her It was Gods commandement to Abraham concerning Sarah his wife Let it not be grieuous in thy sight for the child and for thy bond-woman in all that Sarah shall say vnto thee heare her voice For in Isaak shall thy seed be called Gen. 21. 12. Thus Elkanah was willing to subscribe vnto his wife Annaes aduice for her tarrying at home till the child was weaned 1. Sam. 1. 23. And Elkanah her husband said vnto her do what seemeth thee best tarrie vntill thou hast weaned him only the Lord accomplish his word Hereupon the Heathen Philosopher said That the master of the familie exerciseth after a sort a power Tyrannical ouer his seruants a power Regall ouer his children because Kings are fathers of their Cōmon-weales but in respect of his wife he exerciseth a power Aristocraticall not after his owne will but agreeable to the honor and dignitie of the married estate and consequently that he ought not in modestie to challenge the priuiledge of prescribing and aduertising his wife in al matters domesticall but in some to leaue her to her owne will and iudgement Heere question is moued whether the husband may correct the wife Answ. Though the husband be the wiues head yet it seemeth he hath no power nor libertie granted him in this regard For we reade not in the Scriptures any precept or example to warrant such practise of his authoritie He may reproue admonish her in word only if he seeth her in fault For thus we reade that Iacob censured his wife being impatient euen in anger Gen. 30. 2. Am I in Gods stead which hath withholden from thee the fruit of the wombe And Iob reproued his wife Iob 2. 10. Thou speakest like a foolish woman What Shall we receiue good at the hand of God and not receiue euill But hee may not chastise her either with stripes or stroks The reason is plaine Wiues are their husbands mates and they two be one flesh And no man will hate much lesse beat his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it Ephes. 5. 29. Againe it is the commandement of God that man should not trespasse against the wife of his youth Malac. 2. 15. Chrysostome saith It is the greatest reproch for any man that can bee to beate his wife Plutarch in the life of Cato the Censor affirmeth that he which smiteth his wife doth all one as if he should lay violent hands vpon the sacred images of the gods which was counted an high degree of offence among the Heathen It is alledged Husbands are cōmanded so to loue their wiues as Christ doth his Church now Christ chastiseth his Church with strokes therefore so may the husband his wife Answ. As Christ doth entirely loue his Church so hee may also chastise the same because hee is not only the husband but also absolute Lord and King of his Church so is not the husband absolute ouer the wife But his authority ouer the wife is after a sort ciuill as is the authoritie of the Magistrate ouer his people Ans. It is not so For the Magistrate hath in his hand the power of the sword by which power he inflicteth punishment in case of offence But the husband can challenge to himselfe no such power yea it is flatly forbidden in the Ciuil law that he should scourge or strike his wife Neuerthelesse if she grow to extremities and be desperately peruerse so as there be no hope of amendment then the Magistrate may be informed who to preuent scandals and to prouide for publike peace both ought and may assigne vnto her necessary correction and punishment according to her desert Now the husband that hath a wife so stubborne and peeuish must beare it if it may be borne as the portion of his crosse laid vpon him by God And in this case if he be impatient he may in some sort be pardoned and pitied but he is not wholly to be excused CHAP. 12. Of the Wife THe wife is the other married person who being subiect to her husband yeeldeth obedience vnto him Touching the subiection of the wife the word of God mētioneth it in sundrie places Rom. 7. 2. The woman which is in subiection to the man is bound by the law to the man while he liueth Ephes. 5. 24. As the Church is in subiection to Christ euen so let the wiues bee to their husbands in euery thing Colos. 3. 18. Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands as it is comely in the Lord. 1. Tim. 2. 12. I permit not a woman to vsurpe authoritie ouer the man And it was a law established by God immediately after the fal Gen. 3. 16. Vnto the woman he said I wil greatly increase c. and thy desire shal be subiect to thine husband and he shall rule ouer thee Indeed the daughter according to the Ciuill law euen when shee is married is in the power of her father and not of her husband But this is directly against the law of Moses and crosseth the law of Nature Leuit. 22. 12. 13. Numb 30. 13. Now the duties of the wife are principally two The first is to submit her selfe to her husband and to acknowledge and reuerence him as her head in all things Gen. 20. 