Lancelot Andrewes's 'Orphan Lectures': The Exeter Manuscript/Selection 3

[244r] … 2d that she shalbe subiect to her husband. The correspondence Correspondence wch god keepeth betwene the sinne and the punishment is this, The sinfull pleasure that she tooke in eating the forbidden fruite is iustly censured with sorrowe and payne, and as she had the upper hand of her husband in peswading him to eate, soe she is punished with subiection to him. The sorrowes that woemen sustayne in conceaving and travalye standeth wth the lawe of nature, for not only they doe undergoe this punishment, but as the Apostle saith, Every Creature groaneth and travaileth together wth us Rom. 8. soe as Jehu saith 2. Reg. 10.10. no one worde of the Lord shall fall to the grounde, but whatsoever he saith it must come to passe, and soe is the subiection of the woeman to her husband, a thing required alsoe by the Lawe of nature all nations[.] But of that which hath bene said wee are generally to observe that god cannot ^suffer in his Justice any sinne to escape unpunished, Therefore it is that he doth not lett loose passe the sinne of the woeman without punishment howbeit as the Apostle make the distinction that some shall receave punishment merciles, and in other mercie shall triumphe over Justice Ja. 2. soe here god doth not laye soe greivous a punishment uppon the woeman as she deserved, for albeit he might have utterly ^have^ destroyed both the Serpent and all mankinde according to the Curse pronounced uppon them that continew not in all thinges that are written in the lawe Deut. 27. Gall. 3. yet he doth mitigate his sentence he proceedes not against us in rigour of Justice but vouchsafeth in mercie to take a Fyne of us for as the soule is cheifest in sinninge soe in Justice it should cheife be punished. Therefore it is a great mercie that god turnes the evill punishment of the soule into a bodely punishment, that he contentes himselfe to laye that uppon the body only which might have bene inflicted uppon the soule, as the Apostle sheweth playnly the body is dead because of sinne Rom. 6. 2d the mercie of god appeares herein, that whereas the punishment due to the soule is a worme that never dyeth Esa. 66. he layeth uppon the woeman no other punishment but the payne of travayle wch indures but for a tyme. & that his punishment is inflicted not as a Serpent to destroye but as a rodd to Chasten, and that as he makes all thinges both good and evill to worke together for the good of them that Love him Rom. 8. soe it pleaseth him soe to dispose of the paynfull bearing of Children that it shalbe [244v] a meanes of theire salvation 1. Tim. 2. and procure them an exceeding waight of glory yf they take it patiently, 2. Cor. 4. Concerninge the first punishment particulerly Lust it selfe as the Apostle sheweth Jam.1. is a kinde of conceaving, and therefore concupiscence is fitly punished with paynfull conceaving, as the greedy Lust of Esawe wherewith he desired the pottage wch his brother made was punished wth bitter teares shedd in vayne Hebr.12. And the Isralites desired flesh and god did not disappoynt them of theire Lust, but gave them theire owne desire, howbeit when the meate was yet in theire mouthes, his heavy wrath came uppon them, and slew the wealthiest of them Psal.78. And Job saith of the ungodly that the meale that is greedely devoured by them turnes to be gall Job. 20. Theis sorrowes wch all woemen must undergoe and wch should not have bene, yf mankinde had no continewed in the state of integritie, for if it were not in regard of sinne there would be no affliction or Calamitye[.] they are of 2 sortes, sorrowe in conceaving and sorrowe in bearing and bringing fourth The worde increase used by the holy ghost hath respect to the nomber and greatnes of the sorrowes, the greatnes of sorrowe that is felt in conceaving is suche as made Rebecca saie, If I had knowne this Gen. 25.22. the payne of Child bearing is soe great that the holy ghost by it describeth the greivousnes of all great daungers Psal. 48. Lett theire sorrowes be like the sorrowes of a woeman in travayle. Childbearing is not only a payne as the Prophet sheweth Esa. 37. the children are come to the birth, and there is no strength to beare them, but alsoe a matter of suche perrill that Rachell dyed of yt Gen. 35. and soe did the wife of Phineas 1. Sam .4. the safe bringing fourth of [a] Child is a thing soe daingerous as the Prophet doth confesse it to be a great benefitt and a singuler miracle of godes providence that he drewe him out of his mothers wombe Psal. 22. And therefore wee ought with all thankfullnes to acknowledge the same, The nomber of sorrowes that woemen suffer in bearing Children is, first if they perish by untymely birth Psal. 58. 