that maryeth her that is loosed from her husbande commytteth adultery Where although diuers exāples of bookes haue in diuers wordes the same sence when it is interpretated yet they do not diffre frō that is vnderstand of it For some copyes haue Whosoeuer putteth away Other haue euery manne that putteth away Lykewise some haue except the cause of fornication other besyde the cause of fornication other but for the cause of fornication Lykewise some haue he that maryeth her y t is losed frō her husband is an adulteror other haue he that marrieth her that is dimissed or put away of her husband is an adulteror Where I suppose you see that it maketh no matter for one the same sentence although this last sentēce that is to say he that maryeth her that is put from her husband is an adulteror Diuers bookes bothe Greke and Latine haue it not in that sermō that the Lord made vpon the mountaine And I suppose therefore because this sentence may bee thought there to be explicated in this that is sayd before He maketh her to commit adultery Howe can she that is put away bee made an adultresse except he that shal marry her be made an adulteror The wordes also that you put in wherfore you thought that he cōmytted no adultery that put awaye his wyfe for the cause of fornication and maryed another be verely obscure and darkely put in Wherfore I meruail not if the reader do stycke at the vnderstādyng of them but yet they be not in that sermō of our Lord which I than intreated when I wrote these thynges that moued you when you red thē For in another place the same Mathewe calleth that Christ spake those wordes not when he made the long sermō vpon the mountayn but when he was asked of the Pharisies whether it was lawful to a man for any cause to putte away his wyfe But that whiche is not vnderstāded by sainct Mathewe may bee vnderstanded by other Euangelistes Wherfore when we reade in sainct Mathewes gospel whosoeuer putteth awaye his wyfe but for fornicatiō or rather this that is red in the greke text besyde the cause of fornication and marieth another is an adulteror Wee ought not by by to thynke him no adulteror that for the cause of fornicatiō putteth away his wife and maryeth another but yet bee in doubt tyl we cōsult and reade y e gospel of other Euāgelistes that write of the same matter What if all be not written by S. Mathewe that pertaineth to this matier but a part is so written that the whole may be vnderstāded of the part which thyng S. Marke and sainct Luke as it were makyng it plaine had rather speake the whole that the full sentence may appeare Seyng therefore fyrst not doubting that to be true that is red in S. Mathewe who soeuer putteth away his wife for the cause of fornication and marieth another is an adulteror we do aske whether only he is an adulteror in mariyng another wife that besyde the cause of fornication putteth awaye his former wyfe or els euery man that putteth away his wyfe and maryeth another that he may be also included that putteth away his wyfe for fornication Shall it not bee answered to vs by saint Markes gospell why aske you whether the one bee an adulteror and not the other Whosoeuer putteth away his wyfe maryeth another cōmytteth adultery Shall it not also bee sayd to vs by S. Lukes gospel why dout you whether he for the cause of fornicatiō putteth away his wyfe and maryeth another bee an adulteror or no Euery man that putteth away his wyfe and maryeth another is an adulteror And because it is not lawfull to say the Euangelistes do not agree in one sence and one vnderstandyng althoughe they speake of one thyng in dyuers wordes therfore we must vnderstande that it pleased sainct Mathew to signifie the whole by the part and to be of the same mynde not that one man that putteth away his wyfe and maryeth another that is to say he that putteth her away beside the cause of fornication is an adulteror and another man that putteth away hiswife for fornitation is no adulteror but euery man that putteth away his wife and maryeth another should not bee doubted but that he is an adulteror For that also that foloweth in sainct Luke he that maryeth a woman that is put away from her husbād is an adulteror howe is it true Howe is he an adulteror but because she whō he marieth is yet another mans wife so long as he liueth that did put her away For if he haue carnal copulation with his owne wyfe and not with another mannes wyfe than commytteth he no adultery But he doth commytte adultery Therfore she is another mannes wife with whom he kepeth company Moreouer if she be another mannes wyfe that is to say his wife that put her awai although she bee put away for fornication yet she ceasseth not to be the wife of him that did putte her away But if she cease to bee his wyfe than is she wyfe to him that maried her the tyme. And if she bee his wyfe then is not he to bee iudged an adulteror but an husband But