16. Likewise Abimelech said vnto Sarah Behold thy brother that is thy husband whom thou callest thy brother is the vaile of thine eyes to all that are with thee As if he should say Thy husband is thy head and hath power ouer thee and thou oughtest to reuerence him For of ancient times the wife was couered with a vaile in the presence of her husband in token of subiection to him Thus Rebekah at the sight of Isaak tooke a vaile and couered her head therewith Gen. 24. 65. 1. Cor. 11. 3. The man is the womans head Ephes. 5. 22. Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands as vnto the Lord for the husband is the wiues head euen as Christ is the head of his Church The reason hereof is good For the wife enioyeth the priuiledges of her husband and is graced by his honor and estimation amongst men His Nobilitie maketh her noble though otherwise shee is base and meane as contrariwise his basenesse and low degree causeth her though shee bee by birth noble and honorable to bee by estate base and meane The second dutie is to be obedient vnto her husband in all things that is wholly to depend vpon him both in iudgement and will For looke as the Church yeelds obedience to Christ her head and yeelds her selfe to be commanded gouerned and directed by him so ought the woman to the man So Sarah is said to obey Abraham and to giue him the termes of obedience Shee called him Lord or Sir 1. Pet. 3. 6. Hence it followeth that the woman is not to take libertie of wandring and straying abroad from her owne house without the mans knowledge cōsent 2. King 4. 22. Then she called to her husband and said Send with me
the one from the other or of those that be parents from their children considering that God himselfe hath made these societies and ioyned such persons together and therefore man may not separate them V. That the masters do not take libertie to put ouer their seruants to vngodly and vnbelieuing masters for that is an vnkind and cruell libertie may be an apparāt occasion to make the seruant fall away from religion and renounce the true God VI. That they do not bind them to perpetuall slauery neuer make them free Exo. 21. 5. But if the seruant say thus I loue my master my wife and my children I will not go out free VII That the seruitude be not procured and retained by force for it is a more grieuous crime to spoile a man of his libertie then of his riches Now y t the same power limited with these cautions is lawfull warrantable in cōsciēce it appears by these reasons I. God hath ordained allowed it euen by warrant of his owne law The posteritie of Cham was cursed by Noah and condemned to slauerie Gen. 9. 25. And he said Cursed be Cham a seruant of seruants shal he be to his brethren So were the Gibeonites by Ioshua Ios. 9. 23. Now therefore yee are cursed and there shall none of you be freed from being bond-men and hewers of wood drawers of water for the house of my God So was the theefe Exo. 22. 3. If he had not wherewith to make restitution then hee should bee sold for his theft Again those that are ouercome in war may be held captiue and it is lawful for the conquerer to kill them therefore to make them slaues and if being takē they be saued from death they owe all that they haue to them by whom they are saued II. The law of God gaue libertie to any mā that would to make sale of himselfe to another Leuit. 25. 45. Of the children of the strangers that are soiourners among you of them shal ye buy of their families that are with you which they begat in your land these shall be your possessiō Deut. 15. 12. If thy brother an Hebrew sell himself to thee or an Hebrewesse and serue thee six yeares euē in the seuenth yeare thou shalt let him go free from thee and vers 17. Thou shalt take an aule pierce his eare through against the doore and he shall be thy seruant for euer III. The mā that is ransommed frō his enemie is bound to serue as a slaue in liew of thankfulnesse IV. The examples of the godly in the Scriptures Abraham had seruants whom he bought for siluer Gen. 17. 12. Euerie manchild of eight daies old among you shal be circumcised in your generations as well he that is borne in thine house as he that is bough with money of any stranger which is not of thy seed Gen. 24. 35. The Lord hath blessed my master Abraham wōderfully for he hath giuen him sheep and beeues and siluer and gold men-seruants and maid-seruants and camels and asses V. The Apostles do not disallow of such seruāts but cōmand thē being seruants called to the professiō of Christianitie in that state not to change but to abide in their calling 1. Cor. 7. 21. Art thou called being a seruant care not for it It is alledged that such seruitude is against the law of nature Ans. It is indeed against the law of intire nature as it was before the fall but against the law of corrupted nature since the fall it is not But Christ hath purchased liberty to belieuers Coloss. 5. 