2d. when being borne alyve yet they dye [245r] presently after as Davids Child 2. Sam. 12. 3d. yf they be mishapen as he that was borne blinde Joh. 9. 4th. yf they be borne to misery soe as they be vagabondes and Runnagates Psal. 109. Lastly if they begett Children to be executed at the Gallowes, as many tymes they doe. For theis Causes the holy men have wished they had never bene borne Jer. 20. Job. 3. but the speciall muliplieng of sorrowe is that they bring fourth Children that shalbe tormented in everlasting fyer forever, unles they be delivered by the seede of the woeman whoe destroyeth Hell and death, this is the effect of the first punishment. But here in particular wee must alsoe unto that god tempereth Justice wth mercie for thoughe he multiply sorrowes yet he doth withall multiply conceavinges. to have stoure of Children is as Jacob termes it the blessing of the wombe Gen. 49., And Adam reccons it a blessing that his wife should be the mother of the Lyving Gen. 3.20. whereunto Christ hath Respect, when he saith that a woeman during her travayle is in payne but after she reioyceth soe soone as a Child is borne Joh. 16. wch is a matter of suche gladnes as thoughe they have felt the payne of it and seene others perish in bearing of Children yet they forgett all and are yet still carryed with a desire to be mothers, soe that of this it may be said Psal. 118. This is the Lordes doeing. The beneffitt that cometh hereby is first the increase of mankinde but Cheifly the building upp of the Church of god. Lastly the great ioye and comforte of the parentes that is a blessing to beare Children Rachell sheweth whoe was content to dye soe she might have Children Gen. 30. Therefore Isaac prayed for Rebecca when she was barren that god would geve her a Child Gen. 25. for this Cause Hannah the mother of Samuell doubted not to strive with god to multiply her sorrowes, soe that he would multiply her conceptions 1. Sam. 1. Contrarywise as this is a blessing soe to be barren is a plague as appeareth by that which is inflicted uppon Jeconias Jer. 22. write this man Childles, Therefore was barrennes laid uppon Michal as a Curse and a plague because he mocked David 2. Sam. 6. soe thoughe godes Justice will have them bring fourth in payne yet it is his mercie that they have Children for Children and the fruite of the wombe are a blessing that cometh from the Lord Psal. 125. yf woemen bring fourth Children it is with great payne but if they doe not bring fourth it is a signe of the wrath of god and of eternall tormentes after this Life[;] some make [245v] themselves Chast for the kingdome of God Isa. 56. Mat. 19. but otherwise barrennes is a signe that the heavy hand of god is upoon them from hence wee Learne what is our Condicoun. 1[st] that our very beginninge is with sorrowe and that in the very wombe of our mother wee are inaugurated to suffer payne soe that there comes not one sonne of Eve into the world without his woe and that all the happynes wee have in this Life is imperfect for as the wiseman saith our Laughter is mixt with greife and our ioy endes in sorrowe Pro. 14. for where there is conceaving there is sorrowe, and without sorrowe they can neither conceave nor bring fourth. The 2d punishment ensueth in theis wordes Let thy desire be to thy husband and lett him have domynion over thee. As if god should saie because you did overrule your husband to his and your hurte your desire shalbe suiect to your husband. There is a double end of the coniunction of man and woeman thone is for procreation, thother for fellowshipp and societies sake that they may dwell together, The blessing for bringing fourth Children is mixed with the sorrowes of conception, the pleasure of societie for the sinne of the woeman is made bitter by subiection, for to be inferiour to subiect to another hath the nature of a Curse or punishment and so therefore subiection was inflicted uppon Cham Gen. 9. and uppon Esawe Gen. 27. But every subiection or service is not a punishment[.] There is a service of [ ? ] 1. Cor. 7. and a service of Love, that which the Apostle speakes of Gall. 5. serve one another thoroughe love. This is a willing service proceeding from Love, suche as was performed by Timothy to Paul of whome he reporteth that he served with him in the Gospell as a Child serveth his father Phill. 