Of Domestical Duties, Treatise 1 · Section 92 – Section 93
§. 92. Of the falſe Sacrament of Mariage.
The other error is, that Mariage is a Sacrament: the maine ground whereof they hauehave taken from this text, which ground by the Apoſtles application of this myſterie to Chriſt and the Church, is as plainly remoued, as if the Apoſtle had purpoſely ordered his ſtile, to preuent this erroneous collection: as if he had ſaid, That none may miſtake this myſterie, and apply it to a matrimoniall coniunction of man and woman together, know that I meane no ſuch thing: the myſterie which I ſpeake of, is concerning Chriſt and the Church. I maruell how they dare miſapply that which is ſo plainly expreſſed. Though the Apoſtle had not ſo clearely ſhewed his minde and meaning, yet the verie thing it ſelfe would lead vsus ſo to iudge of it. For, that which in Chriſt Quod eſt in Chriſto & in Eccleſia magnum, hoc in ſingulis quibuſ que viris & vxoribus minimum. Aug. de nupt. & concup. lib. 1. cap. 21.and the Church is a great myſterie, in man and wife is but a ſmall matter. The vulgar Latine tranſlation firſt led them into this error, for it tranſlateth the word myſterie, a Sacrament. But a tranſlation is no ſufficient ground to proue a doctrine. Beſides the word Sacrament vſed by that Tranſlator, hath as large an extent as a myſterie: if they ſhould make euerie thing which he tranſlateth Sacrament, a proper Sacrament of the Church, there would be many more Sacraments then the Papiſts themſelues doe make.
1. As for this ſuppoſed Sacrament, no Papiſt could euer ſhew when or where God ordained it to be a Sacrament. Nay, they agree not among themſelues about the time, how long it hath beene a Sacrament. *Alphonſ. à Caſtro contr. haer. lib. 3.Some of them hold, that euer ſince the firſt inſtitution of mariage in Paradiſe, it hath beene a Sacrament. But the greater number of Papiſts hold it to be a Sacrament Petrus à Soto de Matr. lect. 2. Concil. Trident. Seſſ. 24. Can. 1.of the new Teſtament vnderunder the Goſpell, becauſe their Tridentine Councell hath ſo decreed it. Where we may note how the greater number of them, when two abſurdities are queſtioned, are readie to fall into the worſt. VnderUnder the Law the nonage of the Church needed, and had more Sacraments then vnderunder the Goſpell: yet that which was in vſe as much vnderunder the Law as vnderunder the Goſpell, and had then as much to make it a Sacrament as now, was then none, yet now is one.
2. As they cannot ſhew where it was ordained for a Sacrament, ſo neither can they ſhew what is the Sacramentall ſigne thereof. Some make carnall copulation to be it. But there may be a true mariage, though the parties maried neuer know each other.
Others make the Parents giuing to be the ſigne. But they hold that that is a true mariage, which is done without parents conſent.
Others the Prieſts bleſſing. Yet they hold the mariage of Infidels and Heretiques who hauehave no Prieſts, to be a true mariage.
Others, the conſent of the parties themſelues. Thus ſhall a partie adminiſter a Sacrament to himſelfe.
Others, other things. Thus they wanting the light of Gods word, one ſtrayeth in one by-path, another in another, and none of them hit vponupon the right.
3. A like difference there is about the forme of this Sacrament.
4. If other poſitions deliuered by them concerning matrimonie be noted, a man would thinke that they ſhould be farre from making it a Sacrament. They preferre virginitie before it. Yea, they account it a kinde of pollution. They hold it vnlawfull for Prieſts, Monks, Nuns, and ſuch like holy orders (as they eſteeme them) to marie: ſo as there is a Sacrament, whereof their holy ones may not partake. The order of Prieſthood is a Sacrament (in their account) yet that order keepeth from mariage, ſo as one Sacrament fighteth againſt another. Yea, Infidels may be partakers of a Sacrament, and ſo their holy and precious things ſhall be denied to their holy ones, and caſt vntounto ſwine. Thus we ſee a rotten building erected vponupon a ſandie foundation: a falſe Sacrament eſtabliſhed vponupon a falſe application of this text. Can it then ſtand?
§. 93. Of the Summe of husbands and wiues duties.
EPHES. 5. 33.
Neuertheleſſe, let euerie one of you in particular ſo louelove his wife, euen as himſelfe: and the wife ſee that ſhe reuerence her husband.
THe Apoſtle hauing made a large digreſsion about the mutuall relation betwixt Chriſt and the Church, whom he propounded as patternes to husbands and wiues, he now returneth to the maine point intended, namely to the duties of husbands and wiues: and ſo much doth the firſt particle imply (Neuertheleſſe) as if he had thus ſaid, Though I hauehave a little digreſſed foreign.into the myſterie of the vnion of Chriſt and the Church, yet neuertheleſſe doe ye, ô husbands and wiues, call to minde that which I principally aimed at, euen your duties.
This verſe then containeth a concluſion of the Apoſtles diſcourſe, concerning the duties of husbands and wiues.
Two points are eſpecially noted therein.
1. A declaration of their ſeuerall and diſtinct duties.
2. A direction to apply their owne proper duties each of them to themſelues.
| Their diſtinct duties are noted in two words, | LoueLove. |
| Feare. |
Theſe two, as they are diſtinct duties in themſelues, ſo are they alſo common conditions which muſt be annexed to all other duties. LoueLove as ſugar to ſweeten the duties of authoritie, which appertaine to an husband. Feare as ſalt to ſeaſon all the duties of ſubiection which appertaine to a wife. The Apoſtle therefore hath ſet them downe as two marks for husbands and wiues to aime at in euerie thing wherein they hauehave to deale one with the other.
Of theſe I will more diſtinctly ſpeake in the treatiſes of the particular duties of husbands and wiues.