A brief and a plain declaration of the duty of married folks, gathered out of the holy scriptures, and set forth in the almain tongue by Hermon archbishop of Colayne, which willed all the households of his flock to have the same in their bedchambers as a mirror or glass daily to lokein, whereby they might know and do their duties each unto others, and lead a godly, quiet and loving life togethers, and newly translated into the English tongue by Hans Dekyn. Jacob. i. ☞ Se that ye be the doors of the word & not hearers, only disceyving yourselves. Colloss. iij. ¶ Above all things put on love which is the band of perfectness. FOr asmuch as the devil is most ready to make strife where there ought to be most love: and hath with heady will fullness, concupiscence, and ignorance so blinded the hearts of those which live under the iocke of matrimony, that as I may judge by their fruits there be very few that lead their lives therein according to the laws of Christ. Therefore (my dear & well-beloved Christians which profess the Gospel) to the intent that you should live therein according to your profession and knowledge, I have here briefly and plainly set forth what it is, and how you ought to lead your lives therein according to the rules of the holy scriptures, so that your pure and godly life may be a good example and also make such ashamed as would slander the holy Gospel, and professars of the same, ye and that there wunted word (which is mark these new men by their living) may sound to God's glory, to the honour of his most holy word and praise of all them in Christ which do profess the same. You shall first understand What wedlock is. that wedlock is an high and blessed order ordained of God in paradise which hath ever been had in great honour and reverence wherein one man and one woman are coupled & knit together in one flesh and body in the fear and love of GOD, by the free, loving, hearty, and good consent of them both, to the intent that they two may dwell together, as one flesh and body of one will and mind in all Godliness, most lovingly to help and comfort one another, to bring forth children, and to instruct them in the laws of GOD. Also to a void fornication and all uncleanness, and so in all onestye virtue and Godliness to spend their lives in the equal partaking of all such things as God shall send them with thanks giving. And because that the wife is in subjection to her husband. I will begin with her and shortly declare what duty and obedience she oweth unto him by the commandments of the scriptures. Saint Paul sayeth, ye wives submit your own husbands Ephe. 5. The duty of the wife to her huseband. as to the Lord, for the husband is the wives head as Christ is the head of the congregation, Therefore as the congregation is in subjection unto Christ likewise let wives be in subjection to their husbands in all things so that the wife must be obedient unto her husband as unto Christ himself, wheroute it followeth that the said obedience extendeth not unto any wickedness or evil, but unto that which is good, oneste, and comely. In asmuch as God delighteth only in goodness and forbiddeth evil every where, it followeth also that the disobediences that a wife showeth to her husband dysplayseth God noles, then when he is disobeyed himself. For the wife ought to obey her husband in all points as the congregation to Christ which loveth Christ only, and above all things, she is glad and willing to suffer for Christ's sake, she doth all for the love of him Christ only is her comfort joy and all togethers, upon Christ is her thought day and night, she longeth only after Christ, for Christ's sake (if it may serve to his glory) she is heartily well contented to die ye she giveth over her self hole thereto for Christ's love, knowing assuredly that her soul, her honour, body, life, and all that she hath is Christ's own. Thus also must every oneste wife submit herself, to please her husband with all her power and give her self free lie and willing to love him and obey him, and never too forsake him till the hour of death. And further (sayeth sayeth 3 Peter) Let the wives be in subjection to their husbands that even they which believe not the word may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives, while they behold your pure conversation coupled with fear, whose apparel shall not be outward with brodryd hear and hanging on of gold either in putting on of gorgius apparel, but let the hydman of the heart be uncorrupt with a meek and quiet spirit, which spirit is before God much set by, for after this manner in the old time did the holy women which trusted in God tire themselves, and were obedient to their husbands, even as Sara obeyed Abraham: and called him her Lord, whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well. And Paul unto Tytus speak ● (saith he) that the elder women be in such apparel as becometh holiness, Not being false accusers, not given to much wine, but that they teach onest things to make the young women sober minded, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discrete, chaste, husewyfelye, good, obedient unto their husbands that the word of GOD be not evil spoken of. Here may you learn that What a wife ought to be. a wife ought to be discrete, chaste, huswyfelye, shamefast, good, meek, patient and sober, not light in countynans nor garyshe in apparall, with died or curlyd hear painted nor pasted, but with a comely gravity and a sad behaviour of a constant mind, true tongued and of few words, with such obedience in all Godliness too her husband and head, as it be seems a Christian to have unto Christ, and to the intent that the husband in like cause may learn his duty let him hearken what Saint Paul sayeth, & take heed that he turn not his authority to tyranny. husbands love your wives Ephe. 5. The duty of the husband to his wife (sayeth he) as Christ loved the congregation and gave himself for to sanctify it, now must you understand that the