How a man ought to behave himself in reading of doctors, them into the pits which they digged for other men; and sendeth them a dazing in the head; and utterly destroyeth them with their own subtle counsel. Prepare thy mind therefore unto this little treatise, and read it discreetly, and judge it indifferently, and when I and also in allege any Scripture, look thou on the text whether I inter the Scrip ture. pret it right: which thou shalt easily perceive, by the circumstance and process of them; if thou make Christ the foundation and the ground, and build all on him, and referest all to him; and findest also that the exposition agreeth unto the common articles of the faith, and open Scriptures. And God the Father of mercy, which for his truth's sake raised our Saviour Christ up again to justify us, give thee his Spirit to judge what is righteous in his eyes, and give thee strength to abide by it, and to maintain it with all patience and long-suffering, unto the example and edifying of his congregation, and glory of his name. Amen. THE OBEDIENCE OF ALL DEGREES PROVED BY GOD'S WORD: AND FIRST OF CHILDREN GOD (which worketh all in all things,) for a secret judgment and purpose, and for his godly pleasure, provided an hour that thy father and mother should come together, to make thee through them. He was present with thee in thy mother's womb, and fashioned thee and breathed life into thee; and, for the great love he had unto thee, provided milk in thy mother's breasts for thee against thou were born; moved also thy father and mother, and all other, to love thee, to pity thee, and to care for thee. And as he made thee through them, so hath he cast thee under the power and authority of them, to obey and serve and mo thers are to be in God's stead. them in his stead; saying, Honour thy father and mother. Our fathers (Exod. xx.) Which is not to be understood in bowing the knee, and putting off the cap only, but that thou love them with all thine heart; and fear and dread them, and wait on their commandments; and seek their worship, pleasure, will and profit in all things; and give thy life for them, counting them worthy of all honour; remembering that thou art their good and possession, and that thou owest unto them thine own self, and all thou art able, yea, and more than thou art able to do. Understand also, that whatsoever thou doest unto them What we (be it good or bad,) thou doest unto God. When thou pleasest them thou pleasest God; when thou displeasest mothers them thou displeasest God; when they are angry with thee God is angry with thee: neither is it possible for thee to come to the favour of God again (no, though all the angels of heaven 'pray for thee,) until thou have submitted thyself unto thy father and mother again. If thou obey, (though it be but carnally, either for fear, for vain glory, or profit,) thy blessing shall be long life upon the earth. For he saith, Honour thy father and mother, that thou mayest live long upon the earth. (Exod. xx.) Contrariwise, if thou disobey them, thy life shall be shortened upon the earth. For it followeth, (Exod. xxi.) He that smiteth his father or mother shall be put to death for it. And he that curseth, (that is to say, raileth or dishonoureth his father or mother with opprobrious words,) shall be slain for it. And (Deut. xxi.) If any man have a son stubborn and disobedient, which heareth not the voice of his father and the voice of his mother, so that they have taught him nurture, and he regardeth them not, then let his father and mother take him, and bring him forth unto the seniors or elders of the city, and unto the gate of the same place. And let them say unto the seniors of that city, This our son is stubborn and disobedient: he will not hearken unto our voice: he is a rioter and a drunkard. Then let the men of the city stone him do to our fathers and that we do to God. The reward of obe dience. The reward of dis obedience. eth diso bedience himself with stones unto death: so shall ye put away wickedness from among you, and all Israel shall hear and shall fear. And though that the temporal officers (to their own damnation,) be negligent in punishing such disobedience, (as the spiritual officers are to teach it,) and wink at it, or look on it through the fingers, yet shall they not escape God aveng- unpunished. For the vengeance of God shall accompany them (as thou mayest see Deut. xxviii.) with all misfortune and evil luck, and shall not depart from them until though the they be murdered, drowned, or hanged; either until by one mischance or another they be utterly brought to nought. Yea, and the world often times hangeth many a man for that they never deserved; but God hangeth them because they would not obey and hearken unto their elders, as the consciences of many