2. suche should be the subiection of the woeman to her husband not of [ ? ] but of Love, yea thoughe the fault had not bene comitted there should have bene this subiection on hte woemans parte, soe that there must be order in every societie, but it should have bene without all grevance. The woeman should not have striven with the yoke as Esawe did Gen. 27.45. the dominyon of the man over the woman should have bene and still must be not suche as was the Rule of Gideon to whome it was said beare Rule over them Judg. 9. but it should have bene for good. Yf our Parentes had continewed in the state of innocentie there shoud not have bene betwene man and [246r] wife theis murmuringes and debates which now are heard, but yet there should have bene a suiection, sometyme he that rules hath the Curse Eccle. 8. but whether Abigall be marryed to David a wise king or to Naball a foole 1. Sam. 25. yet she must be subiect to her husband. The Rule which the man hath is of 2 partes. 1 because thou didest Covet the forbidden fruite and didest not turne thy selfe to god nor aske Councell of him, therefore thou shalt turne to thy husband, and knowe of him what he will allowe of, soe as thou shalt doe nothing without his consent, and this is required of woemen by the Lawe of nature and all nations for they have not power to bestowe themselves in marriage, but are geven by another when they are marryed, they Change theire names and can doe nothing without theire husbandes and he that is marryed can make no vowe of force except her husband allowe of it Numb. 30.5. that is in regard of the weakenes of theire sexe in Respect whereof the woeman is called the weaker vessell 1. Pet. 3. which Ruth confessed when she said, spred the winges of thy skirtes Ruth 2. Therefore they are compared to the vyne uppon the howse side that must be held upp or ells yt will fall downe uppon the grounde. Psal. 128. soe must woemen knowing theire owne weakenes ioyne themselves to theire husbandes and submitt themselves to theire governement, The Apostle saith the man is the woemans head Eph. 5. 1. Cor. 11. therefore he is the superiour and is to be had in Reverence. This thing being established by god in the beginninge, was called in question by Vashtoi Esth. 1. therefore order was taken that all woemen should be subiect to theire husbandes, and suffer them to have the preheminence. Thus wee see what the Lawe of nature and of all nations requireth touching this poynte, but it is playne in religion[,] Peter saith they must be subiect to their husbandes 1. Pet. 3.1 Paul saith I will not have a woeman to speake nor to usurpe authoritye over her husband 1. Tim. 2.12. 1. Cor. 14. Howbeit for defaulte of male yssue the woeman may beare rule Numb. 25. as the Queene of Saba 1. Reg. 10. and the Queene of Candase Act. 8. for they that are subiect in the state of aconomicall may beare Rule in a politique estate. Therefore Asa was not afraide to put downe his mother from her Royal estate 1. Regn. 16. This is the will of god touching the subiection of wyves towardes theire husbandes, de iure, and wee must establish it de fecto, but is is otherwise for the most parte for wyves that should be silent and subiect to usurpe places of superioritie and when that cometh to passe wee must Reccon of it as the Curse of god who threatneth his people that woemen shall Rule over them Esa 3.4. suche a [246v] wife was Jesabell who did not submitt herselfe to this yoke but overruled her husband 1. Regn. 21. But as wee are to geve god thankes for this Commutation of Judgement into mercie soe woemen must Learne to beare the yoke of a subiection which god hath laide uppon them, they must not only with patience suffer the sorrowes of the naturall travayle but travayle till Christ be formed in them Gall. 4. and they must bring fourth fruites of Repentance with patience Luk. 8. The patient bearing of Chilldren is a thing required by the Lawe of nature and deserveth no thankes, but if they wilbe subiect to theire husbandes and obey theire Comaundmentes and suffer with patience theire unreasonable dealings that is thanke worthie with god. 1. Pet. 2.8