husband is the wives head: as Christ is the head of the congregation, and Christ showeth to the congregation the same thing that the head showeth to the body, for like as the head saith and heareth for the whole body, stodyeth and deviseth for to preserve it in strength and life, even so doth Christ defend, teach and preserve his congregation. For he is the eye heart, wisdom and guide thereof, so ought husbands (then) to love their wives & be their heads in like manner to show them like kindness, and offer the same fashion to guide them and rule them with discretion for there presaruatyon and not with for'rs or wilfulness to entreat them, and saint Paul saith further, so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies, he that loveth his wife loveth veth himself, for no man hath at any time hated his own flesh, but doth noreshe and chereshe it even as the Lord doth the congregation. Therefore ought every man most faruentlye to love his wife equally with himself in all points, for this is the measure of mutual love Matrymonyall, that either part have nothing so dear that they can not be contended to bystowe one upon another, ye and yin need should be, they should also not spare their own lives one for another, no more than Christ did for his congregation. And like as when we repent and believe in the promise of God in Christ (though we were never so poor sinners) are as rich as Christ and all meretes ours, so is a woman (though she were never so poor afore she was married) as rich as her husband, for all that he hath is hers, ye his own body and hath power over it as sayeth saint Paul. And if it so chance that you Cor. seven find not your wife so perfect in all points as you would or as yourself, yet must you not despise her, nor be bitter nor cruel unto her for her faults, but gently and lovingly seek to amend and win her. For like as Christ thought no scorn of his church, despised her not, neither forsook her for her uncleanness and sins, so should no Christian man spurn at his wife nor set light by her because that sometime she feeleth, offendeth, or goeth not right, but even as Christ nourisheth and teacheth his church so ought every oneste husband (also) lovingly and gently to inform and instruct his wife. For in many things (saith saint Peter) God hath made the men stronger than the women, not to rage's upon them & to be tyrants unto them, but to help them and bear their weakness. Be curtes therefore (saith he) and win them to Christ, and overcome them with kindness that of love they may obey the ordynans that GOD made between man and wife. Oh how ashamed be those men to look upon this text which with vyolens in their fury will entreat their wives, no beast so beestelye, for in the most crewelst way is not meet as when the wife is sad and disquieted, then with spitful words & wanton fashions, so provoking her to anger. Where it is not the duty of the husband, but rather ashamed to his own head: likewise it is worship for a man to have the fear of the Lord before his eyes, that he provoke not the plague of vengeance. Let us therefore have in our hearts: For as a wise man looketh well to his own goings, even so pleasant are the words spoken in due season, which moveth the woman in her wrath unto patience, whereof Solomon saith: fear words Pro. 16 c are an honey comb, a refreshing of the mind and a health of the bones, for it is seldom seen that any beast is found in the crewelst rage's the male doth never hurt his female, and how unnatural a thing it is for a man to hurt his own flesh and body, who will vyolentelye revenge himself (ye) on his foot if it chance to stombele: but will not rather if he have an ill body cherish it to make it better. The strong (sayeth saint ●o. 14. Paul) ought to bear the frelenes of the week, let one suffer with another, bear ye one another's burden and so shall ye fulfil the laws of Christ and above all thing (sayeth Saint 4. Peter) have fervent love amongst you, for love covereth the multitude of faults, so that love in all thing and at all times ought to be the whole door and only instrument to work and frame all things between man and wife. By all this may ye gather What the husband ought to be. and learn that the man is the heed, governar, ruler, and instructar (both with gentle words and good example) the provydar, defendar, and whole comfort of the woman, and oweth unto her most fervent love and affection all gentle behaviour all faithfulness and help, all comfort and kindness as to himself his own flesh and body, so that under God there is no love no affection no friendship, no nearness of kin, to be compared unto this, nor any one thing under the sun that pleaseth God more than man and wife that agree well togethers, which live in the fear of GOD, and how can that be more lively expressed, then in that, that Jesus Christ the son of God, and the holy Christian church and the holy Ecc. 25 body of them both, are set forth for an example or myror of the state of wedlock or conjugal love, a more holy, a more godly and purer example could not be showed. Undoutydlye this doth plainly show that love matrymonyall is most hyelye accepted afore GOD, and the contrary must needs follow, that unquietness hatred, strife, brawling, chiding, and frowardness in marriage doth exceedingly displease God, and is clearly forbidden by saint Paul, where he sayeth, Ephe. 4 let all bitterness, fierceness, and wreath, rouring, and cursed speaking be put away from you, be ye curtes and loving one to another and merciful forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake forgave you. surely it is an high and pure love perfect and constant that God requireth to be between married couples, and therefore ought they by all ways, means, and labour to get, maintain, and increase this exceeding love, and to eschew, forbear and cut of all things that might occasion any part of the contrary. And undoubtedly there is nothing that longer maintaineth concord and