Nicolaus de lyra sayth vpon the xij chapiter of Daniel Vpon the .xij Chapit of Daniel wryteth lyra of Antichriste That Antichriste shal not regarde the loue of women for thys cause that he maye make to hym selfe a greater apearaunce of holynes But what good ensueth thereof it is euident In so muche that by reason we shoulde learne by theyr example that matrymony is a glorious and an holy lyfe for as muche as they are punyshed with dyuers abhominable and horryble synnes euen because that they contemne wedlocke for they haue in no point so hole agaynste all reason and nature misused themselues as in this poynt For as muche nowe Vvherfore it is necessary to wryte of Matrymony as the state of matrimony is abhorred of the workemongers or ypocrytes and rawe people in the world is coūted either for a cōmō vnholy or els for a hard straight lyfe So is it necessarye to obtayne out of the worde of god a right vnderstōding of matrimony and to teache agaynst suche false opinions what god speaketh of the lyfe of matrimony To thintēt that first the yonge people may learne wherfore matrimony is to be taken After that that they may knowe also howe they shall behaue thē selues therein So that men abide not onely by that that the worlde speaketh holdeth thereof with her madde sainctes But that whiche god and hys worde speketh therof Albe it that the holy scripture is full of such sentences where in the state of matrimony is highly praysed yet wyl we neuertheles nowe at thys tyme abyde by this sayenge Hebre xiij whiche soundeth thus Vvedlocke is to be had in honour amonge all men the bed vndefyled As for hoore kepers and aduouterers God shall iudge them This sentence is good and shorte whiche besydes that The true meanyng of the sentēce Heb. xiij that she speaketh greatly in the prayse of matrimony threateneth those sore that despise matrimony maketh also an after thynkyng why and wherfore he wyll haue this matrimony had in such honour Notwitbstandynge that it is so despysed and abhorred in the worlde And the meanyng of thys sentence is this That wedlock is an honourable goodly and costely thynge To thintent that all they which are the rein shoulde holde and counte theyr lyues for a noble honourable and goodly garnyshynge Appeare it before the worlde as it wyll and the worlde speake of it what she wyll Thys godly iudgement of matrimony as euery man mayse soundeth farre other wyse than the worlde hath imagined thereof for yf the worlde dyd counte matrimony so precious and honourable she woulde not flee from it and lyue without wedlocke But lyke as men haste them selues thitherwarde where they loke for some good costely thynges Euen so shoulde they also snatche after wedlock with loue and ioye and not defende themselues so from it with hande and fote as the wilde dieres agaynst the dogges for that the worlde doth so spurne at kycke at it now ymaginyng thys now that is altogether a sygne that she neyther knoweth Goddes worde concernyng matrimonye nor yet beleueth the same or els she woulde applye her selues a lytel otherwyse to it But what the occasion is that the worlde thus spurneth at the state of matrimony is partly touched before That nomā wil gladly be bounde and feareth that it myght succede vnluckely Therfore shall it be necessary that we also here in this parte seke and declare the occasyon or cause wherfore the holy scripture boasteth and prayseth wedlock so highly honourably And specially shoulde the Christians well remember and ponder suche occasions and causes To thin tēt that they myght mete with the worlde and be able to defende matrimony agaynste the euyll speakynges of the worlde So is nowe the first occasion that it maye be proued by the worde of god that matrimony was instituted of God hymselfe and planted in oure nature Accordynge as the same is clearly described in the fyrst Boke of Moses And Christe speaketh in the newe Testament Mat. xix He that made man at the beginnynge made them man and woman and sayd for thys cause shall a man leaue father mother shall cleaue vnto hys wyfe Againe sayth he whatsoeuer cometh together by the waye of matrimony the same hath God coupled together c. Let thys be vnto euerye man a glorious and greate reioysynge and prayse of matrimony that it is not a worke of man wrought by hys owne wyll But the worke of God vnto the whiche god hymselfe hath created man So that a couple of wedded folkes before the face of God with al trueth may boaste them