are guided by no vertue nor directed unto any end who but fortish persons and stonie hearts will lay their violent hands on a woman the Pattern of Innocencie the Queen of Love the Picture of Beautie the Mistress of Delights who could with blowes deface those rich ornaments of nature Who could quarrell with her cheekes so purely mixt with lillies and roses who could violate those eyes the spheares of light and love stones of affection who could wrong those lipps the two folding gates of precious Rubies who would not imagine those ivorie armes fitter for imbracing then buffeting And who but would think those snowie hands and fingers of theirs more fitt to embroyder the outward fonnes of those admirable Ideas within their ravishing fancies and sparkling soules rather then to handle a fencers cudgell to secure their lives and those Liberties which God Nature and their own choise merits by the consent of all mens Reason in its due exercise hath by so many pledges and signalls confirmed on them from time to time as Their true and undoubted Right Beauty must not acquaint her self with warres And therefore hates such men as love such Jarrs And tho all women are not beautyfull neither hath nature bestowed all perfeactions every wife yet a true loving husband must imagine them All centering in his truly beloved wife for Love esteemes not a thing beloved as in it self it is but as it appeares in the lovers eye and therefore a woman that is not faire may make a faire wife to that husband in whose thought she is faire for he sees her with his own not with anothers eyes loves her only with his own heart and not anothers and enjoys her only to his own content in her then whom need he please besides himself So that if thy wife be not fairer to thy self then other women are thou lovest her not truly and if thou lovest her not why didst thou make choise of of such a companion whom thou lovest not why didst thou dissemble with God before whom thou didst profess a love why didst thou lye unto Man in whose presence thou promisedst Love Or if she be as indeed she ought to be fairer in thy own eye because dearer to thy own heart with what countenance with what arts with what vaine pretensions canst thou turn rebel unto love and presently hate her whom but now thou lovedst Or with what face canst thou look upon thy beloved spouse and instantly beate her No no heaven may as soone sink into hell as perfect Love turne into hatred and whole rivers of water may as well spring out of flames of fires as rigid behaviour or violent blowes proceed from fervent Love In a word therefore if thou lovest not thy wife thou hast playd the hypocrite and so canst not beate her but thy actions must needs aloud proclaime thy guilt and shame thy perpetuall disgrace and Infamie But if thou lovest her thou hast only performed thy vow and solemne marriage Covenant and so with due respect than must honour her all the dayes of thy life Neither may it be thought a small reason to deterr all husbands from such unworthy demeanure and bruitish violence to forecast the dangers that may ensue thereof for diverse women beeing of a diverse Stature strength complexion and disposition there must needs fall out a diverse event of such an action If such men schould chance to marrie with as stout and valiant women as Panthiselca was amongst the Amazones or the Lady Pathenia of Greece or the Empress Livia in Rome or some other of far less valour and after a while from Cupids warres fall unto Martiall armes I question whither their Pigwigg in valour would save them from Myrmidon like blowes If I should marry a weake and feeble wife such a one whose courage is daunted with a word whose Innocence is her defence â—hose yeelding her resistance and â—et play the Tyrant still and so make â—er feeld a 1000 deaths in life and at 〈◊〉 satisfie her long lingring hopes â—â—ith the well come approaches of beâ—â—ved death I am certain my own â—ad humor and obstinate will cannot â—â—ee me from the great Tribunall of â—eavens sacred Law and though I â—ight skinn over the deep wounds â—f an exulcerated conscience with â—ome pïtty full inconsiderable and â—ivolous Excuses yet all would not â—roove a sufficient plaister to remoove â—â—at indelible Stygma which God and â—an the Lawes of reason and humaâ—ity would most undoubtedly imâ—rint with Capitall Letters on my â—â—re head and Let all such Catne-like â—ispositions look to it for certainly â—engeance must and will pursue such â—â—en and overtake them tho they â—ay per chance escape mans Scourge â—uppose I should marrie a modest â—nd vertuous wife whose speech â—hose gate whose carriage and behaviour are as clear as Christall 〈◊〉 without blemish and yet all pleasâ—â— me not without some civill unciviâ— warres how should I live Offensivâ— to my friends by some of them upâ—â— braided by others of them scorneâ— and contemned by my enemies reproached and reviled hated of moâ—â— men and be loved of none And I should light on a light huswife whâ—â— yet beeing civily treated and might civilly demeanâ— her self but beeing troddeâ— upon as every worme 〈◊〉 will turne again how justly how deservedly-might 〈◊〉 weare Vulcans night capâ— on my paperskull 〈◊〉 fooles holydays and in 〈◊〉 devotion peel-garlick like doe perpetuall hommagâ— whither with devout zealâ— or not that matters nothing unto Cynthias budding Homes Now thereforâ— â— far safer course it is for us to lay aside â—ur learned weapons and rest in termes 〈◊〉 and armes of Love then to venture our selves on this double Jeopardie the event whereof at the very best will be but base and dishonourable And let our wives be what they be it is our wisdome now to love them since it was our Lott to have them and that our marriage was made in heavens Court whither we have many friends in that place or not yet it is no less our wisdome then it is our dutie to rest contented in the declared minde and will of God If we have good wives le ts bless god and study to walk answerable to so Choise a mercy one of the greatest comforts â—onder heaven and if we have bad â—ones le ts endeavour with meeknes and Christian Charity to cover their multitude of Sinns with the Azure victorious Mantle of true Love â—or if that cannot be yet at least let us endeavour to make the best improovement of that sore Affliction and pray to god for faith and paciencâ— quietly to beare that Cross remembring all this wile that whatsoever moates we spye in them yet thaâ— many beames remaine still in ouâ— eyes And as the private event of theise unnaturall variances and discours must needs be inconvenient to our selves so the publique Example thereof is noâ— less pernicious to the Common and Publique good for whatsoever in this kind
