Tately and filthy, what damnation tarrieth for them! St. Paul defcribeth it to them, faying, Neither whoremongers, I Cor. vi. neither adulterers, fhall inherit the kingdom of God. This horrible judgment of God ye be escaped through his mercy, if fo be that ye live infeparately, according to God's ordinance. But yet I would not have you carelefs without watching. For the Devil will affay to attempt all things to interrupt and hinder your hearts and godly purpofe, if ye will give him any entry. For he will either labour to break this godly knot once begun betwixt you, or elfe at the leaft he will labour to incumber it with divers griefs and difpleasures. And this is the principal craft, to work diffenfion of hearts of the one from the other; that whereas now there is pleafant and fweet love betwixt you, he will in the ftead thereof bring in most bitter and unpleasant difcord. And furely that fame adversary of ours doth, as it were from above, affault man's nature and condition. For this folly is ever from our tender age grown up with us, to have a defire to rule, to think highly of ourfelves, fo that none thinketh it meet to give place to another. That wicked voice of stubborn will and felf-love is more meet to break and to diffever the love of heart, than to preferve concord. Wherefore married perfons muft apply their minds in moft earneft wife to concord, and muft crave continually of God the help of his holy Spirit, fo to rule their hearts and to knit their minds together, that they be not diffevered by any divifion or difcord. This neceffity of prayer muft be oft in the practice and ufing of married perfons, that ofttimes the one fhould pray for the other, left hate and debate do arife betwixt them. And because few do confider this thing, but more few do perform it, (I day, to pray diligently,) we fee how wonderfully the Devil deludeth and fcorneth this ftate, how few matrimonies there be without chidings, brawlings, tauntings, repentings, bitter curfings, and fightings. Which things whofoever doth commit, they do not confider that it is the inftigation of the ghoftly enemy, who taketh great delight therein; for elfe they would with all earneft endeavour ftrive against thefe mifchiefs, not only with prayer, but alfo with all poffible diligence. Yea, they would not give place to the provocation of wrath, which ftirreth them either to fuch rough and fharp words of ftripes, which is furely compaffed by the Devil, whose temptation, if it be followed, muft needs begin and weave the web of all miferies and forrows. For this is moft certainly certainly true, that of fuch beginnings muft needs enfue the breach of true concord in heart, whereby all love. muft needs fhortly be banished. Then can it not be but a miferable thing to behold, that yet they are of neceffity compelled to live together, which yet cannot be in quiet together. And this is moft cuftomably every where to be feen. But what is the caufe thereof? Forfooth, because they will not confider the crafty trains of the Devil, and therefore give not themselves to pray to God, that he would vouchfafe to reprefs his power. Moreover, they do not confider how they promote the purpose of the Devil, in that they follow the wrath of their hearts, while they threat one another, while they in their folly turn all upfide down, while they will never give over their right, as they esteem it; yea, while many times they will not give over the wrong part indeed. Learn thou therefore, if thou defireft to be void of all these miseries, if thou defireft to live peaceably and comfortably in wedlock, how to make thy earnest prayer to God, that he would govern both your hearts by the holy Spirit, to reftrain the Devil's power, whereby your concord may remain perpetually. But to this prayer must be joined a fingular diligence, whereof St. Peter giveth this precept, faying, You bufbands, deal with your wives according to knowledge, giving honour to the wife, as unto the weaker veffel, and as unto them that are beirs alfo of the grace of life, that your prayers be not bindered. This precept doth particularly pertain to the hufband: for he ought to be the leader and author of love, in cherishing and increafing concord; which then fhall take place, if he will use moderation, and not tyranny, and if he yield fomething to the woman. For the woman is a weak creature, not endued with like ftrength and conftancy of mind; therefore they be the fooner difquieted, and they be the more prone to all weak affections and difpofitions of mind, more than men be; and lighter they be, and more vain in their fantafies and opinions. Thefe things must be confidered of the man, that he be not too ftiff, fo that he ought to wink at fome things, and muft gently expound all things, and to forbear. Howbeit, the common fort of men do judge that fuch moderation fhould not become a man; for they fay, that it is a token of womanish cowardness, and therefore they think that it is a man's part to fume in anger, to fight with fift and ftaff. Howbeit, howfoever they imagine, undoubtedly St. Peter doth better judge what fhould be feeming to a man, and what he fhould fhould most reasonably perform. For he faith, Reafoning fhould be used, and not fighting. Yea, he faith more, that the woman ought to have a certain bonour attributed to ber; that is to fay, the must be fpared and borne with, the rather for that he is the weaker veffel, of a frail heart, inconftant, and with a word foon ftirred to wrath. And therefore, confidering thefe her frailties, fhe is to be the rather fpared. By this means thou fhalt not only nourish concord, but fhalt have her heart in thy power and will. For honeft natures will fooner be retained to do their duties, rather by gentle words than by ftripes. But he which will do all things with extremity and feverity, and doth use always rigour in words and ftripes, what will that avail in the conclufion? Verily nothing, but that he thereby fetteth forward the Devil's work, he banisheth away concord, charity, and fweet amity, and bringeth in diffenfion, hatred, and irksomeness, the greatest griefs that can be in the mutual love and fellowship of man's life. Beyond all this, it bringeth another evil therewith, for it is the deftruction and interruption of prayer: for in the time that the mind is occupied with diffenfion and difcord, there can be no true prayer ufed. For the Lord's Prayer hath not only a refpect to particular perfons, but to the whole