selues of this that they are in an estate which is acceptable vnto God whiche God hymselfe hath instituted and plāted in nature and whylest they lyue in suche estate that they lyue in the worke yea also in the righte and proper pleasure or delyte of God The papistes cā not reioyse of their state before God This reioysyng hath not the Pope nor hys heape For they can shewe no where that God cōmaunded thē to lyue withoute wedlocke Vvherfore then the contrary parte followeth whylest they continue withoute wedlocke that they lyue withoute and agaynste the worde wil commaundement and pleasure of god but in theyr own wyll which neuer can please God Therfore when thei haue aduersite euen as thei do deserue then is it vnpossible that they can haue the conforte which the wedded men haue whiche can admonyshe God in all maner of aduersities and troubles and saye O Lorde god The prayer of the maryed vnto God thys another aduersite presseth me And thou knowest that suche trouble happeneth vnto me and cometh vpon me euen in thesame state whiche thou dyddest shape and institute in Paradyse with man Therfore helpe that we in this life instituted shapen and entretayned by the may be deliuered of this and that trouble and aduersitie c. With suche a prayer dare the maryed men come before God where as the other lyue in their owne deuotion contrary to the worde and wil of God and therfore they loke for no conforte neither can they praye a ryght vnto God Therfore when the Pope and hys vnmaried sorte laude and prayse muche theyr monkerie and Celibate lyfe Thē laude and prayse thou moche more thys lyfe of matrimony whereon hangeth thys gloryous name tittel that it is a godly lyfe shapen comuaunded of God and hys worde whiche no freare nor priest shal be able at any tyme to boaste of his Celibate lyfe Thys is nowe the fyrst also the greatest occasyon that wedlocke as the text sayth is to be had in honoure for as there is no thynge withoute nor aboue God euen so can there also be nothynge more excellēt nor better vpō earth then that whiche he hymselfe dyd shape and ordeyne As the texte maketh mention in the fyrste boke of Moyses Gene. i. And God sawe euery thyng that he
had made and beholde it was exceding good Amonge these shapen thynges which were all excedynge good is also wedlocke The celebate lyfe is not amonge them but the Deuyll hath inuented it yf mē wyl holde it for a goddes seruyce and compel the people thereto as the Pope doth The other cause is that god hath not onely instituted matrimonye God hath specially blessed matrimony But also he hath geuen his blessyng therevnto The same blessing standeth not onely barely in that that god geueth childrē for there be also children borne oute of wedlocke But the god hath a delyte and pleasure in the ryght children in the hole confederation geueth grace that they be well brought vp well nourysshed and preserued Therfore setteth the Cxxviij Psalm Cxxviij psal me also this among the blesssynges of the godfearynge people which lyue in wedlocke That they eate of the labours of their handes and shall se theyr childers children That is godfearynge people lyuinge in wedlocke shal haue this blessynge to theyr sustentation and children that they shal remayne and prospere Contrary to the whiche in the Celibate lyfe money and goodes vanyshe and waste awaye and all maner of calamitie foloweth Thys shoulde also by reason moue vs that we myght gette lust and loue towardes thys state Vvherfore there is many tymes in wedloc littel prosperite and helth seynge we fynde therein not onely the wyl of god but also al maner of blessynges And there must nedes be smal felicitie health loked for amonge those that despyse suche conforte and promyse of God and preferre theyr fre and wylful lyfe It is also to be feared leste the wrath of God myght be so kyndled agaynste those that do long continue in suche despisynge that although thei should at the last geue them selues to the state of matrimony they shoulde neyther haue prosperite nor helth Euen as it cometh to passe oftentymes that men through vngratiousnes and other vnhappynes in youth without wedlocke deserue cause that they haue but fewe good daies in wedlocke and that bothe the woman and the children fare amisse for as it is mentioned before God wil execute suche iudgement vpon the state of Matrimony that all they shall be punysshed that lyue in vnclenlynes and geue occasion of offence Therfore shal the yong people prepare