because the scripture calleth him not an husband but an adulteror therfore she is yet his wyfe that did put her away for fornicatiō And therfore what woman soeuer he maryeth that putteth awaye his former wyfe for fornication she is an adulteresse because she companyeth with another wyues husband Than howe can it be that he should be no adulteror when it is certaine that she commytteth adultery whom he maryeth Nowe let vs see and considre this that the Apostle sayth But to other I say not the Lord beyng about to speake to vnequall mariages Unequal mariages is when bothe the parties bee not Christians but the one parte Whiche saiyng me thynke he sayd by the way of exhortacion admonishement for because the partie christened be it manne or wyfe may lawfully forsake and put away the other partie that is an infidele therfore not the Lord but the Apostle forbyddeth that to bee done For that the Lorde forbiddeth may not be done at al. Therfore the Apostle dothe exhort and admonishe the parties that haue receiued the fayth not to vse their licēce permitted them in forsakyng the infidele parties that there may bee an occasion to wynne many to the fayth But you thynke that it is not lawfull for the christians to putte away the infideles that bee maryed to them because the Apostle forbiddeth it When as I say it is lawfull because the Lord dothe not forbid it but not expedient because the Apostle doth counsail it not to bee done who also geueth a reason why it is not expedient to bee doone although it be lawfull he sayth When I was free from all men I made my selfe seruant of all men that I might wynne many men When he had sayd a lytle before Haue
A woorke of the holy bishop S. Augustine concernyng adulterous mariages written by him to Pollentius diuided into two bookes very necessary to be knowen of all men and women LONNDINI ANNO. 1550. The fyrst booke RIGHT welbeloued brother Pollētius the firste questiō of those which you writyng vnto me intreated as by way of consultacion is that the Apostle sayth To those that bee in mariage I commaunde not I but the Lorde that a wyfe do not go from her husbād but if she go from him that she remayne vnmaried or els be reconcyled to her husband again And that an husbande putte not away his wyfe Whether it ought so to bee taken and vnderstonded that the womā is prohibited to marye whiche goeth from her husband without cause of fornication for that is your opiniō or els as I thought in those bookes whiche manye yeres ago I wrote vpon the sermon in sainct Mathewes gospell whiche our sauiour made vpō the mountaine that he commaunded those women to remaine vnmaried which did go from their husbandes for that cause whiche is only permitted that is to say the cause of fornication For you thynke that a woman goyng frō her husbande ought not than to marye if she go away beyng not compelled by any fornicatiō of her husband And you considre not if her husband geue no cause of fornication that than she ought not to remaine vnmaried if she go away but she ought not at all to go frō him For truely she that is cōmaunded to remaine vnmaried if she go from her husband hath not the libertie of goyng awaye taken from her but the libertie to be maried Whiche saiyng of you if it be true than is libertie geuen to those women that be disposed to liue in continencie not to tarry nor regarde the consent of their husbandes that the saiyng of the Apostle let not a woman go frō her husband should seme to bee commaunded to theim that may chose not continencie but suche a deuorse as may bee lawfull to ioyne with other in mariage Therfore it shal be lauful to those women that loue to desyre no company of mā nor to beare the yoke of mariage to forsake their husbandes yea without any cause of fornication and accordyng to the Apostles saiyng to remain vnmaried And men likewyse for there is like forme in both if they wyl liue continētly may without the consent of their wyues forsake them remaine without any mariage For than as you thynke they may seke newe mariages if the deuorse be for the cause of fornication But when that cause is not than it foloweth after your mynd that the wyfe either ought not to go from her husband or if she go from him to remaine with out mariage or els to returne to her former husband again Therfore whan there is no cause of fornication it shal be lawful to either of theim to chose one of these thre thynges either not to go one frō the other or if either parte go away to remaine so or if they do not remain so then not to seke thē another but to returne to their former husband or wyfe againe And where is than that the same Apostle would not y t either of y e maryed parties shuld defraud the other in their carnall debt no not for a tyme for this cause also that they might wholy with more feruent diligēce applie them selues to praier but by their mutual consent Howe shall this be saued