The golden book of christian matrimony, most necessary & profitable for all them, that intend to live quietly and godly in the Christian state of holy wedlock newly set forth in English by The odour Basille.  
¶ Hebre. xiii. wedlockers honourable among all parsons, & the bed vnde●…led But whoremongers & adu●…erers God ●…all judge.  
prover. 5. ¶ Be glad with the wife of thy youth, a●… with a loving hind and friendly roo, Let he●… breasts alway satisfy thee, and hold the content with her love. Oh my son, why wilt thou have pleasure in an harlot, and embrace the bosom of another woman?  
prover. 12. ¶ An honest loving and diligent wife is a ●…rowne, that is to say, a great honour and glory, to her husband. But she that behavethe herself unhonestly, is a corruption in his bones.  
prover. 18. ¶ He that findeth a good wife, findeth a great treasure, and he shall receive pleasure at the Lord des hand.  
prover. 19 ¶ House and riches is given a man of his parents, but a wise and discrete wife is unfeignedly the gift of the Lord.   

¶ To his singular good friend master Anthony Gryse, Theodore Basille wisheth long life, continual health & prosperous felicity.  
IF God, which is the 
jaco. 〈◊〉. i Cor. 〈◊〉  alone giver of all good things had endued me with the divine gift of such and so great eloquence, that I might justly and without any reprehension have compared with that most excellent Greek Pericles, whose vain of ornate eloquence either in persuading or dissuading even of very nature seemed to be incomparable, & not able of any mortal man to be obtained, nor yet scarcely in any point so much as a shadow of the same to be expressed: yet I here freely confess that I might well appear more barbarous than the rude and gross Garamantes, if I should take upon me to decantate and set forth the dignity of honourable wedlock according to the deserts thereof, and exalt it with such encomies, laudes & praises, as it hath always been thought worthy even of them, that have most flourished with pregnant wits & excelled with all kind of knowledge both divine and human. Let other praise Chastity so much as they list, which, they say, would God it were so, filleth 
A comparison between chastity & wedlock.  heaven, yet will I commend matrimony, which replenisheth both heaven and earth Let other set for the single living with so many praises, as they can accumulate and tumble one in another's neck, for as much as it is void of all care, trouble & disquietness, yet will I for evermore commend the state of honourable wedlock which refuseth no kind of pay●…e and trouble, so that it may bring any profit at all to the public weal of Christendom. Let other approve solitary living, which is partaker of none of all those burdennes, that the common sort of men do sustain, yet will I prefer that state of living, which? according to the order 
Roma. xv. Gala. v●….  of charity, is ready at all times to bear the burdens of o●…her, and to seek the quietness of other no less than of itself. Let other praise the kind of life, whereby mankind decayeth and in process of time should be utterly destroyed, yet will I commend that manner of life, which begetteth and bringeth forth to us excellent Kings, noble Princes, princelike Dukes, puissant Lords, valiant Knights, cunning artificers for the maintenance of the comm●… weal learned wits. etc. Let other advance that life, whereby Monarchies, empires, & kingdoms be made desolate, barren and unfruitful, yet will I most of all praise that life, which make the Realms to flourish with innumerable thousand des of people, whereby the public weal is preserved in safe estate. Let other praise such as may justly seem to be monsters of nature for their sterrilite and barrenness, yet will I commend them, which according to their first 
Gene. two.  creation and the natural disposition, that God from the beginning engrafted in them, are fruitful 
Psal. c. xxvii  as a plenteous vine. Let other allow the fancy of those belly Gods, which for a voluptuous, careless and swinish manner of living, and because they will not live of the labour of their own hands/ and thesweat of their own b●… owe 〈◊〉, after the commandment of God, had rather live like abominable adulterers, stinking whoremongers, unclean fornicators, detestable Sodomites, unnatural monstures unto the great slander of the Christian religion: and so to die as unprofitable clods of the earth, th●… godly to marry and leave behind them such fruit, as in time to come might both profit the common weal, and also set forth the glory of God, when not withstanding both the law of God, of nature, and of man both suffereth and 
i Cor. seven. 〈◊〉  provoketh them unto the contrary, saying they have not the gift of chastity given them, and it is better to marry than to burn, as the Apostle saith: Yet will I commend and praise such as do not digenerate, as Icarus did, from their natural kind, but embrace holy wedlock, which 
Hebre. xiii.  is honourable among all personens, and bring forth fruit according to the commandment of GOD, because they will not perpetrate nor once attempt any thing, that should be unclean in the sight of GOD, and a stumbling stock in their own conscience. To be short▪ let other praise them, which when they die, leave no lyvysihe & quick testimoni●…s behind them, yet will I commend them, which, when they give over to nature, leave quick and livish testimonies behind them, whereby they declare that they have lived, and not been unfrute full nor unprofitable to the Christian public weal. For can christian matrimony be any other wise than a thing of great excellency and incomparable dignity, saying it was not ordained of Minos, of Creta, nor of Lycurgus of Lacedemonye, nor yet of Solon the Athenian, but of 
Not man but God himself instituted ho lie wedlock, yea and that in Paradise  the most high and immortal God himself, & by him, yea by him alone commended to mankind in so much that men may seem to be alured, moved and stirred unto this state of living with a certain inspiration of the holy Ghost? In paradise also that garden of pleasure was it 
Gene. two.  instituted, yea and that before any sin reigned in this world, to show that it bringeth to man great joy, wealth, felicity & quietness. And sins that time hath it ever been had in great estimation▪ yea and that not only among them that profess unfeigned faith in the living God, but also among so many as only were led by the instinct of nature, in somuch that it was recounted a thing of much ignominy, and reproach to live without the state of wedlock & to be unfruitful. Were not the holy patriarchs 
Gen. xi. xxiiii xxix. xli.  married men? Did not the Prophets of God live in the christian state of holy wedlock? Did not God in the old law both will his 
Levici. xxi Ezechi. xliiii  priests to marry, & also appoint them, what wives they should have? Was not Christ borne 
Math. i Luke. i Math. viii. Mark. i. Luke. iiii. i Cor. ix. Philip. iiii. joan. two. Actu. xxi.  in marriage? Were not the Aposties of Christ married men? Did not Christ garnish marriage with the first fruits of his miracles, when he with his mother & his Disciples were at a wedding in the City of Cana Galyle? Was not Ppilippe the evangelist a married man, and had four daughters excellently learned in holy Scriptures: Were not many other 
Eccle. Histo. Lib in. Capi tulum xxiiii.  holy men both bishops and priests married long after the Apostles time, as we read in the antentyke Histories? Doth not S. Paul 
i. Timot. iiii  call the forbidding of marriage, the doctrine of devils.  
Of these things it is manifest, of how great estimation holy wedlock hath ever been sins the first beginning of the world among all degrees of parsons. Who will not now commend 
The excellency of weddelocke.  honourable wedlock, as a thing of great excellency. Who will not think it a state of living worthy high praise and commendation? Who will not judge that it ought to be embraced with meeting arms, as they say, saying that by it so many noble treasures chance unto us, virtue is maintained, vice is exchewed, houses are replenished, cities are inhabited, the ground is tilled, scienses are practised, kingdoms flourish, amity is preserved the public weal is defended, natural succession remaineth, good arts are taught, honest order is kept, Christian doom is enlarged, God's word promoted, and the glory of GOD highly advanced and set forth?  
But alas, and woe is me for it, the glory of 
The dishonour of wed lock.  this christian matrimony is now greatly obscu red, yea almost utterly extinct and quenched thorough the abominable whoredom, stinking adultery, wicked fornication, and alkynd of uncleanness, which is used now a days among us, yea and that freely and without any punish meant. There is no truth, there is no mercy, 
Oze. iiii.  there is no knowledge of God on the earth as the Prophet saith, Cursing, lying; man slaughter, theft and whorehunting have overflowed the world. Men now a dayens hunt the Stews 
Heir. v.  and harlots houses, as Hieremye sayeth. They are become like wild stoned horses that run after meres, for every one neigheth at his neighbours wife. And would God this were the worst.  
Matrimony is despised, whoredom is had in price. True wives & faithful yokefellows are neglected and set at nought, but whores and harlots are embraced, kissed, kulled and much set by. Honest wives sit at home and allmoost perish for hunger but harlots are sumptuously fed with all kind of deyntyes. Matrimony is called an halter, but whoredom is recounted a pleasure. Wedlock is now taken for a kind of living replete with all misery, care sorrow, poverty, wretchedness and beggary, but to live in whoredom and such other detestable uncleanness, is recounted to live like a clean and right by man, like a lusty brute, like a jolly ruffelare, like a fellow, that will not give his head for that washing, yea like such an one, as it would do a man good, say they, to be in his company, he is such a minion and pleasant fellow, full of his merry conceits and wanton toys. To tarry at home but one day with their wives, is more than twyfe an hell, but to be dallyenge among whores, whole days, nights and months, and there to spend all that they have, is a pleasure for a Pope, and recounted no pain at all. O good God how long wilt thou suffer this intolerable abomination? How long shall the head rulars wyucke at this great wickedness? Shall Engelonde never be pourhed of this filthy uncleanness and unclean filthiness? Shall there never be a remedy found in Englond for the extirpation of this devilish & to much beastlike vice, saying we have had so many occasions given us in times past, & yet still have daily? Shallwe ever laugh at this great abomination, which is waxed so high, that it can grow up no forth? Shall this commandment of god never have place among us Englishmen. There shall be no whore among the daughters 
Deu●…o xx●…ii  of Israel, nor no whoremonger among the sons of Israel? Are not we also the people of God? Are not we Israelites, and such as be converted from our old conversation unto true godliness? Hath not God also redeemed us from all 
〈◊〉. two.  iniquity, and purified us a peculiar people to himself, that we should be earnest followers of good works? Ought not so much cleanness of ●…yfe appear in us, as it did in times passed among the old jews? Hath God delivered us from the power of our enemies, that we should live dissolutely, and not rather that we should walk before him all the days of our life in holiness 
Luke. 〈◊〉. Ero. thirty. Deut. v. Math. xi●…: i. Cor. seven.  and righteousness? Is not this commandment also given to us: Thou shalt commit no whoredom: Is it not said unto us, For to avoid fornication, let every man have a wife of his own and every woman an husband of her own? Why than do we tumble and bury ourselves in this filthy and stinking puddle of uncleanness, & not rather embrace holy wedlock, which 
Hebre. xiii.  is honourable among all men? Why have we a pleasure to forsake our own wives, & to run a whorehunting after harlots? Why do we consume, waste and spend away so unthriftily all that ever we have among naughty packs, and leave our poor wives and children at home socoureles and unprovided for? Why do 
i Cor. vi●….  we make of the members of Christ the members of an whore? Certes our final destruction is nearer at hand than we are ware of▪ For this pronite and bend readiness unto this filthy sin of the flesh is an evideut token that the great & terrible day of judgement is at hand. For among all other Christ rehearseth this token be fore his coming, and saith: As it came to 
Math. xxi●… Luke. xvii. Gene. vi. vi  pass in the days of Nohe, so shall i●… be likewise in the days of the son of man. They did eat, drink, marry, & were married even 
Gene. nineteen.  unto the very day, that Nohe entered into the Ark, and the flood came & destroyed them all. Again as it chanced in the days of Loath, they did eat, drink, buy, sell, plant and build, but the very same day that Loth went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyedde them all. According to those things shall the day be, when the son of man cometh.  
To marry or to be married is no sin, so 
How it is ●…yn to marry.  that it be done according to God's word, but to marry as they did in the time of Nohe, that is to say for pleasure's sake only, and to be filthy in wicked conversation as the Sodomites were in the time of Loath, this is sin, this is wickedness, this is high abomination, this stinketh before the face of God, and deserveth everlasting damnation. What other thing doth the most part of men now days? As I may speak nothing of the filthy Sodomites, which 
●…he wicked 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 ●…lenge now 〈◊〉 days.  alas for pity, are now to common in the world universally, ho●…e many n●…we a days contract matrimony aright and after the word of God? Who regardeth not more the pleasure of the flesh, than the having of fruit? Who hath not a respect rather to the worldly riches, than to the honest qualities & godly virtues of her, whom he intendeth to marry? Who regardeth not more the vanity of beauty, than the honest of conditions, in as much that a common proverb is risen thereof among us: I will, say they 
ungodly pro uerb ●…s.  have a wife somewhat snowtefayre, though she be somewhat whorish. Again, what pain is it to me, though other good fellows far well, so that I far never the worse? Item, God save the oven, that baketh such bread, that all the whole house fareth the better for it: O extreme abhomi nation. O shameless beasts. O unnatural monsters. O wicked clods of the earth. It shameth me to think, that they are not ashamed to speak. It shameth me to speak, that they are not ashamed to do. It shameth me to do, that they are not ashamed to rejoice of. O very vilions & beastlike slaves. Who is able to express either by tongue or pen their wyck●…d abomination. Fleshly pleasure before having of fruit? riches of the world, before riches of the mind? Beauty of face, before honest qualities & godly virtues? Ah whorish love. Ah adulterous wedlock, Ah vain vanity. A fair woman without discrete manners saith Solomon, is like a ring of gold in a swines snout. Again favour is deceitful and transitory, and beauty is a vain thing, but a woman that feareth God, is to be commended. The lips of an harlot, saith Solomon, are a dropping honey ●…ombe, 
prover. v.  and her throat is softer than oil. But the conclusion and end of her, is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two edged sword. Her feet go down unto death, & her steps pierce thorough to hell. And what other thing, I pray you, is a rich woman without godly qualiti 
What a rich woman with out good qualities is.  es, than an ass laden with a great multitude of treasure? Behold unto what point these whorish lose bonds, housebondes, I would have said, are fallen. This maketh them to set so little by their wyue●…, and to have harlots in so great price. For when they once have that they desired of their wives, when beauty beginneth once to decay, when the riches are consumed, which were the alone occasion of having their wives, than cast they their wives up for hawks meat, as they say, than are they weary of their old pasture, and will look for new bait.  
To much of one thing, say they, is nought. Shift of meat is good. jucundum nihil est, 
〈◊〉.  nisi quod reficit varietas. Therefore must their silly poor wives contrary to the law of nature, God and man, be kept for holy days, teyed up at hard meat, only bear the name of a wife, & filthy whores shall be maintained with all kind of felicity, wealth and pleasure. O the preposterous manners of this world. O the sinistral judgements of these wedlock breakers. O the great damnation that hangeth over these whorehunters heads. I leave of to speak of those abominable 
Prouoke●… of their wives to lewdness.  v●…ions, which provoke their wives wickedly to make their bodies common to other for lucre's sake. Neither will I rehearse here, how there be some husbands, which let out their wives to other, even as men use to let out their hackney horses for money, and be at a composition with them, what they shall have for their wives quar terly, and they again shall for their money at all times have them not only●… at commandment but also at a beck or wink, yea the husbands themselves will not disdain to bring them. I also let them pass, which when they see other frequent & use their houses, yea and abuse their wives even before their faces, wink at the matter, & far as though they knew nothing at all of it, as we read of a certain man called Galba, which, when he saw Maecenas, minion 
Note.  to Augustus the Emperor dallying with his wife before his face, kissed down his head, nodded and fared as though he had been a sleep. O shameful abusion. Can any greater dishonour chance unto the holy state of honourable wedlock? Do not these things require a redress? Beware it not convenient that the public magistrates and common head officers with that other nobles of the christian realms universally 
Say not but that ye be warned.  should entreat of these things in their parliaments. Assemblies, Synods, Counsels. etc. that whoredom might once be banished, and christian matrimony truly observed, faithfully kept, and reverently had in honour?  
Furthermore as they set nought by their wives, so do they neglect the right institution & 
Of the necli●… gent bri●…yng up of children  bringing up of their children, suffering them to do what they will. Go they to God or to the devil, as they say, they pass not. Their example leadeth the children rather to perdition than unto salvation. For they hear nothing of them but lascivious words, wanton communication & bawdy tales, or else chiding, scolding, brawling, fighting, and alkind of wicked rudeness What can children learn here? What goodness 
Whence so great swarms of wicked people a ●…yse now a days.  is to be sucked out of the breasts of such ungodly parent's Woe worth them, if they do no●… amend and correct their sinful manners. For here of cometh it to pass, that there are now a days so greateswarmes of wicked livers, as thieves, whoremongers, bloudsoupers, men s●…ears, abusers of the most blessed name of God, false witness bearers, extortioners covetous persons, drunkards, glottonnes, feigned friends, traitors, rebellions. etc. How can they prove otherwise, saying they are brought up without any fear of God, and without any knowledge of God's most blessed law. It is a common saying, saith Solomon, that a child/ when he 
prover. xx●…  is old, shall not go away from such things, as he learned in his youth.  
Here may we see as in a clear lamp of Phoebus, how greatly the glorious beauty of honourable wedlock is defaced? Ah shall not that day once come again, that holy matrimony shall be restored to her old favour? Ah shall not we once see that day, that that glistering strumpet adultery shall be ashamed to show her face? Ah shall it not once come to pass, that these whorehunters shall be ashamed to appear in the sight of honest married folk? Grant, O Lord, grant I most humbly beseech thee, that it may come to pass, yea and that shortly.  
But some men peradventure will marvel, 
The cause●… of the dishonour of wed lock.  how it is come to pass, that matrimony now a days is so little esteemed, and whoredom so commonly used, yea and that even of them: which have wives of their own, or else may have. Uereiy how it chanceth universally, I know not, except it be, that we be more pro●…e, ready & bend unto vice than unto virtue, but of this am I certainly assured, that it is easy to declare some causes of this great absurdity. first as touching 
Men of nobility.  men of nobility, we see daily by experience that they for the most part marry their children at their pleasure when they are very young, even to such as will give them most money for them, as men use to sell their horses, ox, sheep or any other cattle. Who that will give most money, shall be soon sped. For all things are obedient to money. They are not certain, 
Eccle. x.  whither the parson will prove godly, virtuous, well disposed, wise, prudent, circumspect, honest. etc. to whom they marry their young child, & yet are they straightways ready to yoke them together, so that money come. They had rather their children should live ever after in perpetual mi sery, than they would lose the sale of them, although they be scase sale worthy, they be so young. This kind of marrying hath ever been detested even of the very Ethnyckes, and of so many as have been illumined with any spark of prudent reason. And not without a cause. For when they come once unto the perfection of age, & see other whom they could find in their heart to fancy and love better, than many of them begin to hate one another, be weary one of another, spite one another, and curse their parents even unto the pit of hell for the cowpling of them together. Than seek they all means possible also to be divorced one from another. But if it be so, that they remain still together, what frownig overwharting, scolding, & chiding is there be●…ene them, so that the whole house is filled f●…l of those tragedies even unto the top. One casteth another in the teeth with their blood and ancient stock. Each of them think theirself best at ease, when they be furthest one from another. There is nothing more displeasant than one to behold another. One wisheth another's death One draweth this way, another the way. He favoureth this parson, she that. He spendeth his goods in this place, she in that contrary. Each of them is glad to bride away from another. Thus goeth all to havoc. Nothing remaineth in safe estate. What a wicked and he●…yke life is this? The base sort of people seeth this unquiet life, that is used among the gentlemen and their wives, which ought to give an example of all honest and gentle softness to other, th●… go they home, and if any thing, be it never so little, displeaseth them, straight are they together by the ears with their wives, so that shortly after the whole town is an a roar. If any man being of a gentle nature and sofce heart money sheath his neighbour of his unquietness & rough entreating of his wife, he is also ready to fall out with him, and saith, why may not I punish my vyfe so well as such and such a Gentle man doth? Whom should we follow but our heads and superiors? If it were not convenient for us so to do, I am sure they would not do it. O evil example that soweth discord between man and wife. Who so ever offendeth one of 
Math. xviii. Luke. xvii.  these little ones, which believe in me saith Christ it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the see. Woe be to the world because of offences. How be it, it can not be avoid, but that offences must come. Nevertheless woe be to that man, by whom the offence cometh. what is the original cause of all these tragical and bloody dissensions, but only the covetous affection of those parents, which for lucre's sake so wickedly bestow their children in their youth & yoke them with such as they can not favour in their age? Were it not better and more godly to leave them unmarried, until they were of a lawful age, and than so to bestow them, that all parties should be contented with all, & ever after live quietly togiter in the Christian state of holy matrimony unto the virtuous example of the base sort? At the least by this means the parents should be without blame. But it is not so lucrefull, I grant, not to the covetous parents, yet much more profitable for the children in time to come. And woe be to that father, which had rather satisfy his own covetous affection, than to procure a quiet manner of living 
Themisto cles.  for his child. Themistocles although an Emperor and a man of great nobility, when men marveled why he married his daughter rather to a good honest plain man of the country, than to a great rich man and one of an ancient stock, answered: I had rather have a man without money, than money without a man, meaning that he which is a man, shall soon get money enough for his necessary uses, but as for him, the wanteth such qualities as belongeth unto a man though he hath never so many possessions in store & cometh of never so high blood, yet is he but a ●…astard, & shall soon lose, that hath been long in getting. Thus see we that the covetous affection of certain Gentyllmen, which for lucre's sake marry their children before they come unto any perfect knowledge either of themselves, or of other, is one occasion, why holy wedlock is so little esteemed now a days, and so large a window opened unto whoredom and adultery.  
What shall we now say unto them, which at a just and convenient age come together, yea and that not only by the procurement of their parents, but also by their own consent, & yet live wickedly to the great dishonour of honourable wedlock? Certes here must needs be a great fault, if not on both, yet on one party. Dissensi on chanceth many times between such, because 
How dissension chanceth many times between mar ryed folks.  one can not be content to forbear another, to give gentle answers, lovingly to cherish one another, and to be a like minded in all honest and godly things, but straightways fall out for every light trifle contrary to the bond of matrimony. This engendereth much hatred and displeasure between married folk, in so much that if it be not shortly remedied by mutual recōs●…iaciō, it alieneth their minds so far one from another, that scarcely there cometh ever after any hearty friendship & true love between them. This is a great dishonour to holy wedlock.  
Some also have such froward & scolding 
froward & scolding wives.  wives, that they can at no time be in quiet with them, they are so ladylyke, and high in the in step, chiefly if they brought any substance with them, than they think, that their husbands ought of very duty to give them place, to forbear them, and to suffer them to have the pre-eminence, & to do what they lift. The beasts will not be in subjection to their husbands, but rather take 
Gene. iii. i. Cor. xi. Ephe. v. Colloss. 〈◊〉 i. Pet. ●…i.  upon them to rule, as though not only their goods, but also themselves were not their husbands and at his commandment, yea an that by the appointment of God. This oftentimes causeth the husband to give his mind to strange women, and to break the bonds of wedlock. The woman is not behind, but shapeth him an hood of the same cloth, and so is holy matrimony miserably rend and torn.  
Some also there be again, which have 
C●…rysh husbands  gentle wives, loving, faithful, honest, obedient, & ready to do, what so ever their husbands commandeth them, so it be reasonable, godly & honest, & yet will they not be pleased nor contented but like stubble curs, ungently entreat them beat them, buffet them, and put them out of the doors, handling them rather like dys●… clouts, than like honest wives, unto the great slander and ignominy of wedlock.  
All these do much derogate, obscure & deface the dignity and excellency of christian matrimony, yea and that so much the more, because they profess the same order of living, and yet live nothing agreeable to the same.  
Another sort of people there are, which might 
Obiecto●… of poverty  marry, if they would, & yet do they rather chose to live in abominable whoredom, than they would couple themselves with an honest woman in lawful marriage. Many object & lay for their excuse, poverty, & say, that if they should marry, they were utterly beggarde for all ever. To whom I answer, If they be no●… able to help for to maintain an honest wife, which will also labour, work and take pains to get her own living, how are they than able to 
Super 〈◊〉 ●…ostes.  maintain their whores, and to away wy the the costs and charges that they spend in wanton and riotous company, as I may speak nothing of their waste money, which they consume on their vain jagged and guarded apparel? Who ever wanted that lived according to God's word? O thou wicked and shameless whorehunter, if thou thorough the sufferance of God haste enough to find the and to satisfy thy beastelyke affects & carnal pleasures, why dost thou despair of the blessing of God, if thou shouldest leave thine abominable living, and take to the a true and lawful wife? God leaveth no man succourless that putteth his trust in him, and diligently laboureth for his living according to his vocation and calling. Did not Christ turn the water into sweet wine at a certain 
●…an. ii●…  ta'en marriage to show that so many as live in holy matrimony according to his word, shall never want? The water of the river shall sooner be turned into wine, and the stonnes of the 
Mar●… well.  field into bread, than the faithful shall be left succourless. Did not God feed the people of Israel with meat from heaven? Did he not give 
Exo. xvi. Psal. lxxvii. Exo. xvii. three Reg. xvii.  them drink out of the hard rock? Did he not make a crow to bring meat unto the Prophet Helias twice on a day, and so wonderfully fed him? Even sowyll he do with us, if we be faith full, and seek to live according to his word. The blessing of the Lord maketh me rich, 
prover. x.  saith Solomon, I have been young, saith the Psalmographe, & I am now old, yet did I ne 
Psal. xxxvi.  ver se a righteous man forsaken, nor his seed being their bread on the earth. All the time of his life he showeth mercy to the poor, and dareth to them that have need, & yet hath he goods plenty and enough for his children that succeed him. Therefore thou that makest thy body common to any woman without the law of wed 
A good lesson  lock, cease from thy wickedness, leave thine abomination, get unto the such a wife, as feareth God, loveth his word, is gentle, quiet, honest, silent, of few words, serviceable, obsequious, modest, loving, faithful, obedient, and ready to do what so ever becometh an honest married woman. Couple thyself with her, live together in the fear of God, in concord, love & mutual amity Suffer no dissension nor discord to prevail 
Fellow thi●… counsel. Ephe. i●…i.  between you. If any displeasure ariseth, reconcile yourselves straightways one to another. Let not that son go down on your wrath. Th●…e yourselves to be than most rich, when most concord, amity, friendship, benevolence, and love reigneth between you, yea believe this for a surety, that ye can not be poor, so long as one of you love another unfeignedly, and walk in the fear of God, but if ye do not agree among yourselves, nor love one another heartily, than shall the curse of GOD fall upon you, so that all that ever ye have, shall go to havoc, and be your goods never so manifold, yet shall they come to nogh●… in short space.  
Furthermore bring up children in the nurture of the Lord. Order your family and house 
The bringing up of children  hold virtuously and according to god's word. Let nothing appear in the & in thy wife, that may give any occasion of evil to them that be under the. Remember that God hath made the a bishop in thine own house, and that therefore 
Every man is a Bishop in hisowne house. Ezec. iii. and xxxiii.  thou must be a diligent overfeare and circumspect in the governance of them. For if any of them that be in household with the perish thorough thy fault, their blood shall be required of thy hand at the dreadful day of judge meant. These things tofore considered, & in thy daily conversation practised, fall y● & thy wife to labour, every one of you, as god hath called you 
Labour  & pray to God that he will bliss, prosper, fortunate and bring your labours unto good effect, and doubt thou not, but that God shall so provide for the & thine, that thou shalt want no good thing, as the scripture saith: Taste and see that 
Psal. xxxiii.  the Lord is gentle, blessed is that man, that trusteth in him. Fear the Lord, O all ye that ar●… his saints, for there is no scasenes to them that fear him. The rich have wanted and hungeered, but they that seek after the Lord, shall want no good thing. Again, Cast thy care on the Lord, & 
Psal. xliiii.  he shall nourish the. Away therefore with thy whoredom, and marry in the Lord. Let no poverty pluck the back from the holy state of matrimony.  
Another sort of wifeless people there are, that might marry if they would, and are of sufficient ability, yet do they abstain from marriage only for pleasures sake, because they may the more freely run at rovers, deflower maids, corrupt wines, defile widows, and live in all kind of carnal voluptuousness. For so long as they be single, they think it no great offence thus to abuse themselves. Therefore to be bound to one woman only, they recount it more than twice an hell, and by this means do they continue in a damnable s●…ate of living. For the Scripture saith, neither whoremongers nor adulterers shall 
〈◊〉. Cor. vi. Ephe. v.  inherit the kingdom of heaven, All those parsons aforesaid cause that holy wedlock is so little esteemed, and that whoredom and adultery is so greatly used at this day.  
Hitherto have I declared how greatly the honour and renown of holy wedlock is decayed. and by what means it is come to pass. What remaineth now but that some remedy be found? And would God that all men would employ their endeavour in this behalf. Would God the 
Ephe. vi.  whoredom and adultery were so detested among us, that it might not once be named, as the Apostle faith. Would God that all whorehunters & adulterers were so abhorred among christian men, that no man would vouchsafe to eat with them 
●…i. joan. i.  nor to keep them company, no nor yet to bid them God speed. Certes it is a thing much to be wondered at, that whoredom should grow up into such height, among them that profess 
How grevou sly adultery was punished in times passed. The Egyptians.  the fruits of the spirit. But what marvel is it, saying that whoredom now a days is become, but a lusty courageous pastime of youth & reputed almost for nosynne at all. We read, that if a man among the Egyptians had been taken in adultery, he should openly in the presence of all the people have been scourged naked with whips unto the number of a thousand stripes. The woman that was taken with him, 
I would all whores were so served now adays also. The Arabians.  had her nose cut of, whereby she was known ever after to be an whore, and therefore abhorred of all men. Among the Arabians, they that were taken in adultery, had their heads stricken from their bodies. Among the Athenians adulterers were punished by death without mercy. In like manner is it at this day among the Tartari●…s, & yet 
The Athenians. The Tartareans. The germans.  are they Infidels. If a woman among the Germaines in times past, had been convict of adultery, she had all the hear of her head cut of, being strypped stark naked, her husband put her out of his doors before his neighbours, and in the sight of all the people he scourged her with whips about the city or town, and ever after she was so despised, that no man would wouchesafe to marry with 
The turke●…  her Among the Turks even at this day, they that be taken in adultery both man and woman are ston straightways to death without any mercy. Was it not so likewise 
The Israelites. levit. xx. Deu. xxii.  among the Israelites by the commandment of God?  
Thus see we how whoredom and adultery in times passed have been punished, and yet is in certain nations, Would GOD it were not laughed at even among them, that most of all aught to maintain the purity and cleanness of matrimony. But the redress of all these most 
The civil magistrates ought to redress all enormities.  grievous enormities pertain unto the civil magistrates, whose office and duty it is to provide that all whoredom & adultery be banished out of the bounds of Christendom, that holy wed lock may once again be had in price, & restored unto her old beauty & pristine glory. How this thing may most conveniently be brought to pass, the higher powers for their wisdom and discretion, wherewith they be endued from above, shall easily consider. I beseech God prosper 
Age●…ral ad mo●…icion.  their most godly travails in these & such like enterprises, that virtue may increase and vice decay. In the mean season it shallbe very expedient that all men seek to lead an honest, pure, clean and godly life, and not suffer themselves by no means to be spotted with the filthy sin of abominable whoredom, Let them 
〈◊〉 folk  that be married seek none other strange company, but let the husband be contented with his own wife, and the wife with her own husband. Let them that be unmarried, and can 
●…aryed.  not live without the company of a woman, get them wives of their own, and so live godly together. For it is better to marry, than to burn. And to avoid fornication, saith the Apostle, let every 
i Cor. vi●….  man have a wife of his own, and every woman 
Single li●…ers  an husband of her own. As for such as intend not to entangle themselves with marriage, but determine to lead a sole and continent life, let them seek all means possible to main ta'en the same, as by reading the holy Scriptures, by godly meditations, by continual pray 
Cupiens ui ta●…e Scyllan incidit in Charybdin  ers, and such other virtuous exercises, unless while they abstain f●…om the art of matrimony. Satan our old adversary draweth them unto all kind of wickedness, and such vicious vncleann●…s, 
Preache●… Governors.  as may not here with honest be named. Let all preachers also in their Sermons exhort the hearers unto purity of life. Let all fathers and mothers, masters and mastresses with all othe●… governors see that none uncleanness be used among them that are under them. To conclude, let us all seek and devise all means possible, the holy wedlock may once again be had in such honour, that all whoredom, fornication, adultery, incest and all other uncleanness may utterly be abhorred, detested & hated worse than any ve nemous serpent. And to encourage all manner of persons in this behalf, I have set forth this treatise ensuing of Christian matrimony, which teacheth so largely all things that pertain unto that kind of life, that who so ever readeth it and practiseth the same. I doubt not, but as he shall be occasioned to forsake all uncleanness, and to embrace holy matrimony, so shall he be moved to give God thanks for the setting forth of this little work in our maternal tongue I beseech GOD, that it may bring forth no less fruit, than I have intended by the setting forth of it. For well shall it be with Christ's church, if they may once see holy wedlock had again in honour, and whoredom banished out of the bounds of Christendom.  
This little treatise (most gentle master Gryse) for the honest and right hearty friendship, that hath ever been between you and me, sins the first time of our acquaintance, & for the quiet and godly conversation that I have ever perceived between you and the virtuous Gentle woman your wife, and for the godly institution and honest bringing up of your children, I dedicate to you, as a manifest testimony of mine unfeigned love and right hearty a●…ite toward you and all yours, desiring you friendly to accept this my little gift, as the present of him, which though he be absent in body, and far from his native country, yet is he present with you in spirit, and wisheth to you, and to so many as tender the glory of God, and the promotion of his holy word, all good, happy, fortunate & prosperous things in jesus Christ, our Lord and omnisufficient Saviour for all them that repent believe unfeignedly, and walk according to his word, in whom I bid you all well to far. Grace be with all them, that love the Lord jesus Christ unfeignedly.  
Amen.   

