The seconde boke, of the blessed martir Tertulyan vnto his wyfe.
OF late, my deare beloued wyfe & companion in the lord, as wel as I coulde, I aduertysed you, what lyfe beste besemed: & was moste decente for a godlye woman, that was losed by any occasion, from Matrimonie. Nowe hauynge regarde vnto the infirmites of man, beyng moued therunto by the example of certayne persons, the which by reason of diuorsement or deathe of their housbande, had occasion geuen them to lyue chaste, they not wt standynge, haue not onlye, forsaken [Page] [...] of so great a perfection, but also in maryinge againe, for gote the disciplyne, and commaundement of the lawe, which geueth the wydowes lybertie to marie agayne, vnto whome they wyl, onely that it be done, in ye lorde. Therfore I am in greate perplexitie and troubled, leste that I whiche of late exhorted you, to perceauer and continewe in the state of wydowheed, as a womā contented with one husbande. Nowe makynge mencion of mariage, shulde gyue you occasion to fall from the hygher perfeccion: But in case ye wyll consyder your healthe, ye wyll liue in that state of lyfe, yt shalbe moste commodiouse, thoughe ye do it with payne and force. If the thinge be harde and dyfficile, the more it requireth the [Page] [...] of God. I woulde not haue wrytten, vnto you of this matter, but that I fynde myne owne consciēce, and iudgmēt, careful of your health. Incase the chastitie of the body, that preserueth ye state of wyddowhed, be so greate a gyfte, yt it maye not be suffred or kepte, it maye be had excused,Wed owes cannot mari agayne, except it be to suche as be of the houshold of fayth. thinges that be harde and vneasye to be borne, sone opteineth pardonne. The more fauourable the lawe of god is to permit matrimonie to suche as cannot abstayne, the more it condemneth hym, that maye abstayne, and wyll not.
This approueth ye apostle, whē he speaketh of wyddowes: I woulde saythe he they shoulde contynue, in the same estate. I would they should folow myne example. And when he licenceth them to marye in the lord, when [Page] he sayeth onely in the Lorde, he doth not geue councel, so to do, but earnestlye commaundeth them. Therfore as concernynge mariage agayne, yf we folowe not the commaundement, we fal in daunger of damnacion. For he that passeth not of holsome councel, wil lykewyse neglecte, the commaundement, the one is a councel, and put to the choyse of man, but to offende in the other, is contempte, and iniuries to ye lawe. Therfore seyng, that a certayne woman, forsoke to mary with one, of the housholde of faithe, and ioyned herselfe, to a gentyl as I haue sene the lyke done, before by other. I wounder they could not aproue their so doynge, to be lawful by the scripture, to excuse their wantonnes, and pryde, and the trāsgression of suche holy coūselles. [Page] Doe they thicke they can excuse their faulte,1. Cor. vii by the place of Paule: If any broder, haue an vnbeleuynge wife, and she is cō tented to dwel with him, let him not put her awaye. Lykewyse yf a woman, haue a vnbeleuynge husbande, and he is cō tented to dwel with her, let her not put him awaye, for the vnbeleuīg housbaude, is sāctified, by the beleuynge wyfe, and the vnbeleuing wife is sanctified by the beleuinge housbande, or else were youre children vncleane. Paraduenture suche as be vnmaried wyll vnderstande this sentence of Paule sympely and playnely. They that so interpretate it do thincke it lawfull, for one of the faythe, to mary an infydele. But god forbyde that a man wyllynglye shoulde thus deceaue him selfe. For truely it is plaine that the scripture speaketh [Page] of them, that were maried before any of them were called to the faithe, as ye wordes plainlye declare: Yf any beleuynge broder haue an vnbeleuīg wife: he dothe not saye: Yf any brother be to be maried to an vnbeleuynge wyfe, he meaneth that the husbande of an vnbeleuyng woman, nowe beyng in matrymonie, and conuerted, maye and oughte to conty [...]e, with hys wyfe, that is to saye, for because the housbande, that is conuerted to the fayth, shal not thincke it lawful to departe any maner of wayes from her, as from a womā of a straunge faithe, in so moche that his reason is thus: God hathe called vs in peace, and it maye be, that the vnbeleuynge woman maye be conuerted of the faithefull housbande by the conuersacion of matrymonye. This lytle sentence [Page] and proposition declarythe it so to be vnderstande.By callinge. S. Paule meneth here no doubt, ye state or condiciō of liuīg, whiche God by his prouidence hath ordened euery man & woman to walke in, after his worde or commaundement. &c For euery mā saythe Paule, as he is called, of the lorde, in the same let hym, abyde, I suppose, suche as be called be vnbeleued & not faithful. For