11. Ans. Only a spirituall libertie in this life a corporal only in the life to come For though y ◠seruant in regard of faith the inner man be equal to his master because in Christ Iesus there is neither master nor seruāt bond nor free yet in regard of the outward man ciuill order amongst men the master is aboue the seruant and the seruant is must be subiect to the master Neuerthelesse where this kind of seruitude is abolished it is not to be againe receiued or intertained amongst Christians specially considering it is a far more milde and moderate course to haue hired seruants If it be said againe that the Heathen Philosopher holdeth seruitude to be naturall wherby some are by birth bond and others free I answere That seruitude proceedeth not of nature but hath his originall from the lawes of nations and is a consequent of the fall For all men by nature are equally indifferētly free none more or lesse then others CHAP. 17. Of the Master of the familie or goodman of the house THus much touching the diuers and seuerall combinations or couples belonging to the state Oeconomicall Frō which do arise two persons of a mixt or compounded nature and condition cōmonly called the Goodman the Goodwife of y e house The good man or master of the familie is a person in whom resteth the priuate and proper gouernment of the whole houshold and he comes not vnto it by election as it falleth out in other states but by the ordinance of God setled euen in the order of nature The husbād indeed naturally beares rule ouer the wife parents ouer their childrē masters ouer their seruāts but that person who by the prouidence of God hath y e place of an husband a father a master in his house the same also by the light of nature hath the principality soueraigntie therein and he is Paterfamilias the father and chiefe head of the familie to him therefore the true right and power ouer all matters domestical of right appertaineth The duties of the master of the familie are specially fiue I. To beare the chiefe stroke and to be the principal agent directer and furtherer of the worship of God within his familie Ios. 24. 15. I and my household wil serue the Lord. And this he doth partly by praying for with his houshold and partly by instructing thē in the holy Scriptures and in the grounds of religiō that they may grow in knowledge and reape benefit by the publike Ministerie Thus God commanded the men of Israel to walke in their families Deut. 6. 7. Thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou tariest in thine house when thou liest downe when thou risest vp Againe vers 20. When thy sonne shall aske thee what meane these testimonies and ordināces lawes which the Lord our God commanded you Then thou shalt say vnto thy son We were Pharaohs bondmen in Egypt but the Lord brought vs out of Egypt with a mightie hand This testimony God gaue of Abraham before the law was giuen Gen. 18. 19. For I know Abraham that he will command his sons and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord. And this houshold of Abraham was very large for the holy Ghost saies long before that he had three
hundred and eighteene that were borne and brought vp in his house Gen. 14. 14. It was in likelihood y e course of Salomon which he had learned of his father Dauid and giuen for a rule to al masters of families Prou. 4. 1. Heare O children the instruction of a father and giue eare to learne vnderstanding For I was my fathers sonne deare and tender in the sight of my mother when he taught me and said vnto me Let thine heart hold fast my words The company of the Disciples were the household of Christ and he himselfe did administer all parts of the seruice of God with them and among them Luk. 22. 15. To this purpose Augustine saith That the master of the familie doth after a sort and in his measure performe the dutie of a Churchman or Bishop within his house II. To bring his familie to y e Church or Congregation on the Sabbath day to looke that they do religiously there behaue themselues after the publike exercises ended the Congregation is dismissed to take account of that which they haue heard that they may profit in knowledge and obedience Act. 10. 24. The day after they entred into Caesarea Now Cornelius waited for them had called together his kinsmen special friends vers 33. Now therefore saith Cornelius to Peter are we all heere present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God Iob 1. 5. And when the daies of their banqueting were gone about Iob sent and sanctified them rose vp early in the morning offred burnt offerings c. 2. King 4. 23. And he said wherefore wilt thou go to him to day It is neither new moone nor Sabbath For this very cause the fourth Cōmandement is giuen first of all principally to the master of the familie that he might see the Sabbath kept and be a principal doer in all parts of Gods worship therein Exod. 20. 