¶ The Author to the Christian Readers.  
Among other grievous sins & shameless blasphemies which in this last evil & perilous time have sore increased, (halas therefore) & prevailed unto a great number. This is not the least, I mean adultery with shameless whoredom, & all manner of uncleanness in vain words and unchaste works. All this now cometh 
vices have l●…st their 〈◊〉 mes.  because that such vices bear no more their own right names, & therefore doth no man esteem them as they are in themselves, and in the sight of God. The bloody murderer (I need not here to speak of a rougher name) is called a good bold man of his hands, The usurer is named a good honest man. To be drunken, is to be merry. To ●…ommit whoredom, is called as much as ●…o exercise the work of man, and to do as young folks that can not lift themselves up unto heaven. Many there be, that boast themselves of adultery, yea many make but a jest, mockage & sport thereof. To cast out uncleanly words, ●…nd to sing vain songs ofrybaudrye, is called good pastime, yea in many places (the more pity) it is come so far, that these & such like vices are coum t no sin, neither is there any thing reckoned for sin in a manner, save only to talk of God and his truth  
For no man is despised, reproved & resisted for 
To talk of god and his word i●…coū t a great offence.  quarrelling, usury, whoredom, swearing, dying, drunkenness, glotonny, vain songs, words, talkings and gestures. But if any man speak of God, and reprove such conversation for a vain and ungodly living, or do sing of God, or meddle with such songs as are made of 〈◊〉 gracious work of the holy Gospel, against falsehood, hypocrisy, idolatry and vice. He may not be suffered, he shall soon be despised as one that slandereth honest folks, & meddleth with new strange things. Wherefore seeing that such 
Whoredom now a days is shameless & common.  vices have lost their own right names? and shame is become honest, we have this fruit thereof, that the uncleanness of shameful whoredom and adultery, is now become altogether common & shameless in the world. For though some now only of an evil custom, some thorough the ignorance of God's word, resort after ungrarious company and foolish pastime, yet for the most part do they follow whoredom and adultery in idleness, even of a shameful wicked purpose.  
They also that live in wedlock, & commit 〈◊〉 
Wicked livers in wedlock.  neither whoredom nor adultery live yet so miserable in other points, that thorough their conversation nyther God is praised, nor them selves set in quietness of conscience, neither are other men edified thereby. Hereof springeth now an horrible blasphemy in the whole congregation of all esta●…es and lives. For the children that are brought up in such abominations, & have seen nothing but vice (when they also come to marriage and common offices, live as they have learned, seen, and are accustomed, even fleshly, shamefully, vainly, rudely, unfrendely, unmannerly, unchristenly, and plant none other thing save only that which they have of themselves. This cometh also, because that wedlock is not kept as it ought to be, and because it proceedeth evil, even without God, and against the law of equity.  
Many know not who did institute and or 
Errors about Matrimony.  deign holy wedlock, nor what wedlock is, nether for what intent it ought to be embraced. Many have respect only unto goods, that they may be rich, or come into great petition & make an hand. Many take wedlock upon them as another common custom, because that after the course of the world, they will do as other fo●…es.  
Truth it is, that in many places there is earnest preaching against such abomination and vice, but the word of preaching prospereth not on every side For all dominions, cities, countries 
Why this book was compiled.  and people will not give place to the hole some doctrine of the Gospel. For asmuch also as that which is written, endureth longer and goeth further than it that is spoken, therefore have I gatheredde this book concerning holy wedlock, and sent it out in writing: specially to the confusion, diminys●…hyng and wasting of all the foresaid uncleanness: to the honour, praise, commendation and planting of true cleanness, for the good instruction of simple married people: to the intent also that wedlock may well proceed and be kept, & that nothing be done amiss, thorough ignorance or evil custom, or for fault of doctrine. To the intent also that all virtue and honest may prevail, and that men may walk soberly according to the commandment of the Lord. For this is the will & commandment of the Lord (as Paul saith) even that we should be holy, that we should refrain 
i. Thes two two.  from whoredom and uncleanness, that every one of us, know, how to keep his vessel in ho lines and honour, not in the lust of concupiscence, as do the heathen, which know not God. For this intent is all our enterprise, the true chastity & cleanliness may be described unto every man, & that filthy conditions may be avoided God grant his grace thereto.  
Amen.   

The christian state  

¶ The beginning & first original of holy wedlock, when, where, how, and by whom it was ordained and instituted. ¶ The first Chapter.  
When our Lord jesus Christ in the r●…r. of Mathewe, was spoken to in ●…ertayne points concerning wedlock, he had a respect behind him in to the old Testament, & gave answer out of Moses, that he said, how that wedlock at the beginning was ordained of God himself. For as much therefore as I now also am mine deed to speak of the beginning and first original of holy wedlock, I ●…owe no better, than in like manner to stablish the same out of the right excellent Prophet of God Moses, who writeth & testifieth in the second Chapter of his first book, that God made the man Adam altogether perfect, set h●… in the Paradise or garden of pleasure, and after ward said immediately: It is not good that man should be alone. I will make him a fellow helper to stand next by him. For when the Lord 
The p●…ate Gen. two. plainly ●…ed  had shapen man out of the earth, he brought unto him all manner of beasts, that he might give every one his right name, how it should be called, & that he might look upon them. But among them all found he none apt to be joined unto himself, none that he could set his heart upon, none like himself, none that he might dwell by as by an helper and comforter. And upon this said God: It is not good, that man should be alone. And therefore determined he with himself, to make an help and comfort unto man. In the which process we perceive already, where holy 
Wed lock was instituted of God 〈◊〉 ●…aradyse.  wedlock was instituted, namely in the Paradise and garden of pleasure: yea and when it was ordained, even in the beginning of the world before the fall of man in all prosperity. Of whom also it was instituted even of no angel or man but of God himself, doubtless to man's great comfort and help. For in as much as god himself saith: It is not good for man to be alone: It followeth, that it is good for man to have his own lawful mate. As for that cu●…l which some time is seen and sound among married parsons, it cometh not chiefly of holy wedlock, but of the misusing thereof, and because men do not as God commandeth and as they should do.  
Now will we farther consider, how God did institute holy wedlock, & he himself made a companion for man, and brought him a wife. It follow the thus in Moses: Then the Lord God cast a slumber on Adam, and he slept. And 
The creaci●… of the wom●…  he took out one of his rib, and in stead thereof hefylle●… up the place with flesh: And thus oydde God make the woman, out of the rib that he had taken from Adam. Of this manner did god make for man a companion, like unto himself, and meet for him. Here now ought we to consi der the occasion, why GOD made the woman out of the sleeping man, and not while he was awake. Of the rib, & not as well of the earth, as he had made the man to fore. For all this serveth to the declaration of our purpose.  
first in the sleep of Adam, did he set forth the death of Christ, out of the which (unto the same Lord Christ) there is prepared a pure and holy spouse in the Fountain of water thorough the word, as Paul saith to the Ephesians the fift Chapter Of such health and grace of GOD should married folks also have understanding and knowledge. Moreover his mind is to signify unto us that in taking holy wedlock in hand, all tentations should sleep. The ordinance regard, and fear of God, aught to join them together, that are disposed to marry. The woman was taken from and out of the side of man and not from the earth, least any man should think that he had gotten his wife out of the mire: but to consider, that the wife is the husbands flesh and bone, and therefore to love her. yet was she not made of the head. For the husband is the head and master of the wife. Nether was she made of the feet (as though thou mightest spurn her away from thee, & nothing regard her) but even out of thy side, as one that is set next unto man, to be his help & companion. And as the bone of the flesh is strong, so ought the husband to be the strength, help & comfort of the wife. Therefore was she also taken and created out of the rib or bone, and not out of the flesh.  
But in the circumstance that followeth, shall every thing be more plain afterward. For now it followeth how God gave the woman unto man, and how that he received and took her.  
God brought the woman unto Adam, and as it is evident in the first Chapter) he blessed them and said unto them, grow and multiply, and 
Adam & Eu●… were married together.  fill the earth. Out of the which words we may perceive clearly, that God was the first causer of wedlock, and first did knit them together, & blessed them. Now as soon as the woman was brought unto Adam, & given unto him, he said immediately: this is once bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. Afore did Adam behold & consider all beasts and living creatures here upon earth, and gave every one his peculiar name ac 'cording to his kind, but among all things living he found none, to whom he might bear an heart and mind, namely to dwell by it, to love it, and of it to procreate one like unto himself. And therefore is it reason, that with fire they be punished unto death, which against all kind and nature of man, have to do with beasts, and not only with women.  
As soon now as the woman was set before Adam, he knowledged immediately, that she was 
Occasion of love and con sent into marriage.  for his purpose, that he liked her well, & that he could find in his heart to love her, as one that was of his own kind, of his own blood, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone. For though he slept, and the woman was created out of his rib, yet saw he well that she was like him & such one as he hitherto had not found among all other living creatures. God also had planted them the kind, the love, the heart, the inclination & natural affection that it beseemeth the one to have toward the other. Like as Adam now had ●…yuen all other beasts their names according to the first original & operation of their kind, so giveth he now a name also unto the wife, & calleth her Ischa, that is to say, of man, because she was taken out of the man.  
Then followeth it farther in Moses. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, & cleave unto his wife, & they two shallbe into one flesh. These words doth Adam (or t●…s Moses) 
The knot & covenant of marriage.  speak yet out of the mouth of God, & thereby the the duty knot and covenant of married folks, namely that the highest love, bond and unite among them, should be this, that no man separate them asunder, but only death. This declareth he with two special points. first, the●… is no man (next unto God) dearer unto us by all reason, them is our father and mother. But when they will make discord between married folks, God commandeth a man in that behalf to forsake father & mother, & to keep him to his wife. The love therefore in marriage ought to be next unto God) above all loves. The second: They two, saith he, shall be into one flesh, that is to say, one body. Now like as the greatest love, the most excellent and unpayneful service, diligence and earnest labour, is in the parts of a man's body, one doing for another, one loving, defending, helping & forbearing another, suffering, also like joy & like pain one with another. Even so ought it to be between man & woe man in wedlock. And like as the parts of a man's body separate not themselves one from another afore death, even so must wedlock be a knot unlooseable. And like as the parts of a man's body, when they are sundered one from another conceive an exceeding great anguish, dolour and pain, even so ought it to he an exceeding grief for married folks to be separated.  
And thus Moses, over & besides that he declareth the first original of holy wedlock, layeth also the foundation of laws matrimonial, out of the which all other statutes are taken. After the fall of Adam & Eve, there was nothing added further unto wedlock, neither altered in those things that were ordained, saving that, by reason of the fall and sin, there was sorrow and pain laid upon them both, and upon us all. For unto man it was said: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread. etc. And unto the woman said God: I will surely increase thy sorrow when thou art with child, & with pain shal●… thou be delivered, and to the husband shalt thou have respect, and upon his pleasure depend. Nevertheless thorough thy unfeigned faith in jesus Chryst, all these & other griefs are minished in them that believe, and thereby unperfectenesse is helped, in so much that they come to a very prosperous old age many times.  
Thus much thought I to show out of Moses that excellent servant of God, when, where, how, of whom, & partly for what intent, holy wedlock was instituted namely, how that God himself in paradise, at the beginning of the world (even in the time of man's innocency & prosperity) ordained thus for the wealth of man, that one man & one woman joined together should be one body, one to love the other above all things next unto god the one to be coupled to the other without separation, one to help & succour that other, and in the f●…are of God to bring up their children, And this is in a manner the whole sum of the one part of this book.   

The second Chapter.  
What wedlock is.  
FOr upon the said foundation will I lay 〈◊〉 set forth all my work following. And first will I show what wedlock is. Than when I have describe the same, I shall open & declare the articles thereof particularly.  
That we call wedlock, is in the germans 
Wedlock●…  tongue called Ee, which as it is a very old word, so is it sometime taken for a law or statute, some time for a bond or covenant. Thus is the old testament called the law or the old covenant, the new Testament, the new law or the new covenant: because that there in consisteth not one lie the law that god gave to the old and new people, but also the covenant which he made with them both. The latinistes call it Coniugi urn, a joining or yoking together, like as when two orens are coupled under one yoke, they bear or draw together like burden and weight.  
Therefore is wedlock a covenant, a coupling 
Ayo king together.  or yoking together. Now if wedlock be not the couping or yoking together of one thing, them must it be excepted, from other knittings, and we must give unto it the own nature & property pertaining to itself. Namclye that it is a right knot unto god acceptable ayokinge together of one man and one woman with the good consent of them both. Here unto also must we add, why & wherefore they should and must be yoked together. Even to the intent that they may live honestly and friendly the one with the other, that they may avoid uncleanness, that they may bring up children in the fear of god, that the one may help and comfort the t'other.  
Out of this may we comprehend a short 
What wed lack is.  description of wedlock, and say. Wedlock is a lawful knot and unto God an acceptable yoking together of one man and one woman with the good consent of them both, to the intent that they two may dwell together in friendship & honesty, one helping and comforting the t'other, eschewing uncleanness, & bringing up children in the fear of god Or else set it after this manner following: Wedlock is the yoking together of one man & one woman, whom god hath coupled according to his word, with the consent of them both, from thence forth to dwell together, and to spend their life in the equal partaking of all such things as god sendeth, to the intent that they may bring forth children in the fear of him, that they may avoid whore doom, and that (according to God's good pleasure (the one may help and comfort the other,   

¶ The third Chapter.  
¶ The declaration of wedlock thus described.  
Now will we plainly open every parcel of the said description from article to article, & (with testimony of the scriptures) prove and establish the same, where need is.  
first that wedlock is the coupling togithe●… 
Oneman an●… one woman.  of one man and one woman, not of one man & m●… women, or of one woman and more men, the Lord himself affirmeth it Math. nineteen. and so is it wtytten also in the second of Genesis. Now where as some of the holy fathers had more wives than one, those were but the Acts of certain private men, and not such general examples, as are thoroughly to be followed.  
Again, the private deed of some, or of many men, make no common law. The Lord in the fore-rehearsed place of Mathewe, did allege & renew the old law of marriage again. Therefore he that now will bring in the multitude of wives, shall follow more the rule of mohammed, th●… of Christ.  
Moreover by yoking, joining, or coupling do I understand not only an outward dwelling together, but also an uniform agremen●… of mind, & a common participation of body and goods, for asmuch as the Lord saith plainly: And they two, shall be into one flesh, that is, one body. But of this we shall speak further afterward, when we come to treat of the consenting.  
Furthermore, wedlock must not only be a coupling together, but it must also be such a coupling together as cometh of God, and is not contrary to his word and will. For where as certain men do allege out of the holy gospel (what God hath coupled together, let not man separate) & conclude thereon, that when two parsons come once together, & the one hath taken the other, it must needs be fast, & no man may break the band. Such men have not so good respect to the words of the Lord, as they should. For the Lord said not▪ what so ever is coupled together, ought not or may not be separated. But thus he said: What God hath coupled together 
Let not man separate that God hath coupled togi ther.  let not man separate. Therefore must it be considered not only whether two parsons come together, but much rather whether it be done with God or no. That thing is with God, which is not done against his commandment & word.  
There be many whom God coupled not together, but carnal lust, money, good, flattery, dron kennes, a fleshly arm and friendship, where God is not thought upon, & therefore sin they the more against him. It is written in the sixth Chapter of Genesis: The sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair, and took unto them wives such as liked them. Whereby every man may perceive, that there was love & lust, a consent & coupling together, but therefore pleased it not God. The same manner of doth the Lord recite also in the. xxiiii. of Matthew, and saith: As they were in the days afore the flood, they did eat, they did drink, they married & were married, even until the day that Nohe entered into the Ark, & they regarded it not, till the flood came and took them all away. Thus also shall the coming of the son of man be.  
There is no man now so dull, as to think that it is sin to marry. Therefore was not that reprehended as though it were a sinful & unright thing to marry, but because they came 〈◊〉 together after the word of the Lord, yea rather they followed their own tentations as I said afore. Wherefore Esdras did separate divers marriages, yea even of those that bore a good affection y● one to the other, & were coupled together. 
Diuor●…  For it was not God, but their own temptations that joined them. Esdras the .x. chap. The yo king than of married folks together must be framed right according to the word & will of god.   

