and deformitie of this most detestable vice your stomackes maye be moued to ryse agaynst it and to detest abhorre that synne which is so much to be hated and so pernicious and hurtful to al mē But emong all kyndes of contencion none is more hurtfull then is contencion in matters of religion Eschewe saieth sainct Paul foolish and vnlearned questions knowyng that they breed strife It becōmeth not the seruaunt of God to fighte or stryue but to be meke towarde all men This contencion strife was in saincte Paules tyme emonge the Corinthians and is at this time emonge vs Englishe men For to many there be which vpon the Alebenches or other places delight to propounde certayne questions not so muche perteyning to edificacion as to vainglory and ostentacion and so vnsoberly to reason and dispute that when neyther partye wil geue place to other they fall to chydynge and contēcion and somtyme from hote wordes to further inconueniēce Sainct Paul could not abyde to heare emong the Corinthians these wordes of discorde or dissencion I holde of Paule I of Cephas and I of Apollo What would he then say if he hearde these woordes of contencion whiche be now almoste in euery mās mouth he is a Pharisei he is a gospeler he is of the new sorte he is of the olde faythe he is a new broched brother he is a good catholique father he is a papist he is an heretique Oh how y e churche is diuided Oh how the cyties be cutte mangled Oh how y e coote of Christ that was without seame is all to rent torne Oh body misticall of Christe where is that holy happy vnitie out of the which whosoeuer is he is not in Christ If one membre be pulled from another where is the body If the body be drawē frō the head where is the lyfe of the body We cannot be ioynted to Christ our head except we be glued with cōcord charitie one to another For he that is not in this vnitie is not of the churche of Christ whiche is a congregaciō or vnitie together not a diuision Sainct Paul saieth that as long as emulacion contencion and factions be emonge vs we be carnal and walke according to the fleshly man And sainct Iames saieth If you haue bitter emulacion contenciō in your hartes glory not of it for where as contencion is there is incōstancy al euill deades And why do we not heare s Paule which prayeth vs where as he might cōmaund vs saiyng I beseche you in y e name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you wil speake al one thinge y t there be no dissencion emong you but that you wil be one whole body of one mynd of one opiniō in y e truth If his desire be reasonable honest why do we not graūt it if his request be for our profit why do we refuse it And if we list not to heare hys peticion of praier yet let vs heare his exhortaciō wher he saith ▪ I exhorte you that you walke as it becommeth the vocacion in the whiche you be called with all submission and mekenes with lenitie and softenes of mynde bearynge one another by charitye studiyng to kepe the vnitie of the spirit by the bond of peace For there is one body one spirit one fayth one baptisme There is he saieth but one body of y e whiche he can be no liuely membre that is at variaunce w t the other membres There is one spirit whiche ioyneth and knitteth all thynges in one And how can this one spirit reigne in vs when we emonge oure selfes be diuided There is but one fayth and howe can we then saye he is of the olde fayth and he is of the new faythe There is but one baptisme and thē shall not all they whiche be baptised be one Contencion causeth diuision wherfore it oughte not to be emong christiās whome one faith and baptisme ioyneth in an vnitie But if we contempne saincte Paules requeste and exhortaciō yet at the least let vs regarde hys obtestacion in the whithe he doeth very earnestly charge vs and as I may so speake coniure vs in thys fourme and maner If there be any consolacion in Christe if there be any comforte of loue if you haue any communion of the spirite if you haue any bowelles of pitie and compassiō fulfyll my ioye beyng all like affected hauynge one charitie beinge of one mynd of one opiniō that nothyng be done by contencion or vainglory Who is he that hath any bowelles of pitie that wyll not be moued with these wordes so pithy whose hart is so stony but that y e sworde of these wordes whiche bee more sharpe then any two edged swoorde maye not cutte and breake a sondre Wherfore let vs endeuour our selfes to fulfil s. Paules ioye here in thys place whiche shalbe at length to our greate ioye in another place Let vs so reade the scripture that by readynge therof we maye be made the better liuers rather then the more contencious disputers If any thyng is necessary to be taught reasoned or disputed let vs do it with all mekenes softnes lenitie If any