The Duty of Husbands and Wives Toward Each Other: Modern, Updated Translation To

The Duty of Husbands and Wives Toward Each Other (1672) is Richard Steele’s comprehensive Puritan guide to Christian marriage, providing detailed theological and practical instruction on marital roles and responsibilities grounded in biblical teaching. Written during the Restoration period when Puritan ministers sought to preserve Reformed piety despite political marginalization, this work addresses the foundational institution of marriage with characteristic Puritan thoroughness and pastoral sensitivity.Steele systematically explores the reciprocal duties binding husband and wife, beginning with shared obligations including mutual love, faithfulness, assistance, and spiritual encouragement. He then examines gender-specific responsibilities, presenting the husband’s role as loving leader and provider, and the wife’s role as respectful helper and household manager. Throughout, he grounds these duties in Scripture, particularly Ephesians 5, showing how Christian marriage reflects Christ’s relationship with the church.What distinguishes this treatise is Steele’s balanced approach that emphasizes both authority and mutuality in marriage. Unlike works that focus exclusively on hierarchical structure or egalitarian partnership, Steele presents a complementarian vision where distinct roles exist within a framework of mutual service and genuine partnership. His treatment is especially valuable for demonstrating how Puritan theology understood marriage as covenant relationship requiring faithful performance of duties by both parties.The work addresses practical challenges including conflict resolution, financial management, child-rearing cooperation, and maintaining spiritual intimacy. Steele provides counsel for various difficult situations—marriages between believers and unbelievers, unions marked by temperamental incompatibility, and relationships strained by poverty or other hardships. Throughout, he emphasizes that Christian marriage requires grace-enabled effort from both partners.Steele particularly excels in showing how marriage serves sanctification, with each partner’s particular weaknesses being refined through the demands of covenant relationship. He presents marital duties not as burdensome obligations but as means of grace through which believers grow in Christlikeness. His approach avoids both idealistic romanticism and cynical pragmatism, offering realistic expectations grounded in biblical truth.The treatise reflects broader Puritan emphasis on domestic religion, viewing the family as a “little church” where godliness is cultivated through daily interaction. Steele emphasizes that successful Christian marriage requires not merely initial affection but sustained commitment to fulfilling one’s duties regardless of feelings or circumstances, with dependence on divine grace making such faithfulness possible.About Richard SteeleRichard Steele (1629-1692) was an English Puritan minister known for his practical theological works addressing everyday Christian living. Educated at Cambridge, Steele served as a Presbyterian minister until being ejected from his parish in 1662 for nonconformity following the Act of Uniformity. He continued ministering to a dissenting congregation while producing numerous devotional and practical works on topics including marriage, child-rearing, and spiritual disciplines. His writings, characterized by biblical grounding, pastoral wisdom, and practical application, made complex theological principles accessible to ordinary believers seeking to apply Reformed faith to domestic life.