¶ The fourth Chapter.  
The right coupling together of Christian folks in marriage.  
Certain points now shall I set forth, to the which those faithful Christian men must have respect, that intend to take holy wedlock upon them, according to the will & pleasure of god. first though marriage also concern the soul and inward man, yet pertaineth it likewise to the outward things, that are subdued 
Statutes & laws matrimonial made by rulers.  to the higher powers. For where as faithful rulers have ordained, good apt, and convenient statutes and civil laws, such ought no reasonable Christian man to resist, but much rather is he bound to obey them, like as the holy Apostle Peter hath written and taught. i Petre. two. Be ye subject (●…ayth he) to all civil ordinances of men for the lords sake. The higher powers have authority to make Civil laws in out ward things. And who so withstandeth such, both withstand the ordinance of God, and therefore shall God punish him, as Paul testifieth. Roma. xiii.  
Secondly, the Lord saith. Deutero. seven. 
Religion and faith must be considered  your daughters shall ye not give to their sons (meaning the unfaithful & Infidels) and their daughters shall ye not take for your sons. Therefore in going about marriage, a christian man must first look that in handfasting himself to a woman he make no divorce of the true faith, or bring it into apparel. For it followeth in the law. For they shall make your sons to fall away from me, and to serve strating Gods. And then shall the indignation of the Lord wax hot over you, and destroy you shortly. Nevertheless if there be no danger of falling away from God's truth, or of hurting the same, than (concerning marriage) it maketh no matter though the party dwell among Infidels, or come of unfaithful fathers and mothers, For Booz, which was grandfather to jesse David's father, married a Cananite of Jericho even ●…uth, whom the Evangelist reciteth in the genealogy of Christ jesus mat. i. For she was right faithful, & abhorred all idolatry.  
else if there be apparel present, that the one shallbe carried away unto error, then hath not only the law in the old Testament spoken there against, but Paul also commandeth in the second to the Corinthians the sixth chapter, saying: Bear not a strange yoke with infidels. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What company hath light with darkness? What concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the believer with an Infidel? How agreeth the Temple of God with Idols: Ye are the Temple of the living God. etc.  
Marriage is a common participation of mind body, & goods. Now saith Paul: What unity can a faithful believer have with and infydeler. The unbeliever cleaveth to unrighteousness, to darkness, to ypocrysye, to error, even unto the devil and to idolatry. Again: the faithful believer despiseth, abhorreth & condemneth all such things, loveth righteousness, the truth of the Gospel, the light, even the Lord, and hath God living in him. How will these two now draw one yoke, which are of such a contrary mind? To draw one yoke, is a manner of speaking and is as much to say, as to have fellow ship, and to yoke themselves together in wedlock To bear a strasig yoke, is it to take an unfaith 
What it is to bear a 〈◊〉 yoke  full mate, or one to give over himself unto such things, as may alienate his mind from God & his truth. And verily what woman so ever taketh an unbelieving man, must draw after him in unbelief, yea & do, se, & hear that which is clean contrary unto faith, and hurtful to her soul. The children also shallbe brought up in in fidelity. And though it come not to pass while the parents be alive, yet happeneth it after the death of the faithful? While such yoked folks also are alive, there is no tranquillity: & finally the believer must be in continual discord with the unbeliever, or else must he grant unto her & so do against God, against his own soul, and against his conscience. Therefore must we take good advisement afore hand, least we yoke ourselves, our friends or our children with unfaith full people, to the great hurt of ourselves & ours  
Thou wilt say: For asmuch now as I have 
An objection  an infidel to my mate. I perceive that there can be no marriage between him and me, therefore will I depart from him. To this doth Paul 
The solution  answer the. i. Cor. seven. if a brother (that is to say a Christian man) have an unbelieving wife & she be content to dwell with him, let him not depart from her. And if an woman have an unbelieving husband, & he consent to dwell with her, let her not depart from him. For the unbe leaving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Else were your children unclean, but now are they holy. But and if the believing depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not in subjection to such. But in peace hath God call led us. etc. We must therefore put a difference between it that is done already, and it that is yet to do. A wedlock is it (no doubt) that after the common custom and law is openly and justly celebrated, of every man esteemed for wedlock. But if in the same there be any error or blemish, that error should not be defended or brought into other marriages. Neither ought men therefore immediately to conclude & say: Mine unseemly marriage is therefore no marriage at al.  
Wherefore, while the matter is not yet past, every man ought to beware, that he nether his be snared in danger. We can note well the blemyshes of the body, much more ought we to con sidre the blemishes of the soul. We should take ensample by Solomon, seeing it is manifest, unto what point the unbelieving women brought him, although he was the wisest among men upon earth. But when the matter is done already, let every man's mind be to keep that thing that God hath called him unto, and do that most convenient is, making faithful prayer unto God, and following the counsel of the holy Apostle Peter, which (i. Pet. three) he gave to the women that have unbelieving husbands, saying: 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 good conversation of the wives, when they see your chaste living in the fear of God.  
It pleased not Paul, that in wedlock all hope should be suddenly cast of for unbelieves sake, and violence ministered to separation. For in the fore recited place to the Corinthians he saith after this manner. For what knowest thou woman, whither thou shalt save the man or no? Or thou man, whether thou shalt win the woman or no?  
Wherefore he that is snared in such a case, let him call upon God, and live in his fear, in faith fullness, in patience, in long suffering, in discretion soberly and in unfeigned love. Yet let every Christian man take heed, that for his wives sake ●…e consent to none idolatry, neither defile himself with the works of unbelief. Let every man remember the words of the Lord: Who so loveth father or mother, wife or children, sister or brother, land or substance, more than me, is not worthy of me. But let him always cry upon God for succour, counsel, comfort and help. So shall he faithfully not only show his loving kindness, but also find remedy, and declare his help.   

¶ The fifth Chapter.  
To a right marriage, must children also have the consent of their parents.  
Moreover like as God & faith should not be denied or forsaken with the marriage, even so they which are next to god (as father & mother ought not to be neglected & 
Mark well.  despised. For though God said: A man shall forsake father & mother, & keep him to his wife, yet those his words in the same place, are concerning marriage that is made already (what duty they the are married own the one to the other) & are not touching the contracting of wedlock, that children may marry, without the respect, knowledge or consent of their parents, under whose authority & jurisdiction they be. And I wonder what the papistis call books & learned men did mean, when they taught that the consent only of both the parties doth fasten the matter, & coupleth them together in marriage: The consent of the parents also, say they is good with all, but when they two have consented, and one hath taken the other, the knot can not be unknit, neither may the parents separate them from asunder Where as laws both natural (divine specially) and civil, require the parent's consent to the children's marriage: In so much that they judge the promise to be of no value, which is made without the knowledge of the parents yea & that also in those children, which as yet are not come to their years, & are yet under the tuition of their elders. Forin as much as the children are not yet come to perfect discretion they can not contract marriage which requireth, yea they can nether counsel nor help themselves. So that in this behalf the consent of their parents is not only necessary but also good & profitable for them, As for privy contracts which are not made according to the laws, they have ever been rejected, neither were they acceptable to any 
privy contracts.  man, save unto such as were ignorant and wicked. For why: for the most part they are made of some fond affection, yea knavery, falsehood & deceit is commonly the doer, to persuade, & by words to take young folks in the snare. Many privy contracts are brought to pass with flattery, with drunkenness, with rewards & promises, whereby young ignorant people are utterly beguiled & destroyed. To give liberty & licence unto such, is even as much as to give a mad man a sword, & a knife to a young child, yea a very slaun 
Note.  dering is it & a dishonouring of marriage. Diso bedience of children also toward their parents & tutors, hath ever been reprehended among all nations. God commasideth and saith: Thou shalt honour thy father & thy mother. Now doth the 
E●…d. xx. Chyldrenne must honour their parents. Isaac.  obedience or disobedience of the children at no time declare itself more than in contracting of wedlock. Greater honour canst thou not show unto thy parents, than when thou followest them herein: neither greater dishonour than when thou herein resistest them. Esau displeased his parents very sore, in taking his wife without their consent. jacob followed their mind & was commended. This commandment also of honouring our parents, did our Lord Christright faithful lie, commit unto us. Math. xv. In the. seven. of Deu. doth God give this charge unto his people saying: You shall not marry your sons & daughters to the unbelievers. By the which words we may well understand, that the authority of marrying young folks, lieth in the parents & not in themselves, Wherefore Abraham before the law charged his servant Elieser, that concerning the contracting of marriage between Isaac & Rebecca he should do his message with Bathuell and not specially with Rebecca herself. The servant also did his eacande to the parents and not to the daughter, although he found her alone without by the well side (and had time, place and occasion sufficient so to do. This law did Samson observe. judicum. xiiii. For though he had found & spied a damsel that 
Samson.  pleased him, yet he took her not, but first showed his parents, brought them with him unto her & took her with the knowledge and consent of his father and mother.  
In the second book of Moses, the. xxii. Chap 
Note this precept.  ter doth God command thus. If a man beguile a maid that is not detrouthed, and lie with her he shall endote her, and take her to his wife. If her father refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. Here doth GOD give the father authority to take his daughter from the man, to whom she is promised else by the law. Therefore may the parents draw the children again to their jurisdiction. For this is a singular great thing, that the father hath authority, to take his forced daughter from the man, and to withdraw her from him, to whom she was promised by the law. In the fourth book of Moses the thirty Chapter it is written thus: If a damsel vow 
Children may make no vow nor promise 〈◊〉 the parent's consent.  a vow unto the Lord, & bind herself being in her father's house and unmarried: if her father hear her vow and bond which she hath made upon her soul, and hold his peace thereto, than all her vow and bond which she hath made upon her soul, shall stand in effect. But and if her father forbid her the same day that he it, than none of her vows nor bonds which she hath made upon her soul shallbe of value. etc. Although now in these said words of God, there is no marriage but vows expressed and named, yet is it an evident testimony, that no child which is not y●…t come to his years, and is yet under the tuition of his parents, hath authority to vow, bind, or alter itself without their consent, yea if any such vow or alte ration do chance, that then the parents have a●…thorite by the law of GOD, to let and hinder the same. For in as much as. God permitteth to unbind it, and will not that it shall be of any effect, which without consent of the parents is promised to himself, no doubt, he will not that it shall stand immutable which in disobedience is wilfully done without the patents consent.  
The holy Apostle Paul in the first Chap, of the first Epist. to Timo. among many other grievous sins, reckoneth also the stealing away 
Menstealers  of men, which is a shameful vice, when men's children, servants or such other folks as belong unto them, are carried away or enticed from them, When a wicked, sotel & shameless woman, entyceth an ignorant young man from his father, which with great expenses travail & labour hath brought him up, when she blindeth him with love, and at the last getteth him away under the title of marriage: Or when a wanton and fair tongued fellow entycethe a damosel from her mother, and than (under the title of marriage) conveyeth her away, what is it else but men stealing:  
Thus I trust it is manifest out of god's word and the law, that to the lawful marriage of the children, the consent of the parents also is necessary, and that the children ought not to cast their parents a side: & if they do, that then the parents may refuse and disanul the children's promise.  
The eyvyle and Imperial law requireth also the consent of the parents, as it is manifest 
The evil law.  libro Pandeet. xxiii. justinian the Emperor Instit libro. i. tit. xi. writeth after this manner, lawfully & ordinately do they contract marriage one with another, which come together after the commandments: & laws young men when they are old enough to take wives, and young women when they are of conventent age to take husbands: but so that they have the consent of their parents, under whose authority they be. That this shallbe so, willeth and chargeth the law eyvyle & naturale in so much that the father's commandment must go before: These be justinian's words, which are so manifest and evident, that they need no further declaration.  
Upon this do some men think, that their marriage is no marriage, & that the one of them should now be separated from the other seeing it is so long since they were contract against the will of their parents. But such persons ought to consider that their parents did not put the from asunder & therefore is their wedlock now a lawful wed lock, inasmuch also as in process of time their parents were reconciled. And though it were not so, yet openly according to the custom of the comen laws were they permitted to marry, & were solemnly received in to wedlock, living honestly together, have had children, exercised all duties of marriage. Therefore ought they by reason to continue still in their matrimony & 〈◊〉 all points to apply themselves to the fear of god  
Some turn themselves another way & says Thorough such laws are the poor snared, that they can never come to any rich marriage, for the rich will not give their children to the poor Whereby it may easily be perceived, where the shoe wringeth them, that resist this ancient good and reasonable law. Their harping is 
Note.  upon their halfpenny, their mind is to be rich with marriage: neither are the satisfied to have taken away the child against the fathers and mothers will, but against their minds would they have the good also. These take not the child because of marriage, but for the goods sake.  
Thus doth iniquity discloose itself, that a man may well perceive, what it is that some men seek in marriage. A reasonable man whether he be rich or poor will alway have respect unto the fear of god, to honesty, to faith fullness, to labour and virtue, and not to the 
Themistocles  bag of money. Themistocles desired rather to have a wife, discrete and a prudent person than one that was rich. But who so hath more respect to worldly substance, than to honesty and knowledge, is a shameful person: like as he also that highly esteemeth such a man's 
Virtus post nu●…os.  friendship, and desireth it for moneys sake.  
Now be as be may: Who soever is grieved with this law touching the consent of the parents, let him lay away his greedy desire, his bragging and his fond affection, and let him have respect unto god and unto equity. Let him consider well the word of the Lord. What thou wilt not have done unto thyself, that do not thou to other. So shall the law be more light unto him, and the more easy to bear.   

¶ The sixth Chapter.  
The parents ought not to constrain their children to matrimony, nether to marry them afore thyr tyme.  
IN this point also ought not the parents to take to much upon themselves because of their authority, neither to abuse it, or to compel their child, either because of filthy advantage or loathsomeness in taking pain) to let him go, & have no respect unto him. For an ungodly and unhappy thing is it in the cause of marry age to compel a young man against his will, to take such one as he hath no heart unto. For in mari age aught to be the full consent of both parties, with the consent of their parents. Likewise also 
A good admonition.  when a son or daughter are come to their years & full discretion, but are of their parents in the me ane season not looked unto, & so afterward with a good advise & deliberation do honestly marry together. Then ought the father well to consider, that thorough his own wrongful & unrighteous demeanour, he hath lost his authority as toweching hindering & breaking of that marriage.  
For seeing that the parents do not look to the children, nor make such provision for them as parents & tutors ought to do (& therefore are become nothing less than the parents) why would they then require of children such obedience, by the which the children might fall and perish in the danger & snare of the devil: In such causes ve rely is not a Christian man subject nor bond, in as much as all the laws of God do extend & serve for the honest, welfare, and preservation of man, and not for his destruction. It hath oft times been found in deed, that such marriages ●…ontracted even against the wills of such unfaithful and covetous parents, have been prosperous, holy, and acceptable unto God. Not withstanding my purpose is, neither to commend the foolish affections, nether the wicked & wanton behaviour of certain young wilful persons that fear not God. In summa, the measures ought here to be a like long: even thus, like as the children must have respect to their parents & not wilfully despise them or cast them of: So should not the parents without any petty compel their children to marriage afore their time neither wickedly neglect them, nor leave them unprovided for in dew season. Good laws, just rulers, the fear of God and discretion, shall moderate this matter well enough. Hereof also shall we treat more largely, in the Chapter of the consenting.  
Furthermore the age or years of the children 
Marriage be fore the time  must well be considered of the parents. For an unnatural and unhonest thing is it, to marry young folks, which yet have not attained to their lawful and just years. Many great sick nesses do spring thereof. Young mothers also have no just strength, nether to nourish nor to bring forth fruit. And sometime hath it chanced that they have died of their impotent child. Likewise the children which were borne of children became sick and feeble: It shall also not be come lie for Christian men, to have less discretion herein, than the heathen, which have had great respect to the age and years. For Plato, Aristotle and Heseodus appoint the age of seventeen years to young women. Some there were that to young men have appointed the age of nineteen or twenty years: for in those years be the powers somewhant strengthened, and decrease not then thorough marriage, as they do in weak folks. But herein may every man behave himself after the best & most honest manner, according as the kind, complexion & cause requireth.   

¶ The seventh Chapter.  
¶ Of the just consent of both parties into marriage, and how that marriage ought to be free and uncompelled.  
TO the said points also must every Christian man (when he contracteth marriage) have good respect, namely that his wedlock be according to the common laws that it hinder not the true believe that it be done with the know ledge of his parents, or of them under whose jurisdiction he is, and that he marry not in the forbidden degrees of consangu inite or affinity. Be sides all this, and specially is required the free hearty consent of both the parties, as it is recited in the description. Wedlock must be coupled together with the good consent of both the parsons. Concerning the same good consent, will I now give this short instruction.  
This consent, is that overgyving & grant 
The consent  of thy heart, when unto thy chosen spouse thou promisest and givest thyself over in wedlock and in the highest love & fellowship that may be under God. In the love and consenting of harlots there is also an earnest favour of y● one love toward the other, but that is carnal and wicked, therefore doth the devil knit that whorish and unthrifty knot. The consenting into marriage springeth out of god's ordinance and leaneth unto honest. For an ordinate and pure love is it that she beareth toward her chosen, by him her desire to remain with mind body and good (according to the word of the Lord) to serve him, to show her troth plight unto him, to suffer well and woe with hy●… yke as it followeth also in the description. That unto their end they dwell still together, and spend their life in the equal partaking of all such things as God sendeth. Therefore is it God himself that knitteth the knot of marriage. And whorish, carnal, and affe●…tionate will, springeth of vicious lust and vanity, & hath not respect to the glory and ordinance of God, but unto beauty or to other like transitory things. And as soon as the same faileth, or if he once mislike her or see a fairer, than faileth the will and marriage also. But the will of lawful marriage (as I said afore) considereth the ordinance of God, regardeth honesty, and continueth in love, even in adversity as well as in prosperity. Herein also differeth the consenting in marriage from natural inclination. A natural thing is it that two parsons which are of like kind and complexion, of like nature and disposition, of like manner and occupying, should bear more will the one toward the other, than they do that have no mutual fellowship herein. Yet is not this will comparable to consenting into marriage.  
notwithstanding such proportion in kind helpeth much (no doubt) to a more steadfast unt te & consenting togytherin holy wedlock, & then fore it is very good for the same. And to be short a matrimonial consent is the same heart, disposition & love, that Adam bore toward his Eua. He beheld all other creatures, and none liked hi. But as soneas Eva was set before him, he said This same is once bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, that is, she hath my heart, my mind and my blood. etc. as it is said in the first chapter. For her sake thought he that a man should forsake father and mother and keep him only unto her He knowledged that she was one body with his, then must it follow also, that she had like mind heart & will. For never one body hath 
The will of marriage cometh of god.  two contrary wills, but one body hath one will. And of God himself is the same will planted and mygtely conceived in man, for it exerciseth itself strongly, & presseth after his like. Therefore was it right spoken of them of the old time how that marriage is prepared of God for all men. Hereof cometh it that many strange mari 
marriages are appointed and prepared of god  ages are brought to pass not inordinately thorough the working of god. But are taken in hand and do not prosper, for God hath not so ordained it. In the. seven. Chapter of Toby doth the angel say, that Sara the daughter of Raguel should have Tobias, because she was appointed him of GOD, and therefore died the seven men to 
Sata.  whom she was promised one after another. In the. xxiiii. of Genesis, When the father and mother of Rebecca perceavedde the wonderful 
Rebecca.  work of God thorough the message of Eliezer, they said: This cometh of the Lord, therefore we can say nothing against thee, neither evil nor, good: there is Rebecca before thee, take her, & go thy way with her. etc.  
Whereoute it is easy to understand, that marriage ought to come of a free heart, and neither to be constrained and compelled of the parents, nor of other men. For in as much as wedlock requireth both the parties good consent which no man can give, but only God, the parents 
Note well.  may not compel the child, but have respect to god's ordinance, & to the right ordinate consent of the parties, and consider whether it be or no. Bathuel and Labin had respect to the ordinance of God, and when they saw the same power before their eyes, yet sent they for their daughter Rebecca, to know her will also. And when she of her own free mind had said yea, than was she first sent away unto Isaac her spouse. Thus have we before our eyes many ensamples, whereby we may learn what mi sery & wretchedness followeth out of an unwilling and compelled marriage. And therefore it were a great deal better for rulers, to look first that no man should compel his child, then that they themselves afterward (when the matter is almost past remedy, & hurt followeth up on hurt, should have enough to do with little pro fit, and yet with much disquietness.  
Here must the children look also, that they 
The inordinate affection of young follies.  fall not immediately to discord for this matter, and violently despising their parents (make has●… to their own great hurt, & persuade themselves to be endued with a will from GOD, which of God is not planted in them, but cometh of their own inordinate affection. For it happeneth oft times, that a child taketh such a fashion in hand as ought not to be, and displeaseth GOD, and namely he goeth about to have such a parson as is not for his honesty. As when a young woman will needs have a riotous, wilful whorehunter and wayster, or such one as is forsworn and hath beguiled many other. Or as when a young man will needs have a vain, wanton, filthy, etc. (Herein to prevent the harm that might come thereof) the parents ought to make objection, & to dispoynte them of their purpose. Yet should they not there fore compel their children into other marriages to the which they bear no heart nor will, but discreetly inform them, giving them good in struction, to get that frowardness from them but godly to deal with them for their own wealth and honest.  
It chanceth sometime that the parē●…es then 
The inordinate affection of parents.  selves deal not well, neither seek honesty and equity, but only their own inordinate affection and wickedness, where as sometime the children are more reasonable, and make objection to their parents, comely and with good manner. It fortuneth also many times that the parents stick still to their own frowardness, to their f●…lthy desire of lucre and wickedness, and go about to deliver their children forth in the bargain. The children therefore sometime (for as 
Unreasonable parents ought not to have they●… wills.  much as they are come past their year●…s) being constrained by such violence, do advisedly and in honest provide for themselves. In such a case verily ought not the higher powers to suffer that such unreasonable parents as fear not God, should have their wills.  
For like as the inordinate affection of the children is not to be permitted, when they will needs have such parsons as be to their own destruction: So can no equity allow you, O parents, 
Mark well.  that for your covetous lucre sake, do set your own flesh and blood to mortgage. your opinion is (happily) to make sure provision for them, but seeing your enterprise cometh not of God, neither leaneth unto honest, therefore do ye but sell them away. Let every man therefore have respect to God, to honest and to the right consent so shall God suffer no man to miscarry.   

¶ The eight Chapter.  
The occasions of wedlock, why & wherefore it should be contracted.  
ANd to the intent that the said consent may yet the better be considered, I will yet fur theremore (by the word of God) declare, the occasions of marriage, why and wherefore it was ordained, & to what purpose it should be con tracted, that every man may understand to what thing he consenteth, when he granteth unto marriage.  
The causes of marriage are orderly set and 
To bring forth children  expressed one aft●…●…other in the description thereof, in the secon●… Chapter: first of all, they that are faithful, do marry, to the intent that they may bring forth and have children togy ther. This cause is expressed and grounded in the words of God following: And god made 
Gene. two.  man unto his own image, in the image of god made he him, man and woman created he them And God blessed them, & said unto them: Grow and multiply, and fill the earth. They therefore that are believers, do marry to the intent that they may have children. They know well also that to be fruitful or barren/ cometh of God. There fore do they●… knowledge that they have not the children of themselves, but of God. And this 
What a treasure it is to ●…aue fruit.  cause is no small nor light thing. For to have children is the greatest treasure. For in the children do the parents live (in a manner) even after their death. And if they be well and luckily brought up, god is honoured by them, the public weal is advanced, yea all men (their parents also far the better for them. They are their parent's comfort next unto God, their joy staff, and upholding of their age.  
The unbeliever regardeth not this cause, but 
The ungodly hate to be fruitful.  feareth he shall have to many children, putteth not his trust in God, will not give himself to labour, and therefore lacketh he the honour and good, the groweth out of thi●…te unto the faith full, whose heart & lust, is set with his marriage to please God, and to plant & bring forth profitable fruit unto men, yet happeneth it many times, that even they which fear God, are does appointed of this fruit, and that verily because that they (not without the ordinance of God) should have no children together which thing the faithful also doth patiently take at the hand of God giving him thanks for that in troublous time of famine, battle, persecution & pestilence their cross is so much more thesyer to carry, aswell as he (to whom God giveth children) doth earnestly thank him for making him fruit full. Of all this have we a notable ensample in the three holy patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, which is more manifest unto every man, than that we need to speak further thereof. There fore though this cause fail, so that God will give the no children, yet is thy marriage right in the sight of God. For there be other causes also, for the which wedlock was ordained, and for the which it is contracted.  
And namely it is contracted likewise of the faithful, to the intent that they may avoid 
To avoid whoredom  whoredom and all manner of uncleanness. This cause also doth Paul lay before the Corinthians in the first Epistle the. seven Chapter & saith It is a quiet and commodious state for a man, not to touch a woman. But to avoid whoredom, let every man have a wife of his own, & every woman her own husband. He saith it is a quiet state of living for a man not to touch or lie with a woman: yea if God have granted him & given him the gift, that he may well and without burning, live chaste & unmarried. But if a man or woman may not so do. God hath given them the medicine of marriage, & will not esteem the work thereof, as sin, whoredom, unchastity or uncleanness. For he saith plainly let every man have his own wife, & every woman her own husband. To be their propre own or 
Note.  peculiar maketh the marriage. As for harlots & unthrifts, they are not perculiar propre or own one to another, but borrowed & lent for a tyme.  
It followeth yet more plainly in Paul, how 
The work of matrimony is no sin.  that he not only vouch saveth the work of wed lock to them that be married, but commandeth also (ye and taketh away the private power of either of them both therein) & sayeth clearly, that nether of them may deny unto the other the dew work of matrimony. Let the husband, (saith he) give unto the wife dew benevolence. Likewise the wife unto the husband. And this with comely words expresseth he the actual 
Mark well.  work of marriage which certain of the Corinthians, of a special chosen holiness & false feigned cleanliness, had utterly denied unto their married spouses, thinking thereby to be very holy clean and spiritual. But Paul commandeth them to marry the one to give dew benevolence unto the other no doubt for the avoiding of whoredom & eschewing of uncleanness. For it followeth in Paul immediately after: The wife hath not power of her awne body, but the husband: Likewise the husband hath not power of his awne body, but the wife. Whereby he forbiddeth, that nether of them shall deny his body unto the t'other. For 
Math. ix.  they two, saith the Lord also, are one body.  
Hereof doubtless did the holy & godly learned bishop take the same which he spoke in the great counsel at Nicaea, where as he said, that 
〈◊〉.  it is dennesse also, a man to lie with his own married wife. For Paul in the same chapter speaking of widows & widowers sayeth that it is good if they so remain, but immediately addeth he thereto, saying: Nevertheless, if they can not abstain, let them marry. For better it is to mary than to burn. And within a little after he saith moreover: But and if thou take a wife thou sinnest not. Behold, what could be more clearly spoken: To marry (saith the Apostle) is no sin, then must it follow also that the works of marriage are not sin, not of themselves but because of the marriage self & god's ordinance.  
And that more is then all that we have yet 
Uirginite is & holy & ex cellent thing.  spoken of, it followeth farther in Paul: And if a virgin marry he or she sinneth not. For every man knoweth well, how holy and excellent a thing virginity is, & yet saith Pavel, that a vir begin sineth not if he or she lose their virginity in marriage. Then must it follow, that god reckoneth not the work of marriage for sin & uncleanness But sin and wicked uncleanness is it to come mytte whoredom. Filthy & abominable is it 
Deflowering of virgins.  to force or beguile a virgin. For Paul saith furthermore in the. xiii. to the Heb. Marriage is to be had in reverence & honour among all men) & the bed of them that are married, is undefiled. As for harlots & adulterers, God will judge them. How much more will he judge them that ravish virgins? job saith in the. xxxi. Chapter I made a covenant with mine eyes, that I would not look upon a virgin. For how heavy is the punishment of god from above? And what inheritance and reward giveth the almighty from an hy? Destroyeth he not such unchrists? and casteth he not out them that meddle with such wickedn●…sse. etc.  
The wise man Solomon sayeth Prover. v. Beglad with thy married wife, whom thou hast taken in thy youth, & love her as a dear chosen hind. Let her breasts satisfy the at all times, and rejoice still in her love. For why shuldeste thou come nigh an harlot (my son) and haunt the bosom of a strange woman? In the which words, Solomon like as Paul also commendeth and praiseth the love and work of marriage as cleanliness, but draweth men from whoredom as from it that is nothing but filthy. Therefore (doubtless) marriage was instituted to avoid whoredom and uncleanness and the work of marriage is reckoned of God for no sin. All which things I have the more largely spoken of, & proved and confirmed the same with holy scripture: And though I did not gladly take in hand to write of this matter yet have I done all this to help many suared consciences, which without occasionthorow the ignorance of gods leave and law do piteously trouble and vex themselves here in. I hope therefore noman will mysconster me, saying I have spoken nothing but that which Paul did write afore.  
And in all this matter is it well to be considered 
M●…asure & shamefastness.  that like as shamefastneste, comeliness and tempe raune is good in every thing, so is it good here also and exceeding necessary. Wedlock is hono rabble and holy, therefore must not we as shame less parsons cast away good manners, & become like unreasonable beasts God hath given and ordained marriage to be a remedy and medicine unto our feeble and weak flesh, to suage the dis quietness thereof, & to the intent that we should be clean and undefiled in spirit & in body. But if we rage therewith, & be shameless in our words and deeds, than our misten peraunce & excess may make it evil which is good, and defile it that is clean. Paul also is content, that as concerning the bed, married folks upon a due occasion, may lie the one from the other. But so, that it 
i. Co●…. 〈◊〉  be with the good consent of them both, And that not alway or long, but only for a time, least the devil be busy, & tempt them with whoredom or uncleanness, or deceive them with adultery.  
The third cause is this: Even to the intent that 
To auoyd●… solitariness, to help & con fort one ano ther.  the one may be an help & comfort to the other according to the will of God, avoiding solitariness. Which the Lord expressed with these words. It is not good for man to be alone, I will make him an helper to be next unto him. And within a while after, he saith moreover. They both shall be one flesh, or one body. So that like as in the parts of a man's body there is a mutual help or participation of the one toward the other. Even so ought it to be also among married folks. The one ought to be an eye, ear, mouth, hand and foot to the other▪ In trouble, the one must be the comfort of the other. In adversity must the one be the oth●…rs refreshing, yea & in all their life must the one be the help & succour of the other. And these are the causes why wedlock was ordained, and wherefore they that are faithful believers do m●…rry, and the occasions whereupon the ronsent both leave & rest.   