that the Apostle sayth But for fornicatiōs let euery husbād haue his wyfe euery wife haue her husband And let the husbād pay his debt to his wyfe and likewyse the wyfe to her husbande The wyfe hath not power of her body but the husband likewise the husband hath not power of his body but the wyfe How shal this be true except when the one partie wyll not the other partie may not liue in continencie For if the wyfe may so put away her husband that she may remain vnmaried then the husbād hath not power of her body but she her self Whiche is also vnderstāded of the husband Moreouer when it is sayd whosoeuer putteth awaye his wyfe exceptyng the cause of fornication maketh her to bee an adultresse Howe shall wee vnderstande this saiyng but that a man isprohibite to put away his wyfe if there be no cause of fornication and it is tolde why lest he make her to bee an adultresse Truely therefore because although she put not him away but be putte away her selfe she shall be an adultresse if she marry Therfore for this great harme and inconuenience it is not lawfull for a man to putte away his wyfe but for the cause of fornication For then in puttyng her awaye he dothe not make her an adultresse but putteth away an adultresse What if the man say I put away my wyfe without any cause of fornication but for that he wyll liue chast in continencie shal we therfore say that he dothe lawfully that he dothe Who dare say so that vnderstādeth the wyll of the Lord saiyng that he would not haue the wyfe put away no not because the mā would liue sole and chast which excepted only the cause of fornication But lette vs returne to the very wordes of the Apostle saiyng To theim that bee in mariage I commaunde not I but the Lord that the wyfe go not from her husband but if she go to remaine vnmaried And let vs aske of him as it were consult with him beyng present Why diddest thou say O Apostle if she go frō her husband let her remayne vnmaried Is it lawful for her to go away from him or is it not lawful If it be not lauful why doest thou commaunde her goyng from her husbād to remain vnmaried But if it bee lawfull than truely there is a cause why it should be lawfull This cause with no serchyng is founden but onely that which our sauiour excepted that is to say the cause of fornication And therfore the Apostle cōmaunded not a wyfe that did go from her husband to remaine vnmaried except she went from him for that cause for whiche onely it is lawfull for a wyfe to go from her husband For where it is sayd I commaunde her not to go away but if she do go away to remaine vnmaried God forbyd that she that so goeth away that she must remaine vnmaried should do any thyng against this commaundement Howe therfore is she commaunded to remaine vnmaried if she go away except ye vnderstād her that may lawfully go away which is not lawful to any wyfe but in case her husband committe fornication Who is it that wyll say if a wyfe go frō her husband without cause of fornication let her remain vnmaried seyng that she may not at all go frō him but for fornication Therefore I thynke that you nowe perceiue howe muche this your vnderstādyng is contrarie to the bonde of mariage where
ought not to permitte than it foloweth that the saiyng of the Apostle if she go away let her remaine vnmaried we ought to teache that it is spoken of her whō we haue lerned may lawfully go away for no cause but for fornication Lest if we teache otherwyse by pretence of cōtinentliuyng we trouble christen mariages and lest against the most mercifull cōmaundement of our Lord we compel driue into adulteryes menne that wyl not liue continently without their wiues when thei be forsakē of their wyues that wyll not liue continently And so likewyse of women Than this that the lord sayth not in that sermon I expounded but in another place Whosoeuer putteth awaye his wyfe but for the cause of fornication and marieth another committeth adultery if we vnderstande it this waye that whosoeuer putteth away his wyfe for fornication and marieth another doth not commit adultery Than it semeth in this matter y t there is not like forme reason betwene the husbād the wyfe because the wyfe although she go from her husband for fornication marieth another yet she doth adultery but y e mā if he putteth his wyfe awaye for the same cause marieth another doth no adulteri But if ther be like forme in both than both be adulterours if thei marry other although thei separate theim selues for fornication And that there is like forme in this matter betwene the man the wyfe the Apostle sheweth there wherof I must often make menciō wher when he had sayd the wyfe hath not power of her owne body but the man he added and sayd likewyse the man hath not power of his owne body but the woman Than say you why did Christ adde to his saiyng the cause of fornication did not rather say generally whosoeuer putteth away his wyfe