thyng shall chaunce to be spoken vncomly let one beare anothers frailtie He that is faulty let hym rather amende then defend that which he hath spoken amisse lest he falle by contenciō from a foolish errour into an obstinate heresie for it is better to geue place mekely then to winne y e victory with the breach of charitie which chaūceth where euery man will defende hys opinion obstinately If we be christen men why do we not folowe Christe whiche saieth learne of me for I am meeke and lowely in hart A disciple muste learne the lesson of his scholemaster and a seruaunt must obey the commaundement of hys master He that is wise learned saieth s. Iames let hym shewe hys goodnes by hys good conuersacion and sobernes of hys wysedome For where there is enuy and contencion that wysedome commeth not from God but is worldly wysedome mans wysedome and deuilishe wysedome For the wysedome that commeth from aboue from the spirit of God is chast and pure corrupted with no euil affeccions it is quiet meke and peaceable abhorringe all desyre of contenciō it is tractable obediēt not grudgyng to learne and to geue place to them that teache better for their reformacion For there shall neuer be an ende of striuinge and contencion if we contende who in contencion shalbe master haue the ouerhande if we shall heape erroure vpon errour if we continue to defend y t obstinately which was spokē vnaduisedly For truth it is that stifnes in mainteyning an opiniō bredeth contenciō braulyng and chiding whiche is a vice emong all other most pernicious and pestilent to cōmon peace and quietnes And as it standeth betwixt two persons parties for no man commonly doth chide with him self so it comprehendeth two most detestable
stricken with a foule leprosy Other wer stinged to death with wonderful straunge firy serpentes Other wer sore plagued so that ther was killed in one day the numbre of fourtene thousand and seuen hundred for rebellion agaynst them whoÌ„ God had appoynted to be in aucthoritie Absalon also rebelling against his father king Dauid was punished with a straunge and notable death And lette no man thynke that he can escape vnpunished that coÌ„mitteth treason conspiracy or rebellion agaynste his souereigne Lorde the Kynge though he commit thesame neuer so secretly either in thought woorde or dede neuer so priuely in hys priuie chambre by hymselfe or openly communicatyng and consultyng with other For treason will not be hid treason will out at the length God will haue that moste detestable vice bothe opened and punished for that it is so directly against hys ordinaunce and agaynste hys hygh principall iudge and anoynted in yearth The violence and iniury that is committed against aucthoritie is coÌ„mitted agaynste God the common weale and the whole realme whiche God wyll haue knowen and condignely punished one way or other For it is notably wrytten of the Wiseman in Scripture in the boke called Ecclesiastes wishe the Kyng no euyll in thy thought or speake no hurt of hym in thy priuy chaÌ„bre for a byrde of the aire shall betraye thy voyce and with her fethers shall she bewraye thy wordes These lessons exaÌ„ples are writeÌ„ for our learnyng Let vs al therfore feare the moste detestable vice of rebellioÌ„ euer knowyng and remembring that he that resisteth commoÌ„ aucthoritie resisteth God and his ordinaunce as it may be proued by many other mo places of holy Scripture And here let vs take hede that we vnderstaÌ„d not these or suche other like places whiche so streightly commaunde obedience to superiors and so streightly punisheth rebellion and disobedience to thesame to be meant in any coÌ„dicioÌ„ of the pretensed power of the bishop of Rome For truely the scripture of God alloweth no suche vsurped power full of enormities abusions blasphemies But the true meanyng of these and suche places be to extol and set furthe Gods true ordinaunce and y e aucthoritie of Gods anointed kynges and of their officers appoynted vnder them And concernyng the vsurped power of the bishop of Rome which he most wrongfully chalengeth as the successor of Christe Peter we maye easely perceiue how false feined and forged it is not onely in that it hath no sufficient grounde in holy scripture out also by the fruites and doctrine therof For our sauior Christ s. Peter teacheth most earnestly and agreably obedience to kynges as to the chief supreme rulers in this world next vnder God but the bishop of Rome teacheth immunities priuiledges exempcioÌ„s and disobedience moste clearly agaynst Christes doctrine and s. Peters He ought therefore rather to be called Antichriste the succcssor of the Scribes Phariseis then Christes vicar or s. Peters successor seyng that not only in this poynt but also in other weightie matters of Christian