A17183:897
Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)
Fifty godly and learned sermons divided into five decades, containing the chief and principal points of Christian religion, written in three several tomes or sections, by Henry Bullinger minister of the church of Tigure in Switzerland. Whereunto is adjoined a triple or three-fold table very fruitful and necessary. Translated out of Latin into English by H.I. student in divinity.Fiftie godlie and learned sermons diuided into fiue decades, conteyning the chiefe and principall pointes of Christian religion, written in three seuerall tomes or sections, by Henrie Bullinger minister of the churche of Tigure in Swicerlande. Whereunto is adioyned a triple or three-folde table verie fruitefull and necessarie. Translated out of Latine into English by H.I. student in diuinitie.
London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralph Newberrie, 1577London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralphe Newberrie, 1577
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.
But that this holy knot may be the surer, it is available that marriages 1be made holily, lawfully, & with discretion in the fear of the Lord. Let them not be unwillingly agreed unto and made up by compulsion. First let y• good liking of their consenting minds be joined in one, whom the open profession of mutual consent & outward handfasting must afterward couple together. Let them be matched together that are not severed by alliance of blood and nighness of affinity. Let them be coupled in one, that may marry together by the laws of God and their country, with the consent & coū sell of their friends & parents. Let them which mind marriage, have a sincere hart purposely bent to seek their own safeguard & continual felicity, that is, to respect only the will and pleasure of God, and not admit any evil affections as counsellors to make up the marriage betwixt them. Hierocles in his book De nuptiis saith: It is mere folly and lack of wit which make those things that of themselves are easy to be borne, troublesome, and make a wife a grievous clog to her husband. For marriage to many men hath bin intolerable: not because the wedded state is by default of it self or own proper nature so troublesome and cumbrous, but for our matching as we should not, it falleth out as we would not, and causeth our marriages to be grievous and noisome. To this end verily our daily marriages do commonly come. For they marry wives usually not for the begetting of children or society of life: but some for a great dowry, some for a beautiful body, and some being seduced by such ⟨p. 228⟩kind of causes, as it were men abused by unfaithful counsellors, have no regard to the disposition and manners of their spouse, but marry at adventures to their own decay, and utter destruction. Hereunto belongeth Plutarch's admonition to parents in his treatise of bringing up of children, where he counselleth men to bestow such wives on their sons as are not much wealthier nor mightier, than their children. For a very pithy saying is that usual proverb: Marry a wife of thine own degree. To be short, let the fear of God, the word of God, and earnest prayer poured out to God, be always annexed to the beginning of marriages.
But that this holy knot may be the surer, it is auayleable that marriages 1