A care-cloth

Reas. The cause then is sin; sin (I say) the makebate betwixt God and man, which with-drawing the creature from his loyalty to the Creator, causeth the Creator in justice to with-draw his favour from the creature, and in stead thereof, to pursue him with his curse. This curse, as it made the fruitful earth to bring forth briers and thorns (which else should never have afforded such unprofitable and hurtful increase) so hath also filled all estates with stirs and confusions, as it were, brambles. Wherefore as any estate doth occasion any person to intermeddle with more businesses, and with more persons; so is it also molested with more troubles, through the unhappy working of the actual corruptions of all parties (to the annoyance of each other) unreasonably discovering themselves. If man had continued in his due loyalty towards his King and Maker, neither Matrimony, nor any other condition of life should have disquieted him with any the least touch of misery. But justice requireth, that Rebels and rebellion be punished. Sin is the sore sauce that distasteth all our comforts; this is like the Coloquintida ⟨p. 42⟩in the pot of pottage, which the Prophets servants had made, that caused the eaters to cry out, Death is in the pot. This is that stinking weed, which dissavours all our sweet flowers: This is the imbitterer of all estates, bringing forth such, and so many disorders in men and women, as make them to bring forth trouble each to other. In marriage, a man is engaged to more businesses and duties, then before; occasioned to deal with more humours, then before; and to stand in need of more things, then before; so will sin and corruption show it self more, then before; and so must he meet with more affliction, then before. This I speak, to free both God, the Author of Marriage; as also Marriage, his ordinance, from all manner of blame and accusations. For if all the hardness wherewith we be molested, do grow from our sin, and our sin arise from Satan's temptation, and the abuse of our own free will, as all these things are most undoubted and certain, why should God be faulted for our misery, seeing he made us not miserable, till we had made ourselves sinful? And why should any estate of life be blamed for our misery, seeing if we were not sinners in it, we should not reap any misery from it?

Reas. The cause then is sinne; sinne (I say) the makebate betwixt God and man, which with-drawing the creature from his loyaltie to the Creator, causeth the Creator in iustice to with-draw his fauour from the creature, and in stead thereof, to pursue him with his curse. This curse, as it made the frutifull earth to bring forth briers and thornes (which else should neuer haue afforded such vnprofitable and hurtfull increase) so hath also filled all estates with stirres and confusions, as it were, brambles. Wherefore as any estate doth occasion any person to intermeddle with more businesses, and with more persons; so is it also molested with more troubles, through the vnhappie working of the actuall corruptions of all parties (to the annoyance of each other) vnreasonably discouering themselues. If man had continued in his due loyaltie towards his King and Maker, neither Matrimonie, nor any other condition of life should haue disquieted him with any the least touch of miserie. But justice requireth, that Rebels and rebellion bee punished. Sinne is the sore sawce that distasteth all our comforts; this is like the Colloquintida