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

Why wilt thou teach thy children to be rebellious, and show thy servants how to swell, pout, and fume? Thinkest thou such behaviour will not infect? Shall not they also use it to thee? or is it less tolerable in thee? Be submissive rather, and let them learn reverence from thee to practise to thee. That woman makes her self vile, that sets her husband at nought, or else seems to do it.

Why wilt thou teach thy children to bee rebellious, and shew thy seruants how to swell, pout, and fume? Thinkest thou such behauiour will not infect? Shall not they also vse it to thee? or is it lesse tollerable in thee? Bee submissiue rather, and let them learne reuerence from thee to practise to thee. That woman makes her selfe vile, that sets her husband at nought, or else seemes to doe it.

32. Secondly, the wife must express reverence towards her husband in her speeches and gestures before him and in ⟨p. 40⟩his presence to others. His company must make her more respective how she carries herself towards any else. Her words must not be loud and snappish to the children, to the servants in his sight. If she perceive a fault, yet must consider, that her better stands by, and not speak without necessity; and then utter that in more still and mild manner, which in his absence she may set on with more roundness. No woman of government will allow her children and servants to be loud and brawling before her; and shall she before her husband be so herself? What is become of inferiority then? Yea her reverence doth enjoin her silence when she stands by. I mean not utter abstinence from speech, but using few words, and those low and mild, not eager,¹ not loud. Paul commands the women to learn in silence. The word is, in quietness: wherein be not alone enjoins a public, but even a general silence to hold in the house and other like meetings: for why should that be restrained without any need, which doth well receive a larger extent? The reason of which duty is grounded even upon the consideration of the two sexes: for even as youth is inferior to age, and the young folk to the aged (unless some other respect do over-balance this difference, as sometimes it falls out that the younger is in authority, and the elder under it; the younger hath more excellent gifts; the elder fewer, and such like; by which the inferiority of young men is shadowed, and as it were covered:) so is the male sex preferred before the female in degree of place & dignity, as all men will yield that read what the Scriptures speak in that behalf. Now if there be an inferiority of the sex, by what thing should it be better expressed, rather then this, by which also younger people must testify theirs, namely, to speak little and low before them? For what less thing can be required in witness of this difference? Let women then either excuse chat and loudness in young folks before their ancients, in children and servants before them; or else condemn it in themselves before their husbands, yea before any men. I know this