A Mouzell for Melastomus the Cynicall Bayter of, and foulemouthed Barker against EVAHS Sex.
IF lawfull it bee to compare the Potter with his Clay, or the Architect with the Edifice; then may I, in some sort, resemble that loue of God towards man, in creating woman, vnto the affectionate care of Abraham for his sonne Isaac, who that hee might not take to wife one of the daughters of the Canaanites, Gen. 24. 4. did prouide him one of his owne kindred.
[Page 2]Almighty God, who is rich in mercie, hauingFphe. 2 4. made all things of nothing, and created man in his owne image: that is, (as the Apostle expounds it) In wisedome, righteousnesse and true Col. 3 30. holinesse; making him Lord ouer all: to auoideEphe. 4. 24. that solitatie condition that hee was then in, hauing none to commerce or conuerse withall but dumbe creatures, it seemed good vnto the Lord, that as of euery creature hee had made male and female, and man onely being alone without mate, so likewise to forme an helpe meete for him. Adam for this cause being castGen. 2. 20. into a heauy sleepe, God extracting a rib from his side, thereof made, or built, Woman; shewing thereby, that man was as an vnperfect building afore woman was made; and bringing her vnto Adam, vnited and married them together.
Thus the resplendent loue of God toward man appeared, in taking care to prouide him an helper before hee saw his owne want, and in prouiding him such an helper as should bee meete for him. Soueraignety had hee ouer all creatures, and they were all seruiceable vnto him; but yet afore woman was formed, there was not a meete helpe found for Adam, MansGen. 2. 20. worthinesse not meriting this great fauour at Gods hands, but his mercie onely mouing him therevnto: I may vse those words which the Iewes vttered when they saw Christ weepe for Lazarus, Behold how hee loued him: Behold, andIohn 11. 36. [Page 3] that with good regard, Gods loue; yea his great loue, which from the beginning hee hath borne vnto man: which, as it appeares in all things; so next, his loue in Christ Iesus apparantly in this; that for mans sake, that hee might not be an vnite, when all other creatures were for procreation duall, hee created woman to bee a solace vnto him, to participate of his sorrowes, partake of his pleasures, and as a good yokefellow beare part of his burthen. Of the excellencie1. Cor. 11. 9. of this Structure, I meane of Women, whose foundation and original of creation, was Gods loue, do I intend to dilate.
Of Womans Excellency, with the causes of her creation, and of the sympathie which ought to be in man and wife each toward other.
THE worke of Creation being finished, this approbation thereof was giuen by GodGen. 1. 31. himselfe, That All was very good: If All, then Woman, who, excepting man, is the most excellent creature vnder the Canopie of heauen. But if it be obiected by any.
First, that woman, though created good,1 Obiect. yet by giuing eare to Sathans temptations, brought death & misery vpon all her posterity.
Secondly, That Adam was not deceiued, but 2 Obiect. that the woman was deceiued, and was in the 1. Tim. 2. 14. transgression.
[Page 4]Thirdly, that Saint Paul saith, It were good for 3 Obiect. a man not to touch a woman. 1. Cor. 7. 1.
Fourthly, and lastly, that of Salomon, who4 Obiect. seemes to speake against all of our sex; I haue found one man of a thousand, but a woman among Eccles. 7. 30. them all haue I not found, whereof in it due place.