The ninth Chapter.  
The end fruit and commendation of holy wedlock. How blessed, honourable & good a thing it is.  
BY this now is it easy to understand what is the end, virtue & fruit of wedlock, & how holy, profitable & good a thing it is. This is the end of marriage whereupon it leaneth. Not to be alone, but to have a companion in this life, that will help to bear wealth & woe, even such one as thou canst find in thine heart to love, and of whom thou art loved again, that by the same thou mayst find a medicine and suaging of the weakness of thy unquiet flesh, and so void whoredom and all filthy living, to bring up children unto the praise of God, and to the public wealth, profit and comfort of thyself, and other thy neighbours. etc.  
Wherefore the virtue, operation, effect, and 
The operation of wedlock.  fruit now of marriage, is to comfort, maintain help, counsel, to cleanse, to further unto good mann●…rs, honest and shamefastness, to expel uncleanness, to advance the honour of God & the public weal, and to set up many such virtues moo.  
Hereof cometh it that wedlock is a great 
Wedlock is holy and honourable.  work and holy ordinance of God, which defileth or unhalloweth no man, save him that taketh it upon him with an unclean heart. Whom (to say truth (not the marriage, but his own wickedness defileth. For it is alway holy & right in itself, & all such as receive it with true hearts, doth it allow & bring to honour. It hath ever also been of an excellent estimation & had a glorious name of all prudent people, in so much that Paul durst boldly say: Wedlock is hono rabble among all men, or in all the worth.  
For wedlock did God institute by himself▪ & not by his Angels or holy men, as he did other good statutes & ordinances, yea even at the beginning took he it in hand in Paradise that 
Mark w●…  garden of pleasure, no doubt, for the commodity & not for the grief of man. without Paradise were all other ordinances made, but even in Paradise was wedlock ordained. And if all ordinances have their proper commendation & honour of their first beginner of the antiquity, of the place where they were ma●…e, or of y● pro fit that they bring. Then verily is wedlock most worthy of praise & honour, as a thing in stituted of God himself, even in Paradyse, at the beginning of the world, for the wra●…th and commodity of man.  
Therefore in marriage lived the holiest, the most virtuous, the wisest & most noble men upon earth: ye the holy ghost is not ashamed, even in the first book of the bible, very plainly to ta●…ke & write nothing else for the most part, then of marriages, chylbrens, or births, and such other 
Genes●… The  points of housholding in wedlock. Adam was a married man, so was Enoche, Nohe, Abraham, Loath, Isaac, jacob, josaphat, job, Moses, Aaron: And so were other Regentes, judges, priests and Kings, joshua, Gedeon, Phinees, Samuel, David, Ezechias, jostas, Os●…as, Isaias, and other Prophets ●…o. David commendeth the state of marriage as a singular blessing of God, which he sendeth to them that love him, & whom he loveth, & saith. Psal. cxxvii. Blessed are they all that fear the Lord, & that walk in his ways: for thou shalt live with the thing that thou hast gotten thorowthe labour of thine own hands. O how blessed & happy art thou? Thy wife is as a fruitful vine that standeth by thy house side: Thy children round about thy table are even like olive trees newly planted. Lo thus shall he be blessed that feareth the Lord. etc. and this is the cause that the wives of the old testament, took it for a great dishonour & plague, when one of them was at any time barren or unfruitful.  
In the new Testament it was the good pleasure of our Lord jesus, to be borne in marriage, For 
Math. i. 〈◊〉  the virgin Mary was married unto joseph of the house of David, yet conceived she of the holy 
Luke. i.  ghost, & brought forth her child being a virgin herself, & remaining a virgin. The first miracle that our Lord Christ did. The same wrought he at a wedding, & namely such a mi racle as is able to give consolation in marriage, 
joan. two.  that even in things pertaining to this temporal life) God will not leave them unprovided for, that marrow in the fear of him & in the faith of his everlasting word: ye that he both can 〈◊〉 
A great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 married 〈◊〉  will turn the unsavoury water of all trouble, in to theswete wine of gracious comfort. The holy apostles & preachers of jesus Christ had wives, as Paul the Apostle. Phil. iiii, reporteth of himself as Peter and the other Apostles. 〈◊〉. Corin. ix. and as Luke. reporteth of holy. Philippe, Act. xxi. And Eusebius. Eccles. Histo Lib. iii. cap. ●…xx. Paul calleth their doctrine that inhthite & forbid marriage, the doctrine of the devil, and saith. i. Tim iiii. Thesprete speaketh evidently, that in the later times some shall depart from the faith, and shall give heed ●…o deceitful sprites & to devilish doctrines: thorough them that are liars in hypocrisy, and have their consciences marked with an hot iron, forbidding to marry. etc. Therefore followeth it that the doctrine which doth set forth and knowledge wedlock to be holy, honourable, profitable, necessary and good, is god's doctrine, even true and good, holy, and undefiled.   

The. x. chapter.  
¶ How shameful, vicious and abominable, the sin of whoredom i●….  
ANd to the intent that the praise honour goodness & commendation of holy wedlock may the more clearly appear, I will now set whoredom right over against it on the other fyde, and declare how shameful, vicious, & abominable it is before god & all honesty: That youth may love the honour of god, and avoid dishonesty: & that every one may eschew vicious whoredom, and betake him to holy wedlock.  
Paul the chosen man of god writeth thus to the Corinthians: Fly from whor●…ome. All the 
Whoredom defileth the members of Christ which is thy own body.  sins that a man doth, are without his body but who so committeth whoredom, sinneth against his own body. And immediately afore the said words, he expresseth the understanding of this sentence, & sayeth. Know ye not that your bodies are the membres of Christ? Shall I than take Christ's membres, & make them the membres of an harlot? God forbid. Paul then when he spoke those words (All the sins that a man doth, et c.) had repsecte unto wedlock. For like as wedlock maketh of two persons or bodies, one person and one body. Even so likewise 
☞  the spiritual marriage, namely the receiving of god's grace, in that we are baptized into christ and become Christian maketh one body between Christ and us believers, so that we be called and are in deed Christ's membres. Now like as he that is married (if he take another beside his wife doth sin against his own body: Even so likewise doth that Christian man sin against his own body, if he commit whoredom. For he dishonoureth the grace of Christ, & defileth the holy covenant made between: Christ and him. For it followeth in Paul: Know ye not, that he which joineth himself to an harlot, is be come ove body For they two saith the lord shall be one flesh, or one body. But who so cleaveth unto the lord, is one spirit. Nevertheless thorough whoredom is the spirit banished and excluded. For thy spirit, heart and mind that ought to ●…leue unto the lord, is joined to the harlot, with whom thou art one and incorporated Therefore they that commit whoredom, do sin against the covenant and spiritual marriage, where with we must be joined unto Christ.  
Furthermore it followeth in Paul: Or know 
Whroedome robbeth god of his own.  ye not, that your bodies should be the temple of the holy ghost, which is in you whom ye have of god, & that ye are not in your awne power? For ye are dearly bought. Whereof it followeth constantly that they which commit whoredom, do dishonour and waist away their own bodies. For they give over their membres, ye their heart and mind unto whoredom: And yet Christ for his 
i Pet. i:  honour & our cleanliness did buy the san●…e, and that not with money, but with his own blood. It followeth also, that they which are given unto whoredom, be under the great plague of god. For Paul saith here, that Christian men's bodies are the temple of god the holy ghost. Thus saleth 
Whoredom ●…he ●…he 〈◊〉 of god  he. i Cori. iii. if any man defile the temple of god, him shall god destroy. Is it not an horrible defiling of god's temple, to set that vicious harlo●… Wenus, even in the place where god should reign with his spirit, & to be joined & do service unto her with body & soul? Let them come forth now 
〈◊〉 for●…●…s a ●…ous sin.  that will alway excuse single fornication, as though it were not sin (or at the least not so great sin) one single person to abuse another. Paul the Apostle of Christ saith, that whoredom divideth us from God, breaketh the couen●…unt which we have with God, spoileth and robbeth god of that which is his, mysordreth the m●…s of god, maket of christes membres the man b●… of an haclotte, defileth and unhalloweth the temple of god, them therefore that will follow whordom●…, shall god destroy. If all this be to be esteemed but a small thing, then do I confess, that whoredom and fornication is even as little a sin, as vy●…ious vain people do make it.  
It is more than once also, that Paul himself 
Whoredom shut men out of heaven.  shutteth whormongers out of heaven, who so believeth not my words, let him read. Rom. i i. Co●…. v. and. vi, Gala. v. Ephe. v. i Tess. iiii. To the hebrews he saith plainly, that as for whoremongers & adulterers, God will judge them. What can be more said? If thou not withstanding all this, wilt yet say, that whoredom or fornication is no sin, then crieth the holy Prophet Isaiah that horrible woe upon the and saith, Isaiah. capit. Woe unto you that call evil, good. Or do ye not know, that even now in this time, God doth sore punish whoredom as a great vice: Paul saith. i Corin. x. Let us not commit whoredom, as some of them of old did, & were destroyed in one day a great number. It is evident what slander & dishonour, Samson brought unto himself, specially to the glory & name of God among God's enemies & his, & among all the children of Israel with his bold and vicious whoredom, & how shameful an end he made by the means of the same harlot.  
In the fifth of the proverbs of Solomon say after this manner: The lips of an harlot 
Whoredom spoileth a man of his ho nest body 〈◊〉 good.  are as aswete dropping honey comb, and her throat is softer than oil: but her end is bitterer than death, & as sharp as a two edged sword. Her feet lead unto death, & her path draweth unto hell. Therefore see that thou go not in unto her, nether draw nigh to the doors of her house, lest strangers have thy substance, and left the cruel get thine increase. with few words both Solomon describe the short and sweet disceatfulnesse of whoredom, which yet leaveth behind it a perpetual vytternes, and briefly he showeth, how that whoredom destroyeth in soul, in honour, in body and in good. As for ensamples, we need not to set forth any there are to many before our eyes, the more pity. The stories 
The French pocks, how it ●…yrst came  do testify, that the French pocks came of an harlot into the world thorough whoredom. How many a man hath consumed all his substance & goods with harlots, and at the last hath been hanged, drowned or headed? etc.  
Yet go the shameless harlots forth still into 
Whorem●…ngers have no rest.  their own perdition, vice & abomination, yea & under take to blaspheme wedlock, & somewhat to excuse their own mischief. Therefore talk they of much trouble that is in wedlock. And as for their whorish life, it is nothing else but open vice & abomination before God and all honest people. Filthy is filthiness still, although the filthy swine delight therein, They speak much of evil wives, which when some men had taken, they could not be rid of them with any fair means. And yet can they not leave their vain crafty & unfaithful harlots, of whom they themselves are mocked, and scorned to the uttermost yea & are fain to suffer more of such vicious & filthy bodies, than any man doth of his honest wife. They speak much likewise of bringing up of children which are borne in wedlock. And yet they themselves in whoredom are fain to bring up the bastards that they have gotten, like as afore time they were wont to build mammet houses & field Chapelles, with collections and gatherings of every man.  
They speak of much travail and carefulness, 
Whores are insa●…able 〈◊〉 have never enough.  how the household must be brought up and provided for in wedlock. And yet the doting fools themselves are fain to nomysshe those shameful harlots with much greater care, and yet be afraid, that when they have done their best, the greedy sack will not be filled, and that the filthy strompette will yet bring forth a greater reckoning upon thy trencher, and all to get the bag of money into her own hands. Moreover among whores is wasting and expenses 
The end of whoredom is beggary.  most regarded, nether art thou welcome but thy money. No more money, no more love. I must have the money & purse, saith the harlot take thou thy cloak and thy baggage. Let another come that hath more money, for he hath been in the bath, and is dispatched. Thus may he bite his lips and cratch his pate, and take that for his farewell that he getteth of hisharlot.  
They complain moreover of the crying of the children in the nights, and how that married folks can not step, but must watch by the means thereof. And yet the doting fools themselves go all the night long up and down thorough the streets, & keep the devils watch, with painfulness, frost and unrest. Let no reasonable man therefore be snared still in whoredom by such harlots, to the slander & dishonour of holy wedlock. Whoredom (no doubt) ha●…he much more disquietness, anguish and trouble, then hath the holy state of marriage. The pain also that is in marriage, is godly and honest. God giveth such patience, strength and good will unto the faithful, that they can easily away with all manner of con●…gale cares. As for harlots, they are the devils martyrs, and have alway dishonour and shame.  
Where as certain men say: if whoredom 
Stews.  be so great a sin before God, & bring so much vice and mischief with it, why do some high rulers and prelate's of the world then maintain open stews: To that I answer: Many things are suffered, that ought not so to be, and yet for suffering thereof are the suffrers never the better. But let those prelate's & regents of the world make answer unto God for their own act. God hath commanded the and us all: Thou shalt not commit whoredom. Let every Christian man follow him, what so ever other folks suffer or do. The holy Apostle Paul saith: Let neither whoredom nor any uncleanness be once named among you, as it becometh Saints. Ephe. v. Chap. Now if among Christian folk as an holy people that is cleansed thorough the blood of Christ there may no whoredom be named, much less no doubt ought vicious stews to be set up and openly maintained, for a plain shame is it and a manifest confusion. Let them therefore that maintain such shameful houses, look well to themselves, how and what answer they will give unto God for this their act.  
They that say they are suffered for avoiding of greater inconvenience, let them considre whether, they mean to put away a worse thing with an evil, be a mean that is comely and pleasing unto god? or whether God hath at any time commanded or given licence, to suffer and maintain open and shameless whoredom, that virgins may be the less forced & deflowered or that yet worse things be not committed of wilful persons? Paulsaieth. Thou ought stnot to do evil, that thereof might come good except thou wilt be dampened justly. Roma iii We find daily by experience, that the same way helpeth not, & that there are whore houses and in the mean season the worse thing, not eschewed, And therefore evil with evil, and vice with vice do run together, so that abomination and mischief prevaileth. Wherefore let every reasonable Christian man cease now from vice, brawl who so list: if thou wilt do that god commandeth thee, & the thing whereof thou mayst haur worship & welfare in the sight of God & honest people, then meddle not with harlots, ●…ether come at the stews. Maintain them not and use them not. But to avoid whoredom, let every man have his own wife and every woman her own husband.  
Ye but it is not meet for every man to marry Many poor marriages make many beggars. 
Objection.  There is no man compelled to marry, nether yet afore the time, nor when thou hast not a conve nient cause thereto. Only if it be not meet for the to be virtuous, it shall be no vyceous thing to marry. Now if thou thinkest it will not frame with the to marry, then leave thine whoredom 
Mark well.  also. And then we are agreed. For god's sake man, keep thyself honest, sober, pure and clean, until the time that it be meet and expedient for the to marry. Thou wilt say: Halas we are but flesh and blood. jaunswere: were not our fore father's flesh & blood also? did they therefore continue still in childhood? Or haunted they harlotry in the mean time? Behold the example of Isaac, jacob, joseph and other excellent men, which married not till they were of a good & per foot age, and yet nevertheless spent their youth virtuously in cleanliness of life. Therefore should our youth fear God like wise as they did, have God's commandment before their eyes, call upon God for grace, avoid idleness & all that may provoke to an uncleanly living: but contrary wise, give themselves ●…o labour, and resist manfully in tentation. But now we find it other wise, for our youth hath little respect unto god & his commawdementes, calleth not upon God, goeth up and down idle, haunteth evil company & drunkenness, Hereof cometh it now that they can not refrain, & they think that they must needs follow harlots still, or else have wives, & yet can they nether labour ●…er get their living. And thus came they to nought: therefore is it their own unthristynesse and not holy wedlock that destroyeth the●…▪  
Doth not the haunting of harlots make beggars also? Whence come then such swarms of 
Marriage (say they) ma●…eth m●…ny beggars.  beggars & wretched pocky people: Even of whore doom get they that mischief for the most part. And this doth no man esteem ner consider. But when a good virtuous young man which is come to his age, doth honestly marry, then is the walet brought before him, to fear him, or else to with hold other men from holy wedlock, and to make them continue still in whoredom. This ●…ā the sotil devil 
☜  do. The rich, faithful & almighty God did never fail any man, that seeketh him in true ve 
Whoredom  leffe, that laboureth faith fully, and that is virtuous and honest, Let noman therefore besnared still in sin. To be short, whoredom with draweth & separateth the mind from god, maketh us to break our covenant, dishonoureth the grace of God & membres of Christ, robbeth God of that which is his, unhalloweth the temple of god, & plucketh us utterly with spirit & flesh into the mire & into all filthiness, maketh us of men, beasts defileth body and soul, taketh from us all our substance, honesty and good, shameth the and carrieth to bell with wrechidnesse, misery & sorrow. Contrary wise: wedlock delivereth 
Wanion coum sail.  us once from all such inconvenience. And therefore is it a miserable thing, that all this will not be considered, and that yet also there be old men, which esteem whoredom to be no sin, and talk so lightly and wantonly there of before young people, that youth being provoked for ward in their wicked purpose, are now the more hard hearted and obstinate therein  
Dear children, hearken ye rather unto Paul the elect servant of god which speaketh out of 
Ephe. vi  the holy ghost these words: Be ye sure, that no whoremonger or unclean person hath in heritance in the kingdom of Christ and of god. Be not deceived with vain words. For because of such things cometh the wrath of god upon the children of unbelief. Mark this well, and remember it. God will not regard the wanton and vile communication of such, so light as they make it. Wherefore if ye will escape the wrath of God, then keep yourselves from whoredom, and marry at your just age.   

