IN the name of the Fa­ther, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, thrée persons & one God, let vs pray. O gra­cious God, and most mercifull Father, by whose goodnesse it commeth to passe, that wee haue bene safely preserued from our yong & ten­der [Page]yeres vnto this present houre: & are now called together to serue thée, by sin ging of Psalmes, with preaching and prayer: we most hūbly beséech thée for thy son christs sake, y ^t thou wilt not suf­fer our minds to be negligentlye wan­dering about other matters, to make thée more and more displeased agaynst vs: but so to order & gouern the same, by the inspiration of thy holy spirit, that we may by these vertuous excercises, learn more & more to mortifie & kil the lusts of the flesh, to sorrow and lament our sinful wretchednes & misery, and to repent and amēd our liues in such sort, as all may redound to the kingdome of Christ, and to y ^e confusion of Antichrist, to the setting vp of his glory, and to the pulling downe, & cleane ouerthrowing of al superstition, false doctrine, heresie and popery: thorow the same thy sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour. Amen.

IT is written in the vij. Chapter of the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corin­thians, in the beginning of the Chapter in these wordes: Nowe concerning the things whereof you wrote vnto me, &c. [Page]For the better vnderstanding of the A­postles mind, we haue to consider, that (after the Apostle had preached thegos­pell to the Corinthians, and planted a Church amongst them, & was gone a­broad to publishe the glad tidinges of saluation to others also, for he was not then (as Preachers at this present should be) tyed to one flock: but by the vertue of his commission hee must goe thorow all the worlde) false Apostles entred into the Churche, who being puffed vp with vaine glorye, and affec­tate eloquence, sought to bring into contempt, the simplicity whiche Paule vsed in preaching the Gospell.

Here in the very entraunce we haue two things to learne. First, that as God is willing, and woulde haue all men saued, and come to the knowledge of his truth, and therefore vseth meanes to accomplish it, namely the preaching of his gospell, which is y ^t power of god to saluation to all that beléeue. So our common aduersary the Diuell, goeth about like a roaring lion, not onely sée­king in himselfe to deuour vs, but also [Page]vsing his instruments to deceiue vs, 1. Tim. 4.1. 2. Tim. 3.1. 1. Peter. 3.3. Iud. 18. Mat. 23.24 & to draw vs backward into al error and superstition. Secōdly we may here sée, what a gap is opened to all inconueni­ences, when y ^t Minister or Preacher is from among his flocke. Paul no sooner gon from Corinthus but by and by false Apostles labour to destroy y ^e which hée had plāted. [...]. Cor. 1.10. He was no sooner departed from the churches of Galatia, but there craftilye crept in false brethren, that corrupted the pure doctrine of Christ, and taught that the ceremonies of the law must be necessarily obserued. Exod. 32.2. Moi­ses no sooner gone vp into the moun­tain frō the people of Israel, to receaue the law at the Lords hāds, but the peo­ple fall by and by to Idolatrye and vn­godlinesse. And Paul séemeth to warne the elders of Ephesus concerning this matter also, Act. 20.28. when he sayth: Take héede therefore vnto your selues and to all the flocke, whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerséers, to féede the church of God, which he hath purcha­sed with his owne blood. For I knowe this, that after my departure shal grée­uous [Page]wolues enter in among you, not sparing the flock, O that our Non re­sidents would but consider this: O that they which giue them liberty to sinne, would weigh this, then mens conscien­ces should not be so clogged with ini­quitie & vngodlines as they are. Then gods people should be better instructed fed & loked vnto, in respect of their spi­ritual pasture, than eyther nowe they are, or hitherto haue ben. God in mer­cy if it be his will and pleasure bring it to passe. But to returne, these false A­postles that had thrust in themselues, among the Corinthians after Paules departure, did not onelye as before I sayd, bring into disliking, Paules plain and simple kinde of teaching, but also indeuoured to intangle with vayne and foolishe questions, the mindes and con­sciences of the Corinthians, and albeit the Corinthians did harken much vn­to them: yet it appeareth that they did not vtterly shake off that authority and credit which they had of Paul, & there­fore they demaunded Pauls iudgemēt concerning such matters, as the false [Page]Apostles and Preachers went about to perswade thē in: & here by the way one thing is taught to you cōmon people, y ^t you receaue not as truth euery thing y ^t euery one speaketh, for all is not golde that glistereth, but try the spirits whe­ther they be of God, yea or no, & agayn: proue all things, but retaine only suche things as be good, you haue for your in­structiō in this behalfe y ^e cōmandement of our Saniour Christ, search y ^e scrip­tures: & also that notable example of y ^e men of Thessalonica, who receiued the word with all readines, & searched the scriptures dayly whether these thinges were so. The questions which the Co­rinthiās proposed, were (as may plain­ly be proued by the circūstances of this chapter) concerning single life, the due­ly of mariage. Besides of discord & dis­sentiōs in mariage, of mariage between y ^e faithful & vnfaithful, of vncircūcising the circūeised of seruitude, of virginity, & second mariage. Of all these at this present it is impossible to speak. Ther­fore we will deale only with y ^e two first, that is concerning single life, and the [Page]dueties of married folke, of which two poyntes the Apostle doeth largely in­treat, in y ^e 9 first verses of this chapter. To