Arist Ethie 7. Chambering and wantonnesse will be their associate Rom. 13.13 Lasciuiousnesse Lusts riotings and banquetings are ioyned by the Apostle 1 Peter 4.3 And will be seldome seuered by Apostataes Doe wee not see by ordinary experience the lasciuions steale to maintaine drunkennesse when drunkennesse was delighted in only for the desire of vncleannes So a Luxuriae ad praesins voluptatem deliniens futuram non simt cogita epaupertatem Aug. doctr Christ reiking in this riotousnes that they neuer wreake that woe which shall be vnto them which rise vp earely to follow strōg drink continue vntil they be enflamed Isal 5.11 Whereby it comes to passe that Hell opens her mouth wide and they in multitudes descend into it whilest they so lie weltering in their wickednes that they neuer consider the curse which shal fall vpon him who giues his neighbour strong drinke and puts his bottle to him and makes him drinke also that he may looke on his nakednesse Habak 2.15.16 How hee shall be filled with shame in steade of glory and himselfe drinke also till his foreskinne be vncouered how the cup of the Lordes right hand shall bee turned vnto him and shamefull shewing shall bee his honour But b Psal 50.22 oh would they would consider this that thus forget God least hee take them away in a Time when there is none to deliuer them Would I say they would consider with Saint Augustine that Quicunque ad bibendum pronus fuerit velin Conuiuio suo alios suos adiurauit pro se pro ipsis in Die Iudicij reus erit Whosoeuer is proue himselfe or prouoketh others to drinking shal answere both for his own and their offence at the day of iudgement which might teach them to take heed vnto themselues that their harts may not at any time bee ouercharged with surfetting drunkennes so that fearefull day of the Lord or their death come vpon thē vnawares Lu. 21.34.35 for as a snare shal it com vpon all such inhabiters of the earth yea with all the snares punishments which are due vnto Adultery that issues from this sinne of drunkennesse Which is the next obiect of our obseruation What punishments are due to offenders in it The punishments Wherein to omitte the particular personall paines of the Body which God inflicteth according to his own pleasure answerable oftentimes to the quality of the Constitution or a Wisd 11.15.16 correspondent to the forme of the offence when Occultam culpam sequitur aperta percussio because these are not alwayes apparently incident to all Offenders And those of which Antiquitie durst aueare that Quatuor his poenis punietur quisquis Adulter Aut erit hic pauper aut hic subita morietur Aut aliquod subito franget de corpore membrum Aut cadet in famam qua debet carcere trudi That euery Adulterer shall bee ouertaken with one of these foure extremities 1. Eyther he shall be poore and begge his bread yea and seeke it out of desolate places 2. Or else hee shall die suddenly and bee vnexpectedly cut off in the day that he thinkes not of it 3. Or else hee shall haue his bones shattered and broken a sunder in his security euen as a mā breakes and heweth wood vpon the earth so that he shall liue so miserably as hee shall seeke death and not finde it That body being the greatest griefe and burden vnto him which before hee pampered to followe the delightes and lustes of the flesh 4. Or else hee shall fall into such reproach and infamy that hee shall bee deseruedly cast into prison for his Impiety To omit I say these Wee will inferre as ineuitable That as the Lepreians carried those which were de prehended for the Fact three dayes bound through-the City and afterwardes despised them during their life time So the Apostle appointed amongst Christians that if there were any fornicator amongst them hee should bee bound with the chaines of Excommunication and published through the Synagogues That they should haue no commerce nor company with him 1. Cor. 5 11. And as in the old Worlde a Non habentes cum eis societatem vel communionē Aq in Ep. they which defiled themselues with strange flesh were reserued vnto the vengeance of eternall fire Iude 7. So in this latter age all Adulterers and vncleane persons are lyable to the Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone which is the second death Apoc. 21.8 Where Pro breui voluptate perpetua poena For a moment of pleasure they shall suffer many millions of paine as