AMong many other vices, wherewith the worlde at this day is full fraugh­ted, insomuch that the verie elements themselues, toge­ther with the rest of the creatures (as S. Paule in his 8 Cap. Rom. 8.20.21.22.23. vnto the Romans doth teach vs) doe groane vnder the burthen of them, looking for a change, from the vanitie whereunto they are made subiect through the sinne of man, that they may be restored vnto the glorious li­bertie of the sonnes of God, this one is nei­ther the least nor the last, whereby youth for the most part is growne vnto such a passe, that forgetting al childlike affection and du­tifull obedience vnto father and mother in the highest point of subiection, the which they owe vnto them in this life, and whervp­on dependeth their making or marring (as they say) together with the continuall ioy or sorrow of their parentes they whollie follow [Page 12]their own will and let out the raines vnto their owne vnbrideled & vnsetled lusts, making matches according to their own fic­kle fantasies, and choosing vnto themselues yokefellowes after the outward deceiuable direction of the eie, nothing regarding the sounde aduice of a minde guided with the knowledge & feare of God, the which coun­selleth to respect the inwarde graces and or­namentes of the soule, & not to be enamou­red with the outward garnishing, beauty, br [...]uerie and decking of the bodie. And here of it commeth to passe, Gen. 6.1. that men in their maria­ges following the maners of the sons of the first forlorne world, seeing the daughters of men to be beautifull & pleasing vnto the eie, take vnto themselues of all that they like, not waiting nor staieng for the choise of their parents, by whose authoritie, if they ought to be directed in the matters of smaller waight and lesse importance, If obedience due vnto pa­rents in the smallest mat­ters, much more in the greater. as now is so shamelesse and void of grace, that he dare to denie, how much more are they then to be ruled by their graue aduice in this which chiefly concer­neth Gods glorie, their owne welfare, the chearing and reioicing of them that haue be­gotten them.

But like as in the first age of the world, this sin is in the place of Genesis before recited, reckoned vp by the holie Ghost for one of the principall causes that mooued God to set wide open the windowes of heauen, and to [Page 13]poure downe raine in such fearfull aboun­dance, as that in the raging force & swelling streame of the same, man with all other crea­tures miserably perished, those onely excep­ted, the which were preserued in the Arke so questiōles we do owe most of the plagues, wherewith now a daies God punisheth this present age, and in the end will in fearfull maner consume the same vnto this great and maine sin of children their matching in ma­riage without the counsaile and aduice, nay spite of the teeth of their godly parentes. For mariage being the meanes the which God himselfe hath ordained and sanctified for the propagation and increase of mankind, that being taken in hand in his feare, a godly seed being multiplied & growen vp here on earth the same may be blessed to the constitution & making of a Church, the which may serue him in holines and righteousnes: when the same is taken in hand with the breach of his com­mandement, so far off is it, that any blessing is to be hoped for, that contrariwise his hot indignation and heauie curse hangeth ouer that house & familie, Mariage ta­ken in hand with the breach of God. com­mandement, can not pros­per. wher the parties which are the principall pillers and vpholders of the same, are linked andtied together in such a bād of wedlock, whose links & inclosings are not fastened and coupled together with the necessarie and lawfull assent and liking of the parentes, whose authoritie & consent ought to beare the chiefest sway, and strike likewise [Page 14]the greatest stroke in this most holy and hea­uenlie action. And like as mariage is begon & enterprised in the feare of God according to his word, there God is well pleased, there the parties so matched liue together in a ioyfull agreement and liking the one of the o­ther, there God is honoured and serued in synceritie and truth, there the children, when God giueth them, with the rest of the familie are instructed and brought vp in the know­ledge of religion, and grounds of faith: so on the other side, the regard of that which God especially cōmandeth, being shut out of our mariages, there must needes ensue his dislike, and displeasure, there is iar and discord, there Gods honour is neglected, there houshold-discipline and christian-instruction of such as belong vnto our chardge, goeth vtterly to wracke, and is nothing at all regarded. And no marueil: for, if where God blesseth, all thinges goe well and doe prosper, then con­sequentlie where he curseth, there nothing thriueth, hath good successe, or goeth happi­ly forward.

Now if anie shall suppose that these spea­ches are but wordes of course, & carrie a gal­lant shew, without any substance or proofe of matter, pointing rather vnto such an order as we would haue, or wish to be obserued in the matches of our children, then shewing by good euidence that so it ought indeed and of right to be, it is now time that we drawe [Page 15]somewhat neerer vnto the question, the which vpon waightie consideration we haue taken in hand, The principal drift and pur­pose of this Treatise. & by Gods assistance mean to prooue: which is, that children may not ma­ry without the consent & agreement of their parentes. And this I hope shall in such sort be performed, as that it shall plainlie appeare, that not only the consent of father & mother is chieflie requisite in the case of mariage, but also in the former ages and more ancient times of this world, alwaies declining from better to worse, that the choise it selfe of wiues for the sonnes, and husbandes for the daughters, rested wholly in the power & au­thoritie of the parentes, insomuch that not onely the better sort of the children of the godlie referred the whole care of their be­stowing this way vnto the prouident electi­on of their fathers and mothers, but the ve­rie heathen themselues that were not altoge­ther past grace, and had cleane shaken of the yoke of dutiful obediēce, would not so much as once vouchsafe to heare of the motion of any match for themselues in the state of wed­lock, except the choise of their fathers & mo­thers had gon before.

First then I willay this down for the foun­dation, whereupon the rest of the building shall be framed, the which is granted and a­greed vpon among all the learned: namelie, that howsoeuer the minde of man since and through the fall of our first parentes, is blin­ded [Page 16]and darkened, God hath planted cer­taine generall principles, & groundes of true thin the hearts of all men. yet God hath left some smal & general sparkles of light in the same, the which the verie heathen haue acknow­ledged, and receiued for vndoubted trueths, and there is none so blunt and shameles, that he can gaine say them, as for example: That we ought not to hurt or wrong any man: That we must giue to euery one that which is his. And (which is the head and chiefe of all, concer­ning our outward behauiour, and such dea­linges as vsuallie doe fall out betweene man and man) Doe not that vnto another, the which thou wouldest not haue to be done vnto thy selfe. with many other such like, the which we o­therwise tearme The law of nature, or of na­tions, be cause they are naturallie engrauen and written in the heartes of all men, Rom. 1.13. and ap­prooued and receiued with the generall con­sent of all nations, yea and that so far foorth, that those which do violate and breake them were worthy of death, as the bolie Apostle himselfe somewhere in wordes doeth testifie and witnesse: if therfore it be a principle that no man doubteth of, That we should doe as we would be done vnto, and that we ought not to doe vnto others that thing, the like wher­of we would be greeued and offended, they should doe vnto vs: The first rea­son from the law of nature I appeale to the consci­ence of all gracelesse sonnes and daughters, as now a [...]aies (the more is the pitie) in too great multitudes betroth themselues in ma­riage without the priuitie, nay against the [Page 17]will of their fathers and mother, whether that they would take it in good part at the hands of their children, if they should in like maner prouide themselues of wiues and husbands, their good wil and consent being not first ob­tained before, if there bee none hauing any conscience at all, but that the same dulie ex­amined euerie night when he goeth vnto his bed, telleth him that he woulde not thus him­selfe be serued: let this rule then be sufficient to teach him, that he also ought not to marie without the well liking and agreement of his father and mother. Wouldest not thou what­soeuer thou art, that thy childe, if thou carrie any fatherly mind towards him, should in his matching and marrieng be aduised and dire­cted by thee? And darest thou affiance and as­sure thy selfe vnto an other in the most hono­rable and holie estate of mariage, without the knowledge and counsell of thy father? Thou thy selfe the more dearly and tender­lie thou louest thine owne childe, the more deeplie wilt thou bee touched with griefe and sorrowe in thy verie innermost bow­els and affections, he, if he bestowe himselfe contrarie to thy liking, and can those that be­gat thee, thinkest thou, reioice and bee glad, when thou hast wedded contrarie vnto their mind and good liking? Doe therefore as thou wouldest be done vnto: Marie with the con­sent of thy parentes, as thou wouldest that thy children should doe with thine. And as [Page 18]thou wouldest not that those vnder thy go­uernment should ioin in matrimonie against thy will, so in any case take heed, that thou contract not thy self according to thine own pleasure, but stay for the direction and good aduice of thy father, for it is an hard matter to haue the testimonie of thine owne consci­ence to bee alwaies accusing thee that thou hast done amisse, and contrarie vnto that o­bedience, the which thou owest vnto thy su­periours, and lookest also that thy children should performe vnto thee.

Secondlie, that these priuie contracts, that is to say, The second reason taken from the au­thority of pa­rents ouer their children such as are made in secret, or in cor­ners, or otherwise in place neuer so publique without the consent of the parents, are not lawful, may this way more plainly appeare, if we weigh & consider, that children are not at their owne libertie, & disposition, nor (as they say) their owne-men, but vnder the authority and power of their parentes, like as seruantes are at the disposing of their maisters. Nay they are so much more bound vnto their fa­thers & mothers then seruants are, or can be vnder the power of their maisters, by howe much next vnder God, they do ovve their ve­rie being vnto those that begat them, vvhich they doe not vnto their maisters, & therefore is the band of their obedience greater and straighter vnto their fathers, then is that of seruants vnto their maisters. Here of it follow­eth that those vvhich are alike subiect vnto [Page 19]the gouernment of others, are also alike de­barred from the same freedoms & liberties, that otherwise, if they were not thus subiect, they might enioy: but seruants and children are tied with a like and equall band of subie­ction insomuch that if in this behalfe ther be any ods, it is in this, that children owe more dutie vnto their fathers then seruantes vnto their maisters, as was prooued a litle before: they are therefore debarred from the same li­bertie and freedome, whereof ensueth, that if seruantes haue not this libertie without the leaue of their maisters to betake them­selues vnto others, no more may children without the authoritie of their parentes, af­fiance and betroth themselues in mariage vn­to others: but seruants are by the lawes, as the learned doe knowe (and I speake of the lawes and seruants, The lawes of elder times restrain seruants [...]o liberty at their owne pleasure to be take them­selues to o­thers without the leaue of their maisters. not as they are with vs at this day, but as they were in the more ancient and elder times) restrained of this libertie to place themselues with others against the will of their maisters, therefore children may not giue themselues in matrimonie vnto others without the consent of their progenitors. And albeit that by the lawes of our own land nowe in force there bee as yet no prouiso made against the matching of seruants with­out the approbation and allowance of their maisters, yet (vnder the correction of others) it seemeth vnto me great reason, that where there are no parents, euen in those places the [Page 20]seruants, should take the direction of their godly maisters in this behalfe, in vvhich my iudgement I am not singular, but can, if need be auouch mine assertion by the authoritie of the learned But what shall this neede, when as the equitie here of may bee inferred of that which we read in the books of Moses, where, such as please with diligence to conferre the places, Exod. 21. Leuit. 25. Deut. 15.12. they may easily find, that such seruāte as were Ebrues, though the time of their ser­uice was shorter then was theirs, which were strangers and of other nations, yet during the space of their yeares they had to serue in, they were not to marie at their owne libertie, but their maisters hand bare the chiefe stroke in this busines. This course beeing obserued in the Ebrue seruants, it will not, as I take it be gain-said, that seruants of other people and countries, whose bondage in manie respects was far heauier, were likewise depriued of this libertie of marrying, during the time of their seruitude and thraldom, without the ap­pointment of their Lordes and maisters: yet hereby is not meant to preiudicate or im­peach, much lesse to controlle the libertie of our lawes, or law-makers, in such cases as God hath left free vnto them, but onely out of that which God himselfe set downe vnto his owne people in debarring seruants, as ser­uants to make their owne choise in cases of mariage, to prooue that children, which are in as great or rather greater subiection vnto [Page 21]their fathers authority, are likewise bound by as hard a band to tarie for the consent of their parentes in their contractes of matrimonie.