deale with any other curious diui­sion of the text, I minde not, for that I see it wil be the more profitable for you, the more simply I deale herein: I will therefore take the words as they lye, and expound them, briefly withall: de­liuering vnto you, such obseruations of doctrine and christian instructions, as God by his spirit shall reueale vnto me. In the beginning of my text, are these wordes. Now concerning the thinges &c. The Apostle had in some of the Chapters before goyng, and especially in the latter end of the 6. Chapter, in­treated of a certaine disease, named fornication: for this sicknes he appoin­teth in this Chapter a double remedie: the one is marriage made in the feare of God: the other is the gifte of chasti­tie: or sole life proceeding from God. The Apostle saith that the Corinthi­ans did write vnto him about certaine matters. By whiche it maye bee ga­thered, that it was a custome in those dayes, when darke and doubtful causes [Page]did arise, by wryting to demaund the iudgement of the disciples & apostles of Christ: who being taken out of this life, afterwards they went for counsaile to holy Bishoppes and learned Fa­thers, which custome as it was commendable, so being abused, it en­gendred a certayne tyrannie. For the Bishop of Rome (whose iudgement was sundry times asked) began by that meanes, to vsurpe Lordshippe and rule ouer the congregations of Christ, as as though nothing ought to be accoun­ted substantiall and true without his aduise, a very proude and ambitious kind of dealing. But let that passe. It is most sure that the Corinthians did write vnto him, and wee haue the sub­stance and matter of their questions: yet concerning the manner and forme thereof, there is muche controuersie. Lord God what a stirre Chrysostome and Hierome do in that behalfe keepe. It shall be superfluous to rehearse their sayinges and reasons, for that they make adoe where none needeth, and be­sides the time may bespent in more ne­cessary [Page]and profitable matter. Moreo­uer, to reason of thinges doubtefull, when we haue thinges certayne & sure before our eyes, is meere vanitie and smacketh somewhat of foolishnes. On­ly in these words we haue for our lear­ning to marke: first, the willingnes of the people, and the desire that they had to be instructed in matters of truth and religion, & therefore sent to Paul their questions, requesting to haue his an­sweares thereto. Secondly, the great care that Paul had to doe good to all maner of men by all meanes possible, who beside that he had taught them in his presence, doth nowe notwithstan­ding, as a token of the continuance of his good will towards them, instructe them also in his absence by wryting. If we nowe apply this to our tyme & age, and compare our ministers & people, with this people and their preacher, we shall find as great oddes and as much difference as is betwixt white & black. For (that I may deale first with the people, they had some knoweledge of God:) ours altogether want knowledg [Page]of God and godlinesse: they laboured to increase in all knoweledge: wee re­mayne in all ignorance and darkenes: and if any would reach vs his hand, to drawe vs out of the filth and myre of sinne, we account him our greatest ene­mie, There was amongest them, by reason of discipline, seuere punishment of sinne: and by that meanes also god­lines of life and holines of conuersati­on: for lacke of it among vs, the bridle is giuen to all maner of iniquitie, and all kind of vngratiousnes and vngod­lines, doth without punishment rule & raigne amongst vs. Now concerning the minister, he preached vnto them: ours reade to vs, and scarse that, accor­ding to knowledge: hee profiteth them both by preaching and writing: ours neyther of those wayes doe any good: be able to teach, and that which hee re­quireth of others, was in himselfe, for he was able to stoppe the mouthes of the aduersaries: ours are for the most part, blinde guydes, sleepie watchmen, dumbe dogges, and as the Prophete Zacharie rightly calleth thē, idle shep­heardes, nay rather Idols themselues. [Page]For they haue a mouth and speake not, they haue eyes & see not, they haue ears and heare not, they haue noses and smel not: they haue handes & touch not, they haue feete and walke not, neyther make they a sound with their throat: they that make them are like vnto them, and so are all that trust in them. A lamentable case, that they that should guide other, are themselues to be guided, because they be blinde: and that they that should leade other, are so lame, that they can not goe on their feete: nay I woulde to God there were not, that to the lacke of knowledge in thēselues, adde innu­merable heaps of vices: some ruffians, some whoremōgers & drunkards, some blasphemers, & some spotted with this publike crime, some with that, whereby they not only purchase vnto themselues an euil report and rumor to goe of thē, but also cause Gods name & his Gos­pell to be euill spoken of. So that you may see how farre our mintsters are off frō being like Paul, whō they ought in this case, & other poynts also to follow as far forth as by Gods spirit they shal be assessed: but as there is no agreement [Page]betwixt light and darkenes: so there is not in any respecte almost any likenes betwixte him and them: agayne, 'where as Paul if his iudgement were asked, concerning matters of faith and religt­on, was able to giue sound and sincere iudgement, according as Gods trueth, which also is required in euery one that taketh vpon him the office & name of a mimster, these in such cases are so farre off from executing any parte of their function, that you were with the Romanes as good goe to the geese of the Capitall of Rome, or els with the Israelites aske counsell at your stocks, and haue your staffe teach you. Marry in deede if you deale with them for kee­ping a gelding