Saint Bede sayth yea and that which is if any thing can bee yet more fearefull not onely them selues but euen their posterity which are the issue of such vnlawfull seede yea and the goods which are gotten by such vnlawfull meanes shall all bee consumed and vtterly rooted out one moneth shall deuoure them their strange Children and all their portions Hosea 5.7 For the multiplying broode of the vngodly shall not thrine nor take deepe rooting from Bastard shppes nor lay any fast foundation for though they flourish in branches for a time yet standing not fast they shall bee shaken with the VVinde and through the force of the wind they shal be rooted out The vnperfect branches shall bee broken off their fruit vnprofitable not ripe to eate yea meet for nothing For children begotten of vnlawfull beds are witnesses of wickednesse against their Parents in theyr Tryall Wisd 4.3.4.5.6 For howsoeuer to some this seeme so sweete a sinne as that they will not leaue it till they dye Eccles 23.17 yet as you may reade and it is well worth the reading to this purpose in the same Chapter to the 27. verse The Whoremonger shall bee taken in a time when hee suspecteth not and punished in the streetes And the wife that leaues her husband and bringeth in hyre by another shall bee brought out into the Congregation that Inquisition may bee made of her Children who shall take no roote And shee shall leaue her memory to bee cursed and her reproach shall not be blotted out Who would not therefore feare this fatall fault and affrighted take vp Saint Hieromes exclamation against this sinne O lgnis infernalis Luxuria Cuius materia Gula Cuius flamma superbia Cuius Scintillae praua colloquia cuius fumus infamia cuius cinis immunditia cuius finis Gehenna O thou infernall fire of Lust whose fuell is full feeding whose flame is proud flourishing whose sparckles are ribald speaking whose fume is Infamie whose ashes vncleannesse Whose Vrne is hell and whose extinguishing eternall burnings whose kindling occasionates such a Counter-Plea to mans Pardon that the Almighty thus exaggerates his offences How shall I pardon thee for this Thy children haue forsaken mee and sworne by those that are no Gods and when I fedde them to the full by troupes they haunt Harlots Houses And so I descend to the first aggrauation which is Their Impudency
charissimi tota â—â—entione cogitate vit am corrigite mores mutate mala tentamina resistendo vâ—â—cite Perpetrata autem fletibus punite c. Greg. mag hom 1. in Euang. preuented by repentance the face of that most iust Iudges seuere sentence Certè turpis aut nulla in Die Iuaicii erit excusatio sayth Saint Chrysostome Surely eyther confounded with shame the sinner shall stand speechlesse Mat. 22.12 Or ex ore tuo te iudicabo serue nequam Luc. 19 22. His Apologie shall bee but the further pleading his impiety and his excuse aggrauate his accusation But peraduenture some who thinkes it not yet full time to take his leaue of the sweet delights of sinne is of sufficient capacity to cozen his owne soule Ob. Repentance deferred may secretly seem to haue spied this starting hole although I sinne a long season yet I will repent at the last and then I am not preiudiced for my pardon For n Ezech. 18. at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance sayth the Lord. To whom let this solution satisfie Besides that in that place Ezec. 18.20.21 which is the place pretended Or I know no other It is required that repentance be froÌ„ the bottome of the heart Et serararò seria as Saint o Multos solet serâ—â—ma poeninitentia decipere Aug. â—er 36. Aug That which is late is seldom liuely but onely pretended and not intended Like Pharaohs during the present plague Exod. 9.27 Or Antiochus in his extremity 2. Math 9.7 Besides this I say which is seldome seene p Luc. 23.43 and but once instaned in sacred scripture Once to the end that none despayre and yet but once that none prefume In the forenamed Text of Ezechiel there is adioyned Doing If hee keepe my statutes and do that which is lawful and right which must necessarily inferre a Conclusion against deferring Repentance vntill the time of mans dissolution for what doing what worke what deuice what knowledge what wisdome is there in the graue whether thou goest Eccles 9.20 Reasons And therefore this must infallably imply a speedy repentance which may bee further enforced 