marieth another committeth adultery if he also cōmitteth adultery whiche putting awaye his wyfe for fornication marieth another I thīke because Christe would make mencion of that whiche is the greater fault For who denieth but it is more adultery to putte his wyfe away without cause of fornication and marry another than puttyng her away for fornication to marry an other not because this is no adultery but because it is lesse adultery whē after the fyrst wyfe put away for fornication the second is maried For sainct Iames the Apostle vsing a like speche sayth To him that knoweth to do well and do not it is synne Is it therfore no synne to him that knoweth not to do well and therfore doth it not yes truely it is synne but this is greater if he bothe knowe and do not And this is not therfore no synne because it is lesse But to speake then both after one sort like as whosoeuer putteth away his wife excepting the cause of fornication and marieth another cōmitteth adultery Euen so whosoeuer knoweth good doth it not synneth But like as it cā not be well sayd here therfore if he knowe not he synneth not for there be also sinnes of those that bee ignoraunt although thei be lesse than of those that knowe Euen so it can not be well sayd there Therfore if he putteth away his wife for fornication and maryeth another he cōmitteth no adultery For there is adultery also of theim whiche marry other forsakyng their former wyues for fornication but yet lesse than of those that marry other forsakyng their wyues not for fornication For like as it is sayd to him that knoweth good and dothe it not it is synne euen so this also may bee sayd to him that forsaketh his wife without cause of fornication and maryeth another it is adultery Therfore like as if we say whosoeuer maryeth a woman that is forsaken of her husband not for fornication cōmitteth adultery without doubt we say true and yet we do not deliuer him from that cryme that marieth a woman whiche is putte awaye for fornication but doubte not but bothe bee adulterors Euen so we pronounce him an adulteror that wtout cause of fornication forsaketh his wyfe marieth another and yet wee doo not therfore defend him from the spot of that cryme that putteth away his wyfe for fornication maryeth another For although one be more than another yet we knowe theim bothe to be adulterors For there is no man so vnreasonable that wyll deny him to bee an adulteror that marieth a woman whom her husband hath put away for fornication when he wyll call him an adulteror that maryeth her that is putte awaye without fornication After this sorte therfore these be both adulterors Wherfore when we say whosoeuer maryeth her whō her husband hath put away without cause of fornication committeth adultery we speake it of one of theim yet do not therfore deny him to bee an adulteror that marieth her whom her husband hath putte away for fornication So when both be adulterors that is to say both he that puttethaway his wyfe without cause of fornication and maryeth another and also he that puttyng awaye his wyfe for fornicatiō coupleth him selfe to another Truely when we reade this of one of them we may not vnderstande it so as though by him the other wer denyed to be an adulteror because he is not expressed But if sainct Mathewe the Euangelist make this hard to be vnderstāded by expressyng the one kynde and kepyng in silence the other did not the other Euangelistes comprehēd both so generally that it may be vnderstanded of bothe For in sainct Markes gospel it is thus written whosoeuer putteth away his wyfe and maryeth another committeth adultery vpon her and if the wyfe putteth away her husbād and bee maryed to another she cōmitteth adulterye And in sainct Lukes gospel thus Euery mā that putteth away his wyfe and maryeth another is an adulteror and he that marieth her that is put away of her husbande is an adulteror Than what are wee that do say there is one that puttyng awaye his wife mariyng another is an adulteror And there is another that doyng the same thyng is no adulteror seyng the gospel sayth euery manne is an adulteror that doth it Therefore if whosoeuer dothe it that is to say puttyng away his wyfe maryeth another is an adulteror without doubte than they bee bothe adulterors both he that without fornication and he that for fornication putteth away his wyfe For that is whosoeuer putteth away that is to say euery one y t putteth away And whē I brought furth the wordes of S. Mathewes gospel I dyd not skyppe ouer that was writtē and maryeth another and sayd thus he commytteth adultery as I can not tell why it is thought so to you but I put in the wordes whiche be red in the long sermon that the Lord made vpō the mountaine For that toke I on hād to intreate vpon which wordes bee there red so as I put theim that is to say whosoeuer putteth away his wyfe except the cause of fornication causeth her to commit adultery he