Eve as the Cause all tho she was first caught in the transgression However the case stood between Adam and Eve I verely perswade my selfe that the same Serpent who was both their Tempter was likewise the first sower of dissention between man and wife Doubtless it never proceeded from God who bound them in so strong a bond of love It never proceeded from man who so strongly established his love If neither from God nor from man from whome then I pray you but from the Devil Who is that grand hater of Love and lover of hatred Neither is this position a childe of my own fancie or the conceit only of some other far more learned witt St. Chrysostome is the author Satan sayth he cunningly insinuated himself into the company of man and wife and craftily and wickedly disjoyned their hearts whom God before had joyned where by strife and contention doe doe now oft times reigne with them in Stead of love and contentment May it please you therefore who are rigorous husbands to your wives or such as are maintainers of this strife engendering Opinion to take notice of the Author thereof A worthy patron believe it for unworthy a practise a famouse founder of such impious and inhumane acts Heaven abhors it the earth was not so base to invent it Hell must be sought and the Devil found out for the first broacher thereof I think then is no man so shameless but would blush or at least might be ashamed to take his practise a notorious wicked man who is abominable to God and all sober men and will there be fonnd afterall all that 's sayd any monsters who will be Apprentices to the Devil to learne a Trade from Him Were there no other reason in the world to deterr if not perswade men from this hatefull Impiety but only this that it hate THE DEVIL for its Author methinks this might be Sufficient motive to rayse up a reall indignation and abhorrencie thereof especially when it is so detestable to God and to his sacred Lawes so opposite to the Law of Nature and that instinct planted in bruite beast so Contrary to the beeing life and wellfarâ— of mankind so destractive to Reason such a professed Enimie to true Religion In a word the publique shame and disgrace oâ— such wicked men and the grief and lamentation of all that are good CHAP. VI. The Conclusion MY conclusion shall therefore be an earnest request unto all married persons that as they are bound by the Laws of Reason and humanity by the lawes of God and man and as they have most solemnly given their plighted faith one to an other in the Church of God and before his all seeing ey so that they would both conscienciously make it their care and study how to Honour God in this honourable Estate of theirs and if contention must arise let it be a godly and zealous emulation who shall exceed each other in all the duties of Love according to that mutuall ' obligation one towards the other in that Sacred Bond of Mysticall Union where in they stand Husbands love your wives as Christ loveth his Church count not that all you can doe or suffer for their good can be too much Christ loves his Church with the dearest of all loves he thinks nothing too good too choise too deare for them provided they doe but all their endeavour to walke answerable to this Love Resolve your selves what due authority God hath given you over your wives and in extraordinary and difficult circumstances c. trie that utmost of your lawfull bound but never Stepp into that thorny field of rigour Severity sullen morosity or cruell Tyrannie which all sober ingenious and godly men have shunnd and fixed a brand of perpetuall shame and ignominie on every persons forehead who shall be found walking in that Aceldama or field of blood and unto whom God hath denounced a certaine curse VVives Love honour and obey your husbands in the lord as the church Loves Christ and learn how to rule and raigne for so Christ promiseth his Church shall Raigne with him by a dutifull a humble meek and wise subjection unto his golden Scepter of purest love And as undefiled love is the Churches greatest glory so should it be the greatest honour and dignitie to every wife to fix an Imperiall and sparkling Diademe of Flaming love upon her husbands head which as this Crounes his soveraigne brow with victorious lawrell so likewise doth it blazen forth her worth and by so much the more exalts her praises Both husbands and wives live together as One in that Unity of Soule as you are pronounced to be One in the unity of body and flesh husbands condescend to please your wives in all that with Deciency you may and be not bitter or rigid to them and you wives submitt â—nto your husbands in whatsoever lawfull commands and so the God of Love and peace will delight to take up his habitation in your houses when you lie down he will defend you when you sleep he will command his Angells to protect you when you awake he wilâ— meet you and converse with you he will teach and instruct you in all his ways and choose the path he would have you walk in and hold up all your steps in those his pathes and open fountains of his refreshing Love to your thirsty soules when 〈◊〉 wearyed in you pilgrimage throâ—â—â— this 〈◊〉 solitary and desolate wilderness and will never leave you nor forsake you but build you up as living and precious stones in his Spirituall building to your own mutuall confort and peace the good of your friends and acquaintance the usefullness and benefit of the Church of CHRIST and of your generation the everlasting hapines and welfare of your preciouss and immortall soules both in this life and in the life to come Which hath no FINIS †Seneca 5. 13. ep 89. b Tacit. hist 3. lib. ad princip a Ausoni 9. de great action ad Augst b D. G. in his Act at Oxf. 1608. c Chrys homil 57. on Gen. 29. c Cyclopes furiunt isti ut quidem Doctiss virj conjâ—ciunt ex Homer l. 9. Odiâ—si Transt ex Strozio Laur. post Plin. natur hist l. 10. c. 24. 29. Plin. hist nat l. 1. Transt â— Virgil. S. Ambrosius tom 1. l. 5. c. 7. Hex m. Arist de hist animal a a lib. pol. cap. 1. b 6. Tacit. lib. de mor. Germ. c lib. 10. c. 2. de Rom. Antic d Comment de bello Gallit e Stobaeus ex quorecitat Patr. lib. 4. in 3. Bodin de rep 1. f Plin. l. 14 cap. 13. g Arnobius lib. 5. contragentes Hom. illd 5. a Zeno ph in Cyrosuo b Martrialls Epigr. c Tit. Liv. in divers historicis ab urb cond d Frontinus in 4. lib. strat de P. sew suet in Tiberiâ— de C. Altiliâ— e Lucan f D. Hieromus a Plin. l. 10. c. 3. c De qua
