Of domesticall duties eight treatises. I. An exposition of that part of Scripture out…

Object. Then belike a wife must be always mute before her husband.

Obiect. Then belike a wife must be alwayes mute before her husband.

Answ. No such matter: for silence in that place is not opposed to speech, as if she should not speak at all, but to loquacity, to talkativeness, to over-much tattling: her husbands presence must some what restrain her tongue, and so will her very silence testify a reverend respect. Otherwise silence, as it is opposed to speech, would imply stoutness of stomach, and stubbornness of heart, which is an extreme contrary to loquacity. But the mean betwixt both, is for a wife to be sparing in speech, to expect a fit time and just occasion of speech, to be willing to hearken to the word of knowledge coming out of her husbands mouth. This argueth reverence. ^dElihu manifested the reverend respect, which as a younger he bare to his elders, by for bearing to speak while they had any thing to say. How much more ought wives in regard both of their sex and of their place?

Answ. No such matter: for silence in that place is not opposed to speech, as if she should not speake at all, but to loquacitie, to talkatiuenesse, to ouer-much tatling: her husbands presence must some what restraine her tongue, and so will her verie silence testifie a reuerend respect. Otherwise silence, as it is opposed to speech, would imply stoutnesse of stomacke, and stubbornnesse of heart, which is an extreme contrarie to loquacitie. But the meane betwixt both, is for a wife to be sparing in speech, to expect a fit time and iust occasion of speech, to be willing to hearken to the word of knowledge comming out of her husbands mouth. This argueth reuerence. ^dElihu manifested thereuerend respect, which as a younger he bare to his elders, by for bearing to speake while they had any thing to say. How much more ought wiues in regard both of their sex and of their place?