Common Places, Part 2 · Chapter 10 · Section 3
Of Barrenneſſe.
16 Among the Iewes barrenneſſe was reprochfull, In 1. Sam. 1. 10.and was accounted a verie gréeuous infamie, and that for manie cauſes. Firſt, bicauſe it ſéemeth to be repugnant vntounto that precept, wherein God commanded, both immediatlie after the making of the world, Gen. 1, 22. &, 28. & 8, 17, & 9, 1.and ſtraitwaie after the floud: ſaieng, Increaſe and multiplie. Further, bicauſe thoſe that be barren, atteine not to that bleſſing of GOD, which he promiſed vntounto Abraham; to wit, that his ſéed ſhould be as the ſtarres of heauen, and as the ſand of the ſea. Againe, they which wanted children, ſéemed after a ſort to be hated of God, in that he would not hauehave their generation and ſtocke to be ſpred anie further abroad. But others thought, that barrenneſſe was therefore infamous among the Iewes; bicauſe Meſſias ſhould procéed from their poſteritie. And ſo euerie one indeuoured to hauehave manie children, that out of his progenie Meſſias might one daie be borne. Howbeit, he was promiſed onelie vntounto the tribe of Iuda, and familie of Dauid: ſo as it behooued onelie theſe to be carefull of that matter. Howbeit, of that deſire there may be brought an other reaſon much more true. For the true religion and pure woorſhipping of GOD, before the comming of Chriſt, was in publike profeſſion reteined onelie among the Iewes. Wherefore the more that the Iewes increaſed in number, the greater multitude ſhould be of the worſhippers of God. For this cauſe therefore did holie men ſtudie to hauehave a large poſteritie, that the true God might be worſhipped of a great manie. But if to anie man there happened no children, he was noted with a kind of infamie & rebuke. Therefore, when Rachel at the length became great with child; Gen. 30, 23.The Lord (ſaith ſhe) hath taken awaie my rebuke. Eſaie. 4, 1.And Eſaie ſaith; In that daie ſhall ſeuen women take hold of one man, & they ſhall ſaie; We will find our ſelues bread and apparell, onelie take from vsus our rebuke.
Moreouer, among Ethniks it was reprochfull to be without children. And among the Romans thoſe, which had begotten manie children, were excuſed by the ciuill lawe from charge and publike offices: as it is manifeſtlie ſet foorth in the title De ijs, qui numero liberorum ſe excuſant. At Rome doubtleſſe, thrée were ſufficient for an excuſe. In Italie were required foure. In the prouinces fiue, ſo they were not adopted, nor yet were taken of the enimies, nor died out of the wars. Howbeit, this number of children excuſed onelie from perſonall offices, not from offices of inheritance: but ſixtéene children in number excuſed from both kinds of offices, as it is in the Digeſts De iure immunitatis, in the lawe Semper: which was made by Pertinax. Afterward alſo twelue did excuſe, as appéereth in the Code De decurionibus, in the lawe Si quis decurio. Bréeflie, the bearing of children hath alwaies béene an honorable thing among all nations. A certein Lacedaemonian being an old man and vnmarried, as he paſſed by the high waie, ſawe a man that did not riſe vp to giuegive him honour, and he aſked of him why he did ſo? Who anſwered him; Bicauſe thou haſt left none vntounto the Common-weale, that may riſe vp vntounto me when I am old.
And albeit that among the chriſtians, this kind of rebuke may ſéeme to be taken awaie: yet muſt we indeuour to our power, that we may leaue verie manie children vntounto the church. But by the example of Anna we are warned, that the lacke of children, and fruitfulneſſe, are not to depend onelie of the ſecond cauſes; ſéeing they procéed chéeflie from God himſelfe. For in the familie of king Abimelech, Gen. 2, 18.God ſhut vp the wombes of the women, that they might not bring foorth. Afterward, at the praiers of Abraham they were deliuered, that they might beare children. So as Rachel, when ſhe gréeuouſlie afflicted hir ſelfe, Gen. 30. 1.and ſaid to hir huſband; GiueGive me children, for elſe I ſhall die. Iacob being angrie ſaid; Am I vntounto thee in Gods ſteed? If GOD keepe from thee the fruit of thy wombe, why dooeſt thou crie vntounto me? So on the other ſide, fruitfulneſſe is the gift of GOD. Therefore in Eſaie the 66. chapter he ſaith; verſe. 9.Am I he that maketh other to beare, and beare not my ſelfe? And Dauid in the pſalme pronounced; It is God that maketh the barren woman to keepe houſe, Pſal. 113, 9.and to abound with children.