counsaileth the lord forbyddeth nor that the Apostle forbyddeth the Lord cōmaundeth Whiche thyng if it were not so neither the Apostle would counsail any thyng against the lordes prohibition nor would forbyd any thyng against the Lordes cōmaunded Wherfore in these two causes the one concernyng mariyng and not mariyng the other concernyng puttyng away or not putting away the infidele partie In the Apostles wordes there is some thyng like ▪ some thyng vnlike The lyke thyng is that both there he sayth I haue no commaundement of the Lord but do geue counsail and here he sayth I say not the Lorde For this saiyng I haue no cōmaundemēt of the Lord is like to this The Lord sayth not and this saiyng I counsail is lyke to this I say But this is vnlyke that concernyng mariyng and not mariyng it may be sayd this is well done that is better because both be expediēt the one lesse y e other more But concernyng the puttyng away or not puttyng away of the infidele partie it may not be sayd he that putteth away doth well he that putteth not away dothe better but it must be said let him not put away for althoughe it be laweful yet it is not expediente Thus we may saye it is better not to put away the infydle wife or husbande although it be lawful to put hym or her away euen as we say well it is better that is lawful and expedyēt then that is lawful and not expediente For these causes when I expoundyng the Lordes longe sermon whiche he made vppon the Mountaine came to that questyon concernynge the puttynge away of wyues or not puttynge away ioynyng also therunto the testimonies of the Apostle I said it was the Apostles councel and not the Lordes commaundement where he sayd To other I saye not the Lorde counsellyng those that had infidel wyfes not to put them away if they consented to dwel with them Whiche thynge truely was to be counselled and not to be cōmaunded for mē may not be forbidden with such great weight and charge to do thinges lawful althoughe not expedyent as thei be forbiddē to do thyngs vnlawfull And yf at any tyme the Apostle did vouchfafe to coūsel those thynges that were also to be commaunded that did he to fauoure mens infirmytie not to do any preiudice to Goddes commaundement For whiche cause he sayde I wryte these thynges not to cōfound you but I admonishe you as most derely beloued children What questiō is in this that he saith I say not the lord lykewyse where he saith Behold I Paul say vnto you that yf ye be cicumcised Chryst wyll profyte you nothing dyd he not also in this place saye I say not the Lord But these be not lyke because it is not vnsemely nor contrary if the Apostle councel these thinges that the lorde also commaundeth For we counsell and admonishe them whom we loue to do the preceptes or cōmaundemētes of the Lord. But when he sayth I say not the lord he sheweth sufficiētly that the lord forbiddeth not that he forbad And y e Lord would haue forbydden it if it had been vnlauful Therfore accordyng to those thynges that we haue before long and muche disputed it was lawfull by righteousnes yet beyng lawfull it was not to be done for good wil and free beneuolence But you whose opiniō is that it is aswell vnlawful that y e lord forbiddeth not but y e Apostle as it is vnlauful that the Lord forbyddeth When ye would haue expounded what ment this saiyng of the Apostle I say not the lord whereas the Apostle spake vnto christians that wer maried with infideles you sayd that the Lord cōmaunded there shuld be no mariages made with theim that be of a diuers religion ye brought in the testimony of the Lord saiyng Thou shalt not take a wyfe to thy sonne of the doughters of straungers borne least she leade him after her gods and his soule perishe You did also adde y e wordes of the Apostle wher he sayth A woman is bounden so long as her husbād liueth But if her husband be dead she is free to marry whom she wyll onely in the lord Which you expoūded so that you added that is to say to a christiā Thā you added further This is therfore the cōmaundemēt of the Lord aswell in the old testament as in the newe that no parties should remaine beyng coupled in mariage except they be of one religion faith Than if this be the Lordes cōmaundement bothe in the olde testament and the newe and if the Lord cōmaunde it and the Apostle teache it that no mariage remaine coupled but of one religion and fayth Why than against the lordes cōmaundemēt against his own doctrin against the precept of the olde testament and the newe dothe the Apostle cōmaund not only coūsaileth but also cōmaundeth that if the husband or wyfe receiue y e fayth the one should not put away the other beyng an infidele if the infidele consent to dwel with him By these your wordes you shew euidently inough that this is one thyng and that another For that as you say the Lord byddeth y e Apostle teacheth both the testamentes cōmaunde But