¶ The. xi. Chapter.  
How shameful & wicked a thing adultery is, and how it hath of old time been punished hitherto.  
ANd like as whoredom hath ever been taken for an abomination, among all honest people in the whole world, even so have they esteemed adultery to be a thing much more shameful & utterly to be abhorred: in so much that all virtuous rulers, yea & that even among the heathen have punished it with the pain of death. 
Ho we God plagued ad●…ontry before the law c●… written.   
When Abraham came with Sarai his wife into Egypte, and the Egyptians thought that she had been Abraham's sister, they took her and brought her to the Court unto king Pharaoh. But the Lord punished Pharaoh & all his house with great plagues, because of Sarai, and yet committed he no hurt with her, and that he did was done of ignorance. For when he understood that she was Abraham's wife, he sent for him, and said? Why hast thou dealt thus with me. Wherefore toldest thou not me, that she 
A goodly example.  was thy wife? Why saidest thou unto me, that she was thy sister? There hast thou thy wife, take her, & go thy way. And seeing it is thus it may well be considered, the God is much more does pleased with than that willingly commit adultery.  
In the southerliest Chapter it is written that 
Mark this well: 〈◊〉 once be ashamed ye wilful whoremongers.  at Gerar, Abimelech the king of the Philistines took Abrahams wife, as Pharaoh had done before, and it appeared unto the king in a dream, and was said unto him: Behold, thou art but a dead man, because of the woman, whom thou haste taken, for she is another man's wife. And yet had Abimelech committed no actual ded●… with her, no more than Pharaoh had done afore. Therefore said God also afterward: if thou dost not deliver her again unto Abraham, be sure, that thou shalt die the death, and so shall all that thine is. Did not God with these words declare manifestly, what sentence and judge meant he hath given upon adulterers? Wherefore joseph, when he was provoked of his lords wife to accomplish her will, said: My Lord hath committed all things unto me, saving the only, for thou art his married wife. How should I then do so great hurt, and sin against God? Genesis. xxxix.  
job saith in the. xxxi. Chapter: if my heart hath lusted after my neighbours wife, or if I have laid wait at his doors, than let my wife be another man's harlot, and let other men lie with her. herewith doth job knowledge it to be reason, that he be measured with such measure as he hath given unto other men. If he had broken his wedlock, which thing yet he did not, sith the punishment of adultery is a meat that every man can not chew, let every man consider by himself, how loath another ma●… would be thereof: & let him not touch another man's wife, so shall his also not be meddled with all. It followeth in job: For this is a wickedness & sin that belongeth to the judge, yea a fire it is that consumeth all together, and plucketh up all a man's substance by the roots. With the which words job doth knowledge, that adultery is such a vice and wickedness, as partaynethe to the judge, that is to say, ought by right to be grievously punished of th●…m which be in authority (if they were not adulterers themselves) for it is a fire that consinneth altogether, both body honest, and good: mind, heart & welfare. And all this was exercised & practised, afore the law was given to the people of Israel by Moses.  
And in the law doth God appoint a certain pu 
The punish mente of ●…duoutry in the law of God.  nyshment for adultery among other transgressions ●…nd saith. Levi. xx. Who so committeth adultery with any man's wife, shall die the death both the man and the woman, because he hath broken wedlock with his neighbours wife. And Deut xxii. is the same law recited again, & confirmed.  
Nether was adultery so sore punished among 
How adultery was punished among the heathen. Lex Lepre ianorum.  the people of Israel only, but also the heathen used mortal executious thereof. This will I now declare out of the histories & credible writers. When any of the Lepre●…ās were taken in ad voutry, they were bounden, & carried three days thorough the cite, & afterward (as long as they lived) were they despised, & with shame & confusion, reputed as parsons desolate of all honest. Among the Lo●…rēsiaus did Zalemcius forbid ad 
Lex Zalen ci. A good ensample for noble men.  voutry under a great punishment. The transgressors caused he to have both their eyes thrust out. And when his own son was taken in adultery, he bad them put out his one eye as judges & the t'other did he himself put out as a father. In the days of our forefathers, the noble germans (afore they came to Christian 
Germani,  faith the punishment of a woman that broke wedlock, stood in the power and authority of her husband. And at the lest he might stripe her out of her clothes, thrust h●…r out of his house, & beat her openly with rods in the City or tow ne, even before her friends. etc. as Cornelius Tacitus maketh mention, who also writeth these words: Among them there was none that laughed at the misdeed: & to defile or be defiled, was named among them to be asmuch, as not to do according to the course, manner & custom of the world.  
Mark now well in how much better case they stood, than we, which laugh at all sin & vice: ye all abomination, as fighting, warring, whorehunting, wedlok breaking, masking momming, to much drinking, excess ineatinge, & all uncleanness do we excuse with these words. It is the manner & comen course so to do now in the world. Opilius Ma●…rinius the emperor 
Lex opil●…  of Rome, used to punish adulterers with fire For then whom he found in adultery, caused he to be bound and to be burnt together quick. This doth julius Copitolinus write of him. And among the Romans was there a 
Lex julia,  comen law (called lex julia), which would, that execution should be done upon adulterers, with the sword the same law stood in strength in s. hierom's time, who writeth, that a certain youngman and a married wife, were judged and put to execution with the sword because of adultery. And the same law (called lex julia, de stup 〈◊〉 adult, did the Christian Emperors receive, & of justinian it is appointed, lib, iiii. Tit. xo●…i. de publicis judiciis.  
This allegation concerning the punishment of adultery I am sure will many men marvel 
Why avow try was so sore punished  at, and esteem it sore & untolerable. But if they would consider the matter right, setting affection and evil custom aside, and would ponder well what adultery were, and what followeth it, they should not wonder so sore at ●…he punishment. adultery is a destruction and high 
what adultery is.  dishonour of the ordinance of God, a wickedness grown out of the devil and idleness of the flesh, a shameful unfaithfulness, a wilful truce breaking and perjury. And that this is so, may every man consider by the Chapters going afore. Wedlock is the ordinance of god, 
Wedlock.  in the which both the parties ought so to be knit the one unto the other, that they be not divided, Paul saith also, that adultery is a work of the flesh. notwithstanding, manifest it is that married parsons at their entrance do make a perpetual covenant, and there calling upon God, & taking him to record before the whole congregation, they promise troth and saith with 
Mark and take heed.  mouth & hand the one to the other: etc. Now if it be but a small trespass to dissemble, to break to destroy & to tread under foot all this to for swear troth given before god & the church & no thing to regard honoste and faith, them must I needs confess, that the punishment of adultery was to rigorous in the old tyme. But if it be a ●…ust thing, earnestly to punish unfaithful per ●…ury, the despising and contemning of god and all honesty, then is also the punishment of adnoutrye right equal and not to sore.  
Item, If the loss of a good thing should be valued after the estimation of the owner, than (as touching this life, there is no greater damage, than a man to lose his own body. Now is it certain, that both the parties married, are but one body, and that (as Paul saith) the husband hath no power of his own body, but the wife, nether hath the wife power of her awne body, but the husband. Wherefore who so committeth adultery, the same taketh away, stealeth and robeth the other of his awne body, even his principal and best good. Or what honest person had not rather find a thief stealing his treasure & rather to suffer the loss of the goods them to find an adulterer by his married spouse, and to reap dishonour in her.  
Both these vices therefore theft and adultery, 
adultery 〈◊〉 theft compared y● one toward that other by Solomon.  doth Solomon in the si●…te of the proverbs lay upon the balance the one against the other, and showeth how that adultery is the sorer and more tedious, saying: A thief is not utterly despised, that when he is hungry, stealeth to feed himself, for when he is taken, he must restore seven times asmuch, or else all his substance. But he that is so far out of reason as to break wedlock with another man's wife, both either destroy himself, or else getteth himself stripes and shame, which shame may never be wiped out. For the wrath of jealousy and of the husband (if he have time to revenge) will not be entreated: he will not be persuaded with prayer, ye though thou givest him rewards he will not receive them. This comparison doth every man understand. For though a man's good be stolen, yet if it be restored him again without hurt, he willbe entreated, for as much as it was done (happily (thorough poverty. But if a man take his wife in adultery, he will not be pacified. For it is a very beastly and wicked thing.  
More over, if a man take a thief with the de mayner yet hath he no power to avenge him sell fe & to slay the thief: But if a man find an adulterer at the deed doing, he may be avenged. And though he do wound, slay or kill the adulterer & the adulteress: yet shall he not be punished for the death of them. Out of all which words every man may plainly understand what vice is most grievous before god & before all indifferent judges. Before these words also, saith Solomon: May a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be brent? Or can one go upon whotecoles, and his feet not be hurt▪ even so, who so ever goeth into his neighbours wife, and toucheth her, can not remain undefis led. Whereby he declareth furthermore the danger and greatness of this vice, threatening them that think (like fools) to keep their adultery 
Whoredom shall come to light.  secret, and that they shall never be taken and punished.  
It serveth to our purpose, that thorough adultery, 
Alterations and aliena●…i once of heretages.  great inheritances are altered, and the right heirs disher●…ted For oft times it fortuneth, that an adulteress hath children by an adulterer, & then must the said children inherit all the substance of their pretenced father, as lawful children, which yet are unlawful, where by the father loseth his honour, his kindred, his body & goods. His wife, which is his own body, hath the adulterer defiled, & the unlawful children take the goods away. If this be not great wrong and wickedness, then wot not I what a man may affirm to be vicious enough: therefore 
adultery in women is most to be abhorred.  though adultery be horrible both in men & women, yet in women it is most hurtful & detestable. For besides that the adulteress alter●…th the inheritance (as I said before) and with false pro mises & shameful deceit, withdraweth & stealeth it from the right heirs, she ladeth first her honest poor husband with great shame, great travail, labour, sorrow and pain, in that he ●…is fain to bring up those adulterous children which are not his awne.  
Moreover, she dishonoureth her father, her mother & kindred: Her children (even those that are lawful must be ashamed of her, & be doubted of in the world, whether they be lawfully begotten or no. Th●…rfore when they speak of their mother, or hear her named, they are abashed and ashamed. adulteeresses also make their husbands to be despised and of no reputation, although they be virtuous & honest men. They are the occasion, that folks come oft together, which are nigh of kindred. These & such like in 
What a sea of evils ensue out of ad voutry.,  numerable confusions, shame, hurt, dishonour & filthiness, follow out of abominable adultery. I pass over now the murders, poisonings, 〈◊〉, manslaughters, battles, & wars, that have ensued after adultery, & destroyed both countries & people. This did the ancient & noble men of old, ponder and considre, & therefore righteously & of just occasions appointed they the punishment of death for adulterers.  
Yet will we hear how adulterers excuse 
The defence which adulterers use.  their own vice, & pondre how reasonably they go to work. They say: Though God have for bidden adultery under the pain of death, yet is the same punishment not executed, performed or practised. For in no place appeareth it, that adulterers were put to death. For David was an adulterer, & yet received he no punishment therefore, yea the Lord Christ himself did abrogate & dissolve the punishment of adultery, for asmuch as he commanded not the woman (taken in adultery) to be put to death, but b●…d her go her way. For when no man had condemned her, he also let her go. joan. viii.  
To that I answer: God in his law hath once expressed, how he esteemeth adultery, and how he will have it punished. Now if men have not done God's commandment & according to the same, then is it never the better: yet endureth the law of God unmovable and sure. Nevertheless 
Death was the punishment of adultery.  they of the old time did punish adultery with the pain of death, as it is sufficiently proved afore out of the stories. The objection therefore that adulterers make, is but vain. Now though all sentences & judgements the have been executed and practised because of adultery stand not in holy scripture, it is no marvel. For the Bible is not a register of unthrifts & of such, as for their wyck●…dnes have been put to execu●…ion. Or is it not evident enough unto you, how it was like to have gone with Susanna? 
The adultery of david  David committed adultery once in his life, which drew him also and brought him into great murder, so that he caused not only his faithful servant Uria, but other noble men likewise to be slain. Behold what occasion adultery giveth? What cometh of it? Truth it is, he was not ston to death. But what chanced unto him? Even as he had dishonoured another man's child, so saw he shame upon his own children while he lived & that with great wretchedness. For Amnon deflowered Thamar his own natural sister. And they both were David's children. Yea Absolom did miserably slay Amnon his brother, for committing that wickedness with his sister Tha mar. Not long after, did the same Absalon drive his own natural father David out of his Realm, & shamefully lay with his father's wives. Whereupon there followeth an horrible great slaughter, in the which Absalon was slain, with many thousands moo of the common people Now let every man ponder w●…ll by himself, whether it be not a less thing, once to meddle, and so to have execution & die: then to abide the death of so many, and that so long, with such misery and sorrow. Therefore was David sorer punished, than if he had been but once stoned unto death. And let every man learn hereby, that no man can escape the hand of God, although the world lay no hand upon him, God punisheth nevertheless, yea & that much sorer, when he doth not here, but differreth it into another world.  
Where as they make Christ the Lord a maynt●…yned of adulterers, it is plain and evident 
The adulteress brought before christ  shame. Christ never gavelibertye unto sin. For he saith: I am not come to break the law but to fulfil it. Paul also saith: To the righteous is there no law given, but unto the unrighteous and disobedient, to whoremongers, to periure●… persons, to liars and blasphemers. And to the Galathians he saith: Walk ye in the spirit, so are ye not under the law. Therefore for asmuch as adulterers do walk in the flesh and not in the spirit, they are under the law, ne there hath the Lord taken the law and punish meant from them.  
Moreover, as touching the story. joh. viii. we must consider that the Lord said unto the wife: woman, hath no man condemned thee: And when she had said, no man, he answered: Nether do I condemn the. For with this answer laid he before her the sentence of the judges. And for as much as he was not come now to give sentence as a judge, but to save, he would not condemn her, and so meddled nether with the law nor the act. The Lord was come now to have mercy upon sinners, and to call them to repentance. Therefore said he also unto this woman: Go thy way, and sin no more. And with 
Repentance.  these words doth the Lord warn all such as are tangled with adultery, to cease from henceforth and to amend. God happily may have mercy upon them, & take from them the shame, dishonour, pain and punishment, which they have greatly deserved. For God hath no delight in the destruction of a poor sinner, but will rather that they convert & live. But yfye will not turn, if ye will needs be stiffnecked and still set forth your shamelles foreheads, then verily doth God watch over yover wickedness, & saith Hieremy. v. In the desire of uncleanly lust, they are becomel yke old stallandes: every one neigheth at his neighbours wife: Should not I punish this? Wherefore ye adulterers, look for none other, but God will plague you for shameless acts of wickedness & whoredom. For abomination, vice, perjury, and shameful matters are they, that ye go about withal.   

¶ The. xii. Chapter.  
●…ow one that intendeth to marry, should choose a meet, honest, and virtuous mate.  
ANd hitherto have I declared whence wed lock cometh, who did institute it, what it is, how it ought orderly to be contracted, what be the occasions end and virtue thereof. Item how holy, profitable and good it is. Again, how horrible, noisome and shameful whoredom and adultery is. But forasmuch as in the occasions of wedlock it is mentioned how the wedlock was ordained of God, to the intent that married folks should spend their life in the mutual participation of all such things as God sendeth, that they may bring forth children, or they may avoid whoredom, or for the eschew●…ynge of perilous, solenes, that the one may be a comfort and help to the other according to the will of GOD: And for asmuch also as in the mean season there lieth great importance, & weight upon it, what manner of companion & mate thou choosest, how thou mayest live with him, and (if God give the children) how thou mayest bring them up. Therefore in this part of ●…y book following, I will treat how a meet honest and virtuous spouse ought to be chosen. afterward, how they ought on both the sides to live well and right together, to heap and increase the mutual love and troth of marriage, and finally how they must well & virtuously bring up their children.  
For who so coupleth himself with braul●…g 
Ther●… lieth much weight in the election of thy ●…ate.  folks, & cometh to disquietness, may not complain thereof. Why lefce he not such contentious persons without his house? Who so now will have a peaceable marriage, must not choose him a restless mate. He that will plant any thing, 
A godly and not a ●…leensā ple:  doth first consider the nature of the ground, in the which he intendeth to plant. Much more shouldest thou have respect to the conditions of thy spouse, out of whom thou desirest to plant children, the fruit of honest and welfare. And like as planting and carefulness hath great power in all growing things: so hath it greater virtue and strength, yea and better fruit in the diligent bringing up of children. Where as marriages and children do sometime prosper evil the greatest cause thereof, is the fault in choosing the party, and in the children's bringing up. Now where as we fail in this behalf, it cometh either of our own fond affection which we follow, and are seduced thereby, or else cometh it of ignorance, as when folks wot not where unto they ought to have respect, or how to do in the cause. And seeing that in these points standeth the making and marring of wedlock, I will first note in few words the most necessary thing that may be spoken hereof: And first will I speak of the choosing of a spouse.  
The choosing, is a receiving or accepting 
What the elec●…ion is.  of such things as we think are meet for our end and purpose. Therefore every election hath a final respect, that it is directed unto. For as much now as our talking here, is of the election of a spouse, we must reduce to our remembrance, the end of wedlock, that is to say, the causes, why and wherefore it is contracted. Now have 
Why mary●… age is contracted.  we heard afore, that the causes why it was ordained▪ and wherefore it is to be received of the two parsons, are these, even to the intent that they shall continually dwell together, and spend their life in the mutual participation of all such things as God sendeth, that they may bring forth children, or that they may avoid whoredom, (for the eschewing of per●…llous solitariness) that the one may be a comfort a●…d help to the other according to the will of God.  
Therefore thou that wilt chose, must have respect unto these aforesaid points, as to the final end & mark, set before thee, & must prove wheth●…r the parsonne, whom thou thinkest to ●…oyne unto thyself, have these points, which thou hast heard now recited. And the same shalt thou well prove, if thou note diligently the riches that are in man, of the which I will now speak.  
Three manner of rytch●…●…re therein man, the 
Three man●… of rytche●… 〈◊〉 man.  riches of the mind, of the body, and of temporal substance. The best & most precious are the riches of the mind, as they without which the other two are more hurtful than profitable. The riches of the mind are, the fear of God, faith, god's glory, god's service, understanding 
Richeses of the 〈◊〉.  or knowledge, prudence, truth, soberness, righteousness, liberality, chastity, humbleness, honesty and nurture, singleness and diligence: and such like virtues. These lie not still, neither hide themselves, where so ever they be, but break out diverse ways, so that they may well be spied, but specially in talking. For our Lord Christ did say: Out of the abundance of the heart speaketh the mouth. They of the old time said, that a man's talking is the mirror & messenger 
Language.  of the mind, in the which it may be seen without, in what case the man is within. Therefore who so will know and have experience how a 
The fear of God.  man's mind standeth, let him diligently note his communication, whether it be joined with the fear of God, mannerly, true, earnest honest, stead fast, and reasonable, or whether it be churlish & ungodly, nice, vainglorious, feigned, full of words unsteadfast, unhonest, unreasonable and joined with lightness. And of these fruits than shalt thou know the tree and root of the heart. And though hypocrisy use much deceit in talking, yet can no hypocrite go alway so craftily, but he shall sometime stumble and bewray himself.  
But for the more surety, it is good for the ●…ot only to mark his communication, but also other gestures & manners, how the man now behavethe himself, how he hath done hitherto, 
Reputation.  what name and fame he hath had, and yet hath, what opinion otherwise, and honest men have of him, how he behaveth himself in standing and going, & in all the parts of his body, what raiment he useth, whether it be vain, whorish, 
Garments.  wanton, light, or mannerly and according to his estate, reputation and power, that is to say, honest raiment. For raiment doth oft give certain and sure testimony of pride, lightness, wantonness, inconstancy, unshamefastness, boasting and of filthiness or uncleanness, and other vices or virtues that are in man. So may 
Company.  much be spyedalso, by the company and pastime that he useth. For a man is for the most part conditioned even like unto them that he keepeth company with all. We see that among beasts wild and tame, like will to like. The education 
The bringing by.  also giveth great testimony, namely by whom, & how every one is brought up, whether it were among virtuous parsons or evil, whether the party hath continued in the nurture of the virtuous, & showed himself obedient, or whether he hath broke out of his discipline, and followed his own wilfulness. For it is but a small matter for the to have dwelt among virtuous men, but rather herein lieth the weight, how far & how much thou hast followed them, & been obedient unto them. judas was among the Apostles, brought up of the Lord Christ, but for all that was he never the better. For he left not his wicked pran●…es, neither was he obedient.  
Thorough the occasion of all these things, & other like appartayning to the same, ought every one to discern the parson, whom he 
Note:  hath chosen to take to marriage, and to see that she be endued with the said riches of the mind and that to his purpose she be right, peaceable, honest, meet and convenient for him to live with all in wedlock, as it besemeth, and as GOD hath iustituted. For like as in the mind there are such virtues as we have spoken of, so are 
froward wicked qua lities of the mind:  there in it also noisome wicked vices and distractions, as ungodliness, despising of God's word, misbelief, idolatry, Ma●…etrye, ignorance, churlyshnes, lying, falsehood, hypocrisy, unrighteousness, backbiting, mistemperaunce, drunkenness, covetousness, unchastity, unshamefastness, mysnurtoure, rashness, furious wantonness, pride, presumption, vainglory, ●…hydyng, brawling, and unhandsomeness. Who so now chooseth him a mate that is tangled with such noisome vices, seakethe not a spouse for a right peaceable and good honest life, but a●… hell a painfulness, a destruction of all expedient●… virtuous living. Specially there is little good to be looked for, where as is ungodliness and despising of God's word.  
For like as the fear of God draweth the who 
The des●…ysing of god's word. ☜  le garland of ●…ertues with it, so bringeth ungodliness all vice and abomination, ●…ea and shutteth up the way to amendment. For who so will not hear God's word, refuseth all good information, and therefore is there no amendment to be hoped for in him. And where as is no shamefastness, there dare the shameless person 
unshamefast ness. Lying.  do every thing that liketh him. Where lying, b●…astyng and lightness is, there can no certaynetes be had, there standeth all in doubt, 
Pride.  what so ever is spoken and done. Where pride is, there is also rashness, wilfulness, presumption, contempt, disdain, murmuring, and obstinate rebellion: And where as such be, there is nothing but brawling, chiding, and never one g●…od hour. Wherefore he that will not lack the right points of marriage, and of a commodious life, let him have respe●…te ●…o the riches of the mind, and chose him such a parson, as is endued of God with such riches, and not with a noisome or froward mind. 
The ryche●… of the body.   
After the riches of the mind, do the riches of the body follow ne●…te, as is a beautiful or well favoured body, health, a convenient age etc. A beautiful body is such one, as is of right form and shape, meet and of strength to bear children, and to keep an house, even such a person as thou canst find in thine heart to love, and to be content with all, etc. Of the beauty of the body (where there is else no good quality beside) 
Beauty.  saith Solomon, prover. xxxi. As for favour it is deceitful and transitory, and beauty is a vain thing, but a woman that feareth god, is to be commended. And Proverb. xi. A fair woman without discrete manners, is like a ring of gold in a swines snout. Therefore are they all stark fools, that in choosing them wives, look only to their beauty, and regard not the riches of the mind. afterward doth the same beauty turn them to disquietness, to pain and trouble.  
Health also must be considered in the election, lest thou with all that thou hast, perish, and lest 
Health.  thy whole house be poisoned and hurt. Nevertheless I speak here of sore contagious sicknesses, not of such daily infirmities and small diseases, that all men are subdued unto. But I spoke of madness, frenzy, the falling sickness, lameness, leprosy, French pocks, or such like, which every man should greatly abhor.  
notwithstanding where married folks, which 
Mark well  now are together, be visited with such diseases than must suffer the one with the other as they that are in one body. As for the due and convenient age▪ we spoke of it in the sixth Chapter.  
To have the goods of temporal substance 
Richeses of temporal sub stau●…e.  is to be borne of noble parents, or to come of a worshipful stock, to have riches, great offices gains, or occupienges, and such like. The highest nobility and most worthy commendation, is to be noble in virtues, in good works, manners and conditions. Who so doth come also of noble parents, is the more to be reputed. But to 
nobility.  be a gentle borne, and to use himself v●…gently is even as much as to shame himself and his. There have been found many, which came of a low birth, but they garnished their kindred so with virtues and noble acts, that they and their stock attained to great prosperity. There are many this day that come of famous houses & noble parents, but they lean to much to their birth, yea they are wilful minded, and think, that (because of their nobility) they may do what they list, and that their doings becometh them well, and yet are they so noble (that, is, they so excel) in all vice and abomination that they bring themselves to dishonour, and to contempt and hatred of all men.  
Let every man therefore look earnestly to this matter, lest any man intending to have the gold, and catching the hot cools, do burn hy●…selfe without recure. For temporal goods sake, the matter miscarieth and is in danger. 
Temporal goods.  There is sometime great riches, but with little honest is it gathered together. And with the same riches, will not be all way prosperity, peace and rest. Many trust to their goods, and nothing will they learn, therefore also can they do nothing but live daintily, and with pride, excess and dishonesty, to waste it away, that hath been long gathered together. Now when 
Beware or ●…ll be spent.  there is all way taken from the heap, and no thing laid thereto, it waysteth away in process of time, how great so ever it hath been. Then followeth poverty, yea an intolerable and vnpa●…ient poverty. For they that now lash out all together, have had no necessity hitherto, but were in all wealth, therefore after such a Son shine, there cometh ever an intolerable heat, and thence forth begin they to warm them selves at the bare leaves.  
Who so now in his election looketh to the multitude of goods, and not how they were won, & whence they come, he hath accustomably such a smoky hat set upon his head, that all 
☞  the water of Ryne can not wash away the soo●… thereof. Good without God & honest, is a deadly poison, & the bodily devil himself. Goods and riches is in the hand of an undiscrete & ignorant man, is as a sharp knife in the hand of a child, that doth no good therewith, but woundeth and destroyeth itself. Wherefore let every man in the election, have more respect to discretion & knowledge, than to riches. Moreover an hand that is occupied, & winneth & getteth his living godly and honestly, doth far excel any riches 
Handy crafts.  that are won. A rich man which hath great goods in his hand, & yet hath learned nothing withal (and nothing can learn) when he once loseth his substance and goods, he can win no more, but cometh immediately to the staff & wallet, As for such one as hath applied him 
winning 〈◊〉 occupying.  self to learning, he is fit to some office, he can and is able to occupy and labour: and though he once or twice loseth that he hath, yet can he win more again.  
And though no man with his election should 
Honest provisio nought to be regarded.  have special respect unto temporal substance yet ought no man to behave himself uncircumspectly, nether lightly to regard honest provision For like as out of great riches there followeth pride, even so of poverty there followeth much evil. Therefore is it not unright, that thou 〈◊〉 thine election consider how thou mayst honestly win thy bread, and whereof thou mayest live with thy spouse, and what thy spouses substance and occupying is, & how the same may be an help to thy convenient living. If thou now wilt not regard the more excellent and better things, but have only respect unto the goods, than marryest thou not the parson, but the goods? Whereof if there be not so much as thou wouldst fain have, or if it waste away, then farewell all the love. For that love which 
Hot love is ●…one cold.  cometh thorough riches, beauty, or other like small occasions, is even as a fire that is made of stra●… or tow: it groweth soon and is great, but streyghtewaye it vanysshethe. Even so is that love shortly extinct, which springeth not of durable occasions. If a fire be made of whole strong wood, it giveth a good natural heat, likewise if thou in the election of a spouse, haste respect unto the true, godly & honest points, them is the love of so much the longer continuance.  
And to be short, let every one with his election, 
●…he effect of the election.  have first respect unto those points, for the which wedlock was ordained of God. Then whether the party (whom thou art minded to choose) be reasonably endued with all, or no. And to the intent that the same may well be 
Good lessō●… for choosing 〈◊〉 wife.  perceived, let every man have faithful respect here to the riches of the mind, whether the parson be godly, wise, discrete, true, faithful, honest, sober, and loving. Item whether she be whole and sound, and not laden with sore diseases, deformed, sluttish. filthy, evil favoured, & what her estate is, what power and possibility she is of, how, where, & with whom she hath been brought up, whereupon she liveth, & what she occupieth. how fruitful, handsome, houswyfely, laborious and quick she is. If beside these, thou findest other great riches (beauty and such gifts) and comest godly & honestly by them, thou haste the more to thank God for.  
But specially and afore all other things, we must faithfully with ferventness and steadfast belief (without ceasing) make intercession and prayer unto God, to whom all hearts are open and known, that he will not suffer us to go amiss, but as a father, help and guide us to a right marriage, in the which we may live honestly and prosperously, even as we ought to his honour. For it is God only that providethe the marriage, that hath the hearts in his hand, and that giveth the will, as it is said in the Chapters afore. But like as in other points & matters the ordinance of God doth not destroy lawful instruments: Even so here in this cause the institution of God denieth not the ordinate election, but in them that fear GOD they go both together.  
Of this ordinance of God and ordinate election, we have a very fair example, Gene. xxiiii. 
A nota●…le en 〈◊〉 of the election and 〈◊〉 a●…d in the cause 〈◊〉 matr●….  where Abraham sent his servant in his messa ge, to get his son Isaac a wife in Mesopotamia. The same servant beginneth his matter with prayer, & sayeth: O lord god of my master Abraham, send me good speed this day, and show mercy unto my master Abraham. Lo, I stand here by the well of water (for he t●…yed there with his servants and camels without the city by a wells side, and the daughters of the men of this city will come out and draw water. Now the damsel to whom I say, stoop down thy pitcher and let me drink, if she say, drink, and I will give thy camels drink, thereby will I know, that she is the same, whom thou haste ordained for thy servant Isaac.  
Behold, in this prayer doth Abraham's servant knowledge the ordinance of god, and that god only provideth the marriage, and yet nevertheless he falleth to prayer, and useth that mean. For it followeth in the story, And it came to ●…as that yer he had left speaking, Rebecca came forth, & carried a pitcher upon her shoulder, & she 
Rebecca.  was a very fair damosel & unblemished virgin, & came down to the well to draw water. Then ran the servant unto her, and asked her drink, & she said: Drink sir. And with that took she down her pitcher, and gave him drink. And when he had drunken, she said: I will draw water for thy camels also, that they may dryn●…e. And so she made haste, and poured water out of her pitcher into the trough and gave the camels drink: But the man marveled at her, and marked her well, and held his tongue et cete. No doubt, he had respect to the 
The properties of a maid that should ●…e chosen wite.  riches of the mind and of the body, and perceived that she was gentle, serviceable, lowly, given to labour, quick in her business, loving toward strangers, that she was not my ●…taughte or nicely brought up, ner a high minded or dainty veast, but honest and handsome. How she was conditioned, could he not know better, then by such token. She was yet an untouched virgin, and therefore also well nourtoured and no nice thing.  
When she cometh to the well she maketh no stop: ner bringeth a sort of young fellows with her, nether standeth she gazing and wondering upon the strange man, but quickly and strait goeth she her way, and tendeth her own business. But assoon as the old honest man (Abraham's servant) speak unto her, she sheweeth herself very courteous and gentle. Full reverently calleth she him, sir master or lord and serveth him quickly, asketh no questions at him and maketh no moo words. These are right virtues, highly to be commended in a virgin. moreover this damsel is praised for her beauty and fairness of her body, which was even asmuch the more excellent, as she exceeded in virtuous conditions.  
Thou wilt say, ye but where are the other gifts of god and riches of the mind, as the fear of GOD, true belief, et cete? I answer.  
The said virtues were not in her without the fear of God and faith. Abraham also had ta ken an oath afore, of the same his servant, after this manner. Thou shalt swear by the lord of heaven & earth, that unto my son thou shalt take no wife of the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell, but shalt go to my country and kynrid, and thence bring him a wife.  
The Canaanites were corrupt and lost in 
The goods of the mind are more to be regarded than the go●… des of the body or of the world.  their faith and manners given to idolatry and abomination, yet were they mighty and rich. But they in Mesopotamia (whence Abra ham was) feared God and were virtuous, not withstanding they were not of like power and riches. Nevertheless Abraham followed after the fear of God, & therein leaveth he us an ensample, that we all should be the gladder to have God, than Mammon. And thus haste thou also, that in this marriage, there was great experien ceof faith.  
When the seruasit now had with silence considered the excellent gifts in the damosel he asketh her furthermore: whose daughter art thou? She answereth. I am the daughter of Bathuel and Nahor is grandfather. Then Abraham's servant took out a ring of gold & other jewels 
Gifts in the way of marriage are ●…oth lawful and commendable. A prouer●…  and gave her them. For no uncomely thing is it to give honest presents to honest damsels in the way of honest, and so to move their minds unto the honour and love of marriage. Else (or in other wise, & of suspicious persons, ought honest damsels to take none. For it is no untrueproverbe: She that taketh the peddlers ware, must be fain to have the peddler himself also at the last. etc.  
Moreover, the servant thought he would prove, how friendly, merciful, barbarous, & faithful the damosel was, and said: Have ye room in thy father's house to lodge in? And she said unto him: We have plenty of litter and provender, & room enough to lodge in, yet because she would not take much upon her, she ran in, and told her brother Laban the matter.  
Who immediately made ready the stable, goeth forth to the well & bringeth the servant into the house, and setteth meat before him But the servant said: I will not eat, till I have first done my earand. And so began, and told how that his master Abraham had one only 
A form of the ●…rande in marriage.  son: how rich he was, and how he had sent him to Mesopotamia to get his son a wife.  
Then told he how he made his prayer unto god, & came to the well, and how their daughter Rebecca came to the well also, how she behaved herself and what she did, by the vohych he understood, that god had prouyd●…d their daughter for his master's son: So that now his request was, that they would give him a final answer, whether they could be cont●…t to marry their daughter to his master's son, or no. Where upon the damsels father and brother answered. This cometh even of the Lord, therefore will we not say against it▪ etc.  
And thus out of the story we learn, that when we have made our faithful prayer unto God, appointed our election ordynatelye, and used the other means, we must do our errand unto the parents or tutors of the party, and how and after what manner we ought to do it. The damesel also is inquired what her will is, she consenteth, and there with is the marriage conclu ded. Thus much I have spoken concerning the choosing of convenient and meet spouse, and of the earand appertaining to the same.  
Yet in this thing also must I warn every 
Truth in cōtrac●…ynge of marriage.  reasonable and honest person, to beware, that in contracting of marriage, they dissemble not, ner set forth any lie, but rather use truth, & tell how every thing standeth. For they that lie and dissemble, do afterward cause much displeasure among them that are deceived. Let every one remember, how loath he would be to be deceived himself, and that it is commonly said: In marriage ought no man to be beguiled.  
Every man likewise must esteem the parson to whom he is handfasted, none otherwise, then 
Mark this well.  for his own spouse, though as yet it be not done in the church ner in the street. For thus is it written. Deut. xxii. if a maid be handfasted to an husband, and then a man find her, and lie with her, they shall both he carried out of the city, and stoned unto death.   