1. Not only from the q Si quis positus in extrema necessitate suae agritudinâ—s voluerit accipere Poenitentiam accipit cisi fateor vobis non illi neganius quod petit sed nec praesumimus quod bene hine exit Aug de Mirâ—sacr Scrip. inconuenience of choosing out the end of sicknes for the beginning of repentance When as Saint Aug lbi rapitur intensio mentis vbi vis doloris The minds Meditation is distracted to the place where the body is disturbed 2. Not only from the r Quem morbus vrget poena terret ad veraÌ„ vix veniet satisfactionem Maxime cum silij quos illicite dilexit sint praesentes vxor Mundus ad se vocet Aug ser 36. inhability of a crazed Creature to vndergoe so great a burden and numberlesse number of sighes forrowes troubles teares watchings fastings prayers perils conflicts conferences and consultations as the strongest body in the perfectest state vnlesse God enable it is not sufficient for 3 But also from the impossibility of mans repenting at his own pleasure Å¿ In culpam incidisse naturae est Dolere virtutis Amb l. 1 de Dauid Repentance being a grace of God and not a gift of Nature For there is no man that hath power ouer the Spirit to receyue the Spirit neyther hath he power in the day of death Eccl. 8.8 There may be indeed a kind of sorrow or heauines in man 2. Cor. 7.10 which is but like a Melancholy passion forerunning a misfortune the Prelude to eternall vnhappinesse But to haue a godly sorrow Repentance not to be repented of as in the same place the Apostle distinguisheth It must be granted of God Act. 11.28 By the Prince and Sauiour of Israel Act. 5.31 But as a Father hath religiously obserued Qui promisit paenitenti veniam non promisit delinquenti paenitentiam Hee that promised pardon vnto the repentant neuer promised repentance to the wilfull delinquent neyther hath he giuen protection Peccandi in crastinum vnto the perseuering sinner And therfore take heed lest by deferring as if thou despisest Gods goodnesse and patience which should leade thee to Repentance Rom. 2.4 Thou at the length reape vnto thy selfe a hard and reprobate heart which cannot repent Ver. 5. Which is neyther vniust with God as Rom. 1.24 The Apostle laies down the Axiom Nor vnaccustomed to miserable men as Exod 10.20 Presumptuous Pharaoh Heb. 12.17 Prophane Esau Ioh. 12.40 Apostatical Israel are set forth for fearefull examples Presume not therefore on Gods mercy to binde one sinne vpon another for in one thou shalt not goe vnpunished Eccles 7.8 Vis ergo liberari Paenitentiam age dum sanus es saith Saint Augustine Wilt thou be assured of deliuerance then repent whilst thou art in health and prosperity and hearten not thy selfe by thy former sinnes nor say not I haue sinned what harme hath come vnto me and therefore I will still doe so for although the Lord be long suffering yet in no wise hee will let thee goe Eccles 5.4 For though a Sinner doe euill a hundred times his dayes be prolonged yet it shall not bee well with him at the last but he shall be cut off as a shadow Eccles 12.13 For if he dealt so with Pharaoh as potent as thee in power If so with Esau as importunate as thee in prayer If so with Israel as inward as thee in affection How shall hee pardon thee for this And thus much shall suffice to haue beene spoken touching the first part which is the Expostulation now we descend vnto the second which is the reason Thy children haue forsaken mee and sworne by those that are no Gods c. And therein Part. 2. First of the persons Thy Children which is Metaphorically vsed for the people of Iudath Pro subditis et Discipulis as Saint Hieron For the subiects vnto the Prince who is a Nurcing Fathers c. Isai 49.23 Pater Patriae the Father of his Country And for the Disciples of the Priests who are b 1 Cor. 4.15 Gal. 4.19 Paerentes spirituales in Christo The spiritual fathers of their Flockes in Christ To both whome both those are Children Whereout as the care of Superiours shall hereafter be collected Obedience of inferiours so the obedience and honour which Inferiours owe vnto them shall first be obserued because Nescit regnare qui non didicit obedire He knowes not how to Rule who hath not first learned to obeye And a c Malach. 1. sonne honoureth his Father and a seruant feares his Lord if they be then your Fatherss where is their honour If they bee your Lords where is their feare For euen such children must be obedient vnto these