yf he had meant of such, as were in the faythe of Christe before matrimonye, he would absolutelye haue permitted, one of the housholde of faith to haue maryed with the heathen, and yf he had permytted yt, he woulde neuer haue added so diuerse and contrarye a sentēce to his owne permissiō. Saing: the housband beyng deade, the wyfe is at lybertie, to marye to whō she wil, onely in the lorde. There is nothing here to be entreated vpon agayne: For, asmuche as was expedyēt to be spoken of, Christ hath declared it, leste anye man should mysse take this sentence [Page] she may mary to whom she wil, he added, onely in the lorde, that is to say in the name of the lord, whiche is no doubte to a man of the housholde of faith. Christ oure holye sauioure therfore, whiche woulde haue widowes to lyue chastely in theyr wydowhed, who dothe exhorte vs to his example, hathe prescribed none other lycence to marye agayne, sauing onely to suche as be of the congregacion of faith, to this rule & precepte, he hathe Bounde al yt wyll mary agayne: onelye sayth he in ye lord he hathe. &c. added the great waight of his awe: by the whiche wayes and meanes, thou mayste declare this sayinge, and it is of greate waighte. For now he chargeth, then he speketh faire, nowe he geueth commaundemente, then he exhorteth, nowe he prayeth, another tyme he threatneth.
This sentence is often tymes [Page] repeted and approued, brefe & shorte, not withstandynge verie plentuouse and copiouse. This is the condicion of the scripture: Continually obserue it my godly wife: In these mariages, that the apostle forbyddeth men to entre and ioyne thē selfes, who can perceaue how many perils, and ieoperdies of faith there be. The firste is to beweare, leste the fleshe of a christen woman, be defyled by the comyxtion of gē tilite. Some man would moue this question: Then what dyuersite, is there betwene hym yt is called by the lorde in matrymonye beynge a gentyl, and him that is one of the housholde of faythe before his mariage, that bothe they shoulde not a lyke a boyde, the defylynge of their steshe. The one beyng an infydele, is constrayned to leaue his [Page] matrimonye with the christen, the other is souffered to contynue in matrimonie. Yf then we be defiled, by mariyng, one that is not of the housholde of fayth, maye not the one be seperated, as well as the other is not suffered, to be ioyned? I aunswer, yf ye spirite of God, would so gyue chastite, better it were before all other thinges, a man not to couple him selfe in matrimonie, then afterwarde vtterly to breake, & dyssolue matrimonie: For the lorde forbyddeth any deuorce to be made, excepte it be for fornication. As for chastite the lorde alwayes commendeth, the one by the law is commaunded to hym with his wife, the other, hath no lycence to marye. Therfore accordynge to the scripture, they that in matrymonye be called of god, shall so [Page] continue, and yet not therby defiled, yea ye other partie, is rather therby sanctified: with out doubte suche as be of the housholde of faythe, before they marie, yf they couple thē selues wt suche, as be not of their religiō, they cannot sanctifye that matrimony. For that appertaineth onely to the grace of god, to sāctefye that it fyndeth, then yf it cannot be sanctifyed, it is vncleane, and that that is vncleane hathe no parte with that that is holye, but rather with the same fylthynes to deflye and distroye it. These be thre thinges: faythful persons to marie with them, that be not of the housholde of fayth, they be to be condempned of fornication, and to be excomunicated from the company & felowshyp, of the christiane cō gregacion, by the auctoryte of [Page] the Apostels saying. [...] [...] a person cate not, and yet shall we bryng the tables of this matrimonye, before the iudgment seate of the lorde? And shall we saye that this matrimonie, is to be alowed, which god cōdempneth? is it not adultery that is forbydden? is not the mariage with one that is not of the housholde of faythe, vncleane? He doth lesse violate ye tēple of god, & doth lesse iniuries to ye mēbre of Christ, that accompeneth him selfe wt an harlot: For I knowe, we be not at our owne lybertie, but redemed, and that with the raūsom of Christes bludde. Doinge therfore iniuries to oure fleshe, we do hurte him. Then what meaneth he that sayeth, it is synne in dede, to mary with a straunger, but it is but a lytel pretye synne. Where as yf I [Page] shoulde set asyde the iniuries of the fleshe, that appertayneth to the Lorde, euery transgression that is voluntarye, is greate in the syghte of the lord. The more power was geuen to ouercome, the more is the defaulte worthy to be condemned of contumary, and pryde. Let vs reherse the other perilles and daungers of the faithe, whiche