thē selues by tymes towardes it and kepe themselues in the feare of God and in clenlynes To thintent that thei themselues do not hynder kepe backe the blessyng which God hath ioygned with matrimony The greatest sainetes that euer lyued fewe excepte were waryed The thyrde cause that wedlocke is to be had in honour is this that in thys state for the moost parte the greatest sainctes haue ended theyr lyues as the hole old and newe testament withnesseth But yf thou wilt knowe why they haue all lyued in wedlocke I can shewe thy no better nor surer reason thā that all Godly men haue alwayes ordered and kepte themselues after the wyll and worde of god And for as moche as god hymselfe hath instituted and commaunded Matrimony So haue they as obedyent Persons which had nede of suche ordinaunce of god geuen thēselues willingly and gladly into the state of matrimony for gods and their nedes sake Not regardyng that the worlde and the common people loued more the fre and wilfull lyfe Nowe this is not a smal reioysynge that whosoeuer is coupled in wedlocke may say with a fre and bolde conscience that he is euē in the same state wherin the Patriarkes Prophetes the holy Apostles and other sainctes most commonly haue lyued whereas contrarywyse the celibate lyfe was fyrst begonne of certayne heretykes because they would make them selues thereby a sundry pretense and colour of holynes The pope a father of al hipocrisye And was afterwarde confirmed of the Pope as of the Archefather of all hypocrisye and boasted for an holy lyfe He that wil be a Christian and can not lyue chaste oughte to marye For as concernyng Iohn the Baptiste and other suche lyke which for the kyngdome of heauens sake as Christe doth call it dyd abstracte thēselues from wedlocke it hath a sundry meanyng We speake here in generall of all them that wyll be Christians and can not lyue chaste out of wedlocke Vnto those it is very confortable that they se before thē examples of so many greate saynctes which haue all lyued in wedlocke and haue gone before vs in this holy ordre Truely this is a great prayse to wedlocke for who woulde not rather be found among suche a companye of holy men in lyke lyfe estate and conuersatiō with them then by the Pope and hys hole flocke whiche in thys in other affayres lyue so manifestly agaynst Goddes cōmaundement and the examples of hys saynctes The fourth occasyon wherfore wedlocke is to be had in honour and reuerence and not in contempte is this That without wedlocke To lyue withoute wedlocke escapeth not without synne we can not well lyue withoute synne and in a good Conscience for thus sayth Christe wheras he speaketh of them that lyue withoute wedlocke mat xix i. cor vij Al men can not cōprehende thys sayenge And saint Paule commaundeth To auoyde fornication let euery man haue hys wyfe For through the original synne is the nature of man weakened and destroyed in such wyse that very fewe mē out of wedlocke cā lyue in a good conscience Seing then that matrimony is a remedy whiche god himself thereto hath shapen and ordeyned according as his worde declareth that we stande in a good conscience and maye lyue chast Vvho wil be so rude vndiscrete that he wil repute this estate vnholy as the Pope doth But as it is aboue specifyed he hath receyued hys rewarde And to thintent that euery man should esteme the papistes for holy menne thei haue forsworne Matrimony and fal thereby into the greatest synne and shame in so moche that of their abhominable lyuynge the hole worlde doth syng and saye Thei are well serued why do they so frowardly despise the creation and ordinaūce of god And we must also for this cause haue wedlocke in honour and in hygh reputacyō and thanke god highly for thys meane whiche serueth vs for thys ende that we pollute not ourselues through horedome and suche other vnclenlynes and so fal into the fearfull Iudgement of God whereof we shal entreate more hereafter Vvedlocke is ful of good workes The fyrste and laste cause is thys That wedlocke also therfore is to be had in honour because it is suche a lyfe which yf it be kept accordingly is thoroughout full of good workes for euen the loue which is betwene man and wyfe is one of the speciall good workes whiche God hath commaunded and left remaynynge in nature and helpeth with hys holy Goost that we do perfourme them a ryght fainte not in thē Therfore exhorteth also the holy Saynt Paule to suche loue whereas he sayth