is b Exod 20.14.15 Thou shalt not commit Adultery yea and that before the Prohibition of Theft signifying that it is more haynous before God hateful to man then stealing for men doe not despise a Theefe if hee steale to satisfie his soule when it is hungry but if he be found hee shall restore seuen-fold or he shall giue all the substance of his house But who so committeth Adultery with a Woman lacketh vnderstanding Hee that doeth it destroyeth his owne soule A Wound and dishonour shall hee get and his Reproach shall not bee wiped away For Iealousie is the rage of a man therefore hee will not spare in the day of Vengeance He will not regard any ransome neyther will hee bee content though thou giuest many giftes Prou. 6.30 to 35. But because this was spoken in the time of the Law when Adultery was Death Leuiticus 20.10 Least some licentious Libertine nourced amongst the Nicolaitanes or proceeding from the a 1 an l. 1. c. 1. c. 9. Achamoth of the Gnostickes pretending himselfe to bee Naturaliter spiritualis And yet will giue Carnalia Carnalibus as Ireneus obserues of them should dreame of a dispensation for this sinne vnder the Gospell because Christ seemes to abrogate the seuerity of the sentence Iohn 8.2 to 10. There was an especiall care b Act. 15.29 at the first Councell of the Apostles to enioyne Abstinence from Fornication That as c Deut. 23.17 no Whore might be found amongest the Daughters of Israel so d 2 Cor. 6.9.10 Heb. 12.16 no Whoremonger amongst the sonnes of Emanuel Whereupon Gal. 5.19 20 21. The Apostle placeth Adultery Fornication Vncleannesse and Lasciuiousnesse before Idolatry Witch-craft Hatred Variance Emulation Wrath strife and Sedition e Vel ideo praemittit alijs operibus caernis quia ad hac caro magis prochuis est Marlorat as if it were more dangerous then any of the other and that not vnworthily a Hae ommasrequentu esequenter ad LuxuriaÌ„ Lyra. It indeed oftentimes producing all the other If thou wilt see Adultery beget Idolatry thou needest but cast an eye on b Reg. 11.1 to 9. Salomon If Witchcraft reflect on c 2. Reg. 9.22 Iezabel If thou wilt behold Lust in Trauell with Hatred and Reuenge d Gen. 39.20 Putiphars Wife is at full time of Deliuery And if thou darest endure to see Murder hatcht out of it because e Mark 6.17 to 29. Herods is not high enough bring on a stranger although a Prophet f 2 Sam. 13.1 to 30. Amon and Absolon shall bring it to light euen amongest Brethren Wherefore except a man will open the sluce for all sinnes to flow with a full current and prostitute himselfe to the vassalage of euery vice without resistance he may palpably perceyue the vnsufferablenesse of this sinne which as that Dragon Apoc. 12.4 Drawes downe the third part of the Starres of Heauen with his Tayle Or as Sampsons Foxes Iudges 15.4.5 Coupled by Firebrandes in theyr tailes burnt the Philtstines Corne vpon the Earth So this Tayletying sinne extinguisheth the greater parte of the Vertues and Faculties of the Soule which should shine like the Starres for light and direction in mans Heauenly halfe And schorcheth dryeth vppe and consumeth the Radicall moysture strength and vigor of the Body which should flourish like the corne for maintenance and sustentation in mans earthly halfe Wherefore sithence that although the Holy Ghost aggrauates this sinne aboue all other as beeing a Non solum maculat animain sed faedat personam Omne namque pectatuÌ„ quo leunque secerit home extra corpus suum est qui autem formicatur in corpus suum peceat Semper allam praecedit Ardor Petulantia semper comitatur Foetor immund tiae Hâ—â—g within the Body whereas others are without 1. Cor. 6.15 Yet b Act. 7 51. Stiffe-necked man who alwayes resists the sacred Spirit endeuours to extenuate it as beeing most Naturall to the body and inherent which indeed is too true as all Diuines determine that b Act. 7 51. Manet fomes et Concupiscentia euen in Renatis which except it bee soone extinguisht will set the best Fabricke c Dimittitur Concupiscentia Carnis in Baptismo Non vt non sit sed vt non imputetur Aug. l. 1. c. 25. ex Nustis on fire Therefore I haue deemed it not vnworthy the time and labour to sound the Syrces and shelfes which are to bee declined of those whose Soules would not be suncke in this deuouring d 1 Cor 7.9 2 Cor 12.7 Scylla Of which The first is Idlenesse and Sloath For then