Of Domestical Duties, Title page – Dedication
OF DOMESTICALL DVTIES Eight Treatiſes.
I. An Expoſition of that part of Scripture out of which Domeſticall Duties are raiſed.
II.
1.A right Coniunction of Man and Wife.
2. Common-mutuall Duties betwixt Man and Wife.
III. Particular Duties of Wiues.
IV. Particular Duties of Husbands.
V. Duties of Children.
VI. Duties of Parents.
VII. Duties of Seruants.
VIII. Duties of Maſters.
By WILLIAM GOVGE.
LONDON, Printed by Iohn Haviland for William Bladen, and are to be ſold at the ſigne of the Bible neere the great North doore of Pauls. 1622.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, RIGHT VVorſhipfull, and other my beloued Pariſhioners, Inhabitants of the Precinct of Black-friers LONDON, ſuch ſufficiencie of Grace as may bring them to fulneſſe of Glory.
IF noble Birth, high Honour, great Eſtate, true Piety, bountifull Charity, good Eſteeme of Gods word and Miniſters, and in particular, intire louelove of the Author, be inducements to chooſe a Patron for his worke, I, for my part, need not goe farre for a Patron. In mine owne pariſh are all theſe. To you therefore (right Honourable, right Worſhipfull, and other my beloued Pariſhioners, moſt worthy of all due reſpect) doe I dedicate theſe my poore paines about Domeſticall Duties. To teſtifie the equall dutie which I owe, and the impartiall reſpect which I beare to you all, I make you all as one Patron. You were the firſt ouer whom I euer had any miniſteriall charge. To this charge by your free choice was I called. Among you hauehave I ſpent *Since Midſommer. 1608.almoſt two full prentiſhips. You hauehave alwaies ſo accepted my paines, and reſpected my perſon, as I neuer had any cauſe to repent my acceptance of this place, and calling: but rather to thanke God for the ſame. My deſire is (if ſo it may ſeeme good to the diuine prouidence) to ſpend all my daies among you: and, while I am among you, to helpe forward your ſpirituall edification. This is the maine end of my calling, and the marke, which, as in the ordinary courſe of my Miniſtry, ſo in the publiſhing of theſe Eight Treatiſes of Domeſticall Duties, and dedicating them to you, I hauehave aimed at. As in teſtimony of LoueLove and Dutie I hauehave preached in your hearing, and publiſhed in your name theſe Duties, ſo doe you manifeſt your kinde acceptance of my former, and latter paines, by a conſcionable obſeruing of them, ſo farre forth as they are agreeable to Gods word: that all who know you, may know by that euident demonſtration, how well you hauehave reliſhed and approued them. Thus ſhall you gaine much profit, and my ſelfe much comfort by my paines. Oh if the head and ſeuerall members of a family would be perſwaded eueryevery of them to be conſcionable in performing their owne particular duties, what a ſweet ſociety, and happy harmony would there be in houſes? What excellent ſeminaries would families be to Church and Commonwealth? foreign. Ariſt. Eth. lib. 8. cap. 12.Neceſſary it is that good order be firſt ſet in families: for as they were before other polities, ſo they are ſomewhat the more neceſſary: and good members of a family are like to make good members of Church and common-wealth. The ſubiect matter therefore of theſe Treatiſes is worth the handling, if I were able according to the worth thereof to handle it. I hauehave endeuoured to doe what I could therein, though I hauehave not attained to what I would. Be you like vntounto God, who, if there be firſt a willing mind, accepteth according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. Though for ſuch a matter as is handled in theſe Treatiſes, the worke may ſeeme at firſt ſight to be too copious, yet I hope the obſeruant Reader will not finde it too tedious. It is the variety of many, M foreign. Ammon. Multum loqui eſt rem ſuperfluis agere verbis. Aug. Epiſt. 