10. In it thou shalt not do any worke thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-seruant nor thy maid nor thy cattel nor thy stranger that is within thy gates Neither is this his care tied only to the Sabbath but vpon other daies besides it he ought to cause them of his houshold as much as in him lieth to repaire to places where the word of God is preached Commendable was the practise of Marie the sister of Martha in this case who when Christ came to her house is said to sit at his feete and attend vnto his preaching Luk 10. 39. III. To prouide for his family meat drinke and clothing and that they may liue a quiet peaceable life 1. Tim. 5. 8. Pro. 27. 26. The lambs are for thy clothing and the goats for the price of thy field v. 27. And let the milke of thy goats be sufficient for thy food for the food of thy familie and for the sustenance of thy maids 1. Cor. 9. 9. Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne doth God care for oxen either saith he it not altogether for our sakes Matth. 13. 52. Euery scribe which is taught vnto the kingdome of heauen is like vnto an housholder that brings forth out of his treasurie things both new and old IV. To keepe order and to exercise discipline in his house and that in this manner In case of offence when a capitall crime is committed which incurreth publike censure he is not to punish it himselfe but to bring the offender to the ciuill Magistrate to informe of his fault that he may haue his desert It was a course established by the Iudicial law which God gaue vnto Moses for his direction in causes criminall among the Israelites Deut. 21. 18. 19. 20. If any man hath a son that is stubborne disobedient which wil not hearken vnto the voice of his father nor the voice of his mother and they haue chastened him then shal his father and his mother take him and bring him out vnto the Elders of his citie and vnto the gate of the place where he dwelleth and shall say vnto the Elders of his citie This our son is stubborne and disobedient and he will not obey our admonition hee is a rioter and a drunkard Againe Deut. 13. 6. If thy brother the son of thy mother or thine own son or thy daughter or the wife that lieth in thy bosome or thy friend which is as thine owne soul entise thee secretly saying Let vs go and serue other gods which thou hast not known thou I say nor thy fathers thou shalt not consent vnto him nor heare neither shal thine eye pitie nor shew mercie nor keepe him secret Zach. 13. 3. And when any shall yet prophesie his father and his mother that begate him shall say vnto him Thou shalt not liue for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord and his father and his mother that begate him shall thrust him thorough when he prophesieth If the fault be of an inferiour nature and lesser in comparison the master of the familie ought to proceed by priuate censure vpon the delinquent partie sometimes by admonitiō otherwhiles by correction and chastisement according to the quality of the offence the condition state of the person Leuit. 19. 17. Thou shalt plainly rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer him to sin Mat. 1◠15. If thy brother sinne against thee go and tell him his fault betweene him and thee alone If he heare thee not take yet with thee one or two Prou. 29. 17. Correct thy sonne and he will giue thee rest and will giue pleasures to thy soule When admonitions and corrections will not preuaile the partie must bee brought before the Ministers and Gouernours of the Church that they may censure him Matth. 18. 17. If he will not heare them tell it vnto the Church And the Apostle Iames giueth order that the Ministers of the Church should come to those that are sicke and pray for them Iames 5. 14. which if they doe in case of infirmitie then they are also to be sought vnto in case of errour and offence committed for redresse But when none of all these meanes will do good if the partie be a seruant his master may and ought to remoue him Psal. 101. 7. There shall no deceitfull person dwell within mine house he that telleth lies shall not remaine in my sight Ioh. 8. 35. The seruant abideth not in the house for euer V. To giue intertainment to those that are strangers not of the familie if they be Christians and Belieuers but specially to the Ministers of the Word Rom. 12. 13. Giuing your selues to hospitalitie Hebr. 13. 2. Be not forgetfull to lodge strangers for hereby some haue receiued Angels into their houses vnawares This duty the woman of Shunem her husband performed vnto the Prophet Elisha 2. King 4. 10. Let vs make him a little chāber I pray thee with walles and let vs set him a bed there and