religioÌ„ in matters of remission of synnes of saluacion he teacheth so directly agaynst both s. Peter against our sauior Christe Who not onely taught obedieÌ„ce to kynges but also practised obedience in their coÌ„uersacioÌ„ liuyng For we rede that they both paied tribute to the kyng And also we rede that the holye virgyn Mary mother to our sauior Christ and Ioseph who was taken for his father at the emperors coÌ„maundemente went to the citie of Dauid named Bethleem to be taxed emoÌ„g other to declare their obedience to the magistrates for Gods ordinaunces sake And here let vs not forget y e blessed virgin Maries obedience for although she was highly in Gods fauor and Christes naturall mother was also great with chylde that same time so nigh her trauaile that she was deliuered in her iourney yet she gladly without any excuse or grudgyng for coÌ„science sake did take that cold foule winter iourney beyng in the meane ceason so poore that she lay in the stable and there she was deliuered of Christ. And according to thesame lo how s. Peter agreeth writing by expresse wordes in his first Epistle submit your selfes saieth he vnto kinges as vnto the chief heddes or vnto rulers as vnto them that are sent of hym for the punishment of euill doers for laude of theÌ„ that do well for so is the wil of God I â—ede not to expouÌ„d these wordes they be so plain of theÌ„selfes S. Peter doth not say submit your selfes vnto me as supreme hed of the Churche neither he saith submit your selfes froÌ„ time to time to my successors in Rome but he saith submit your sels vnto your kyng your supreme head and vnto those that he appoynteth in aucthoritie vnder hym For that ye shal so shew your obedience it is the wil of God God will that you be in subiection to your hed and king That is Gods ordinaunce Gods coÌ„maundement Gods holy will that the whole body of euery realme and al the membres partes of thesame shalbe subiect to their hed their kynge and that as S. Peter writeth for the Lordes sake and as S. Paule writeth for conscieÌ„ce sake and not for feare onely Thus we learne by the worde of God to yeld to oure kyng that is dewe to oure kyng that is honor obedience paimentes of dewe taxes customes tributes subsidies loue and feare Thus we knowe partly our bounden dueties to commoÌ„ aucthoritie nowe let vs learne to accomplishe thesame And let vs moste instauntly and hartely praye to God the onely aucthor of all aucthoritie for all them that be in aucthoritie according as S. Paule willeth writyng thus to Timothe in his first Epistle I exhort therfore that aboue all thynges prayers supplicacions intercessions and geuing of thankes be doen for all men for kynges and for all that bee in aucthoritie that we maye liue a quiete and a peaceable life with al godlines and honestie for that is good and accepted in the sight of God our sauior Here s. Paule maketh an earnest and an especiall exhortacion concernyng geuyng of thankes and praier for kynges and rulers saiyng aboue al thynges as he might say in any wise principally chiefly let prayer be made for kynges Let vs hartely thaÌ„ke God for his greate and excellent benefite and prouideÌ„ce coÌ„cernyng the state of kynges Let vs pray for theÌ„ that they may haue Gods fauor and Gods proteccion Let vs pray that they may euer in al thinges haue God before their eyes Let vs pray that they may haue wisedom strength iustice clemeÌ„cie zeale to Gods glory to Gods veritie to christian soules and to the common wealth Let vs praye that they maye rightly vse their swourde and aucthoritie for the maintenaunce defence of the catholique faith conteined in holy scripture and of their good and honest subiectes and for the feare and punishement of
theim that withoute mercy and dispitfully put hym to death Who wheÌ„ he was reuiled did not vse reuilyng wordes again and when he suffred wrongfully he did not threateÌ„ but gaue all vengeaunce to the iudgemente of hys father whiche iudgeth rightefully And what crakest thou of thy hed If thou labor not to be in the body thou canste be no membre of Christ if thou folow not the steppes of Christ who as the Prophete saieth was led to death like a lambe not openynge hys mouth to reuilyng but openyng hys mouth to praiynge for them that crucified hym saiynge Father forgeue them for they cannot tel what they do The whiche exaÌ„ple anone after Christ sainct Stephin did folow and after sainct Paule We be euill spoken of saieth he and speake well we suffre persecucion take it pacieÌ„tly Men curse vs we gently entreate Thus s. Paul taught that he did he dyd that he taughte Blesse you sayeth he them y t persecute you blesse you curse not Is it a great thyng to speake wel to of thyne aduersary to whoÌ„ Christ doth coÌ„mauÌ„d the to do