A20559:420
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Then if the husband see his wife in any fault, he thinks, indeed it is a sin, but if I come to tell her of it, she will straight be in a passion and chafe, and so the wife; I confess this sin is dangerous to my husbands soul, but if I should go about to admonish him, he is so hiddie, that he would be bitter & furious against me presently. But now here is a great want of love in either party. For what though your wife will be in a passion? he that loves his wife, would rather she should be in passion against him for a little time, then God with her for ever. And the wife that loves her husband would more willingly suffer her husbands anger and fury for a while for well doing, than he should suffer Gods wrath eternally for ill doing. Whereas they not loving one an other, put it of with silence & dare not speak.
Then if the husband see his wife in any fault, he thinkes, indeede it is a sinne, but if I come to tell her of it, she will streight be in a passion and chafe, and so the wife; I confesse this sinne is dangerous to my husbands soule, but if I should goe about to admonish him, he is so hiddie, that he would be bitter & furious against me presētly. But now here is a great want of loue in eyther partie. For what though your wife will be in a passion? he that loues his wife, would rather shee should be in passion against him for a litle time, then God with her for euer. And the wife that loues her husband would more willingly suffer her husbands anger and futie for a while for well doing, thē he should suffer Gods wrath eternally for ill doing. Whereas they not louing one an other, put it of with silēce & dare not speake.
A fourth fruit of love is, that it arms one against jealousy, the poison of all duty; for love will neither be suspicious in matters of goods, nor jealous in matters of the body. For all jealousy and suspicion (I speak of evil jealousy and suspicion for if their be evident and apparent causes and reasons, then it is just and no fault) but all ill jealousy & causeless suspicion ariseth of one of these two points. First, either that one is or hath been wicked himself, and having been faulty and naught himself, he is ready to judge others by himself, and to measure all with his own measure, or else from a doting affection, that one makes a God of this or that thing, & this is not true love. So when the wife dotes foolishly upon her husband, and makes an idol of him; then is she quickly ready to be jealous, whereas a true and sound love would work the contrary effect in