whoredome And here are all degrees to be monished whether they be married or vnmarried to loue chastitie and clennes of lyfe For the married are bounde by the lawe of God so purely to loue one an other that nether of them seeke any straunge loue The man must onely cleaue to hys wyfe and the wyfe agayne only to her husband they must so delight one in an others companye that none of them couete any other And as they are bounde thus to liue together in all godlynesse and honeslye so lykewyse is their duetie vertuouslye to brynge vp their children and to prouide that they fall not into Sathans snare nor into any vncleÌ„nes but that they come pure and honest vnto holy wedlocke when tyme requireth So likewise oughte all maisters and rulers to prouide that no whoredome nor any point of vnclennes bee vsed among theyr seruauntes And again they that are single and fele in themselues that they cannot lyue without the company of a woman let them get wyues of their own and so liue godli together For it is better to marry then to burne And to auoide fornicacion i. Cor. vii saith the Apostle let euery man haue his own wife and euerye woman her own husbande Finally al such as fele in theÌ„selues a sufficiencye and habilitie throughe the workynge of gods spirite to leade a sole and continent lyfe let theÌ„ praise god for his gift and seke al meanes possible to maintaine thesame as by reading of holy scriptures by godly meditacions by continual praiers suche other vertuous exercises If we all on thys wyse wil endeuoure our selues to eschewe fornicacion adultery and all vnclennes and leade our liues in all godlynes and honestye seruinge God with a pure and cleane hearte and glorifying him in our bodyes by leadyng an innocente and harmelesse lyfe we maye be sure to be in the number of those of whom our sauioure Chryste speaketh in the gospell on thys maner Aâ—â—th v. blessed are the pure in hearte for they shall see God to whom alone bee all glorye honoure rule and power worldes withoure ende Amen ¶ A Sermon against Contencion and brawling THis day good Christen people shall be declared vnto you the vnprofitablenes and shamefull vnhonestye of contencion strife and debate to thintente that wheÌ„ you shal see as it were in a table painted before your eyes the euil fauourednes and deformitie of thys mone detestable vice your stomackes mat be moued to rise againste it and to deteste and abhore that sinne which is so much to be hated and so pernicious and hurteful to al men But emong all kindes of coÌ„tention none is more hurteful then is contencion in matters of religion Eschewe sayeth S. Paule folishe and vnlearned questions i. Timo. â— 1. Tim. ii knowynge that they brede stryfe It becommeth not the seruaunt of god to fight or striue but to be meke towarde all menne This contencion and strife was in Sainct Paules tyme emong the Corinthians and is at this tyme emonge vs Englyshe menne For to many there be which vpon the Ale benches or other places delight to set forth certayne questyons not so much pertaynyng to edificacion as to vaine glory and shewyng forth of theyr conning and so vnsoberly to reason dispute that when neyther parte wyll geue place to other they fall to chydynge and contencyon 〈…〉 and sometyme from hote woordes to further inconuemence Sainte Paule could not abyde to heare emong the Corinthians these woordes of discorde or dissencyon I hold of Paule I of Cephas and I of Apollo What woulde he then saye i. Cor. iii. if he heard these wordes of contencion which be now almost in eueri mans mouth he is a Pharisei he is a gospeller he is of the new sort he is of the old fayth he is a newe broched brother he is a good catholique father he is a papist he is an heretique Oh how the church is deuided Oh howe the cities bee cut and mangled Oh how the cote of Chryst that was wythoute seame is all to rente and torne Oh body mistieal of Chryste where is that holy happy vnitie oute of the whyche whosoeuer is he is not in Chryst If one meÌ„ber bee pulled from another where is the body If the bodye be drawen froÌ„ the head where is the life of the body We cannot be ioyned to Christ our head excepte we bee glued with coÌ„corde charitie one to an other For he that is not in this vnitie is not of the church of Christ 1. Cor .iii. whiche is a congregacion or vnitie together and not a diuision S. Paule saith that as longe as emulacion or enuyinge contencion and faccions or seetes be emong vs we be carnal and walke accordyng to the fleshly maÌ„ And. S. Iames saith If you haue bitter emulacion or enuying and contencion in your heartes glory not of it for wheras contencion is Iames. iii there is vnstedfastnes and all euill dedes And why doe we not heare S. Paule which prayeth vs whereas he myghte commaunde vs saying I beeseche you in the name of oure Lord Iesus Chryste that you wyl speake all one thyng 1. Cor. i. and that there be no dissencion emonge you but that you will bee one whole body of one mind of one opinioÌ„ in the trueth If his desier be resonable