The. xiii. Chapter.  
Of the wedding.  
ANd to the intent that all inconveniences for to come which might afterward grow, either touching the goods or the promises) may cyrcumspectlye be prevented, therefore after the handfasting & making of the contract the church going & wedding should not be differred to long, lest the wickedde sow his ungracious seed in the mean season. Likewise the wedding (& cohabitation of the parties) ought to be begun with God, & with the earnest prayer of that whole church or congregation. But into this dish hath the devil put his foot, & mingled it with many wicked uses and custumes. For in some places there is such a manner, well worthy to be rebuked that at the handefasting, there is made a great feast & sup●…rfluous banquet, & even the same night are the two handfasted persons brought & laid together, yea certain weeks afore they go to the church. Which is nothing else but a wicked lust, and a plain evidence, that thou little regardest the blessing, even as did Esau, & that in wedlock thou seekest nothing but carnal desire.  
Christ commandeth us, that first before 
Married fol●…es go to the church afore they lie togy ther.  all things and in all things, we shall seek the kingdom of God. And for asmuch as he himself did openly couple the first marriage together, and blessed both the parties, therefore the congregation thorough the ensample and spirit of God, hath ordained, that the parties shall openly and before all things, come to the church, and there declare and confirm their marriage in the face of the church, and of Gods minister receive the blessing, and commit themselves to the common prayers of the congregation, and enjoy the same. This godly ordinance ought every reasonable Christian man to prefer above his own fond affection, and not first to seek the banquet & the bed in his marriage, but God's kingdom, and then first to be wedded & dwell together in the name of God.  
For in the said ordinance we must not only 
The occasions & commodities that cometh of this ordinans.  consider, and note the act and example of God, but also those profitable and christian points following.  
first, with this ordinance is it openly decla 
i.  red in the sight of all the world, that it is God which knitteth the knot of marriage. For that the minister of the church doth, that doeh he in the name & according to the ensample of God.  
Secondly with this ordinance is testimony given, that wedlock is honourable and pleasant 
two.  unto God, an holy work of the light, and no foul work of darkness. For the parties dare syghtly come into the open Church (even in the light) where Gods works only are practised. As for the works of whoredom and dishonesty, that hide themselves in the darkness. It is seen also by the going to the church, who keepeth house with God and honest in wedlock●…, and who with the devil and shame in whoredom: Not only this, but also what they be, that among Christian people are to be suffered together as honest persons: and who, as harl●…ttes and unthrifts, are to be expelled & driven from asunder.  
thirdly, in this ordinance is every one war 
iii.  ned, faithfully to keep his promise, made and given to his spouse, before God & the whole church For if a man have cause to be ashamed, when he promiseth aught in the presence of honest people, & keepeth it not: Much more ought adulterers to be ashamed, that break their promise, made before God and the congregation.  
Fourthly, God will give his blessing to them that contract wedlock in the fear of him, and 
iiii.  that confirm it according to his ordinance. Which thing the faithful may assuredly look for at his hand Gene. i.  
fifthly, There is God's word declared and 
〈◊〉.  taught, how holy a thing wedlock is, how mar ryed folks ought to behave themselves. etc. There every man that is married already, is put in mind of his promise, and they that sometime live well in marriage, are called to repentance: like as they also that lead an honest life, are confirmed in all goodness.  
sixthly. There is made a general prayer of the whole congregation in the name of Christ, 
vi.  for those new married folks, and for the whole state of matrimony. Now hath the Lord promi sed, that where two or three are gathered together in his name, he will be in the mids among them: therefore is it well to be hoped, that he will be much rather in such a whole congregations, and hear their prayer: All these occasion considered, let not the faithful despise God's ordinance, but behave themselves so, that diligē●…ly & afore all things, they seek the kingdom of god, & take that in hand, which is honest profitable & good.  
But the devil hath crept in her also, & t●…ogh 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weddings.  he can not make the ordinance of going to the church to be utterly omitted & despised, yet is he thus mighty, & can bring it to pass, that the or●…inaunce is nothing regarded, but blemished with all manner of lightness: In so much that early in the morning the wedding people begin to ●…xcead in superfluous eating & drinking, where of they spit until the half sermon be done. And when they come to the preaching, they are half drunk, some all together: therefore regard they neither the p●…chyng nor prayer, but stand there only because of the custom. Such folks also do come to the church with all manner of pomp & pride, & gorgeousness of raiment & jewels. They come with a great noise of haps, Lutes, kyttes, basins and drums, wherewith they trouble the whole church, & hinder them in matters pertaining to GOD. They come into the lords house as it were into an house of mar●…haūdyse to lay forth their wares & offer to sell themselves unto vice and wickedness. And even as they come to the church, so go they from the church again, light, nice, in shameful pomp and vain wantonness. What thinkest thou, faithful man, that such church going opteynethe before god? verily more indignation and displeasure, than favour and grace.  
Wherefore let all virtuous and honest people 
How they ●…ught to go to the church for to be maintained.  take here monition, to leave such●… abuse, ye such sinful and vicious church going, there as it is yet practised: And let them take their ho nest kinsfolks & neighbours with them, & in good season soberly discreetly lowly, as in the sight of god, without pomp, mannerly, and in comely honest raiment, without pride, without dromming & piping, let them go in to the house of the lord, and there hear the lords word, make their faithful prayer unto God with feruentenesse and steadfast beleyfe, receive the blessing, and then mannerly and with silence to go home again.  
After the going to the church, is there no less inconvenience used among many multitudes 
Sin & excess committed at weddings.  then in the church going. For when they come home from the church, then beginneth e●…sse of eating and dryncking. As for the poor, they are out of remembrance. And as much is wasted in one day, as were sufficient for the two new married folks half a year to live upon. The days of Noah, mentioned in the Gospel, and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, have there room enough. Let every man look, that with such excess: he pray not also with the rich man in the pit of hell. 
O abomination.   
After the banquet and feast, there beginneth a vain, mad, and unmannerly fashion. For the bride must be brought into an open dancing place. Then is there such a running, leaping and flinging among them, than is there such a lifting up and discovering of the damsels clothes and of other womennes' apparel, that a man might think, all these dancers had cast all shame behind them, and were become stark mad and out of their wits, and that they were sworn to them devils dance. Then must the poor bride keep foot with all dancers, and refuse none, how scabbed, foul, drunken, rudeand shameless so ever he be. Then must she oft times hear and see much wickedness, & many an uncomely word. And that noise and rambling endureth even till supper. 
At an after supper.   
As for supper, look how much shameless & dron ken the evening is more than the morning (so much the more vice, excess, and mysnourtoure is used at the supper. After supper must they begin to pipe and dance again of the new. And though the young persons, being weary of the babiing noise and inconvenience, come once toward their rest, yet can they have no quietness. For a man shall find unmannerly & 
A wicked custom.  restless people, that will first go to their chamber door, and there sing vicious and naughty Ballads, that the devil may have his whole triumph now to the uttermost.  
But here let every Christian man considre, what an unmannerly & froward custom this is, and how unmeet a thing it is that such uncleanness should be practised among Christian peopel, which ought to be holy. Marriage should be an inhib●…ion & manifest condemnation of all inor dinate luft, of all excess, of all wanton & unshame fast living. And yet is the same chaste estate begun with such vain wantonness & lightness, with superfluite and royote, to the great hurt of the bodies, souls, and goods of the young folks. Or is there any manneso greatly destitute of understanding, that he perceavethe not this? Why doth no man then reform it? Or will we with violence provoke and defy all mighty GOD? Now go to, though the mire fall upon your heads, we can not do with all. Thou wilt say: What? hath God then forbidden honest folks to make merry together or 
Convenient and honest mirth.  to dance honestly in all good manner: I answer. Wh●…t so ever God doth not inhibit and 
A goodly to enlusion.  condemn to be sin, may not be called sin by any man. As for mirth with honest, it is a grace and gift of God, and hereof cometh it, that they of old did say: Honest mirth should none forbid. Wherefore thought a Christian man use convenient mirth with nurture, temperance and thankfulness, he sinneth not. For God hath not inhibited man to be merry with ho nest, and in due season. This is manifest. Hieremy. xxxi. And Solomon saith, Ecclesiastes. lii. There is a time to weep, & a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance: a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. In convenient time therefore and place, may faithful Christian men have ordinately all manner of mirth in instruments with honesty, at marriages or other joyful times, when God giveth peace, prosperity and fair wether. The abuse, the riot and excess (against the which only we her●… speak) mareth all, and bringeth inconvenience in these and all other things. And so after great untemperate, and unmeasurable mirth, ther●… followeth commonly exceeding great and perpetual sorrow. Wherefore let all faithful Christian men take here a monition at their weddings to put away all untemperance, and with nurture and honour to begin that honourable state, so shall God increase his grace in them, and grant them to live in long & honest mirth: Or else if they fall into trouble, he shall not leave them without comfort.   

¶ The. xiiii. Chapter.  
Of the first cohabitation or dwelling together, and love of married folks.  
AFter that we now hither to have briefly spoken of the election of a comely spouse, & of the earand in the cause of married folks. church going also, and of the declaring and con firmation of the parties in wedlock: I must declare, how they both may live well and right together, and faithfully keep and increase the love and duty of marriage.  
And here the first dwelling together is most 
●…aunger in the first ●…o a habitation.  dangerous of all For where folks never came together afore, & the one is not yet accustomed with the other, and where sometime also they are of contrary conditions and natures among themselves. There or ever they can dwell under one roof, and afore theo ne learneth to know the other: much contention happeneth many times and if the same be not prevented at the beginning, there springeth worse things thereof.  
For the dyue●…the enemy of all unite creepeth in here also, and laboureth fast, that he may likewise have his portion, and that he may make the married folks not to agree well the one with the t'other. Against whom, they that are now married, must diligently watch and fight, and give the devil no place, but remember well, what may follow unto them by such to early discord. And the same may they learn by this ensample following: if two boards at the first be not well coupled and joined the one to the 
Mark this example well.  other, they never are fastened right afterward. But if the first coupling & joining together be good, than can there afterward no violence drive the boards asunder, yea the whole board doth sooner break, than the glewing of them together.  
They therefore that are married, must apply their special diligence, that their first cohabitaci 
How married folks ought to behave them selves when they first dwell together.  on & dwelling together be loving & friendly, & not separated thorough any spiteful contention, for so shall the whole estate of your marriage prosper the better, and have the more tran●…ilite & rest, as long as ye live. And though there happen to arise any cloud of discord, yet let them beware, that at the least there be not to much displeasure, disdain and inconvenience. For if at the beginning of marriage there chance such rudeness and uncomely discord, then will it alway be breaking out, even as it is with great wounds and broken legs, which seldom are so thoroughly healed, but sometime hay have pain at the change of the wether. Even so if married folks behave themselves thus unhonestly the one toward the other at the first & if discord be once begun between them, the old canker will break again, though it be scaled afterward. Then come such unseemly words as these be. Thus didst thou serve me also afore. It were my part to learn to give little credence unto the. etc. And after this manner doth that to early discord make the whole life. & the whole state of marriage, bitter and sour.  
Let every one consider this aforehand, and 
How they must behave themselves at their first being together  refrain, forbear and suffer: And if all be not after his mind, let him remember the words of S. Paul. One bear another's burden, and so shall ye fulfil the law of Christ Let one suffer with another. In the mean season let each one learn to be acquainted with the nature & conditions of the t'other, and to apply himself to the same, in asmuch as they must needs dwell together, one enjoy another, and the one die & live with the other. Remember yourselves well on both the sides, that if either of you will be so stiff minded, & stand so in his own conceit, 
A good lesson both for the man and the wife.  ye shall never have good nor good days together. What availeth you then your own noisome conditions? When thou perceivest thyself to have aught in thee (which doth displease thy husband, the best is that thou amend it. If any thing them do displease thee, speak thy mind, & that discreetly unto thy husband, to the in tent that he may leave it, if sensuality go to, it marreth all. With the first can we not obtain, alway, & of every man, what so ever we would fain have. Contracy wise: Chastening hath yet her own due time & place. The time also and your dwelling together shall minister much occasion, so that in process of time many things shall be more tolerable unto the that at the first thou thoughtest rough, & couldst not suffer. But afore all things, the prayer of faith unto god, shall make most peace & rest. God only hath our hearts in his hand, be can bow them & alter them as he will: Leave not thou now thy callynge. What soever we desire of God in a true believe, if it be not against his glory and our salvation, he will give it us. But this prayer may not cease, as Christ teacheth. Luke, xviii.  
As for such as in their own inordinate lusts not regarding this our instruction and warning go on still, and as soon as in their first 
Mark the●… g●…odly exa ple.  dwelling together they find aught in their spouse that is against them, do brawl and cry. Noman, but even the devil himself sent thee (unto me, etc. Those men do, even, like as if one had bought a vineyard, and should go into it afore the time, to prove the grapes, which if they 
What married folks ow●… one to another.  were yet hard and sour, that is unseasonable and not ripe) he should therefore pluck up the wines, and destroy the whole yard. For like as here the time must be considered, so must the one forbear the other in their first coming together. And though the grapes be ripe, yet is not the iewse immedeately wine at the beginning, but first, is it must, than sweeter, at the last wine: ye the year and age maketh it in many places, the longer the better and the more pleasant. He that will not now tarry the time, but cast out the wine, because it is not wine by and by, but is must first, and then sweeter wine that man must needs lack wine at his need: Even so if thou wilt suffer no infirmity ner blemish thou must take none to be thy spouse. For almen are tempted and every one hath his own special blemish and fault, over and besides the weakness and imperfection that we have of our first father Adam. Wherefore let not every man speak and do here what so ever cometh into his brain, but remember that we all are men, and that according to the old Proverb. In space cometh grace.  
And to the intent that every man in this information and in the state of marriage, may behave himself the more handesomlye and the better, I will now briefly declare, what married folks (because of god's commandment) do own one to another, namely ordinate ob●…dyence, & conjugal love mutual, which is of all loves, the greatest For who so ever doth earnest lie pondre these things, and considereth them well shall not only behave himself ordinately and lovingly at their first dwelling together, but thorough out the whole state of marriage (as long as he liveth he shall spend his time well in unite quietness, and in all good manner. touching this obedience and love matrimoniali, I will all ledge the very word of God, to the intent that this instruction may generally take the more effect, and that every man (not following here the same, may know, that he sinneth openly against god and against his holy ordinance.  
Paul, Ephe. v. sayeth thus: ye wives, submit 
The duty & obedience of wives.  yourselves unto your husbands, as unto the lord. For the husband is the wives head, like as Christ also is the head of the congregation, & saviour of his body. Now as the congregation or church is in subjection unto Christ so let the wives also be in subjection to their husbands in all things. First doth Paul speak of the obedience, that married women own to their husbands. Let the women saith he be in subjection, that is to say, serviceable & obedient unto their husbands. And addeth thereto, that they must esteem this obedience none otherwise, then if it where showed unto god himself. whereout it foloweth, that the said obedience extendeth not unto wickedness & evil, but unto that which is good, honest, and comely. In asmuch as god delighteth only in goodness, and forbiddeth evil every where. It followeth also, that the disobedience, which wives show unto their husbands displeaseth god no less, than when he is resisted himself.  
Secondly, Paul doth likewise add the occa 
●…he husband is the head of the wife.  sion, why women ought to be subjection to their husbands. Even because the husband is the wife's head. Which, saying he took out of the third chapter of Gene, where it is written thus: And the lord said unto the woman. Thou shalt depend and wait upon thy husbands beck, him shalt thou fear, and he shall have aucthori te over the. Thus writeth Paul himself. i. Ti moth. two. I suffer not a woman to teach or preach or to have dominion over her husband. For Adam was first made and then Eua. And Adam was not deceived but the woman was deceived, and brought in the transgression. For asmuch then as the mastership and taking of authority upon her could not well be driven out of the woman, therefore god to punish the sin, humbled her, made her fearful and subdued her. Such punishment and ordinance of God ought they to regard, and with a good will (ac 'cording to the commandment of the Lord, to obey their husbands, least they fall into God's wrath and into further punishment.  
But to the intent that the husband shall not 
How the husband 〈◊〉 the head.  turn his authority unto tyranny, therefore doth Paul declare, after what manner and how the husband is the wives head. The husband (saith he) is the wife's head, even as Christ is the head of his congregation. Now is Christ so the head of the congregation, that he showeth unto it the same thing, which the head showeth unto the body. The head seeth and heareth for the whole body, ruleth and gydethe the body and giveth it strength of life. Even so doth Christ defend, teach & preserve his congregation. To be short, he is the saviour, comfort, eye, heart, wisdom and guide thereof. Therefore must the husbands be heads unto the wives in like ma ner, to show them like kindness, and after the same fashion to guide them and rule them with discretion for their preservation, and not with force and wilfulness to entreat them.  
thirdly, Paul setteth an ensample to the wives how they must be obedient & behave themselves unto their husbands, & saith: Like as the church is in subjection to Christ, so let the women 
How the wives must obey and behave them selves.  be in subjection to their husbands in all things But how is the church in subjection to the Lord? She hath respect only unto him, & dependeth upon his word. As for strange & fond husbands, she hearkeneth not unto them, but keepeth herself pure and clean (and that continually) unto him in all faithfulness: Look what Christ commanndeth her, the receiveth she into her heart, & doth it: Contrary to Christ and without his will & word, doth she nothing. For in every thing that she goeth about, she seakethe and requireth for Christ's word, she loveth Christ only & 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 altogether. Upon Christ is her thought day & night, she neth only after Christ, for Christ's sake also (if it may serve to his glory) is she heartily well content to die, yea she giveth over herself wholly 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 honest wife submit herself, to serve her husband with all her power, and give herself over freely and willingly, never to forsake him till the hour of death: to hold her content with her husband, to love him only, to hearken unto him, & in all things to order herself after his commandment. etc.  
Now followeth it in Paul likewise, what 
The dewties and love of husbands.  the husbands own to their wives, & how they ought to love them. Ye husbands, saith he, love your wives, as Christ loved the congregation, and gave himself for it, to sanctify i●…, and hath cleansed it. etc. The husbands dewetye is to love his wife. Now is love gentle and friendly, she is not disdainful, she seeketh not her own profit she is not proud, she is not puffed up, she is not hastily provoked unto wrath, she taketh not a thing soon to the worst, she is not loathsome & tedious, but fervent & serviceable, and therefore (as we said afore) the husband is the wives head, that is, her defender, teacher and comfort. Yet needeth it no farther declaration, for as much as Saint Paul himself showeth the manner & fashion of the love, that is, how they ought to love their wives, and saith: Ye men love your 
How men should love their wives.  wives, as Christ loveth the congregation. How did Christ love the congregation. It is written: No man hath greater love, than he that ieopardeth his life for his friend. Such love hath christ showed to his congregation. For it followeth in Paul: Christ gave himself for it. For what in tent: Even to sanctify it and to cleanse it.  
This is then the measure of the mutual love matrimonial, that each party have nothing to 
☞  dear, which he can not be content to give and bestow upon his married spouse, in as much as it is required of him, that if n●…de be, he shall also not spare his own life for his spouses sake.  
And like as Christ thought no scorn of his church, despised her not, neither forsook her because of her uncleanness and sins. So should no christian married man spurn at his wife, nor set light by her because that sometime she faileth or is tempted & goeth wrong: but even as Christ nourisheth and teacheth his church, so ought the husband also lovingly to inform 〈◊〉 instruct his wife.  
But mark & consider this well: O ye christian 
●…ow holy 〈◊〉 thing love matrimonial i●….  married folks, that jesus Christ the son of God, and the holy Christian church, and the holy body of them both, are set forth for an ensample or myrcoure to the state of wedlock and co●…gall love. A more excellent, a more holy, a more goodly and purer ensample could not be showed. Thus truly must it needs follow, that love matrimonial is highly accepted unto God as an ordinate, holy, and godly love: Contrary wise it must follow, that unquietness, hatred and frowardness in marriage displeased GOD exceedingly. For an high love is it that God requireth of married folks, therefore sin they not but do well and right, when they, because of God's commandment, bear great friendship and love, the one to the other.  
It followeth moreover in Paul: So ought 
A man 〈◊〉 love his wife as his own body.  the husbands to love their wives, as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself. For no man hath at any time hated his own flesh, but doth nourish and cherish it For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and keep him to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. Therefore ought every man to love his own wife as himself. All these are the holy Apostles words, which have this consideration: Wedlock maketh of two persons one: For they two, saith the Lord, are one flesh. Therefore must the husband love his wife no notherwise then his own body. And as it is a very unnatural thing for a man to hate his own flesh & blood, even so is it to be esteemed unnatural, that one spouse should hate the other. All we cherish our own bodies and nourish them. Reason is it then that we cherish our wives, and do them good, for they are our own bodies. And as there is great unite and mutual love among the parts of a man's body, so ought there to be also between them that are married together. Every member helpeth another, they are sorry & merry together, there in not one that check the and obbraydethe another, every one hath his place & office in the body, and doth his duty without grudging: Even so likewise must it be between man and wife. Thus much have I shortly spoken out of Paul, towthing that love which is due to be had in wedlock.   