or a hawke, for dressing a garden, orchard or bowling alley, for tabling or carding, or any such other foolishnes and vanitye, they will & can behaue thēselues most cunningly: ney­ther would I haue any to gather here­upon, that in a generalitie I condemne all, For I knowle that in this realme, there are many both godly and learned my meaning is, y ^t the greatest number [Page]and common sort are such, as continu­all experience at this day to the great griefe and sorrowe of the godly, too too plainely declareth. The Lord put into the harte of Prince and Magistrates, to remoue these, and (if it bee his will) to see such placed in his vyneyard, as may hasten in his haruest. But to let this passe, and to intreat of those mat­ters, which specially concerne the cause for which we are at this present assembled. The Apostle sayth, It were good for a man, not to touch a wo­man. The meaning is not, that mar­riage by Gods institution is euill or wicked: for that were intollerable blas­phemie if any shoulde so say: but that marriage, because thorowe mans cor­ruptions it bringeth cares & troubles, is not expedient, I iudge this worde (good) to bee taken (not as Ierome a­gainst Iouinian taketh it, for y ^t whiche is contrarie and against euill, as he too childishly and peeuishly, by the leaue of so great a father doeth take it, and as Tertullian (somewhat before him did take the same also,) but for expedient & [Page]profitable, as in other places of the scripture, it is lykewise vsed. And this rule of Paul is to be vnderstood of such, as vpon whom the Lord hath bestowed y ^e gift of chastitie, not only of bodie but also of minde. For albeit there are some good interpreters, that apply it gene­rally to those three kind of Eunuches, or chaste persons, whereof our Saui­our Christ speaketh, yet am not I of that mind, because that many otherwise chast in body, haue not with standing their minds & vnderstanding defiled w ^t vunatural lusts & cōcupiscence, which before our God is a great & a greuous sinne. So then Paul addresseth himselfe in this place to speake to such as haue pure hearts and clean bodies, which is either hardly or not at all found in any. For who can say, my hearte is cleane before God, and this may playnely ap­peare vnto vs by that which followeth. Neuerthelesse, to auoyd fornication, let euery man haue his wife, and let euery woman haue her own husbād, and againe, if they can not abstaine, let them marrie, for it is better to [Page]marrie, then to burne. To make this more plaine by a similitude, If one should say after this maner: It is good for a man neither to eate, to drinke, nor to sleepe: vnlesse he were well vn­derstood, he should appeare to speake very absurdely, because he seemeth to take away all such necessaries, as whereby God hath appointed mans life to be mainteined: yet the partie so saying, doth not disprayse meat and drinke, and sleepe, as things noysome and hurtfull, but meaneth y ^t we should liue more godly, if being freed frō these prouocations, we gaue our selues who­ly to y ^e consideration of heauēly things. For more then the competent and néed­full sufficing of our nature, what­soeuer is giuen vnto these, is dimini­shed from the spirit. Euen so the A­postle doth not condemne marriage in this saying, as euill or wicked, but be­cause many lettes and stops are found in fleshly marriages, he saith It were good not to be married, for that doth hee vnderstand by touching of a woman, as the best & most learned expositors y ^t I [Page]seene take it. It followeth, Neuertho­lesse, for the auoyding of fornication, &c. In these words the Apostle cōmandeth such as are vnchast, to run to the reme­die y ^t God hath appointed: for although the sentence seeme to be vniuersall, yet it oght to be restrained vnto them, who feele themselues by a certaine needful­nes to be pricked forward. In this be­halfe no law can be prescribed, neither can we iudge one of another, but euery man should bee a sufficient witnesse to himselfe, because in himselfe he feeleth the infirmities and prickes of the flesh. and albeit there appeareneuer so many stops & lets in marriage, yet this must all vnderstand, to whom God hath not giuen the gift of chastitie (and and so by that meanes not able to withstand the prickes of the flesh) that this comman­dement is by the Lord layde vpon their shoulders as a burden to beare, which if it be not performed (feeing that God hath appointed this as a remedie a­gainst sinne) they commit grieuos ini­quitie, and by that their dealing heape vnto themselues wrath agaynst the day [Page]of the Lord. Moreouer the place of the Apostle must not be so vnderstoode, as though this were the onely cause, why marriages should be made, but this is his drift, not somuch to shew for what causes marriage was orderned, as for what persons it was fit and necessarie, for if we haue respect vnto the time of the first institution, it could not be a re­medie for y ^t dose ase which yet was not (I meane sin) but it was ordeyned for the procreatiō of children, the increase of mankind, and the mutuall societie y ^t the one should haue of the other: & after mans fal the second vse was added. To stand vpon the tearmes. fornication & adulterie, & the differences betwixt them, we shall not neede, because it is more curious then necessary, & this we see, y ^t the scripture doth as wel vse y ^t one as the other tearm, in many places, for all quchast & vnsober behauiour of our selues, either in bodie or mind. This is inough out of this place to be gathered, y ^t though the world make little account of cōmitting such wickednes, yet it is a great sin before y ^t maiesty of god, which [Page]euidently appeareth, because hee will haue those that are his, to shun and flye from the same. If this be not sufficient, cast but your eies vp to the latter end of the former