Christian Oeconomie OR A SHORT SVRVEY OF THE RIGHT MANNER OF erecting and ordering a Familie according to the Scriptures First written in Latine by the Author M. W. PERKINS and now set forth in the vulgar tongue for more common vse and benefit by THO. PICKERING Bachelar of Diuinitie PROV 24. 3 4. Through wisdome is an house builded and with vnderstanding it is established And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston and are to be sold by Edmund Weauer 1609. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE ROBERT Lord RICH Baron of Leeze c. RIght Honorable Among al the Societies States wherof the whole world of mankinde from the first calling of Adam in Paradise vnto this day hath consisted the first and most ancient is the Familie For if we looke into the Scriptures The writings of Moses which in time goe beyond all the Histories and Records of men doe euidently declare it was the will of God to sanctifie that first coniunction of Adam and Eue as the roote wherein mans whole posteritie was virtually contained and whence in the ages succeeding both Church and Common-weale should spring and grow to their perfection And all those nations and Countries before the Flood the Heads whereof lineally descended frō the two first houses of Seth and Cain had no outward forme of ciuill gouernment by which they were ruled nor any visible face of a Church whereto they had relation but the whole frame of their policie both Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall was confined within the precincts of priuate families And from the flood the house of Noah became the common Mother in which the other two states were included and out of whose bowels they issued afterward in the multiplication of posteritie for number equall to the starres of the skie and the sands by the sea shore Answerable to the voice of the scripture hath been the verdict of the Heathen in this point Some of the learned among them haue called the Familie the first societie in nature and the ground of all the rest Some againe haue compared it to the Bee-hiue which we call the Stock wherein are bred many swarmes which thence doe flie abroad into the world to the raising and maintaining of other States Others do not vnfitlie resemble the same to a Metropolis or mother Citie which first traineth vp her natiue inhabitants and then remoueth some of them to other places of abode where they may bee framed as members to liue in obedience to the lawes of their Head Vpon this condition of the Familie being the Seminarie of all other Societies it followeth that the holie and righteous gouernment thereof is a direct meane for the good ordering both of Church and Common-wealth yea that the lawes thereof being rightly informed and religiously obserued are auaileable to prepare and dispose men to the keeping of order in other gouernements Hence it is that the Holie Ghost in the booke of the Scriptures hath in great wisedome commended both Rules for direction and examples for imitation to Husbands and Wiues to Parents and Children to Masters and Seruants in euerie point of Christian carriage touching God and man For this first Societie is as it were the Schoole wherein are taught and learned the principles of authoritie and subiection And look as the Superiour that faileth in his priuate charge will proue vncapable of publike employment so the Inferiour who is not framed to a course of Oeconomicall subiection will hardly vndergoe the yoke of ciuill obedience Againe the corruption or declination of this first gouernment must of necessitie giue way to the ruinating of the rest For an error in the foundation puts the bodie and parts of the whole building in apparent hazard In the old world before the flood though all flesh had corrupted their waies yet the first ground of that vniuersall ouerflow of sinne issued out of the state Oeconomicall and thence was deriued into the whole earth It was the fault of the priuate gouernment of Eli the Priest that made his sonnes Hophni and Phinehas of vngratious children vngodlie Church-men It was the error of Dauid in the administration and guidance of his owne house which incouraged Absalom and Adoniah his sonnes vpon presumption of their Fathers indulgēce to become ill Common-wealths men to aspire and vsurpe the kingdom by plots and practises of Rebellion To forbeare further matter of instance in this kinde by the due consideration of the premisses I hold it a thing both necessarie and behoofefull for al estates to be throughly informed of the right manner of erecting and ordering the priuate condition of the Familie whereby they may be furnished with fit grounds for the commō good in more publike and open courses For which end this present Discourse of Christian Oeconomie was first contriued by the Author and now thought fit to be set foorth for the instruction and edification of y e multitude Which as it commendeth it selfe by the shortnes and perspicuitie both which being applied to vnderstanding and memorie may giue contentment to euerie well-disposed Reader so it carrieth a kinde of eminencie aboue other Treatises of this nature before published in sundrie regards First whereas Experience teacheth that the Questions of conscience in matrimoniall affaires are very