The Order of Matrimony,  
Hebre. xiij. Let wedlock be had in price in all poyntes/ and let the chamber be undefiled.  
IMPRINTED It London by Anthony Scoloker Dwelling in the savoy rents. Without Templebarre.  
Cum privilegio ad Imprimendum solum.   

when holy ordinances and things of price/ are to be ministered in the congregation/ it is convenient( well-beloved audience) to give instruction or information therof: As is this holy order/ and state of matrimony: For the which cause we are here assembled and gathered to gether now at this present time: And namely for this intent and purpose/ to couple and join these .ij. par sons to gether/ by the virtue and strength of holy matrimony which is given to man and woman here in this present life/ that they should observe keep and use it/ after the ordinance and institution of God. And for as much as both you( well-beloved brother and sister) are con me hither with one heart/ and one mind to receive this holy Order and honourable state of matrimony/ and god lie living. It shalbe necessary for you/ to receive it after Gods ordinance/ and according to his institution. Or else were it better that ye nev{er} received it. For although that matrimony be an holy thing of itself/( as are all the ordinances of God both holy honourable and good) yet who soever haue received it/ not holily, it is not holy unto thē: As paul saith. Ad Titun primo. Omnia munda mundis& ce. That is all things are clean to them that be pure and clean/ but unto the pollutyd and unfaithful is nothing pure nor clean: For it is like in matrimony/ as it is in other holy sacramentes. 
matrimony called A sacrament  For as he that receiveth the body and blood of christ/ vnworthelye/ is gyity of the body and blood of christ, even so who soever receiveth this holy state of matrimony vnworthely, receive it to their own destruction. But to avoid the occasion of evels that doth grow amō ge the people for lack of knowledge and good information/ I shall therfore( god wyllinge) show unto yond/ even as the holy angel Raphael shewed to Tobis as howe he should mary: As it doth appear in the .vi. chapter of the book called Tobias: Where the Angel council lyd Tobias to ask of his kinsman called Raguel his daughter Sara to marriage. And he( said the angel) shal give hyr unto the. Tobias made answer to the Angel and said/ I understand that she hath been married to .vii. husbands/ and they are all dead: And as I haue heard. The devil slew them: wherefore I am afraid lest such things happen unto me. Then said the Angel raphael unto me: hear me/ and I will tell thee of whom the level hath power. namely they that receive marriage of such a fasshion, that they shut God out from them and from their hartes. And give themselves to their own lusts/ even as it were an horse or a Mule/ which haue no vnderstonding: vpon such hath the devil power. But take thou the maid in the fear of the lord/ and more for the increase of Godly living, and desire of children/ then for any fleshly lust. And then shalt thou be blessed and holy children shalbe born of you. mark here gentle people the most excellent and godly council of the Angelycall spirit sent of God to this holy man, for the erudicion of all mankind/ to know and decern the pure and clean living/ from the filthy and unclean living. Yet gentle people let not this be a discomfort unto you that are married already/ but rather rejoice that god hath openned it now unto you by his elect and chosen, and let it be to you an ensample of Godly learning/ and an occasion of thankes giving: Dyspayre not but rather amend/ for to the amendment/ God hath promised mercy. And now to our purpose I do intend to procede after supplication and prayer made unto God. For the which I take authority of saint paul. Prima ad Timotheum secundo, where he saith I exhort you that before all things prayers/ supplycacions/ intercessions and giving of thankes be had for all men/ for kings/ and all them being in authority, for that is good and acceptable in the sight of God/ which will haue all men saved/ and come to the knowledge of the truth.  
¶ saint james the holy apostle in his .v. chapter saith. That the prayer of a righteous man/ avayleth much/ if it be fervent. Now gentill audience seing the prayer of one man profiteth so much: we shal not doubt/ but that all our prayers shall take effect and place.  
wherefore that these two persons may haue the more grace to receive this holy sacrament,& I likewise to minister the same. I heartily desire you all to help us with your prayer. Our father& cete. Now I do intend with Gods favour and your patience/ to speak here of .iij. things necessary to be spoken of/ for our purpose at this time. first I shall show you: By whom this sacrament of matrimony was instituted and orde nid: Secondly. For what cause it was instituted: thirdly. What thing is figured by it. And fourthly: What commodity cometh of it.  