chapiter, and see how hay­nous a crime the Apostle maketh it: there he warneth them to flee fornica­tion, the reason whereby he would dis­swade them from that sinne, is taken from the notoriousnes and grieuous­nes of the fact. For sayth he, euery sinne that a man doeth, is without the body: but be that committteth fornication, fin­noth against his owne bodie, that is to say, he more pollineth his owne bodie, then he that committeth any other sin. If this will not serue, haue an eye vn­to those punishments which God hath appointed vnto those wicked contem­ners and breakers of his ordinaunces, His punishments are two folde, eyther temporall or perpetuall. The perpe­tuall punishment of God, is that bur­ning lake of fire and brimstone, which is prepared for the diuill & his angels, where shalbe weeping, wayling, and gnashing of teeth, without (fayth Iohn [Page]in his reuelation) shall be dogs and in­chaunters, and whoremongers, and mur­therers, and idolaters, and whosoeuer lo­ueth and maketh lyes: and the Apostle Paul saith, Know ye not that the vnrighteous shall not inherite the kingdome of God. Be not deceiued, neither fornica­tours, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor buggerers, nor thieues, nor couetous, nor drunkards, nor-raylers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God: which places are to be vnderstood of such ma­ner of men, as are the seruants of sin, and sold to worke wickednes, & die in the same w ^tout harty and vnfaigned re­pentance. His temporall punishments are also of two sortes: eyther in those which he layeth vpon the committers of such wickednes, of himselfe: as war, plagues, pestilences, sickenes, pouer­tie & such like, which bring his children to a consideration of their faultes, and a beholding of his mercie, but haue in the wicked and reprobate a contrarie effect and operation. and in the 26. of Genesis we may see that Abimelech king of Gerar, made a law concerning [Page]this mattter, that whosoeuer did touch the man or his wife to the breaking of wedlocke, should die the death. Verily it may appeare to all (vnlesse they be wil­fully blind) that we in the cleare light of y ^e Gospel, are far worse in this matter, then they which were vnder the law of nature, before the law of God written was giuen for the gouernement of his people. But if such as God hath ap­pointed his officers and ministers on earth, to execute such notorious offen­ders and transgressers of his law, who ought to deal in the punishment of this sin, as God himselfe appointeth, & not as y ^e Popes canons pestilently prescri­beth: that is to say, to sée whoredome & adultery punished w ^t death, as the Lord himselfe willeth, & not so slightly passed ouer & looked vnto as at this day it is. In y ^e law we haue these words repeated twise for fayling, The man that com­mitteth adulterie with an other mans wife, because he hath committed allulte­rie with his neighbours wife, the adulte­rer and adulteresse shall die the death. And how diligent executors of this law [Page]y ^e magistrates & people of Israel were, it appeareth in that they were so ready to put to death that innocent Susanna: yea in y ^e very law of nature, it hath bin after that same maner punished, as ap­peareth in Genesis, when we reade that Iudah contemneth his daughter in law Thamar, because she was an adulteres, (although he himselfe giuing sentence against her, knew not that he had com­mitted sin with her) to be burned. But I know this iudgemēt will not be liked of some, but it skilleth not, for I come not to please men, for if I should so do, I could not be the seruant of God: this I dare speake, & to all, of what sort & condition so euer they be, in y ^e strength of gods spirit I dare vtter it, y ^t the lack of discipline is the occasion of this sin, & is in some sort by wicked & vngodly persons euē as it were defended, affir­ming it is but a knack of youth, a piece of good fellowship, or if not defended, yet the punishment diminished, and the faultes lessened now as in time hereto­fore it hath bene: for the scribes & pha­rises affirmed that if a man kept his body cleane from actuall sinne, he could [Page]not be an adulterer or fornicatour: and no maruayle though the people were easily induced both to receyue and be­leeue this opinion. For besides that it is plausible to flesh and bloud, y ^e scribes and pharisees themselues, the authors of it, were in those dayes men of great countenance and estimation, euen as Abbottes and Cardinals in the Papa­cie, or (that I may speake more fami­liarly and playnely) like to our Lord Bishops amongst vs, yet notwithstan­ding their credit, Christ setteth himself against them, not onely shewing howe corruptely they had expounded the lawe, but also opening the true sense & meaning thereof. So that this is ma­nifest, that though the worlde account neuer so little of this wickednes, know you yet the Lorde esteemeth both the thought, wishing & the deed doyng to be great & grieuous sinnes, and there fore so expresly hath forbidden it, & ap­pointed so greuous punishmēts for it. Not that I meane that hee which sin­neth in thought, shoulde by the Ma­gistrate bee put to death, as well as [Page]he that doth the filthy fact in body: for that were with the Pelagians, Iouia­nists, and Stoiks, to make sinnes e­quall, which opinion of theirs I vtter­ly dislike and detest. For in respecte of circumstaunce, one sinne may be grea­ter then another, and so deserue a shar­per punishmente, but to teach you ac­cording to the truth of gods law, that you should not think those sins small, which Gods spirite accounteth verye great (and indéed, without repentance, make a perpetuall separation betwéene the Lord and vs) and also to declare, that we ought hartily to wish, and ear­nestly to pray, that Gods lawe, accor­ding to his will, with as much speede as might