but be the more courteous: for she is thy body, and made one flesh with thee. But thou peradventure wilt say, that she is a wrathful woman, a drunkard, and beastly, without wit and reason. For this cause bewail her the more. Chafe not in anger, but pray unto Almighty God. Let her be admonished and helped with good counsel, and do thou thy best endeavour, that she may be delivered of all these affections. But if thou shouldest beat her, thou shalt increase her evil affections: for frowardness and sharpness is not amended with frowardness, but with softness and gentleness. Furthermore, consider what reward thou shalt have at God's hand; for where thou mightest beat her, and yet, for the respect of the fear of God, thou wilt abstain and bear patiently her great offences, the rather in respect of that law, which forbiddeth that a man should cast out his wife, what fault soever she be cumbered with, thou shalt have a very great reward; and before, the receipt of that reward, thou shalt feel many commodities. For by this means she shall be made the more obedient, and thou for her sake shalt be made the more meek. It is written in a story of a certain strange philosopher, which had a cursed wife, a froward, and a drunkard; when he was asked for what consideration he did so bear her evil manners, he made answer, "By this means," said he, "I have at home a schoolmaster, and an example how I should behave myself abroad: for I shall," saith he, "be the more quiet with others, being thus daily exercised and taught in the forbearing of her." Surely it is a shame that Paynims should be wiser than we; we, I say, that be commanded to resemble angels, or rather God himself, through meekness. And for the love of virtue, this said philosopher Socrates would not expel his wife out of his house. Yea, some say that he did therefore marry his wife, to learn this virtue by that occasion. Wherefore, seeing many men be far behind the wisdom. of this man, my counsel is, that first, and before all things, a man do his best endeavour to get him a good wife, endued with all honesty and virtue: but if it so chance that he is deceived, that he hath chosen such a wife as is neither good nor tolerable, then let the husband follow this philosopher, and let him instruct his wife in every condition, and never lay these matters to sight. For the merchantman, except he first be at composition with his factor to use his interfairs quietly, he will neither stir his ship to sail, nor yet will lay hands upon his merchandize:

even so, let us do all things, that we may have the fellowship of our wives, which is the factor of all our doings at home, in great quiet and rest. And by these means all things shall prosper quietly, and so shall we pass through the dangers of the troublous sea of this world. For this state of life will be more honourable and comfortable than our houses, than servants, than money, than lands and possessions. than all things that can be told. As all these, with sedition and discord, can never work us any comfort; so shall all things turn to our commodity and pleasure, if we draw this yoke in one concord of heart and mind. Whereupon do your best endeavour, that after this sort ye use your matrimony, and so shall ye be armed on every side. Ye have escaped the snares of the Devil, and the unlawful lusts of the flesh; ye have the quietness of conscience by this institution of matrimony ordained by God: therefore use oft prayer to him. that he would be present by you, that he would continue concord and charity betwixt you. Do the best ye can of your parts, to custom yourselves to softness and meekness. and bear well in worth such oversights as chance; and thus shall your conversation be most pleasant and comfortable. And although (which can no otherwise be) some adversities shall follow, and otherwhiles now one discommodity, now another shall appear; yet in this common trouble and adversity, lift up both your hands unto heaven, call upon the help and assistance of God, the Author of your marriage, and surely the promise of relief is at hand. For Christ affirmeth in his Gospel, Where two or three be gathered together in my name, and be agreed, what matter soever they pray for, it shall be granted them of my heavenly Father. Why therefore shouldest thou be afraid of the danger, where thou hast so ready a promise, and so nigh an help? Furthermore, you must understand how necessary it is for Christian folk to bear Christ's cross: for else we shall never feel how comfortable God's help is unto us. Therefore give thanks to God for his great benefit, in that ye have taken upon you this state of wedlock; and pray you instantly, that Almighty God may luckily defend and maintain you therein, that neither ye be overcome with any temptations, nor with any adversity. But, before all things, take good heed that ye give no occasion to the Devil to let and hinder your prayers by discord and dissension: for there is no stronger defence and stay

in all our life, than is prayer; in the which we may call for the help of God, and obtain it; whereby we may win his blessing, his grace, his defence, and protection, so to continue therein to a better life to come: which grant us, he that died for us all, to whom be all honour and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

AN

HOMILY

AGAINST

IDLENESS

Genesis iii.