THE GREAT ADVOCAâ— AND ORATOUR for WOMEâ— Or The Arraignment Tryall 〈◊〉 Conviction of all such wicked Hâ—â—bands or Monsters who hold 〈◊〉 lawfull to beate their Wives or to demeane themselves severely and Tyrannically towards them where Their crafty pleas are fully heard aâ—â— their Objections plainly answered anâ— Confuted And the 〈…〉 Condemnation passed 〈…〉 the Law of Nature the Law 〈…〉 Pollicy or Morallity the Civill and Canon Law and the Law of God Coloss 3. 19. Husbands Love your wives and be not bitter 〈◊〉 them Prov 16. 27 An ungodly man diggeth up 〈…〉 and in 〈…〉 there is as burnin◠〈…〉 froward 〈…〉 man soweth 〈◊〉 A. D. 1682. The Contents CH. 1. The Introduction CH. 2. That it is not lawfull for husbands to beat their wives prooved from the law of Nature CH. 3. The same confirmed by the Lawes of Morallity or of civile Pollicy CH. 4. The same argued and cleared up from the Civile Canon Lawâ— CH. 5. The same evinced from the Law of God CH. 5. The Conclusion To all married Women whose â—usbands rule over them with rigour and severity And likewise a word to all such irrationall husbands Ladies and Gentlewomen THE wiseman tells us that a word spoken 〈…〉 like apples of Goâ—â—◠〈◊〉 pictures of Silver 〈…〉 to your selves to judg how oppoâ—â—â—â—â—ely this Treatise comes unto your hands whose tendernicks are galled by your wearysome uneasy yoakes â— hope these few sheets may some what revive your drooping Spirits â—t beeing no small comfort when you have a friend at hand whose tender compassion towards your tender Sex makes him deplore your sad case and Plead your cause with such affection as if it were his own Me thinks I see how strangely your heart-breaking husbands are hurried by the violent Whirlewind of unbridled Passion me thinks I hear their loud murmurings their angry voice together with the ecchoing sound of servile blowes wounding my sorrwfull eares more then the dreadfull noyse of the disquieted seas more dangerouse then their forming rage more amazing theâ— Aetna's wrath whose wide throat â—â—â—gorgeth smoaks flames and â—under at one breath methinks 〈◊〉 see their shadow swiftly drawing on you like the black terrifying Hierricane that makes the tendeâ— Reedes whose nature yeelds to every gentle gale lie prostrate croudâ— together and whisper in trembling feare I am sensible how theiâ— austere demeanure and tyrannicaâ— behaviour have plunged diverse 〈◊〉 you into a deep and dangerous Gulph of sorrow and disparation who not finding peace and content at home are in an exorbitant manner seeking it else where and like persons disarmed of sence and reason by this Paroxisme of feare are Acting directly contrary to your own genuine and inclinations c. Now alltho I dare not justifie such enormities of yours but as a faithfull frind exhort your speedy Repentance and Amendment yet I lay the guilt tho not sufficient to excuse your fact in a more peculier manner to your husbands Charge and as the wicked Instrumentall cause of sins in you I Summon him without a deeper Repentance to prepare to Answer before the Great Tribunall judg both for himselfe and you Others there are more virtuosly inclined who are desponding in solitary corners and whose best remedy is to seek out some melancholy cave or desart place that may entertainâ— their pensive minds whilest their distracted thoughts are feeding oâ— soliscitude and care who instead oâ— teaching their eyes to weepe are endeavouring how to wiipe off their Christall teares as pure and cleare as is their Innocency without the discovery of their grief On whose pale eyâ— lids sits a sad messinger of wo more unwell come then the harbinger of death it selfe For such this book was chiefly designed and to every such desponding wife I now address my self advising you to trie once more what influence the violent cords of your laborious Love may have upon your misguided husband Take him by the hand and fall about his neck with sweet embraces hold him fast and compell him alltho against his will by all the retorick you have and by all the charming Eloquence of your loyall and constant Love c. â—f this prevaile not with him then conâ—ure him by all that 's dearest unto â—imselfe that he would please to â—ondescend to walk along with you â—nto this Temple of Eroto or the Muse of Love which is erected for your sakes alone Perhaps it may proeve and who knowes but it may O would to God it might such as was the Temple of the Goddesse Viri placa in Rome of whome Livie writes that whatever man and wife came to sacrifice Therein alltho never so much at strife and variance before yet they allways returned home again in Love and unity And that I may help one lift forward I desire now to speak a word or two to your contentious husbands whose words are fire brands arrowes and death or that which is much worse my advise to such shall be no other then thâ—t wise mans councell Prov. 25 8. 9. Go not forth hastily to strive least thou know not what to doe in the end thereof when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame debate thy cause By long forbearing is a Prince perswaded and a soft tongue breaketh bone it self Suppose thy wife to be what thou wouldst have all men think she is willfull froward and perverse consider whither thou hath not made her so doth her affections fit loose to thee examine well the grounds debate the matter with thy selfe Go nots forth hastily to trive with any person no not thy adversary much less with thy friend and least of all with her who lieth in thy bosome and should be dearest to thy heart nay who should be as deare unto thee as thy Life for as much as she is thy very selfe If a King with whom is commanding Majesty and power will be perswaded by a wise deportement how much more then will thy lowing wife whose tender Sex doth naturally dispose her to such sweetnesse softnesse Gentlenesse such melting and relenting teares such heart winning demeanure c. that the mollifying hand of Love may mould her into any stamp that vertue formes and who recoyles at nothing more then raggid usage because it is so directly contrary to her soule whose essence is compacted of ardent Love stronger then death it selfe and which many waters cannot quench From this time forward therefore goe thy wayes and reconcile thy selfe to thy offended selfe then let hand joyn in hand haste both of you to pay your Sacrifices to this Temple of unfeigned Love that when you returne from thence Heart may then joyn in Heart and both of you may be willing to live no longer then you live united in One soule which will redound to both your peace and tranquillity heer on earth and your future happinesse in the world to come and crowne your names to there present honour and my cordiall wishess with that palme of victorious and triumphant Successe which