honest why doe we not grasit it â—if his request be for our profit why doe we refuse it And if we liste not to heare his peticion of praier yet let vs heare his exhortacioÌ„ wher he saith I exhorte you that you walke Ephe. iiii as it becommeth the vocacion in the which you be called with al submission and mekenesse with lenitie and softnesse of mind bearyng one another by charitie studying to keepe the vnitie of the spirite by the bonde of peace For there is one body one spirite one faith one baptisme There is he saith but one body of the whiche he caÌ„ be no liuely member that is at variauÌ„ce with the other members There is one spirite whiche ioyneth and knitteth all thynges in one And how can thys one spirite reigne in vs when we among our selues bee deuyded There is but one fayth and howe can we then say the is of the olde fayth and he is of the new fayth There is but one baptisme and then shall not all they whiche be baptised be one Contencion causeth diuision wherefore it oughte not to bee emonge Christians whom one fayth and baptisme ioyneth in an vnitie But if we coÌ„temne S. Pauses request and exhortacion yet at the least let vs regarde hys earnest entreating in the whyche he doeth very earnestly charge vs and as I maye so speake coniure vs in this fourme and maner If there be any consolacion in Chryste if there bee any comforte of loue if you haue any felowshyp of the spirite if you haue any bowels of pitie and compassion fulfill my ioye beeynge all lyke affected hauynge
theÌ„ that thei maye haue gods fauoure and gods protection Let vs pray that they maye euer in all thinges haue God before their eies Let vs praye that they may haue wisedom strength iustice clemencie zeale to gods glory to gods verytie to Christian soules and to the common wealth Let vs praye that they maye rightly vse theyr sweorde and authoritie for the maintenaunce defence of the catholique fayth couteyned in holye Scripture and of their good and honest subiectes and for the feare and punishmente of the euyll and vitions people Let vs praye that they maye faithfully folowe the most faithful kings and Capitaynes in the Bible Dauid Ezechias Iosias and Moses Iudith v with suche other And let vs praye for our selues that we maye liue godly in holy christian conuersation so we shall haue God of our syde And then let vs not feare what man can doo against vs. So we shal liue in true obedience bothe to oure moste mercifull kynge in heauen and to oure moste Christian Quene in earth so shall wee please God and haue the exceding benefite peace of conscience reste and quietnes here in the worlde and after this life we shall enioye a better life rest peace and the euerlasting blesse of heaueÌ„ which he graunt vs all that was obedient for vs al eueÌ„ to the death of the crosse Iesus Christ to whome with the father and the holy ghost be all honour glory bothe nowe and euer Amen ¶ A Sermon agaynst whoredome and vncleannesse ALthough there want not good christian people greate swarmes of vices worthy to be rebuked vnto suche decaye is true godlynes and vertuous liuynge nowe come yet aboue other vyces the outragions seas of adultery or breaking of wedlocke whoredome fornication vncleannesse haue not onely braste in but also ouerflowed almost the whole world vnto the great dishonor of God the excedinge infamye of the name of Christe the notable decaie of true religion the vtter destruccioÌ„ of the publique welth that so aboundantly that throughe the customable vse thereof thys vice is growen vnto such an heighth that in a maner emonge many it is coumpted no synne at all but rather a pastime a daliaunce and but a touche of youth not rebuked but wynked at not punished but laughed at wherefore it is necessary at this present to intreate of the sinne of whoredome and fornicacion declaring vnto you the greatnes of thys synne and howe odyous hatefull and abhominable it is and hathe alwaye bene reputed before god and all good men and howe grenouslyeit hathe bene punished bothe by the lawe of God and the lawes of diuerse princes Agayne to shewe you certayne remedyes whereby ye maye through the grace of god eschewe thys most detestable sinne of whoredome and fornication and leade your liues in all honestie aâ—â— cleannesse And that ye maie perceiue that fornication and whoredome are in the sighte of god most abhominable sinnes ye shall call to remembraunce this coÌ„maundemente of god Exod. xx thou shalt not commit adultery by the which word adultery although it be proprely vnderstaÌ„d of the vn laweful coÌ„mirtion or ioyning together of a maryed man with any womaÌ„ beside his wife or of a wife with any man beside her husband yet thereby is signyfyed also all vnlawfull vse of those partes whiche be ordayned for generation And this one commauÌ„demente forbidding adulterye doeth sufficientlye paynt and sette out before oure eyes the greatnes of this sinne of whoredome and manifestly declareth howe greately it ought to be abhorred of al honest and faithfull persons And that none of