The epistle of the blessed apostle Saint Paule which he, in the time of his trouble and imprisonment, sent in writting from Rome to the Ephesians. Faithfully expounded, both for the benefite of the learned and vnlearned, by Nicholas Hemming ... Familiarlie translated out of Latine into English, by Abraham Fleming. Heerein are handled the high mysteries of our saluation, as maie appeare by the table of commonplaces necessarilie annexed by the same A.F. Perused and authorised.

Verses. 28. 29. 30. 31.

28 He that loueth his vvife, loueth himselfe.

29 For no man euer yet hated his ovvne flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, euen as the Lord doeth the Church.

30 For we are members of his bodie, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leaue father and mother, and shall cleaue to his vvife, & they tvvaine shall be one flesh.

He that loueth his wife, loueth himselfe. For no man euer yet hath hated his owne flesh, but nourished and cherished the same, euen as the Lord doth the church, because we are members of his bodie, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this things sake, shall a man forsake fa∣ther and mother, and shall sticke by his wife, and these two shall be one flesh.

THe Apostle defendeth and proueth that we must loue our wiues, and setteth downe in the first place, two ariomes, principles, or grounds, which are the proposi∣tions of two syllogismes. Afterwards he addeth other two arguments: the first whereof is fetcht from the ex∣ample of Christ, the second from the ordinance of God. These latter arguments are added, to confirme the for∣mer. The first syllogisme is this, being made vpon the first principle: (He that loueth his wife, loueth his owne selfe:) But euerie husband loueth his owne selfe: Er∣go, he ought to loue his wife. The second syllogisme ri∣seth out of the second principle, in this wise: (No man euer yet hated his owne flesh, but nourisheth and cher∣risheth it:) but the wife is the flesh of her owne hus∣band: Ergo, the husband ought not to hate his wife, but rather to nourish and cherrish her. To this he ioineth an argument drawne from example: (Because she is flesh of his flesh, & bone of his bones.) This he proueth and defendeth by authoritie out of Genesis, saieng: (For this cause shall a man leaue his father and his mother,* 1.1 and shall cleaue to his wife, and they shall bee two in one

flesh. As if he should saie. A man were better forsake his father and his mother, though he be bound vnto them by the lawes of nature: than to leaue his wife, with whom he is one flesh, so long as the substaunce of ma∣trimonie remaineth safe and sound. For if adulterie creepe in betwéene, the guiltie partie is cut off from that vnitie or onenesse of the flesh, which the Lord requireth in honest matrimonie. Now, the husband and the wife are said to be (One flesh,) not in substaunce, but in af∣fection and loue. For, the husband shall loue his wife and cherrish her, euen as his owne flesh: the wife in like case shall loue her husband as her owne flesh. The hus∣band and the wife therefore are one, out of which vnion or onenesse,* 1.2 Christ maketh his aunswere to the question concerning diuorcements.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gen. 2. 24
• * 1.2

  Matth. 19. 3. 4. 5. 6. &c.