Thirdlie, the great soueraintie, The third rea­son taken frō the large iu­rildiction and power the which in an­cient times hath bin per­mitted vnto parentes ouer their childrē, the which custome, al­beit that it be not simply to to be allowed yet it proos ueth their for ueraintie in other matters to be wel per lourmed by their children without any inconueni­ence. rule & pow­er that by the law of Moses was giuen vnto the Iewish fathers ouer their children, and by the ordinances of the Romanes to the pa­rents ouer their sonnes and daughters, by vertue whereof the one in cases of necessitie might sel their children for bondslaues to re­leeue themselues, and the other might kill them in reuenge of their owne priuate iniu­ries done vnto themselues, or publique e­normities offered vnto others, albeit that of Moses may be thought to be permitted, like as other thinges for a time in regard of the hardnesse of their heart, and this of the Ro­manes deserue iustlie to bee condemned as barbarous, cruell, and sauage, yet doe they both argue, that if parents authoritie were in those times so large in thinges that seeme so hardlie to be digested, that they had a far grea­ter authoritie in those matters & duties, the which might be performed with more consci­ence, and much lesse difficultie and danger, namelie in bearing chiefest sway in the mari­age of their children, and in other causes of like dutifull obedience. The fourth reason from the condition of goods vn­to the power that the ow­ners haue o­uer the same

To this may be added, that the children are worthelie to be reckoned among the goodes and substance of their fathers, and that by a more especiall right then any thing els, the [Page 22]the which belongeth vnto their possession, as those which are more neerlie linked and ioy­ned vnto them, and which cost them more dearlie, being flesh of their flesh, and bone of their bone, and without whom, they had ne­uer bone: so that they owe themselues whol­lie vnto them in all maner of obedience and dutifull affection, and shall in seeking to be­troth themselues at their owne pleasures, not regarding to haue the good will and leaue of their parentes, deale as preposterouslie, and ouerthwattlie, as if the goodes should goe a­bout to dispose the owner and possessor of the same, and not be disposed and ordered by those vnto whom the possession and pro­pertie of the same doeth by right and equitie belong and appertaine: for it standeth with great reason, that the owner dispose of the goodes, and not contrariwise the goodes of the owner, which were in deed a thing verie absurd or contrarie to all reason. Now if any shall doubt, Children are the goodes of the parents. whether that the children bee to be reckoned among the goodes of their pa­rentes or no, he seemeth to bee ignorant of that point the which the deuill himselfe well enough vnderstood, as we may reade in the first of Iob, where it is set downe, that when God gaue him leaue to deale withal that Iob had, he medleth with his sonnes and daugh­ters, as well as with his seruants, and rest of his substance taking them also to be a portion of the same. Wherefore euen in this that chil­dren [Page 23]are their fathers riches (as it is the com­mon saying) they must not bestow themselues but must be bestowed of their parents, whose goods they are. And least any man shoulde contemne this as a weake and childish reason let him know, that the learned Father Theo­dorus Beza vseth it, although not in the same iust number of wordes, yet in this verie selfe same argument, and to the selfe same purpose, in his booke de repudijs & diuortijs, where his iudgement may bee further seene to iumpe with mine fullie in this question, as mine also in this behalfe agreeth with the opinion of al the learned.

And it seemeth not to bee much imperti­nent from this place, The fift rea­son from the vneffectual­nes of vowes without the consent of parents, and husbands in their childr [...] and wiues. the which wee read in the booke of Numbers concerning Vowes, where among other things we doe finde, that the vowes which were made by the children without the priuitie and consent of the fa­thers, and of the wiues without the liking and allowance of their husbandes were altoge­ther vnlawfull and of no force. And the rea­son according to true meaning of the place, is geuen by the best Interpreters, because nei­ther children, nor wines are sus iur [...]s, that is, at their owne libertie and appointment, but vnder the rule and gouernment of others, namelie of their parentes and husbands. As therefore to make a vow vnto the Lord, being in it selfe and of it owne nature an holy and acceptable action vnto God, and where with [Page 24]he is well pleased, is notwithstanding in children vnlawfull, because it is such an acti­on as they onlie may performe which are free and at their owne disposition, the which they are not: so in like maner to consent in matri­monie, although in it selfe it be both honest & lawfull, yet is it not an action of force in chil­dren, without the consent and allowance of their parentes, because that children are not free & at their own libertie, but by the lawes both of God and man tied and bound vnto the subiection of their fathers, as hath at large bene shewed before, and through the whole discourse of this treatise is to be proo­ued also hereafter.

In the 22. The sixt rea­son from the lawes in Ex­odus, of enti­fing of maids, and the fa­thers selling their daugh­ters for ser­uants. of Exodus there is a law concer­ning the intising of maids (a practise this day too common, because there is not discipline sharpe enough ministred to represse it) and in the chapter before going there is another cō ­stitution as touching fathers, that to releeue their owne necessities are constrained to sell their daughters for seruants: by the first wher­of it appeareth, that the contract of children without the consent of their parentes, is not auaillable, or of anie force: and by the second may easilie be gathered that seruats were not at libertie to make their owne choise in ma­riage, but that the right thereof appertained vnto their maisters, both places iointlie cōclu­ding flatlie for me, that both children & ser­uants as Res domenorum: that is, the goodes of [Page 25]their owners, are not, as in other cases of lesse waight, so in like sort in that matter of greate importance, namely the bestowing of them­selues in wedlocke for to follow the violent streame of their owne pleasing affections, but to be ordered and guided by the rule of their fathers and maisters. I will set downe the se­uerall wordes of the law in both these cases, that being diligentlie obserued and marked, fathers and maisters may learne what was the authoritie in the mariage of their children & seruants, and that these likewise may vnder­stand what is their part & dutie in these con­siderations. Exodus. 22.16.17 The wordes for intising of maides are these: And if a man intise a maid that is not betrethed, and lie with her, he shall endow her and take her to wife: if her father refuse to giue her to him, he shall pay money according to the dowrie of virgins. Exod. 21.7.8.9. Here is expreslie set downe, that albeit the two parties were fullie agreed, yet is the match not to goe forwarde, vnlesse the father also doe giue his consent. Now for the father his selling of his daughter, to redeeme his owne need and pouertie, thus speaketh the lawgiuer in the chapter afore going: Likewise if a man sell his daughter to be a seruant, she shall not gee out as men seruants doe. If she please not her maister, who hath be­trethed her vnto himselfe, then shall he cause to buy her, he shall haue no power to sell her to a strange people, seeing he despised or defloured her. But if he hath betrothed her vnto bys senne, he [Page 20] [...] [Page 21] [...] [Page 22] [...] [Page 23] [...] [Page 24] [...] [Page 25] [...] [Page 26]shall deale with her according to the custome of the daughters. So that ye see howe the mai­den in this sort sold to be a seruant by her fa­ther, became by this sale bound to the power of her maister, to bee at his appointing in the case of marrying, and such was the condition of all other seruants by the law of God in this respect, and that the sonnes also were not left vnto their owne direction, no although that they were otherwise free, besides that this place doth prooue the same, directly affirming that the father of the free son might betroth him vnto his bond maid, it shall in his place sufficientlie hence forward likewise appeare. The seventh reason draw­en from the commande­ment: Honor thy father & mother. &c.

Besides al this what clearer euidēce can we haue on our side, then the fift commandemét, in the which childré are cómanded to honor their fathers and mothers, with a blessing pro­mised to those which perform the same: wher­by we gather by the nature of contraries, that there is a curse also belonging vnto all those children that shal dishonor them. And in that God willeth that the parentes by their chil­dren should be honoured, he meaneth, that they should in all humilitie and modestie re­uerence them, with all dutifull submission, be obedient vnto them, and with all willingnes shew themselues thankfull for their procrea­tion, education, sustentation, and all other be­nefites, that vnder God they haue receiued from them, being readie by all meanes they possible may, [...], that is, to imitate [Page 27]and expresse towards them the nature of the Storke, whose propertie (as they write of thē) is to prouide meat, and feed their dams, when through age they grow so olde, that they are not able for to help themselues, that is to say, they must to their verie vtmost seeke to make them recompence and requitall of some part of those vnrequitable paines the which their louing parentes haue taken with them, and make some a mends for the vnconteruaillable kindnes that they haue shewed towards them. But where they bestowe themselues in mari­age without the consent of their parentes, there they do fault and make a breach of dutie in all these three respectes, that is to say, they neither reuerence, obey, nor shew themselues thankful vnto them. For, reuerence consisteth in this, that we carie towards them a certaine honest and modest shamefastnes, ioyned with abashfull awfulnes & standing in feare of thē the which worketh in vs a conceiuing of such an opinion and estimation of them, as that we haue an especiall respect and regard of them in doing or not doing of things, neither of a care to please them, or of a feare to offend them. Obedience herein sheweth foorth it selfe, in that willinglie without murmuring or grudging we be willing to be ordered, di­rected, guided, and ruled by them, being rea­die to do all lawfull thinges the which they command vs, & to refraine from those things the which they shall forbid vs. Thankfulnesse [Page 28]besides that, there are many other branches, is alwaies mindful of benefits receiued, and therefore carrieth continually a vigilant and watchfull eie towards the partie by whome it hath bene pleasured, that no discurtesie in any case bee offered, or anie occasion mini­stred, whereby he may conceiue vnkindnes. And by this familiar descriptiō of these three heades, whereof standeth chieflie the honor due vnto parentes, we may clearlie see, that those which in wedding tarie not for the consent of their fathers and mothers, do nei­ther stand in any awfull feare of them, as whō they would be lorn to offend or displease, nor yet giue ouer themselues in all thinges to be gouerned and aduised by them, or haue any regard that they be not causers to make their friendes or parents conceiue hardlie and vn­kindlie of them, when as it is more then ma­nifest, that in matters concerning their duety towardes their parentes, no greefe cutteth neerer vnto the heart then this, when they entangle themselues contrarie vnto their minde and liking. And therefore such chil­dren as match in this sort, as it were in spite of the teeth of their fathers and mothers are neither reuerent, obedient, nor thankfull vnto them, and so consequentlie they doe not honour them, wherby they incurre and runne into the curse of God, the which must without true and vnfeigned repentance pull downe vpon the heades of themselues and [Page 29]their families the fearfull plagues of God. His heauie and hot indignation against them to their vtter subuersion, decay and ruine, The eight reason from the place of Paule. Collos. 3.20.

S. Paule in his epistle vnto the collossians, willeth children to bee obedient vnto their parents in al things, & giueth a reason therof saying, For that is well pleasing vnto the Lord. Out of this place I reason after this maner, to prooue that the good wil of the parents must be sought for & obtained by the children in their contracts of mariage. Whatsoeuer plea­seth God, the same ought of al children to be practised so far foorth as it concerneth their place & calling: but to marie with thē cōsent of parents is a thing that pleaseth God, there­fore children in their mariages ought to haue the consent & allowance of their parēts. That euerie one in his calling ought to labor to do that thing which pleaseth God, I take to be a case so cleare, that no man doubteth of the same so that to go about to prooue this were as needles a thing, as to labor to prooue that water is moist, fire is hot, or that it is day at high noone. If any thing in the former reason be denied, it wil be this, that to mary with the consent of the parents pleaseth not God, the which although it be as euident & apparent as the former, and cānot be denied of any that hath a forehead at al (for who, except he cary a face of brasse, can be doubtfull of this, that God is well pleased with the matching of children by the consent of their parents, pro­uided alwaies that the mariage be in his feare [Page 30]the which caution is to be obserued through out this whole controuersie, either handled alreadie or to be touched herafter) yet for the sake of the simpler sort, the which of ignorāce for the most part offend in this kinde of priuie contractes, I will make this point plaine also after this maner. All obedience vnto parents is wel pleasing to the Lord, but for the sons to take wiues, & the daughters to take husbands with the liking and approouing of their fa­thers and mothers, is an especiall obedience vnto them, and such as all parentes wish euen with all their heart to haue in al their children performed towards them, therefore to marie with the consent of parents is such an action wherewith God is well pleased. The verie wordes of Paule, where he saieth, Children o­bey your parentes in all things, doe sufficientlie warrant, that all obedience vnto parentes is wel pleasing vnto God, and the same is like­wise auouched by Paule before in the epi­stle vnto the Ephesians, where speaking of the dutie of children, he hath these words, Children obey your parents in the Lord: Ephes. 6.1. setting downe this reason, for it is right. And that fathers and mothers do hold themselues o­beied, when their children be ruled and or­dered by them in the choise of their wiues and husbands, is so euident, that no man can gainsay it. It must therefore needes follow, that God is well pleased, when they do get them yoakefellowes with the consent of [Page 31]their parents. Nay, as it is trueth not to bee doubted of, that God his fauour and alow­ance goeth alwaies with those espousals, or betrothings the which are ratified and esta­blished with the assent of those that bare vs, and vnto whom we doe owe our being, because that herein we do perform a chiefe point of obedience, the which God looketh for, and requireth at our hands: so on the contrarie, whē we shal ioin our selues in the band of matrimony, & make no reckoning of the authoritie of our superiours, stepping in betweene, God cannot behold those bridals with a cheerefull and a smyling countenance but is displeased, and frowneth at the same, because that we haue forgotten ourselues in a principall part of our child-like and dutiful obedience. For if we must submit our selues, and lay downe our handes vnder the feet of our parentes in all things, yeelding our obe­dience in the verie smallest causes, because God hath so commanded, as the Apostle ful­ly in so many wordes doth clearly teach vs, then doubtles much more in the case of ma­rying (a matter of such force & importance, as whereupon for the most part dependeth our making or marring) we ought willinglie to put our necks vnder the wholsome yoake of their fatherlie power, vpon whose consent or refusall lieth the establishing or disanul­ling of our handfasting our selues without their agreement thereunto.