will find when they come to the gallows. There can they preach and teach other that which they themselves would not learn in officer will not. Marriage. Covetons ness mak eth our spiritualty that they cannot see that which ashamed of. a Turk is season. The marriage also of the children pertaineth unto their elders, as thou mayest see 1 Cor. vii. and throughout all the Scripture, by the authority of the said commandment children obey father and mother. Which thing the heathen and Gentiles have ever kept, and to this day keep, to the great shame and rebuke of us Christians: inasmuch as the weddings of our virgins (shame it is to speak it,) are more like to the salt of a bitch than the marrying of a reasonable creature. See not we daily three or four challenging one woman before the commissary or official, of which not one hath the consent of her father and mother? And yet he that hath most money hath best right, and shall have her in the despite of all her friends, and in defiance of God's ordinances. Moreover, when she is given by the judge unto the one party, and also married, even then ofttimes shall the contrary party sue for an higher judge, or another that succeedeth the same, and for money divorce her again. So shamefully doth the covetousness and ambition of our Get her with child say they, so shall be best. God's com mandments break they through their own traditions. prelates mock with the law of God. I pass over with silence how many years they will prolong the sentence with cavillations and subtlety, if they be well monied on both parties; and if a damsel promise two, how shameful counsel they will give the second, and also how the religious of Satan do separate unseparable matrimony. For thy cause after thou art lawfully married at the commandment of father and mother, and with the consent of all thy friends; yet if thou wilt be disguised like unto one of them, and swear obedience to their traditions, thou mayest disobey father and mother, break the oath which thou hast sworn to God before his holy congregation, and withdraw love and charity, the highest of God's commandments, and that duty and service which thou owest unto thy wife; whereof Christ cannot dispense with thee. For Christ is not against God, but with God, and came not to break God's ordinances, but to fulfil them. That is, he came to overcome thee with kindness, and to make thee to do of very love the thing which the law compelleth thee to do. For love only, and to do service unto thy neighbour, is the fulfilling of the law in the sight of God. To be a monk or a friar, thou mayest thus forsake thy wife before thou hast lain with her, but not to be a secular priest. And Money yet, after thou art professed, the Pope for money will dispense with thee, both for thy coat and all thy obedience, dise. and make a secular priest of thee: likewise, as it is simony to sell a benefice, (as they call it,) but to resign upon a pension, and then to redeem the same, is no simony at all. Oh, crafty jugglers and mockers with the word of God! makethi merchan Jugglers. THE OBEDIENCE OF WIVES UNTO THEIR Marriage altereth the degree of nature. AFTER that Eve was deceived of the serpent, God said unto her, (Gen. iii.) Thy lust or appetite shall pertain unto thy husband, and he shall rule thee, or reign over thee. God, which created the woman, knoweth what is in that weak vessel, (as Peter calleth her,) and hath therefore put her under the obedience of her husband, to rule her lusts and wanton appetites. Peter (1 Pet. ii.) exhorteth wives to be in subjection to their husbands; after the ensample of the holy women which in old time trusted in God, and as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord. Which Sarah, before she was married, was but as Abraham's sister, and equal with him; soon as she was married was in subjection, and became without comparison inferior. For so is the nature of wedlock by the ordinance of God. It were much better that our wives followed the ensample of the holy women of old time in obeying their husbands, than to worship them with a Paternoster, an Ave and a Credo, or to stick up candles before their images. Paul (Eph. v.) saith, Women, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the wife's head, even as Christ is the head of the congregation. Therefore, as the congregation is in subjection to Christ, likewise let wives be in subjection unto their husbands in all things. Let the woman, therefore, fear her husband, as Paul saith in the said place. For her husband is unto her in the stead of God, that she obey him, and wait on his commandments: and his commandments are God's commandments. If she, therefore, the wife in, grudge against him, or resist him, she grudgeth against God, and resisteth God. The hus band is to God'sstead. |