As concerning the first it was ordained and made not by man/ neither by Plato nor Aristotle nor yet by Moyses or any of the Prophetes, but by God himself creator/ and maker of al the whole world. wherefore it followeth consequently, that matrimony must needs be holy/ honourable/ and Godly/ for asmuch as God himself is the author of it. Cursed then be all they of what estate or degree soever they be/ that think matrimony an unclean thing/ or a filthy act. Seing God hath instituted and was and is the author of it: yea and that in paradise in the beginning of the world. For when God had made māhe said thus. Non est bonum hominem esse solum. That is to say: it is not good for man to be alone. But let us make him an helper like himself. mark gentel friends the words of God where as he saith/ It is not good for man to be alone: Ergo, it is evil for him to be alone: It was not without a great mystery that paul saith to Timotheus. It is the doctrine of revels to deny Matrimony/ seing that God the creator and maker of man said, it was not good for man to live alone. paul ourste not enterprise against these words But said .i. Cor. vij. Melius est nubere quam uri. It is better to mary than to burn. But now to our purpose, god said it was not good for man to be alone/ and therfore he made him an help, that is to say/ a woman, and not an other man. It followeth therfore that a woman is a great help to a man/& man is a great help to woman/ by reason whereof/ woman ought to be with man/ and on the other parte/ man with woman: But how? Notin fornicacion adultery and whoredom: but in holy wedlock/ after gods holy ordinance. Thus I say/ when GOD had made man/ he made woman also/ but not of the slime of the earth, of which he had made man, But the woman was made of one of Adams trespasses: whereby we may perceive and vnderstonde/ that nothing ought to be more dear unto man, than his wife: Nothing more ioy ned/ more steadfastly knit unto him/ as it doth appear right well by Adam. which/ as sone as God had brought this woman unto him/ by and by his heart was kindled with perfect and natural love toward hyr. And said: This is now a bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. And thus I say ●he was naturally inclined to love hyr: And a good cause why, for the text saith god brought the woman to the man. Now ye know right well that when god doth bring the woman to the man/ that is to sayet The man and the woman are couples and joined together by Gods ordinance. Than must there be needs perfectlove/ concord/ peace and unity between them. And contrary wise/ when God bringeth them not to gether/ but that they mary for riches sake/ or for bodily pleasure/ then is ther continual de bait/ strife and envy between them. As we right well perceive by daily experience.  
Now after that God had brought this woman unto Adamand that his heart was sure knit in true love towards hyr. Then said God these words that follow.  
Propter hoc relinquet homo patrem& matrem& adherebet uxori sue& erunt dvo in carne vna. That is: For womans sake, shall man forsake both father, and mother, and cleave unto his wife, And they shall be .ij. in one flesh. These words were not onely spoken of God the father in the old testament but are rehearsed also again of Christ his son in the new testament/ as ye may rede in the .xix. of matthew. But what meaneth this where as the text saith. They shalbe two in one flesh? even truly this. That they two being made one by Gods ordinance/ shul dedo all things in the lord/ with one heart: and with one mind/ being void of all strife and debate. And therfore doth christ call them two in one flesh( as who saith) they are of one heart of one mind in all godliness.  
furthermore christ did not onely confirm this ordinance/( I mean matrimony) with his words/ but also heand his mother did resort unto a marriage in Cana Galilee. joannis. ij And honoured it with godly presence/ where as he wrought the first miracle that ever he did/ in changing water into wine. Thus gentle people/ first ye se that GOD is the auctout of it. Secondly christ confirmed and honoured it with his presence. Besides the his holy apostle paul doth laud and praise it, saying: Hebre. xij. Honourabile connubium in omnibus,& thorus immaculatus. That is: Let wedlock be had in prire in all points/ and let the chamber be undefiled. Let us therfore hereafter honour wedlock/ praise it and laud it/& haue it in great reverence and regard as Gods ordinance ought to be had. And as we haue esteemed and regarded now of a long season mans inventions and traditions far above Gods holy laws/ even so let us take mens dreams as they be/ and let Gods most holy ordinances stand in their place as they ought to do.  