foundation needs such under proppings as Those and they allso so feeble by the gnawings of chankring Obloquie as well as mouldring time that the building shakes at every blast Grant those incredible stories to be true yet how can any person in his right witts proove from their inhumane Actions that such deeds are Lawfull Since all was done unadvisedly without discussing of the matter and wrongfully themselves alone and in the hight of passion too beeing doth their wives Accusers their Jury their Judge and their cruell Executionners likewise O horrendum nefas Let this not onces more be mentioned amongst us who bear the name of Christians theise being savage and heathenish murthers both against Nature and the Law of God oâ— Reason of Religion and of Nations Let me demand who ever stained their Names their Relation their City Country Age or Generation with greater shame and Ignomie leaving such an indelible Stigma of their just disgrace to all posterity that nothing can wipe out except such inhumans monsters of humane kind as shall adventure to vindicate their Acts or from this day forward walk in their untrodden stepps Who received the greater foyle those tyrannous husbands who in their excess of rage and madness did so rashly abuse their own flesh and blood or those modest wives who with such patience did endure If any yet dare vindicate the former I le remoove the case into the Court of Morallity or civil Pâ—llicie where if the Jury pass on their side such shall have cause still to embrace their diabolicall suggestions but if They find them Guilty nothing more remaines then to lopp off such Gangreend members of an unhappy state or Kingdome least they infect the whole Body with such a fatall Distemper as will proove mortall and destructive to all humane societies with whom they shall converse CHAP. III. The same confirmed by the Rules of Morallity or Civill Pollicie MArriage of all humane actions is the one and only weightiest It is the present disposall of the whole life of man it is a Gordian knott that may not be loosed but by the sword of Death it is the Ring of union whose Poesie is Pure and endless In a word it is that state which either imparadiced man in the Eden of felicity or else exposeth him unto a world of misery Hence it is that so mature deliberation is required before such an eternall Bond be made The mutuall affection of each partie the consent of parents the approbation of friends the triall of acquaintance besides the especiall observation of disposition kindred of education of behaviour Now then if a man solemnize marriage upon theise due respects he can hardly make his choise amiss because he is guided by vertue which never faileth her followers But if not he may well be styled a foole because he is carryed away by passion which easily imprisoneth the best designes The man therefore who is truly wise cannot but choose a vertuouse wife and so by consequence live quietly and comfortably with her And if any take a vicious woman it argues his own â—olly and so by good reason may patiently endure her for now he hath but what before he desired and he desired that which then he fancied tho indeed not from the informace of a true judgment but by the inducement of a giddie affection And yet in this infortunate case it is the greatest folly of all follies for a man to aggravate and multiply his own misfortunes by quarrelling with his own choyse for that dissention takes away the very end and use of marriage debarreth from all comfort and enjoyment thereof banisheth its joy and felicity no man is so ignorant but he may well know none so obstinate but he must needs acknowledg the truth of what I say What wife is there so absolutely voyd of all passionate spleen who will so lovingly performe her marriags-rites so carefully bring up her children so providently order her house so diligently direct her servants for a preevish and waspish husband as for a sweet and loving one Who will buy blowes so dear as shee will pay for Love Or what husband is there so clear from all that will so intentively augment his patrimonie so warily imploy his stock so diligently follow his affaires so well in all things use his uttmost diligence for a wife whom he loutheth as for her whom he entirely loveth Who will be as devout a Bâ—adsman to the saint he fancyeth not as to Him whom he chiefly adoreth So that indeed neither as they should caring for the other both receive an unparndled dammage to themselves and for their posteritie leave it most unfortunate Infortunate in their birth for fear their dissentious parents derived to them their dissentious spirits in fortunate in their education for fear their Back ward parents hinderd their instruction unfortunate in their estate for feare their carelesse parents diminish their Portions unfortunate in their credit unfortunate in all for feare least all their parents faults redound unto the childrens griefe When as in agreeing matches where man and wife make up the sweet harmony of mutuall Love in a reciprocall consent and union you may observe a heaven like government the husband intent on his business the wife imployed in her house their children brought up religiously their attendants their servants and every one as Virgils common wealth of Bees busyed in their proper place and work whence towards the Autumne of their yeares they gather in the fruitfull harvest of true friendship of competent riches of good estimation and what excells all of sweet self content and satisfaction But let us turn our eyes away from beholding theise blessed fruites and advantages for some time at least and suppose every marryed woman not as a wife but as one of the female sex Tell me then I pray since every action of man must be tutored by some vertue or other what appearance of vertue can it be for a man to demeane himself in a Lordlie or Surlie manner towards a woman in a sowre sterne romose way and behaviour But especially what ease or pleasure can it be to a soul that 's endued with the least spark of reason or morallity to beate a woman or offer her any violent injurie at all It is not valour because that demands equality of Combatants it is not VVisdom because that depends on a stayde carriage It is not Justice because that requires a serious deliberation It is not Temperance because that wants unsettled passion and if none of theise then no vertue at all for all other vertues are comprized under them as some lesser dignitie under a more ample stile Tell me likewise to what end should men attempt such violence If a woman be perverse she thereby amendeth not if gentle she deserves it not if any seek praise thereby they will certainly merit laughter if reward they shall besure of shame And whereas such