The. xv. chapter.  
¶ How the love, faithfulness, & duty of married folks, may be kept and increased.  
HErein now ought not a married man to be satisfied, that he knoweth what matrimontall love is, & how he should love his spouse, but he must apply himself to love her in deed, as the Lord hath commanded him & not that only, but also endeavour himself ever more and more, to keep & increase the same love. For many there be that begin well to love, but they endure not, & some ordre themselves after such fashion in their living, that they deserve rather to be hated, than loved. Therefore will I now speak a little hereof, how the love, faithfulness & duty of married folk●… may be kept & increased. first, for asmuch as true love matrimonial 
The word of God and prayer.  cometh of God, & is given of God unto man, there are two special means (namely god's word and the prayer of faith) that do keep 〈◊〉 increase it. For if married folks hearken earnest lie unto the word of God, & read it, they learn daily at it, such things, as augment comugall love. And if they pray unto God with a true faith, that he will put away all such things as may minish the love between them, 〈◊〉 help them unto it that may increase the same, doubt less God shall hear them. Only let them give themselves to continual prayer, and to the hearing and reading of God's word.  
Secondly. For asmuch as wedlock m●…keth 
One heart 〈◊〉 will.  of two persons one, for they two are one flesh, saith the Lord, therefore must they be of one heart, will and mind, and none to cast another in the teeth with his fault, orto pride him of his gift. If thy wife be not all together circumspect and handsome, and God hath endued the with wisdom and activity, than boast not thyself against thy wife, but remember how God hath provided the for her in marriage, to the intent that thou shouldest supple her imperfection, and that ye both doing your best together, might be one perfect body. If the wife be rich, and the husband poor, then let not the wife boast her riches against the husband, 
One castuo●… another in the teeth.  but consider, that thorough marriage, her goods are become her husbands also. For marriage is a mutual fellowship & partaking of all things. The body like wise is more of value than the goods. saying, then that thy body is thy husbands, much more are thy goods his. And thus must every one of you judge in others gifts, that what so ever the one spouse hath more excellent than the other, the same, thorough mari age, is his spouses aswell as his own.  
thirdly, it doth greatly increase love, when 
service and ●…wshyp.  the one faithfully serveth the other, when in things concerning marriage the one hideth no secrets nor privities from the other, when of all that ever they obtain or get, they have but one common purse together, the one locking up nothing from the other, when the one is faithful to the other in eating, drinking and all necessity, when the one harkenneth to the other, & when the one thinketh no scorn of the other, & when in matters concerning the rule of the house, the one will be counseled and advised by the t'other. But much discord cometh of it, when the one hateth and will not suffer them, whom the t'other loveth and can not forsake, as namely a man's friend, father, mother, sister, bro ther, and such other like.  
fourthly, let the one learn ever to be obsequious 
Obsequiou●… 〈◊〉.  & serviceable to the other in all other things And this shall come to pass, if the one note what thing the other can away with all, and what pleaseth him. And so from henceforth to meddle with the one and eschew the other. Some wives are so froward, that when their husbands are merry, they are sad: And contrary wise, there be divers men, that first desire to meddle with that thing, which they perceive that their wives 
Things 〈◊〉 be eschewed  can not away withal. Some nether can nor will hear their infirmities more nor less. Some time when the wife is sad and disquieted, then will the husband have to much sport and pastime of her. And sometime if the husband be displeased, than the wife with spiteful words and wanton fashions provoketh him to more anger. Some had rather have their back full of stripes, than to hold their tongues and forbear a little. But where the understanding of obsequy and obedience is, then let every one remember that the other hath the nature of mankind in him, and is tempted, let the one lend to the other somewhat in temptation, forbear with him, & give him the place gently for a tyme. And though thy spouse in his displeasure do happen for to speak an unkind or unientyl word, yet think that it was not he, but wrath that spoke it.  
fifthly. There is no manner of thing, that 
humility 〈◊〉 gentleness.  more strongly keepeth and increaseth love matrimonial, then doth courtesy, kindness, plainness and gentleness in words, manners and deeds. But there be divers married parsons, among whom is not found a good word, but all way brawling, chiding & discord. And yet fill they all the world with complaints, what a miserable life they have together. And they themselves nevertheless are guilty of their own mis chefe. Let them leave their churlish fashions, and be friendly and loving one to another, and then shall they come to rest. And if happily they can not excel in that behalf, yet let them show a good mind and loving will in their words and deeds, & so shall an honest virtuous spouse be contented therwythe. For evident it is, that many a man would fain be endued with humanity and gentleness. And yet by the means of imperfection, not for any frowardness, he can not. One man also is of an heavier nature than another.  
Syrtely, it likewise heapeth and increaseth 
They must secretly ke●…e no evil▪ mine des, but tell their grief.  love matrimonial, when the parties swell not one against another, and when either openeth to the other their grief in due time, and with discretion. For the longer a displeasure or evil will reigneth in secret, the worse will be the discord. The devil also sometime maketh their hearts so hard & stiff, that at the last they both become crooked vessels. Therefore (I say) would I have the due time observed, because that there is some season in the which if griefs were showed, it should make greater debate, as if thou shouldest tell it thy husband, when he is out of patience, or moved. And specially who so speaketh to a drunken man, talketh with him that is not at home. Therefore Abigail perceiving nabal her husband to be drunken, would not speak her mind unto him until the morning. i. Reg xxv. Thus ought every one to wait his conve nient and due tyme.  
With discretion, I say, must it be done also for some show their griefs so unmannerly, so spitefully, and so uncourteously, that they make now a greater dissension, than was afore. And if the one, of a good faithful meaning, begin to speak of the t'other, the same shall not only take indignation at him without patient hearing out of his tale, but also begin to make spiteful rehersals again of the new. Remember yourselves well both of you, for if ye so continue in dissension, brawling and chiding the one with the other, truly ye can not have God's favour. For who so will be forgiven of God, must and ought first to be at one with his neighbour, and also to forgive him his trespass & fault. According to the words of the Lord. Math. v. vi. xviii. So saith Paul. Ephe. iiii. Though ye be angry, yet sin not Let not the Son go down upon yourewrathe, neither give place unto the backehyter. etc. Let all bitterness, fierceness & wrath, roaring and cursed speaking be put away from you. Be courteous one to another, and merciful, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath for given you.  
Sevently children begotten in wedlock, are a very sure bond of matrimonial love. And 
Children 〈◊〉 gottē●…n marriage  therefore the Latinistes call them Pignora. Now is pignus as much to say, as a pledge, or gage or pawn. And the children begotten in lawful 
Pignus.  marriage, are as a pledge and surety of the love that can not be parted asunder. For how canst thou at any time be divided from the married spouse, by whom thou haste children: if thou wilt say. Take thou one, & I will take another yet hath each of you in that one child, something which pertaineth to yourself. For certain it is, that the child cometh of you both. God also bringeth it so to pass, that sometime the children look like the father, sometime like the mother, sometime they have the conditions and similitude of you both: And this God ordaineth that the love may be the greater in marriage. Now 
Mark thou wyf●….  when thou wife dost love those your children as thou shouldest, bringest them well up, art diligent in looking to them, and canst take pain with them, than lovest thou thyself in thy children, and givest him also an occasion to love the better than he did, so that with the pain & travail that thou hast about the children, he is pacified: Like as it is in deed the dewetye of every married man, not to be unpatient with his children, or churlish to his wife, which hath labour and pain enough all ready with the children, all though her husband were of a gentle nature, and not doggish.  
And those wife's, which being made fruitful 
To bring forth children is the blessing of god.  of god, do bring forth many children, and have all their days much great pain, travail labour and disquietness with them, may not think (as some do) that they he more unhay pie and infortunate, than those are that have no children at al. They should rather consider, that to be fruitful, is in gods true eternal word, commended as a bl●…ssynge of god, and that all such wise and noble men as feared god have ever esteemed it for a singular prosperity, honour and wealth. Item that all holy & famous women of the old testament, did mourn, complain, and were ashamed of their unfrutefullnesse. Upon a time there came a famous woman to Rome, to the noble Corne●…ia Grachi, & showed her her treasure, as namely her precious jewels, rings and chains of gold, precious 
Children are women's be●… jewels.  stones, and ornaments, and required Cornelia that she should show her her jewels also. Then that noble Cornelia brought forth her children, showed her them, and said, lo, this is my worthy and precious treasure, that all my mind standeth unto, ye the treasure that one lie rejoiceth me, and is to me dearer than all the jewels upon earth.  
This did an Heithenish woman, What shouldest thou then do, thou christian wife, which oughtest by right to know, that god useth y● to great honour, when he causeth the to bear children, which afterward may serve him and the whole country, and may come to be honest folks, & a perpetual commendation to thee? The holy scripture also saith evidently, that a wife is in the work of God and serveth him, when she bringeth forth children, and guideth them well. Therefore what so ever she there in doth and suffereth, she must gladly do it and suffer it for gods sake, & put her trust in god, that he which putteth her to the pain and labour, can also show her both comfort and help, ye she may not doubt, but be certayned at god's hand, the 
Pains taking about children: is the cross of the wives.  what soever she faithfully and obediently suffereth and doth with the children in marriage it is no less good work in the sight of god, than alms giving, prayer, or mortifying of the body. For that is her cross which the lord hath laid upon her to bear. Paul sayeth also. i. Timoth two. The woman brought transgression into the world, but she shall recover her honour again by bearing of children, if she continue in the faith, in godly love, in the sanctifying, and in nurture. This should Christen wives remembre in all their cross, and to be glad, willing, & of a good courage therein. And who hath showed the O woman) all the griefs, anguishes 〈◊〉 troubles, all the pains and miseries, that those wife's have which bring forth no children? It may chance, that they have more misery and pain in another sort, than thou hast with thy children. And that happily they have here rest & good days, and yet fynne therein with pride, deyntynesse, voluptuousness, wantonness, idleness, niceness, & such infirmities, so that here upon earth they get little honour and worship thereof, & must have eternal pain in the world to come. This I say against froward & wicked wives, and not against those that would be glad to take any pain & labour so that they might have children and to live meekly, virtuously and honestly.  
The women also, which are married unto such men as have had children by their former 
Step children & ster●… mothers.  wives, must be earnestly exhorted, to show themselves unto those motherless children, no steppe●… mothers friendship, but a right motherly faith full kindness. Have compassion (oh Christenwoman) upon those young innocent orphans, which know not ner have any comfort ner help upon earth, save only the. consider, that god the lord hath ordained thee (in stead of their own mother) to be unto than a right true mother, & require the the to love them, & to do them good. woe unto the if thou do the poor motherless children harm. Remember, that they are thine own husbands natural flesh & blood, & that it is an unnatural 
Mark well ye Mothers in law.  thing to hate them which on thy husband's behalf pertain partly to thine own body, & are thine own: think upon the word of truth. With what measure ye meat, with the same shall it be measured to you again. What a great grief would it be to thine heart, if thou knewest now that thine own children whom thou barest in thy body, should (after thy death) have a step more there, which would be rough and churlish unto them? Doubtless those children's mothers that deed is had in her death no less care for her children.  
Therefore as thou wouldest have thine own children entreated (if thou shouldst now die) so deal thou also with them that were hers & thy husbands together. Or else look verily to have of god the same measure that thou hast given. Be sure also, that god will not hear thee, when thou prayest thy Pater noster, for as much as thou wilt not hear the poor Orphans that cry unto the. O dear mother. This I say, because expe rience lea●…eth, that by the reason of step children the love matrimonial is not only ●…inyshed, but even utterly excluded. Neither gendereth it unite, when a man intending to commend his first wife, doth it either out of measure, or else first of all when he findeth fault in his new wife. For such praise doth she cō●…ter to be made to her dishonour a●…d shame. Namely that her husband in commending his first wife, doth it to her reproach. I speak not this to the int●…nt that a married man should speak evil of his ho nest wife which is departed, but that every man which is now married again, may commend his former wife in due season and with measure, yea & in such a sort, that his present new wy fe have none occasion to think, that it is done to her dispraise.  
eightly. The love matrimonial is excellently 
Troth and faith must be kept.  well kept and increased thorough nurture,, truth and faith, if they be steadfastly observed together. Let the husband content him only with his wife, and so order himself with words, manners and gestures, that the wife may perceive, that he holdeth him only unto her. Let the wife keep no less truth and faith being honest and not shameless toward her husband. Again, let her give him due benevolence, and be not contrary unto him, nor brawl with him. For such frowardness giveth oft great occasion, and ministereth improiment to matrimony. Wh●…rfore let every one here remember the words of S. Paul. For the avoiding of whoredom, let every man have his wife. There hath not the wife power of her own body, but the husband. Again, the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. etc. as we said afore in the tenth Chapter.  
Let every woman also beware of misgovernance 
cleanliness.  & sluttyshnesse in raiment, yea in every thing, that with uncleanness she make not herself hated of her husband. Likewise must they both beware of every thing that provoketh to adultery, or ministereth any unfaithful suspicion. As it is to be drunken, to have wanton or privy communication, to use evil company and like pastime to have fellowship with light per 
Note this well.  sons, to resort unto suspicious places, to stand with suspicious folks, to were wantonne raiment to be ever at light games, to run to every dance, to play in every street, to tarry little at home, to be less content at home then any where, to mumur, chide, and to sigh at home. et cetera.  
An honest wife ought not behind her husbands back to haunt any evil company, to be 
conversation  bancketted, nether to go any where without her husbands knowledge & leave. Much less ought she to take upon her any far journey. And if her husband be gone forth, or be not at home, let her hold herself as a widow and live quietly, & bring no man into the house in the mean season, nether run out: nor bid gests, to the intent that there grow no evil name nor fame unto her therthorow. Nether should the one to the other, boast or show of suspicious gifts & presents. Nether the husband to commend other wives afore his own or above his own. Nether is it the wives part to excead in praising another woman's husband, lest the one suspect the other. Thy wife must take the for fairest, & 
Good 〈◊〉  thy husband must hold the for the best favoured.  
And for asmuch as jealousy is a special evil 
jealousy.  disease, and a great noisome plague in wedlock, therefore married persons must put it away, or at the least, and asmuch as in them lieth tame it and suppress it: And namely beware thou wife that thou impute not adultery unto thine husband, because he sometime hath spoken with ano their woman, or looked at her. Again, thou husband must not be so sore tempted, as to mysintreate, to blame or to smite thy innocent wife, nether to lay unto her such things as she never thought upon. Likewise thou husband mayest not deny thy wife to make conventent and honest cheer with honest folks. For though all 
Women and horses must be well governed.  old wise and prudent men would have women & horses kept in good nurture & governance, yet may there be to mu●…he done herein, as well as in other things. There is an old Proverb also. The bow will break, if it be to sore bend. Item, No thing may continue that is not borne up. Therefore an honest married man should forbid his wife no convenient honest mirth, but give her leave, to the intent that she may afterward be the more willing with the children, and in other travail & pains takynge●…  
It beseemeth no discrete honest husband, to come 
Boasting or pray●…ynge.  mend his wife to much before other men. Collatinus Tarqvinius lost his noble wife Lucre tia, thorough his inordinate praysyug of her. Yet much less becometh it the to be shameless in disclosing the privities of marriage, as many filthy persons use to do. Likewise besimethe it no man to provoke his wife in bringing in naughty persons, or in keeping them still there in his house, nether to cause his wife to be spoken of. If Menelaus had kept Paris without, he had saved Helena his wife. Nevertheless every honest wife must faithfully and at all times keep her honest, though her wicked husband give her many provocations. Remember all way the sentence of Solomon. When a woman 
Honest is 〈◊〉 woman's chief treasure.  leaseth her honest, than hath she lost her chief treasure, nether hath she any more, but is contemned & despised, as the mire of the streets.  
Hereto serveth it also, that the wife may 
Behhueours with servants.  not make herself to familiar, to friendly, or to privy with her servants or household folks, least they should be bold to talk, to ieaste, or without reverence to behave themselves with her, as one serving maid would do with another. Thou wilt say: I can not be so ●…oysterous nor show myself so terrible. Now go to, if thou wilt not be feared in the house as a dame, yet hold the so unto them, that they may stand in awe of thee, that they be not to rash and to bold of thee, but show the reverence, being shamefast and well mannered toward thee, as to the mother in the house. For thou oughtest 
A good lesson for wives.  with no man to be so familiar, so friendly, and so homely as with thy husband. Likewise also must men behave themselves unto their maidens in the house, and commit all the rule and punishment of them unto their wives, and not to meddle with the servants against them, excerte the wife would deal unreasonably and wilfully with their poor servants. Contrary wise, the wife must not take upon her the rule or punishment of the men servants. For hereof cometh great unite: Like as when the husband meddleth to much with the women servants, and the wife with the menservants, there riseth great suspicion and dissension among married folks.   

¶ The xvi. Chapter.  
Of conventent carefulness, and just keeping of the house like Christian folk.  
IF thy wife be virtuous and trusty, let her be also careful in keeping and providing for thy house. For such study & ordinate care gendereth great love & increaseth thy substance For such study and care is not forbidden. For the godly Patriarch jacob thought it necessary for him & his wife to be studious for their how should. Paul affirming it, If a man provide not for his own household, he denieth the faith 
Gene. thirty.  and is worse than an Infidel. Wherefore all that Christ speaketh against carefulness, he speaketh it against all inordinate mistrusting & to much covetous care and sorrow, that desperately & 
Math. seven.  insatiably tormenteth & vexeth the mind. Ordinate care expelleth idle slothfulness and monisheth us of our duty & just vocation. Which care only looketh unto God, the author & giver of all, to him she prayeth to prosper & bliss all that she goeth about. Which prayer of faith hath her form & 
Pro. xx.  circumstances tending to God's glory. Two things I ask of thee, o Lord. remove fro me vanity and lies, give me n●…ther poverty, nor riches, only grant me a necessary living, lest I being to full, deny the saying, Who is the Lord. And lest I constrained thorough poverty fall to theft and forswear the name of my God.  
This ordinate care and study must be taken, that ye may have to succour the needy and to 
Ordinate care  set forth your children, and that yourselves want not, and so by your idle ignavy, ye be onerous and a burden to other good men. Labour to have wherwithe to live in age, if God call you to it. Who so hath stolen, saith Paul, let him now steel no more, but labour with his 
Ephe. i two.  hands some good occupation that they may have to help the needy. And as for them that inordinately care and study to be rich, and to have more than is necessary, they fall into the temptations and snares of the devil, and into many lusts (as saith Paul) which drown men into perdition and damnation, suddenly fall these rich wealthy bullocks from their goods & gods, 
Luke. xii.  even their evil gotten, worsekepte, & worst of all bestowed mammons.  
What so ever is to be done without the house that belongeth to the man, & the woman to study for things within to be done, and to see saved 
Theoutwar de business pertaineth to the man, the enward to the woman.  or spent conveniently what so ever he bringeth in. As the bird flieth to and fro to bring to the nest, so becometh it the man to apply his out ward business. And as the dam keepeth the nest ●…atcheth the eggs, and bring forth the fruit, so let them both learn to do of the unreasonable fowls or beasts created of God naturally to observe their sundry properties.  
The man in his gaining & occupying must be just & faithful, fervent, diligent & earnest, making all thing substantially surely, & without any deceit. For faithfulness ever abideth when unfaithfulness & craftiness destroy themselves: as ye see in the faithful dealing of jacob and in the covetous deceit of Laban. The word 
Gene. xxxi.  & promise of an occupier must be as farm and fast as the rock of stone, faith and truth conserveth many men's occupying when unjust dealing bring him out of credit.  
Let not a man meddle with unhonest occupations not necessary for a common weal, but as Paul commandeth, with such as are good and profitable for the city or country without deceit, and every man to meddle with, and in his ●…ne calling, nether seeking other men's lucre, nor envying other men's profit, but walk ordinately and quietly labouring with their own hands, avoiding usury, but doing to other as thou wouldest be done unto thine own self. And if thou (for all thy true and just dealing) yet prosperoussest not subject to many evil chances, whereof the world is full, yet be thou content with God's will, for the poverty of the righteous, saith Solomon, is better than the infinite treasures of the ungodly. And a piece of bread or a mess of pottage with quietness, is better than a fat ox with brawling. Many men have great goods with much unquietness and little hon●…e, for he hath set his soul to pledge, forsaken God & taken the devil to help h●…m to lie & to deceive that he might be rich to leave his good to an unknown hair. David saith, follow not him that doth evil because thou seest 
Psal. xxxvi.  him prosper in his wickedness: for he shall soon be cut down like grass, & like the flower faad away. But put thou thy trust in the lord & do right, dwell in the Lord & get thy living with truth and just dealing. And fret not nor be aggrieved with him that prospereth in his own way, and leadeth a wicked life. etc. Unto this holy Psalm let every Christian man attend. The wives worcking place is within her 
The wives must work within the house.  house, there to oversee and to set all thing in good order, and to beware that nothing be lo●…t, seldom to go forth, but when urgent causes call her forth. And therefore Phidias that ingenious 
Phidias.  worckemanne intending to describe an honest faithful housewife, did set her image under the shell of a snail, signifying that she should evermore keep her own house. necessarily it is 
Comonsentem 〈◊〉 far the ke ●…ng or thy ●…ouses.  that she know these common sentences & learn them by heart. Thou must not regard what thing thou wouldest fain have, but what thou canst not lack. Stretch out thine arm no far there than thy sleeve will reach. What so ever thou ne●…est not, is to dear of a farthing. Who so spareth not the penny, shall never come by the pound. Sparing is a rich purse. A thing is sooner spared then gotten. Spare as though thou never shouldest die, & yet as mortal, spend measurably. To spare, as thou mayst have to spend in honest for God's sake, and in necessity, is well done. Thy sparing is but vain, when thou art come to the bottom. Begin every thing in ove season. What so ever thou mayst do to night, differ it not till to morrow. 
Mathe these sentences well  That which thou cannest do conveniently thyself, commit it not to another. If thou wilt prosper, than look to every thing thine own self. Let it not be lost, that may do any good in time to come. Spend no more than thou wottest how to get it: when thine expenses and receipts be alike, a little loss may overthrow the. Spare for thy age. Take pains in thine youth. Buy such things as thou needest not to repent the thereof. Uyle pedlary bringeth beggary. Array thyself honestly. Hold thy children in awe, and they shall have the in reverence.  
Much spending and many gifts, make bare cellars and empty chystes. Euellfellowshyp & vain pastime marrieth poverty and begetteth a son called derision, liveth gorgeously and costly in excess, and leaveth the a fare well, whose name is this. In thine age go a begging: Such and many more godly and wise sentences are found in salomon's proverbs, and in the preacher, and in jesus Syracke, which an honest housewife must take heed unto.   

¶ The. xvii. Chapter.  
¶ How married persons shall behave themselves not only in works of mercy, but also in the cross and adversity, and with their servants.  
IF christian married folks thorough their just labours and Gods blessing obtain riches above necessity. then let them remember Paul's exhortation, saying: Command the 
i Timo. 〈◊〉  rich men of this world that they be not high minded nor trust in transitory riches, but in the living God, which giveth us all things abundantly to enjoy them. Charge them to do good & to be rich in good works, to give with good will, to distribute, laying up treasure for themselves against the time to come that they may lay hand of eternal life. For when 
Math xxv.  the Lord shall come to judge the quick & dead, he shall say to the merciful. Come hither, ye blessed of my Father and take the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For when I was hungry ye fed me, I was thirsty and ye gave me drink etc.  
give alms therefore of thine noun substā●…e and turn not thy face away from the poor Show mercy after thy power. If thou haste much, give plenteously. If thou haste little give thereof after thy power. For a good treasure shalt thou lay up in store for thyself against the day of trouble, yea that small substance whereof a poor man giveth almose pleaseth the Lord much better than when wealthy men give their little of their great riches. Example in s. Luke: Remember 
Luke. xxi.  the common Proverb. That thou sparest from giving for God's sake, shall the devil carry another way. So saith Solomon. Some man giveth out his goods and is the rytcher, but the niggard having enough will depart from no thing: And yet is he ever in poverty. He that is liberal in giving shall ever have plenty. God increaseth love and favoureth married ryed folk because they show mercy & charity to the needy.  
And if God maketh the rich man poor, he doth well: For he seeth that if he should have riches 
Affliction tech to know god  he would be to proud and forget God and himself to, with poverty therefore and affliction will he nurture his children so to teach them his ways, lest in abundance and wealth they run after their own ways and lusts. For 
Tribulation is fire and salt.  tribulation and adversity are the fire and salt that purge & preserve us from stinking & not destroy us, but they teach us to put our trust in God and not in ourselves nor in no creatures, they draw us from transitory things to fasten us sure to God, and because we should not be condemned with the world, he plucketh 
i Cor. xi.  us with his Cross from the world. Into the which troublous state of the cross, when married cowples be cast of GOD, then have they the most present consolations out of s●…riptures to comfort them, and to cause them to rejoice in their affliction, as are the holy Psalms of David, we have also the godly ensamples of the dear beloved faithful servants of God as were job, Abraham, jacob. etc. Item the words 
Math. xvi joan. xvi.  of Christ. Who so will serve me, let him daily take his cross upon him and follow me. And in John, and Paul is full of comfort in his epistles specially. Hebreus x. When any of the 
H●…. xi. xii. xiii  married persons be tempted or troubled with sickness or any other fortune, then should the to ther, comfort him or her with these comfortable ensamples, Psalms and sentences of gods 
Syckne●…  spirit of all consolation, one suffering with the t'other, for so shall the affliction and Cross be the easilier borne, and love mutual the more increased. True love showeth herself most clearly in trouble and sickness. And if the one grudge at the tother sickness, he doth against God's will. And if he rejoiceth at her, or she at his affliction, it is a token of little love except his rejoice be in the Lord, so to conform him to the similitude of his son Christ, that he might be like him in glory.  
Paul commandeth you to do to your servants, that that is just and equal, lovingly & friendly 
How servants must be in treated. job. xxxi.  using them, remembering that ye yourselves have a master in heaven, learn of job also the same, for your servants are of God's creation as well as ye, dearly beloved and his chosen children also, yea and your brethren and sisters in Christ. Let them therefore for their labours have their convenient food and wages, be not bitter, hard, nor injurious unto them in no wise.  
A great offence it is before God to keep the labouring servants wages from him. james 
jac. v.  saith unto such rich men. Behold the higher of the labourer's that have reaped down your fields which higher ye have kept back by fraud, crieth and the complaint of the labourers is entered in to the ears of the Lord of Sabbaoth.  
Ye have had good days upon earth, and lived at your pleasure and delighted your hearts, but it is only against the day of your slaughter. So james saith that the defrauding of men's wages will be at last a slaughter. Many men use their servants as slaves and beasts, and therefore is their ertorted service unprofitable & unfaithful to such cruel masters, more faithful is the service done of love, than for fear & compulsion.  
Again the servants must lay a part all evil conditions, prydeunfaythfulnes, brawling 
The dewty●… of seruaunte●…  and murmuring, picking and tales telling, remembering Paul's exhortation, saying, ye servants be obedient to your masters with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ, not with eye service as men plesers, but even as the servant of Christ, that ye may do the will of GOD from your hearts wyth●… good will. Think that ye serve the Lord and not men.   

