A

SERMON

AGAINST

Whoredom and Uncleanness.

ALTHOUGH there want not, good Chriftian people, great fwarms of vices worthy to be rebuked, (unto fuch decay is true godliness and virtuous living now come :) yet above other vices, the outrageous feas of adultery, (or breaking of wedlock,) whoredom, fornication, and uncleannefs, have not only burst in, but also overflowed almost the whole world, unto the great difhonour of God, the exceeding infamy of the name of Chrift, the notable decay of true religion, and the utter deftruction of the public wealth; and that fo abundantly, that, through the cuf tomable use thereof, this vice is grown unto fuch an height, that in a manner among many it is counted no fin at all, but rather a paftime, a dalliance, and but a touch of youth: not rebuked, but winked at; not punished, but laughed at. Wherefore it is neceffary at this present to treat of the fin of whoredom and fornication, declaring unto you the greatness of this fin, 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 punifhed both by the law of God, and the laws of divers princes. Again, to fhew you certain remedies, whereby ye may (through the grace of God) efchew this moft deteftable fin of whoredom and fornication, and lead your lives in all honefty and cleannefs, and that ye may perceive that fornication and whoredom are (in the fight of God) most abominable fins, ye fhall call to remembrance Exod. xx. this commandment of God, Thou shalt not commit adultery by the which word adultery, although it be pro

perly

perly understood of the unlawful commixtion or joining together of a married man with any woman befide his wife, or of a wife with any man befide her husband; yet thereby is fignified alfo all unlawful use of those parts, which be ordained for generation. And this one commandment (forbidding adultery) doth fufficiently paint and fet out before our eyes the greatnefs of this fin of whoredom, and manifeftly declareth how greatly it ought to be abhorred of all honeft and faithful perfons. And that none of us all fhall think himself excepted from this commandment, whether we be old or young, married or unmarried, man or woman, hear what God the Father faith by his most excellent Prophet Mofes; There shall be Deut. xxiii. no whore among the daughters of Ifrael, nor no whoremonger among the fons of Ifrael.

Here is whoredom, fornication, and all uncleannefs forbidden to all kinds of people, all degrees, and all ages without exception. And that we fhall not doubt, but that this precept or commandment pertaineth to us indeed, hear what Chrift (the perfect teacher of all truth) faith in the New Teftament: Ye have heard, faith Chrift, Matt. v. that it was faid to them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery: but I fay unto you, Whosoever feeth a woman, to have his luft of her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Here our Saviour Chrift doth not only confirm and establish the law against adultery, given in the Old Teftament of God the Father by his fervant Mofes, and make it of full ftrength, continually to remain among the profeffors of his name in the new law: but he alfo (condemning the grofs interpretation of the Scribes and Pharifees, which taught that the forefaid commandment only required to abftain from the outward adultery, and not from the filthy defires and impure lufts) teacheth us an exact and full perfection of purity and cleannefs of life, both to keep our bodies undefiled, and our hearts pure and free from all evil thoughts, carnal defires, and fleshly confents. How can we then be free from this commandment, where fo great charge is laid upon us? May a fervant do what he will in any thing, having a commandment of his mafter to the contrary? Is not Chrift our master? Are not we his fervants? How then may we neglect our mafter's will and pleasure, and follow our own will and fantafy? Ye are my friends, faith Chrift, if you keep those John xv. things that I command you.

Now hath Chrift our mafter commanded us, that we should forfake all uncleannefs and filthinefs both in body

Matt. xv.

and fpirit: this therefore must we do, if we look to please God. In the Gofpel of St. Matthew we read, that the Scribes and Pharifees were grievously offended with Chrift, because his difciples did not keep the traditions of the forefathers, for they wafhed not their hands when they went to dinner or fupper. And, among other things, Chrift aufwered and faid, Hear and underftand; 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 Matt. xv. heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, breaking of wedlock, whoredom, thefts, falfe witnefs, blafphemies: thefe are the things which defile a man. Here may we fee, that not only murder, theft, falfe witness, and blafphemy defile men, but also_evil thoughts, breaking of wedlock, fornication, and whoredom. Who is now of fo little wit, that he will efteem whoredom and fornication to be things of fmall importance, and of no weight before God? Chrift (who is the truth, and canMark vii. not lie) faith, that evil thoughts, breaking of wedlock, whoredom, and fornication defile a man; that is to fay, corrupt both the body and foul of man, and make them, of the temples of the Holy Ghoft, the filthy dunghill, or dungeon of all unclean Spirits; of the house of God, the dwelling-place of Satan.