vs all shall thinke himselfe excepted from this commaundement whether we be olde or yong maryed or vnmaried man or woman heare what God the father sayethe by hys moste excellente Prophete Moyses There shall be no whore emonge the daughters of Israell Deut. xxiii nor no whoremongers emonge the sonnes of Israell Here is whoredome fornication and all vncleannesse forbidden to al kindes of people all degrees al ages wtout exception And that wee shal not doubt but that this precept or commauÌ„demente pertaineth to vs in dede hear what Christ the perfect teacher of al truth saith in the newe testament ye haue heard saith Christe that it was said to them of the olde tyme Mat. v. thou shalt not committe adultery but I saye vnto you whosoeuer seeth a womaÌ„ to haue his luste of her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Here our sauiore Christ doth not only confyrme and stablishe the law agaynst adulterye geuen in the olde Testamente of God the father by hys seruaunt Moses and make it of full strengthe continually to remayne emonge the professors of his name in the new law But he also condemning the grosse interpretacyon of the Scribes and Phariseis which taught that the aforesaide commaundement onely required to abstayne from the outwarde adultery and not from the filthye desires and vnpure lustes teacheth vs an exacte and full perfection of puritie and clennes of life bothe to keepe oure bodies vndefyled and oure hertes pure and fre from all euill thoughtes carnal desyres and fleshlye consentes Howe cane we then be free from thys commaundemente where so great charge is layde vpon vs May a seruaunte do what he will in anye thyng hauinge a commaundemente of hys master to the contrary Is not Christ our master Are not we hys seruauntes How then may we neglect our masters wil and pleasure and folow our own wil and phantasy Ye are my frends sayeth Christe yf you keepe those thinges that I commaunde you Ihon. â—â— Nowe hath Christe oure master commaunded vs that we shoulde fortake all vnclennesse and lecherye both in body and spirite thys therefore muste we do if we looke to please god Mat. xâ— In the gospell of Saincte Matthewe we reade that the Scribes and Pharisies were grieuously offended with Christe because his disciples did not keepe the tradicions of the forefathers for they washed not their handes when thei wente to diner or supper and emong other thynges Christ aunswered and saide heare and vnderstande 〈…〉 not that thing which entreth into the mouthe Math. â—v defyleth the man but that whiche cummeth oute of the mouth defyleth the man For those thynges whyche procede out of the mouth come furthe froÌ„ the heart and they defyle the man For out of the hert procede euil thoughtes murthers breakynge of wedlocke whoredome theftes false witnes blasphemies these are the thynges whiche defyle a man Here may we se that not onely murther theft false witnes blasphemy defile menne but also euill thoughtes breaking of wedlocke fornication and whoredome Who is nowe of so little wit Ihon xiiii Titus .i. that he will esteme whoredome and fornicacion to bee thinges of small importaunce and of no weight before God Christe whiche is the truth and cannot lye saith that euill thoughtes breaking of wedlocke whoredome and fornicacion defyle a manne that is to
whoredome is the honest and harmelesse wife put away an harlot receiued in her stede in like sorte it happeneth many times in the wife towardes her housbande O abhominacion Christ our sauiour very god man comming to restore the lawe of his heauenly father vnto the right sence vnderstaÌ„ding and meaning Among other thinges refourmed the abuse of this law of god For where as the Iewes vsed of a longe sufferaunce Mat. xix by custome to put awaie their wiues at their pleasure for euery cause Christ correcting that euill custome did teach that if any maÌ„ put away his wife marieth an other for any cause except only for adultery whiche then was death by the lawe he was an adulterer forced also his wife so diuorced to commit adultery if the were ioined to any other man the maÌ„ also so ioyned with her to commit adultery In what case then are those adulterers which for the loue of an whore put awaye their true and lawfull wife againste all lawe righte reason and conscience â–ª O damnable is the state wherin they stand Swiste destruccion shal fall on them if they repeÌ„te not and amende not for GOD will not euer suffre holy wedlocke thus to be dishonoured hated and despised He will once punishe this fleshly and licentious maner of liuing and cause that his holy ordinaunce shal be had in reuerence and honoure For surely wedloke as the Apostle saieth is honorable emonge al menne â—â—chic iii and the bed vndefiled But whoremongers and fornicatours God will iudge that is to saye punish condemne But to what purpose is this labour taken to describe and set forthe the greatnes of the sinne of whoredom the incommodities that issue flow out of it seing that breath and tongue shal sooner faile any maÌ„ then