the maried nede not themselues The maryed couple shulde not make their state bitter themselues by vngentel behaue oure or wordes to geue occasyon of malyce or euyll wyll betwene them for they shall fynde euery daye occasyon ynough vnsought and vnloked for where by they shall be moued and prouoked to indignation hatred cursynge and other vngratiousnes So that they shall haue alwayes ynough to do for to resiste and let the Deuyll of hys purpose bothe by prayer and also by circumspecte discretion Therfore is it a good and godly ordinaunce that men wysshe vnto the newe maryed coupple the blessynge of God before the hole churche and make a commō supplication for them that they may begynne the state of matrimony in the name of God and that it may prospere with thē The cōgregation shoulde pray for the newe maryed couples for to bye this blessynge yf it were to selle men shoulde spare no money But nowe doth it the churche without money neuertheles some men be so rude that they woulde rather be without it But we maye let them alone for thei that are Christians wyll so moche the bolder geue themselues into the state of matrimony euen for thys common prayers sake For wedlocke yf the holy bedde remayne vndefyled is an honourable excellent estate for as moche as God hymselfe hath ordeyned and instituted it and also geuen hys blessyng therevnto and in general the Examples of al sainctes do teache vs this lyfe where in we haue euery houre aboundauntly al maner of occasions to serue god and our neyghbour as we haue heard before Yf nowe any mā thorough thys honourable predicatiō will not be moued to the state of matrimony The aduouterers ād hoorekepers god shal iudge them let hym be moued yet by thys that the texte speaketh wish manifest wordes of thē that lyue oute of wedlocke or otherwyse in vnclenlynes The aduouterers and hoorekepers shall god iudge for here doest thou heare althoughe there were no man in earth that knewe such vnclenlynes of the or coulde punysshe the same that yet thou shalt not escape But thou must come before the iudgement of god and he shall iudge the accordyng as he fyndeth the. And thus sayth saynt Paule i. Cor vi i. Cor. vi Be not deceaued for neither fornicatours neither aduoutrers shall inherite the kyngdome of heauen Here doth he pretely touche the thoughtes whiche sticke in many men whiche thynke that it is not a speciall synne to lyue oute of wedlocke and yet to vse vnclenlynes Accordyng as we se that the world thoroughout coūteth this synne but smal but wilt thou knowe yf men wil not be conuerted what the ende shall be Then herken to thys Thou shalt not inheryte the kyngdome of God Thys shal be the iudgement of God ouer the aduouterers and fornicatours Nowe remēber thou what thou shalt kepe when thou haste loste the kyngedome of God Therfore let euery mā be ware of thys iudgement of God and take hede in tyme that he may amende his lyfe and eschue vnclēlynes Otherwyse although there followed no temporal correction yet shall not the iudgement of God be left oute for there is dubble synne that men eschue matrimony for a tryfle and defyle thēselues with synne the lōger the more contrary to the wil of God There vpon must nedes followe the iudgement of god for here is none other meane nor coūsayl but that thou leaue suche vnclenlynes and geue thy selfe into thys state of wedlocke And so not onely prayse this state hygh and honourable with wordes but also with the dede and kepe the bedde of matrimony vndefyled through chastite and gentell conuersation and dwellynge together Thys be sayde for a warnynge and instruction not onely for the yonge peoples sake whiche yet shal come to the state of mariage But also for their sakes that are in wedlock all ready That thei bothe may knowe wherfore they shall take wedlock and howe they shall behaue thēselues therein Godly To the intent that God be with them with hys blessynge ād that they maye haue a good conscience therby which God graunt vnto vs all AMEN ☞ A briefe Exhortation vnto the maryed couple howe they shall behaue themselues in wedlocke Vvherfore god dyd institute wedlocke YE knowe oute of the worde of god whēce matrimony hath hys beginnyng namely that it is an ordinaūce of god that the man and woman shoulde dwel together and spende theyr lyues one with another fyrste for thys cause that by thys meanes the synne and the flesh shoulde be letted and that we might lyue in a good conscience for god hath sharply prohibited horedome vnclenlynes