Building a Godly Home, Volume 2: A Holy Vision for a Happy Marriage by William Gouge

Author:William Gouge [Gouge, William]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Puritans
Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Published: 2013-10-30T04:00:00+00:00

A Wife’s Submission to Her Husband about Children

A wife may not simply without, or directly against her husband’s consent, order and manage the children in giving them names, clothing their bodies, choosing their vocations, where they live, marriages, or inheritances.

Giving names to children is throughout the Scripture for the most part the responsibility given to the husband, as to Abraham (Gen. 17:19), to Zacharias (Luke 1:13), and to others, and that accordingly husbands have ordinarily done, as for example, Adam (Gen. 5:3), Lamech (Gen. 5:29), Abraham (Gen. 21:3), and others. It is to be noted that when there was a difference between the man and his wife in giving a child’s name, he giving one name, she another, the name which he gave, stood. Though Rachel (Gen. 35:18) named her youngest son Benoni, Benjamin (which name Jacob gave) was the child’s name. Also when Elizabeth (Luke 1:62) told her friends that her child’s name must be John, they would not rest there till Zacharias had ratified that name. Though Joseph were but the supposed father of Jesus, because he was the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus (Matt. 1:21), he had the honor given him to give the name to her child. Although in Scripture it is sometimes said that the mothers named their children, as Leah (Gen. 29:32), Rachel (Gen. 30:24), and others, it is supposed that they had their husband’s consent.

For making decisions about residence and marriage it is noted that Rebekah (Gen. 27:43) asked the consent of her husband; though she told her son Jacob that he should go to Haran to his uncle Laban to be kept in safety from the fury of Esau, yet she would not send him till Isaac had given his consent for his residence there, and taking a wife from there (Gen. 28:1–2).

For directing a child to a vocation, it is noted of Hannah, that though before the child was born she had by solemn vow dedicated him to the Lord (1 Sam. 1:11), yet when the child was born she asked her husband’s consent about it (1 Sam. 1:22).

That which is noted of Hannah’s carrying a little coat to her son year by year when she went up with her husband (1 Sam. 2:19), shows that she did it with her husband’s consent. Women are for the most part prone to promote their children above their husband’s position and vocation, and therefore there is good reason that they should be governed by their husbands.

Objection: What if husbands are more ambitious to have their children dressed in an inappropriate way than wives?

Answer: A wife must do what she can to hinder it. If she cannot prevail with him, she is much more excused by reason of her submission than he could be, if he would allow his wife to have her will.

The law that lays the responsibility upon husbands to give such and such inheritances to his children and the answerable practice of husbands from time to time (Deut. 21:15–16), show that the wife of herself does not have the power to order them.

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