vs to be done by chauÌ„ce are not done without the prouideÌ„ce of God We may haue an example out of the law where this matter is prooued EXOD. 21. and DEVT. 19. If two men fel trees and the axe slide out of the hand of one of them and kill his neighbour he did this vnwillingly and therefore he was allowed a sanctuary but as concerning God hee deliuered him ouer for certayn causes HIEROM on the 12. chapter of IEREMI saith that nothing falleth out either good or euill by chaunce but by Gods prouidence and iudgement as it is said in the Prouerbs of SALOMON Lots are gouerned of God If a sparrow caÌ„not fall to the ground without Gods wil what can come by fortune in mans affairs which doth not fall out by Gods determinate councell we see how God doth direct and blesse those men which take honest laboures in hand of which we will speake more afterwardes but shee was well accepted of BOHAZ and his familie The 10. Sermon 4 And behold Boaz came from Bethlehem and said vnto the reapers The Lorde be with you and they aunswered him the Lord blesse thee 5 Then said Boaz vnto his seruant that was appointed ouer the reapers whose mayd is this 6 And the seruaunt that was appointed ouer the the reapers answered and sayd it is the Moabitishe mayde that came with Naomi out of the countrey of Moab 7 And she said vnto vs I pray you let me glâ—ane and gather after the reapers among the Sheues so shee came and hath continued from that time in the morning vntill now saue shee taried a little in the house WE haue declared before that RVTH hauing first gotten leaue of her mother in lawe to gather eares after the reapers came by fortune or that I may speake more truely by the prouidence of God into the field of BOAZ her kinsman but what befell to her there the holy Ghost doth diligently set downe in these wordes following In the first place here is shewed howe BOAZ comming from Bethlehem into the field saluted his reapers who aunswered the Lord blesse thee The worde blessing is vsed in diuers places of the holy scriptures and hath diuers significations Sometime it signifieth to prayse giue thankes as when DAVID saith to Abigall in the 1. Booke of SAMVELL the 25. chap. praysed be the Lorde God of Israell which sent thee to meet me this day Sometime it signifieth to pray for good thinges as in the 48. chap. of GENE IACOB the Patriarcke blessed his sonnes that is he did wish wel vnto them GEN. the 37. chap. IACOB both at his comming to the king and at his going away blessed him that is he saluted him bid him farewell he gaue him thanks and wished him well When it is attributed to God it signifieth to doe well for God by his worde doth worke It is sayd in the 10. chap. of the Prouerbes The blessing of god doth make meÌ„ rich that is God doth increase and preserue riches What the simple vse of this word is we must consider by reading the holy scriptures as wheÌ„ they say in this place The Lord blesse thee The meaning is the Lord giue thee a fruitfull haruest and all good thinges as well for the body as for the soule We haue an example in this place of salutation The maner of salutation is not onely olde but moste profitable to reconcile and confirme loue which our sauiour doth diligently commend to all godly men The Aungell saluted GEDION as hee was threshing corne with these wordes The Lorde be with thee thou strong man IVDGES 6. chap. It is reckoned vp amongst the duetie of the Priestes to blesse the children of Israeâ—l There is a solemne blessing set downe in the 6. chap. of numbers Some Anabaptistes will not haue men saluted citing that which Christ in the 10. chap. of LVKE sayd to his seuenty disciples salute no man by the way but he doth meane nothing els then vnder the colour of salutation to suffer themselues to be called from their calling or if thou wilt vnderstand it according to the letter it was a personall and speciall commaundement and not a generall The Aungell saluting the blessed virgin vsed this same forme which BOAZ doth in this place Also Christ saluted his Disciples saying peace be with you The Apostle PAVLE doth begin and ende hys epistles with salutations Hee putteth downe their names whom he saluteth also the names of them which do salute others It is incredible to be spokeÌ„ how much that will auaile to the getting of good will but we must take heede least we doe it with an hypocrites minde It is a poynt both of curtesie and of humanitie to salute others and to pray for them If great and mightie men doe salute poore men they are marueilously affected seeing that they are not despised of them Neither was it to be doubted but that this salutation of BOAZ was moste acceptable to the reapers There are some who doe of enuie and hatred disdaine to salute others who shouide remember that commaundement of Christ that wee must pray for and wish well to our