But it will here be replied, The ninth reason, toge­ther with the answering of an obiection concerning the restraint of childrens obedience. that Paule him­selfe in a kind of shew of some contrarietie, restreineth the general obedience of children commanded in the third to the Collossians to to bee perfourmed vnto their parentes in all thinges and draweth the same into a more straight and narrowe compasse in his Epistle vnto the Ephesians, where he will haue their dutie to bee no further yeelded vnto them then in the Lord, and therefore vnlesse it may plainlie be prooued, that to haue the consent of parentes in mariage is a thing commanded by the word of God, children are freed & set at libertie from giuing obedience thereunto. I answere, that the one place is a good com­ment and exposition vnto the other, so that this precept: Children obey your parentes in all things, ought worthelie to bee expounded by that other: Children obey your parente; in the Lord: that is (as I expound it, letting goe all other interpretations) in all such thinges as are not against the Lorde, or which in the Scriptures are commaunded by the Lord. Which interpretation I doe the rather im­brace, because I see it to bee warranted by the answere the which Peter & Iohn in the Acts doe make vnto the chiefe rulers of the Syna­gogue, whereby they excuse themselues for not obeying their inhibition forbidding them to preach any more in the name of Iesus, say­ing, Whether it be right in the sight of God, to obey you rather them God iudge ye. Whereby [Page 33]we are taught, that not onelie in the com­mandements of our parentes, but also of all other our superiours be they Kinges, rulers or Magistrates of any other condition whatsoe­uer, all which are comprehended vnder the name of parentes, that if they inioine vs to do any thing a gainst that obedience the which we owe vnto God, we are not indeed violēt­lie to resist, but we must with patience abide such punishment as they shall lay vpon vs, rather then in obeying them we should diso­bey God, vnto whom of good right wee are bound aboue and before al others be they of neuer so high and excellent places. For there is a double obedience, that is, a certaine first, chief, & most soueraign obediēce the which is proper and belongeth vnto God, and a se­cundarie or inferiour obedience the which is due and appertaining vnto men. A most gene­neraral rule the which ad mitteth no exception. So that in all our actions what soeuer belongeth vnto this life this is a most generall rule the which ad­mitteth or receiueth none exception: God must be obeied before, or rather then men. To returne therefore vnto the matter in hand, the obedience of children to their parentes must (I grant) be limitted and bounded with­in the railes and listes of our obedience pe­culier vnto God, that is to say, Childrē are no further to obey the commandements of their parentes, then so far foorth as the same be an­swerable and agreable vnto the commande­ments of God. But this neuer a whit relieueth [Page 34]their bad and vnfollowable course the which in marriage will be their owne caruers, and make their owne choise without the consent and allowing of their parents, the which, be­sides that hath hither to bene alleaged, we wil yet further more largelie and more expreslie prooue out of the word of God, and confirme, that so it ought to be.

And now are we come indeed vnto a more higher, and neerer point, and the which will seeme stranger both vnto a great sort of pa­rents, and also serue verie stronglie to curbe the vnbrideled & stay-les affections of an in­finite number of inconsiderate and vnaduised youthes (if by the warrant of the word of God they may be stayd) when as it shall bee plainlie laid downe vnto them, that not only they are in their handfastinges & making sure in mariage to haue the consent of their fathers and mothers, and that, not seeking for the same, they breake Gods commandement, but also when it shall be shewed, that choise of wiues and husbands for them, is not in their power, but in the authoritie of their fathers, and that this, both in plaine wordes is set downe in the scriptures, and may moreouer be prooued by many examples as a generall vse and custome to haue bene obserued not onely of the godlier sort among the Iewes, but also among the gentiles, which had no o­ther direction but the law of nature: When I say, it shall be euidentlie prooued, that the [Page 35]choise in mariage, of husbands and wiues for their sonnes and daughters, was in the Pa­rents, and not in the children, I thinke there will no question at all afterwards bee made, whether the consent of the parents be requi­site to be had or no in the mariage of their children, forasmuch as if it be not in the chil­dren to make their owne choise, much lesse may they marie without their parents liking: Children in mariage may not make their owne choise, therefore much lesse ought they marie with­out their friends con­sent. for those that of themselues may not doe the lesser, cannot be said to bee at their owne li­betie to doe the greater: but children in matters of mariage may not do the lesser, that is, make their owne choise, which is a lesse thing then to marie without consent, therefore it must of necessitie follow, that in marying they must haue the consent of their parentes.

That children may not make their owne choise in marying, I prooue after this maner: No childe may take vpon him the duetie and office of his father: To make choise of hus­bandes and wiues for sonnes & daughters in mariage, is the duetie and office of fathers: therefore children in mariage may not make their owne choise, and so consequently may not marie without the cōsent of their fathers. The first, that children may not take vpon thē the office of their fathers, I take as graunted. The second, that parents ought to take wiues vnto their sonnes, and husbandes vnto their daughters, I will prooue by the commande­ment of God in sundrie places, and by mani­fest [Page 36]reason drawen from those places. And in this point, If I bestow the more labour, I shall the rather be borne withall, because it is the most waightie part of al this discourse, wher­in, if I shal happely, or rather vnhappilie, of a­nie be deemed tedious or ouerlong, the pro­fitablenesse of the matter, if God giue grace, that being of ignorance in the most negle­cted before, it may now vpon knowledge be put in diligent practise hereafter, shall easily (I trust) procure my pardon. And my good hope and earnest prayer also is, that this my trauaile shall not be in vaine, but that al god­lie fathers and mothers seeing clearly at the length what charge by God himselfe is laide vpon them, will be carefull in time to make meete choise for their children, & that all du­tifull and obedient sonnes and daughters vn­derstanding that it is no deuise of man, but the expresse commandemēt of God that their fathers & mothers should prouide thē wiues & husbands, wil cease henceforth to take vpō them the office of their parentes, and with all willingnes, be contēt to stand in these cases to the choice of their elders, which they shall make for thē in the feare of the Lord, & agre­ably vnto his word, or at least wise in no case assure themselues, vnlesse themselues be sure of their consent.

Now let vs see the places of Scripture, by which it may appeare that the choise of hus­bands for the daughters, and of wiues for the [Page 37]sonnes is by the commandement of God himselfe laid vpon the parentes, Places of scripture proouing that parēts ought to prouide wiues & hus­bāds for their sonnes and daughters. Deut. 7.3. concerning which matter, in the booke of Deuteronomy we read thus. Neither shatt thou make marta­ges with thē (he speaketh of the seuen nations, the which by the Iewes were vtterly to bee rooted out) neither giuethy daughter vnto his son, nor take his daughter vnto thy sonne. Here God giueth an especial charge vnto al fathers among the Iewish natiō, that at no hand they should place in mariage, citheir their sonnes with the daughters of those nations, or take of their sons to be husbands for their daugh­ters, the which precept had bin in vain, if they had not had this power and authoritie ouer their children, or if their sons and daughters had bene at their own libertie in these cases to haue made their owne choise, for they might easilie haue replied, that their children in these pointes were not to be at their com­mand, and the children might haue complai­ned of the hard dealing of their fathers in de­barring thē their right in making their owne matches, if any such priuiledge had belonged vnto them: but the fathers neither taking any exception against God, to excuse themselues from this dutie, nor the sonnes pleading that by this lawe their interest shoulde be impea­ched, doth argue sufficientlie that it was the ordinarie course of that time for parentes to giue their children in mariage, and that their children were wel content with their fa­thers [Page 38]doings in this behalfe.

It will here peraduenture be saide, That God by making this law, Obiection. setteth not downe an order the which he would haue generally to be obserued of the parentes in all matches of their children, yea euen with their owne people and nation, but onelie directeth them what they should doe concerning mariage of their sonnes and daughters among those se­uen accursed nations, & this also to preuent a mischiefe, least that by making and ioyning any such affinitie, they might be pulled and drawen away from the true worship and ser­uice of God vnto idolatrie and superstition. I answere, Answere. that God, when he gaue vnto them this commandement, had indeed an especiall regard to meet with before hand this danger of hauing his people caried by such matches to run a whoring after strange Goddes, but this notwithstāding prooueth not, that the fa­thers libertie to place his children in wedlock was not general amōg the people of his own nation, but that hee had this authoritie to re­straine them onelie from marying with that wicked people for feare of spirituall infection and pollution: for that they had this power ouer their children in prouiding the mar­riage euen within their own land, and limits of their owne countrie, it is most clearlie to be seene in the last chapiter of the booke of Iudges, where the Israelites hauing geuen that great and fearfull ouerthrowe vnto their [Page 39]brethren the Beniamites, for their maintai­nance of that most horrible outrage in defi­ling in verie shamefull and beastlie maner of the Leuites concubine, bound themselues by a solemne oth, and sware, saying: None of vs shal giue his daghter vnto the Bentamits to wife. This oath for my part (reseruing to others their contrarie iudgment) I doe not in anie case allowe, but condemne the same as rash, and vnaduised, the which trulie repenting themselues of their rashnes, they might with farre better conscience haue broken then kept, and I could alleadge many reasons to confirme mine opinion, but that is not apper­taining to this present argument, neither yet any part of my purpose in this place, nor at this time, onely I bring it to shew, that here­by it is manifest that they made no doubt of their libertie in disposing of their children in mariage, nor of their readines to obey them in that behalfe, for if they might not ouerrule them in this matter, or their children had bin to make their owne choise, they had bene worthy of double blame, both in taking vpon them the placing of their daughters, and also in binding thēselues with an oth for the due execution and performance of that thing, The rashness of the Israli [...] taketh not a way their ri [...] in making choise for th [...] in their ma [...] ages. the which they had no right to lay vpō them.

And howsoeuer it be that this place may be thought of some, not of force suffiicient to warrant this authoritie of Parentes, in ma­king the choise for their sonnes and daugh­ters [Page 40]in their marriages, because the oath was taken vnaduisedlie (albeit that their offen­ding in one thing, be not plea good inough to disfrauchize them of their freedome and libertie in an other thing) yet if the cause had bene good, it shall appeare by an other place, that they might by oath haue bound them­selues for the not giuing of their daughters in mariage, whereby may bee gathered that the choise in these cases lay in the parentes, and not in their children: for herein they fault in this action, not that they seeke to keepe their right and authoritie in prouiding for their children, but in that they make an oath both rash, and full of crueltie against their brethren.

Now that the choise was in parents of pro­uiding wiues & husbands for their children and in such sort, that they might in honest & godlie matches bind themselues so to do, it is certaine by that which we reade in the last chapiter of the booke of Nehemiah, who cau­sed manie of them that were returned from the captiuitie, not onely to take an oath that they would not take wiues vnto their sonnes nor husbands vnto their daughters of the strange nations there specified, but also made them to curse and ban themselues, and to wish heauie iudgmentes and plagues of God to fall vpon them, if they should doe the con­trarie.

That the mater may be out of all doubt & [Page 41]controuersie, it shall not grieue me to sette downe the wordes as they lie in the text: Nehem. 13.23.24. In those daies also (saieth Nehemiah) I saw Iewes that maried wiues of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moah. And their childrē spake halfe in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speake in the Iewes lan­guage, and according to the language of the one people, and of the other people. Then I reprooued thē, and cursed them, and smote certaine of thē, & pulled of their hair, and took an oth of thē by God: ye shall not giue your daughters vnto their sonnes, neither shall you take of their daughters vnto your sonnes, nor for your selues. Whoso­euer shall with him selfe weigh and consider of this most excellent and worthy man, of his true godlinesse and zeale in religion, of his great care & forwardnes to build vp the citie and Temple, of his faithfulnes in his gouern­ment and rule ouer the people committed to his charge, he may not go about to offer vnto him this iniurie, insomuch as once dreaming that a man of his holines, religion, zeale, wis­dome, and godlinesse would so much as make the very least motion of any vnlawful matter to his people, much lesse enforce thē by oath to enter into such a course, whereby they might easilie haue bin periured had they not in this case well knowen their fatherlie pow­er ouer their children, and bene perswaded of their tractable readines in this matter to bee ruled by them. Such was the discipline of that time, and in such awe stood dutifull children [Page 42]vnto their louing fathers in those daies, that being therennto required by the magistrate, they durst not onely pawne their credit, but that which more is, giue their oath, and ha­zard their conscience, vpon the assured con­fidence wheich they reposed in their chil­drens willingnes to betake & betroth them­selues vnto such yoke fellowes as they should appoint and make choise of for them in ho­nest matrimonie to lead their liues withall. Yet doe I not thinke the contrarie, but that in those ages, like as in our time there were many both sonnes and daughters, which are like vnrulie coltes and vntamed heifars could not be brought vnto this passe, nor yet be yo­ked within this bow, but the sturdie froward­nes of some certaine, is no disproofe of the dutifull obedience of the better sort, neither was there anie more required of the fathers, then that according vnto God his comman­dement, so far as in them lay, they should doe their partes to keep their children within this compasse: that is to say, they were to prouide matches for them within their owne people, to charge them in regard of that honour, the which by God his commandement they did owe vnto them, that they yeelded vnto their fathers choise, and hauing gone thus far, they haue sufficientlie done that which vnto them belonged, and for the rest, they were to leaue their rule lesse children vnto the iudgmēts of God, and correction of the magistrate, who [Page 43]in cases of disobedience, where the authority of parents could beare no sway, Deut 21, 18. was by God himselfe appointed to minister correction ac­cording vnto the qualitie of the transgressi­on.

To make an end of this ninth reason, in the which I may be thought to haue dwelled too long, Almost strong place our of Ieremie to proue that that the chois was in parents to prouide sit matches for their children in mariage. I will shut vp this place with an au­thoritie taken out of the prophet Ieremie, & with the iudgment of M. Caluin (a most wor­thie instrument of Christ his Church in our time) vpon the same, the which shall strike this matter stone dead (as they say) and so goe on to other proofes, and these shall serue as a strong naile to fasten all the rest together, & to make sure all the other testimonies of scrip­ture in this foresaid ninth reason, already quo­ted, for the faithfull alleadging of the which places, vnto such end and purpose, and by the holie Ghost they are directed, besides that, I haue the testimonie of a cleare conscience to beare witnesse of my fearfull carefulnesse to deale sincerelie and faithfullie in the hand­ling of the word of God, If I shall be therunto at any time hereafter vrged, I can bring also the confirmation of the best and most learned writers.