To the first of these obiections I answere; that1 Obiect. answered. Sathan first assailed the woman, because where the hedge is lowest, most easie it is to get ouer, and she being the weaker vessell was with more facility to be seduced: Like as a Cristall glasse sooner receiues a cracke then a strong stone pot. Yet we shall finde the offence of Adam and Eue almost to paralell: For as an ambitious desire of being made like vnto God, was the motiue which caused her to eate, so likewise was it his; as may plainely appeare by that Ironica, Behold, man is become as one of vs: Not that heeGen. 3. 22. was so indeed; but heereby his desire to attaine a greater perfection then God had giuen him, was reproued. Woman sinned, it is true, by her infidelitie in not beleeuing the Word of God, but giuing credite to Sathans faire promises, that shee should not die; but so did theGen. 3 4. man too: And if Adam had not approoued of that deed which Eue had done, and beene willing to treade the steps which she had gone, hee being her Head would haue reproued her, and haue made the commandement a bit to restraine him from breaking his Makers Iniunction: [Page 5] For if a man burne his hand in the fire, the bellowes that blowed the fire are not to be blamed, but himselfe rather, for not being carefull to auoyde the danger: Yet if the bellowes had not blowed, the fire had not burnt; no more is woman simply to bee condemned for mans transgression: for by the free will, which before his fall hee enioyed, hee might haue auoyded, and beene free from beeing burnt, or singed with that fire which was kindled by Sathan, and blowne by Eue. It therefore serued not his turne a whit, afterwardes to say, The woman which thou gauest mee, gaue mee of the tree, and I did eate: Genesis 3. 12. For a penalty was inflicted vpon him, as well as on the woman, the punishment of her transgression being particular to her owne fex, and to none but the female kinde: but for the sinne of man the whole earth was cursed. And he being better able, then the woman, to haue resisted temptation, becauseGenesis 3. 17. the stronger vessell, was first called to account, to shew, that to whom much is giuen, of them much is required; and that he who was the soueraigne of all creatures visible, should haue yeelded greatest obedience to God.
True it is (as is already confessed) that woman first sinned, yet finde wee no mention of spirituall nakednesse till man had sinned: then it is said, Their eyes were opened, the eies of theirGenesis 3. 7. mind and conscience; and then perceiued they themselues naked, that is, not onely bereft of [Page 6] that integritie, which they originally had, but felt the rebellion & disobedience of their members in the disordered motions of their now corrupt nature, which made them for shame to couer their nakednesse: then (and not afore) is it said that they saw it, as if sinne were imperfect, and vnable to bring a depriuation of a blessing receiued, or death on all mankind, till man (in whom lay the actiue power of generation) had transgressed. The offence therefore of Adam and Eue is by Saint Austin thus distinguished, the man sinned against God and himselfe, the woman against God, her selfe, and her husband: yet in her giuing of the fruit to eate had she no malicious intent towardes him, but did therein shew a desire to make her husband partaker of that happinesse, which she thought by their eating they should both haue enioyed. This her giuing Adam of that sawce, wherewith Sathan had serued her, whose sowrenesse afore he had eaten, she did not perceiue, was that, which made her sinne to exceede his: wherefore, that she might not of him, who ought to honour1 Pet. 3. 7. her, be abhorred, the first promise that was made in Paradise, God makes to woman, that by her Seede should the Serpents head be broken:Genesis 3. 15. whereupon Adam calles her Heuah, life, that as the woman had beene an occasion of his sinne, so should woman bring foorth the Sauiour from sinne, which was in the fullnesse of time accomplished; by which was manifested, [Page 7] that he is a Sauiour of beleeuing women,Galat. 4 4. no lesse then of men, that so the blame of sinne may not be imputed to his creature, which is good; but to the will by which Eue sinned, and yet by Christs assuming the shape of man was it declared, that his mercie was equiualent to both Sexes; so that by Herods blessed Seed (as Saint Paul affirmes) it is brought to passe, thatGalat. 3. 28. male and female are all one in Christ Iesus.
To the second obiection I answer, That the2 Obiection answered. Apostle doth not heereby exempt man from sinne, but onely giueth to vnderstand, that the woman was the primaric transgressour; and not the man, but that man was not at all deceiued, was farre from his meaning: for he afterward expresly saith, that as in Adam all die, so 1 Cor. 15. 22. in Christ shall all be made aliue.
