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 Saint Peter sayeth expressly,¹ that when a man is oversharp and rigorous too his wife, and the wife also on her side is stubborn, so as he is not able too wield her by any means, nor she willing too submit her self as she ought too do: then are their prayers broken of. As if he should say, wretched folk whereon think ye? Are ye not very miserable, seeing the gate is shut against you that ye cannot call upon God? Now then what will become of us, when we cannot betake our selves into the hand of our God? It were better for us too be drowned a hundred thousand times. Seeing then that God loveth the quietness both of the men and of the women, in commanding us too live in peace and concord, and moreover •iddeth them come unto him, saying: when the husband governeth his wife ⟨image 321⟩quietly, and the wife on her side doth her duty too: then if ye call upon me, I will hear you as it were out of […] mouth: seeing (say I) that our Lord calleth us to him for our own benefit and welfare, when he commandeth us too call upon him with a pure hart: must it not needs be that we are possessed of the devil, and have forgone all our wits, if we accept not so good and profitable a condition? Therefore let us mark well, that if the husband intend too discharge his duty, and the wife likewise: both of them must have an eye unto God, and hold their marriage of him, assuring themselves that they met not at all adventure, but that the Lord coupled them together, too the end that the husband should be as a companion too his wife, and receive her as a part of him self: and the wife yield the degree of honour•too her husband, as belongeth too him in respect of God, and submit her self too him as too her head. Thus the best may too hearken unto God, and too obey him in this case, is too take him for the author of wedlock, too be ruled by him in all things. And let not the husband trouble him self too much in looking upon the faults of his wife, too say, what shall I do with this carrion? For we know that reproaches are loathsome and heinous. Also let not the wife look at the things that are in her husband, to say, he is a very devil, and cannot be won by any means:

Now Saint Peter sayeth expresly,¹