punished the same greuously as we se in all historyes by daily experience Secondely also for thys cause that the kyngdome of god y◠church may be entre tained not onely by thys that god through hys blessyng sendeth childrē in wedlocke But also that the children are educated of the maryed men brought vp in the worde and feare of god to thintēt that the knowledge of god and the ryghte goddes seruyce may alwayes come from the one vpon the other by inheritaunce and by the meanes thereof many maye come to saluation Wherfore God so to be thanked for matrimony seynge wedlocke serueth agaynst synne for the increassynge of the kyngdome of god So ought ye and all they that come to the State of matrymonye to thanke god with al youre hertes for thys grace that he hath geuen you such a herte and mynde that ye haue no lust to vnclenlynes and synne as the vngodly worlde But feare god and desyre to eschue all vnclenlynes for thys is a great grace seynge thys example is manifest that Sathan hath so many maner of snares where by he kepeth the hertes that they out of wedlocke contynue in synne and in an euyl conscience But what iudgement shal followe them that vse suche vnclenlines declareth saint Paule .i. i. Cor. vi Corin. vi Neyther fornicatours neyther aduouterers shal inherite the kyngdome of god from thys fearful sentence are ye thankes be to God now escaped yf ye kepe your selues together and dwell together accordynge to the ordinaunce of God But yet ye shal not be with out feare the wicked enemye layeth wayte for mā and wyfe for the wicked enemye seynge he coulde not hynder your hertes youre Godly purposes He shall vndertake and attempte other wayes to come to you and to diuide suche matrimonial dwellyng together or at the least to make it heauy paynefull And thys is specially hys pretense to studye howe he may plucke the hertes awaye the one from the other that euen as nowe ye haue luste loue one to another he maye rayse lothsomnes enemitie And the deuyl fyndeth by vs a great aduauntage for this hys purpose For there to are we vsed euen frō oure youth through synne that eueryone woulde fayne haue ryght counte hys brayne for the beste
God and seke fyrste the kyngdome of god he wyl neuer forsake them Serapia Geue examples of the scripture Iustina Who fedde the Patriarche Iacob when he went ouer Iordan with hys staffe and came agayne with moche people children cattell goodes Genes xxxij Gene. xxxij Vho fed Ioseph whan he was solde of hys brethren became he not by the grace of God a lorde ouer al Egypte Vvho fed the children of Israel in the wildernes forthy yeres Vvho prouyded here good wyne yea who fedeth the hole worlde with all creatures Doth not God it Truely noman nedeth to refuse matrimonye or to abstayne from it for hunger or penuries sake But let him take the matter in hande righteously in the feare of God and do accordyng as hys office or occupation requyreth let hym worke hys occupation in the name of the Lorde put hys trust in God walke ryghteously in the syghte of hys neyghboure thē shall he fynde of a trueth that god wyl holde on hys syde so moche as he did with Iacob Ioseph and with the Bryde and Brydegrome Serapia But what sayest thou of eatynge drynkynge deckinge and trimmynge pypyng playenge and daunsyng is it the worde of god in the churche The elders toke it for a great earnest matter namely that they fetched there the blessyng of God and the supplication of the Christen congregatiō which in dede is very necessary and requisite in this estate And whosoeuer taketh vpon hym the state of matrimony nedeth well the blessynge of god the common prayers of the congregation Seyng the deuyll neuer resteth here but attempteth all maner of wayes for to stirre vp moche mischief and calamitie with infidelyte aduoutrye vnclenlynes and all maner of wickednes All whiche thinges God the father oure lorde Iesus Christe cā and wyll hynder and let vnto whome be lande prayse for euer and euer Amen ¶ A fruteful Predication or Sermon of D. Mart. Luth. concernynge matrimony vpon this Texte in the Epistle to the Hebrewes in the xiij Chapiter ⧠Wedlocke is to be had in honour amonge all men and the bedde vndefyled As for hoorekepers and aduouterers God shall iudge them Matrimony hath alwayes ben estemed honourable also amonge the heathen THe estate of matrimony hath alwayes ben taken among discrete vertuous mē yea also amonge the heathen for an honourable and laudable lyfe for reasonable vertuous