many in number and difficult in nature here we shall finde either direct answeres to some of them or at least the grounds of resolution in diuers cases warranted by the word in such sort as little or nothing will appeare vpon the triall to be vntouched making for the Readers satisfaction Secondlie the maine scope of the Author in the seuerall branches hereof is to make plaine this truth in particular That no Familie can bee interessed in the blessing and fauour of God which is not founded in his feare and ordered according to his reuealed will For though the Heathen in their writings of the like Argument doe shew that Nature by her dimme light may affoord some good directions to this purpose and that men meerely natural haue prospered in the practise of Oeconomicall vertues yet the true happines of houses and inhabitants wholly dependeth vpon the speciall grace of God and issueth out of his promise and that is directed onely to them that feare him and walke in his waies it being godlinesse alone which hath the promises of this life and the life to come Therefore to dreame of a blessing in any other state which is not seasoned with godlinesse and ordered by direction of diuine lawe is but a witlesse presumption considering that the familie it selfe from whence they grow hath no further assurance of blessednesse then it hath right and title in the promise Lastly it containeth here and there some speciall grounds of trueth tending to the discouerie of diuers errors of Popish doctrine in points appertaining to Mariage as namely these I. That this estate is
vnder the iurisdiction of their parents It may not be For nature her selfe taketh it for granted that he which is not at his own libertie cannot yeeld to the giuing of himselfe The donation therefore remaines in the right of the parent in as much as the wil consent of the child ought to depend vpon his wil and consent to whom God hath giuen power and authoritie in this behalfe In the third place let the iudgement of the ancient Church be obserued Ambrose in his first booke of the Patriarch Abraham chap. 9. requires this consent in mariages which he saith is so equall and agreeable to nature that euē the Poets acknowledged the same For which purpose he reciteth two verses out of the Grecian Poet Euripides in his Tragedie called Andromacha wherin in when Orestes desired to marrie Hermion she frames him this answere That the matter of her mariage wholly depended vpon the pleasure and authoritie of her father was not in her owne power or libertie Innocentius who was both a Pope and Martyr in his decretall epistles so strictly requireth consent of parents as where it is wanting he concludes the mariage to be void In the Coūcell of Lateran it was decreed that Clandestine contracts secret mariages made and vndertaken betweene partie and partie should be holden as vnlawfull as mariages in those degrees of consanguinitie and affinitie which are forbidden by God Tertullian saith That in this world the sonne cannot rightly and lawfully marrie without the allowance of his father Basil in an Epistle to Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium affirmeth That mariages which are made without them which haue power ouer the parties are fornications and therefore that they which are ioyned together in mariage while their parents or masters liue are in no sort free from imputation of sin vntill they haue approbation from them for then mariage is ratified confirmed when they haue yeelded allowance thereunto The second Action touching the consummation of mariage is the action of the Minister And that is the blessing or sanctification thereof which is a solemne worke wherby the Minister pronouncing the parties contracted to be man and wife before the whole congregation commendeth them and their estate vnto God by solemne prayer This solemne sanctification is grounded vpon the practise of God himselfe who hauing giuen Euah to Adam blessed them saying Increase and multiplie Gen. 2. 22. and 1. 27. For that which God then gaue the Minister standing in his roome now prayeth may be giuen to the man and wife Yea it is agreeable to the generall rule of the Apostle Let all things bee done decently and in order 1. Cor. 14. 