Ieremie in the 29 chapiter of his prophesie among other reasons the which hee vseth to comfort the people in their long & hard cap­tiuitie, Ievem. 1 [...].6. and to put them in hope that they shall assuredlie return, at the length speaketh [Page 44]vnto them by the commandement of God af­ter this maner: Take you wiues, & beget sons & daughters, and take wiues for your sonnes, and giue your daughtes to husbands, that they may beare sonnes and daughters, that you may be en­creased there and not be diminsshed. Vpon this place Caluin writeth after this maner. Wher­as (saieth he) the prophet willeth them to take wiues for their sons, and to giue their daughters to be maried, this is according to the lawfull order and course of nature, because that this were too preposterous, or ouerthwart and topsituruy dealing, that yoong men and mai­dens, should get them either husbandes or wiues at their owne lust and pleasure. God therefore in this place speaketh according vnto the common rule, when as hee comman­deth yoong men to be linked in matrimonie no otherwise, but by the commandement of their parentes: and maidens also not to marie any husbands, but such as to whom they shal be giuen. Here you may see in few words confirmed that, Four especiall poyntes to be noted out of the wordes of Calum. which in so manie I haue at large set downe before: where first it is to bee noted, that childrens marying according to the choise of their parentes, is a thing com­manded by God. Secondlie, that it is agree­able vnto the law of nature. Thirdlie, that it was a generall rule and common practise. Fourthly, that the contrarie dealing is prepo­sterous and ouerthwart, and as far out of square and order, as if the cart should bee [Page 45]placed and set before the horse. And marke further, that in all these places cited in this ninth reason, God saith not, It is a cōman­dement, & not a permission, that parentes in mariage should make choise for their chils drest. that parentes if they wil, may prouide wiues for their sonnes, and husbandes for their daughters: That it were meete and requisite that it should be so, but vseth euerie where the imperatiue mood, that is, commandeth that it be so, and leaueth it not at randome to our discretion to choose whether we will haue it to bee so, or other­wise, to that end that we should knowe, that if wee that are parentes shall neglect our du­ties in this behalfe, wee shall not passe away with the matter slightlie and lightlie, as if it were a lest & a trifle, but that we shall answer for it, as for a transgression and breach of his commandement.

Hauing therefore giuen this breefe caueat and warning blow vnto fathers and mothers to think hereafter more aduisedlie vpon their duties in bestowing of their children, I take my leaue and farewell of this reason, giuing al yoong men and maidens in like maner to vn­derstand, that if they shal henceforth refuse to be ordered and directed by their parentes, they shall be found rebels against God, trans­gressors against the law of nature, breakers of the common rule and custome of all well gouerned children, and such, so far as in them is, would bring in al confusion and disorder, in altering and changing Gods owne course, to set vp and establish their owne vnbride­led [Page 46]lust and lawles affection.

Hitherto we haue seen how farreforth the Scriptures, and places of the old Testament, doe stand firmely on our side, for the proofe of this question, the which we haue taken v­pon vs, namely t [...]at mariages are not to bee made without the consent of parents, the which as we perswade our selues, wee haue proued with the a du [...]intage, she wing that not onely children, in mariage ought to haue the good wil & leaue of their fathers & mothers, butalso, if we snal look more neerlie into the cause, that the choise in mariage belong vnto them Now in [...]he tenth place I wil make this plaine also, by one cleare testimony and wit­nes out of the newe Testament, the which I take from out of the seauenth Chapiter of the first Epistle of S. Paul vnto the Corinthians, whose wordes be these: The tenth reason out of the words of Paule. 1. Cor. 7.36.37.38. But if any man thinke that it is vncomly for his vingin, if shee passe the flowre of her age, and neede so require, let him doe what he will, resin [...]eth not, let them be ma­ried. Neuertheles he that standeth firme in his heart, that he hath no neede, but hath power o­uer his owne will, and hath so decreede in his heart, that he wil keepe his virgin, he doeth well. So then he that grueth her to martage, doth wel, but he that giueth her not to mariage doth bet­ter. The purpose of Paul in this place is to giue counsel vnto patentes, what course they were best to take for their children con­cerning their bestowing of them in mariage, [Page 47]or letting them remaine single, according vn­to the assured and certaine knowledge that they haue of their abilitie to liue chast, or their neede, otherwise to vse that lawfull re­medie, the which God hath ordained against fornication, which is to marie, so that those which haue the gift of chastitie, hee would not haue constrained to ioine themselues in wedlocke, nor those which are not able to be forced to liue single. This is brieflie the summe of the place. Concerning those chil­dren that cannot liue single, hee willeth their parentes to looke vnto them betimes, least that their too long differring and de­laying the matter breed some inconuenience. And this is it that hee saieth: If ante man thinke that it is vncomely for his virgine, if shee passe the flower of her age, and neede so re­quire, let him doe what he will, he sinneth not: Let them marie. Which last clause plainely teacheth, that looke what is saide of the daughter, is to be vnderstood also of the son: for one cannot be maried alone. Speaking therefore in the plurall number, he meaneth as well the sonnes as the daughters, touching whom this is his counsaile: That parente [...] when their children come once to such yeares, that they are readie to marie, The summe o [...] the Apostle [...] his counsai [...] vnto paren [...] in time to p [...] ­uide fit ma [...] ­ches for th [...] children. should in due time haue consideration hereof, not giuing occasion, by causing them stay too long, either to bee derided, or laughed to scorne as stale bachelers, or otherwise to bee [Page 48]suspected of bad husbandrie, or huswifrie, or of pride and disdaining all others, being so nice & coy, that they think none fine enough to match withal, or that there is in them some secrete & hidden vice or infirmitie the which maketh them vnfit for mariage, or otherwise of couetousnesse, because they are loth to de­part with mony towards their maintenance, protracting & delaying the time longer then the nature and disposition of their sonnes & daughters will beare, so that by their means being thus deferred and put off, when as they are not able any longer to forbeare, their pa­rents neglecting to prouide that remedie for them the which Go [...] hath ordained, they burne in lust and commit follie. Their fa­thers and mothers therefore perceiuing that so it ought to be, that is, their children with­out feare of some inconuemence cannot tary any longer vnmatied, ought worthelie to haue this wise care for them, in time to pro­uide them of fit and honest matches. This then is the drist of this place, that parentes should by all gentle and faire meanes true out and search the state and disposition of their children towards mariage when by reason of conuenient age they are fit for the some, and by conference and questioning with them, get from them howe they stand affected this way, and accordinglie as they shall haue sure notice how they are giuen, to suffer them ei­ther to remaine single, or els that they (as it [Page 49]is their fatherlie dutie) doe prouide for them godlie wiues and husbandes. The inconue­nience that groweth by this that pa­rents followe not Paule his counsaile in prouiding fit matches for their children Thus we see how pregnant and plentifull a text this is to teach that it lieth in the parents to make due choise for their children in the case of matri­monie: And because that small regard is had hereof in many now adaies, hēce it commeth that some children giue themselues ouer vn­to the lustes of the flesh, in cōmitting shame­full & filthy fornicatiō: others, contrary vnto the lawes both of God and nature, breake in­to the duties of their fathers, and vnnatural­lie, and not child-like, without the priuitie & consent of their parentes make their owne matches & the same for the most part so vn­toward, that they bring the gray haires of their parentes vnto their griefe and sorrowe to the graue, and themselues besides wastfully spending all that they haue, liue all their life long in continuall and dailie home braules, and houshold strifes and discordes.

You therefore that be fathers and mothers I most earnestlie and hartilie exhort and be­seech you for the loue of God and in the tender bowels and mercie of Iesus Christ our most gratious redeemer, An exhortati­on vnto al pa­rents. that you will at the length awake, and rouse vp your selues out of this deadlie sleepe of carelesnesse, wherewith you haue bene long oppressed, making litle or none accountes at all of this waightie and necessarie dutie of prouiding vertuous wiues and husbandes for your [Page 50]sonnes and daughters, delay the time hence­foorth no longer, put in diligent vre and practise this wholsome counsaile of the Apo­stle, lay off all rigorous austerenes and bitter­nes, and in the spirite of lenitie and milde­nesse, question and confer, talke and reason with your sonnes and daughters, when they be come vnto ripe veares, that you may learn how they are inclined concerning mariage, or sole life: and if it bee so that you thinke, that through bashfulnesse and shamefastnesse they will not dare to deale plainlie with you, nor freelie to vnfolde their mindes vnto you as they would doe vnto some of their famili­ars, let it not grieue you to vse this wise policie to fish out their purpose by some of their friendes vnto whome being great with them, they will not bee affraide to vtter the verie bottome of their heartes and inmost se­cretes. And when you shall haue found, that it is safest for your honor, and meetest for their present estate, that you prouide for thē to marie, goe about the same in the feare of God accordinglie, with faithfull and earnest praier vnto God, Gen. 24.12. after the example of the godly Steward of Abraham in the book of Genesis, that he wil both direct you in a vertu­ous and christian choise, and also incline and mooue the heartes of your children with all dutifull readines to stand vnto the same, And taking the matter in hand after this reuerēt & christian order, assure your selues that you [Page 51]haue performed a good work, & sin not, for so Paule telleth you in plaine wordes, where he saith, Let him doe what he will, he sinneth not. and a litle after, He that giueth her to marie, (meaning when the father by good triall had found out that otherwise she cānot liue chast) sinneth not. For in speaking after this manner, he hath (no doubt) respect vnto that course, the which the Lord himselfe in his word hath set down, & the which also hath of the godlie bene practised euen from the beginning, as by many examples anon shall be shewed. There is therefore no danger of doing amisse, and of sinning, if that you behaue your selues after this sort in prouiding husbandes for your daughters, and in bestowing of your sonnes in honest wedlock. But rather on the contra­ry part you shal verie greatly transgresse and offend, if ye shall neglect and forslowe your dutie in this behalfe.

And to all you that will bee counted godlie and dutifull children, An earnest sute vnto all godly childs [...] let mee in all humble and louing manner make this ear­nest suite and waightie motion, that you likewise hereafter will with all reuerence and aduisednesse consider, what dutie you owe vnto God, whose order this is, that you shold be ruled by your parents in all thinges, vnto whom he hath giuen such high & soueraigne power and authoritie ouer you, that he will haue euen those solemn vowes and promises [Page 52]that you haue made vnto himselfe to stoup and giue place vnto their consent and alow­ance striue no longer against God, Num. 30. but in all willingnesse of minde put your neckes vnder his yoke: enter not violentlie into your fathers right: giue vnto them this ho­nour, to thinke that they by their wise donie can, and for the louing care the which they beare towardes you, will prouide better for you, then you can doe for your selues: re­member that you are called after Christ by the glorious name of Christians, who was obedient vnto his father euen vnto the death of the crosse, let it therefore be no griefe vn­to you to submit your selues vnto them in that same thing, whereof you haue in the scriptures so manie notable and honourable presidentes: if they shall be thought slacke in prouiding for them in due time, labour by all modest meanes that by some friendes they be put in mind of their duetie: since God hath commanded them to make choise for you, bestow not your selues without their consent but humble your selues by deuout and faith­full praiers before the throne of the almighty, that he in mercie will vouchsafe that your na­turall parentes vnto whose power you are subiect, setting aside all carnall and earthly respectes, may in their choise for you haue his feare before their cies, and that your selues may not bee caried away after your owne fancies, but by the working of his [Page 53]holie spirite bee inwardlie and throughlie mooued with a godlie, christian, and pure loue to imbrace those which they shall haue chosen and prouided for you, as the godlie children in former ages haue done before you.

And here I will alleadge, The eleuenth reason from the common vse & practise of the godlie in former times. for an other rea­son the generall vse and practise of the god­lie Fathers, Patriarches and other holie men in prouiding of wiues for their sonnes, and husbandes for their daughters, together with the willing obedience of their children to ac­cept and take them so prouided, at their handes, to serue to prooue that it was a common lawe among those that liued in those times: for the sonnes and daughters in matrimonicall cases to be ordered and ruled by their fathers and mothers. For the Law­yers doe holde, that generall vse and custome doe make a law. And what reason then is there to the contrary, but that this, the which hath so generallie and continuallie bene ob­serued, should in like maner goe and be ta­ken for a law, the which it may bee thought that God euen hereby woulde induce and leade men vnto, in that, when hee first crea­ted all things, and man last of all, ouer whom by the priuiledges of creation, he might wor­thilie claime the right and power of a father, he doth not suffer him at his owne choise & pleasure to take vnto himselfe the woman, made of his side, but brought her himselfe vn­to [Page 54]him to be his wife, by which his fact (as I doe take it) was notablie prefigured or fore­shadowed out vnto vs, God as a fa­ther proui­deth a wife for Adam in Paradise. that he would haue earthly fathers take that course in prouiding for their children in mariage, the which he being our heauenlie father tooke for his el­dest son Adam in paradise, that is, that they should make choise of wiues and husbandes for their sonnes and daughters, the which they ought as willinglie to receiue at the handes of their fathers, as Adam did his wife from the hand of God. If any of those vnbri­beled colts, the which think they may at their owne pleasure make their own matches, shal for the defence and maintenance of their dis­order, dealing in this behalfe replie and say, that this example taken from the fact of God, doth no more warrant this course, the which so much disliketh them, A trifling ca­ [...]ill. then it prooueth, that a father ought in like sort to take a wife for his sonne out of the rib of a man, and close vp the place againe with flesh, as God did in A­dam: I answere that this is a friuolous or tri­fling cauill. For, as the making of Heuah of the rib of Adam, was inimitable, or vnfolow­able, being a token of God his omnipotencie and almightie power: so the other, being such as both without danger we may follow, and also (as hath bene plentifullie before shewed) wee are commaunded to followe, and now remaineth to make plaine, that the godlie from time to time did follow, might [Page 55]verie well be a foretoken vnto vs, that God in the choise for our childrē would haue that we should do the like.