he shal or may be hable to set it out accordinge to the abhominacion and hainousnes thereof Notwithstandinge this is spoken to the entent that al men shoulde flee whordome and liue in the feare of god God graunt that it may not be spoken in vaine The thirde part of the sermon against Adulterye IN the second parte of this sermon against adulteri that was last read you haue learned how earnestly the scripture warneth vs to auoide the sinne of adultery and to embrace clennes of life that through adultery we fall into al kindes of sinnes are made bonde slaues to the deuil Thorow cleannes of life we are made meÌ„bres of Christ And finally how farre adultery briÌ„geth a man from al goodnes driueth him headlong into al vices mischiefe misery Now wil I declare vnto you in ordre with what greuous punishmeÌ„tes god in times past plagued adultery how certaine worldly Princes also did punish it that ye may perceiue that whoredome and fornicacion be sinnes no lesse detestable in the sight of god and of all good menne then I haue hitherto vttered In the firste booke of Moses wee reâ—de that when mankinde beegan to be multiplied vpon the earth â—eâ—â— vi the menne and wâ—omenne gaue their mindes so greatelie to fleshely delight and filthy pleasure that 〈…〉 withoute all feare of god God seeiÌ„g this theâ—â—â—â—â—stly and abhominable liuinge and perâ—â—â—uinâ—e that they amended not but rather encreased dayly more and more in their sinnefull and vncleane maners repented that he euer hadde made manne and too shew how greatly be abhorced adultery whoredom fornicacion and all vncleanesse he made al the fouÌ„taines of the deepe earth to burste oute and the sluces of heauen to be opened so that the raine came doune vpon the earth by the space of fourtie daies and fourtie nightes and by this meanes destroied the whole worlde and all mankinde eight persons onely excepted that is to saye Noe the preacher of righteousnesse as Saincte Peter calleth him and his wife his three sonnes and their wiues O what a grieuous plague dyd God cast here vpon all liuinge creatures for the sinne of whordome For the whiche God toke vengeaunce not onely of man but also of beastes foules and all liuing creatures Manslaughter was committed beefore Geâ—e iiii yet was not the worlde destroied for that but for whoredome all the world few only except was ouer floweâ— with waters so perished An example worthy to be remembred that ye maye learne to feare god Wee reade againe that for the filthy sinne of vncleannesse Sodome and Gomor and the other cities nighe vnto them Gene. â—ix were destroied with fire and brimstone from heauen so that there was neither manne woman childe nor beaste nor yet anye thinge that grewe vpon the earthe there lefte vndestroied Whose hearte trembâ—eth not 〈◊〉 the heâ—ting of this history Who is so drouned in whordom and vncleanes that will not now for euer after leaue this abhominable liuing seing that god so grieuously punisheth vncleanesse to raine fire brymstone from heauen to destroie whole cities to kill manne woman and childe and all other liuinge creatures there abiding to coÌ„sume with fire all that euer grewe what can be more manifest tokens of gods wrath vengeaunce against vncleannes impuritie of lif Marke this historie good people and feare the vengeaunce of god Doe we not reade also that god did smite Pharao Gene. xiii his house with greate plagues because that he vngodly desired Sara the wife of Abraham Likewise reade we of Abimelech Kynge of Gerat althoughe he touched her not by carnall knowledge Gene. xx These plages punishementes did god cast vpon filthie and vncleane persons beefore the law was geuen the law of nature onely reigninge in the heartes of men to declare howe great loue he had to Matrimonie or wedlocke again how much he abhorred adultery fornicacion and all vncleannesse And when the lawe that for badde whoredom was geuen by Moses to the Iewes did not GOD commaunde Leut. xx that the breakers thereof shoulde be put to death The wordes of the lawe be these Whoso committed adulterye with any mans wife shall dye the death both the manne and the womanne beecause he hath broken wedlocke with his neighbours wife In the lawe also it was commaunded that a damosel and a man taken together in whoredome shoulde be both stoned to death In an other place wee also reade that God commaunded Moses to take al the heade rulers â—uâ— xx and Princes of the people and to hange them vpon gibbetes openlye that euery manne might see them because they either coÌ„mitted or did not punishe whoredome Againe did not god sende suche a plague amonge the people for fornicacion and vncleanesse that they dyed in one daye three and twentye thousande I passe ouer for lacke of tâ—ue manye other histories of the holye Bible whiche declare the grieuous vengeauncee and heauie dispâ—easure of GOD againste whoremongers and adulterers Certes this extreme punishement appointed of god shiweth euidentelye howe greatly god hateth whoredoÌ„ And let vs not double but that god