enemies How oft commeth it to passe that many who wil not willingly salute one an other after they haue ben absent asunder would desire nothing more then to liue togither and to vse all dueties of humanitie to eche other Here is an houshold example propounded vnto vs of a good housholder he goeth to his reapers he looketh what is done in the field for the presence of the maister helpeth much in any worke PLINIE in his 8. booke 6. chap. the elders haue said that the eye of the maister is moste fruitfull for the ground ARISTOTELL in his 1. book of gouerning a house doth write of a certaine man who being demaunded what dung was the best aunswered the steppes of the maister Although a man hath good and trustie seruauntes and bayliffes yet the mayster being absent they do all things the more negligently and carelesly TITVS LIVIVS sayth elegaÌ„tly those things doe not prosper which are ouerseene by straungers Read the prouerbes of ERASMVS concerning this matter the forhead is better than the hinder part negligent housholders doe spoyle both themselues and their seruauntes These sayinges may be applied to greater estates as to kings and Bishops that they doe not al things by other mens hands eyes and eares while they doe cocker themselues with pleasures BOAZ asked his seruaunt which hee had set
admonish them that they doe not hurt her But it is the duetie of housholders that they do not onely preserue the chastitie of their own maydes but also of others that no filthines be spoken whereby they might be prouoked to lewdnes let him shewe them how filthie a thing whordome is and how harlots are defamed with publike infamie Let him call them backe from all thinges which may prouoke them to lewdnes especially if he see theÌ„ gamesome or waÌ„ton as from lewd talk from keeping companie with suspitious men from filthy shewes and daunsings c. There are some who say that it is but in vaine to keepe them straightly but youthes doe oft amisse for want of vnderstanding But howe wicked are they who offer their maydens whose chastity they ought to preserue and be to theÌ„ in stead of parentes to others or defile them themselues He ought also to beware least the body fame or goods of his neighbours or any others be hurt by his seruauntes He must not onely keepe in order his houshold seruauntes but also his beasts that they be not hurtfull to others as dogges horses oxen c. It is said in the law If an oxe wer wont to strike in time past and it hath bene tolde his maister and he hath not kept him in and after he killeth a man or a woman the oxe shalbe stoned and his owner shall dye also c. Also if the fire breake forth and burne corne and take into the stackes standing in the fieldes hee shall restore the losse that did kindle the fire If any man shall digge a pitt and shall not couer it the owner shall restore the losse of the cattell The Lorde commaundeth that those houses which are flatt should be battelled least any man shoulde fall downe He doth adde this that if shee were a thirst she should goe to the vessels and drinke of the water which the seruants haue drawne There is great scarsitie of water in those places PALESTINE hath her floudes riuers and springes but yet in many places the springes are dried vp with those great heates so that sometime they fetched water a great way The which also befell in our country of Heluetia which aboundeth with â—â—aters in many places in the yeare 1540. In the 26. chap. of GENâ— ISAACKS seruauntes digged pits which for quietnes sake he yeelded to others In EXOD. the 2. chap. Moses did helpe the daughters of IETHRO which drew water for theyr flockes when the shepheardes withstoode them because there were no other welles in those places Therefore it is a great benefite that hee doth bid her goe to take drinke out of the vessels that is flaggons or bottels As the latines doe vse very largely this word arma that I may note this by the way namely for instrumentes for euery arte as armour for warre for schollers and for cookes c. So KELIM which is amongest the Hebrues vessels doth signifie instrumentes weapons ornamentes houshold-stuffe and apparel This seemeth to haue some force that he sayth whiche my seruauntes haue drawne namely not without labour Although they say they haue drawne it by theyr labour driue thee away yet I will that thou drinke no man shall resist thee afterward he doth commaund her to eate meate together with the reapers Here is set foorth to vs a notable example of humanitie and kindnesse towardes the poore widowes straungers and especially towardes them that are newly conuerted to the truth and how they are to be handled looke in the Epistle to the ROMAINES the 14. and 15. chap. BOAZ first did talke with RVTH friendly hee doth not looke that shee should aske any thing of him hee doth promise her defence and drink