be, and in as straight a man­ner as he hath commaunded, might be put in execution, to the punishing of the wicked, and the comfort of the god­ly. Neyther am I ignorant howe some both haue and will kick againste this doctrine, thinking that though it were so seuerely punished in the old law a­mong the Iewes, yet it shoulde not bee so among vs. To this I coulde easilye [Page]yéeld, if they were able to proue, eyther God himselfe the Lawgiuer, to be mu­table: which is impossible, or else the law not to appertaine to vs, whiche I think they are not able to doetor else if they were able to prescribe a better or­der of politike gouernmēt, thē God him self, y ^e author of al wisdome, hath alrea­dy set out, which were presumptiō and blasphemy intollerable, for by y ^t means flesh & blood should be, if not exalted be­fore y ^t maieste of God, yet made equall vnto him. But seing y ^t they are not able to proue any of these points, it remay­neth, that vnles they wil be iudged fro­ward & obstinate, they consente to this truth, & acknowledge y ^t same. But they are so far frō yéelding to it, y ^t they spare not to set thēselues against it, For did not Christ say they, say to the woman taken in adultry, God thy way & sin no more, & Paul did not kil with the sword but excōmunicate by the word, the ince­stuous person at Corinth. Therfore for­nicatiō, adultery &c. is not so straightly to be punished as you would haue it. I will answere bréefely, and for breuities sake I wil omit many necessary points [Page]in these two examples, which otherwise if I might stand long vpon, they were worthy of the noting, & first for Christs example, thus I aunswere, y ^e execution of the law for punishing adultery with death, did belong to y ^e ciuil magistrate, now Christ was none, as plainly appe­reth by this saying: Man who made me a iudge or a deuider ouer you, spoken to one that would haue had him to haue commanded his brother to haue diui­ded the inheritāce with him: and again by that which he spake to Pilate, My kingdom is not of this world. So then because Christ was not a ciuil Magi­strat, he would not take vpō him to put y ^t in execution wch he had nothing to do with, withal teaching vs to, y ^t we be content w ^t our vocation, & kéepe our selues within y ^e boūds therof, & this may serue for answere to y ^t example. Now concerning Paules dealing, wee haue thus much to note, that there was thē, so far as canne be gathered, no Christian ru­ler, that might take vppon him to exe­cute this lawe, in his full force, and yet rather then sinne shoulde be vnpu­nished, and wickednesse winked at, [Page] Paule woulde vse the discipline of the Church, & deliuer the incestuous per­son ouer to Sathan for a time. Would to God, that if so bee the Magistrate neglect his duetye in punishing this sinne, in such seuere manner as Gods law appointeth, yet wee mighte haue some Paules and Elders in euerye Congregation, that would vse y ^e force of the word, and seuerity of Discipline Ecclesiasticall, to the beating down of this, and all other like horrible vices. But all this notwithstanding, it is la­mentable to be considered, and no god­ly man can without teares behold, the fond and ridiculous punishment of this sinne vsed in these dayes. To be pric­ked in a shéete, or pinned in a blanquet, and to stand in the Church, or in some Market place, or carted thorowe the Towne, is the most gréeuous censure of all: and yet in my iudgemente, as good left vndone, for it is the best waye that can be, to make such as haue little shame in them, to bes altogether past shame, I will not say altogether past grace. And yet this kind of punishment [Page]belongeth to the poorer sort. If riche ones sinne, they are punished by the purse, fortie shillinges for committing such an acte is iudged a great punish­ment. If this be not a maintaining of sinne, I know not what is. For what vicious or sensuall man is there, that wil léefe his diuelish pleasure, if he may achieue it for money. Beside that they which are punished after that maner, for want of the execution of gods lawe, fall often into one and the selfe same sinne. So that sinne aboundeth, and in­iquitie raigneth so much, that wee in this age, are comparable herein in a maner, with all the former ages of the world, which surely in my iudgement commeth to passe because that maner of punishing sinne, whiche God hath prescribed is neglected, and an other which man hath deuised, set in y ^e place and stead thereof. You sée the abuse hereof. Pray hartilye that God woulde redresse this, and all other abuses re­mayning yet amongst vs.

It followeth, Let euery man haue his own wife, &c. By generall doctrine, is [Page]in these words deliuered vnto vs, plain­ly prouing y ^e mariage doth belong to alstates, sorts, and kinde of men, as well ministers as cōmon people, contrary to that doctrine of Diuels, by papists de­fended, who forbid mariage to such ma­ner of mē. But as this place doth plainly ouerthrow that their opinion, so doe manye other both Examples and testi­monies in holy scripture, whiche for a­noyding of tediousnes, I willinglye o­mit. Onely one as general as this, I think good to rehearse, in the Epistle to the Hebrues we haue this saying: Ma­riage is honorable among all men, and the bed vndefiled, as for whoremōgers and adulterers God wil iudge, you sée by these words (beloued) that in the A­postles iudgement, mariage is hono­rable among all men, of what conditi­on soeuer they be, so that to forbid it in some, is great and gréeuous iniquitye, seing that God hath enioyned al, y ^t haue not the gifte of chastitye or sole life, to vse mariage, as a notable remedye to put away the act of Formeation, with the lust or concupiscence thereof. And as out of these wordes a generall lesson [Page]is giuen to all to marrie, if it bee in the Lord. So a man cannot without gréef