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…

and therewithal, not despise the order that God hath set among us, but rather be provoked so much the more too do our duty, knowing that if we refuse that condition, we make war against God.

and therewithal, not de•pyze the order that God hath set among vs, but rather bee prouoked so much the more too doo our duetie, knowing that if wee refuze that condition, wee make warre ageinst God.

And now let us come too marriage: which is not a thing ordained by men. We know that God is the author of it, and that it is solemnized in his name, and the Scripture sayeth, it is a holy covenant, and therefore doth it call it divine. Now then, if a wife be stubborn and froward, and cannot find in her hart too bear the yoke: although she do wrong too her husband, yet doth she more wrong too God. And why? For it is his will that that bond should be inviolable: and behold, a mortal creature will needs break it, and pluck it asunder. We see then that in so doing, she bendeth herself against God. On the other side, when the man will needs rule after his own liking and fancy, and despise his wife, or us• her cruelly and tyrantly: he showeth himself too despise God, and too defy him openly. For he ought too know too what end he was created, what the state of wedlock is, and what law God hath set in it. The thing therefore which Saint Paul calleth us unto, is that in all states we should have regard of God. For so long as our eyes rest upon them with whom we be conversant, surely we shall always find excuses enow & too many, to exempt our selves from all law. The husband may allege, I have a spiteful and stubborn wife: or else she is proud, and coy▪ or hath a wicked head of her own: or else is talkative. Again, another perhaps is a drunkard, another an idle housewife, & another of some other lewd disposition. To be short, there is not that man which may not have some colour, if he keep not the faithfulness and honesty of marriage, as becometh him. The wife also for her part shall not be unprovided. For now and then her husband may hap too be testy and riotous, and too have small regard whereto God hath called them. Some are ill husbands and hunters of Taverns (and ale houses:) or else play the unthrifts in gaming and light behaviour. Some are whoremongers, some gluttons, and some drunkards. And so every woman might pretend some excuse too exempt herself from her duty. But when we come too God, we must be fain too cast our heads in our bosom, for it will not boot us too stand checking against him. Although the men misbehave themselves on the one side, and the women