A bride-bush, or A wedding sermon compendiously describing the duties of married personsA bride-bush, or A vvedding sermon compendiously describing the duties of married persons

and if tired, that doth more hurt. So the husband should govern his wife, & provoke her to accomplish his will with quiet, pleasing and insinuating terms, rather than open and express, much less violent commandings, unless she be more then ordinarily unruly. Christ beseecheth his Church most an end, which he might with most right command. ⟨p. 30⟩Let the husband imitate that best husband, and beware of, Do it, or you had best; and, You shall whether you will or no; I will have it so to cross you, &c. Such an husband will cross himself most. Violent things are never of long continuance. And this is mildness in commanding.

and if tiry, that doth more hurt. So the husband should gouerne his wife, & prouoke her to accomplish his will with quiet, pleasing and insinuating termes, rather than open and expresse, much lesse violent commandings, vnlesse shee bee more then ordinarily vnruly. Christ beseecheth his Church most an end, which hee might with most right command. ⟨p. 30⟩Let the husband imitate that best husband, and beware of, Doe it, or you had best; and, You shall whether you will or no; I will haue it so to crosse you, &c. Such an husband will crosse himselfe most. Violent things are neuer of long continuance. And this is mildnesse in commanding.

24. It must be used in reproving, where it is rather more necessary, by how much bitterness is less to be brooked, and a reproof less easy to be borne. And this must also be showed in the matter, and in the manner of a reproof. For the matter, in not finding fault for every trifle that he sees amiss, nor chiding for every infirmity. Many things must be passed by (yea all things that be not somewhat gross, and would endanger the wives self, if she should not hear of them roundly) with none or half a word. This effect of love is very needful towards strangers, that it passeth by wants and weaknesses; much more in the household, and in the nearest couple of the household. Charity is in this sense a great cover-fault; it will see none but where they be; and many it will see and not see, and not speak of, and it descends to a reproof with a willing unwillingness. This virtue should abound in this society. Here Christs example must be followed of all husbands. He shuts his eyes as it were, and will not spy out all his Churches faults; he will not mark extremely what is done amiss; he knows she is but dust, and is assured that she cannot but offend in many things: Yet he puts it up, and not so much as checks her, unless she comes to some wilfulness in sinning. Let all that be husbands do likewise: consider you be matched with women, the weaker vessels: think how many faults your selves have; and if they have some, wonder not that they be so many, but that not more; and with silence, so much as is possible; and when it is lawful to be silent (viz. in weaknesses and infirmities) strive to amend them. It is a great deal safer here to be defective than to exceed; to be somewhat purblind, than too Eagle-eyed.