consider the horrible sinne, and without horror speake of the detestable iniqui­tye, that those men (Papists I meane) haue fallen into, that haue shunned this meane, much lesse by them done. What whoredom, adultry, fornication, yea so­dometrie, yea buggery and other filthi­nes, that ought not to be named in the mouth of Christians) hath ben by them cōmitted, their own Chrouographers & history writers plainly declare, & this fayng whē they are made popish priests is too plain, Si non caste, tamen caute, that is, if thou canst not liue chastly, yet take a whore wartly. It shal be best for vs all those iniquities being set aside, to imbrace Gods councell, as the onely truth, and to shun the other as procée­ding from the Diuell, the father of all lyes and liers. Nowe though the Apo­stle doth cōmand euery one to haue his own wife for auoyding of Fornication, yet is it not his meaning that mari­ages shoulde bee made in suche sorte, as GOD himselfe hath forbidden, that is to saye, that young Children [Page]may marry, without consent of parēts. for in such cases, the aduise, counsell, & agréement of fathers, is of necessity re­quired. It is wonderfull to see, to what kinde of vngodlines and disobedience, the world in this behalfe is growne, for mariages are made without consent or counsaile of parents, which is a plaine breach of Gods commandement. Ho­nor thi Father and thi mother, & this wickednes is confirmed and increased in an other respect, because young men thinke themselues in this behalfe more at liberty then maydens or Damosels, Indeed if they could proue themselues not to be children, and by the comman­dement not to be tyed to obedyence, as the other are, I could easily be perswa­ded therein. But our wickednesse in both these cases, is far greater thē that of the Gentiles. For in Genesis wee read, that Shechem after he had rauy­shed Dinah Iacobs Daughter (whiche fact was altogether vngodly) did desire his Father to get him that mayde to wife. If Infidels and vnbeleeuers did this, how much more ought Christians [Page]that professe godlinesse to accomplishe the same? Surely Schechem had as great priuileges as any yong man can now lay for himselfe: for besides that he was a yong man, hee was a Lordes sonne, & as it should séeme, the only son of his father, and yet woulde not take mariage in hand (though otherwise hee had committed a vilanous act) without his Fathers consent and aduise. Now this is further to be considered in this case on the Fathers part. For as y ^e child may not marry without the parents a­lowing and liking of the same: so can not the fathers or mothers eyther en­force their children to make vngodlye mariages, or to hinder & let mariages begun in Gods feare, As many doe at this day, that because one of the parties hath not aboundance of wealth, or such like, will not giue consent to the mari­age of their children. But rather they ought to labour that in the Lorde, such contracts and mariages, may as much as in them lyeth, be furthered. Moreo­uer in these words, Let euery man haue his own wife, &c. This is to be conside­red, that the Apostles mind is not to li­cence [Page]any to marry with Infidels, or of corrupt religion, vnhonest behauior, or so forth, but that they shold haue due consideration of the parties to whome they purpose by Gods grace to ioyne themselues, and that they shoulde tho­rowly know their religion & cōuersatiō because mariage is not a bād for a day a wéeke, a month, or a yere only, but for tearme of life also. Surely to speak my mind, I cannot without gréefe consider the great disorder and confusion vsed in the world at this day in this behalf, for eyther the beauty is one cause, & so they satisfye their eye & carnall lust, or else mony or goods another cause thin­king therby to content their vnsatiable minds. Now adaies neither religiō nor honesty is in mariages demanded, but rather we aske how fayre & beautifull, or let me vnderstand how much monye I shall haue. Verely for a man to haue such consideratiōs in chusing of a wife is not altogether euill, because a man must chuse him such a one as w ^t whom alone, he can holde himselfe contente, so long as they shall liue together, but to put those things in the first place decla­reth [Page]to such men as we deale w ^t in these cases, that we like beasts rather séeke things transitory and vaine, I meane beauty, substance, wealth and such like then their daughters and children, and y ^t we more estéem of the one then y ^e other Beside that, when mariages are made in such sort, w ^tout cōsideratiō of religiō & godlines (as if a christiā or professor of the gospel, should marry with an in­fidel, Turke, Iew, or Papist) we tread vnder our féete Gods commādemēts, & wholy despise y ^e exāple of godly & faith­ful men. In the law it is sayd to y ^e peo­ple of Israel, concerning the Gentiles which inhabited the land y ^t they wēt to posses. Thou shalt make no mariages with them, neither giue thy daughter to his sonne, nor take his daughter vnto thy sonne: a reason is added. For they will cause thy sonne to turn away from me, & to serue other Gods. Then will the wrath of the Lord wax hote against you, & destroy thée sodainely, wherefore Abraham caused the eldest seruaunt of his houshold to sweare, that he shoulde not take a Wife vnto his sonne of the daughters of the Cananits, amōg whō [Page]he dwelt, but that he shoulde goe vnto his countrie, & to his kindred, & take a wife vnto his son Isaac. The selfe same care we sée to be in Rebecca & Isaac, for their son Iacob, and therefore after that she séemed to feare, least he shoulde take one of the Daughters of Heth to wife, and had vttered the same gréefe vnto her husband, Isaac playnlye com­maundeth his sonne, not to take a wife of the Daughters of Canaan. And in the new Testament it is sayd: Be not vnequally yoked w ^t the