the apostle sawe before, whiche are not onely troubelous to ye bodye, but also to the spirite,The incō ueuiency that commeth, of an vnfaithfull or vnmet mariage who doothe doute, but that faythe is daylye put out of remembraūce, by kepynge of familiarite with infydeles. Euel cōmunicacion, corrupteth good maners, howe muche more cōtinual felowship, and daily familiaryte. Euerye faythfull woman oughte to be the seruaunte of god: And howe can she serue two maysters, her lorde God, and her housbande, [Page] deynge none of the housholde of faythe. She that wil please her housebande beynge a gentyle, muste fashion her selfe, after the maner of the gentilles, renderīg vnto him vnchristian reuerence and seruice, in beautie, tricke apparel, worldlye nysenes, deshonest intisemēts: yea ī such estate, ye very secreates of matrimonie be vnhonest, and the vse or beneuolence of the sayde persones, is not practised, as it is amongest godlye persones, reuerentlye, soberlye, and modestlye, as ye necessites of nature requireth and as persons alwayes presēt before the syghte of God. But let the woman marcke or loke, howe the husbande doothe hys deutye to god: Truely she her selfe cannot lyue in a vertuouse trade of lyuynge, that marieth with him that is not of the houshoulde [Page] of fayth, beynge the seruaunte of the dyuell his lorde, to let the godlye mynde and studye of the faithfull. So that yf the Christian congregacion, shoulde assemble together, her husbande woulde appoynte to bathe. If she shoulde go oute of her dore to do any busynes for the chrysten, she shoulde that daye haue moste busynes of her hande: yf she woulde faste, the same daye, woulde her housbande prepare a feste. For what vnfaithfull woulde suffer his wyfe, for the loue of ye poore, to visite streate by streate the cotayges of her poore neyghbours? what vnfaithfull woulde suffre his wyfe to ryse from him to go vnto the conuent vsed in the nyghte? And what infidele without ialousye woulde suffre his wyfe to vse the lordes feaste (whiche he speketh [Page] euel of) without suspycion? who woulde suffere his wyfe to creape in [...]o ye preson,To watche all night i [...] yt solēn feaste [...] Easter? what infidell wold [...] fre his wife. [...] to the martyres of Christ and there to kysse their featters, and now and then, to receaue a brother, with the kysse of peace, and to prepare, & brynge them water for their fete. To be carefull and solycytouse what they shall eate. And yf any brother come from a straunge country, what harboure shall he fynde, in the house of an vnfaithfull man? Yf she woulde geue anye thynge, to the poore, ye garner and store house is locked vp. But there be some yt suffereth, & beareth with oure religion, and doth not crye oute vpō vs. That is not withstandynge a faute, yt ye gentiles, knowe our secretes, and that we be at their cōmaundemēt, and yt the almesse that we geue, is of their goodes. Nowe [Page] the gētil that suffereth his wife so to do, is not ignoraunte, that his wyfe doeth it. Other els yf she kepeth it close, because she knoweth he can not away there withall, it is to be feared leste he shoulde knowe it. Nowe forasmuche as the scripture commaū deth, bothe: that we shoulde worke in the lorde, without the obedience of the infidel, and likewyse without oure owne ieoperdie and peryl: there is no difference, in whiche of these two thou offēdest, either in that thou hast suomitted thy selfe vnder his powere, yf he be contented to suffre thy doynges: or els in that thou hast brought thy selfe, in suche trouble. Caste not saithe Christ your precious stones before swyne, leste they treade vpō thē, with their feete, & so tourne backe, and ouercome you. Your [Page] preciouse stones, are youre badgis of your daylye exercyse, in godlye lyuinge. The more you go aboute, to kepe your religion close, the more you cause, it to be lytle paste of, and cause the curiouse gentile to be the more ware of it. ¶ anne ye hyde your godlye goynge to reste, when ye synge and marcke, both your bedde, & youre bodye, with the sygne of the crosse? and when thou doste but spyt at some vncleane thing, that he dothe, or whē ye shal ryse in the nyghte to praye? Youre husbāde will thinke rather these thīges, to be sorcery and witche crafte: Your husbande may not knowe, what thing that is, that ye eate secreatly in the morning, fastynge, and yf he know it to be breade, he wyl not beleue it to be as it is, To be it is: this the scrame [...] of christes bo [...] & blou [...] & he that knoweth not that mysterie: can he be satisfied [Page] or quyer with him selfe, withoute the suspection of breade Of brede that is of cōmune bread: as though, be wolde say thus will he not thinke, yt it is but bare breade, & not an holy sacrament &c. or poyson?