quietness nor more increaseth perfect love in marriage, then sweet & fair words, gentle and friendly deeds, and with a loving patyens to take all things to the best. freely to break their minds What maintaineth love & quietness in marriage Ephe. 5 Gene. 2 togethers and all things to be kept secret, doth glad and willing to amend that is amiss, and above all thing not ones one to here ill of another, for saint Paul warneth you, that ye give no place to the backbiters, but take them as ill wyllars to you both though that ●e never so near friends or kin, and GOD sayeth a man shall for sake father and mother and cleave unto his wife and they two shallbe one flesh, which in like case is meant to the woman. Therefore ought no creature alive to be in such extimation, credit, favour and love as each of you with others. Also to be of a sober and temperate diet doth much further a good agreement, and where the contrary is, there is much unquietness. For Solomon asking where is woe, where is strife, where is brawling, even amongst those (sayeth he) that be ever at the wine, therefore it is most comely for christians to be temperate in diet, temperate in words, temperate in deeds and temperate in all things, so that at all times ye eschew all exses and surfeit rage and fury which makes no dyfferens betwixt man and beast, and all other things which may breed any Eccl. 25 part of unquietness. For Solomon sayeth, better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a full house and many sat cattle with strife. Therefore ought ye to extreme and embrace this concord and quietness as the mentenat and only upholder of the whole felicity in marriage, which is in gendered of fervent love, faithfulness and kindness, and maintained by the same wherein ye ought continually to walk in all chastenes and pureness of living which (assuredly) shineth as a most precious thing in the sight of God, and in the commendation of the same sayeth Solomon in the book of wisdom. The commendation of chastity. O fair is a chaste generation with virtue, for it is with good men, where it is present men take example there at, and if it go away yet they desire it, it is always crowned and holden in honour, and winneth the reward of the undefiled battle, but the multitude of ungodly children are unprofitable, and the thing that are planted in whoredom shall take no deep rote, nor lay any fast foundation, though they be green in the branches for a time, yet shall they be shaken with the wind for they stand not fast, and thorough the vehemency of the wind they shallbe rooted out, for the unprofitable branches shallbe broken, their fruit shallbe unprofitable & sour to eat, ye meat for nothing, and why, all the children of the wicked must bear record of the wickedness of their fathers and mothers, when they be asked, but to the righteous be over taken with death yet shall he be in rest. Here may you see how vile filthy and abominable adultery, fornication and basterdye is, and how high in extymatyon a chaste life is amongst all good and godly folk and in specially in the sight of GOD to whom no secret sin is hide. And as a chaste loving life That married folk ought to have chastmaners & communication. in marriage is most commended, so ought ye to be of chastemaners, to have chaste talk▪ and to eschew all wanton fashions, uncleanly communication, filthy handling, and all unsemelynes, and to be the speakars and very doors of all virtue and godliness, for saint Paul sayeth, be ye followers of GOD as dear children and walk in love even as Christ loved you and gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice of 〈…〉 eat savour to God, so that fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness be not once named amongst you as becometh saints, neither filthy nor foolish tawlke, neither jesting, which are not comely, but rather giving of thanks for this ye know that whoremongers either unclean parsons or covetous parsons which is the woreshypper of Images shall have any enterans in thee Kingdom of GOD and of Christ. Also there ought to be a temperance Oftemporaunce in marriage between man and wife for God hath ordained marriage for a remedy or medicine to assuage the heat of the burning flesh and for procreation, and not beestelye for to fulfil the whole lusts of the devilish mind and wicked flesh for though ye have a promise that the act in marriage is no sin if the man receive his wife as a gift given to him of God, and the wife her husband in like case, as ye have a promise that ye sin not when ye eat and drink measurably with thanks giving, yet if ye take excess or use it beestelye, vylelye or inordynatelye, your mistemperans make that ill which is good (being rightly used and that which is clean ye defile thorough your abusing of it, God hath not called you to uncleanness but unto holiness sayeth saint Paul) and further Thes. 4. (sayeth he) it is the will of God even that you should be holy, and that every one of you should know how to keep his vessel in holiness and honour and not in the lusts of concupyscens as do the heathen with know not God. Also saint Paul willeth you that ye withdraw not your Cor. 7. selves nor depart not one from another, except it be with the good consent of both for a time to fast and to pray which fasting and prayer I would to God were more used than it is, not as hypocrites were wont, but as christians ought and are commanded (all most) in every part of the scriptures, for they that in eating and drinking fulfil the whole lusts of the flesh can not work after the spirit, and as we daily and hourly continually sin, so ought we continually to pray and call for grace. And in all the whole Bible you shall not find a more godly example of marriage (which I would to God all married folks would read) then that of Tobyach and Sara the daughter of raguel, which were knit together in fasting and prayer, and oft used the same living a godly, pure and clean life, for the which they obtained the blessing