For the third obiection, It is good for a man 3 Obiection answered. not touch a woman: The Apostle makes it not a positiue prohibition, but speakes it onelie because of the Corinths present necessitie, who were then persecuted by the enemies of the1 Cor. 7. Church, for which cause, and no other, hee saith, Art thou loosed from a wife? seeke not a wife: meaning whilst the time of these perturbations should continue in their heate; but if thou art bound, seeke not to be loosed: if thou marriest, thou sinnest not, only increasest thy care: for the married careth, for the things of this world, And I wish that you were without care, that yee might cleaue fast vnto the Lord without separation: For [Page 8] the time remaineth, that they which haue wiues be as though they had none: for the persecuters shall depriue you of them, eyther by imprisonment, banishment, or death; so that manifest it is, that the Apostle doth not heereby forbid marriage, but onely aduiseth the Corinths to forbeare a while, till God in mercie should curbe the fury of their aduersaries. For (as Eusebius writeth) Paul was afterward married himselfe, the which is very probable, being that interrogatiuely he saith, Haue we not power to leade about a wife, being 1. Corint. 9. 5. a sister, as well as the rest of the Apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord and Cephas?
The fourth and last obiection, is that of Salomon, 4 Obiect answered. I haue found one man among a thousand, but a woman among them all haue I not found: forEccles. 7. 30. answere of which, if we looke into the storie of his life, wee shall finde therein a Commentary vpon this enigmaticall Sentence included: for it is there said, that Salomon had seuen hundred wiues, and three hundred concubines, which number connexed make one thousand. These1 King. 11. 3. women turning his heart away from being perfect with the Lord his God, sufficient cause had hee to say, that among the said thousand women found he not one vpright. Hee saithPagnine. not, that among a thousand women neuer any man found one worthy of commendation, but speakes in the first person singularly, I haue not found, meaning in his owne experience: for this assertion is to be holden a part of the confession [Page 9] of his former follies, and no otherwise, his repentance being the intended drift of Ecclesiastes.
Thus hauing (by Gods assistance) remoued those stones, whereat some haue stumbled, others broken their shinnes, I will proceede toward the period of my intended taske, which is, to decipher the excellency of women: of whose Creation I will, for orders sake obserue; First, the efficient cause, which was God; Secondly, the materiall cause, or that whereof shee was made; Thirdly, the formall cause, or fashion, and proportion of her feature; Fourthly and lastly, the finall cause, the end or purpose for which she was made. To beginne with the first.
The efficient cause of womans creation, was Iehouah the Eternall; the truth of which is manifest in Moses his narration of the sixe dayesGenesis 1. 28. workes; where he saith, God created them male and female: And Dauid exhorting all the earth to sing vnto the Lord; meaning, by a Metonimie, earth, all creatures that liue on the earth, of what nation or Sex soeuer, giues this reason, For the Lord hath made vs. That worke then canPsal. 100. 3. not chuse but be good, yea very good, which is wrought by so excellent a workeman as the Lord: for he being a glorious Creator, must needes effect a worthie creature. Bitter water can not proceede from a pleasant sweete fountaine, nor bad worke from that workman whichPsal. 100. 4. is perfectly good, & in proprietie, none but he.Math. 19. 17.
[Page 10]Secondly, the materi [...]ll cause, or matter whereof woman was made, was of a refined mould, if I may so speake: for man was created of the dust of the earth, but woman was madeGenesis 2. 7. of a part of man, after that he was a liuing soule: yet was shee not produced from Adams foote, to be his too low inferiour; nor from his head to be his superiour, but from his side, neare his heart, to be his equall; that where he is Lord, she may be Lady: and therefore saith God concerning man and woman iointly, Let them rule Genesis 1. 26. ouer the fish of the Sea, and ouer the foules of the Heauen, and ouer euery beast that moueth vpon the earth: By which words, he makes their authority equall, and all creatures to be in subiection vnto them both. This being rightly considered, doth teach men to make such account of their wiues, as Adam did of Eue, This is bone of Genesis 2. 23. my bone, and flesh of my flesh: As also, that they neyther doe or wish any more hurt vnto them, then vnto their owne bodies: for men ought to loue their wiues as themselues, because heeEphes. 5. 28. that loues his wife, loues himselfe: And neuer man hated his owne flesh (which the woman is) vnlesse a monster in nature.
