The Golden Book of Christian Matrimony, Chapter 16
¶ The xvi. Chapter.
Of conuentent carefulnes, and iust kepyng of the house lyke Christen folke.
IF thy wyfe be vertuous and trusty, let her be also carefull in kepynge and prouydynge for thy house. For such study & ordinate care gendreth great louelove & encreaseth thy substaunce For such study and care is not forbydden. For the godly Patriarch Iacob thought it necessary for hym & his wyfe to be studious for theyr hou sholde. Paule affyrmynge it, If a man prouide not for hys owne housholde, he denyeth the fayth Gene. xxx.and is worse than an Infidel. Wherfore all that Christ speaketh agaynst carefulnes, he speaketh it agenst all inordinate mistrustyng & to muche couetous care and sorow, that desperately & insa Math. vii.ciably tormēteth & vexeth the mynde. Ordinate care expelleth idle slouthfulnes and monysheth vsus of our duty & iust vocacion. Which care only loketh vntounto God, the author & gyuer of all, to him she prayeth to prosper & blisse al yt she goeth about. Whych prayer of fayth hath her forme & Pro. xx.circūstances tēdyng to Gods glory. Two thin ges I aske of the, o Lorde. remoue fro me vanite and lyes, gyue me n…ther pouerte, nor rytches, onelyonly graūt me a necessary lyuyng, lest I beyng to full, deny the sayeng, Who is the Lorde. And lest I constrayned thorowe pouerte fall to thefte and forsweare the name of my God.
This ordinate care and study must be takē, that ye maye hauehave to socoure the nedye and to Ordinate careset forthe youre chyldren, and that youre selues want not, and so by your idle ignauy, ye be onerouse and a burden to other good menne. Labour to hauehave wherwithe to lyue in age, yf God call you to it. Who so hath stolen, sayth Paule, let hym nowe stele no more, but labour with his Ephe. i ii.handes some good occupacion yt they maye hauehave to healpe the nedy. And as for them that inordinately care and study to be rytch, and to hauehave more than is necessary, they fall into the temptacions and snares of the dyuell, and into many lustes (as saythe Paule) which drowne men into perdicion and damnacion, sodēly fall these rytch welthy bullockes from theyr goodes & goddes, Luke. xii.euen theyr euell gotten, worsekepte, & worst of all bestowed mammons.
What so euer is to be done wythout ye house that belongeth to the man, & the womā to study for thynges wythein to be done, and to se saued Theoutwar de busynesse pertaynethe to the man, y• enward to y• woman.or spent conueniently what so euer he bryngeth in. As the byrde flyeth to and fro to brynge to ye nest, so becommeth it the man to applye his out ward busynes. And as the dāme kepeth the nest …atcheth the egges, and bryng forth the frute, so let them bothe learne to do of the vnreasonable fowles or beastes created of God naturally to obserue theyr sondry properties.
The man in his gaynyng & occupieng must be iust & faythful, feruēt, diligent & earnest, makyng all thyng substancially surely, & wythout ony deceyt. For faythfulnes euer abydeth whan vnfaythfulnes & craftines destroye themselues: as ye se in the faythefull dealynge of Iacob and in the couetouse disceate of Laban. The worde Gene. xxxi.& promyse of an occupyer must be as ferme and fast as the rocke of stone, fayth and trueth conserueth many mens occupyeng whā vniust de lyng bryng hym out of credyt.
Let not a man meddle with vnhonest occupacions not necessary for a common weal, but as Paul commaūdeth, wyth such as are good and profitable for the citie or countrey wythout deceyte, and eueryevery man to medle wyth, and in hys …ne callyng, nether sekyng other mens lucre, nor enuieng other mens profyt, but walke ordinately and quietly labouryng wyth theyr owne handes, auoydynge vsurye, but doynge to other as thou woldest be done vntounto thyne owne selfe. And yf thou (for all thy true and iust dealynge) yet prosperoussest not subiect to many euel cha… ces, wherof the world is ful, yet be thou content with Goddes wyll, for the pouerte of the ryghtous, sayth Salomon, is better then the infinite treasures of the vngodly. And a pece of bread or a messe of potage with quietnes, is better then a fatte oxe with brawlyng. Many menne hauehave great goodes wyth muche vnquietnes and lytle hon…e, for he hath sette his soule to pledge, forsaken God & taken the dyuell to helpe h…m to lye & to deceaue that he myght be rytch to leaue his good to an vnknowen hayer. Dauid saythe, followe not hym that doth euell because thou seest Psal. xxxvi.hym prosper in his wyckednes: for he shall sone be cut downe lyke grasse, & lyke the floure faad awaye. But put thou thy trust in the lorde & do ryght, dwell in ye Lorde & get thy lyuynge wyth trueth and iust dealynge. And freat not nor be agreued wyth hym that prospereth in his owne waye, and leadeth a wycked lyfe. &c. Unto thys holye Psalme let eueryevery Christen man attende. The wyues worckynge place is wythein her The wyues must worcke wythein the house.house, there to ouerse and to sette all thynge in good ordre, and to beware that nothyng be lo…t, seldome to go forth, but when vrgent causes call her forth. And therfore Phidias that ingenous Phidias.worckemanne entendynge to describe an honest faythefull housewyfe, dydde sette her ymage vnderunder the shel of a snayle, signifieng that she shulde euermore kepe her owne house. Necessaryly it is Comonsentē … far the ke …ng or thy …ouses.that she knowe these common sentences & learne them by harte. Thou muste not regarde what thynge thou woldest fayne hauehave, but what thou canst not lacke. Stretche out thyne arme no far ther than thy sleaue wyll reatche. What so euer thou ne…est not, is to deare of a farthyng. Who so spareth not the penny, shall neuer come by the pownde. Sparynge is a rytche purse. A thynge is sooner spared then gotten. Spare as thoughe thou neuer shuldest dye, & yet as mortall, spende measurably. To spare, as thou mayste hauehave to spende in honeste for Gods sake, and in necessite, is well done. Thy sparing is but vayne, whē thou arte come to the bottome. Begynne eueryevery thynge in oue season. What so euer thou mayst do to nyght, dyffer it not tyll to morow. Mathe these sētences welThat whiche thou cannest do conueniently thy selfe, committe it not to another. If thou wylte prospere, than looke to eueryevery thyng thyne owne selfe. Lette it not be lost, that maye do any good in tyme to come. Spende no more than thou wottest how to get it: whan thyne expenses and receytes be alyke, a lytle losse maye ouerthrow the. Spare for thy age. Take paynes in thyne yougth. Bye such thynges as thou nedest not to repent the therof. Uyle pedlary bryngethe beggery. Araye thy selfe honestly. Holde thy chyldrē in awe, and they shall hauehave the in reuerence.
Muche spendynge and many gyftes, make bare cellars and empty chystes. Euellfellowshyp & vayne pastyme maryeth pouerte and begetteth a sonne called derision, lyuethe gorgiously and costely in excesse, and leauethe the a fare well, whose name is this. In thyn age go a beggyng: Such and many mo godly and wyse sentences are found in Salomons Prouerbes, and in the Precher, and in Iesus Syracke, which an honest housewyfe must take hede vntounto.