univerfal; in the which we openly pronounce, that we will forgive them which have offended against us, even as we ask forgiveness of our fins of God. Which thing how can it be done rightly, when their hearts be at diffenfion? How can they pray each for other, when they be at hate betwixt themselves? Now, if the aid of prayer be taken away, by what means can they fuftain themselves in any comfort? For they cannot otherwife either refift the Devil, or yet have their hearts ftaid in ftable comfort in all perils and neceffities, but by prayer. Thus all difcommodities, as well worldly as ghoftly, follow this froward teftinefs, and cumbrous fiercenefs in manners, which be more meet for brute beafts than for reasonable creatures. St. Peter doth not allow these things; but the Devil defireth them gladly. Wherefore take the more heed. And yet a man may be a man, although he doth not ufe fuch extremity, yea, although he fhould diffemble fome things in his wife's manners. And this is the part of a Chriftian man, which both pleafeth God, and ferveth alfo in good ufe to the comfort of their marriage ftate. Now as concerning the Wife's duty. What fhall become her? fhall the abufe the gentlenefs and humanity of her husband, and, at her plea fure, fure, turn all things upfide down? No, furely; for that is far repugnant against God's commandment; for thus doth St. Peter preach to them, Ye wives, be ye in fubjection to 1 Pet. i. obey your own bufbands. To obey is another thing than to control or command, which yet they may do to their children, and to their family: but as for their bufbands, them must they obey, and ceafe from commanding, and perform fubjection. For this furely doth nourish concord very much, when the wife is ready at hand at her hufband's commandment, when the will apply herself to his will, when the endeavoureth herfelf to feek his contentation, and to do him pleature, when fhe will efchew all things that might offend him: for thus will moft truly be verified the faying of the Poet, A good wife by obeying ber bufband fhall bear the rule, fo that he shall have a delight and a gladness the fooner at all times to return home to her. But, on the contrary part, when the wives be flubborn, froward, and malapert, their bufbands are compelled thereby to abbor and flee from their own boufes, even as they bould bave battle with their enemies. Howbeit, it can fcantly. be, but that fome offences fhall fometime chance betwixt them for no man doth live without fault, ipecially, for that the woman is the more frail party. Therefore let them beware that they ftand not in their faults and wilfulness; but rather let them acknowledge their follies, and fay, My husband, fo it is, that by my anger I was compelled to do this or that: forgive it me, and hereafter I will take better heed. Thus ought the woman more readily to do, the more they be ready to offend. And they fhall not do this only to avoid ftrife and debate, but rather in the respect of the commandment of God, as St.. Paul expreffeth it in this form of words: Let women be Ephef. v. fubject to their bufbands, as to the Lord: for the bufband is the bead of the woman, as Chrift is the bead of the church. Here you understand, that God hath commanded that ye fhould acknowledge the authority of the hufband, and refer to him the honour of obedience. And St. Peter faith in that place before rehearfed, that holy matrons did in former time deck themselves, not with gold and filver, but in putting their whole hope in God, and in obeying their husbands; as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord; whofe daughters ye be, faith he, if ye follow ber example. This fentence is very meet for women to print in their remembrance. Truth it is, that they muft Ipecially feel the grief and pains of their matrimony, in that they relinquish the liberty of their own rule, in the pain of their travelling, in the bringing up of their children. In which offices they be in great perils, and be grieved with great afflictions, which they might be without, if they lived out of matrimony. But St. Peter faith, that this is the chief ornament of holy matrons, in that they fet their bope and trust in God; that is to fay, in that they refufed not from marriage for the business thereof, for the gifts and perils thereof; but committed all fuch adventures to God, in moft fure truft of help, after that they have called upon his aid. O woman, do thou the like, and fo fhalt thou be most excellently beautified before God and all his angels and faints, and thou needeft not to feek further for doing any better works. For, obey thy husband, take regard of his requests, and give heed unto him to perceive what be requireth of thee, and fo fhalt thou honour God, and live peaceably in thy houfe. And beyond all this, God fhall follow thee with his benediction, that all things fhall well profper, both to thee and to thy husband, as the Pfalm faith, Bleffed is the man which feareth God, and walketh in his ways; thou shalt have the fruit of thine own hands; happy halt thou be, and well it Shall go with thee. Thy wife fhall be as a vine, plentifully Spreading about thy boufe. Thy children fhall be as the young fprings of the olives about thy table. Lo, thus shall that man be bleffed, faith David, that feareth the Lord. This let the wife have ever in mind, the rather admonished thereto by the apparel of her head, whereby is fignified, that fhe is under covert or obedience of her hufband. And as that apparel is of nature fo appointed, to declare her fubjection; fo biddeth St. Paul, that all other of her raiment fhould exprefs both fhamefacedness and fobriety. For if it be not lawful for the woman to have her head bare, but to bear thereon the fign of her power, wherefoever fhe goeth; more is it required that the declare the thing that is meant thereby. And therefore thofe ancient women of the old world called their hufbands Lords, and fhewed them reverence in obeying them. But peradventure fhe will fay, that thofe men loved their wives indeed. I know that well enough, and bear it well in mind. But when I do admonish you of your duties, then call not to confideration what their duties be. For when we ourfelves do teach our children to obey us as their parents; or when we reform our fervants, and tell them that they fhould obey their mafters, not only at the eye, but as the Lord; if they fhould tell us again our duties, we fhould not think it well done. For when we be |