A preparative to marriage The sum whereof was spoken at a contract, and enlarged…A preparatiue to mariage The summe whereof was spoken at a contract, and inlarged…

For this cause, Malachi saith, ¹that God did create but one Woman for the man, he had power to create moe, but to show that he would have him stick to one, therefore he created of one rib but one wife for one husband: and in the Ark, there were no moe women than men. But four ²wives for four husbands, although it was in the beginning of the world, when many wives might seem necessary to multiply mankind. If any might have a dispensation herein, it seems the King might be privileged before any other, because of succession to the ⟨p. 17⟩Crown, if his wife should happen to be barren. And yet the King is forbidden to take many wives in Deut. 17. 17. as well as ³the Minister in 1. Timo. 3. 2. showing, that the danger of the state, doth not countervail the danger of fornication. For this cause we read of none but wicked Lamech before the Flood, that had moe ⁴wives than one, whom Jovinian calleth a monster, because he made 2. ribs of one. And another saith, that the name of his second wife doth signify a shadow, because she was not a wife, but the shadow of a wife: for this cause the Scripture never biddeth man to love his wives, but to love his Wife, and sayeth, They shall be two in one flesh, not three, nor ⁵four, but only two. For this cause, Solomon calleth the whorish ⟨p. 18⟩woman a strange woman, to show that she should be a stranger to us, and we should be strange to her. ⁶For this cause, children which are borne in marriage, are called Liberi, which signifieth free borne: and they which are borne out of marriage, are called Bastards, that is, base borne, like the Mule which is engendered of an Ass & a Mare.