And this seemeth yet further hereby to be confirmed, God giueth Christ his son to be the hus­band of his Church. that when as our first parents through their disobedience and breach of God his commandement had worthelie de­ferued to bee turned headlong out of the earthlie paradise, and had further through this their trasgession, lost so farre as in them lay the in heritance of the kingdome of heauen, both for themselues and also for all their po­steritie, when as nowe there remained no o­ther way of recouering the same againe, but onelie by the meanes of a mariage to be made by faith betweene himselfe and his posteri­tie, and our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, the true and euer lasting sonne of God: who knoweth not that this match before all times was concluded in the eternall and most wise counsaile of God the father, who gaue his on­lie sonne Iesus Christ in time to bee borne of the virgin Marie, that he should not onlie be the spouse and husband of his Church, the members of his bodie, of his flesh, and of his bones, Ephes. 5 3 [...]. as the Apostle speaketh vnto the Ephe­sians, but also of his entire and tender loue vnto the same laid downe his life for it, that it being washed in his owne blood, wherwith it is all to be sprinkled by the hand of faith, it may bee presented as a pure virgin vnto his heauenlie father without spot or wrinkle. [Page 56]if therfore God the father made the choise of vs his church to be a wife for Iesus Christ his sonne, who with vnspeakable willingesse tooke the same at his hand, although sinne greatlie blemished and deformed, which ble­mishes and deformities he couered notwith­standing by faith in his blood: Howe much more then ought earthlie fathers seeke out meet wiues & husbands for their sonnes and daughters, whose duties it is to accept & like of thē after this sort prouided & chosē for thē

But if any shal thinke these examples to be far fetcht (albeit they be vsed of men of great note in this se fe same verie argument) I will now come vnto other presidents, Peter Martyr in his commē ­taries vpon the booke of Iudges. so manie as I can call to my remembrance, as I read them set downe in the booke of the scriptures.

Abraham being verie olde and stroken in yeares, intending to make choise of a wife for Isaac his sonne, Abraham by his steward prou [...]deth a wife for Isaac his sonne. who at this time was no child of himselfe, but fortie yeares of age, without imparting his counsaile vnto him, commit­teth this chardge vnto the Stewardes of his house, of whom he taketh an oth for his faith­full dealing in this businesse, whereas, had it either bene the custome of that time, or o­therwise law full for children in these cases to haue chosen for themselues at their owne will and pleasure, it had bene most meete and conuenient that his father should haue dealt with Isaac his sonne, & not with his seruant concerning.

The seruant, as it may appeare by his procee­dings, The Steward goeth vnto the father of Rebeccha. being wel acquainted with the practise of those daies, dealeth not at all with Rebec­cha in these affaires, but goeth directly vnto her father Bethuell, at whose handes he doth obtaine her for his masters sonne. Bethuel the father, Bethuel ma­keth the match for his daughter. at the Steward his propounding his sute in the name of his master, by and by (as one not doubtfull of the obedience of his daughter) concludeth and shutteth vp the match, yet like a kinde father not minding to force his childe thereunto against her will, calleth for her, & asketh what she sayth ther­unto, who like a most louing childe, doeth willingly consent vnto her his match, and taketh her iourney to goe with the seruant. I­saac, after that Rebecca is brought home vn­to him, Rebeccha standeth to the choise o her father. entreth not into the desperate vaine of the vnruly youths of our dayes, the which are caried away with the violent streame of their head-strong affections, & therfore they shame not to blunder out these or such like most vnreuerent and vnbefitting speaches: My father, shall my father prouide me my wyfe? is he to make my choise? I am to marie for my selfe, and not for my father, and ther­fore I wil be my owne chooser: Like she me, I seeke no further, dislike father or mother, or all the world besides, I weigh it not &c. you shall heare no such thing of Isaac. Nay he may worthely be a mirror or looking glasse for all sonnes to prie into, and to behold how farre [Page 58]they come short from his submisse and duti­full obedience in this behalfe, Isaac taketh Rebecca pro­uided for him, and lo­neth her. for the wo­man whom he neuer saw before, neither yet heard of so far as we reade, when he once vn­derstandeth that shee is appointed for him by the choise of his father, the next saith, hee receiued her, Gen. 24.67. and loued her, and was comfor­ted after the death of his mother.

Iaacob being hardly menaced and threate­ned by his brother Esau, Iaacob. Gen. 23.29. in so much that hee was coūsailed by his mother to flie away, for the safegarde of his life, is directed by his old and blinde father Isaac, to goe to the house of his brother Laban, and from thence to take vnto his self a wife, who obeying the voice of his father, wēt vnto his vncle Labā, & frō his hand receiueth his two wifes Leah & Rachel. Iudah one of the xii. Iudah besto­weth his sons in mariage. Gen. 38. Patriarchs, bestowed in mariage his two sons Er and Onan, and after their death putteth Tamar their widdowe in good hope, that if she wil tary vntil his thirde sonne Shelah, by reason of years should be fit in mariage to be ioind with her, that he should be a match and husbād for her, in which pro­mise, albeit his purpose were indede to mock her, in respect of his inward intent priuy onely vnto himselfe, yet Tamar in such sort taking him, as that she supposed his heart and tongue to iumpe together, teacheth vs, that she was so far perswaded of his fatherly authority to cō ­maund his son when he should growe to age conuenient, to be ruled by him, that without [Page 59]seeking any further assurance, shee remaineth widdow, making her full and sure reckoning, that in the end she should inioy him, because his father, in whose authority hee was, to bee disposed, would in truth perform his promis. Caleb dispo­seth of the mariage of his daughter Acsah. Caleb giueth his daughter Acsah, to be a wife vnto Othniel or Othoniel, who wāher by his valour and prowes, in taking by force of arms Kiriahtsepher, Ios. 15.16.17. hauing made a general procla­mation, that whosoeuer could effect that no­ble peece of seruice, should obtaine her for his portion, whereby may easely be gathered, in what subiection children then were vnto their parents, in as much as it being a thinge very vncertaine, who should doe this warlike feat, yet whatsoeuer he were, whō God should enable thereunto, hee made no doubt of his daughters taking him to be her husband. Am­non burning in vnordinate lust towardes Ta­mar the sister of his brother Absalon, Tamar doeth acknowledg it to bee the right of he [...] to determine of her mari [...] age. when as he went about to defile her, being craftely be­trayed into his handes, through the suttle counsaile of Ionadab his friend, requesting him to abstaine from offering vnto her that great reproche and villany, 2. Sam. 13. shee willeth him to aske her of her father in marriage. Dauid. The marriage it selfe I condemne as vnlawfull and incestuous, yet her request importeth thus much, that shee well knewe, that shee was not to determine of her owne mar­riage, but that the right thereof belonged to her father. Sampson, Iudg. 14. although he faulted [Page 60]in falling in loue with a woman of the Phili­stins, Iudge. 14 yet the Scriptures mention, that he de­sired his parents to procure her for him to be his wife. Where I would haue it of all youths to be well noted, after what sort he sped, with this his match of his owne making. But what shall I neede to make any longer stay in bringing foorth examples of the godlye to prooue this custome of fathers in prouidinge mariage for their children, when as we haue testimony of the practise of the same euen a­mong the wicked, and that out of the Scrip­tures also. Wicked pa­rentes haue prouided ma­riages for their children and they haue dutifully ad­mitted of their choise. For Hagar albeit that shee her selfe sometimes had beene a stubborne and disobedient seruant vnto her mistres Sarah, yet when Ishmael her sonne was once grown to man his estate, shee prouideth and taketh a wife for him out of the land of Fgypt. And we do not read the contrarie, Gen. 21. Gen 14 but that hee willingly doth take her at his mothers choo­sing, albeit that otherwise he were a fierce and cruell man, whose handes was against euery man, and euery mans hand against him. She­chem the sonne of Hamor a Lord of the Hi­uites, Shechem. Gen. 34. hauing defloured Dinah the daughter of Iaacob, desireth his father to get her of Iaa­cob to be his wife, which prooueth that hee both thought, that she was not to bee placed in mariage, but by the appointment and al­lowance of her father, and that also he would not marrie her but by consent and procure­ment of his father Hamor. And it is more then [Page 61]probable or likely, that this custome of the parents choosing, and the childrens standing to their choise, was continued from that age, vpward vnto the latter times of the Poets, and Comedy and Tragedy writers, in the ge­neration of the Heathen and vngodly, wher houshould discipline and gouernment, was not altogether shaken and decayed, in so much that the maid sayth in Euripides, when she was sued vnto for mariage: The maid in Euripides. My father will haue care of my mariage, it is not in my part to determine these matters. And agreably herunto reporteth Xenophon of king Cyrus, that being solicited and motioned vnto a great and honorable mariage, he answereth, K. Cyrus. that were her personage neuer so honorable and her dowrie to the purse neuer so profita­ble, he will not at any hand meddle in this matter, because that it was a thing beyonde his reach, and belonged altogether vnto the power and arbitrement of his parents. And this is a matter so common and wel knowen, that the very boyes in the Grammar schoole, are well acquainted therewithall out of the Comedies of Terence, and Plautus, who a­mong the rest make this case most plaine, that it was an ordinarie course in their times, that the fathers made the matches for their sons and daughters in the way of mariage.

Hereunto agreeth all antiquity, together with the better sort of writers in all kinde of faculties, Diuines, Schoole men, Ciuilians, [Page 62]Canonistes, The twelf rea­son from the consent of all ages, and the better sort of all kinde of writers. Decrees, Counsailes, yea and some of the Popes themselues, who haue gone so far in these matters, that they doe strike with the fiery thunderbolt of excom­munication, ipso fac̄to, or so soone as the dede is done (as they say) not onely all those chil­dren the which without the consent of theyr parentes, make these secret contractes and priuie matches, but also all such as any way with their countenance, counsaile, assistance, presence, or any other meanes shall helpe, fauour, further or procure the same, yea some other of them (as the learned well knowe) do hold such kind of bargaines for no mariages, but pronounce them adulteries, fornicatiōs, and whordomes. The Ciuilians stande so stoutelie, and lustelye, to mainteine the pa­rents authority & liberty in these cases, that this is set downe among thē for a ruled case, (as Peter martyr reporteth) that if a wo­man haue once married with an husbande by the consent of her parentes, and after­wardes they fall at such farre, that they bee diuorced, if shee bee by perswasion moued to bee reconciled vnto the same partie, and bee againe married vnto him, that this mar­riage being made without the consent and knowledge of her parentes, is altogether frustrate, and vnlawfull, nay if any children haue such parentes, as be taken with Phrensie or madnes, so that they cannot haue theyr consent in marriage, they will haue them [Page 63]in such a case, to obtayn the consent of their ouerseeres and gouernours: so sincerely and soundlie, and agreable vnto the worde of God, doe the ciuill constitutions deter­mine of the parentes right, in the placing and bestowing of their children in matrimonye and wedlocke. The plain and cleare iudge­ment of the best Diuines of our time, touching this matter.

And that it yet may be further apparent vn­to al men, that I am not singular in mine own conceite, or wedded vnto any priuatiudg­ment in this argument, I will adde a few testimonies of the latter Diuines of our age, the which tell a round tale in this busines, and goe not behinde the doore for the mat­ter at all, but deliuer theyr verdicts frank­lye and freely without all obscurity or dark­nes. And this I will the rather doe, that all parents and children, which are not vtter­ly voyd of al feeling, hauing of ignoraunce hitherto forflowed their duties on both sides in this respect, may hēceforth, being compas­sed about with such a cloude of irrefregable or vngainsaiable witnesses, which are aboue all exception against, bee touched with a due & christian sorowfulnes of conscience, the be­ginning of healthful repentance, so that they may think ernestly vpon the amendmēt of this gret fault, the one carefully prouiding christiā matches for their children in due time, & the other in al dutiful humility, framing thē selues to accept of their choise, least that being pres­sed with such a heauy weight of so many [Page 64]graue authorities from the lawe of nature God, and nations, there bee left no coloure of excuse vnto them in that most terrible and feareful day of reckoning, when the thoughts of our hartes shall either accuse vs, or ex­cuse vs, Rom. 2.15.16 when as the Lotde him selfe shall iudge of the secretes of men, according vnto the Gospell by lesus Christ, so that it will be then in vaine for any to make the plea of ig­norance, when as besides the testimonye of his owne conscience, he shall be conuinced by such a multitude of most forcible & migh­ty euidence, which at the barre will stand and plead against him. But to the witnesses of the new writers. Caluyn 1.