The causes why matrimony are instituted are these: First sens the beginnig of the world, God hath created& doth daily create both men and women, to whom he doth attribute and give a natural desire and inclination to be fruitful and to get and bring forth a thig like unto themself: against the which natural desire or inclynacion no man ought to scryue/ but they that haue the gift of chastity only/ as for an example. God at the beginning made and created all things with his holy word/ to increase and to be fruitful: As when he said. Germinat terra herbam virentem. Let the earth bring forth green grass. This was not spoken that the earth should be fruitful at the beginning only/ but that continually/ from time to time it should be fruitful/ as ye se yearly the fields and meadows/ vestured with green grass/ and flowers springing at time convenient still by the virtue of the same word. even so God created not man at his first creacion only to be fruitful but that he should be fruitful by the virtue of the said word/ at his first creacion, so long as the nature of man did continue. And as it is impossible for man/ to command the earth/ not to bring forth grass/ or to be fruitful. even so is it impossible for man either with vows/ laws, or constitucione/ to bind the nature of man to be unfruitful: For likewise as it is naturally given to a three/ first to spread his bows then to bud/ and so to bring forth fruit every year at convenient season: even so is it given naturally to man to be joined to woman/ and so to beget forth fruit like himself. And from this natural lawe is no man delivered of what estate and condition soever he be except onely they unto whom God hath given the gift of chastity. now who soever perceiveth in himself that he hath not this high gift of chastytie/ he must obey the will of God/ and use that remedy which god hath ordained for that purpose/ that is to be joined to a woman: which may not be done in adultery or whoredom/ but in holy wedsocke/ according to saynet Paules doctrine i. Cor. i. Where as he saith. Propter fornicationem autem unusquisque suam vxorem habeat/& vnaqueque virum suum habeat. That is: To avoid fornicacion/ let every man haue his wife and every woman hir husband For if a man might haue abused every woman after his own pleasure/ thē should there haue been no peace/ concord nor unity among the people but all malice debate as we se many times one man fall out with an other for harlots sakes. neither should that children haue been brought up in any good nurture or godly living furthermore they should not haue known their fathers nor yet their fathers should haue known them: now to avoid all these evils. God did instytute holy matrimony. And as the text saith. Masculum& feminam creavitillos. That is: He made thē man and woman: As who saith: One man sufficient for a woman/ and one woman sufficient for one man: which should be joined together in holy wedlorke:& so to bring up the fruit of their bodies in godly doctrine and in the fear of the lord. Now/ the thyrde thing that I promised you to speak of: Is this. To show unto you what thing is figured by this holy matrimony: truly even this. The great mystery between Christ and his dear spouse, which is the congregation of his elect people: wherefore it must needs follow. It is an holy and godly thing/ in as much as it doth figure and represent unto us the mystery which is between Christ& his congregation. Therfore we will compare the circumstances of matrimony unto the mystery figured by it, and then shall we sone perceive howe they agree in all things: and how the one do the represent the other.  
First in wedlock the man forsaketh both father and mother/ and cleaveth unto his wife. even so hath christ the son of God done. which although he could not be separated from god that father, but was always one god with him. Yet he seemeth to forsake him for a season/ when he took vpon him our nature of the virgin mary/ for this intent to join and marye unto him the congregation of his elect people/ according to his promise made in the .ij. chapter of Osee the prophet. Sponsabo te mihi in sempiternum& cetera quesequuntur. Thus will I mary the unto mine own self/ for ev{er}more: Yea even to myself will I mary the: In righteousness/ in equity/ in loving kindness/ and in mercy in faith also/ I will mary the unto myself: and thou shalt know thy lord and spouse. And thus unto his wife doth he steadfastly cleave, that is christ to his congre gation: never forsakig hir/ but still abiding with hir: As he saith in Math. xxviij. Ecce ego vobiscum sum usque adconsummacionem seculi. That is: Lo/ I am with you even unto the ending of the world: Also the woman was called a bone of the mans bones, and flesh of his flesh/ and was made of the man. even so what soever the congregation of faithful people hath/ she hath received it of hir husband christ, and thorough Christ as John saith. Et de plenitudine eius nos omnes accepimus, gratiam pro gratia/ quia lex per Moysen data est/ gratia& veritas per jesum Christum. That is: This is he of whose abundance or fullness/ all we haue received grace for grace, or favour for favour that is to say: For the favour that god hath to his soune Christ/ he giveth unto us his favour& good will/ as a father to his sons. furthermore although that man and woman are twain/ Yet by holy matrimony they are made one flesh. even so Christ and his spouse the congregation are but one: Christ is the head/ and they are the membres: As saint paul saith. Rom. xij. Ita multi vnum corpus sumus in Christo.  
