The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

And the wives that were the owners of their handmaids, gave them in marriage to their husbands, upon divers occasions. Sarah gave her maid Hagar in marriage ¹to Abraham. Lia gave in like manner her maid Zilpah to her husband Jacob. So did Rachel his other wife give him Bil•am her maid, saying unto him: Go in unto her, and she ²shall bear upon my knees, which is, as if she had said, take her to wife, and the children that she shall bear, will I take upon my lap, and make of them as if they were mine own. These handmaidens or bond women, although by marriage they were made wives, yet they had not this prerogative to rule in the house, but were still underlings, and in subjection to their masters, and were never called mothers of the household, mistresses, or dames of the house, but are called sometimes wives, sometime concubines. The plurality of wives, was by a special prerogative suffered to the fathers of the old Testament, not for satisfying their carnal and fleshly lusts, but to have many children, because every one of them hoped, and begged oft times of God in their prayers, that that blessed seed which God promised should come into the world to break the serpents head, might come and be borne of his stock and kindred.

And the wyues that were the owners of their handmaydes, gaue them in mariage to their husbandes, vppon diuers occasions. Sara gaue her maide Agar in mariage ¹to Abraham. Lia gaue in lyke maner her mayde Zilpha to her husbande Jacob. So dyd Rachell his other wyfe geue hym Bil•am her mayde, saying vnto hym: Go in vnto her, and she ²shall beare vppon my knees, whiche is, as if she had sayde, take her to wyfe, and the chyldren that she shall beare, wyll I take vpon my lappe, and make of them as if they were myne owne. These handmaydens or bond women, although by mariage they were made wyues, yet they had not this prerogatiue to rule in the house, but were styll vnderlinges, and in subiection to their maisters, and were neuer called mothers of the houshold, maistresses, or dames of the house, but are called sometymes wyues, sometyme concubines. The pluralitie of wyues, was by a speciall prerogatiue suffered to the fathers of the olde Testament, not for satisfiyng their carnall and fleshly lustes, but to haue many children, because euery one of them hoped, and begged oft tymes of God in their prayers, that that blessed seede whiche God promised shoulde come into the worlde to breake the serpentes head, myght come and be borne of his stocke and kinred.