same joy and as in a clear mirrour of sincere good will see a lively picture of his own gladnes For which cause especially as I conceive Isocrates condemned him for a person most lewdly disposed who by his faire speech and Proteus like behaviour hath wooed a virgin and in pompe and Joviality married her his wife and yet will in his folly thro anger and variance live discontentedly with her Seneca termes brawles in marriage worse then divorce from marriage Cato plainly calls it Sacriledge for a husband to beate his wife Such as the soule saith Plutarch in regard of the body such is the husband in respect of his wife both doe live in union in disunion both doe perish True love is the best amatorie or chiefest medicine to breed true love And therefore if thou looke truly to be loved of thy wife first love her truly for else how canst thou require that from her for thy selfe which thou affordest not from thy self to her She may in this case answer thee as L. Crassius the Senator replyed to L. Philippus the Consul how should I shew my self a Senator unto you whereas you behave your self not as a Consul unto me How should a wife proove loving unto her husband when as a husband prooves not loving unto her for both in Love and friendship the demand of Martial unto his Marcus stands with good reason If Phylades thou wilt me have Then Marke I le thee Orestes crave And not in words thou must it proove Wilt be belovd then thou must love Love is a relation and must have two Subjects for its residence as well the husband as the wife if it find not good intertainment with one it departs from both Both therefore must be like Crateres and Hyparchia who where said to see with double eyes because in mutuall love they acquainted one the other with all passages and events that concerned themselves So that as the Prophets in Israel were sacredly intitled Seers because they had a double sight from nature and from God so was Crateres in Athens jestingly termed a Seer because he used a double fight his wives and his own And how soever we exclaime against women that they are unworthy of such respect by reason of the multiplicity of their supposed infirmities such words often flash forth indeed but from the pregnancie of witt not from the soundnes of judgment spoken either from a prejudicate opinion which ever miscarrieth or from particular Example which never concludeth For instance we may hold them unconstant in their resolutions shallow in their judgment lavish of their tongue and with so many weaknesses beweaken this weake Sexe as that we may revive that old Theorem hissed long agoe from of the stage of vertue Of women kind found good there 's none And if perchance there be found one I know not how it comes to passe The thing 's made good that evil was As likewise this following Men have many faults Women have but Two There 's nothing good they Say There 's nothing good they doe c. A flat impiety against the all Creators all sufficiency who when he had built this worlds faire house lookd in every corner thereof and saw that All was good yet they in the fairest roome of all have found that all is naught And if you flie from their first unspotted Creation unto their now corrupted disposition what pâ—iviledge have men beyond women they are both made of one mettal cast both in the same mould all are not good nor the most the best but if any might challenge preheminence it should seeme the woman might whose complexion is purer which argues a richer witt whose passions are stronger viz of Fear Joy Greef and so by consequence of Love it self pure innocent and strong as death that many waters cannot quench which proclaimes a much better disposition then is in man and is the Topp Gemm of the largest size and appeares more beautyfull then any of the rest in the Crown of Vertue In short dislike them we cannot whom Nature hath so curiously composed and hath sh'ewn as we may say the Perfection of his glorious Workmanship that so their Illustrious Soules in which so great a Spark of the Divinity hath lodgdit self might have a Choise cabbinet or Receptacle whose out side Splendor and beauty might be such as beares some proportionable shadow and resemblance of that Heavenly-Ghuest within Dislike women now who can since in disliikning them if any such there are they more dislike themselves for Nature hath every way much more curiously framed them then us poor men who are the moments of her rougher Workmanship Yet for your pleasures sake suppose women to be as bad as some would make them say they are past all vertuous modesty swear they are beyond all hopefull recovery c. be it so I demand wherefore should they be beaten None but finall puishment in such cases should be inflicted where the person punished cannot be amended Women say some are past amendment and therefore they are past punishment It is an axiome in Philosophy that where the Cause is taken away the effect ceaseth and it is again as firm a position in humanity that amendment is the Chief if not sole cause of every such punishment There beeing then no hope of the one there ought likewise to be exaction of the other Now that women will never be amended it is as common a phrase in some persons mouthes as what lack yee in the Exchange so that it was grown long since to a proverbe They wach a jeat and make it white as snow VVho women beat To make them vice forgoe Aristotle in Oecon. lib. 1. c. 3. and 4 whose words are maxims in Philosophy and his Ipse dixit an authentick proof seemes heerin to soar above himself and leaving his wonted Schoole of humanity to speake from out of the sacred Chaire of Divinity when he sayd The divine Providence so framed man and woman that of necessity they must be of one Society otherwise how could they perpetuate the world by their offsprings succession since neither without woman nor woman without man can have any Issue wherefore they were made both alike and yet dislike alike in specificall nature and alike in the features and liniaments of their bodies and their soules of the same Essence Dislike in the Individual the one hotter and drier the other colder and moyster that out of this disagreeing concord of a diverse temper should proceed the sweet Harmony of Agreeing of Love The one valiant and laborious in the fields the other milde and diligent within the dores that what the one had painfully gotten abroad the other might carefully preserve at home The one fairer and as a delightsome Picture of beauty the other more steme and as a mirror of manhood The one more deeply wise the other of a more quick and pregnant
