UNCLEANNESS.

ALTHOUGH there want not, good Christian people, great swarms of vices worthy to be rebuked (unto such decay is true godliness and virtuous living now come) yet above other vices, the outrageous seas of adultery (or breaking of wedlock), whoredom, fornication and uncleanness, have not only burst in, but also overflowed almost the whole world, unto the great dishonour of God, the exceeding infamy of the name of Christ, the notable decay of true religion, and the utter destruction of the public wealth; and that so abundantly, that, through the customable use thereof, this vice is grown unto such an height, that in a manner among many it is counted no sin at all, but rather a pastime, a dalliance, and but a touch of youth: not rebuked, but winked at; not punished, but laughed at. Wherefore it is necessary at this present to intreat of the sin of whoredom and fornication, declaring unto you the greatness of this sin, and how odious, hateful, and abominable it is, and hath alway been reputed before God and all good men, and how grievously it hath been punished both by the law of God, and the laws of divers princes. Again, to shew you certain remedies, whereby ye may (through the grace of God) eschew this most detestable sin of whoredom and fornication, and lead your lives in all honesty and cleanness, and that ye may perceive that fornication and whoredom are (in the sight of God) most abominable sins, ye shall call to remembrance this commandment of God, Thou shalt not commit adultery (Exod. xx. 14): by the which word 'adultery,' although it be properly understood of the unlawful commixtion or joining together of a married man with any woman beside his wife, or of a wife with any man beside her husband ; yet thereby is signified also all unlawful use of those parts which be ordained for generation. And this one commandment (forbidding adultery) doth sufficiently paint and set out before our eyes the greatness of this sin of whoredom, and manifestly declareth how greatly it ought to be abhorred of all honest and faithful persons. And that none of us all shall think himself excepted from this commandment, whether he be old or young, married or

unmarried, man or woman, hear what God the Father saith by his most excellent prophet Moses, There shall be no whore among the daughters of Israel, nor no whoremonger among the sons of Israel (Deut. xxiii. 17).

Here is whoredom, fornication, and all other uncleanness forbidden to all kinds of people, all degrees, and all ages without exception. And that we shall not doubt, but that this precept or commandment pertaineth to us indeed, hear what Christ (the perfect teacher of all truth) saith in the New Testament, Ye have heard, saith Christ, that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, Whosoever seeth a woman, to have his lust of her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matt. v. 27, 28). Here our Saviour Christ doth not only confirm and establish the law against adultery, given in the Old Testament of God the Father by his servant Moses, and make it of full strength, continually to remain among the professors of his name in the new law; but he also (condemning the gross interpretation of the scribes and Pharisees, which taught that the foresaid commandment only required to abstain from the outward adultery, and not from the filthy desires and impure lusts) teacheth us an exact and full perfection of purity and cleanness of life, both to keep our bodies undefiled, and our hearts pure and free from all evil thoughts, carnal desires, and fleshly consents. How can we then be free from this commandment, where so great charge is laid upon us? May a servant do what he will in any thing, having commandment of his master to the contrary? Is not Christ our Master? Are not we his servants? How then may we neglect our Master's will and pleasure, and follow our own will and fancy? Ye are my friends, saith Christ, if you keep those things that I command you (John xv. 14).

Now hath Christ our Master commanded us, that we should forsake all uncleanness and filthiness both in body and spirit: this therefore must we do, if we look to please God. In the Gospel of St. Matthew (chap. xv.) we read, that the scribes and Pharisees were grievously offended with Christ, because his disciples did not keep the traditions of the forefathers, for they washed not their hands when they went to dinner or supper. And among other things, Christ answered and said, Hear and understand;

Not that thing which entereth into the mouth defileth the man, but that which cometh out of the mouth defileth the man. For those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, breaking of wedlock, whoredom, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man (Matt. xv. 1, 2, 10, 11, 18-20). Here may we see, that not only murder, theft, false witness, and blasphemy, defile men, but also evil thoughts, breaking of wedlock, fornication, and whoredom. Who is now of so little wit, that he will esteem whoredom and fornication to be things of small importance, and of no weight before God? Christ (who is the Truth, and cannot lie) saith, that evil thoughts, breaking of wedlock, whoredom, and fornication defile a man (Mark vii. 21, 23), that is to say, corrupt both the body and soul of man, and make them, of the temples of the Holy Ghost, the filthy dunghill, or dungeon of all unclean spirits; of the house of God, the dwelling-place of Satan [1 Cor. vi. 19].