and not till then sins e Dâ—â—llo aestu Charibdis luxuriae salutem vorat Ibiore Virgineo ad pudicitiae perpetrands naufragia Scylla seu renidens libido blanditur Hieron ad Heliod Dauid with Bathsheba when hee sent out Ioab to his wonted Warfare and himselfe walkes at ease in his Pallace Which the Poet spyed by the eye of Nature Quaeritur Aegisthus quare sit factus Adulter In promptu causa est desidiosus erat Vnchast folly is for the most part begotte of an idle braine and hatched in a lazy body as our f D. Boyes super Euang. d. 15. p. Tr. English Postiller obserues as hee doth all thinges verie ingenuously Whereas Otia si tollas periere Cupidinis arcus Contemptaequ iacent et sine luce faces e 2 Sam. 11.1 to 6. For Cupid shoores in a slugge and hits few but the sloathfull This therefore should bee no small care in all partes of the Kingdome and in this renowned City deserues no small commendations That hee which will not worke may not cate 2. Thess 3.10 But bee exterminated as a Citizen of Sodome Who will hee sloathfull in their Vocation Ezechiel 16.49 Or else bee committed to that Gymnosophisticall Discipline Where hee shall render not an Annuall but a Diurnall Account of his Doinges For as amongst all the giftes of the Spirite and all the Callings in the Church There are none for Idlenesse but all for Working and Edefying Rom. 12.6 to 16. 1. Corinthians 12. Ephesians 4.11.12 So amongest all the Estates Degrees and Offices in the Common-Weale though there bee manie Ouerseers there must bee no Lookers on for otherwise Idlenesse will engender Adultery So That when they are fedde to the full by Troupes they will haunt Harlots Houses The second Syrte to bee shunned is filthie communication foolish talking and iesting that is not conuenient Foolish talking Ephes 5.3 4 For euill Wordes corrupt good manners 2. Cor. 15.33 Let therefore no corrupt Communication proceede out of your Mouth but that which is good to the vse of Edifying that it may minister Grace to the Hearers Ephes 4.29 A Lesson needefull to bee learned in these our dayes when not onely the elder sorte amongst the a Psal 2.1 raging multitude vse their Tongues b Psal 12.4 as if there were no
Lorde ouer them or rather as if c Tob 3.8 Asmodeus the Spirite of vncleannesse were Regent in them but euen teach theyr Children so soone as they can Charter lewde lasciuious and ribauld rimes As if the a Psal 8.2 mouthes of Infants Babes and Sucklinges which were ordayned for the prayse of God should now onely serue for Cupids Cryers Belzebubs Beadles and Helles Herrolds Whereupon it is no wonder being so educated at the first and b Quo semel est imbuta recens seruabit odorem Testae diu Horat. Wanton be hauiour seasoned with sinne if when they are grown vp and sedde to the full they by Troupes haunt Harlots Houses The thirde Rocke to bee retired from If thou wilt not suffer Shippe-wracke by this sinne Is wanton Lookes and light Behauiour That the Daughters of Syon may not walke with stretcht forth neckes and wanton Eyes mincing as they goe and making a tinckeling with their feet Isai 3.16 For if the Prince of the Apostles had beene made Iudge of such I doubte he would haue applyed this place vnto them c Si vir vel mulier se ornauerit vt vultus hominum in se prouocaeuerit etsi nullum inde sequatur damnum induium tamen patietur aternum quia venenum attu lit si fuisset qui biberet Hieron Auro Margaritis adornata Monilibus ornamenta Mentis Corporis peâ—ds lecunt Cyprian de Habit Virg. They haue eyes ful of Adultery and cannot cease from sinne 2. Peter 2.14 And vnlesse Ioseph bee a Steward in such a house Putipher may well feare the loosing that one thing which he hath onely reserued which if you will haue preserued those prouocations that I may not say Proclamations of Impurity must be preuented A fourth thing to be forborne is the frequenting lewde places Lewd Company or associating with lasciuious persons For a Pro. 6.27.28.29 Can a man take fire in his bosome and his cloathes bee not burnt Can one goe vpon hote Coales and his feete not bee burnt So hee that goeth into his neighbours wife Whosoeuer toucheth her shall not bee Innocent b Prou. 5.8.9 Remooue thy way therefore farre from her and come not nigh the doores of her house least thou giue thine honour vnto others and thy strength to the Cruell For Cum Peruerso peruerteris With the Peruerse thou