their husbands are all comprized under three severall Degrees and therefore the punishments must likewise be of three severall sorts In the first and highest degree are faults all together inexcusable never committed by any vertuous or modest wife never to be endured by any loving or honest husband such are defiling of his marriage bed or any treacherouse exploits against his life and person Now for theise the Law setts down direct punishments For the former divorce from the bond of marriage for the Second expulsion from the Community of wedlock And in neither case are the husbands ingaged for the payment of their dowrie or any ways bound for the reliefe of their povertie Mistake me not I only intend that the prosecution heerof lieth in the husbands power not the execution for that must be consumate in lawfull manner the fact prooved by lawfull witnesse the verdict given by a lawfull Judge So that the Jealousie of husbands touching their wives incontinencie or suspition otherwise concerning their disloyaltye c. before they are actually prooved are not to be accounted actuall faults of the wife but to be adjudged as the braine sick fancies of their husbands Be the suspicion of the one vehement it beareth indeed the better colour and deserveth the sharper trial But for the jealousie of the other it is a common ill humour and therefore in wisdome nothing at all to be esteemed Jealousie is a Child conceived of self unworthynesse and of anothers worth at whose birth feare made it an abortive in nature and a monster in love for the jealouse man unworthily loving a worthily beloved Object stands in feare of communicating his good unto another more worthy So that neither is his love perfect because mixed with feare which love abhorreth nor his fear medicinable because conjoynd with love which feare impoisoneth But of both ariseth this mungrell kind of Jealousie a loving feare or a fearfull love where in contrary to all other actions of man we bend all our diligence and carefullnes to obtaine the full sight and perfect assurance of our own misery we would needs for soth know our selves to be Such Homed Rationalls as we fear our selves to be for of prevention there is no hope as our English worthie can tell us Sure t' is no jealousie can that prevent VVherein two persons one be full content Seeing then that theise imaginations of husbands are not in law the fault of a wife and when it appeares by evidence that they are guilty of such hainouse crimes the Law determines their proper Punishment whatsoever is added beyond that is Illegal and more then the Law requires In the second degree are faults of another nature far inferiour to the former and it of reall moment too such as may be their backwardness in the religious service of God Carelesnesse in managing their house hold affaires Ill behaviour towards their neighbours and friends misdemeanure of themselves towards their husbands c. Theise I conceive to be as so many rootes of weedes planted in the fair garden plott of a womans minde spreading it selfe into many Crooked branches and bearing much bitter fruit In such cases therefore the Law alloweth husbands to use reprehension either sharper or milder according to the nature and qualitie of the offence and as their own modest discretion findes convenient Yet nevertheless theise faults are not so absolutely evill but that they might admitt some kind of excuse according to the severall circumstances that may happen between loving husbands and their loving wives only serving thereby some what to extenuate theise faults tho not peremptorily to defend them and thereby to vindicate their spottless Innocencie For the first there is no man so irreligious but commends a religious especially a religious wife in whom religion is especially needfull both for instruction of her maides and the education of her children But if in such an imagination of religion fall into some peevish zeale thro ignorance or through some small measure of knowledg amount unto womannish resolution it had been better they had been less studious in those pointes where the best fruites of their labours is a plentifull Sheafe of Errours Wherefore for my own part I could never yet bring my self to approove thoose too too holy women-gospellers who weare their testament at their apronstringes insteade of Scissers and will weekly Catechise their husbands citing places clearing difficulties preaching holy sermons c. when the spirit of their devotion mooves them For sure I am the Scripture and the examples of antiquity who observed that Rule held silence to be a womans Chiefest Eloquence and thought it their part to heare more then to speak and to learne rather then to teach As well then too much curiosity of Religion as too much neglect is a fault in women So that if their frailtie leade them into either extreames the husband hath the power of reprehension to keepe them in the golden mean Again if a wife be over frugall it may be supposed it is for the augmenting of her husbands estate and the benefit of his children If she be very bountifull it may be thought she intends her husbands credit and supportance of his estimation Likewise if others mislike her carriage it may be her modesty seemes proude unto them or her familiarity otherwise breedeth contempt Lastly if thro infirmity she fall into any inconvenience some thing is to be imputed to the weaknes of her sexe some matter of excuse there is in the reveness of such an offence In all or either of these aggrievances the husband hath allways the priviledge of reproove which yet ought to be given at all times and in the circumstances and occasions under present consideration with such a spirit of wisdom meeknes tendernes and discretion as that one soft word may sooner perswade and work upon her minde then a frowning Countenance and a frown of his sooner then a sowre and austere demeanure and then what more Soveraigne Balsome can there be in this world then the tender reprehension of a loving husband this must needs be so farr from wounding that it softens cleanseth heales and strengthens and yet the very wounds of a reall constant and long approved friend we reade are more to be preserved then the kisses of an enemie and if this be true as most undoutedly it is how highly is the Precious Oyle of soft reproof to be prized when dropping so sweetly like that honney from those life breathing lipps of a deare and tender Spouse studying with greatest diligence what may make for the reall prosperity of his wifes outward and inward man with all present and future hppynes that can attend her wish in whose felicity the wellfare of his own Soule and life is so much bound up Certainly there can not be found any woman so devoid of reason and judgment but that she will embrace such inestimable Tokens of truest and noblest Love with greater fondnes and affection that the long
