534 ~eft·>· ~rJI•4• ~,ft, 5· (afes about tiJe Duty rf Wives. are to be prcferved by us, though againfi the n~arell relation : Only oil due tender 0 efs of the life an_d reputation of.the Husband IS to be prekrved, m the manner of proceedings ·as far as will fi d with the intereJl of jufiicc and the common good. , an ~ell. 3· May the Wife go heM Scrmom when the Hutband fnrbiddeth her l Anfw. There arc fomc Sermons which muff not be heard : There are fame Scrino~s whi.ch may bt heard, and mnft when no.gr~ater matter d?th divert us: And there ~re fotpe Seq:nons which mujt be heard whoever !hall forb1d It. Thofe whtch mujt not be heard, are fuch as are Heretical (ordinarii ) an~ fuch as are fuperfluo~s, and at. fuch ~imes when greater duties call, us another way. Th~fe w.htch m"') be heard, arc e.aher occahona1 S~rrnons~ or fuch ~cCl~ues as a!c.neither ·of Neceffity to our felvcs, nor y~ct to the ownmg of God and h1s pu~hck W?r011p•. One tl.l~~ liveth where there: are daily pr h~urly. Sr=rmons, may hear them as oft as futttth With thc~r conditiOn, and thtir other duties: B.ut m thts cafe, ~he Comma11:d of a Husband, wirh the inco_nvcnicnc~s that will follow difobcying hun, may m.Jkc l.t a dury to f~rb~a~.. ~ B~t that ~e do {umettm~'. p:t~hc"-f.r o~ne Gods Worn 1 ip, and Church-Ordmanc~s, and rcce1ve Mmtfier1at tt:adung for Our Ed1hcauon,· JS of double nccelficy; that ~e dmy no~Gv~, and that "Ye betray not, or·de[ert not our own fouls. And this is dpecial!y nccef– lary ( ordmanly ) on the Lords Dayes, ~hich arc appointed for thcfc: m:ceJTary ult:s. And here che Husbandhathno po.werto forbid the Wife, norfhould fhe ( formaUy) obey his prohiqirion. But yet as affir£1'!afJves bmd not ad fr.mptr, and no duty is a duty at every.fc::a{on, fo ic JS poffible that on the Lords DJy, it may extraordinarily become a duty to forbear Sermons or s~cramems or other publick Wo1fhip. As when any greater duty calleth us away : As to quench a tire: an'd to fave ~ens livt:s; and to fave our Counuey from an enemy in a time of War: and to f.iVe our own liveS (ifwe knew the affcmbly would be alTaulttd ), or to pn:fc:rve our liberty for ~reater Cervice. Chrifi tee us to learn the meaning of this Lcffon [ I will have Mercy aHd not S.;crifi..:c J. Jn !Uch a cafe: alfo a. mifchitf may bt.• avoided, {Ven from a fJJUband, by the omiffion of a du;y at that time, (when it would be no duty ) for this is but a tranfpofition of ir. But this is but an act of prudcnc fdf-prefer– Viltion, and not an a& o( formal obedience. ~ell. 4· If a fYuman bavt a Hurband {o incorrigible in Vice, asthat by long tryal foe findeth th.tt fpca"-ing agaitiff it, mak,ph him wor[e, andcaufetb him to abufe her, Wfhe bou;;dto continue her diffwa– fiu11, or toj."n·bear? Anfiv. That is not here aduty which is not a mea1ts to do fame good: And that is nomeans which we know before hand is like, it not certain, tb do no good, or to do more harm. W~ mull: not by weari11cfs, lazintfs, or oenforioufnefs, take a cafe to be defperate, which is not : Nor mull we Co eafi!y defili with fo near a relation as with a (hanger or a neighbour. But yet ChriHs indulgence of nor txpoling our felves to be torn by Dogs, and his Word trodden in che dirt by Swine, doth extend to relations as well as others. But chen you muH: obthve that fhc that is j~ftly difcouraged from jh:~rp rt– prooft, may ytt have hope that gentle andlmmble per[tl'ajiont may (ucceed: And fhe that is dikou– raged from optll, or frequent, or plain reproofs : may yet have hope that fecrtt, or mort feldome, or m9re diftant and general admonitions may not be loft. And !he that is difcouragcd from one way of doing him good, may yet have many o1her wayes (as ro fet fomc Miniltcr whom he reverencerh to fpeak to him: to put fomc fuitable Book into his hand, &c. ) And fhc that is difcouraged at the prefint, ought not to.hlly to dcfpai.r, but may make Come more aucmpts hercafur; either in fome ticknefs, or time of mortality, or danger, or affliction, or when pollibly time and confidtration may have betcer prepared him to ht:ar. And in the mean time fhe is to continue all Conjugal atfeC.\:i– vn and duty, and a convincing, winning courfe ef Iif(: ; whic;h may prove the mo!t efK&ual reproof. Q!Jef\. 5· jJ7bat jl!ould ·• Woman do in controt•ertcd eafer of Religion, wbw her judg'm'"' and her H:ubandr difftr I Anf'v. 1o Some make a controverfie of that which with all good Chrifiians or fober pcrfons 010uld be pall: controverlic: and Come controverfies arc indeed of real, if not infuperable difficulry. .2· Some tontroverfics are about important necefTary things, and fome about things ofltffer moment. 3· Some are about rneer 0pinion, or other mens practiG:e, and fame about our own practice. ,, In all differences of judgement the Wife mufi exucife fuch fclf-fufpicion, and modefiy, and fub– million, as may fignifie her due fenfe, both of the weak..nefi of her Sex, and of her fi•bjeuion to. her Husband. !· In thing-s indifferent {he mull in prallice obey her Husband; unlefs when fupenour powers do forbid it, and that in cafes where their authority is greater. 3· She may modeH!y give her reafons of diffent. 4· She mnfi not turn tt to an unpeaceable quarrel, or mattrr of dJfatfeC:bon, or pretend any differences againfi her Conjugal duties. S· In duk and difficult cafes _!he lhould noe be peremptory, and [elf-conceited; nor importunate; but if Che have faith ( that .ts, fum~ m(_)re knowledge than he) have it to her fclf, in quietnefs and filence: and feek further mformaoon Jcft !he err. 6. She mufi fpeak no untruth, nor c?mmit any known fin, in o?edience t? her ~usband§ judgement. 7· When (he flrongly fufpecreth 1t to be fin, fhe mufi.not do 11 meerly m obed~encc eo him, but feek for better fatisfadion. For (he is fure that he hath no power to force her w fin: And therefore hath no more aifurance of his power in that point, than the hath of the lawfulnefs of the rhing. 8. But if 01e prove to be in the error, fhc will fin on either fide) till lhe re~over. 9.lf a Husband be in dangerous error, fl1e mull wifely, but unweariedly feek his reformation, by her felf or others. Ca[a
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