We being many are one body in christ. And in the .i. Cor xij. Vos estis corpus christi. Ye are the body of christ. And thus christ and his congregation are unite and knit together in one. Also between man and wife all things are common: even so is it betwixt christ and his congregation: we are partakers of his goods/ and he hath been partaker of our evils: in so much that as he hath taken vpon him our sin/& overcome death and hell for out sakes. And thus hath he paid our rausom, again we haue by him mercy/ grace& remission of sin and everlasting life. And thus is saint Paules saying fulfilled. i. Cor. i. Factus est nobis sapientia& iusticia& sanctificacio& redemptio. He is our wisdom/ our righteousness, our santcilicacion and redemption Thus do ye well perceive that we of ourselves haue nothing but sin and damnation. And by Christ we haue mercy and life eternal. Vt qui gloriatur in domino glorietur. He that rejoiceth let him rejoice in the lord. Also an Imury or displeasure done to the wife/ is done also to the husband. even so is it with Christ and his wife: As it may well be proved. Acto. ix. Where it is written, howe paul thorough a blind zeal persecuted christes membres. Therfore Christ said unto him. Saule, Saule: Quid me persequeris. Saule, Saule, why dost thou persecute me. In asmuch as he persecuted Christs membres he persecuted christ: therfore said he, why dost thou persecute me? And this is it/ which he saith. Math. 25. quam diu fecist is uni de his fratribus meis minimis, mihi fecistis  
In asmuch as ye haue done it/ to one of the leste of my brethren, ye haue done it unto me. The husband and the wife do conceive no children/ but by enbracing one the other( think none uncleanness in my words gentle people/ for it is none: wedlock is honourable in all things) even so the congregation bringeth fourth no fruit at all/ but by the enbracing of christ her husband: which is thorough truth and faith. For as saynet paul saith. Roma. xiiij. Omne autem quod non est ex fide/ peccatum est. For what soever is not of faith, the same is sin. Therfore to believe Christ/ is to embrace him/ that is/ to cleave unto him onely: And to forsake all other. And to work after that faith/ is to beget an holy child/ and to bring fourth good fruits.  
¶ Also the man is head of the woman, as the words of God do plainly prove, which he spake unto eve. Gen. iiij Thou shalt bring fourth the fruit of thy womb with great pain/ and thou shalt be under mans power/ and he shal bear rule over the. Lo/ here ye hear Gods ordinance/ that the woman must be in subiection to the man: even so is Christ lord and head of his wit the congregation, and she must be obedient and subject unto him/ to obey his godly will and pleasure.  
nevertheless although the man be head over the woman, yet he ought to consider and bear the weakness of his wife, according to saynet Peters exhortation/ which exhorteth the man sometime to give honour to the woman/ as unto a frayell vessel/ and so to bear her weakness: For even so doth christ suffer the weakness of his congregation and people often times. Saynet paul also describeth both the husbands office and the wyfes the .v. chapter to the Ephesians. And there he saith that it is a great mystery or a great sacrament betwixt christ and the congregation. And for what intent I pray you did he writ this? truly even for this cause/ that the husband and the wife coupled together by holy matrimony shul de ende●er themselves/ by all means to express in their living that thing/ which is figured by thē. And that their might be such a true unity/ concord/ peace, faith love/ and continuance in the same between them, as is between Christ and his elect congregation.  
Thus perceyueye well gentle audience, what a godly state of living matrimony is: and what a great mystery betwixt Christ and his church is sigured by it. Therfore I say it shall be your duties on both parties/ to endeavour and enforce yourselfes so to frame and order your lives/ that there may be such love and concord between you/ as is betwixt Christ, and his dear spouse the congre gation of the faithful.  
now to the fourth and last: The which thing done, ye shall se what commodity shal come of it. First God himself saith/ that he delighteth in that wedlock, where as the man and the woman agreeth/ as it is afore rehearsed. Eccle. xxv. three things there are that my spirit favoureth: which be also allowed before God and men. The first is unity of brethren. The .2. is love of neighbours and the .3. man& wise that agree well together. Now they that live thus Godly/ and quietly/ and are at peace in their conscience/ then will God send them fruit of their bodies: which they must brin ge up in all godliness and in the fear of the lord: and they that thus do/ shal haue a joyful and a quiet conscience/ in as much as they live after Gods ordinance, and not in lechery, nor adultery but in holy matrimony. Where as they that live and be whormongers/ and adulterers/ shall never possess the kingdom of heaven/ as saith saynet paul. Primo. Cor. vi. Therfore I will exhort you right well-beloved brethren and sis: tern, to walk worthily in this holy state of matrimony/ according to your profession, and then shall God increase you not onely in worldly substance/ but also in spiritual goodness. And you sister for your parte/ I shall show you what faynet paul saith to his disciple Titus in the second chapter. warn those( saith he) that be young women to love their husbands/ to love their children, to be wise/ chast and sober: Then shall ye be called blessed/ as that holy woman judith was/ unto whom were spoken these words. judith. xv. By cause thou hast loved chastity: And hast known none other man/ but thy husband: Therfore hath the hand of the lord comforted the/ and thou shalt be blessed for ever: Lo/ judith is called holy& blessed/ because she knew none other man besides hit husband. And al though she was a married woman yet was she called blessed because she loved chastity: For wedlock doth not take away chastity/ but maketh a man or woman rather more chased/ wherefore we ought highly to esteem it and haue it in great reverence/ as the holy ordinance of God. Now God give us grace of his infinite mercy and goodness to receive his holy laws and godly ordinances as they ought to be received/ and that every man and woman may walk after their vocation to the glory of god and the praise of his son Iesus christ to whom be all honour, laud and praise/ world with out end.   
Amen.