the world Were such a Conclusion of any force I would thus dispute Catline was a Traytor Verres a Thiefe Nero a murderer Aegistus an adulterer Machivell atheisticall Jovianus hereticall Battus a foole c. Theife all were men Mysogenes was a man therefore Mysogenes is a traitor a thiefe a murderer an adulterer atheisticall hereticall a foole c. would not the meanest swaine conclude I was out of my sences to argue thus and laugh me to scorne for a dunce in Logick The argument now is the same with theirs which if they shall dislike then they themselves cleare women of whatsoever is heer spoken against them if they notwithstanding all that hath been sayd shall approove of the argument they have all this while travailed with the Pellicane and the birth of their own Child will be their own destruction and if not their absolute ruine yet at least their perpetuall disgrace and infamie By this time perchance their heat is allayed and they who before this were apt to think all women absolute evils yet now blushing for shame they may recant their error and refining their phrase may terme them at best but necessary evils This indeed is a too common speech and most men think they have judiciously spoken when they have thus defined the matter That they are necessarie I will readily grant since He that made man saw it was not good that man should be without such meet helps as theise That they are evils in that abstract I utterly deny since he that made the woman saw that all he made was good and besides his generall blessing given unto all his workes he gave Adam a peculiar blessing and distinct from all which was in that fruitfulnes of procreation which could not be without that womans help Is woman Good then in the jugdment of God and in your opinion necessarie then once againe you must alter your stile and henceforth denounce her a Necessary Good For theise very termes Necessary and Evil are inconsistent one with an other and imply a contradiction in terminis both beeing repugnant to each other All things that are necessarie for man are Good foode is necessarie aparrell is necessarie the fire aire earth water c. are all necessarie therefore food rayment fire c. and women allso beeing necessarie tho the reall beeing and well beeing of mans life are allso good Otherwyse we must suppose God hath tyed man to most rigid termes and conditions that some things are made necessary to his very beeing and yet that thing should in it self be evil in this wee highly impaire that wisdomâ— of God and detract from his Holinesse and goodnes But to satisfie some Chief authors of this receivid opinion I will acknowledge that some women are less Good then others and thence they incurr the name of evil and nature requiring a necessity of them thence they receive that title of necessary and from both they are branded with the infamie of Necessarie Evils An attribute yet not appropriated unto them alone but usually allso applyed unto men Alexander Severus the Roman Emperour called his Councellours who surely were or ought to be men of the greatest abilities Necessarie Evils The Officers in his court Necessary Evils Hybicus likewise called Euthidamus his friend his Necessarie Evil Varro his testie brother his necessarie evil Martiall his angry brother his necessarie evil with whom sayth he I can neither live well nor yet live without him But to breake off this idle cavile whith hath too long detaind me from my purpose Let Mysagenes steepe his quill in the of Invection let him speake with as open mouth as ever Satyr did yet all that can be alleadged as offences of wives against their husbands are only such as are either expressly mentioned or else directly may be reduced unto my three former heads Secondly then that the corrections lawfully used by a husband unto his wyfe ought to be no other then I have prescribed remaines yet to be more amply prooved For the first that Divorcement in cases prefixt are the sole and only lawfull punishment the Law it self affords such faire testimonies and the practise of all lawyers hithertoo have given such full confirmation that now it is too late either to be denyed or gainsayed For the twoo other M. Aurelius a Consull Sometimes and councellour shall speake for me A wife sayth he is often to be admonished to be reprehended but seldome but never to be dealt ' withall with violent hands Where you see not only a flat denyall of any rigorous sort of correcting wives but withall a plaine assertion of my prescribed punishments admonition and reprehension Admonition is that which with a soft and tender hand bindeth up the bruises of a friend and therefore most needfull in marriage the nearest of any friendships Hence the Law injoyns us to deale with our wives in milde termes in sweet words affectionate and patheticall perswasions powerfull and attractive arguments and exhibit to them such winning examples of our kind demeanure c. That whereas by nature women are milde loving gentle and faire there might not be the least inclination in them to refuse a firme complyall unto That meek spirit which is so like their own good Genius especially when so powerfully invited thereunto and constrained if that word can be proper in this place by the golden twist of heart uniting Love Mercurie saith Plutarch was seated the next God unto Vénus because in marriage there is allways need of settled reason and a faire language Mars was then ushering of Jupiter in a place remote because warrs are only fitt for kings and States Reprehension we have added in the second place that whereas Admonition with its smooth carriage prevaileth not the rereprehension with sharper intreatie might take effect Hence the Law councelleth that overmuch lenity is to be mixt with some few graines of Severity not rigour c. and of them both to be made a third temperature or golden compound called Mediocritie By which in all our reprooves we shall be so guided as neither using too much exasperation or indulgence we may soone reforme whatsoever Offence we seek to redress God commanded that in the Arke of the Tabernacle directly over his two Statute Tables Manna should be preserved but together with Moses rod Papyrius set up before the Senâ—te house in Rome the image of Mercy but allso placed the image of Justice by In both which kindes of Correction the success will be far more effectual if we leade the way before by our example which by our words we perswade our wives to follow for the abbreviarie of a husbands words and actions is as if it were the Chamber-glasse by which the wife should take direction to Dress her self from top to toe At his tongue she should learne to speake by his cariage she should compose her behaviour And a 1000 times safer way it is as in a Case