this is another matter who can denye where it is intreated not of those that are to be maried but of those that be already maried For thei wer both of one infidelitie when they were maryed but when the gospel came the mā without the wife or the wife without the mā receyued the fayth Than if this be a diuers thyng as it appereth without any scruple or doubte why doth not the Lord cōmaund as the Apostle doth that the christian should remaine in mariage with the infidele except peraduēture that lacketh in this place that he himselfe sayd so boldly in another place Wyll ye receiue an experiment of Christe that speaketh in me And truely Chryst is the lord vnderstād you not what I say or shall I tary in this and declare it a litel better mark whether I do not in a playner speche laye the matter as it were before your eies to be cōsidered Behold ther be two maried persons both infidels when they were maried in these two there is no question that can perteine to the lordes cōmandement and the Apostles doctrine and the precept of the olde and newe testament whereby a Christian is forbiddē to ioyne in mariage with an infidel for now they be man and wife and as yet bothe be infidels as yet they be such as thei were before they maried and as they were maried the precher of the gospel cōmeth one of them he or she receyueth the faith but so that the other infidel cōsenteth to dwel with the Christian whether doth the Lord cōmaunde the Chrystyan to put away the infidel or not cōmaund yf you say he commaundeth the Apostle gain saith I saye not the Lorde If you say he commaundeth not I aske the cause why You wyl not aunswere the
they bynd women let them read what Antonius the Emperour whiche was no Chrysten man dyd constitute and ordeyn concernynge thys matier wher the husbande is not suffred to accuse the wife for the cryme of adulterie to whom he hathe not in hys liuinge gyuen example of chastitie so that bothe shulde be condemned yf that contention did proue them bothe alyke to haue been vnchaste For the foresayd Emperours wordes wryten to Gregorianus be these My letters saythe he shall in no parte of the cause be any preiudice For yf the fawlt be in you y t the mariage be dissolued and yf your wife Eupasia doo marie accordynge to the lawe of Iulius she shall not be condemned of adulterye for my wrytynge excepte it appere and be proued that she hath doon adulterye They shal haue before their eyes authorytie to inquyre whether you lyuynge chastely haue been author for her to lyue likewise well and chastely or no For it semethe to me very vnright that the man shulde require chastitie of hys wife whiche he hym selfe wyll not performe which thing may bothe condemne the man and for mutuall recompence of bothe their crymes make an end of the matier betwen them both or els take away the cause of the facte Yf these be to be obserued for the comlynes of the earthly citie howe moche more chaste doth the heauenly citie and the feloshyppe of angels require men to be Seyng these thynges be thus is the vncleanes of men therfore the lesse and not rather more and worse because in them there is a certayne proude and licentyouse boastinge Lette not therfore men abhorre that Christe forgaue the adulterouse woman but rather let them knowe their owne perill and beynge infected wyth the same sickenes lette them flee with deuout supplication to the same Sauioure and lette them confesse it to be necessarie to them that they read was doon in her let them receiue the medycyne of their adulteryes and cease to cōmyt any more adulteryes let them prayse the pacience of God in them let them doo penaunce and receyue pardon and finally let them change ther opinion concerning the punishment of womē and the impunitie of them selfes Whyche thynges consydered and intreated yf the commen concondicion betwene man and wife the commen harme the cōmen peryll the commen wound the commen health saftye be faithfully and humbly thought vpō the reconcylinge of them bothe after adulteries commytted and purged shal not be honeste nor harde where men doubt not but remission of synne is made by the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen not that after deuorse frō her husbād the adultresse shulde be called home agayne but that after felowshyppe without Christe she shulde be called no more an adultresse But beholde some wyll say it ought not to be doone whiche noman compelleth because peraduenture some lawe of thys worlde after the maner of y e earthly citie forbiddeth it wher the remission and abolishinge of sinne by the holy bloud of Christe is not thought vpon Than let continency be taken whiche no lawe forbyddethe and let no mo new adulteries be committed And what is that to vs yf y e adulterouse wife being at lest purged and made clene by the mercy of god be not reconciled to her husband so that whyles they be vnreconcyled no other maryages be made