Caluin vpon the 3 verse of the 24. cha­piter of Genesis, among other thinges hath these wordes: Now this ensample ought to stand vs in stead of a generall rule, that chil­drē may not contract themselues in mariage, but by the arbitrement and appointment of their parentes. And truely this doth the e­quity of nature teach vs, that children in a matter of such waight ought to rest vpon the will and pleasure of their parentes: by howe much the barbarousnesse of the Pope is the more to bee detested, which hath dared to breake in sunder this holie band, wherefore the wanton malepertnesse and saucinesse of youth is to bee restrained, that they rashly post not vnto mariage without the counsaile of their fathers,

And againe in another place speaking of Hagars prouiding a wife for her sonne Ish­maell: Whereas Hagar is said (saith Caluin) to haue taken a wife for her sonne, Gen. 21. verse. 27. this apper­taineth vnto politike or ciuill gouernment. For when as mariage is an especiall part of the life of man, it is meete that in making of the same, children should be ruled by their parentes, and followe their aduise in this be­halfe. This order, the which nature prescri­beth and teacheth, we see to haue bene kept of Ishmaell a wild man in the barbarousnesse of the wildernesse, that in the marieng of a wife he was obediēt vnto his mother. Wher­of we doe perceiue how cruell a monster the Pope hath bene, in that he hath aduen tured to breake this holy lawe of nature. Further­more his shamelesnesse was added hereunto, in that he hath vaunted that he giueth a pri­uiledge vnto the vngodlie contempt of pa­rentes, for the honour of holie wedlocke.

Musculus vpon the same place writeth thus: Behold the honestie of those times. In our daies there is no need for parents to pro­uide their sonnes of wiues, Musculus a­gainst stolen mariages. when as youthes is suffered by a most bad custome, to take vn­to themselues wiues without the priuitie of their parentes, and such mariages are confir­med in the Popes consistories, as they tearme them. And a litle afterward: They that marie without the knowledge of their fathers and mothers, doe sinne [Page 66]

• 1 Against the first ordinance of mariage.
  Let al youths diligently marke these thinges.
  Loke before Cap. 2. Gen. vpon these wordes, And hee brought her vnto Adam.
• 2 Against the commandement of God: Ho­nor thy father and thy mother.
• 3 Against the law of nature, which is this: Do not vnto another that thing, the which thou wouldest not haue to be done vnto thy selfe.
• 4 Against publike honesty, & good manners.
• 5 Against the ciu [...]ll laws, the which do con­demne priuy and stolen mariages.
• 6 Against the holynes of wedlocke, the be­ginnings wherof are by this meanes defiled.
• 7 Against the examples of our elders. Here in this Chapiter. Afterwards chap. 28. And al­beit Iacob loued Rachel, yet did hee not priuilye steal her away, but serued for her at the pleasure of her father, vntill that he might receue her at his handes being lawfully deliuered.
• 8 Against youth it self, the which through this rashnes doth very gre [...]ly hinder & hurt it self That priuy & stolen mariages are void and o [...] none effect, if the father giue not his consent.

EXod 22. Although a maiden be intised yet shall she not be maried vnto him that en­tised her, if her father be vnwilling thereunto.

And Sichem the Prince of Salem, did not thinke that he should obteine the mariage of Dinah in spite of the teeth, or against the will of her parents, heareafter. Cap. 74.

And because that Musculus doth refer the Reader, vnto that which he hath further writ­ten vpon these words of Genesis, concerning [Page 67]this matter. And he brought her vnto him. &c. Because that this booke is in latine as the rest of his workes, for the most part are, and for that euery one vnderstādeth not this tongue, it shall not grieue me in this consideration for the better satisfiyng of the godly Reader to turne that place vnto Englishe, where he wri­teth after this manner.

Here is to be noted, that God not only crea­ted the woman, That God himself bring­eth the womā vnto the man, betrotheth her, & ioineth her in mari­age vnto him. but also brought her vnto A­dā to espouse and betroth her vnto him, and deliuered her & ioyned her vnto him for his wife. She was made not onely of the flesh and bones of Adā but also concerning kind, like vnto him in al thingss, as well as one beast is like vnto another beast of his kinde. Adam mought haue foūd her out without any great pain, & whē he had found her, because of her conformity or likenes vnto him, though diffe­ring indeede in sexe, yet acknowledge her a­greable vnto him in all other points, ioyn her vnto him, & vse her for the increasing of man­kinde, like as wee see this to haue bene done by the beasts, vnto none of the which we doe read, that this femal was brought seueraly. But god would not that either Adā, or the womā should do any of these things, vpon their own heads. Wherefore he himselfe ioyned them together, & brought the woman vnto Adam, deliuered and betrothed her being formed, & made for lawful companie sake. We are ad­monished by this consideration, what lawe­full [Page 68]mariage doth require, namelie that the male and female or man and woman doe not ioine themselues together vpon their ownt rashnesse & lust, but that they must be lawful­lie ioined together according vnto the ordi­nance of God by the aduise and will of their parentes and elders, whose partes in the ioining together of Adam & Euah God too [...] vpon himselfe. Such as are in this sort ioined are ioined by God himselfe, whose part and office the parentes and elders do rightlie and lawfullie supplie, God supplied the part of al­ders and pa­rents, when as he ioined [...]u [...]h [...]nto Adam. after the first ordinance [...] mariage vnder whose power and authorit [...] those that be ioined are. And in such mariage that saying of Christ hath place. Whom God hath ioyned together, let no man put a sunder. Those that are ioyned together by bad practi­ses, by the wicked prouocation of lust, in re­spect of wealth, & so foorth, without the or­dinance of God cannot glorie of lawfull ioi­ning together. It is further required, that we be not ioined after the maner of beastes, as she by and by bee mine, which hauing the shape of a woman pleaseth my lust, but th [...] I take her to wife, the which is brought vnto me and deliuered by the Lord, & that I may say of her: The woman which thou gauest me ô God, as in Chapiter following we reade to haue bene done by Adam. Therefore against this order are fornicators, whore maisters, keepers of Concubines, Which no wise stealer can doe. and as many as can­not with a good conscience glorie, that they [Page 69]haue their wiues lawfullie gotten.

Peter Martyr in his commentarie vpon Genesis, Peter Marter vpon Genesis Cap. 24. ver. 58. speaking of the betrothing and ma­king sure of Rebeccah vnto Isaac, writeth thus of the solemnities of that mariage: The ornamentes of this mariage were prayers, thanksgiuing, hospitalitie, the consent of the maiden. For she is not constrained, as it is of­ten done by vngodlie parentes, who some­times violentlie force husbandes vpon their daughters, or that which is worse, doe thrust them into Monasteries or Abbeies. Nay a­boue all thinges the consent of the parentes doth here step in betweene, whose office it is to bestow their sonnes or daughters in mari­age, neither is it their parts rashlie to choose vnto themselues wiues &c. For I cite him the more sparinglie, because he hath written a learned common place of this argument, the which, although it be in english, yet be­cause (so far as I know) it is not to be had se­uerallie, but among the rest of his common places, being a booke of too great a price for the poorer sort, I haue bene the rather indu­ced and mooued to labour also in this questi­on, and that (as I trust) not without some pro­fite vnto the godlie disposed, the which shall vouchsafe to read the same.

Marlorat after he had said somewhat con­cerning the choise of a wife, Marlorat. the which Hagar made for her sonne, at the last inferreth thus: Wherefore this youth (speaking of Ishmaell) [Page 70]being a man growen marrieth a wife, but not but by the counsaile & authoritie of his mo­ther, and within a litle space after: What then ought the children of the faithfull to perform vnto their parents? Doth it not beseme and become them in making of mariage, to be led by the power and authority of their parents, that they giue not ouer themselues vnto their owne lustes.

5 Ferus a po­pish fryar. To like purpose hath Ferus a Popish friar, noted vpon Abraham his pronouncing of a wife for Isaac by his Steward. These be his wordes: Note and marke, that Isaac seeketh not a wife, but Abraham prouideth him of a wife. For this is the duty of parents, and be­longeth not properly vnto the sonnes, whose part it is to obay.

6 Borrhaus. Borrhaus vpon the 22. of Exodus ver. 17 If the father of the maiden refuseto giue her. A place for the power of parentes ouer their children in making of mariages, that theyr mariages do consist in the arbitremēt of their parentes. Which thing Orestes in Euripides alloweth saiyng: And I will praise mariage, when as my father shal giue vnto me awife.

7 Bullinger. 1. Cor. 7 36. Bullinger expounding these wordes of S. Paul in his Epistle vnto the Corinthians: But if he thinke it vnseemely for his virgin &c. wri­teth on this sort: Hee declareth by exam­ples that, which hee hath saide already, that there should be no darknes in his words. And we may expound that word Virgin as wel for [Page 71]the person, as for the thing it selfe, namely virginity. The meaning is this, if a man haue a virgin marriable, and nowe ready for a hus­band (for this I vnderstand by that which hee sayeth, if shee passe the time of mariage, the which Ambrose translateth, if she be past ripe­nes of age) and hath a desire to mary (that is it which he saith, and so it ought to be) so that her father is to feare, least that secretly she go about, or enterprise some thing that is not comely, vnles shee be prouided for by mari­age, now the father sinneth not, if hee bestow her forth vpon an husband, &c. And after­wards: we learne by this discourse that it is the dutie of parents, to giue their daughters in mariage. For among them of old times, the contract of matrimony was not of any force, Mariage con­tractes void, without the cōs. nt of pa­rentes. without the authority of the parents. Where­unto that in the law of God semeth to apper­tayn, the which is commaunded vnto the Iewes, that they should not giue their daugh­ters or theyr sonnes vnto the Heathen in ma­riage: the which should haue bin in vaine, if the children had bene at theyr owne liberty, and did not rather depend vpon the authority of their parents: yet this also must be added, that it is the part of parents in time conuenient to take order and prouide for their children, and that they compell them not either to virginity or single life, or vnto mariage.

Gualter is iust of the same iudgement vpon the very same place, whose words are: 8 C [...]aiter. But [Page 72]here with all, sonnes and daughters must mark that by this place the power of parentes ouer their childrē is established, the which as it is great in other maters, so here in especial hath it soueraigne authoritie, wheras the question is concerning mariage. For if they must pro­uide for their children, in like maner it is their part to obey them, least that by their lust and head-strong boldnesse they doe preuent the aduise and pleasure of their parentes For al­waies ought the lawe of God to beare sway with them, in the which they are commanded to haue their parentes in price and honour. Num. 30. And how great their authority is ouer their sonnes and daughters it is manifest euen by this, that their parentes may disanull and breake the vowes which their children haue made without their knowledge and priui­tie. When as therefore GOD himselfe vouchsafeth to yeelde of his owne right, (that I may so speake) and will not haue that ratified and stand, the which is promised vnto himselfe, if the parentes determine o­therwise, they doubtlesse are to be thought to bee too rash and wicked, who will not submit their youthfull desires vnto the or­dering and disposing of their parentes. Nei­ther may this goe for currant, that any should pretend age for his excuse. For there is no age the which ought to breake the au­thoritie of parentes established by the lawes of nature. And Paule in this place speaketh of [Page 73]virgins, the which haue now alreadie passed the flower of their age, and mariage yeares, and neuerthelesse subiecteth them also vnto the gouernment of their parents, when as he teacheth, not what they ought to doe, but what their parents ought to dispose of them. The ciuill lawes. This in times past did the makers of the ciuil lawes deserue, the which wold haue those ma riages to be void, the which are made with­out the aduise and consent of parents, vnlesse some waightie case doe will them to be rati­fied and stand in force.

Agreeable vnto this also doeth Hemingi­us set downe his iudgement vpon this place but in fewer wordes thus: Hemingius. Now he turneth his speach vnto parentes hauing daughters of growen yeares, vnto whom he giueth autho­ritie to bestowe their daughters in mariage if they will. But that which he putteth in be­tweene (and so it ought to be) is a restraint, and it is to be vnderstood thus; If the maiden be without the gift of chastitie it ought so to be: namelie that she be giuen to be maried, to auoid fornication. On the other side if a vir­gine haue the gift of chastitie, it is left free vn­to the parentes to marie them, and not to marie them. From hence let parents learne, that it is not lawfull for them, to lay vpon their children a perpetual law of chastitie, vn­lesse they be first sure that they haue the gift of chastitie, the which verie seldome falleth out, vnles by some griefe or defect and want [Page 74]in nature. Beza de repu­diis & diuor­ [...]lis.

Beza in this case is so sure on our side, that he holdeth not onely the stolen contracts to be void and vnlawfull, but also the mariage it selfe that followeth after the same to be of no force and vnlawfull But it is best to heare him tell his owne tale himselfe. But what (saith hee) if mariage in deede haue followed after such cōrracts? Doubtles if the cause be consi­dered why such contracts are vtterly void (be cause he namlie cānot consent to the bestow­ing of himselfe, the which is not in his owne power) it wil follow that the mariage it selfe ought much lesse to bee of force, as verely wherin there is required a more expresse and sure consent.

