And first publict inhibitioun must be maid, that na personis under the power and obedience of otheris; suche as sonnes and dochteris, [and] these that be under curatouris, neather men nor wemen, contract Mariage privelie and without knawledge [of their parents, tutors, or curators, under whose power they are for the time:][551] whiche yf thei do, the censure and discipline of the Churche to procead against thame. Yf the sone or dowghter, or other, have thair hearte tweiched with desyre of mariage, thei ar bound to geve that honour to the parentis that thei oppin unto thame thair affectioun, askyng of thame counsall[552] and assistance, how that motioun, which thei judge to be of God, may be performed. Yf the father, friend, or maister, ganestand thair requeast, and have na other caus then the commoun sorte of men have; to wit, lack of guidis, or because thei ar nott so hyght-borne as thai requyre; yit must not the pairteis whose heartis ar tweiched mak ony covenant till farther declaratioun be maid unto the Churche of God. And, thairfoir, efter thei have opened thair myndis to thair parentis, or suche otheris as have charge oure thame, thei must declair it also to the Ministrie, or to the Civile Magistrat, requyring thame to travaill with thair parentis for thair consent, whiche to do thei ar bound. And yf thei, to wit, the Magistrate or Ministeris, fynd no just caus why the mariage requyred may not be fulfilled, then efter sufficient admonitioun to the father, friend, maister, or superiour, that none of thame resist the work of God, the Ministerie or Magistrat may enter in the place of the parent, and by consenting to thair just requeastis may admit thame to mariage: for the work of God aught not to be hyndered by the corrupt affectionis of worldlie men. The work of God we call, when two heartis (without filthynes befoir committit) ar so joyned, that boyth requyre and ar content to live together in that holy band of Matrimonye. [551] The words within brackets omitted in MS. 1566, are supplied from ed. 1621. [552] In edit. 1621, "asking their counsell." Yf any man commit fornicatioun with the woman whome he requyred in mariage, then do boyth lose this foirsaid benefite alsweall of the Churche as of the Magistrat; for neather of boyth aught to be intercessouris or advocattis for fylthie fornicatours. But the father, or neyrest friend, whose dowghter being a virgine is deflored, hath power by the law of God to compell the man that did that injurie to marie his dowghtter; or yf the father will not accept him be reassone of his offense, then may he requyre the dote[553] of his dowghter; whiche yf the offendar be nott able to pay, then aught the Civile Magistrat to punishe his body by some other punishement. [553] In edit. 1621, "the dowrie."