wel Dauid wheÌ„ Semei dyd call him al to naught did not chide agayn but saide paciently suffre hym to speake euil it perchauÌ„ce the Lorde will haue mercy on me Hystories be full of examples of Heathen men that toke very mekely bothe opprobrious wordes iniurious dedes And shall those Heathen men excel in pacience vs y t professe Christ the teacher example of all pacieÌ„ce Lisander when one did rage agaynst him in reuilinge of him he was nothing moued but said go to go to speke agaynst me asmuch as oft as thou wilt and leaue out nothynge if perchaunce by thys meanes thou maiest discharge the of those naughtie thynges with the which it semeth that thou arte full laden Many men speake euill of all men because thei can speake wel of no man After this sorte thys wyse man auoyded from hym the iniurious wordes spoken vnto hym imputyng and laiyng them to the naturall sickenes of hys aduersary Perycles when a certain scolder or a raylyng felowe dyd reuile him he auÌ„swered not a word again but went into a galery and after toward night wheÌ„ he wente home thys scolder folowed hym ragyng still more and more because he sawe the other to set nothyng by hym And after that he came to hys gate beyng darke night Perycles commaunded one of hys seruauÌ„â—es to light a torche to bryng y e scolder home to his awn house He did not only w t quietnes suffre thys brawler pacieÌ„tly but also recoÌ„peÌ„sed an euil turne with a good turne y t to hys enemye Is it not a shame for vs that professe Christe to be worse then Heathen people in a thynge chiefly perteyning to Christes religion Shall Philosophie perswade them more then Gods woorde shall perswade vs Shal natural reason preuaile more with them then religion shall do with vs Shall mans wisedome leade them to that thyng whereunto the heauenly doctryne cannot leade vs What blyndenesse wilfulnesse or rather madnesse is this Perycles beyng prouoked to angre with many contumelious wordes aunswered not a worde But we stirred but with one litle woorde what tragedies do we moue How do we fume rage stampe and stare like madde men Many men of euery trifle will make a great matter and of the sparke of a litle worde wyll kindle a great fyre takyng all thinges in the worste parte But how muche better is it and more lyke to the example and doctryne of Christe to make rather of a great faulte in our neighbour a smal fault reasoning with our selfes after this sort He spake these wordes but it was in a sodaine heate or the drinke spake them not he or he spake theÌ„ at the mocion of some other or he spake them beyng ignorauÌ„t of the truth he spake them not agaynste me but agaynste hym whome he thoughte me to be But as touching euill speakyng he y t is ready to speake euyl against other men fyrste lette hym examyne himself whether he be faultlesse and cleare of the faulte whiche he fyndeth in an other For it is a shame when he y t blameth an other for any faulte is giltye hymselfe either in thesame faulte eyther in a greater It is a shame for hym that is blynde to call an other maÌ„ man blynde and it is more shame for hym that is whole blynde to call hym blinkerd that is but pore blynd For this is to se a strawe in another mannes iye wheÌ„ a man hath a blocke in his awne iye Then let hym considre that he that vseth to speake euill shal commonly be euil spoken of again And he that speaketh what he will for his pleasure shalbe compelled to hear that he would not to his displeasure Moreouer lette hym remembre that saiyng that we shall geue an accompte for euery idle woorde How muche more then shall we make a reconyng for our sharpe bitter braulyng chidyng woordes whiche prouoke our brother to be angery so to the breach of his charitie And as touchyng euill aunsweryng although we be neuer so muche prouoked by other mennes euill speakyng yet we shall not folow their frowardnes by euill aunsweryng if we coÌ„sidre that anger is a kynde of madnesse and that he whiche is angery is as it wer for y e tyme in a phenesy Wherfore let hym beware least in his fury he speake any thyng â–ª whereof afterward he maie haue iuste cause to be sory And he that will defende that anger is no fury but that he hath reason euen when he is moste angery then let hym reason thus with himself when he is angery Now I am so moued and chafed that within a litle while after I shalbe otherwaies minded wherfore then should I now speake any thyng in mine anger whiche hereafter when I would fainest cannot be chaunged Wherfore shall I do any thyng now beyng as it wer out of my witte for the whiche wheÌ„ I shall come to my self again I shalbe very sadde Why doth not reason Why dooth not godlinesse Yea why doth not Christ obtein y e thyng now of me which hereafter tyme shall obtein of me If a man be called an adulterer vsurer drunkarde or by any other contumelious name let hym consider earnestly whether he be so called truly or falsly if truly let hym amende his fault that his aduersarie maie not after worthely charge hym with suche offences if these thynges be laid against him falsly yet let hym consider whether he hath geuen any occasion to be suspected of suche thynges so he maie bothe cut of that suspicion wherof this slaunder did arise and in other thynges shall liue more warely And thus vsyng our selfes wee maie take no hurte but rather muche good by the rebukes slaunders of our enemie For the reproche of an enemy may be to many men a quicker spurr to the amendement of their life
