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 thereupon Saint Paul concludeth, Therefore let the husband love his wife, and let the wife honour or fear her husband. For the word that he useth, signifieth too fear: but it is taken here for the reverence and subjection which the wife oweth to her husband. And here we have too mark the difference that is put between the duty of the husband, and the duty of the wife. God commandeth not the husband too fear his wife, but he commaunde•• him to• love her. There is yet more in the woman: that is wit, that she must be subject. If a man demand, How then? Doth the husband owe none honour too his wife? It is not possible to love rightly and with a pure hart, where there is no reverence: for a man will n• uer love him whom he despiseth. The world doth in deed call it love, but (too speak properly) if I love a wanton person or a jester, because he makes me some sport or pleaseth me, that is no true love: but there must be a linking together, and an agreement in good manners, so as a man have always good estimation and opinion of him whom he loveth. In like case is it between a man and his wife. For when I think with my self, She is a portion of my self, she is the one half of my person: is it possible that I should despise her? The man then must honour his wife, howbeit not by subjection that he should not always abide in his state as head, and have the governing of his wife. That is the cause why Saint Paul requireth nothing at the husbands hand, but that he should love his wife. In another text too the Colossians he addeth,¹ that they should not be bitter too them. For if there be love, surely he that loveth, will bear with many faults and infirmities of his friend. And if we do it one too another: much more ought the husband too do it towards her whom he knoweth too be given him of God, that he should love her as his own body:² And therefore Saint Peter sayeth expressly, that men must have discretion and wisdom too help their wives infirmities, by bearing with their frailty. If a man take a toy in his head, that his wife is unconstant and light: or too be short, if he despise her under pretence that she is not a man: it is an ill regarding of her. For though she be frail, he must consider that there is the like in himself, and thereupon bear with her, as he would be borne withal himself.