121. ad Prob.not the prolixity of few points which hath made this booke to ſwell to that bigneſſe which it hath. The firſt Treatiſe (which is a fourth part of the booke) containeth a Commentary on that part of Scripture out of which Domeſticall Duties are raiſed: wherein the Apoſtle ſetting forth Chriſt and the Church as patternes to husbands and wiues, liuely declareth the great louelove of Chriſt to his Church, and the neere vnion betwixt them, together with other deepe myſteries, the vnfolding whereof hath a little the longer detained me. But as I hauehave a while inſiſted on maine matters of much moment, ſo hauehave I very briefly paſſed ouer other points. The other Treatiſes, wherein the Duties themſelues are handled, are eueryevery of them much ſhorter then the firſt. In them I hauehave barely propounded and briefly proued the truth and equity of the ſeuerall duties, except ſome choice points which are of eſpeciall vſe, or at leaſt through diſuſe much queſtioned: and them I hauehave more largely handled. And becauſe contraries laid together foreign. Ariſt. Rhet. lib. 3. cap. 2.doe much ſet forth each other in their liuely colours, I hauehave to eueryevery duty annexed the contrary fault, and aberration from it. For many that heare the duties thinke all well enough, till they heare alſo the contrary vices, whereby in their conſciences they are moſt conuinced. Concerning the many faults and vices of bad Husbands, Wiues, Parents, Children, Maſters and Seruants, taxed in theſe Treatiſes, let me intreat you, not to apply them too generally to all Husbands, Wiues, Parents, Children, Maſters and Seruants. Hath not wiſe Solomon much taxed the lightneſſe, ſhrewiſhneſſe, pride, flattery, and other vices of women? And ſhall ſober, meeke, humble, honeſt women thinke themſelues taxed thereby? By like reaſon might vnchaſte ſtrumpets, vntruſty goſsips, vnquiet ſhrewes, and proud dames thinke themſelues commended by thoſe excellent commendations which be giueth of good women. Let eueryevery one, as their conſcience (an impartiall Iudge) ſhall beare them witneſſe, make a right application of eueryevery thing to themſelues. Thus ſhall we Miniſters be freed from many euill ſurmizes. I remember that when theſe Domeſticall Duties were firſt vttered out of the pulpit, much exception was taken againſt the application of a wiues ſubiection to the reſtraining of her from diſpoſing the common goods of the family without, or againſt her husbands conſent. But ſurely they that made thoſe exceptions did not well thinke of the Cautions and Lamitations which were then deliuered, and are now againe expreſly noted: which are, that the foreſaid reſtraint be not extended to the aParaphernalia. Treat. 3. §. 21.proper goods of a wife, no nor ouerſtrictly to ſuch bIbid.goods as are ſet apart for the vſe of the family, nor to cTreat. 3. §. 22.extraordinary caſes, nor alwaies to an dTreat. 3. §. 19.expreſſe conſent, nor to the eTreat. 3. §. 18.conſent of ſuch husbands as are impotent, or farre and long abſent. If any other warrantable caution ſhall be ſhewed me, I will be as willing to admit it, as any of theſe. Now that my meaning may not ſtill be peruerted, I pray you, in reading the reſtraint of wiues power in diſpoſing the goods of the family, euer beare in minde thoſe Cautions. Other exceptions were made againſt ſome other particular duties of wiues. For many that can patiently enough heare their duties declared in generall termes, cannot endure to heare thoſe generals exemplified in their particular branches. This commeth too neere to the quicke, and pierceth too deepe. But (to interpret all, according to the rule of louelove, in the better part) I take the maine reaſon of the many exceptions which were taken, to be this, that wiues duties (according to the Apoſtles method) being in the firſt place handled, there was taught (as muſt hauehave beene taught, except the truth ſhould hauehave beene betrayed) what a wife, in the vttermoſt extent of that ſubiection vnderunder which God hath put her, is bound vntounto, in caſe her husband will ſtand vponupon the vttermoſt of his authority: which was ſo taken, as if I had taught that an husband might, and ought to exact the vttermoſt, and that a wife was bound in that vttermoſt extent to doe all that was deliuered as dutie, whether her husband exact it or no. But when I came to deliuer husbands duties, fTreat. 4. §. 18.I ſhewed, that he ought not to exact whatſoeuer his wife was bound vntounto (in caſe it were exacted by him) but that he ought to make her a ioynt Gouernour of the family with himſelfe, and referre the ordering of many things to her diſcretion, and with all honourable and kinde reſpect to carrie himſelfe towards her. In a word, I ſo ſet downe an husbands duties, as if he be wiſe and conſcionable in obſeruing them, his wife can hauehave no iuſt cauſe to complaine of her ſubiection. That which maketh a wiues yoake heauy and hard, is an husbands abuſe of his authority: and more preſsing his wiues dutie, then performing his owne: which is directly contrary to the gEpheſ. 