Thirdly, the formall cause, fashion, and proportion of woman was excellent: For she was neyther like the beasts of the earth, foules of the ayre, fishes of the Sea, or any other inferiour creature, but Man was the onely obiect, which she did resemble. For as God gaue man [Page 11] a lofty countenance, that hee might looke vp toward Heauen, so did he likewise giue vnto woman. And as the temperature of mans body is excellent, so is womans. For whereas other Creatures, by reason of their grosse humours, haue excrements for their habite, as foules, their feathers, beasts, their haire, fishes, their scales, man and woman onely, haue theirGen. 1. 26. skinne cleare and smoothe. And (that more is) in the Image of God were they both created; yea and to be briefe, all the parts of their bodies, both externall and internall, were correspondent and meete each for other.
Fourthly and lastly, the finall cause, or end, for which woman was made, was to glorifie God, and to be a collaterall companion for man to glorifie God, in vsing her bodie, and all the parts, powers, and faculties thereof, as instruments for his honour: As with her voiceExod. 15. 20. to sound foorth his prayses, like Meriam, and the rest of her company; with her tongue not to vtter words of strife, but to giue good councell vnto her husband, the which hee must not despise. For Abraham was bidden to giue eareGenesis 21. 12 to Sarah his wife. Pilate was willed by his wife not to haue anie hand in the condemning of CHRIST; and a sinne it was in him, that heeMath. 27. 19. listned not to her: Leah and Rachel councelled Iaacob to do according to the word of the Lord:Genesis 31. 16 and the Shunamite put her husband in mind of harbouring the Prophet Elisha: her hands shold2 Kings 4. 9. [Page 12] be open according to her abilitie, in contributing towards Gods seruice, and distressed seruants, like to that poore widdow, which cast two mites into the Treasurie; and as Marie Luke 8. Magdalen, Susanna, and Ioanne the wife of Herods Steward, with many other, which of their substance ministred vnto CHRIST. Her heart should be a receptacle for Gods Word, like Mary that treasured vp the sayings of CHRISTLuke 1. 51. in her heart. Her feete should be swift in going to seeke the Lord in his Sanctuarie, as Marie Magdalen made haste to seeke CHRIST at his Sepulchre. Finally, no power externall orIohn 20. 1. internall ought woman to keep idle, but to imploy it in some seruice of GOD, to the glorie of her Creator, and comfort of her owne soule.
The other end for which woman was made, was to be a Companion and helper for man; and if she must be an helper, and but an helper, then are those husbands to be blamed, which lay the whole burthen of domesticall affaires and maintenance on the shoulders of their wiues. For, as yoake-fellowes they are to suftayne part of ech others cares, griefs, and calamities: But as if two Oxen be put in one yoke, the one being bigger then the other, the greater beares most weight; so the Husband being the stronger vessell is to beare a greater burthen then his wife; And therefore the Lord said to Adam, In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate thy bread, Gen. 3. 19. [Page 13] till thou returne to the dust. And Saint Paul saith, That he that prouideth not for his houshold is 1. Tim. 5. 