May one contrib11te to anot!Jers fin Jvithout fin ? to cry our of fome godly Minifiers or Gentlemen, that their Wives arc as proud·, and their Child and Scrv~nts as bad as. others. B~t are yo.u fure that it ·is in their power c? rc:mcdy ic ? Malice ar~d n!hnefs jud~e at a d!l\ance of thmgs whtch men undcrfiand not, and fin m fpeaking againfi fi.t. ~eft· 2• IF a Ge~tltmaH, e. g. of SO?· or 1000. or 2000• or 3000· li. per annum, could [pare bone[ll [J.llf hw yearly rtntJ,for hu Children and for ch.1ritablc ufu, and hi4 wift be fo prouslan~ prodig.zl tbat J;e TPill wafte it all in bou{t-~eping and r~ccffu, and wiU rt~ge, be tmqr{iet or go m.zd if jhe be hindered, what iJ a mam dut_y in foch a ca[t ? Anf~· It is bu~ an inflance of the f~r_e-mencio~ed cafe, and mull thence be :infwered. 1 , It is fuppo(cd that fhc IS uncurable by all wde and rational means of p~rfwafion. 2. He is wifdy to cani'– parc the greatnefs of the evil that will come by crnf!ing b~r, with the good that may come by rhe im. 'provement of his c:lbte, and the forbearance of thofe exceffcs.. If her rage or dinraction or unqui– ttnefs were like by any accident to do more hurt,' than his efiate may do good, he might tal-te him. felf difabled from hindering the fin: And though he give her the money which fhe mif-fpendeth !t is not fmning, but only not hindering fin when he is unable. 3. 0 :dinarily fame fmall or tolerable degree of finful wafie and cxcefs may be tolerated to avoid fuch mifchicfs as elfc would follow : but not too much. And though no jufi rneafure can be affigned, at what nte a man may lawfully purchafe his ownpeace, anq confequently his liberry to ferve God, or at what rare he may fave his" Wife from madnefs, or fame mortal mifchie(s of her difconrenr, yet the cafe mufi be- rt«:;lved by fuch confiderations; And a prudent man that knoweth wha~ is like to be the confcquent on bOth ~des may and ttrufiaccording1y determine.it. 4· But ordinarily the life, health or prefcrvacion of fo proud;·luxurious, and pallionate a woman, i'S not worth the ftving at fg dear a rate, as the wafi~ ing of a confiderahle cfiate, which might be ufed to relieve a multitude of the poor) and perhaps to fave the lives of many that are worthier to live. And, x. A mans duty to relieve the poor and provide 'for his family is fo great. 2. And the account that all men mufi give of the ufe of their Talenrs is fo firict, that it mui\ ,be a great reafon indeed, that mufi allow him to give way to vtry great WJflful~ nefs. And unlefs there be fomewhat extraordinary in the cafe, it were better deal wirh fuch a \Vo· man as a Bedlam, and if {he will be mad, to ufe her as the mad are ufed, than for a fieward of God to fuffcr the Devil to be f<tved with his mafiers good!. Lafily, I mull charge the Reader to remember, that both thefe cafes are very rare; and it is but few women that are fo Jyable to fo great mifchiefs,which may not beprevented at cheaper races; And therefore that the Indulgence given in thefe dccifions, is nothing to the greater ·part of men, nor is to be extended to ordinary Cafes. But commonly men every where fin by omiffion of a firidcr GO:. vcrntnent of their families, and by Eli' J finful indulgence and remifncfs : And though a Wife mull be Governed as a WifG, and a Child as a Child, yet all mull be governed as well as fcrvanls. And though it may beuuly faid, thit a man cannot hinder that tin, which he cannot hinder but by 6n, or by contributing to a g~cater hurt, yet:,it is to be concluded, that every man is bound to hinder lin when..,er he is able lawfully to hinder it. - Andby the fame meafutes Tolerations, or not-hindering ErrouM and fins about Rtligion in Church ahd Common-wealth is to be judged of: None mufi commit them or approve them ; nor forbear any duty •f their own tocure them: But that is n01 a duty_which is defiructive, which would be a dut, when it were a means of edifying. CHAP.
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