¶ The. xviii. Chapter.  
How children should be well and godly brought up.  
Great joy & quietness it bringeth to the 
Women should ●…ourse their own children  parents to see their children godly & virtuously brought up. And again, besides the sorrow that evil brought up children bring to their parents, yet shall they render a straight reckoning to God for their evil bringing up of them. The women should nourish their own children with their own breasts or else if they may not for weakness, yet ought they to seek honest and godly nurses of sober living that with their milk they might drinkin also virtue. And the parents especially the mother must endeavour to speak first to the child perfectly plain and ●…ncte words, for as they be first informed to speak so they will continue. Caius and Tiberius the sons of 
Caius & Ci berius.  Cornelia Grachy were ornate and eloquent in their speech for their mother was eloquent of tongue.  
And even from their infancy forth let the parents teach their ●…hyldren no fables nor lies nor no vain nor light communication but that only which is godly, honest, grave and fruitful let it be planted in their new hearts.  
They must teach them first certain godly sentences, though they yet can not understand them, yet let them commend them to memory and practise them in speech till they may here after the better perceive them, as are these following.  
As certainly as thou sayst the heavens and 
Sentence●… to be taugh●… children in their fyrst●… young age.  the earth: so certainly must thou know, that there is one invisible god, one alone for all sufficient, having his being of himself, & all creatures there being of him.  
Heaven and earth and all that was made, is of gods own creation. God is the most high goodness. Without God there is nothing good. God needeth no creature to be joinedde with him in his deeds and cownselles to forgive, damn save or help. It is he alone that upholdeth all the wor●… preserveth it, and giveth every thing the life & being, which it hath. He is loving gracious and merciful to them that so believe and trust upon him.  
God is true, and just, and holy in all his works, God loveth virtue, and hateth sin 〈◊〉 vice. It is good that God commandeth, and evil that he forbiddeth God punisheth sin & evil. A man must love God above all things. He may not murmur against god, but be willing and thankful in all adversity to bear it. He must call only upon God, and complain to him only in all his need. And here must the children be taught thus to pray. Our father 
The Lorde●… prayer The articles of the fayth●… The ten come ma●…demētes The proverbs of Salo mon.  which art in heaven. etc. And to express the articles of our faith distinctly & perfectly. And in process of time learn them truly to understand them, and the ten Commandments also by heart. Then teach them the proverbs of Solomon and the book of the preachet, and such comonsentences as are these: Virtue excelleth all things. To lie is the most shamefullvice of all. Thou shalt hurt no man, but profit every man. Speak evil of no man. backbite nor curse no man. All men are brethren. And such like godly sentences, let them be planted into young hearts. Above all things shall the parents use godly & honest conversation in the presence of their children, teach them more virtue & goodness, than their words. For words although they may do much, yet shall good ensamples of living do more to the youth. Let not your children be conversant wythevell persons and light company, let them not hear vicious nor wanton communication, nor see no sinful sights. The parents must use themselves before 
Cato.  them as before GOD and all honest people. Cato the wise Senator of Rome expelled Ti tus Flaminius out of the counsel, only because that in the sight of his young daughter he embraced his wife.  
Christian folk should remember the fearful 
Mat. xviii.  sentence of Christ, saying: Who so ever giveth occasion of evil to any of these young children that believe in me, it were better forhym to be drowned with a millstone tied about his neck▪ Thou must diligently beware, lest any in thine house give any evil ensample and speak that at nought is in their presence. And take heed least thou receive any person into thine house, that may either by word or deed corrupt thy children or servants. Remember that evil speech may soon corrupt & destroy that which thou hast been long in planting & building. Wanton and evil communication (saith Paul) conrupteth good manners. And begin by tymers 
Begin b●…tymes.  to plant virtue in thy chyldrennes breasts: for late sowing bringeth a late or never an apt harvest. Young branches will be bowed as thou lystest●…, but old trees will sooner break than ●…ow. And what soever good liquor is put first into a new ●…arthen pot, it will keep the sent thereof ever after, if it therein stand any season.  
And as for the years to set the child to the school, first consider the apt, sharpness of wit thereof, for some are apt at five years, & some not before two or seven years. And what they shall be first taught, it is told before.  
And here must ye chose out discrete, learned & godly masters for your children, which shall 〈◊〉 
The school master.  'cording to their capacities ●…ently & wisely instruct them, as is contained in their primers in English and dialoges as are there made for them, which when they can read both printed and written letters, and can well commit that that they have l●…rned to memory, saying it distinct lie & perfectly by heart, t●…ē let them learn to write to cas●… a count, to ●…yfre, add, subtray, etc. And let them exercise their pen and their tongues 
Godly council for the right bryn, ging up of youth.  in reading diverse printed books pertaining to the holy scriptures, and come to & hear the true prech●…rs of God's word, and in any wise let them not hear the papistike preachers, and when they come home from any good sermone ask them what they have borne away, & exhort them to mark diligently another time and to rehearse it when they come home. Let them say the gra●…es at the tables. Let them prepare the table & serve you thereat cleanly and mannerly. Let them spend all the time in virtuous uses & never be idle, for the time of youth is precious and 
Math. x.  passeth away swiftly. Be ye circumspect, o parents in feeding and apparelling your children let them not be paumpered up to dilicately with meats & wines, nor yet arrayed to sumptuously & proudly. Daniel was as well liking & as pure of complexion with a mess of pottage every day 〈◊〉 a draft of water as were they that were fedevery 
Gorgio●… apparel & deliciou●… far ought to be exchewed in children.  day of the kings table. Excess of meats & drinks in youth and gorgeous apparel is the door unto gluttony, drunkenness & lechery, and the way to pride & all manner of vice never to be pluck from them in age. For the which enormities & vices, their parents & up bringers shall give straight reckoning unto God, let not thy youth run out of thy doors nether by day nor night without thy licence: and take a reckoning of their behaviour in thine absence. Suffer them not to come into any light wanton company.  
See that ye correct them duly & discreetly for 
Correction.  their faults, so that they stand in great fear & awe of thee, and if words will not reclaim them than take the rod or weapon of correction discrete lie used. For the rod of correction ministereth wisdom, but the child suffered to do what he listeth, is the confusion of his mother. And who so spareth the rod hateth the child, but he that loveth 
pro, xxix. and xiii. xxii. and xxiii.  him, nurtureth him in time: the child's heart is full of foolishness, but the rod of correction driveth ●…t forth. Better it is that children weep them old men. See that they pick not, steal not, nor use no unlawful games, be not to rough nor to hasty weth them, but so order yourselves to them that they may both love and fear you.   

¶ The. nineteen. Chapter.  
Children where unto they be apt, let them learn that science or handy craft.  
COnsyther well whereunto thy child is naturally inclined. And unto that occupation let him be put to: many men now a days all be it they see their children apt unto letters & good learning having substance enough to find them thereat, yet will they not suffer them to continue thereat, because themselves can not favour it, or else they see no advantage worldly f●… low, but great trouble & ●…secuciō, which worldly men in thus doing declare themselves ungodly destroyers both of themselves their children & of all common weals & congregations. For what public weal, town, city or parish can be well governed, without the Prince, ruler, pressed, or by 
Why men now set not their children to school.  shop be learned in god's law, Prophets and in his gospel? what is the cause of all this dissension cruel persecution, tyranny, evil laws making unjust actcs, false religion, wicked ordinances & ungodly decrees & institutions, but only the blind ignorance of unlearned rulers? which mea sure all thing after their own fond fleshly affects and reason besides all scriptures: & would have their own carnal wills to stand in the stead, yea rather to be above God & his laws. In times passed, when men saw so many spiritual promotions unto rich bysshoprykes, benefices, deanrykes, abbeys; priories, chauncelershyps'. etc., than they did set fast their children to school, to make them popish priests, idly to live by other men's sweats, but now they see how laborious and perilous an office it is to preach and to teach God's word purely, freely and faithfully. And how unthankful an office it is to rule commonalties after justice and equity, and what an heavy intolerable labour it is to minister justice and judgement after God's word, looking for no advantage, but to be a common servant for the common wealth sustaining such intolerable burdens, labours and perils, as the office duly ministered asketh, no man is glad to have his child learned unto such unprofitable and laborious ends. It was once an holy sacrifice to God for a man to dedicate his daughter or son unto Frances, Clare, Benet, Thomas, Austen, Mary. etc. idly to live in all filthiness, when riches, dignities & worldly vain worship and private profit followed or rather when they greedily aspired and followed it. But now when the common labour, godliness, and the public profit of all common weals & congregations depend upon it, no man regardeth nether good learning nor virtue, so far of are they now to set their children to godly sco les. When youth was nothing apt to good letters, and when there was no good learning nor no good teachers, than well was he that might set his child to school. But now when youth was never so apteto good learning as it is this day, learning, & good letters never so plenteously flourishing, restored and redact into such acompendious clear brifnesse, never so good, diligent and learned masters, never so plenty of so good and plain books printed, never so good cheap, the holy Ghost as it were into men's mouths mercifully offering his gifts, and yet will there no man open his mouth, his eyes to see so clear light, nor his ears to hear so pure, manifest and wholesome doctrine, even the word of their own salvation. For our unthankfulness, therefore all these infinite heavenvly benefits shall be taken from us, & given to some other nation, as to the Turks & jews, which shall thanckefullyer than we receive them. And we shall have the popish priests with all papistry haltered and captived under hardenecked Pharaoh in mire and clay never to be delivered out of that yerney servitude of his intolerable bondage.  
But now therefore O ye Christian parents seeing that your youth is now by the favour 
An exhortaci on to the chri ●…en parēte●….  of God endued with so good wits & inclined unto good letters, let not the graces & gifts of God be offered you in vain, but exercise them in good authors both Greek & Latin, and in noble hi●…ortes, in logic, Rethoryke, and in the tongues, let them read the holy Bible, and commend it to memory, & so shall they in time to come be profitable unto the common wealth, whereunto they be borne.  
And such as are apt to handy occupations, let them b●… set to them which be most profitable & necessary for a common weal, as for painting & carving with such like, they are more ●…ucyouse than necessary, And consider that al●…ust and true occupations justly erercysed and used, God's blessing maketh them to prosper, and the truedoers and labourers in their calling his blessing make them rich Every man to put his child to that master which is most ex cellent and cunning in that craft, it is no need to monish, nor to exhort your children to be true, of few words, faithful in deeds and promises, diligent and serviceable to every man obedient to their masters, cleanly, quick, handsome and willing to do their commandments.  
Now when thou hast perfectly learned thy 
travailing among strangers.  craft, it shall be profitable for the to travel into strange countries, to see the working and handlynge thereof among other nations, whereby either thyself mayst learn both a perfayter practise and also more experience, or else they of the may learn the same into thy noun profit. And in so travailing hold thyself modest, still and sober, meddling not beyond thine own faculty. Be gentle, friendly, faithful and courteous to them, conforming thyself unto their honest fashions and godly manners, Beware of evil company & drunkenness, beware of light & wanton women, learn no vice nor evil manners of them, but only virtue & such occupations as are profitable, bring home cunning & virtue & no sin nor evil manners, of which thou shalt see to much, & to little of that good is. Cut clothes & jagged & all to hagged hosen disfigure and deform honest persons, & declare light men and wantonness in thy heart.  
But before all these experiences seeking, se that thou providest thy children honest mates (if they desire it) and let them rather together live at home, and not the one to depart any long time from the t'other for travailing in strange countries, bring some young evil disposed per sons into great inconveniences and naughty living, as it was wont to be said of the Rome runners never to be good after.   

¶ The. xx, Chapter  
LEt not your young daughters be to proudly 
young wem●… apparel.  & costly appareled, but modestly & honestly for this grievous apparel is not else but a minstrelsy, piping up a dance unto all lechery 
i. Pet iii.  Remember that Peter saithr That the apparel of women may not be utwarde inbroydred, out laid hear which is an whorish fashion, nor in hanging on of gold, or putting on of costly gorgeous flaring clothes, etc. The outward light apparel declareth a corrupt proud and sinful inward heart. Let shamefastness chastity, modesty, meekness few words sadness and sobryete be the young woman's apparel to set forth her beauty. For after this manner, in the old time saith Peter were holy young women decked of their matrons, & were obedient to their husbands, As was Sara unto Abraham, calling him Lord, whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well: Let the examples of Rebecca and Rachel be at your eyes, which godly and fair women desiring and seeking the love of their husbands were glad to please them, Learn also 
i Tim. two.  of Paul how to tire yourselves: Bewar●… ye wound not your poverty and proud heart and to precious and sumptuous apparel, if ye will go forth in your proud array, so neglect you the doctrine of god and procure yourselves damp nation.  
But if ye say, ye deck yourselves to be the more cleanly, & so to please your husbands, I tell you again, that there is a mean & measure in every thing, & according to every state & degree theris a comely apparel, which comeliness and measure no honest husband nor honest wife willbe glad to transgress & exceed. Such excess & pride may procure the dishonesty & harm to thy husband.  
As for gentle women & such, as are of noble 
Whether gentle, women ●…ay go so ●…y ●…ly appa●…eled.  birth, whether they may exceed in light & wanton apparel, or in apparel to costly. I will first as●… them whether they be Christian & faithful women or unfaithful? If they be unbelievers than let them walk as they list. And the more grievous tenderlynges they be, the better shall they please their head the devil. And saying they have wanton proud spirits, they must needs have like garments to declare what they b●… within in heart and mind, with these women I will not wrestle. But if they be christian faithful women, they may well know that the holy Apostles Peter and Paul have written their erhortations for sober apparel, unto them which have such rich jewels, stones, gold & silver, & not to poor women, that have them not. Seeing then that the word of God is principally spoken to you that be gentle women of noble parentel which have these riches and jewels to lay them away with all your pomp and pride, & willbe taken for christian folks, then follow you the exhortations of the ministers of jesus Christ. 
What 〈◊〉 the true nobil●… te.   
Moreover ye should remember what is the very nobility, & what maketh gentle men and women, that it is not apparel, but m●…kenes, gentle behaviour, discrete conversation, prudence, wisdom, learning & virtue. And they that in Chryst jesus are baptized, are baptized into one body of Chryst, where we are all one & no difference betwixt noble nor blood, poor nor rich Galat. iii. And therefore in this respect there is no boast to be made of blood, but remember y ● ●…oble queen Hester, which said: Thou knowest my state o Lord, & that I hate the sign of pre-eminence & worship which I bear upon my head, what time I must go forth to be seen & that I abhor it as an unclean cloth, and that I wear it not when I am quiet alone by 
Why ritche●… be given to men of no bilite.  myself. GOD therefore hath given you riches to distribute them to the poor, & not to main ta'en your pride therewith. So were jewels bestowed even among the Heathen, for at Rome was a law called Lex Oppia, whereby all pomp & excess of raiment was forbodden all honest women, & they were commanded that none (how mighty or rich soever they were) should not wear above an ounce of gold upon their bodies.  
Cyprian sayeth that women, albe it they 
●…yprian.  be rich, yet therefore ought they not to use the more pomp & pride, but to know those only to be rich, which are earnest in godly works, & helping the poor. A shameful and blasphemous thing it is, to wear silver, gold, velvets 
Mark this well o ye gē●…il women  and silks, and to suffer the poor to want clothes & food. ye she that proudly decketh herself, destroyeth her own soul, & giveth other folks occasion of destruction. For she steereth up evil affections and lusts in them that behold her, ye such one is poison and sword to them that see her. Nether may such grievous flaring women be judged godly nor honest. 
i▪ Cor. xi.  And therefore said Paul, That every woman coming into the church to pray or to hear the word preached must be honestly cove red, and especially her head, for if she come in bare headed or showing any part of her hear 
Mark Mala. two.  (as some say it out, and many have borrowed hear) she dishonest her head which is her husband: let them therefore be decked and koveredde with comely veals for the angels which are then ministers and messengers of God And what madness were it to come into the church under a pretence of humbleness to pray to God for grace, where by such proud fashions thou provokest his heavy wrath upon thee? It were better for such people to be thrust into a sack, with a mill stone hanged about their necks (as Christ saith) drowned, then thus to offend any one of the least in the congregation.  
What shame God threateneth unto such proud persons, ye may read Esa. iii. saying: That for their chains of gold the shall have halters of hemp and fetters and colers of iron for their musk and pomaunders, they shall have stink for their broidered hear every man shall see them bald, and for their stomachers of gold they shall wear sack, which all with a miserable destruction of israhel and juda by theAssiryans and Babylonites came justly to pass in the days of these kings joa chas joakim and Zedechias, Wherefore let 
xxii. cha. iiii. Lib. Reg. 〈◊〉. ●…o forth.  every honest woman according to her state & ability be comely cleanly and honestly appareled avoiding all sluttishness and unclennelyenes, and so teach their children and refrain from all excess and super fluite, that God may be praised & noman offended at your apparel, ra there garnished with virtue & outward honesty than with pride which procureth you ewye, and it will in conclusion have a shameful fall.   

¶ The. xxi. Chapter.  
¶ How daughters and maidens must be kept.  
NOw to return to young daughters how 
〈◊〉.  they should be enstru●…t in prayer & know league of their christian religion according as it is set forth in dialoges & institutions of the christians, yet shall they not be to busy in teaching & reasoning openly, but there to use silence and to learn at home, openly to hear, and at home let them reason and teach each other. Neither would I nothave them ever shut up, as it were in cage, never to speak nor to come forth, but 
Good counsel for men's daughters & maids.  sometimes to see the good fashions and honest behaviour of other for to keep than ever in mew is enough either to make them stark fools, or ●…lles to make them noughts, when they shall once come abroad into company. As for this thing, every discrete parent shall know by the aforesaid rules how to order them, to avoid all wantonness and niceness in words, gestures and deeds, to eschew all unhonest games and pass times, to avoid all unhonest loves and occasions of the same, as unhonest dancing, wanton communication, company with rybaldes and filthy speakers, teach them to avert their sight and senses from all such inconveniences, let them avoid idleness, be occupied either doing some profitable thing for your family, or e●…es 
Books of 〈◊〉 bless of fon●… & light lou●… women ought not t●… read.  reading some godly book, let them not read books of fables, of fond and light love, but call upon God to have pure hearts and chaste, that they might cleave only to their spouse Christ unto him married by faith, which is the most pu rest wedlock of us all, pure virgins, being both married and unmarried. Evil words, saith Paul, corrupt good manners, uncleanness and covetousness, let them not once be named among 
Ephe. v.  you, nor no foolish ribaldry talking, nor light testing, which are not comely, but be occupied in prayers and thanksgiving. Books of Robin hood, Beves of Hampton, Tro●…us, & such like fables do but kindle in liars like lies and wanton love, which ought not in youth with their first spittle to be drunken in, lest they ever remain in them. If ye delight to sing songs ye have the Psalms and many godly songs & books in English right fruitful & sweet. Take the new Testament in your hands, & study it diligently, & learn your profession in baptism to mortify your flesh, and to be revived in the spirit, learn the use of the lords supper, to remember his death, and to give him perpetual thanks for thy redemption. Mother's must also teach their daughters to work, to love their husbands and children. And let them lay their hands to spin, sew, weave. etc, For 
Learn them to work.  the noblest women, both among the Heathen Romans and Greeks & Hebrews had great commendations for their houswyfly working with their hands, as ye may read of Solomon, saying: He that findeth an honest faithful 
Pr●…. xixi.  woman, she is more worth than precious pearls. The heart of her husband may safely trust to her. All the days of her life will she seek his profit. She occupieth will and flax, and laboureth gladly with her hands, She is like a merchants ship. etc. It is expedient that a man handfast not his daughter before he hath good experience of her housewyfrye, & go verning of an house. For it becometh her better to have a payer of rough and hard hands, then to be fair & soft glistering with rings 
Fay●… handed and tender fyngered women are not to be praised.  or covered continually with smooth gloves. And let the parents be aware that they bring them not up to tenderly wanton and delicately or to nicely. And at due time let them be provided for so that they may govern their own houses with their own husbands.  
Thus moche have I spoken concerning holy wedlock according to the Scriptures of god desiring all men, that shall read this little treatise hereby to take an occasion to hate and detest all uncleanness, & godly to embrace holy wedlock, which is honourable among all persons, and so to lead their life here in all godliness and honest, that after their departure out of this world, they may reign for evermore in perpetual glory with the Bride. groom jesus Christ, to whom be all honour and praise worlds without end.  
AMEM.   
¶ give the glory to God alone.   

¶ Here after followeth a table where by thou shalt find, in what leaf every Chapter beginneth, what is contained in the same chapter, & also all other princi palls things contained in this book.  

¶ The first Chapter.  
WHo instituted wedlock, where & when, for what end, etc. in the first leaf.  
The creation of woman or of man. two.  
Adam and Eve were married the leaf iii.  
The occasions of love & consent into marriage. The leaf iii.  
The knot and covenant in marriage iii.   

The second Chapter.  
Wedlock what it is. iiii.   

The third Chapter.  
Containing the declaration of wedlock. v.  
No man may separate that God coupleth. v.   

The fourth Chapter.  
The just coupling together of man and wife The leaf seven.  
Religion and faith must be considered. seven   

The fift Chapter.  
Children must have the consent of their parentes or else the marriage is not right x.  
Children must honour their parents xi.  
Children may not vow nor promise without their parent's consent. xii.  
Menstealers and women stealers. xii.  
Themistocles desired a wise wife rather than a rich. xiii.   

¶ The six Chapter.  
The parents may not compel their children to marry against their will nor before their just tyme. xiiii.   

The seventh Chapter.  
Of the just consent of both the parties into wed lock, and how marriage ought to be free and not compelled thereto. xv.  
The consent what it is. xv.  
The will of marriage cometh of God. xvi.  
The inordinate affection of young folks. xvii.  
The inordinate affection of parents xviii.   

The. viii. Chapter.  
Wherefore wedlock should be contracted. xviii.  
To bring forth children and to avoid whoredom. xviii.  
The work of wedlock is no sin. xx.  
Deflowering of virgins. xx.  
Measure and shamefastness. xxi.  
To avoid solenes of living, to help and comfort one another. xxii.   

The. ix. Chapter.  
The end, fruit & commendation in wedlock. xxii.  
How blessed and honourable it is. xxii.  
The operation and end of wedlock. xxii.  
wedlock is holy and honourable. xxii.   

The. x. Chapter.  
How shameful and abominable whoredom is. xxiiii.  
Whoredom defileth the members of Christ which are thine own body. xxliii.  
Whoredom robbeth God of his own. xxv.  
Whoredom defileth the temple of God, xxv.  
Whoredom shutteth men out of heaven. xxv.  
Whoredom spoileth a man of his honest, body and goods. xxvi.  
Whoremongers have no rest. xxvi.  
Stews upholders and maintainers shall be punished grievously of God. xxvii.  
Godly to marry maketh no beggars. xxix.  
Whoredom, wanton counsel. xxix.   

The. xi. Chapter.  
Containeth, how shameful & wicked a thing is adultery, and how it hath of old time ben punished hitherto. thirty.  
How god plagued adultery before the law written. The punishment of adultery in the law of God. xxxi.  
How advoviry was punished among the heathen. xxxi.  
How the Lepreanes, Locrenses and Germans punished it. xxxi.  
How the Romans punished adultery. xxxii.  
The laws imperial punish it. xxxii.  
Why adultery was so sore punished. xxxii.  
adultery compared with theft. xxxiii.  
adultery alienate heretages. xxxiiii.  
The defence that adulterers use. xxxiiii.  
adultery punished with death. xxxv.  
The adultery of David was not punished with death. xxxv.  
The adulteress brought before Christ why she was not stoned to death. Repentance. xxxvi.   

The. xii. Chapter.  
How one should choose him an apt, honest and virtuous mate. xxxvi.  
There lieth great weight in the choosing of thy mate, what the choosing is. xxxvii.  
The manner of riches in man or of man. xxxviii.  
The riches of the mind. xxxviii.  
Language and the fear of God. xxxviii.  
Reputation, raiment, company, the bringing up of children. xxxix  
Froward wicked qualities of the mind. xxxix.  
The despising of God's word. xl.  
Unshamefastnes, lying. xl.  
Pride, The riches of the body, beauty. xl.  
Temporal riches, nobility. xli.  
winning and occupying. xlii.  
The effect of the election. xlii. Prayer. xliii.  
A noble ensample of the election and earande in the cause of matrimony. xliii.  
A form of the earand in marriage. xlv.  
Truth in contracting of marriage. xlv.   

The. xiii. Chapter.  
Of the wedding. rlvi.  
They must go to church before they go to bed. The leaf. xlvi.  
The commodities that come of this ordinance. xlvii.  
The abuse at weddings. xlviii.  
〈◊〉 in & excess committed at weddings. xlviii.   

The. xiiii. Chapter.  
Of the first cohabitation. l.  
Danger in the first cohabitation. l.  
How they must behave themselves at first. li.  
The duty of the married one to the other. lii.  
The duty and obedience of wives. liii.  
The husband is the head of the wife. liii.  
How he is the head. liv.  
How the wives must obey & behave themselves. liv  
The duty and love of husbands. lv.  
How men should love their wives. lv.  
How holy a thing love matrimonial is. lv.  
A man must love his wife as his own body. The leaf lvi.   

The. xv. Chapter.  
How the love, faithfulness and duty of the married persons must be kept. lvi.  
One may not cast another in the teeth. lvii.  
Obsequtousnes and fellowship. lvii.  
humanity and ientylnes, keep no secret grudge. The leaf lviii.  
Children are the pledges of love. lix.  
To be fruitful was once the blessing of god. lx.  
Children are women's jewels. lx.  
Step children and step mothers. lxi.  
Troth and faith must be kept, cleanliness. lxii.  
Good conversation, avoiding jealousy lxiii.  
Boasting or praising of wives or husbands. l●…iii  
How ye should behave you against your servants. lxiiii.   

The. xvi. Chapter.  
Of convenient care and just keeping of the house. The leaf, lxiiii.  
Ordinate care for our living. l●…v.  
Phidias did set the good housewife under ashel. The leaf. lxvi.  
Common sentences for the keeping of thy house. The leaf. lxvi   

The. xvii. Chapter.  
How the married must be merciful & patient in adversity, & behave them to their servants. Affliction teacheth us to know god. Tribulation is fire and salt. lxviii  
How servants must be entreated. lxviii.  
The duty of servants. lxix.   

The. xviii. Chapter.  
H●…w children should be well brought up. lxix.  
Catus and Tiberius, why they were so eloquent. 〈◊〉.  
Correction dew and discrete. lxxii.   

The. nineteen. Chapter.  
Children must be set to that science and craft where unto they be most apt. lxxii.  
Why men now set not their children to school as thick, as they were wont. lxxii  
Travelling among strangers. lxxiiii.   

The. xx. Chapter.  
Of young women's apparel, lxxv.  
Whether gentle women may go so richly arrayed. lxxv.   

The. xxi. Chapter.  
How daughters and maidens must be kept. The leaf. lxxvii.   
The end of the Table.   

¶ Imprinted at London in Botulph lane at the sign of the white Bear, by Iohn Mayler for Iohn Gough. Anno Dni. 1543.  
Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum. Per Septennium.