8. worse then an Infidel. Nature hath taught senselesse creatures to helpe one another; as the Male Pigeon, when his Hen is weary with sitting on her egges, and comes off from them, supplies her place, that in her absence they may receiue no harme, vntill such time as she is fully refreshed. Of small Birds the Cocke alwaies helpes his Hen to build her nest; and while she sits vpon her egges, he flies abroad to get meat for her, who cannot then prouide any for her selfe. The crowing Cockrell helpes his Hen to defend her Chickens from perill, and will indanger himselfe to saue her and them from harme. Seeing then that these vnreasonable creatures, by the instinct of nature, beare such affection each to other, that without any grudge, they willingly, according to their kind, helpe one another, I may reason à minore ad maius, that much more should man and woman, which are reasonable creatures, be helpers each to other in all things lawfull, they hauing the Law of God to guide them, his Word to bee a Lanthorne vnto their feete, and a Light vnto their pathes, by which they are excited to a farre more mutuall participation of each others burthen, then other creatures. So that neither the wife may say to her husband, nor the husband vnto his wife, I haue no need of thee, no more then the members of the body may [Page 14] so say each to other, betweene whom there is1. Cor. 12. 21. such a sympathie, that if one member suffer, all suffer with it: Therefore though God bade Abraham forsake his Countrey and Kindred, yet he bade him not forsake his wife, who being Flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, was to bee copartner with him of whatsoeuer did betide him, whether ioy or sorrow. Wherefore Salomon saith, Woe to him that is alone; for whenEccles 4. 10. thoughts of discomfort, troubles of this world, and feare of dangers do possesse him, he wants a companion to lift him vp from the pit of perplexitie, into which hee is fallen: for a goodEccles. 4. 10. wife, saith Plautus, is the wealth of the minde, and the welfare of the heart; and therefore a meete associate for her husband; And Woman, saith Paul, is the glorie of the man. 1. Cor. 11. 7.
Marriage is a merri-age, and this worlds Paradise, where there is mutuall loue. Our blessed Sauiour vouchsafed to honour a marriage with the first miracle that he wrought, vnto whichIohn 2. miracle matrimoniall estate may not vnfitly bee resembled: For as Christ turned water into wine, a farre more excellent liquor; which, as the Psalmist saith, Makes glad the heart of man; Psal, 104. 15. So the single man is by marriage changed from a Batchelour to a Husband, a farre more excellent title: from a solitarie life vnto a ioyfull vnion and coniunction, with such a creature as God hath made meete for man, for whom none was meete till she was made. The enioying of [Page 15] this great blessing made Pericles more vnwilling to part from his wife, then to die for his Countrie; And Antonius Pius to poure forth that patheticall exclamation against death, for depriuing him of his deerely beloued wife, O cruell hard-hearted death in bereauing mee of her whom I esteemed more then my owne life! A vertuous Prou. 12. 4. woman, saith Salomon, is the Crowne of her husband; By which metaphor hee sheweth both the excellencie of such a wife, and what account her husband is to make of her: For a King doth not trample his Crowne vnder his feete, but highly esteemes of it, gently handles it, and carefully laies it vp, as the euidence of his Kingdome; and therefore when Dauid destroyed Rabbah hee tooke off the Crowne from their1. Chron. 20. 2. Kings head: So husbands should not account their wiues as their vassals, but as those that are heires together of the grace of life, and with1. Pet. 3. 7. all lenitie and milde perswasions set their feete in the right way, if they happen to tread awry, bearing with their infirmities, as Elkanah did1. Sam. 1. 17. with his wiues barrennesse.