5. 33. See Treat. 1. §. 95.Apoſtles rule. This iuſt Apologie I hauehave beene forced to make, that I might not euer be iudged (as ſome hauehave cenſured me) *foreign. Athen.an hater of women. Now that in all thoſe places where a wiues yoke may ſeeme moſt to pinch, I might giuegive ſome eaſe, I hauehave to eueryevery head of wiues duties made a reference, in the margin ouer againſt it, to the duties of husbands anſwerable thereunto, and noted the reference with this marke *, that it might the more readily be turned vntounto. Yea I hauehave further parallel'd, and laid euen one againſt another in one view, the heads of husbands and wiues duties, as they anſwer each other: and in like manner the contrary aberrations: with a reference made vntounto the particular ſections where they are handled: that ſo on the one ſide it may appeare, that if both of them be conſcionable and carefull to performe their owne duty, the matrimoniall yoke will ſo equally lie on both their necks, as the wife will be no more pinched therewith then the husband, but that it will be like Chriſts ſpirituall yoke, light and eaſie: and that on the Mat. 11. 30.other ſide it may be manifeſt that there is commonly as much failing by husbands in their duties, as by wiues in theirs. This parallel and euen-ſetting out of each of their duties, and of the contrary aberrations, I hauehave annexed next to this epiſtle. And further I hauehave added thereto a table of the ſeuerall heads of thoſe points that are handled in the eight following Treatiſes, that by this helpe you may the more readily finde out ſuch particular points as you deſire moſt eſpecially to read. To ſhew that the duties preſcribed to Husbands, Wiues, Parents, Children, Maſters, and Seruants, are ſuch as in conſcience they are bound vntounto, I hauehave endeuoured to ſhew how they are grounded on the word of God, and gathered from thence. To auoid prolixity, I hauehave referred moſt of the quotations to the margin. If your leiſure will ſerue you, you may doe well to ſearch them out. Two things hauehave beene eſpeciall helpes to me for finding out the many duties noted in theſe Treatiſes, & vices contrary thereunto: Obſeruation and Diſpoſition. Obſeruation both of ſuch duties as the Scripture commendeth and contrary vices as it condemneth: and alſo of ſuch commendable virtues as I well liked in thoſe Husbands, Wiues, Parents, Children, Maſters, and Seruants, that I came among, and ſuch vnſeemely vices as I diſliked in them: and Diſpoſition of one point after another in the beſt order that I could. My method and manner of proceeding brought many things to my minde, which otherwiſe might hauehave ſlipped by. For by method ſundry and ſeuerall points appertaining to one matter are drawne forth, as in a chaine one linke draweth vp another. There is no better way to finde out many obſeruations in a text, then by a methodicall reſolution thereof. As method is an helpe to Inuention, ſo alſo to retention. It is as the thread or wier whereon pearles are put, which keepeth them from ſcattering. And if a man by abundance of matter be caſt into a labyrinth, by the helpe of method he may eaſily and readily finde out the way againe. In which reſpects method is fitly ſtiled the Methodusintelligentiae parens eſt, & magiſtra memoriae.Mother of the Minde, and Miſtreſſe of Memorie. If you well marke the order and dependance of points one vponupon another, you will finde as great an helpe in conceiuing and remembring Ordo memoriae maximè, lumen affert. Cic. 2. de Orat.them, as I did in inuenting and diſpoſing them.
Becauſe there is not one word to compriſe vnderunder it both maſters and miſtreſſes, as fathers and mothers are compriſed vnderunder Parents, and ſonnes and daughters vnderunder Children, I hauehave according to the Scripture phraſe compriſed Miſtreſſes vnderunder Maſters: ſo as the duties enioyned to them belong to theſe, ſo farre as may ſtand with their ſex. To conclude, in recompence of all my paines I heartily pray you all to pray heartily for him who daily praieth for you, euenChurch-court in Black-Fryers London. 2. Febr. 1621.
The Watch-man of your ſoules, WILLIAM GOVGE.