And Aretius in his common place of ma­riage among other things that make the same vnlawfull rekoneth vp the contracting of the same without the consent of parentes. Aretius His wordes be these: That mariage is vnlawful, the which is against the commandement and lawe of God. And this faulteth either in the degrees forbidden: or else because it is made vp with priuie and stolen contractes a­gainst the will of the parentes: or els when as manie wiues are admitted or taken at one time.

But we will conclude & shut vp this point with the testimonie of M. Luther, Luther. the thun­derbolt of Germanie, whome wee haue re­serued vnto this last place. not for that hee [Page 75]is the least among my witnesses, who wor­thilie ought to be accompted off euen with the verie foremost for his most profitable seruice done vnto the Church of GOD, but because hee doeth verie euidentlie and clearelie with great courage and boldnesse of heart set downe his iudgement in this cause writing vpon the 24. Chapiter of the booke of Genesis: Therefore (saith hee) doe I handle this place, albeit odious or hate­full: Because Isaac doeth not marie a wife, where hee pleaseth, but is forbidden of his father to marie one of the land of Canaan, The mischiefs the which do growe or [...]ri­uy contracts. and his father himselfe doeth carefullie pro­uide his sonne of a wife, and his sonne with all willingnesse doeth obey his father. For dailie experience doeth teach, that those priuie and stolen contractes are the cause of great mischiefes, daylie braules, strifes, per­iuries, and murthers, and also the most shamefull plague and garboile of the Church and cōmon wealth. So the popish Canonists do nothing els but seek to teare in sunder the Church and trouble the world because of their doltish & vnlearned Cannons. And shall wee suffer them to bring in so many mischiefes in­to our Churches? Let the Deuill winke at this, and no other man: nay rather I my selfe will excommunicate all those doctors, then that we will to lerate and beare in our Chur­ches their wicked and vngodlie sentences & iudgement.

And some prety space after, he hath these wordes: The doctrine therefore of this place is, that parentes ought to prouide their sons and daughters of honest mariage: When parēts do abuse their authorltie. Although this be not to be let passe, that it often times falleth out in mans life, that the parentes do sometimes abuse their power and authoritie, and will compel their children to marie with those, whom they loue not, the which com­meth often to passe in the great families of noble men. They are to be found fault with­all, because they carie no sparke of a fatherlie mind & affection, but are blockes & stockes, they haue not that same natural loue towards their children. In such a case let the Pastor of the Church, or the ciuil magistrate set in their authoritie Because that this is not a father­lie power, but a tyrannie. Wee therefore do so diligentlie vrge the authoritie of pa­rents, first because of the commandement & ordināce of God, the examples of the scrip­tures, and the ciuill lawes. Secondlie because of that no table wickednes being vnto al god­lie and honest parentes verie grieuous, the which hath raunged in the world in all ages: namelie that when as they haue brought vp their children godly and honestlie, that they might be heires of their fathers goodes, after wardes there haue bene some found they not knowing of it and against their willes, The common [...]actise a­nongSt vs at his daie. the which by disceit and subtilty haue ouer-recht and compassed the maidens and honest yong [Page 77]men, that they shoulde by stealth marie with those, the which were both of small honestie and also vnfit for them, and vnto their parents most vnwelcome.

The Pope hath set open a window and a broad gate vnto these horrible offences, The Pope gl­ueth leaue to steale away children from their parents. and hath made a way for baudes, that they might steale away mens sonnes and daughters for me, for thee, for euerie one of vs. Shall wee thinke these thinges to bee suffered, or defen­ded? But they say that men must looke dili­gentlie vnto the keeping of their children, & haue an especiall care of them: But how can this be inso great wickednes and vntoward­nes of men? Howe easilie are the plaine and simple meaning mindes corrupted, and be­guiled?

Let parents therfore remember that pow­er and authoritie is giuen them from God to bestow their children in mariage: Contractes uoid without the consent of parents. and that contractes made without their consent are not good, neither by the lawe of God nor man.

Furthermore let children knowe that they are to aske their aduise and to knowe their pleasure. Let not a yoong man, A graue co [...] sell vnto al [...] honest your [...] whose age is fit for mariage, be afraid to opē his mind vnto his parents: that he is in loue with an honest maiden, and desire, that they will geue her him to wife. For albeit this seeme to be a to­ken of lust scarce comelie, yet let them know that God his mercy doth couer the same in [Page 78]mariage, & hath giuen a remedie for this dis­ease. Let them therfore humble thēselues be­fore their parentes, and plainelie and free­lie say vnto them: my deare father, my good mother, giue me such a yoong man, or such a maiden, whome I loue. And if she be wor­thy to be matched with thee, or worthie of thine affinitie, or thy parentes, thine honest parentes will not denie thee, albeit the dow­rie or wealth bee not answerable. Such mariages cannot choose but bee happie and prosperous, God doth co uer & beauti­fy lust with nest mari­age. and God of his infinite good­nesse dooth blesse, pardon, and couer the heat of lust as it were with the couer of mariage. Yea, more ouer the holie scrip­ture dooth allowe, and alleadge for exam­ple the loue and speach of the bridegroome and bride. Thus God pardonneth the fil­thinesse, and miserable lust, wherein wee are borne, and that which more is, dooth beautifie and honest the same with lawfull mariage. But let yoong men take heede and beware of this vsuall stubbornnesse and contempt of parentes, wherewithall some run starke mad, & of a blind [...]age do contract vnhonest mariages, vnfitting both themselues & also their elders & parēts. For in this place the holy scripture setteth forth a cōtrarie ex­ample, and far more honest, to be followed, when as Isaac marieth Rebeccah, according vnto the minde, will and counsail, of his fa­ther.

These thinges thus considered, and this matter so generallie agreed vpon, and confir­med also by the approbation and consent of so manie graue, godlie, and learned witnesses, if hen ceforward the parēts shal either of neg­ligence or sluggishnesse leaue of their dutie in prouiding of honest matches for their chil­dren, or their sonnes and daughters con­temptuouslie and stubbornlie refuse to stand vnto their godlie and christian choise, igno­rance will no longer serue to excuse the fault on either side, but that it must needes fol­low, that the seruant that knoweth his mai­sters wil, and dooth it not, A necessatie aduise vnto parents. the same shall bee beaten with many stripes. Let fathers therfore on whom the charge by God his commande­mēt lieth to take wiues for their sons, and to prouide husbandes for their daughters, take diligēt heed herunto, that they abuse not this their power and authoritie ouer their children, but as in other cases, they are willed by the Apostle that they deal not in such sort to­wardes them, that they hereby bee dismaied and discouraged, so especiallie in this mat­ter of greatest moment and valour of all o­ther worldelie thinges whatsoeuer, let them absteine from all rigour and roughnesse, Colos. 3.22. and beware that they turne not their fatherlie iurisdiction and gouernment into a tyranm­call sowernesse and way wardnesse, letting their will goe for a lawe and their pleasure for a reason, according vnto that olde, [Page 80]but both Tiger and Tirant lyke saying: Looke what I commaund, that will I haue, my wil standeth for a reason. For the rule of the pa­rentes ouer theyr children, ought to resem­ble the gouernment of good princes towards their subiects, that is to say, it must be milde, gentle, and easie to be borne, for as they, so like wise parents so far as concerneth them and lieth in theyr abilitie to performe, they must carrie such an euen and vpright hand in their gouernement, T [...]lie in the second book of office. that they may by loue seeke to win the hartes of those ouer whome they are set, to bee firme and sure to wardes them, and not to keepe them vnder awe and subiection by feare. For, whom men feare, they hate, and him whom they hate, his death they wishe. I speake of seruile or slauishe fear, not of that child-like and reuerent feare, the which both the subiects owe vnto their Prin­ces, and the children vnto their parents, and the which both the one and the other easilie obtaine at the handes of such as are vnder their gouernment, by their equal, vpright and moderate behauiour towardes them.

It doth therefore stand parentes greatly in hand, Parēts ought to deale sin­cerely in the choife for their children that in making choise for their children they be free from all sinister and corrupt affe­ction, and that for lucre & couetousnes they seeke not to thrust such matches vpon their children, as they cannot brooke, nor like well off: for now adaies in the choise that a great manie parentes make of husbandes for their [Page 81]daughters, and wiues for their sonnes, Et ge­nus & forma [...] Regina pecunia donat: that is, if they bee ritch inough, they be both faire, wel fauoured, yea and also godlie and vertuous inough: they being farre swarued from the mind & iudgement of that father, who once said concerning the mariage of his daughter, that he had rather haue a man without mo­ney, then money without a man: signifieng hereby that he rather respected the good qua­lities and vertues of his minde, then the great wealth and ritches of his cofers. Fathers ther­fore as they are by good right to choose, so ought they not in truth to constraine & com­pel For of al other matters, the consent of the children in mariage ought to be most free, so that in these cases, after all honest and lawful perswasions vsed, looke in what partie the fault may be worthelie thought to rest, there the godly magistrate ought to put in his foot, The godlie magistrate. who in some respectes is not onelie in the scriptures comprehended vnder the name of a father, but also by his soueraigne aūthoritie wherewithall hee is armed from God him­selfe, is to rule both the father and all his children, and all other, that doe belong vn­to him. I am not able, neither is it my pur­pose to reckon all the colourable pretenses that fathers which are worldlie minded can alleadge to enforce vpon their children what yokefellowes soeuer they haue procured and prouided for them, so that they bee rich [Page 82]inough: neither yet is it possible for mee to set down all the shiftes, that children haue to shake off the yoke of due obedience in their fathers honest and lawfull choises. This therefore in all humilitie, euen in the bow­els of lesus Christ I request at the handes of them both, that they seeke not how to bee wise and wittie (or rather in deed) wilie how to deuise windlesses and starting holes to shrowde and hide themselues in, when they should perfourme their duties on either part in this behalfe.

The children can say for themselues, w [...] are olde enough, The plea of some childrē for the m [...] king of their own matches. and therefore able enough to make our own choise: we see it to be dayly practised by others, yea and peraduenture w [...] doe know (as hauing hard our parents some­times in their merrimentes to bragge of the same) our fathers haue matched without the consent of their parentes, and haue all this notwithstanding done well ynough, and li­ued verie well: why therefore shoulde not wee also doo the like? The question here is not, The reply. what children in regarde either [...] age or wit are able for to doo but what God hath thought meet & exped ēt, nay, straight­lie charged and commanded that they should doe. For there are many children found som­times far to exceede their fathers in wit and in wisedome, yea and in al other gises both of mind & body, yet is this no good reason that they should take vpon them their fathers an­thoritie. [Page 83]The wife may not therfore be a mai­ster, because she hath more knowledge some­times then her husbād, but she must obey, & the husbande is to rule, because that God hath willed that it should bee so. And albeit that matches made without the consent of parentes haue often good successe, accro­ding vnto the things which fal out outward­lie in this life, yet that is not to bee imputed vnto this disordered and vnnaturall course, but vnto God his mercie that alwaies dooth better for vs, then wee haue deserued. And whereas it is said, that our parents haue mat­ched without the choise & cōsent of their pa­rēts, therfore we also wil choose for ourselues according vnto our owne liking, besides that the breach of dutie in the father doth not ex­cuse the like disobedience in his sonne: A bad sonne, that wil haue his father go with him vnto the deuil for companie. what art thou that thinkest it not inough that thou goe vnto the Deuill thy selfe vnlesse thou haue thy father to go with thee also for com­panie? For as thy sin of disobedience, if God graunt thee not repentance of the same, shall in his iustice presse thee down euen vnto hel. So likewise shall thy fathers marieng without the allowance of his parents, be sufficient to condemne him, if together with the rest of his sinnes it bee not couered in the merites of Iesus Christ our Sauiour. And the example of Iudah may fitlie serue to instruct thee in this point, that though thy father haue maried without the choise of his friendes, [Page 82] [...] [Page 83] [...] [Page 84]yet thou art not in like maner to marie with­out the cōsent of them, Gen. 38. for albeit Iudah tooke vnto himselfe a Cananitish woman without the priuitie and liking of his father Iaacob, yet did hee prouide a wife for his owne chil­dren Er, and Onan, whereby wee gather that the fault, the which hee committed in himselfe, hee did not like nor allow of in his sonnes.

Setting a side therefore all cunning glo­ses and colourable deuises hammered in the Deuill his forge, A profitable counsaile for all good na­tured childrē. whereby hee teacheth his schollers to be subtile in inuenting reasons to maintaine their stubborne disobedience in not being ruled by the graue aduise & god­lie counsaile of their parentes as touching their mariage matches, let all dutifull and good natured children in the reuerence and feare of God consider what honour and obedience they doe owe vnto their parents and what power and authoritie he hath in his worde sanctified vnto thē ouer their children in the Lord, in regard hereof let them yeeld, vnto them this dutie, that their fathers ha­uing prouided for them such as are not of a wicked life, nor deformed or euill fauou­red, nor of a contrarie religion, they wil­linglie submit themselues vnto their choise, which if for the present, or vpon the suddain they cānot yeeld vnto, let them by earnest cal ling vpon the name of God desire him to sub­due in them this corrupt affection & that he [Page 85]will frame their wil to bee plyable vnto their fathers in such lawful cases: lawful I may well call them, because that the ciuil constitutions and ordinances do ratifie and allow of them: the two former especiallie, setting downe that children are to giue the consent vnto the fathers choise, where the partie chosen is not of infamous life, 2 Cor. 6.14. nor in shape or fauour so blemished, as it may worthelie bee supposed that the same may be an occasion of the with­drawiug of loue As for the third caution, or prouiso of not grāting vnto the fathers choise in the cause of contrarie religion, it is confir­med flatlie by the counsell of the Apostle, where he willeth that we should not draw the yoke with infidels, which if it hold in other cases of the affaires of this life, much more ought it to bee of force in mariage matters, mariage (I meane) hereafter to bee made and not such as are alreadie made, for where the knot is once already knit, there disparitie, or vnequalnes in religion is no iust cause of seperation.