The Kingdome of God is compared vntoMath. 22. the marriage of a Kings sonne: Iohn calleth theReu. 19. 7. coniunction of Christ and his Chosen, a Marriage: And not few, but many times, doth our blessed Sauiour in the Canticles, set forth his vnspeakeable loue towards his Church vnder the title of an Husband reioycing with his Wife; and often vouchsafeth to call her his [Page 16] Sister and Spouse, by which is shewed that with God is no respect of persons, Nations, orRom. 2. 11. Sexes: For whosoeuer, whether it be man or woman, that doth beleeue in the Lord Iesus, such shall bee saued. And if Gods loue euen fromIohn 3. 18. the beginning, had not beene as great toward woman as to man, then would hee not haue preserued from the deluge of the old world as many women as men; nor would Christ after his Resurrection haue appeared vnto a woman first of all other, had it not beene to declare thereby, that the benefites of his death and resurrection, are as auaileable, by beleefe, for women as for men; for hee indifferently died for the one sex as well as the other: Yet a truth vngainesayable1. Cor. 11. 3. is it, that the Man is the Womans Head; by which title yet of Supremacie, no authoritie hath hee giuen him to domineere, or basely command and imploy his wife, as a seruant; but hereby is he taught the duties which hee oweth vnto her: For as the head of a man is the imaginer and contriuer of proiects profitable for the safety of his whole body; so the Husband must protect and defend his Wife from iniuries: For he is her Head, as Christ is the Head of his Church, Ephe. 5. 23. which hee entirely loueth, and for which hee gaue his very life; the decrest thing any manIob 2. 4. hath in this world; Greater loue then this hath no Iohn 15. 13. man, when he bestoweth his life for his friend, saith our Sauiour: This president passeth all other patternes, it requireth great benignity, [Page 17] and enioyneth an extraordinary affection, For men must loue their wiues, euen as Christ loued his Church. Secondly, as the Head doth not iarre or contend with the members, which being many, as the Apostle saith, yet make but one bodie; no1. Cor. 12. 20. more must the husband with the wife, but expelling all bitternesse and cruelty hee must liueCol. 3. 19. with her louingly, and religiously, honouring her as the weaker vessell. Thirdly, and lastly, as1. Pet. 3. 7. hee is her Head, hee must, by instruction, bring her to the knowledge of her Creator, that so she may be a fit stone for the Lords building.1. Cor. 14. 35. Women for this end must haue an especiall care to set their affections vpon such as are able to teach them, that as they grow in yeares, they may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ 1. Pet. 3. 18. Iesus our Lord.
Thus if men would remember the duties they are to performe in being heads, some would not stand a tip-toe as they doe, thinking themselues Lords & Rulers, and account euery omission of performing whatsoeuer they command, whether lawfull or not, to be matter of great disparagement, and indignity done them; whereas they should consider, that women are enioyned to submit themselues vnto their husbands no otherwaies then as to the Lord; so thatEphes 5. from hence, for man, ariseth a lesson not to bee forgotten, that as the Lord commandeth nothing to be done, but that which is right and good, no more must the husband; for if a wife [Page 18] fulfill the euill command of her husband, shee obeies him as a tempter, as Saphira did Ananias. Actes 5. 2. But least I should seeme too partiall in praysing women so much as I haue (though no more then warrant from Scripture doth allow) I adde to the premises, that I say not, all women are vertuous, for then they should be more excellent then men, sith of Adams sonnes there was Cain as well as Abel, and of Noahs, Cham as well as Sem; so that of men as of women, there are two sorts, namely, good and bad, which in Mathew the fiue and twenty chapter, are comprehended vnder the name of Sheepe and Goats. And if women were not sinfull, then should they not need a Sauiour: but the Virgin Mary a patterne of piety, reioyced in God her Sauiour: Luke 1. 47. Ergo, she was a sinner. In the Reuelation the Church is called the Spouse of Christ; and in Zachariah, wickednesse is called a woman, toZach. 5. 7. shew that of women there are both godly and vngodly: For Christ would not Purge his Floore if there were not Chaffe among the Wheate; nor should gold neede to bee fined, if among it there were no drosse. But farre be it from any one, to condemne the righteous with the wicked,Gen. 18. 25. or good women with the bad (as the Bayter of women doth:) For though there are some scabbed sheepe in a Flocke, we must not therefore conclude all the rest to bee mangie: And though some men, through excesse, abuse Gods creatures, wee must not imagine that all men [Page 19] are Gluttons; the which wee may with as good reason do, as condemne all women in generall, for the offences of some particulars. Of the good sort is it that I haue in this booke spoken, and so would I that all that reade it should so vnderstand me: for if otherwise I had done, I should haue incurred that woe, which by the Prophet Isaiah is pronounced against them that speake well of euill, and shouldEsay 5. 20. haue instified the wicked, which Prou. 17. 15. thing is abhominable to the Lord.