40. Now that this action is to be approued and vsed in the Church appeares by these reasons I. Mariage as it is a publike action so it is after a sort a spirituall and diuine ordinance whereby it differeth from the contract For the contract being meerely ciuill as it standeth by consent of men so by the same consent it may bee broken and dissolued but with mariage it is otherwise II. Marriage is the Seminarie of the Church and Common-wealth III. It was the practise of y e Primitiue Church Tertullian speaking of the marriage of Christians with Christians acknowledgeth himselfe not to bee able sufficiently to declare the happines of that coniunction which is made by the Church consecrated by prayers solemne seruice witnessed by the Angels and ratified by God himselfe Nicephorus reporteth of one Synesius who auouched that God the lawes and the holy hand of Thesphylus had giuen him a wife Ambrose saith That mariage ought to be sāctified with the vaile wherewith the Priest was wont to couer the Bride and the Bride-groome in the publike congregation and with his blessing The third and last action belonging to the accomplishment of this estate is that of the parties themselues whereby the Bride is in decent and modest manner brought vnto the house and home of the Bride-groome It is the law of this estate published by God himselfe in Paradise that the man euen in respect of habitation should leaue father and mother and cleaue to his wife Gen. 2. 24 Heere question is moued whether mariage is to be solemnized with mirth and feasting Answ. I. It is lawfull and warrantable to vse feasting and mirth at mariages because these be things indifferent and wee haue examples thereof in the Scriptures Laban made a feast at the wedding of Iacob and Rachel and inuited all the men of the place to it Gen. 29. 22. Christ himselfe did approue the resort of people to the mariage at Cana in Galilee both by his presence and by that honorable gift of sixe water-pots of the best wine Ioh. 2. 2. 7. 8. II. It is not only lawfull but conuenient and fit to be done if there be abilitie according to the commendable custome of the place countrie wherin men do dwell so as in the vse thereof these cautions bee obserued First that in mirth and merry-making there be care had that nothing be done which is dishonest prophane or of ill report Philip. 4. 8. Whatsoeuer things are honestpure of good report thinke on these things Secondly That ioy in them be mixed and moderated with the feare of God without which Laughter and reioycing is meere madnesse Eccles. 2. 2. Thirdly That it bee performed in a moderate and sober vse of the creatures without riot excesse Thus we reade that at the great feast of Ahashuerosh it was appointed by the King himself that they should drink orderly none might compel another to drinke more then he thought conuenient Ester 1. 8. And where weddings are kept contrary to these directions they are not feasts celebrated vnto God but vnto y e diuell which also may be said of all other festiuall meetings And so much touching the point of mariage in which this is to be remembred for a cōclusion That where there is generally a nullitie in the contract or a separation following vpon it there is also a nullity in regard of the consummation of mariage CHAP. 9. Of the duties of married persons THus farre haue we proceeded in the doctrine of marriage and now we come to the duties which they who bee maried are to performe each to other These are principally two Cohabitation and Communion Cohabitation is their quiet and comfortable dwelling together in one place for the better performance of mutuall duties 1. Cor. 7. 10. And to the married command I not I but the Lord let not the wife separate her selfe from her husband vers 12. But to the remnant I say not the Lord If any brother haue an vnbeleeuing wife and she be content to dwell with him let him not forsake her vers 13. And the wife which hath an vnbeleeuing husband which is content to dwell with her let her not forsake him 1. Pet. 3. 7. Likewise let the men dwell together as becōmeth them that
Of the Master NExt vnto parents and children wherby the family is increased is a second sort of couples which are helpes therunto And they are Masters and seruants The Master is a member in the familie which hath power and beareth rule ouer the seruant And his dutie stands principally in three things First To make a good choice of his seruants which is then done when he inquireth first after such as feare God and be willing to serue him Paul makes the seruice and feare of God the maine ground of true obedience in seruants Ephes. 6. 5. 6. 7. Colos. 3. 22. It was the rule of Dauids choice Psal. 101. 6. Hee that walketh in the perfect way he shall serue me Abrahams chiefe seruāt of his house was a man that feared God as appeareth in that he made conscience of his oath Gen. 24. 2. 3. and prayed also for successe in the busines whereabout he was sent Gen. 24. 12. O Lord God of my Master Abraham I beseech thee send mee good speed this day and shew mercie to my Master Abraham Cornelius of Caesarea the Captaine of the Italian band had a souldier that daily attended on him who feared God and seruants also beside him to whom hee made knowne the heauenly vision which hee saw Act. 10. 7. Secondly To enioyne them labour and not to require more of them then their strength will beare The master is to rule ouer the seruant in iustice And then is his cōmandement vniust whē it will not stād with the course of nature with the abilitie of his seruant or with the word of God Therefore he is to require labour at their hāds proportionable to their strength yeeld thē sometimes intercession rest Leuit. 