all men and the bed vndefyled But whoremongers and fornicatours God wyll iudge 〈◊〉 is to saye punishe and coÌ„dempne But to what purpose is this labour taken to describe and set furth the greatnes of the synne of whoredome and the incommodities that issue and flowe out of it seynge that breath and toungue shall soner fayle any man then he shall or maye be able to set it out according to the abhominacion and haynousnes therof Notwithstandynge thys is spoken to the entent that all men shoulde flee whoredome and lyue in the feare of God God graunt that it maye not be spoken in vayne Now wyll I declare vnto you in ordre with what greuous punishmentes God in tymes passe plagued adulterye and howe certayne worldly Princes also dyd punishe it that ye maye perceaue that whoredom and fornicacioÌ„ be synnes no lesse detestable in the sight of God of all good men then I haue hytherto vttered In the fyrst boke of Moyses we reade that when mankynd began to be multiplyed vpon the yearth the men and women gaue their myndes so greatlye to carnall delectacion and fylthy pleasure that they lyued without all feare of God God seynge this their beastlye and abhominable liuynge and perceyuynge that they amended not but rather encreased dayly more and more in their synfull and vncleane maners repented that he euer had made man and to shewe how greatly he abhorred adultery whoredome fornicacion and all vnclennes he made all the fountaynes of the depe yearth to burste out and the â—â—uces of heauen to be opened so that the rayne came downe vpon the yearth by the space of forty dayes and forty nyghtes and by thys meanes destroyed the whole world and all mankynde eighte persons onely excepted that is to saye Noe the preacher of righteousnes as Sainct Peter calleth hym and his wyfe his three sonnes and their wyfes O what a greuous plague dyd God cast here vpon all lyuyng creatures for the synne of whordome For the which God toke vengeaunce not onely of man but also of beastes foules and all lyuynge creatures Manslaughter was committed before yet was not the worlde destroyed for that but for whoredome all the worlde fewe onely excepte was ouerflowed with waters and so peryshed An example worthye to be remembred that ye maye learne to feare GOD. We reade agayne that for the fylthye synne of vncleannes Sodome and Gomorre and the other cytyes nyghe vnto them were destroyed with fyre and brymstone from heauen so that there was neither man woman chylde nor beaste nor yet anye thynge that grewe vpon the yearth there lefte vndestroyed Whose harte trembleth not at the hearynge of this hystorie Who is so drowned in whoredome and vncleannes that wil not nowe for euer after leaue this abhominable liuynge seynge that God so greuously punysheth vncleannes to rayne fyre and brymstone from heauen to destroye whole cyties to kyll man womaÌ„ and chylde and all other liuynge creatures there abydyng to consume wyth fyre all that euer grewe what can be more manyfest tokens of Gods wrathe and vengeauÌ„ce against vncleannes and impuritie of lyfe Marke this hystorye good people and feare the vengeaunce of God Do we not reade also that GOD dyd smyte Pharao and his house with great plagues because that he vngodly desyred Sara the wyfe of Abraham Lykewyse reade we of Abimelech Kynge of Gerar although he touched her not by carnal knowledge These plagues and punyshmeÌ„tes did God caste vpon fylthye and vncleane persones before the law was geuen the lawe of nature onely reignynge in the hartes of men to declare howe greate loue he had to matrimonye and agayne howe muche he abhorred adulterye fornicacion and all vncleannes And when the lawe that forbad whoredome was geuen by Moyses to the Iewes dyd not God commaunde that the transgressours thereof shoulde be put to death The wordes of the lawe be these Who so coÌ„mitteth adulterye with anye mans wyfe shal dye the death bothe the man and the woman because he hath broken wedlocke wyth hys neighbours wyfe In the lawe also it was coÌ„maunded that a damosell and a man taken together in whoredome