as lawfull matrimonye whiche are proued to be adulteries For the woman is bounden so long as her husbande liueth so consequently the man is bounden so longe as his wyfe lyuethe Thys byndyng causeth that they can not be ioyned with other without adulterouse copulation wher vpon it foloweth necessarily that of two maryed persons are made fowre adulterers yf she marye an other man and he marye an other woman For althoughe he commytteth more wycked adulterye that puttinge away hys wyfe not for fornication maryeth an other whiche kynde of adulterye Saint Matthewe made mention vpon yet not only he cōmitteth adultery and as Luke sayth euery mā that puttethe away hys wife marieth an other cōmitteth adultery Of whiche testimonies I haue disputed ynowgh in my former booke But you answer me that to liue continently is gyuen to fewe men and therfore they that haue put away their wife 's for fornication because they can not be reconcyled thei see thē selfes to be in so great daūger that they pronounce christes lawe not to be mercyfull and gentle but beastely and cruell O brother mē that lyue not continētli for as moch as perteineth to thē may haue many cōplaintes wherby as you sai to pronoūce Christes law to be cruel not merciful yet we ought not for their cause to peruerte chaūge the gospel of Christe You are moued onely by their cōplaint that put away their wife 's for fornication be not suffred to mari other because to liue continently is giuen to few men to it men ought to be exhorted by prayse not compelled by law And so if when an adulteresse is put away an other wyfe may not be maried the incontinencie of men shal haue as you thinke a iuste complainte But marke howe many thynges ther be where yf we wyll not admyt the complayntes of mē not lyuing continently we muste nedes permytte adulteryes to be doon For what and yf the wyfe be holden with a longe and incurable sicknes of the body so that carnall copulation islet What if captiuitie or some other violēce do separate y e one frō the other so y t the mā knoweth his wyfe is aliue yet can not inioy her thinke you y t we ought to admit y e grudgyng of incontinent men and to permyt adulteries What thynke you in that same wherin the Lorde was asked the question and answered that it ought not to be doon but that Moyses for the hardenes of their harte dyd permytte a libel of deuorse to be giuen and for euery cause to put away the wyfe Doth not Christes law displease the incontinent liuers that wyll by a diuorse reiecte and put away theyr wifes that be chyding contētiouse iniuriouse proud and disdainful to pay their carnal debte and marie other Now because the incontinent lyfe of these men abhorreth the lawe of Christe therfore must Christes law be changed to theyr wyll Moreouer if a wyfe forsake her husbande or a man hys wife not for fornication but rather for this intent to lyue in continencye and yet is an incontinent liuer to whom for that cause is giuen a libell of diuorse I aske the questiō whether shal not he or she be adulterours yf eyther of them be coupled in mariage to any other Yf it be sayd they shall not be than it is sayd againste the Lorde whose wordes be these who soeuer putteth away his wife except the cause of fornication causeth her to commit adulterie and he that marieth her that is put away is an adulterour Beholde she is put away puttethe not her husbāde awaye and because to lyue continently
thīke we ought to beware leste mē by this opinion shuld learn to cōpell their wyues to cōmit adultery which wyfes for other innumerable causes they can not beare that whē the bond of matrimonie is as you suppose by their fornication dissolued it may be lawfull for the men to marie other for y t they cōpelled their wiues to cōmit adulterie eyther to be washed by baptism or healed by penaūce for bothe grace medicine shal be denied to thē so longe as they shall lyue in adulterie w t their second wifes hauing put away their former wyfes besyde y e cause of fornication Excepte perchaunce some man say y t no man can cause hys wife to cōmytt adultery yf she be chaste and yet y e lord saithe euery man y t putteth away hys wyfe beside y e cause of fornicatiō maketh her to commit adulterye therfore truely because when she lyued chaste w t her husbande ▪ yet being put away she is cōpelled in y t she lyuethe not continently to be coupled w t an other man her former husband beyng alyue y t is to cōmitt adulterie And yf she doo not thus yet he for as moche as perteynethe to hym caused her to doo it god will impute that sinne to him althoughe she remain chaste But who knowethe not howe few there be y t lyue so chastely w t their husbādes y t although they be put from thē yet doo not seke for other husbādes For wtout cōparison y e number of women is greater that where as they lyue chastely wyth their husbādes yet yf they be put from their husbādes doo not differ to be maried