Titus i.

John viii.

Rom. vi.

1 John iii. John viii.

Mark vi.

Again, in the Gofpel of St. John, when the woman taken in adultery was brought unto Chrift, faid not he unto her, Go thy way, and fin no more? Doth not he here call whoredom fin? And what is the reward of fin, but everlafting death? If whoredom be fin, then it is not lawful for us to commit it; for St. John faith, He that committeth fin is of the Devil. And our Saviour faith, Every one that committeth fin is the fervant of fin. If whoredom had not been fin, furely St. John Baptift 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. He winked not at the whoredom of Herod, although he were a king of great power; but boldly reproved him for his wicked and abominable living, although for the fame he loft his head. But he would rather fuffer death (than fee God fo difhonoured, by the breaking of his holy precept and commandment) than to fuffer whoredom to be unrebuked, even in a king. If whoredom had been but a paftime, a dalliance, and not to be paffed 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 caft into prifon, and loft his head for a trifle. But John knew right well how filthy, ftinking, and abominable the fin of whoredom is in the fight 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 fubject. If whoredom be not lawful in a public or common officer, neither is it lawful in a private perfon. If it be not lawful neither in king nor fubject, neither in common officer nor private perfon, truly then it is lawful in no man nor woman, of whatfoever degree or age they be. Furthermore, in the Acts of the Apoftles 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 difquieted through the false doctrine of certain Jewifh preachers,) they fent word to the brethren, that it feemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to A&ts xv. them, to charge them with no more than with neceffary things: among others, they willed them to abflain from idolatry and fornication, from which, faid they, if ye keep yourselves, ye Shall do well. Note here, how thefe holy and bleffed fathers of Chrift's church would charge the congregation with no more things than were neceflary. Mark alfo, how, among thofe things, from the which they commanded the brethren of Antioch to abftain, fornication and whoredom are numbered. It is therefore neceffary, by the determi nation and confent of the Holy Ghoft, and the Apoftles and Elders, with the whole congregation, that as from idolatry and fuperftition, fo likewife we muft abftain from fornication and whoredom. Is it neceffary unto falvation to abstain from idolatry? fo it is to abftain from whoredom. Is there any nigher way to lead unto damnation, than to be an idolater? No: even fo, neither is there any nearer way to damnation, than to be a fornicator and a whoremonger. Now where are thofe people, which fo lightly esteem breaking of wedlock, whoredom, fornication, and adultery? It is neceffary, faith the Holy Ghoft, the bleffed Apoffles, the Elders, with the whole congregation of Chrift, it is neceffary to falvation, fay they, to abftain from whoredom. If it be neceffary unto falvation, then woe be to them which, neglecting their falvation, give their minds to fo filthy and ftinking fin, to so wicked vice, to fuch deteftable 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 moft above all other vices, and what is meant by this word adultery, and how holy Scripture diffuadeth or difcounselleth from doing that filthy fin; and finally, what corruption cometh to man's foul through the fin of adultery. Now to proceed further, let us hear what the bleffed Apostle St. Paul faith to this matter: writing to Rom. xiii. the Romans he hath these words; Let us caft away the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light. Let us walk honeftly, as it were in the day time; not in eating and drinking, neither in chambering and wantonnefs, neither in ftrife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and make not provifion for the flesh, to fulfil the lufts of it. Here the holy Apofile exhorteth us to caft away the works of darkness, which, among other, he calleth gluttonous eating, drinking, chambering, and wantonnefs; which are all minifters unto that vice, and preparations to induce and bring in the filthy fin of the flesh. He calleth them the deeds and works of darknefs; not only because they are cuftomably done in darkness, or in the night-time, (for every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh he to the light, left his works fhould be reproved,) but that they Matt. xxv. lead the right way unto that utter darkness, where weeping and gnashing of teeth fhall be. And he faith in another place Rom viii. of the fame Epiftle, They that are in the flesh cannot pleafe 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. Again he 1 Cor. vi. faith, Flee from whoredom; for every fin that a man committeth is without his body but whojoever committeth whoredom finneth against his own body. Do ye not know, that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghoft which is in you, whom alfo ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are dearly bought: Glorify God in your bodies, &c. And a little before he faith, Do ye not know, that your bodies are the members of Chrift? Shall I then take the members of Chrift, 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 fhall be two in one flesh, faith he: but he that cleaveth to the Lord is one fpirit. What godly words doth the bleffed Apoftle St. Paul bring forth here, to diffuade and difcounsel us from whoredom and all un

John iii.

cleannefs!