things unto himself profit him where in could pleasures of Paradice delight him what joy could he take in his angelicall perfection when he had none to converse withal but with beastes trees Stones or such like who could neither understand his reports or returne him contented answers Wherefore He who before saw all his workes good saw now that it was not good for man whose soule was fitted for communion to be alone but sayd letus make him a helper like unto himself Where the All-eternall Creator who created all other things as he spake the word for he but spake and they were forth with made doth now in this particular take deliberation as it were and calleth to councell the whole Trinity denothing that He had in hand a more divine work and was to frame a creature of dignity He taketh i reason to his assistance and wisdome to manifest that now he was labouring most curiously to frame a Microcosme or such an Epitomie of his own divine Excellencie and perfection as should startle all the visible creation and render its self the Object of its own admiration in short to Create Such a Miror of humanity with such excellent qualifications or faculties of a Rationall Souls as might sewe for the ELOHIM to behold the shadow or Image of himselfe Therein Now Observe after what glorious manner God created the man in the same manner God proceedeth in the creation of the woman whom he made as an equall associate and fellow helper for man For so God is pleased to call her name who best knew her nature Poor Adam let the world now judg whither then thou needest not a Helper when heeing the worlds sole heire unto the worlds Diadem thou hadest not so much as any friend to speake a word unto or a servant to obey thy rationall and wise commands No bended knee did to thee homage then Nor creeping courtier fawne upon thy State Beasts were thy Savage Guard insteed of men VVhose senssless Sence could neither love nor hate Yet-again most blessed fortunate Adam for God out of thy own deare self created a meet helper for thee more dutifull then any Servant more dear then any friend That whatsoever was deficient to the perfection of thy felicity might in this new and last addition be fully accomplished That instead of Solitarines thou mightest enjoy a joyfull companion and in Stead of barrenness thou mightest be eternally honoured for the worlds Grandsire This was thy last but thy greatest of any mortall indowment Neither was it without cause that she was last of all made for as Princess preparing to come unto her imperiall citie hath her harbingers sent before her house adorned and beautifyed her court replenished her attendants ready and all things for her due entertainment prepared so it was convenient that before the Queen of the great world was created the world her receptacle should first be perfected Paradice the Metropolitane citie of her residence finished and all things else ready furnishd to her hands Thus God vouchsafed to honour the first birth of his fairest creature nothing at all less then that of mans and in some things also far beyond him Adam was moulded out of the dust and clay of the earth the womam was framed out of the purifyed body of man Neither was she made of the lowest part that so she might not seeme inferiour to him nor yet out of the highest part that so she might not challenge Superiority but out of the middle of his body of a ribh taken out of his left side that thereby she might appear not only his equall but be most dearly esteemed as the great Guardian of his Heart and vitall parts Supplying the office of that left ribb in whose place and stead she was created which defends the heart who in that privie chamber rests it self and which the arme as his beloved darling naturally embraceth To teach obdurate man that woman is the Goddesse to whom of all creatures he ought to Sacrifice his own heart love that she is the Chiefest Object on whom he should bestow the chaste imbracements of his armes or thus much else to intimate that as it is woman only whose love of all creatures should inherit the heart of man so it is especially woman whose defence should merit the arme of man Woman therefore by the divine power of creation was made of man and man by a strange kind of Metamorphosis converted into woman For when that death had ceized on Adam and God had taken forth his ribb he closed up the breach with tender flech insteede of the hard bone to the end that as his heart had now a more soft pillow to relye it self upon so his minde should now become more mollyfied and insteed of its naturall fiercenesse be-begin now to assume a naturall mildnesse Which speedly took effect for as soone as he was awaked he aknowled hed himself devided and turning unto this now beature perclived himself imparted unto her Wherefore his first words and moming songe were words of amity and a fong of love this nowis bone of my bone and flech of my flech For God so liheâ—ly graved on this bone All Adams beauties that but hardly one Could have the liver from his love descryd Or known the bridegroome from his gentle bride Saving that she had a more Soaring Eie A Smoother Chin a Cheek of purer die A fainter voice a more enticeing face A deeper tress a more delightfull grace And in her bosome more then lillie white Two swelling mounts of jvory panting ligh Spring of all joyes Sweet Hee shee coupled One Thy Sacred birth I never think upon But ravishd I admire how God did then Make two of one and One of Two againe For no sooner were these of One divided into Two and made distinct and personall but straitways again they were of two contracted into One and made the same and individuall Their creation was presently accompanyed with institution of their marriage where in Adam received his own again with rich advantage Hee lost as farr as we reade but a bare bone he received it again branched into many bones wrapped up in tender flesh twisted on curious joynts full of lively Spirits flowing with youthfull bloud characterized with azure veines in proportion absolute beautifull in colour lovely to the eye delightfull to be talkd withall In a word his very like He lost his bone without any Sence of paine he received it again with an extasie of joy In regard of which blessed and happy surprizal he is established for himself and all Succeding ages an eternall Law Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and cleave unto his wife and they two shall be One flesh This was his Hyminall Song this was the first Stature of Adam made heer in Paradise when he was pure as the Angells themselves in