againe Therfore whē men shall beleue god saiyng Euery mā that putteth away hys wyfe besyde the cause of fornication causeth her to cōmyt adultery if they beleue also you saiyng yf the woman cōmyt fornication her husband may lawfully marie an other wyfe whosoeuer for any other kynde of grefes wold lacke hys wyfe w t whom he is ioyned firste he causeth her to cōmit adulterie by puttinge her away wtout cause of fornicatiō that he myght than marye an other when she by marienge is an adultresse so he beyng deliuered eyther by baptisme or by penaunce frō the first synne wherby he caused her to cōmitte adultery myght seeme to haue inioye wtout any adulterie of hys parte the second wyfe which he maried after the adulterie of y e first the bond of matrimonye by y t meanes beinge as it wer dissolued Which thing yf any mā shal attempte or interpryse bothe he shal cause his wyfe to commyt adulterye he shall be an adulteroure hym selfe althoughe he marie an other after the adulterye of hys wyfe and it shall profite him nothing that he beleued you and not rather hym y e saithe without any exception euery man that forsakethe hys wyfe and mariethe an other commyttethe adulterye All whiche thinges wel considered and intreated it folowethe y t they y t heare these thīges diligētly shuld say to vs y t same y t was said to the lorde yf thys be y e state of a man w t his wyfe it is not expediēt to marie Tho whom what shulde we answer again but y t he answered euery man takethe not thys worde but they to whō it is giuē There be Eunuches y t be so borne from their mothers wōbe there be Eunuches y t be made so of mē there be Eunuches y t gelde them selfes for y e kyngedome of heauē He y t may take let him take Therfore he y t may take let hym take whiche all men take not but they may take to whom the secrete iust mercy of God geueth y e gyft But amōg all these that geld thē selfes for the kyngdome of heauen there be some of bothe kyndes y t neuer knewe carnal copulatiō some that haue had experiēce of it are turned frō it refusyng it other som y t haue proued it partely lawfully partely vnlawfully Morouer of thē y t haue proued it laufully som there be y t haue proued onely lawfully some bothe vnlawfully and lawfully For amonge them there be some y t knowe onely their own wyfes some that know also other women all kynde of adulterie But they y t after carnall copulation w t their wyfes geld them selfes for the kyngdome of heauen eyther loose their wife 's by deathe or professe to lyue continently w t thē by mutuall consent or by necessitie of diuorses leste by mariēg of other their wyfes beinge alyue they shuld cōmitt adulterye doo geld thē selfes for the kyngedome of heauen not y t they myghte be more clere purer there but that they can not otherwise be there for they y t lyue cōtinently not for this necessitie but for desyre of y e greater good may be ther euē keping styll the chastitie of mariage althoughe in lesse rewardes yet within the kyngdome of heauen But they that lyue therfore continently because they feare to be maried to other their former wyues beinge aliue ought to take more care for their own saluation than they tooke that loued continencie for greater reward For than they shall be there if they be not adulterers And yf they doo not lyue continently they shall be adulterours for during the lifes of their former wiues they shal not ioyne theim selues with other lawfull wyues but with adulterous women And yf they shall be absent from the kyngedome of heauen where shal they be but wher they shall not be saued ▪ These men therfore do I speake vnto that what thyng they ought to do yf thei had their wiues liyng sicke and consuminge in a continuall diseasse or els absent in a place where they coulde not come vnto them or els of some vnlawfull stomake refreynynge to kepe carnall cōpany with thē the same thinge they shulde doo yf their wyues dyd committe fylthy adulterie and for that cause diuorsyng them selues from their wyues cōpany shuld not seke newe mariages because they shall not be mariages but adulteries For seing ther is lyke forme in this bond of matrimonie betwē y e husbād the wyfe like as y e wyfe duryng here husbandes lyfe shall be called an adultresse if she be w t another mā euen so the man during his wifes lyfe shal be called an adulterer yf he be w t an other adulterouse womā For althoughe it be more greuouse sinn beside y e cause of fornicatiō yet euery mā y t putteth away his wife mariethe an other committethe adulterie Let not y e burdyn of continencye feare them it shall be a lyghte burden yf it be Christes it shal be christes yf faith be presēt which obteineth of christ y e cōmaunder y e performing of the commaundemēt Let it not moue thē that their continent lyuynge semethe to be of necessitie not of wyl for they also that haue chosen continēcy by their wyl haue made it to be of necessitie because