There be some that bearethe with their wyfes in dede, but they do it of crafte, to deceaue them, and to begile them, whose secreates they hyde, vntyl suche tyme as they maye detect and dysclose it, to their wyfes daunger and peril, whose substaunce, and dowerie shall recompence well ynoughe, their husbandes silēce, & preserue, the reproche of their defamacion, or els at their pleasure, they might accuse thē, to ye higher powers. The which experyence some haue felte in dede, by losing of their goodes, that they had, or be deniynge of their faith: The hande mayde of God, dwelleth, where false goddes be wurshypped, is trobled & vexed, wt supersticious reuerēce [Page] of ydolles, at such solempne feastes, as be appoynted in the begynnynge of the yere, and of the monethe, to the honoure of princes, or kynges, with the flames and odowre of franckinsence: And departeth out of her house, decked with laure leaues, and cādellis, as it were out of a new brodel house, or commen place of horedome, she kepeth companye with her housbande in such fellowshyppes, and manye tymes, in commen tauernes: And many tymes she shall mynister to the wycked, which before, was wōt to mynister vnto saynctes, and yet not hereby so gracyous to knowe the daunger of her damnacion: She shall wayte vpon them, of whome she should haue ben iudge, at whose hande she muste take breade, and of whose cuppe she muste drynke: what [Page] godlye songe maye her husbande synge to her, or she to her husbande? Tushe, let hym heare a tale, of a good supper, of the tauerne, and of the dyuel, or of hel. What communicatiō is there of god? What inuocatiō of Christ? there is no nourishment of faith, but rather mencion, howe to destroye the scripture. Where is the consolacion of the spryte? Where is the holy praisynge of god? All thynges be turned of a nother sorte, all thynges odiouse, contrarye and all thynges damned and reproued, layde in bayte to brynge personnes, from theyr soules healthe. These thynges thoughe they happē to suche to, as were called to the faythe, in the state of heathen, or gentyle matrimony, yet they are excused, as personnes called to the fayth, in the state of gentyle matrimonye, [Page] and therfore be they commaunded, to contynue, and the one is sanctyfyed by the other, & lykewyse there is hope of wynnynge the other partie. If then suche a matrimonye, be alowed of god: Why hathe it no better successe? Why is it not defended from affliction, from oppression, trouble,By defiling, paraduenture he meaueth here, the daunger that maried people, more then vnmaried, be in: to fall from godly exercyses, through the cares of thys worlde, from which ye christen shoulde kepe thē selues vn defiled Iam .i, and defilynge of them selfes, hauynge some proteccyon by the grace of God. For a man that happeneth to marye a woman, whiche hathe after their mariage, receaued the heauenly vertewe, so that it semeth, that god hathe vouchsaued to cal her to suche a state, of suche a man: I saye, the gentyles are aferde to speke so sone yuel of, as of other, in so muche, that she is lesse loked vpon, and hathe her meditacions in the misteries of God, and at lengthe seythe some way [Page] to wynne her husbande. She knoweth or perceaueth that her housbande waxeth better, and begynneth to feare God, so that suche men be the soner wonne, whiche by the grace of God do happen vpon suche a make. For a conclusion, it is an other matter, to fall in to thynges forbydden (which displease god) willingly, and of purpose, sythe that euen as they offēde god, so bring they them selues, into moche inconuenyence. This is once as manifest as the sunne, ye none but wowers, dothe fayne, as thoughe they fauered the christian fayth. Yea, and god shall fynde oute those wemē wel ynoughe, which do not abhorre suche wowers, and all because they myghte be in the more estimacion, so that they take them to their housbā des, aud thereby seclude thē selues, [Page] from the christian faythe. Here haue I rehersed wherfore suche matrimonye can take no good successe: Because it began of yuel, and is condempned, of the lorde. But yet let vs se further, whether this matrymonye be lawful, that declareth vs berelye to be despisers of goddes word. Hathe not all prudente, & wyse lordes or maisters, alwayes forbydden theyr seruauntes, to mary with straungers, leste they should fal in to wantonnes, omyt theyr dewties, and geue awaye theyr masters goodes, to straungers. More ouer there was a lawe amongest the gentiles, that yf any fre mā, had kept an other mannes seruaunt, after that he was admonyshed, he shoulde therby haue loste his libertie, and become a seruaunte. And shall worldelye ordinances [Page] be preferred before the heuenlye decrees, and lawes of