Yea & in this most graue & waighty cause, In prouiding of watches for their chil­dren, par [...]ntes ought to be­gin with prai­er. I would be author vnto all christian parentes that they take not the same lightly in hand as if it were but a toy, or a iest, but that they begin it with praier that in the whole actiō they may in such sort be directed, that they do nothing against the word of God, or vnbeseeming the same authority, the which God himself in this cause hath imposed or laid vpon them. And [Page 86]thus doing, God no doubt will ad a blessing vnto their godlie indeuour and holie care, & worke obedience in the heartes of their chil­dren, as hee framed the heart of Isaac with entire affection to imbrace Rebeccah, whom his father Abraham had by his Steward pro­uided for him. And least that any should ima­gine that this counsell is a pecuish fancie of a too much spiced and nice conscience, the pa­rents ought to bee induced and perswaded hereunto, Gen. 24.7. Aben Ezra holdeth this to haue bene a praier. first by the example of Abraham, who committing the charge of prouiding a wife for his sonne vnto his seruant, praieth that God will send his Angell before him to direct him in this businesse.

Secondlie the course which Abraham his seruant taketh in the effecting of this charge dooth teach no lesse, Gen. 24.12. of whom we reade, that he entred into this businesse with praier: Gen. 24.26. that he geueth thankes vnto God, when hee mee­teth with Rebeccah: Gen. 24.5 [...]. that hee praiseth God when at the deliuerie of his message, the pa­rentes without gaine-saieng graunted their consent.

And whilest I giue this counsell vnto the parentes, Children ma­riage-able are to pray vnto God to direct their parentes in a godly choise, and to incline their mindes to ac­cept of the same. I woulde not haue the children thinke that I discharge them of this dutie, of whom the same is by so much the more to be put in practise, by how much they are more subiect to bee caried away with the swift current of their stay-lesse affections, from whome wee heare too often these and such [Page 87]like more then prophane and heathenish speaches': I will marie to please mine owne eie, and not to satisfie the mind of my father: I will neuer match with him that woeth my pa­rents before he woeth me: Shal I go to the father before I am sure of the daughter. &c. Where­as in verie deede they are not at all once so much as to make the least motion of mariage vnto the daughter, vnlesse before they, haue obtained the good will and liking of the fa­ther. For in these cases let the daughters, if they shall be thereunto sollicited and woed, learne of the example of the maiden out of the Poet, and of Cyrus out of Xenophon ci­ted before, to say vnto their suters: My Fa­ther and my mother haue to determine and dispose of my mariage, this is a matter not be­longing nor appertaining vnto me. The hea­then haue borne themselues in this dutifull sort towardes their parentes, and shall I that professe my selfe a christian come so far short of thē in this dutie, as to cōtract my self with­out the consent & knowledge of my elders? Nay let thē say with Tamar, as it is in the sto­ry of the kings: Speake I pray thee vnto my fa­ther, for he will not deny me vnto thee. &c. 2 Sam. 13 verse. 13

And here, when as I enter into the conside­ration of the contrarie bad course & practise of the world, in intising of mens sonnes and daughters vnto mariage without, Against inti­sing of childrē vnto mariage without the consent of pa­rents. nay against the consent and will of their parents, it ma­keth me astonished and amazed, to heare that [Page 88]a great manie, and the same otherwise verie ciuill and honest, are to be found almost in all places, the which not onelie doe not dislike of this shamefull disorder, but holde it as it were but a sport and a play, yea that which more is, goe about to countenāce and defend this notorious kind of shamelesse theeuerie, (for so I will not feare to call it) the which al­so doth farre better deserue to bee punished with death, then a great manie crimes that are punished with the same. Yea thou thy selfe which likest hereof wel enough & too well, if a theefe take but xx. shillings siō thee by the highway side, thou wilt hang him, if thou can: & art thou so bad an esteemer of thinges, that thou doest value the stealing away of a mans childe at a lesse rate, then the taking away of his mony? Wilt thou condemn him that stea­leth away thy beast, and iustify him that rob­beth thee of thy daughter? Deut. 24 7. The law of God appointeth death vnto such as steale mens chil­drē & sel thē into slauery of the bodie, & what thē thinkest thou is their offence which steale mens daughters against the cōsent of their pa­rents, to liue all their life time in whordome & adulterie, which is a spirituall slauerie and bondage of the soule, by which without re­pentance it perisheth euerlastingly, whereas the bodily bondage nothing preiudicateth or hindereth the libertie of the soule, but that it notwithstanding may bee a free man vnto Christ? If theft by the consent, and iudgement [Page 89]of all the learned be truly defined, and said, to be the taking away and withholding of ano­ther man his goodes, against the will of the owner of the same: and children, as hath bin before proued, be by good right to be reko­ned especially among the substance of theyr parentes: how then, is it not theft to steale a­way mens childrē by intising them vnto ma­riage? And this argueth a great prophane­nes of our time, and a wonderfull growth, and increase of sinne vnto his highest toppe, that whereas all other theeues for the moste part either steale in the night, or else disgui­sed and vizarded in the day time, keeping themselues secret and hidden least being ta­ken, they stretch a rope for their labour: the stealers of our daughters sometimes will not sticke to tell vs to our faces, that if they can­not obtaine them with our good will, Shameles boldnes. they will if they can by any means, one day enioy them in despite of our teeth. And when they haue once atchieued their deuilishe purpose, and offered villany vnto our children, in de­filing of their bodies, they do not as other theeues, keepe themselues aloofe and creepe into corners, but offer themselues willingly inough to be knowne, making within them­selues this reckoning, and sometimes openly vaunting hereof among their friendes, that hauing thus dishonested our children, we shal in the end be glad to make sute vnto them to keepe them, for feare least like vnto graceles [Page 90]Amnon, they should turne them thus abused, home againe vnto vs. 2 Sam. 13.15. This is the daily pra­ctise, and yet who almost is sory for the same? But if there bee no man nor woman to bee found, hauing any sparke of conscience left vnquenched, but confesseth, that hee would not haue his own sonne and daughter intised after this manner, let vs not then any longer goe about to vpholde, that done vnto others, the which we would dissalow and greatly mis­like being done vnto our selues, and in our owne cases For this rule shall otherwise, re­maine still in force inough against vs: Doe not vnto another, that which thou wouldest be loth should be done vnto thy selfe.

An obiection of maid-stea­lers. But it may be aunswered hereunto, not by the Sheepe-stealers, but by the maide stea­lers, that they haue the consent and goodwill of the maiden, and that peraduenture so far forth, that she hath in most earnest maner, yea euen with teares, and for all the loue sake that euer was betweene them, made request and sute vnto them to carie and conueigh her away, and by some secret meanes to bee married vnto them &c. Answer. This is indeede a verye plausible couloure, and such as carrieth a greate shewe of reason among many, but is in trueth the very worst plea that they could possibly haue made for them­selues of all others. For doe they not see, how by this meanes they doe not alone quite cast and cleane ouerthrowe themselues, but [Page 91]also accuse and condemne the party, whom they haue after this sort seduced and intised? For besides theyr owne fault in going about this matter without the consent of their pa­rentes, (the which as hath bene shewed suffi­ciently already, they ought like good children to haue taried for) they haue caused the mai­den also, to cast off and breake in sunder the coardes of due obedience vnto her father or mother, which greate contempt, the Lorde wil not suffer vnreuenged. And because that such maner of cōtracts are altogether by God his word vnlawful, therfore in carnaly know­ing the one the other (the which for the moste parte is the best end of these bad compactes) they haue committed fornication, heaping as it were drunkenesse vnto thirste, that is to say, committing one sinne in the necke of another, the which may not hereby be excused, for that they haue plighted and vo­wed their fayth and troth the one vnto the other, and therefore they cannot in consci­ence forsake one another. That the vo [...] & promise th [...] which childr [...] make to ma [...] the one vnt [...] the other, without the consent of t [...] parents is n [...] matter of c [...] science, and may lawful [...] be broken. For it must first be considered, whether theyr vow and promise bee lawfull or no, before they enter into a setled determination, to performe and keepe the same. For where the vowe is vn­lawfull, there can be no breach of conscience in obseruing and fulfilling the same. And as in all other cases, and actions of ours, the worde of GOD mus [...]e bee our war­rant, to trye the lawfulnes, or vnlawfulnes, [Page 92]of the same, so also in this most chiefly, when wee vowe or promise by giuing our sayth, to doe any thing in his name. For nothing can please God, the which is not agreeable vnto his will, and we haue no other certifi­cate left vs to assure vs of his will, but onely his worde. Wherefore whatsoeuer cannot be warranted by the same, is not agreable vnto his wil, and so consequently can by no means please him. Let vs then see a little, whether this vowing and giuing of fayth and troth in mariage, without the parents agreeing ther­vnto, be to be holden lawfull, yea, or no, the which shall easely appeare vnto vs thus: what soeuer cannot bee performed, without the breache of God his commaundement, that same is vtterlye vnlawfull to be done, but to vow faith and troth in mariage, without the consent of parents, can not bee performed without the breach of God his commaunde­ment, therefore for children to giue their fayth and troth in mariage, without the con­sent of theyr parentes, is vtterly vnlawfull. As concerning vowes God teacheth vs in the 30. of Numbers that being made by the chil­dren, and not ratified by the parents, they are vnlawfull, and if vnlawfull not to be perfor­med And that it is against God his comman­dement, for children to handfast themselues in wedlocke, their parents consent not going there withall, hath at large bene discoursed, being the only matter of this Treatize, wherof [Page 93]ensueth, that these promises being vnlawful, they do not at all binde the conscience of the makers of them to performe the same, nay ra­ther the perfourming of them, is a matter not of conscience, but flat against conscience, if to do the thing that is vnlawfull, and vnlaw­full by the word of God, be a matter against conscience, the which none, vnles the face be made of seasoned wainscot, will easely de­ny. Let not those therefore the which plead conscience for theyr excuse in this bad mat­ter, any longer deceiue themselues with this broken reede, the which, if one leane vpon, it will straight wayes breake vnto shiuers, An vnlawful vowe or pro­mise may laws fully bee bro­ken. but rather whosoeuer haue in this sort vow­ed, or promised rashly, let them vnderstand, that their vowe and promise, may a greate deale more safely be broken, then performed, except the good will of the parents may bee obtayned, and yet in this case also, their for­mer rashnes is earnestly and with vnfained and hearty sorrow to be repented, that God through his mercy in Christ doe not impute it and lay it vnto their charge. And this ad­uise I would haue to be vnderstoode either of contractes, or of mariage also by such inti­sing meanes, though the parents good will may be afterwads procured. But if after such priuy and stolen contracts and mariages, the good liking of the parentes cannot be won, what punishment ought to be inflicted and laid vpon the offenders, as well in regard of [Page 94]their owne default in breach of duty vnto their parentes, as also that others by their smart may bee terrified and feared from run­ning into the like, it is not for mee being no lawe-maker to determine: I leaue that vn­to the wise discretion of the godly magi­strate, who I hope heareafter wil cary a more heauy hande towardes this he nous and no­torius crime, and see some discipline also to bee ordained for all such disobedient and vn­ruly children, the which by their rashe and headstrong attentes, haue forstalled the right of their godly parents, howsoeuer afterwards they can get their good will.

And thus, The conclusion. sith the law of nature, the lawe of God, the authority of the scriptures, the examples of the godlye recorded in the same, the practise of the better sort, among the ve­ry Heathen, the testimonyes of the Poettes in their Comedies, and Tragedies, the Fa­thers, Councels, Decrees, Canons, and ci­uill constitutions of the purer sort, yea some of the very Popes themselues, and lastly the firme consent of the best Diuines of these our dayes, maintaine and vpholde the pa­rentes right in prouiding of honest matches in due time for their children, and prooue their contractes made without their parents consent, to bee of no validity or force, nei­ther before God or man: I may lawfullye conclude, that it is the fathers charge to make a godlye choise, for his sonnes and [Page 95]daughters in the way of mariage, without whose consent they are at no hand to knit vp the same, vnlesse the godlie magistrate in cases of extremitie by his authoritie doe take such order, so that hereafter my good hope is (the duties on both sides being nowe so plainelie set downe, that no ignorance in this behalfe may any longer hencefoorth be pretended) that as parents respecting God his glorie, wil diligentlie and carefullie practise the one, so their children in all humble obedience will peforme the other, which God grant at the length for Christ his sake.

Amen.