should be both stooned to death In an other place we also reade that God commaunded Moyses to take all the heade rulers and princes of the people to to hang them vpon gybbets openly that euery man might see them because they eyther committed or dyd not punishe whoredom Agayne dyd not God sende suche a plague emonge the people for fornication and vncleannes that they dyed in one daye three and twenty thousande I passe ouer for lacke of tyme many other historyes of the holy Byble which declare the greuous vengeaunce and heauy displeasure of God agaynste whoremongers and adulterers Certes this extreme punyshment appoynted of God sheweth euidently how greatly God hateth whoredom And let vs not doubte but that God at thys present abhorreth all maner of vncleannes no lesse then he did in the olde lawe and wyll vndoubtedly punishe it both in this worlde and in the worlde to come For he is a God that can abyde no wyckednes therefore oughte it to be eschewed of all that tendre the glorye of God and the saluacion of theyr awne soules Sainct Paule saieth all these thynges are written for oure example and to teache vs the feare of God and the obedience to his holy lawe For if God spared not the naturall braunches neither wyll he spare vs that be but graftes if we commit lyke offence If God destroyed many thousandes of people many cyties yea the whole worlde for whoredome let vs not flatter oure selfes and thinke we shal eschape free and without punishment For he hath promised in hys holy lawe to sende moste greuous plagues vpon them that transgresse his holy commaundementes Thus haue we hearde howe God punisheth the synne of adulterye let vs nowe heare certayn lawes which the cyuile Magistrates deuised in dyuers countrays for the punishmeÌ„t therof that we maye learne how vnclennes hath euer bene detested in all well ordered cyties and coÌ„mon wealthes and emonge all honeste persons The lawe emong the Lepreâ—ans was thys that when any were taken in adultery they were bound and caried three daies through the cytie and afterward as longe as they lyued were they despiced and with shame and confusyon reputed as persones desolate of all honestye Emonge the Locreusyans the adulterers had bothe theyr eyes thrust oute The Romayns in tymes paste punyshed whoredome sometyme by fyre sometyme by swourde If a man emonge the Egyptians had bene taken in adulterye the lawe was that he shoulde openly in the presence of all the people be scourged naked with whippes vnto the numbre of a thousande strypes The woman that was takeÌ„ with hym had her nose cut of whereby she was knowen euen after to be an whore and therfore to be abhorred of all men Emong the Arabians they that were taken in adulterye had theyr heades
striken from their bodyes The Athenians punyshed whoredome by death in lyke maner So lykewyse dyd the Barbarous Cartarians Emong the turkes euen at thys day they that bee taken in adultery bothe man woman are stoned streightewayes to death without mercy Thus se we what godly actes were deuised in tymes paste of the high powers for the puttyng awaye of whoredome for the mainteynyng of holy matrimony pure cōuersaciō And the aucthors of these actes were no christians but Heathen Yet were they so enflāmed with the loue of honestye and purenes of lyfe that for the maintenaūce conseruaciō of that they made godly statutes suffering neyther fornicaciō nor adultery to reigne in their realmes vnpunished Christ sayde to the people The Niniuites shall ryse at the iudgement with thys naciō meanyng the vnfaythful Iewes and shal condempne them For they repēted at the preachyng of Ionas but beholde sayeth he a greater thē Ionas is here meanynge hymselfe yet they repent not Shall not thynke you likewise the Locreusians Arabians Athenians with suche other ryse vp at the iudgement and condempne vs for asmuche as they ceased from whoredome at the commaundement of man and we haue the law and manifest preceptes of God and yet forsake we not our filthy conuersacion Truly truly it shalbe easier at the daye of iudgement to these Heathen then to vs except we repent and amende For althoughe death of body semeth to vs a greuous punyshment in this worlde for whoredome yet is that payn nothynge in comparison of the greuous tormentes whiche adulterers fornicatours and all vncleane persons shall suffer after thys lyfe For all suche shalbe excluded shut out of the kingdome of heauen as s. Paule saieth Be not deceiued for neyther whoremongers nor worshippers of Images nor adultrers nor softelinges nor Sodomites nor thefes nor couetous persons nor dronkards nor cursed speakers nor pyllers shall inherite the kyngdō of God And S. Ihon in hys reuelacion saieth that whoremongers shall haue their parte with murderers sorcerers