god? so that the gentyles shoulde lose their lybertie, for marying with a straunger, and oure wemen shoulde go, and ioyne thē selfes, with seruaūtes of the diuel, and shal neuer the lesse be accompted of the housholde of faythe? But nowe some wyl denye, that euer god taught thē any suche wayes by his apostle: what haue I more to saye, to open and vtter the madnes of this cause, but euen that oure faythe is weake and ready to fall into the concupyscence of worldly lustes or desyres, of whiche thinge we haue experience and fynde it speciallie trewe in rytche and wealthye personnes: For the rytcher and greater fame that the wyddowe is of, so muche the sonet she desyreth a large house or [Page] place, to say her By burdens, he vnder stā deth the ryches & thynke, which hī dereth ye cammels of this world, to go thorowe the straighte dore vnto lyfe. burdēs in: fildes of pleasure, where as her ambicious pryde maye solace or delyte it selfe. The congregacyons of the faythfull do stynke in the eyes of suche a woman, it is harde to fynde a riche man in the churche of god, and also suche a one as As liuith chast: after they haue ben once losed from matrimony I thinke he meuethe &c. lyueth chaste. What then shall wyddowes desyre, mariage of the dyuel? shall they bestowe their gooddes, to be caried in a chartet (or on a goodlye chayre or sladde) or to bye straunge mules to carrye theyr bagage with al? A christen man, ye beynge tytche, would not paraduenture, maintaine these thī ges. I beseche the to calle to thy remembraunce, the women, that amongest the heathen, suche as be of noble progenye and rytche withal, do marye them selues to [...]erye slaues, and vyle persons, [Page] of smalle or no estimacion: either bycause, they wyl satysfye their carnal pleasure, or else because they maye lyue, at their owne libertie: Also many of them wyll marye with their owne seruaū tes, and suche as be set at libertye, yea with suche as be paste leste of, amongest al men, so that they maye haue suche a one, as wyll not breake them, of theyr wyll. Shoulde then a christen woman beyng rytche, despice to marie a christian brother that is not as rytche as she? Naye, she shal be the rytcher for maryinge of this poore mā, For yf ye Kīgdome of heauē belonge vnto the pore, and not to ye ritch: the ritch woman shal finde in poore mā &c. a rytcher ioynter, then the ritch man is able to make her. Well, yf they be of one condicion and lyke rytche, concernynge worldlie substaunce, paraduenture there is dyfference betwene them in ye kyngdome of God. Shoulde a christian [Page] woman doute, inquire and delyberate, whether that man be poore, to whome god hathe geuen, the talent of his gospel? Nowe can I sufficientlie praise, and magnifye the felicite of that matrimonye, whiche the church doth ioyne to gether, confirmed by offringe, ye Aungelles declare it to be sealed, and so sygned, God the father dothe alowe it: And here in the worlde the children cannot lawfullye, and of ryghte, marye without the consente, and good wylles of their parentes. O lorde howe godlye is the matrimonye of thy faythfull, that be of one hope, of one desire,Aposcrophe A cō uersiō of hys tale to god, praysing ye state of godli maa trimony. & of one learnynge, of one teligyon: both of them brothers and systers, bothe of them seruauntes of god, both of thē one, in fleshe and spirite, no dyuersite nor dyfference. They praye together: [Page] They be many tymes myndeful of god, they fast bothe together, the one leadynge the other the waie: the one exhorteth the other. In the temple of god they be together, the maryage that they haue takē, thei obserue in wealthe and woe, the one hydeth nothynge from the other, the one kepeth nothynge close frome the other, the one eschewith not the others companye, the one is not vnkynde to the other, the sycke is frelye visyted, aud the poore sustayned. Their almes, is wyliyngly done, their sacrifyces withoute scrupulosyte: Theyr dayly affayres is done withoute lette, they nede not to crosse them selues by stealthe, nor to be halfe afrayde whē they do salute a christian person, nor yet secretlye to prayse god: psalmes and holy himnes, or oftē times [Page] longe betwene them two, the one contendeth with ye other, who maye beste synge to theyr god. Christe seyng and hearing these thynges reioysethe, vnto thē he sēdeth his peace. Wether such two be, there is he, & where as he is, the deuyll cannot be These be ye thīges that we may gather oute of the sayinges of ye apostle, where he geueth leaue to marie againe. Put thy selfe in remembraunce of these thinges yf nede be, and folowe not the example of other. It is not lawfull otherwyse, for ye faithful to marye. Thoughe it were lawful yet is it not expedyente.