Christian Economy, Treatise · Chapter 12
CHAP. 12.
Of the Wife.
THe wife is the other married person, who being subiect to her husband, yeeldeth obedience vntounto him.
Touching the subiection of the wife, the word of God mē tioneth it in sundrie places. Rom. 7. 2. The woman which is in subiection to the man, is bound by the law to the man, while he liueth. Ephes. 5. 24. As the Church is in subiection to Christ, euen so let the wiues bee to their husbands in eueryevery thing. Colos. 3. 18. Wiues submit your selues vntounto your husbands, as it is comely in the Lord. 1. Tim. 2. 12. I permit not a woman—to vsurpe authoritie ouer the man. And it was a law established by God immediately after the fal, Gen. 3. 16. VntoUnto the woman he said, I wil greatly increase, &c. and thy desire shal be subiect to thine husband, and he shall rule ouer thee. Indeed the daughter, according to the Ciuill law, euen when shee is married is*In potestate patris. in the power of her father, and not of her husband. But this is directly against the law of Moses, and crosseth the law of Nature, Leuit. 22. 12. 13. Numb. 30. 13.
Now the duties of the wife, are principally two.
The first is, to submit her selfe to her husband; and to acknowledge and reuerence him as her head in all things. Gen. 20. 16. Likewise Abimelech said vntounto Sarah; Behold thy brother, that is, thy husband, whom thou callest thy brother, is the vaile of thine eyes to all that are with thee. As if he should say, Thy husband is thy head, and hath power ouer thee, and thou oughtest to reuerence him. For of ancient times, the wife was couered with a vaile in the presence of her husband, in token of subiection to him. Thus Rebekah at the sight of Isaak tooke a vaile, and couered her head therewith, Gen. 24. 65. 1. Cor. 11. 3. The man is the womans head. Ephes. 5. 22. Wiues submit your selues vntounto your husbands, as vntounto the Lord; for the husband is the wiues head, euen as Christ is the head of his Church. The reason hereof is good. For the wife enioyeth the priuiledges of her husband, and is graced by his honor and estimation amongst men. His Nobilitie maketh her noble, though otherwise shee is base and meane; as contrariwise, his basenesse and low degree, causeth her, though shee bee by birth noble and honorable, to bee by estate base and meane.
The second dutie is, to be obedient vntounto her husband in all things; that is, wholly to depend vponupon him, both in iudgement and will. For looke as the Church yeelds obedience to Christ her head, and yeelds her selfe to be commanded, gouerned, and directed by him, so ought the woman to the man. So Sarah is said to obey Abraham, and to giuegive him the termes of obedience, Shee called him Lord, or Sir, 1. Pet. 3. 6. Hence it followeth, that the woman is not to take libertie of wandring, and straying abroad from her owne house, without the mans knowledge & cōsent. 2. King. 4. 22. Then she called to her husband and said, Send with me, I pray thee, one of the yong men, and one of the asses; for I will haste to the man of God, and come againe. Againe, that shee is to follow her husband, when hee flitteth or departeth from place to place, vnlesse hee forsake either her or Christ. To this purpose Paul saith hee had power to lead about a wife, being a sister, as well as the rest of the Apostles, 1. Cor. 9. 5. Thus Sarah went with Abraham into Egypt, Gen. 12. 11. and out of Egypt, Gen. 13. 1. and to Gerar to soiourne there, Gen. 20. 1. 2. 3. Thus the wiues of Iacob departed with him, from their father Laban, Gen. 31. 17.
Contrary to these duties, are the sins of wiues; To be proud, to be vnwilling to beare the authority of their husbāds; to chide and braule with bitternes; to forsake their houses, &c. Prou. 27. 15. A continuall dropping in the day of raine, and a contentious woman are alike. vers. 16. He that hideth her, hideth the winde, & she is as the oyle in his right hand, that vttereth it selfe. Exod. 4. 26. Then Zipporah said, O bloodie husband; because of the Circumcision. It was the fault of the Leuites Concubine, Iudg. 19. 2. Who played the whore, and went away from him vntounto her fathers house to Bethlem Iudah, and there continued the space of foure moneths. It was the sinne of Queene Vashi, who refused to come at the Kings word, which he had giuen in charge to the Eunuches: therefore the King was verie angrie, and his warth kindled in him, Ester 1. 12. Lastly, to be a cause of griefe to their kindred. Thus the proud wiues of Esau, the daughters of the Hittites, were a griefe of mind to Isaak and Rebekah, Gen. 26. 35. & 27. 46.