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But thou peradventure wilt say, that she is a wrathful woman, a drunkard, and beastly, without wit and reason. For this cause béwail her the more.Chafe not in anger, but pray unto Almighty God.-— Let her be admonished and helped with good counsel, and do thou thy best endeavour, that she may be defivered of all these affections. But if thou shouldst beat her, thou shalt increase her evil affections: for frowardness and sharpness is not amended with frowardness, but with softness and gentleness. Furthermore, consider what reward thou shalt have at God's hand: for where thou mightest beat her, and yet, for the respect of the fear of God, thou wilt abstain and bear patiently her great offences, the rather in respect of that law, which forbiddeth that a man should cast out his wife, what fault soever she be cumbered with, thou shalt have a very great reward: and before the receipt of that reward, thou shalt feel many commodities. For by this means she shall be made the more obedient, and thou for her sake shalt be made the more meek. It is written in a story of a certain strange philosopher, which had a cursed wife, a froward, and a drunkard: when he was asked for what consideration he did so bear her evil manners, he made answer, "By this means," said he, "I have at home a schoolmaster, and an example how I should behave myself abroad: for I shall," saith he, "be the more quiet with others, being thus daily exercised and taught in the forbearing of her." Surely it is a shame that Paynims should be wiser than we; we, I say, that be commanded to resemble angels, or rather God himself, through meekness. And for the love of virtue, this said phylosopher Socrates would not expel his wife out of his house. Yea, some say that he did therefore marry his wife, to learn this virtue by that occasion.Wherefore, seeing many men be far behind the wisdom of this man, my counsel is, that first, and be

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fore all things, a man do his best endeavour to get him a good wife, endued with all honesty and virtue: but if it so chance that he is deceived, that he hath chosen such a wife as is neither good nor tolerable, then let the husband follow this philosopher, and let him instruct his wife in every condition, and never lay these matters to sight. For the merchantman, except he first be at composition with his factor to use his interfairs quietly, he will neither stir his ship to sail, nor yet will lay hands upon his merchandize: even so, let us do all things, that we may have the fellowship of our wives, which is the factor of all our doings at home, in great quiet and rest. And by these means all things shall prosper quietly, and so shall we pass through the dangers of the troublous sea of this world. For this state of life will be more honourable and comfortable than our houses, than servants, than money, than lands and possessions, than all things that can be told. As all these, with sedition and discord, can never work us any comfort; so shall all things turn to our commodity and pleasure, if we draw this yoke in one concord of heart and mind. Whereupon do your best endeavour, that after this sort ye use your matrimony, and so shall ye be armed on every side. Ye have escaped the snares of the devil, and the unlawful lusts of the flesh; ye have the quietness of conscience by this institution of matrimony ordained by God: therefore use oft prayer to him, that he would be present by you, that he would continue concord and charity betwixt you. Do the best ye can of your parts, to custom yourselves to softness and meekness, and bear well in worth such oversights as chance; and thus shall your conversation be most pleasant and comfortable. And although (which can no otherwise be) some adversities shall follow, and otherwise now one discommodity, now another shall appear; yet in this common trouble and adver

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sity, lift up both your hands unto heaven, call upon the help and assistance of God, the Author of your marriage, and surely the promise of relief is at hand. For Christ affirmeth in his gospel, 'Where two or three be gathered together in my name, and be agreed, what matter soever they pray for, it shall be granted them of my heavenly Father.' Why therefore shouldest thou be afraid of the danger, where thou hast so ready a promise, and so nigh an help? Furthermore, you must understand how necessary it is for Christian folk to bear Christ's cross: for else we shall never feel how comfortable God's help is unto us. Therefore give thanks to God for his great benefit, in that ye have taken upon you this state of wedlock; and pray you instantly, that Almighty God may luckily defend and maintain you therein, that neither ye be overcome with any temptations, nor with any adversity. But, before all things, take good heed that ye give no occasion to the devil to let and hinder your prayers by discord and dissension: for there is no stronger defence and stay in all our life, than his prayer: in the which we may call for the help of God, and obtain it; whereby we may win his blessing, his grace, his defence, and protection, so to continue therein to a better life to come: which grant us, he that died for us all, to whom be all honour and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled:" God has expressly declared: and that it may be holy let it be sanctified by prayer. It is as great licentiousness for married persons to come together without prayer and thanksgiving as it is profane for a man to sit down to his table without asking the blessing of God upon his unmerited gifts: for neither of them can answer the end designed by them without God's special benediction.

HOM. XXXI.

Against Idleness.

HOMILY XXXI.

Against Idleness.

FORASMUCH as man, being not born to ease and rest, but to labour and travel, is by corruption of nature through sin, so far degenerated and grown out of kind, that he taketh idleness to be no evil at all, but rather a commendable thing, seemly for those that be wealthy; and therefore is greedily embraced of most part of men, as agreeable to their sensual affection, and all labour and travel is diligently avoided, as a thing painful and repugnant to the pleasure of the flesh: It is necessary to be declared unto you, that by the ordinance of God, which he hath set in the nature of man, every one ought, in his lawful vocation and calling, to give himself to labour and that idleness being repugnant to the same ordinance, is a grievous sin, and also, for the great inconveniences and mischiefs which spring thereof, an intolerable evil: to the intent that when ye understand the same, ye may diligently flee from it, and on the other part earnestly apply yourselves, every man in his vocation, to honest labour and business, which as it is enjoined unto man by God's appointment, so it wanteth not his manifold blessings and sundry benefits.

Almighty God, after that he had created man, put him into paradise, that he might dress and keep it: But when he had transgressed God's commandment, eating the fruit of the tree which was forbidden him, Almighty God forthwith did cast him out of paradise into this woeful vale of misery, enjoining him to labour the ground that he was taken out of, and to

Genesis iii.

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eat his bread in the sweat of his face all the days of his life. It is the appointment and will of God, tha every man, during the time of this mortal and transitory life, should give himself to such honest and godly exercise and labour, and every one follow his own business, and to walk uprightly in his own calling. 'Man,' saith Job, is born to labour.'And we are commanded by Jesus Sirach, not to hate painful works, neither husbandry, or other such mysteries of travel, which the highest hath created.— The Wise Man also exhorteth us to drink the waters of our own cistern, and of the rivers that run out of the midst of our own well;' meaning thereby, that we should live of our own labours, and not devour the labours of other. St. Paul hearing that among the Thessalonians there were certain that lived dissolutely and out of order, that is to say, which did not work, but were busy bodies; not getting their own living with their own travel, but eating other men's bread of free-cost, did command the said Thessalonians, not only to withdraw themselves, and abstain from the familiar company of such inordinate persons, but also that, if there were any such among them that would not labour, the same should not eat, nor have any living at other men's hands. Which doctrine of St. Paul, no doubt, is grounded upon the general ordinance of God, which is, that every man should labour; and therefore it is to be obeyed of all men, and no man can justly exempt himself from the same. But when it is said, all inen should labour, it is not so straitly meant, that all men should use handy labour; but as there be divers sorts of labours, some of the mind, and some of the body, and some of both; so every one (except by reason of age, debility of body, or want of health, he be unapt to labour at all) ought both for the getting of his own living honestly, and for to profit others, in some kind Eccles. vii, Prov. v. 2 Thess. iii.

Job v.

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