Moreover like as God & faith should not be denied or forsaken with the marriage, even so they which are next to god (as father & mother ought not to be neglected & 1despised. For though God said: A man shall forsake father & mother, & keep him to his wife, yet those his words in the same place, are concerning marriage that is made already (what duty they ye are married owe the one to the other) & are not touching the contracting of wedlock, that children may marry, without the respect, knowledge or consent of their parents, under whose authority & jurisdiction they be. And I wonder what the papisti call books & learned men did mean, when they ⟨image 29⟩taught that the consent only of both the parties doth fasten the matter, & coupleth them together in marriage: The consent of the parents also, say they is good with all, but when they two have consented, and one hath taken the other, the knot can not be unknit, neither may the parents separate them from a sunder Where as laws both natural (divine specially) and civil, require the parents consent to the children's marriage: In so much that they judge the promise to be of no value, which is made without the knowledge of the parents yea & that also in those children, which as yet are not come to their years, & are yet under the tuition of their elders. For in as much as the children are not yet come to perfect discretion they can not contract marriage which requireth understā ding, yea they can nether counsel nor help them selves. So y• in this behalf y• consent of their parents is not only necessary but also good & pro fitable for them, As for privy contracts which are not made according to the laws, they have ever been rejected, neither were they acceptable to any 2man, save unto such as were ignorant and wicked. For why: for the most part they are made of some fond affection, yea knavery, falsehood & deceit is commonly the doer, to persuade, & by words to take young folks in the snare. Many privy contracts are brought to pass with flattery, ⟨p. xi⟩with drunkenness, with rewards & promises, whereby young ignorant people are utterly beguiled & destroyed. To give liberty & licence unto such, is even as much as to give a mad man a sword, & a knife to a young child, yea a very slam 3dering is it & a dishonouring of marriage.
MOreouer lyke as God & faythe shoulde not be denyed or forsakē wythe ye mariage, euē so they whiche are nexte to god (as father & mother ought not to be neglected & 1despysed. For though God sayd: A mā shall forsake father & mother, & kepe him to his wyfe, yet those his wordes in ye same place, are cōcerninge mariage yt is made alredy (what duty they ye are maried owe ye one to ye other) & are not touching the contractyng of wedlocke, that chyldren may mary, without the respecte, knowledge or cōsent of theyr parētes, vnder whose authorite & iurisdiccion they be. And I wonder what the papisti call bokes & learned men dyd meane, whan they ⟨image 29⟩taught that the consent only of both the parties doth fastē the matter, & coupleth thē togither in mariage: The cōsent of ye parētes also, say they is good with all, but whan they two haue cōsen ted, and one hath taken the other, ye knot can not be vnknyt, neyther maye the parentes seperate thē from a sunder Wher as lawes both natural (diuine specially) and ciuile, require the parētes consent to the chyldrens mariage: In so much yt they iudge the promyse to be of no value, which is made without the knowledge of the parentes yea & that also in those chyldrē, which as yet are not come to theyr yeares, & are yet vnder the tui cion of theyr elders. Forin as much as the chyldrē are not yet come to perfecte discreciō they cā not cōtracte mariage which requireth vnderstā dyng, yea they can nether coūsayle nor helpe thē selues. So y• in this behalfe y• cōsent of theyr parentes is not only necessary but also good & pro fitable for thē, As for preuy cōtractes which are not made according to the lawes, they haue euer bene reiected, neyther were they acceptable to any 2man, saue vnto suche as were ignoraunt and wycked. For why: for the moost parte they are made of some fond affecciō, yea knauery, falshod & disceate is commōly the doer, to persuade, & by wordes to take yong folkes in the snare. Many priuy cōtractes are brought to passe wt flattery, ⟨p. xi⟩wyth dronckennes, wyth rewardes & promises, wherby young ignoraunt people are vtterly begyled & destroyed. To gyue liberte & licēce vnto suche, is euen as muche as to gyue a mad mā a swerd, & a knyfe to a yong chyld, yea a very slaū 3dering is it & a dishonouryng of mariage.
- 1Mark well.Marke wel.
- 2Privy contracts.Preuy contractes.
- 3Note.