of God and saw their childers children to the fift generation. Which children (undoutydlye) is the highest gift and greatest treasure of this world and mayntynans of the same. For children is the very sure y● commeudation of children band and last knot of love Matrimony all, by the which the parents can never be clearly separated a sunder, In as much as that which is of them both can not be divided, seeing both have part in every one. And children are their parents chief joy comfort and felicity next unto GOD, their stay and staff & upholders of their age, and in their children do the parent's leave (in a manner) after their death. For they die not all togethers that leave collopes Cor. seven of their own flesh alive behind them, and by their children (if they be virtuously and Godly brought up) then is God honoured and the comen wealth advanced, so that the parents and all men far the better by them. your children (most assuredly) is the very blessing of God for the which ye ought to give him most hearty thanks, & be contented and with such as he doth send you, be they many or few sons or daughters. For if they be many he will provide for them if they be faithful. If they be few he may send you more, and give you more joy of one daughter then of x. sons, therefore be content with his will for he doth all things for the best and knoweth what is best▪ for you, give him most hearty thanks for such as you have and be diligent to see them virtuously and godly brought up, and in any case suffer them not to be idle. For they that will not work 7 How children ought to be brought up. (sayeth saint Paul) let them not eat, therefore put them to learn some honest science or craft, whereunto of nature they be most apt. For in that shall they most profit, by the which they may get their own living and serve the comen wealth. And above all thing let them first learn to know God and his most holy word which is the right path and high way to all virtue and Godliness, the sure shield and strong bukelar to defend us from the devil and all his cruel and crafty assawtes give them daily godly and loving exhortasyons, suffer no vice to take rote in them, but rebuke them for their ill and commend them in their well doing. provide honestly afore hand for all necessary things both for them and all your household. For sayeth saint Paul to Tymothee, ● If there be any that provideth not for his own and namely for them of his household, the same denieth the faith and is worse than an infidel. Of the sparrows may ye The order of the house. karne the order of your household, for as the cock flieth to and fro to bring all thing to the nest, and as the dam keepeth the nest hatcheth and bringeth forth her young, so all provision and whatsoever is to be done without the house belongeth to thee man and the woman to take charge within, to see all things conveniently saved or spent as it ought, to bring for the & nourish her children, and to have all the whole doing of her daughters and women. Also beioving unto your children and be not fierce nor cruel unto them. For saint Col.▪ 3 Paul sayeth, father's rate not your children, lest they be of a desperate mind, but wy 〈…〉 discrete admonysyons, and with your pure and good example of living (which is the chief persuasion) lead them to all virtue and Godliness. If all parents would virtuously bring by their children in the knowledge and fere of GOD, in the practise and exarcyse of some honest science or craft. Then should we not see so many idle as be, so many vagabonds, thieves, and murderers, so many vicious persons of all degrees, nor such ungodliness taygne. But than should we see every man honestly get his living prefarring his neighbours proffyt as his own, then should we see all men rightly do their duties▪ then should love and charity spring, and all godliness reign, than should the laws and magistrates be willingly obeyed, the comen wealth floreshe, and God rightly honoured, for in this point only through the grace of God consystes the amendment of all the whole world. Therefore (my dear and well-beloved christians) seeing that in this blessed state of matrimony and Godly household of husband, wife, and children consystes (next under GOD) the chefyste and highest felicity of this world, and mayntynans of the same, where in the comen wealth is wholly advanced, and GOD most grossly honoured. I exhort you in the name of▪ Jesus Christ, the son of the lyvyn 〈…〉 God, that you walk worth 〈…〉 therein according to the will of Christ which you profess without feigning, and that you eschew all works and deeds of the flesh, which be these sayeth saint Paul, adultery, Gala. 5. fornication, uncleanness, wantonness, idolater, which craft hatred, varyans, wrath, strife sedition, sects envying, murder, drunkenness, gluttony, and such like, of the which I tell you before as I have told you in times past▪ that they which commit such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Therefore follow ye the spirit and works of the same which be (sayeth saint Paul) love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, weakness, temporans, and such like, and yet ones again. I exhort you with the exhortation of saint Paul. If there be amongst Ephe. 2. you any consolation in Christ, If there be any comfortable love, If there be any fellowship of the sprette, If there be any compassion of mercy fulfil you my joy, that ye draw, one way having one love, being of one accord and of one mind, that nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but that in meekness of mind every one esteem other better than themself, and so shall you lead a joyful quiet and godly life in this world and after, through Jesus Christ come to the life everlasting with GOD the Father to whom be all honour and glory. Amen. (⸫) ¶ Roma. x. If the rote be hole, the branches shall be hole also. ❧ Imprinted at London in Temestrete by Hugh Syngelton, at the sign of the dobbel hood, over against the Stylyarde.