people haue euen of very nature a delyte in it when they see that two personnes which are coupled in mariage lyue together vertuously and in vnite brynge vp theyr children in the feare of God kepe them to vertuous nurtour honesty And that the one succoureth the other in necessities and aydeth hym with worde and dede and wherwith so euer he can Contrarywyse whā men lyue withoute the estate of matrimony in vnclenlynes synne and shame Remēber not theyr childrē nor brynge them vp in good nourtour that the one rūneth this waye and the other that waye lyke noughtye packes hauing no true loue nor faythfulnes together Suche a dissolute lyfe is reputed of all reasonable and honest men euen of nature wicked and very pernicious The yōge and rawe people despyse matrimony Notwithstondyng mense right well howe the yonger sorte and the commō people falleth awaye and abhorreth the state of matrimony as an heauy intollerable burthen And suche wilde careles persons wyll alwayes more loue the dissolute and fre lyfe then suche a paynefull vertuous and laudable lyfe in wedlocke Howe be it plages and punyshmentes ouertake them nowe a dayes very sore for besides that that such persones without wedlocke pollute themselues with synnes wilfully cause God to be enemy vnto themselues they are also punysshed with bodely plages that not onely money and goodes doth waste away by suche people but also they must paye for it in their skinnes For in suche filthy lyuinge reigne many maner of diseases and plages sometyme open shame and reuilynge somtyme also murther other calamityes Of suche examples is the worlde full whereby god sheweth a special earnest that he wyll haue wedlock kepte pure and vndespised But whereas some tyme suche tēporal correctiōs followe not And god permitteth the wicked persons to go after their owne wyll and to abyde in reputacion and healthfull body great goodes Euen there is surely a worse tourne to be attended namely the wrath and indignation of God in the worlde to come and the euerlastynge damnation Some despyse matrimony because of great holynes Lyke as nowe the madde yonge worlde abhorreth matrimony for suche free wyllfull lyues sake Euen so is it manifeste of the other parte that the Deuyll hath blyndedsome in suche wyse that they of mere holynes lyke as the other of mere wilfulnes haue despised matrimony and chosen a dissolute lyfe without wedlocke Accordyng as Saynt Paule hath prophecyed i. Ti. iiij i. Timo. iiij That it shall come so farre that certeyne spirites of errour vnder the pretense of great holynes shall forbidde matrimony As we se by the Pope and all hys Byshoppes Priestes freares Nonnes whiche forswere matrimony and wyll be called spirituall people because they lyue without wedlocke and lyue not in a carnal state as they iudge matrimony But in an angelicall or spirituall state and haue called them selues alone spiritual for this cause as though thei which lyue in the state of matrimony myght not be spiritual also as well as they This is the occasion because that matrimony is so common and hath no speciall regard before the world Therfore haue the popes blessed or they of the spiritualtie refused suche slyghte common lyfe and haue taken some speciall thynge before them whiche myght be more regarded then that a Citesen sitteth at home with hys wyfe fyndeth hys children and familie with soure labour and doth suche lyke thynges accordynge to hys vocation For thys is the nature of the worlde whatsoeuer is common the same doth she not regarde Agayn whatsoeuer is straunge and not common the same doth euery man couet to haue No man doth counte this for a special thinge that the sunne shyneth euery daye Exod. x But whan the thicke darkenes continued so longe in Egypte then did they learne vndoubtedly fynde fulwel that the sunne and the brightnes thereof is a glorious thynge and a fayre great benefite Also we counte it for no special grace when it rayneth i. Reg. xvij But when there came no rayne in the kyngdome of Israell in the tyme of Elias for the space of thre yeres and a halfe then dyd they learne that it was a great benefite Euen so happeneth it vnto the holy state of matrimony amonge the Papistes also because it is suche a common state that euery plowe man may come to it Therfore haue the popes Spiritualtye despised suche a commō lyfe and haue inuented and taken vpon them a speciall and sundry lyfe that myght seme to be of greater estimation before the people As