A14992:86
A care-cloth
A care-cloth: or a treatise of the cumbers and troubles of marriage intended to advise them that may, to shun them; that may not, well and patiently to bear them. By William Whately, preacher of the word of God in Banbury, in Oxfordshire.A care-cloth: or a treatise of the cumbers and troubles of marriage intended to aduise them that may, to shun them; that may not, well and patiently to beare them. By William Whately, preacher of the word of God in Banbury, in Oxfordshire.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1624
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
CHAP. IX. Containing the first use of the former point.
CHAP. IX. Containing the first vse of the former point.
And this troublesomeness of marriage, gives cause of giving counsel to the unmarried persons, as also to the married. The former must be advised to use wariness afore marrying, and to provide themselves well for each of these troubles, when they do marry. The other must endeavour so far as is possible, to prevent the troubles, and to be thankful, if his lot have been to meet but with few, or at least, the easiest of them. Now then, those amongst you that are yet single, must be taught to lay this point well to heart, that they may keep themselves from an unnecessary hastiness to enter upon this ordinance; I mean, before they be called of God ⟨p. 61⟩thereto; that is, before they have carefully used all other means of over-ruling themselves. It falls out many times, that rash and undiscreete Youths (finding a little trouble, in being subject to their Parents and Masters) entertain a strong conceit, how happily they should live, if they were married. Hence, having so shallow and silly a brain, as not to be able to conceive of more, in discourse of reason, then they can see and feel with their bodily senses, by and by they run together, come of it what will, and afterwards wish bootlessly, that they had entertained their former estate with more contentedness: yea, some that have lived long in virginity, and see almost all their youngers married before them, and therefore also set above them in meetings, and more familiarly entertained then themselves (not knowing how hard a pennyworth this honour is to them, that have paid for it) are moved with envy, to become wives or husbands, and (as if it were a disparagement for them, to have lived virgins) do but even long for an offer, to make an ill bargain, and sell away their own rest, for a thing of nothing. And there are found also in the world some persons, that no sooner feel a little moving of natural desires to the wedded condition, but that they yield straight to their own luxurious fancies, & will never be at pains to resist such motions, because they desire rather to satisfy them. Now all such persons should be persuaded to take into their thoughts, & to consider most advisedly of