Wives and Husbands
(Song of Solomon 1:1–17; Ephesians 5:22–33)

1Lykewyse let the wyves be in subieccio to their husbades that eve they which beleve not the worde maye with out the worde be wonne by the conversacion of ye wyves: 2whill they beholde youre pure coversacion coupled with feare. 3Whose apparell shall not be outwarde with broyded heare and hanginge on of golde other in puttinge on of gorgious aparell: 4but let the hyd man of the herte be incorrupt with a meke and a quyet sprete which sprete is before God a thinge moche set by. 5For after this maner in the olde tyme dyd the holy wemen which trusted in God tyer the selves and were obediet to their husbades 6eve as Sara obeyed Abraha and called him Lorde: whose doughters ye are as longe as ye do well and be not afrayde of every shadowe.

7Lyke wyse ye men dwell with them accordinge to knowledge gevinge hono ure vnto the wyfe as vnto the weaker vessell and as vnto them that are heyres also of the grace of lyfe that youre prayers be not let.

Turning from Evil

8In coclusion be ye all of one mynde one suffre with another love as brethren be petifull be courteous 9not redringe evyll for evyll nether rebuke for rebuke: but contrary wyse blesse remembringe yt ye are thervnto called even yt ye shuld be heyres of blessinge.

10If eny ma longe after life and loveth to se good dayes let him refrayne his tonge fro evyll and his lippes that they speake not gyle.

11Let him eschue evyll and do good: let him seke peace and ensue it.

12For ye eyes of ye Lorde are over ye righteous and his eares are open vnto their prayers. But ye face of the Lorde beholdeth the that do evyll.

13Moreover who is it that will harme you yf ye folowe yt which is good?

Suffering for Righteousness

14Not withstondynge happy are ye yf ye suffre for rightewesnessis sake. Ye and feare not though they seme terrible vnto you nether be troubled: 15but sanctifie the Lorde God in youre hertes. Be redy all wayes to geve an answere to every man that axeth you a reson of the hope that is in you and that with meaknes and feare: 16havinge a good consciece that when they backbyte you as evyll doars they maye be ashamed for as moche as they have falsely accused youre good conversacion in Christ. 17It is better (yf the wyll of God be so) that ye suffre for well doynge then for evyll doynge. 18For as moche as Christ hath once suffered for synnes ye iuste for ye vniuste forto bringe vs to God and was kylled as pertayninge to the flesshe: but was quyckened in the sprete. 19In which sprete he also wet and preached vnto the spretes that were in preson 20which were in tyme passed disobedient when the longe sufferinge of God abode excedinge paciently in the dayes of Noe whyll the arcke was a preparinge wherin feawe (that is to saye.viii soules) were saved by water 21which signifieth baptim that now saveth vs not ye puttinge awaye of ye filth of the flesshe but in that a good conscience consenteth to God by ye resurreccio of Iesus Christ 22which is oure right honde of God and is gone into heve angels power and myght subdued vnto him.