Infidels. O but say some, I can reclayme her from vn­beléefe & vngodlines, to faith & vertue. Indéede if thou were as strong as Sāp­son, and as wise as Salomon, it might peraduenture sinke into my braine, but if the strongest and the wisest were not able to resist, how shal the weakest and the simplest be able to stande. This is reckoned as one of the greatestreasons of Sampsous ruine, for taking a wife of the Daughters of the Philistines. And this is accounted as one of the weigh­tiest causes of Salomons fall, that hee tooke him many wiues of outlandishe women, and strange nations, whiche [Page]turned away his hart from the seruice of the true God, after their false Gods. And this is iudged to be one of y ^e sins, for which God brought an vniuersall floud vpon the whole earth, and the in­habitants therof, For that the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fayre, & they tooke thē wiues of all that they liked. Let vs therefore beware, and learne now at y ^e length, to deale more warily according to Gods holy councell in this and other matters then heretofore we haue done. Further­more this is to be noted that in that the Apostle will haue euerye man to haue his own wife, and euery wife her owne husband, that he doth vtterlye take a­way poligamie or multitude of wiues at one time. A doctrine not vunecessary and vnfit to be treated of in this place, because (as I heare say, & I do in part beléue it) y ^t there bee some in Kent doe defend the same. I can not speake of this and other things so largelye as I would, because I haue bene hitherto somwhat long. I wil say both concer­ning this and other thinges also that follow, my mind bréefely. Whosoeuer [Page]doth defend this as lawfull and neces­sary, not only striueth agaynst the doc­trine of Gods spirit, in this place deli­uered, who sayth singularly euery man must haue his own wife, not wiues, but also quite & clean turneth vpside down the first institution of mariage, for god in Paradise in y ^e time of mās innocēcy joining woman vnto man as a helper, said: For this cause shall a man forsake father & mother & cleaue to his wife, & they two shalbe one flesh, not they three, not they foure, &c. but they two. This is also to be considered, y ^e the first breach of this ordinance began, not in y ^e hous­hold of the faithfull, but in the wicked séed & stock of cursed Cain, for it is said in Genesis, that Lamech (who came of Cains kindred) tooke ij. wiues, y ^e name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah. So that it ap­peareth that all y ^t either put in practise to haue many wiues, or defend y ^e same, are of Cains progeny, y ^t is, a frowarde, adulterous, & wicked possessiō, neither is there any reason, why they should to this end obiect the examples of y ^e Pa­triarks, and godly mē of the old law be [Page]fore y ^e cōming of our sauiour christ, for in thē it was a great sinne & infirmity, and had not the Lord in mercy, and in y ^e death of Iesus, who was the lamb, kil­led frō the beginning of the world, blotted out their sin, they had felt the payne and punishmēt, wch is euerlasting death. You see then y ^e poligamie or multitude of wiues, cannot stand by Gods word. Let mans wit suppose what it cā, this only is the truth, y ^e Lord giue vs grace to imbrace and follow the same. It fol­loweth, Let the husband giue vnto the wife, &c. Now y ^e Apostle sheweth how we ought to liue after wee be maried, & first he laieth out a general doctrine of mutual beneuolēce, y ^e is of the dutye of the husband toward the wife, & the wife toward the husbād, wheras some haue vnderstood by due beneuolence, the debt of mariage, y ^e is the satisfying of lust, it liketh me not, because it is somwhat to narrow. I indéed iudge that this moued thē so to expound the same, for that it followeth presently afterwardes, the wife hath not power of her owne body, &c. But it will stande more agréeable with truth, if we say that to be inferred [Page]necessarily, as a particular poynt oute of the former, because the Apostle here dealeth generally. For his meaning is that the husband should doe to the wife & the wife toward y ^e husbād & one of thē toward y ^t other, al duties pertaining to mariage. To intreat of thē all particu­larly, I can not at this present, neither if I could would occasiō serue, y ^e chie­fest of thē is that, which Peter speaketh of, y ^t there be betwixt thē such a consēt, & vnity of minds that their prayers be not interrupted, by which worde, it ap­peareth, y ^t priuate praiers were then, & shold now be vsed in priuate houses, wch how much it is obserued, let al iudge. I feare me, y ^t if housholders should be cal­led to accounts in this poynt, they wold come very short. For wheras they praied morning & euening at y ^e least euerye day, it is a great matter with vs, if we pray once a wéeke in our houses, nay I iudge some of vs neither praye in our houses, nor in churches, but come thi­ther only for fashiō sake, & this appea­reth because ther foloweth so litle fruit of our prayers. for if we prayed hartily God wold here our praiers willingly & [Page]graunt our peticions effectually. But we aske many things, and obtayne few things, the cause is, for that we ask thē not aright. It followeth, The wife hath not power of her own bodie, &c. The me­ning is, that God hath so created man for woman, and woman for man, that they cannot well be one without the o­ther, vnlesse it be such, as vpon whom he hath bestowed the gift of chastitie: that sentence serueth also well agaynst Poligamie, or pluralitie of wiues. For if the bodie of the man be so tyed to the bodie of the woman, that the one is sub­iect to the other, it cannot be, that the mā hath authority to take more wiues, nor the wife to take more husbands. It followeth, Defraud not one another, ex­cept it be &c. In these words Paul she­weth a