The sermons of M. John Calvin, upon the Epistle of S. Paul too the…The sermons of M. Iohn Caluin, vpon the Epistle of S. Paule too the…

Now the holyest band that God hath set among us, is the bond between man and wife. That is the cause why Saint Paul saith, that a man cannot love his wife, but he must love him self: and contrariwise, that if he despise his wife or hate her, it is all one as if he fall at odds with him self. And is that possible? Heretofore he had exhorted husbands too do their duties, by having an eye too the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he had alleged, that the Son of God had given him self too the death too wash his Church: so that although it was poor and miserable, and full of filth and uncleanness: ⟨image 311⟩[…] suffered that which was needful for ou• salvation, he left us moreover a record of the grace which he hath purchased •or us. Insomuch that in B•btim we have a visible token, that the blu• of our Lord Jesus Christ is our washing and cleansing. Can we think upon all these things, and not be moved too some gentleness? Yea if we consider first of all that we •ee but wretched worms of the earth, and (too be short) that there is nothing in us but utter misery, so as we may well •ee called vermin, and carrions full of all corruption and loathsomeness: and afterward compare our selves with the Son of God: ought there too be any such pride in us, as too esteem and commend our selves, and too •read others under our feet? Now if this be general too all men (as I said:) what shall it be between man and wife? For the knot that God hath knit betwixt them is such, that the husband is (as ye would say (but half him self, & may no more separate him self from his wife, than the wife may separate her self from her husband, but each of them must have regard too their own state, as shall be declared in the end, and hath bin partly declared already. The husband is in deed the head, but the woman is the body. And whereas the head hath preeminence and sovereignty over the body, it doth not therefore follow, that he should hold scorn of it, or be glad too have it shamed or reproached: for doth not the honour of the head extend too the whole body? But now forasmuch as husbands are not sufficiently moved with the reason that is taken of our Lord Jesus Christ: Saint Paul bringeth them back too their original.