shalt be peruerted as c Hieron the Father reades it Psalme 18.26 And therefore if thou wilt escape the Hooke then swallow not the bayte for otherwise thou shalt not rest vntill thou hast done euill Prou. 4.16 The fift and last daungerous arriuing Drunkennesse is at the Deepes of Drunkennesse and vnsounded Shoare of Surfetting Another of the supreame Implicit sins depending vpon Plentie When hee fedde them to the full A vice so vile so base so beastlike as that it d Fbrietas tudicium Rutonis obfuseat contentiones bella proâ—urat robur Naturalem virtutem eueruat Infirmitatem generas mortem naturalem adducit Hugo de Sancto Victor transsorms the soule deformes the body bereaues the Brayne betrayes the strengthe desiles the affection and metamorphoseth the whole man making the vnderstanding ignorant the strong staggering the trusty trothlesse the vertuous vitious and the preciseft person a Pander to the prophanest sinne Drunkennes as Saint Augustine obserues being the e Flagitirrum omnium mater Radix Criminum Culparum materia Origo vitiorum Turbatio Capitis subuersio sensus Tempestas Lingua Procellae Corporis Naufragium Castitams c. Augustin ad Sacr Virg. mother of misdemeanors the matter that ministers all mischiefe the roote of wretchednesse the vent of vice the Subuerter of the Senses the Confounder of the Capacity raysing astorme in the Tongue Billowes in the Body and Shippe-wracke in the soule the losse of Time the corrupter of Conuersation the discredite of Carriage the Infamie of Honesty the Sincke that swallowes Chastitie the Infirmity whose Physitian is Ignominie and the madnesse whose Medicine is Misery Whereupon Salomon is so carefull to preuent the danger before it seaze least afterwardes it bee neyther remoued with ease nor abide alone with all mans industry a Pro. 23.31.32.33 That hee will not haue a man looke vpon the Wine when it is Redde when it giueth his colour in the Cuppe or when it sparkleth aright least at the last it bite him like a Serpent and sting hius like an Adder cause his eyes to behold strange Womeu and his Hearte to vtter peruerse thinges When b Noe ad vnius borae ebrietatent nudauit semoralia sua quae ad Sexcentos annos contexerat Hieron Ep. 1. ad Occan. lay Noah vncouered but when hee was drunke Gen. 9.21 When committed Lot incest but in his Wine Gen. 19.32 to 38. And when thought Dauids Arch-policy the fittest time to vaile his Adultery but at a deuice of drinking 2 Sam. 11.13 Sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus For she dwels onely at the Iuie-Bush But Ebrietas quid non defignat It infecteth the Soule worse then Sodome c Pro. 23.29 Assumit inter pocula angusta certamina malis existentibus causis aspen ram excitat rixam Aug. vbi supr To omit the woes sorrowes bablings contentions and woundes without cause which attend it as also d 1. Esdr 3 22. Refertur Alexandri Macedo tae exemplum qu Clituim charissimum sibi as sidelissnnum inter epulas transfodit intellecto facinore mori voluit Sence Ep. 34. ad Lucil. How men in their Cuppes forgette their loue to friendes and rashly draw their swordes And howe a Sam. 13.28 when mens harts are merry with wine they are easily smitten to death So that a b Iudith 12.20 13. to 9. silly woman may slay the strongest man of Armes if Holifernes himselfe bee made the Instance To omitte I say these and a thousand other Inconueniences which are Appendixes to this vice And onely to insist vpon the Affinity of it with that sinne which in the present is proposed for the effect of it Is not Drunkennesse the mother Nurce and Cater to Adulterie Or at least Lasciuiousnes the daughter of Luxurie Is not c Pro. 20.1 wine a mocker and strong drink raging Let Ahashuerosh who could forbear Vashti al the time of his feasting but must haue her brought foorth when his hart was merry with VVine Esther 1.10 11. And here these Israelites bee the Instance who when they were fedde to the full By troupes they haunt Harlots Houses And therefore as hee that will not be defiled must not touch Puch Eccles 13.1 So hee that will not bee enflamed to vncleannesse must not onely take heed of being drunken with wine wherein is excesse Ephesians 5.18 But euen auoyde keeping company with wine-bibbers or riotous eaters of flesh Prouerb 23.20.21 For as Pouerty is their Pedisseque so d Esus carnium potus vini ventrisque satu ritas SeminariuÌ„ libulinis est