ORASMUCH as man, being not born to ease and

Fest, but to labour and travail, is by corruption of na

ture through sin so far degenerated and grown out of kind, that he taketh idleness to be no evil at all, bat rather a commendable thing, seemly for those that be wealthy; and therefore is greedily embraced of most part of men, as agreeable to their sensual affection, and all labour and travail is diligently avoided, as a thing painful and repugnant to the pleasure of the flesh; it is necessary to be declared unto you, that by the ordinance of God, which he hath set in the nature of man, every one ought, in his lawful vocation and calling, to give himself to labour; and that idleness being repugnant to the same ordinance, is a grievous sin, and also, for the great inconveniences and mischiefs which spring thereof, an intolerable evil: to the intent that, when ye understand the same, ye may diligently flee from it, and on the other part earnestly apply yourselves, every man in his vocation, to honest labour and business, which as it is enjoined unto man by God's appointment, so it wanteth not his manifold blessings and sundry benefits.

Almighty God, after that he had created man, put him into Paradise, that he might dress and keep it: but when he had transgressed God's commandment, eating the fruit of the tree which was forbidden him, Almighty God forthwith did cast him out of Paradise into this woful vale of misery, enjoining him to labour the ground that he was taken out of, and to eat his bread in the sweat of his face all the days of his life. It is the appointment and will of God, that every man, during the time of this mortal and transitory life, should give himself to such

Prov. v.

honest and godly exercise and labour, and every one follow his own business, and to walk uprightly in his own calling. Man, saith Job, is born to labour. And we are com- Job v. manded by Jesus Sirach, not to hate painful works, neither Eccl. vii. husbandry, or other such mysteries of travail, which the Highest hath created. The Wise Man also exhorteth us to drink the waters of our own cistern, and of the rivers that run out of the midst of our own well; meaning thereby that we should live of our own labours, and not devour the labours of other. St. Paul hearing that among the Thessa- Thess. ii. lonians there were certain that lived dissolutely and out of order, that is to say, which did not work, but were busybodies; not getting their own living with their own travail, but eating other men's bread of free cost; did command the said Thessalonians, not only to withdraw themselves, and abstain from the familiar company of such inordinate persons, but also that, if there were any such among them that would not labour, the same should not eat, nor have any living at other men's hands. Which doctrine of St. Paul, no doubt, is grounded upon the general ordinance of God, which is, that every man should Jabour; and therefore it is to be obeyed of all men, and no man can justly exempt himself from the same. But when it is said, all men should labour, it is not so straitly meant, that all men should use handy labour: but as there be divers sorts of labour, some of the mind, and some of the body, and some of both; so every one (except by reason of age, debility of body, or want of health, he be unapt to labour at all) ought both for the getting of his own living honestly, and for to profit others, in some kind of labour to exercise himself, according as the vocation, whereunto God hath called him, shall require. So that whosoever doth good to the commonweal and society of men with his industry and labour, whether it be by governing the commonweal publicly, or by bearing public office or ministry, or by doing any common necessary affairs of his country, or by giving counsel, or by teaching and instructing others, or by what other means soever he be occupied, so that a profit and benefit redound thereof unto others, the same person is not to be accounted idle, though he work no bodily labour; nor is to be denied his living, if he attended his vocation, though he work not with his hands.

Bodily labour is not required of them, which by reason of their vocation and office are occupied in the labour of the mind, to the succour and help of others. St. Paul exhorteth