25. 46. Ouer your brethen the children of Israel ye shall not rule ouer one another with crueltie 1. Pet. 3. 8. Bee pitifull bee courteous one beare with another And for the furtherance of busines it is conuenient that the master be oftentimes present with the seruāts in their works Prou. 27. 23. Be diligent to know the state of thy flock and take heed to thy heards The good matron ouerseeth the waies of her houshold Prou. 31. 27. A man of Libya being asked what it was that might make a horse fat he answered The masters eye Thirdly To recompence the diligence and paines of his seruant and that three waies First by giuing him his due of meat and drinke for the present The good matron giueth the portion to her houshold and the ordinary to her maids Prou. 31. 15. Secondly by paying him his hire in the end of his seruice The labourer is worthie of his wages Luk. 10. 7. Well done good seruant and faithfull thou hast been faithfull in little I will make thee ruler ouer much enter into thy masters ioy Mat. 25. 21. Heere three caueats are to be obserued I. That the wages be proportionable to the work II. That it be paid in due time without deferring So the Master of the vine-yard when euen was come called his seruants together to giue thē their hire Mat. 20. 8. III. That the seruāt be not defrauded of any part of his due For this is a crying sin Deut. 24. 15. Thou shalt giue him his hire for his day neither shall the Sunne go downe vpon it lest hee crie against thee vnto the Lord and it bee sinne vnto thee Iam. 5. 4. Behold the hire of the labourers which haue reaped your fields which is kept backe by fraud crieth and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of hosts Thirdly if the seruant in time of his seruice be sicke the masters care must be by all means possible to procure his recouery Equitie must be the rule in these cases and masters are to do to their seruants that which is iust and equall Col. 4. 1. Now the seruant haplie falles sicke by and in his seruice and his health yeelds not only profit to his master but incouragement also to himselfe The good Centurion in case of his seruants sicknesse tooke the best course to haue him restored Matth. 8. 6. CHAP. 16. Of the Seruant THe Seruant is a person in the family subiect vnto his master The dutie of a seruāt is faithfully and diligētly to demeane himselfe in the affaires of his master and to doe seruice vnto him as vnto Christ though he be froward and hard-harted Titus 2. 9. Let seruants be subiect to their masters and please them in all things not answering againe Ephes. 6. 5. Seruants be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh with feare trembling in singlenes of your hearts as vnto Christ. Col. 3. 22. Thus Iacob serued Laban Gen. 31. 38. This twentie yeares haue I bin with thee thine ewes and thy goates haue not cast their yong and the rammes of the flocke haue I not eaten c. Contrariwise the seruant must take heed that he doe not his masters businesse negligently or for fashion sake or with eye-seruice as a man-pleaser that in case of rebuke or controlement he answere not againe lastly that hee be trustie withhold his hands from picking and his heart from deceiuing his master Seruants are of two sorts either free or bond-seruants A free-seruant is he whom his master hireth for wages to do him seruice To him belongs the iust paiment of his hire and in case of offence them master hath authoritie to censure and correct him prouided that in the execution thereof respect bee had vnto his age and the correction be vsed with moderation as if hee were his sonne A bond-seruant is a seruant bought for money and is commonly called a slaue Touching this sort a question is moued whether a Christian may with safe conscience haue and vse a man as his slaue Answ. The power right of hauing bond-men in those countries where it is established by positiue lawes may stand with good cōscience if it be vsed with moderation That authoritie in this behalfe is moderate wherein these seuen caueats be obserued I. That the master haue not ouer his seruant the power of life and death for this takes away the lawful power of the Magistrate to whom only the Lord hath committed the sword of iustice II. That there be not libertie granted him to vse his seruant at his owne will and pleasure in all things for this was not granted by the law of God to his owne people Exod. 21. 26. If a man smite his seruant or his maid in the eye and hath perished it he shall let him go free for his eye Also if he smite out his seruants or his maids tooth he shall let him go out free for his tooth III. That the power be not enlarged to the commanding of things against piety or iustice for in these cases a man must rather obey God then man Act. 4. 19. IV. That masters do not take libertie to make separation of those their seruants that be married