enchaunters liars ydolaters such other in the lake whiche burneth with fyre brimstone which is the seconde death The punyshmēte of the bodye although it be death hath an ende but the punishment of the soule which s. Ihon calleth y e secōd death is euerlasting there shalbe fyre brimstone there shall be wepinge and gnashing of tethe the worme that shall there gnawe the conscience of the dampned shall neeur dye O whose hart distilleth not euen droppes of bloud to heare and consydre these thinges If we tremble and shake at the hearyng and naming of these paynes oh what shal they do that shall feele them that shall suffer theim yea and euer shal suffer worldes without ende god haue mercy vpon vs. Who is now so drowned in synne past all godlynes that he wyll set more by a fylthy and stynkyng pleasure whiche sone passeth away then by the losse of euerlasting glory Againe who will so geue himselfe to the lustes of the fleshe that he feareth nothynge at all the paynes of hell fyre But let vs heare howe we maye eschewe the synne of whoredome and adultery that we maye walke in the feare of God and bee free from those moste greuous and intollerable tormentes whiche abyde all vncleane persons To auoyde fornicaciō adultery and all vnclennes let vs prouide that aboue all thynges we maye kepe oure hartes pure and cleane from all euill thoughtes and carnal lustes For if that be once infected and corrupte we fall hedlonge into all kynde of vngodlynes Thys shal we easly do if when we fele inwardly that Sathan oure olde enemy tempteth vs vnto whoredō we by no meanes consente to hys craftye suggestions but valiauntly resiste and withstande hym by stronge fayth in the woorde of God obiectinge agaynst hym alwayes in oure harte this commaundemente of God Scriptum est non moechaberis It is written thou shalt not commit whoredome It shall be good also for vs euer to lyue in the feare of God and to set before oure eyes the greuous threateninges of God agaynste all vngodly synners and to consider in oure mynde howe fylthye beastly and shorte that pleasure is wherunto Sathan moueth vs And agayn how the payne appoynted for that sinne is intollerable and euerlasting Moreouer to vse a temperaūce sobrietie in eatyng drynkyng to eschewe vncleane cōmunicaciō to auoyde al fylthy company to flee ydlenes to delight in readynge holy scripture to watche in godly prayers vertuouse meditacions and at all tymes to exercise some godly trauayles shall helpe greatly vnto the eschewynge of whoredome And here are all degrees to be monyshed whether they be maryed or vnmaryed to loue chastitie and clennes of lyfe For the maryed are bounde by the lawe of God so purely to loue one an other that neyther of them seke any straunge loue The man muste onely cleue to hys wyfe and the wyfe agayne onely to her husband they muste so delighte one in an others companye that none of them couit any other And as they are bounde thus to lyue together in al godlines and honesty so likewyse is their duetye vertuously to brynge vp their chyldren and to prouide that they fall not into Sathans snare nor into any vnclennes but that they come pure and honeste vnto holy wedlocke when tyme requyreth So likewyse ought all masters and rulers to prouide that no whoredome nor any poynte of vnclennes be vsed emonge their seruauntes And agayne they that are single and feele in theim selfes that they cannot liue without the company of a woman let them get wifes of theyr awne and so lyue Godly together For it is better to mary then to burne And to auoyde fornicacion saieth the Apostle lette euery man haue hys awne wyfe and euerye woman her awne husbande Finally all suche as feele in themselfes a sufficiency and habilitie throughe the operacion of Gods spirite to leede a sole and contynent lyfe let them prayse God for his gifte and seke all meanes possible to maynteyne thesame As by readyng of holy scriptures by godly meditations by continuall prayers and suche other vertuous exercises If we all on this wyse wyll endeuour our selfes to eschewe fornicacion adultery and all vnclennes and leade oure lyfes in all Godlynes and honestye seruynge God with a pure and cleane harte and glorifiynge hym in oure bodies by leadynge an innocente lyfe we maye be sure to bee in the numbre of those of whome oure sauioure Christe speaketh in the Gospell on this maner Blessed are the pure in harte for they shall see God to whome alone be all glory honour rule and power worldes withoute ende AMEN ¶ An Homelie agaynst contencion and braulynge THys daye good christen people shalbe declared vnto you the vnprofitablenes and shamfull vnhonesty of contencion stryfe and debate to the entente that when you shall se as it were in a table paynted before your eyes the euilfauorednes