03-25-2007, 09:00 PM
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William Gouge, Of Domestical Duties: Quote:
9. Of equality in years betwixt husband and wife.
That matrimonial society may prove comfortable, it is requisite that there should be some equality betwixt the parties that are married in Age, Estate, Condition, Piety.
1. For Age, as the party that seeketh a mate must be of ripe years, fit to give consent, and able to perform marriage duties, so the mate which is taken must be somewhat answerable in age: if one young, both young: if one of middle age, both so: if one grown to years, the other also. It is noted of Zachary and Elizabeth, that both were well striken in years (Luke 1:7). If both were old together, then both also were young together. Equality in years maketh married persons more fit for procreation of children, for a mutual performance of marriage duties each to other, and for making their company and society every way more happy.
This equality is not over strictly to be taken, as if the married couple were to be just of the same age, but only for some answerableness in years: which may be though there be a disparity of five or ten, or somewhat more years: especially if the excess of years be on the husband's part: for besides that according to the ordinary course of nature a man's strength and vigour lasteth longer than a woman's, it is very meet that the husband should be somewhat elder than his wife, because he is an head, a governour, a protector of his wife. The Scripture noteth many husbands to be elder than their wives [as Abraham was ten years elder than Sarah (Gen 17:17); and if we narrowly mark the circumstances of the histories of Isaac and Jacob, and their wives, we shall find that the husbands were elder than their wives]. To my remembrance an approved example of an husband younger than his wife cannot be given out of Scripture.
Contrary to this equality in years, is the practice of many men and women, who being aged, to satisfy their lust, or for some other by-respect, marry such as are but in the flower of their age, wherein they do many times much fail of their expectation: for those young ones finding the society of aged folks to be burdensome, and irksome unto them, soon begin to loath the same, and thereby cause more grief and vexation, than ever they did give comfort and contentment.
On the other side, others there be who in the prime and strength of their age, for wealth, honour, or such like respects, marry those that with age begin to be decrepit, and unfit to be married, hoping that they will not long live, but that with a little trouble they shall purchase much dignity or riches, and after a while be free again. But God oft meeteth with such in their kind, by prolonging the life of those aged persons, and so making the burden to be much more grievous and tedious than was imagined, and by taking away those young ones sooner than they looked for, whereby it cometh to pass that all their hopes perish. The heathen observed inequality in years to be occasions of many mischiefs, and thereupon prescribed rules against it.
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Andrew
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