he doth graunt her more than she durst ask him and that with a good will But what was the cause of this humanitie and good will towardes RVTH when hee did not know that he should be coupled in marriage vnto her Because shee had the fauour of God by faith shee also had the good will of men God doth moue the heartes of the enemies towardes those whome he doth loue as SALOMON saith in hys prouerbes the 16. chap. Then hee vnderstood by the speech of his Baylife that shee was indued with notable vertues and therefore that she was worthy of fauour and good will If hee had spoken euill of her peraduenture he would haue conceiued some euill against her Furthermore she was indued with faith which is the spring of good workes and he saw with his eyes the diligence of the woman in gathering of eares This courtesie of BOHAZ is to be followed of vs the poore and straungers are to be nourished and intreated friendly Nouices in the faith are to be defended against those iniuries which they are in daunger of Next if we will haue men kinde and friendly we must especially seeke to please God Secondly here is shewed how RVTH behaued her selfe towardes him First she fell on her face and bowed her selfe to the ground She sheweth her selfe as one vnworthie that BOAZ a noble man should vse so courteously shicah to bow to submit or fall downe in the forme hithpaal hishtaueh to cast downe her self to bow the head or the rest of the bodie to fall downe at any mans feete The Grecians doe render it proscunein And the latines expound it by the worde adoration EXOD. 20. in the second commaundement which speaketh against Images and Idols it is said thou shalt not adore them The idolaters say that they doe not worshippe them and that they are iniuried if these thinges be reported of them but truely they knowe not or rather will not knowe what it is to adore The Hebrue worde signifieth to bow and lie downe before thâ—m but will they deny that they doe this Therfore they cannot be excused from Idolatrie Amongest the latines also to adore doth signifie to bow the knees and to honor by falling downe c. it was the coÌ„mon maner that they would fall downe at the feete of them whome they would honour but wee doe not bow our knees vnlesse we come before Princes before whome wee suppliently fall on our knees Next shee doth wonder and make great accompt of his courtesie when she being a straunger was so well accepted of him for the moste part bannished men and poore men are despised of the rich and mightie We haue a notable example in RVTH of humilitie thankefulnes and shamefastnesse She doth shew her humilitie partly by her outward behauior namely by the gesture of the body that is by bowing submission partly by words for shee saith Wherefore haue I found grace in thine eyes that thou shouldest know me or that thou doest knowe me For it signifieth as MARTINVS BORRAVS the diligent and learned expounder of gods word no light acquaintaÌ„ce â—ut to acknowledge louingly and to haue a regard of anie She doth confesse that shee is vnworthy of his benefites HVMILITIE is a notable vertue whereunto pride is
him and also shee did not forsake her mother in-law her husbād being dead Her latter pietie was that shee being at libertie from her husband did not follow lust she did not seek for yong men were they rich or poor but she did keep her selfe safe vnto her husbandes kinsman that shee might haue seede according to the law and rayse vp the name of the dead to their posterity She might haue had a young husband eyther in her owne country or among the Israelites but shee had rather marry an olde man than doe against the law Notable deedes are to be praysed both in men and women BOAZ did not alow the maner which shee vsed in seeking a husband or at the least he could not haue praysed it in any other which had not the like cause For that which shee did had an outward apearāce of euil but he doth not iudge according to the outward appearaunce of this worke but according to RVTHES intent and purpose He thought that that which she did was not of lightnes and lust but at the commaundement of her mother in law that there might be seede raysed vppe according to the law to the former husband For he doth consider that she hath liued hitherto well and so behaued her selfe toward her mother in-law that she was worthie of a notable husband And because BOAZ did so indifferently iudge of that deede which had an outward appearance of euill doth take it in good part truely we ought not to interprete in the worst parte those thinges which haue the appearaunce of good and are in their own nature good right There are some who take in the worsepart the words deeds of others through a certain corruption of nature being led by no probable reason Sainct PAVLE in the 1. to the COR. 13. chap. sayth loue doth not thinke euill