Wines not to doeany thing with. the third Sunday inLent. Ser.z3. out the cenfent oftheir husbands. Q +09 felfefame refpitation wherewith Godhad created the fouleinAdam, hee like- wifecreated that ofEue,. or whither it hauerelation to thehusband,for that the felfefame fpirit whichgiues lifevnto him, is to giue the fame likewife to his wife. Saint Augufine in myfticall kind ofmeaning vnderftands by the man the vnderftanding; but theplainer & truermeaning is,That ourSauiorin willing her to call her husband,would therby giue heroccafionto confeffeher fault, ¬ todifmerit the merde that was offered veto her : for,. to draw from a womans breft fuch immodeftand difionef} weakeneffes, will requirea great deale of dexteriticand cunning. The feruant that ought ten thoulànd talents, prefentiy confcff'ed the debt,and theKing forgaue it him ; Inconfeßionedebiti f lutioncm in- uenit,His confeffion IYas hiefolution, fo faith Saint Chryfoflame, But hewas a man, andhis fault leffèfoule ; but foran oldwoman to lieat rack andmanger with her Louerin thefe her elderyeres, willaske much labour,and noleffe skill,to bring her tochofe lìdn. obftetricante manu eins edattras eft coluber tortuofs, TOtake the fubtill winding Snakeout ofmans bofome,we hadneedof Godshelping hand; that's the Midwife that mutt doe it. Forto finne ( faithSaint Chryfoftome ) the Deuill putteth great confidence into the breft ofa Goner; but to cónfeffe the fame, heinfarct far greater(haine : fo that di fhoneftie doth not onelydisjoyne vs fromGod, but remooues vs, like the Prodigall fonne,agreat wayesoff from him, inregionem longingNam, into aferre Ceuntrie. God bath giuen vs fo noble and fo gentleman-like 4 nature, (faith Saint Hierome) that Sinne doth make vs melancholly andfad ; but Vertue,cheerefull & merri'e.And from-hence (faith Saint Augufine) arife rhofe remorcements ofconfcience,thofe inward Rings of the foule,which like the flies of iEgypt di(quietaSinner. Our Sauiour Chrif} therefore didhere makementionofher husband,(Comomentadolafga,encafadel ahorcada: as ifonefhould talkofahalter in thehoufe ofone that hathbinhang'd) ' to theend that her finnemight troubleherconfcience, worke fome remorce in her, and make her toconfeffc the fouleneffe thereof, to the intent thatby this ' meanes themight cometo raft of theliuïng water. Thouhuff hadfuebushands,andhewhom thounow haft is net thyhusband. S.Cbry- *omens in. f ffemfaith,That not any one ofthefewas her husband;&forre modern authors follow this his opinion. And this may be grounded vponthat whichSaint Hie- ionti4eende ' rome hath in an Epiftleof his to Ruticua, Pofi fex viros inuenit Dominion, After faxhusbandsfhefound the Lord. Iren.eus faithsThat all fauethefirft were Adulte- rers. But thefe feuerall fences fuit not with this Text. Athanapes faith, That they hada LawinSamaria, that they might not marrie aboue flue times ; and that the incontinencieof this womanwas fogreat,that hauing buried flue huf- bands, the tookea friend into her houfe : towhom Saint Hierome adding thofe fine whichhadbeene herhusbands truly and indeed; faid, Potfxviros, ..after fix huabands.And though thefe were not Adulterers, yet is ita fufficient proofe, that Senfualitie is abrackifh kindofwater,whichcaufeth more thirft; and, for that Woman is an impatient crearure,and much fubie61 to longafter this& that other : hing, Ecclefiafficus (tiles herMultiuola. If (hebe thirftie, and one cannot fatisfie thefame, (he will folicite fixe, nay fixtie to allay this her thirft. And thereforeSaintHieromeequalls viduall continenciewith virginitie, in regardof thofe her forepaffcd pleafures : for like thePhoenix the reuiues againe, bykind- ling the firewith the wingsof her owneproper thoughts ; and thereforein that tefpedpreferres cha(}widdowhood before Virginitie. For in eueriekind of vice one fin calls vponanother ; but it is molt feeneinthefe two, to wit, fenfiva- litie,and herefie : And this peraduenture is the reafon, why the Scripture com- , M m monly
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