Again in the Gospel of St. John, when the woman taken in adultery was brought unto Christ, said not he unto her, Go thy way and sin no more (John viii. 11)? Doth not he here call whoredom a sin? And what is the reward of sin, but everlasting death (Rom. vi. 23). If whoredom be sin, then it is not lawful for us to commit it for St. John saith, He that committeth sin is of the devil (1 John iii. 8). And our Saviour saith, Every one that committeth sin is the servant of sin (John viii. 34). If whoredom had not been sin, surely St. John Baptist would never have rebuked king Herod for taking his brother's wife; but he told him plainly, that it was not lawful for him to take his brother's wife (Mark vi. 18). He winked not at the whoredom of Herod, although he were a king of power; but boldly reproved him for his wicked and abominable living, although for the same he lost his head. But he would rather suffer death (than see God so dishonoured, by the breaking of his holy precept and commandment) than to suffer whoredom to be unrebuked, even in a king. If whoredom had been but a pastime, a dalliance, and a thing not to be passed of, (as many count it now-a-days) truly John had been more than twice mad, if he would have had the displeasure of

a king, if he would have been cast into prison, and lost his head for a trifle. But John knew right well how filthy, and stinking, and abominable the sin of whoredom is in the sight of God; therefore would not he leave it unrebuked, no not in a king. If whoredom be not lawful in a king, neither is it lawful in a subject. If whoredom be not lawful in a public or common officer, neither is it lawful in a private person. If it be not lawful neither in king nor subject, neither in common officer nor private person, truly then it is lawful in no man nor woman, of whatsoever degree or age they be. Furthermore in the Acts of the Apostles we read, that when the apostles and elders, with the whole congregation, were gathered together to pacify the hearts of the faithful dwelling at Antioch, (which were disquieted through the false doctrine of certain Jewish preachers) they sent word to the brethren, that it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to them, to charge them with no more than with necessary things: among other, they willed them to abstain from idolatry and fornication, from which, said they, if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well (Acts xv. 28, 29). Note here, how these holy and blessed fathers of Christ's church would charge the congregation with no more things than were necessary. Mark also, how, among those things, from the which they commanded the brethren of Antioch to abstain, fornication and whoredom is numbered. It is therefore necessary, by the determination and consent of the Holy Ghost, and the apostles and elders, with the whole congregation, that as from idolatry and superstition, so likewise we must abstain from fornication and whoredom. It is necessary unto salvation to abstain from idolatry; so is it to abstain from whoredom. Is there any nigher way to lead unto damnation, than to be an idolater? No: even so, neither is there any nearer way to damnation, than to be a fornicator and a whoremonger. Now where are those people, which so lightly esteem breaking of wedlock, whoredom, fornication, and adultery? It is necessary, saith the Holy Ghost, the blessed apostles, the elders, with the whole congregation of Christ, it is necessary to salvation, say they, to abstain from whoredom. If it be necessary unto salvation, then woe be to them which, neglecting their salvation, give their minds to so filthy and stinking sin, to so wicked vice, and to such detestable abomination.

THE SECOND PART OF THE SERMON AGAINST ADULTERY.

You have been taught in the first part of this sermon against adultery, how that vice at this day reigneth most above all other vices, and what is meant by this word 'adultery,' and how Holy Scripture dissuadeth or discounselleth from doing that filthy sin; and finally what corruption cometh to man's soul through the sin of adultery. Now to proceed further, let us hear what the blessed apostle St. Paul saith to this matter: writing to the Romans he hath these words, Let us cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as it were in the day time; not in eating and drinking, neither in chambering and wantonness, neither in strife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts of it (Rom. xiii. 12-14). Here the holy apostle exhorteth us to cast away the works of darkness, which, among other, he calleth gluttonous eating, drinking, chambering, and wantonness; which are all ministers unto that vice, and preparations to induce and bring in the filthy sin of the flesh. He calleth them the deeds and works of darkness; not only because they are customably [done] in darkness, or in the night time, (for every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh he to the light, lest his works should be reproved,) but that they lead the right way unto that utter darkness, where weeping and gnashing of teeth shall be (John iii. 20; Matt. xxv. 30). And he saith in another place of the same epistle, They that are in the flesh cannot please God. We are debtors, not to the flesh, that we should live after the flesh; for if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die (Rom. viii. 8, 12, 13). Again he saith, Flee from whoredom; for every sin that a man committeth is without his body: but whosoever committeth whoredom, sinneth against his own body. Do ye not know, that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, whom also ye have of God, and ye are not your own? for ye are dearly bought: glorify God in your bodies, &c. (1 Cor. vi. 18-20). And a little before he saith, Do ye not know that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a whore? God forbid. Do ye not know, that he which cleaveth to a whore is made one body with her? There shall be two in one flesh, saith