it beleeueth al things it hopeth for al things Wordes and deedes whiche are doubtfull are to be well interpreted but not the euill Looke howe muche the worse a man is so much the more suspitious is he It is commonly sayd he that is euill thinketh euill and in this matter they doe follow the nature of the deuill But who so will not be suspected of euill must keepe thēselues from these things which make men to be suspected of others Numb 32. chap. MOSES suspected the two tribes and an halfe begging the land beyond Iordaine which was verie fertill that they woulde forsake theyr brethren in daungers But after they had declared theyr purpose they took away that euill suspition out of his mind and out of the minds of the other Israelites 2. SAM 10. chap. DAVID sendeth Ambassadours to the king of the Ammonites to comfort him after the death of his father but the king harkening vnto flatterers suspected them of treason whereof most cruell warre arose Therefore wee must not harken vnto backbiters and flatterers who doe put euill suspitions into mens mindes Also in matters of religion all thinges are to be set foorth openly and plainly least greeuous suspitions arise in the minds of the simple For there are some who although they vnderstand the state of religion yet they doe speake doubtfully of many pointes of religion least great men shoulde be offended with them And the example of RVTH doth teache vs that we bee not ledde by our owne affections or doe that which is pleasant to the flesh neglecting the law of God RVTH coulde haue had a young husband but she married an old man least she should haue violated the lawe of the Lord. There are widowes whiche may easily haue riche husbandes but either they will not haue Idolaters or they will not forsake their fatherlesse childrē Also there are men with whome riche wiues would marry if they would goe out of those places wherein pure religion is embraced into such places where there is no mention made of it Sometime they do fauour theyr children least that if they marry wiues suche as they would it shoulde be worse with them the which the children ought to bee thankefull for BOAZ comforteth RVTH whome againe he calleth louingly daughter least that she should be afrayd of him but be of good comfort Peraduenture she feared least shee should be accompted vnshamefast or that hee being not well in temper shoulde force her to commit whoredome or els be repulsed He doth add that he would doe that which she required that is he is ready to mary her for it is knowne to all the Citie that she is a vertuous woman worde by word it is euery gate knoweth that is all the citie eyther because that iudgement was executed in the gate 〈◊〉 the gate by Sinedoche is put for the whole Citie First of al in contracting matrimonie thou must looke that the modest behauiour and honesty of the woman which thou art about to marry be knowne to all men But in our times the first question is of wealth and the last of maners it is a good thing if a woman be not demed if it be knowne to all the citizens that she behaued her selfe well from her youth it is very filthie on the contrarie parte if it bee knowne to bleare-eyd-men and to barbers that she hath bene a woman desiled and vnshamefast He addeth a condition vpon which condition hee will marry her I doe not denie sayth hee that I am thy kinsman some doe thinke that BOAZ was ELIMELECHES brother sonne but there is one of nearer affinitie to thee I will conferre with this man of this matter if he wil doe according to the law of consanguinitie and marry thee it is well but if not I wil marry thee according to the law of kindred He had rather marry her by and by but he would not take away the right of his kinsmā If he would haue married her BOAZ had done hym an iniurie if he had married her before he had aduised with his kinsman The same reason is also to be hadde in other matters Iustice is that vertue whiche doth giue so euery man his owne We ought to be so farre from withholding those thinges which are another mans without his consent that wee ought rather to defēd his right from others And in that hee doth not by and by bid her come to him and promise her mariage hee doth admonishe them which are about to marry not to make too muche hast or runne headlong by followyng theyr owne affections For we must beware least any impedimentes be found For there are some things which do either hinder marriages about to be contracted or do dissolue them whiche are contracted those verses are knowne Error conditio votum cognatio crimen Cultus disparitas vis ordo ligamen honestas Si sis assinis si forte coire nequibis Haec socianda vetant connubia tuneta retraetant The vow of virginity vnder the pope doth hinder marriage and also orders as if any man be a clearke of which matters there is no occasion that wee