notable remedie against y ^e feig­ned shew of holines, & loue of ourselues For Sathan many times pricketh vs with a shew of weldoyng, to thinke our selues to be defiled by y ^e cōpany of our wiues, & therefore causeth vs to leaue our vocation, and thinke of an other e­state: as we reade that many men, and some kinges of this realme, haue for­saken [Page]their calling, left their wiues & become religious persōs: so many wo­men haue forsaken the duties of marri­age, & closed vp thēselues in vnreligi­ous cloysters. Besides this, mans na­ture is such, & it is so much addicted to the loue of it selfe, that at Sathans in­stigation, the man dothnot only neglect his wife, but altogether loath her, and likewise the wife the husband: for these causes doth the Apostle so earnestly & diligently reason of the mutual society and loue betwixt man and wife: as if he should say, if married persons purpose to lead a single life, eyther because they suppose it to be more holy, or els are pricked thereto w ^t sundry kinds of lust, not contenting thēselues with that or­dinary meane y ^t God hath appointed, let thē consider, that they are tyed one to the other by a mutuall band: the man is but onely the one halfe of his body, & so likewise the woman. Wherefore they haue not free libertie, to part asunder as they lust, & whē they lust: but rather they ought to weigh this, we cannot be one w ^toutanother, we lack one anothers ayde, God hath ioyned vs together, to [Page]helpe one another, let vs therfore one ayd anothers need. If they go so far y ^t they separate thēselues, the Apostle re­quireth, first a mutuall consent, wch is necessary, because the continency not of one only, but of both of thē is hasarded. Secōdly, y ^t it be but for a time, for per­peruall chastitie is not in their power, but is y ^e gift of God. Thirdly, that they doe not therfore absteine from keeping company one with another as though y ^t abstmence were of it selfe a good & holy worke, or a piece of Gods seruice, but y ^t we may giue ouer our selues to better exercises, to wit, fasting and prayer: in wch words we haue to consider, that the Apostle speaketh not of euery sorte of fasting, and euery kind of prayer. So­bernes & tēperancie are kinds of fasting & prayer, & shold not only be dayly but also continuall. He speaketh therfore of such a fast as is a publike and solemne testimonie of repentāce, by wch we turn away gods wrath & vengeāce, or by wch the faithful prepare thēselues to prayer when they take in hād som earnest mat­ter. The same may be sayd of prayer, as for exāple, whē some calamity or misery [Page]is nigh, or if some tokē of Gods wrath appeare, or when some matter of great weight & importance is to be taken in hand, as the ordering of ministers &c. And surely the Apostle doeth worthily ioine these two together, not as though fasting were a piece of Gods seruice, but because it is a preparation vnto prayer. For the bodie being by fasting subdued, the more willingly (by the as­sistance of Gods spirite) submitteth it selfe vnto the spirite, & being both ioy­ned, they poure forth more harti suppli­cations vnto y ^e Lord. And therefore our sauiour Christ ioyneth them together in like sort, when he saith, This kind of diuils is not cast forth but by fasting and prayer, Now thē in these words of y ^e A­postle, we haue a plaine ouerthrowe, of that popish doctrine of diuorce, a thoro & mensa, that is to saye, from bedde & boord. They teach that for sundry cau­ses and endes, a man may be separated from his wife, at the table and the bed, & yet the Apostle sheweth, that such se­paration cannot be made, for any ende but for this, namely that they may giue ouer themselues to fasting and prayer. [Page]Their causes are worldly & fleshly, but the Apostles end is spiritual & heauen­ly. No lesse vaynely and fondly do they deale in the whole matter of Diuorce: for whereas our sauiour Christ maketh but one cause, and that is Fornication, they make nyne or ten at the least: and wheras by the warrant of Gods word, y ^e faultles party may marrie, if he haue not the gift of continencie (for by y ^e law of God, the adulterer and adulteresse should both be put to death, as before I shewed in the beginning, and the wo­man is set free, the husband being dead, from the lawe of the man, and the man from the lawe of y ^e wife, the wife being dead) by y ^e popish canon law yet in this realme mainteined, it cōmeth to passe, that neither y ^e sin is so grieuously pu­nished as of right it shold, neither may the faultles person marrie, but as wel y ^e guiltles as the gultie, yea though they haue not y ^e gift of chastity, enioyned to liue a single & sole life, nay wold to god it were not a shrewd & sinfull life. Now it followeth, & again come together, &c though y ^e Apowle wil haue christian mē & women for godly exercises sake, to [Page]separate thēselues, yet he wil not haue that separatiō to endure ouer long, the reason is added, that Sathan tempt you not &c. As if the Apostle should saye, when ye take vpon you to abstein long frō the society one of another, and occa­sion is profered to Sathan to oppresse you, because you take that in hand wch you are not able to performe: for such is the imbecillitie & weakenes of the flesh, that y ^e one cannot long be w ^tout the cō ­pany of the other, and therfore you had need looke to yourselues saith y ^e Apostle for y ^e aduersary wil leaue no corner vn­sought, nor any stone vnrolled, to pro­uoke you to wickednes & incontinency. Here we haue to learne that lesson wch I touched in the beginning, namely, y ^t God requireth pure & chast mindes, as wel as cleane bodies. And also we haue to note the malice of sathan, who goeth about like a roring lyon, seeking to de­uour vs: if we consider his force, hee is strōg as a lyon, if we weigh his subtilty he is called the great & olde serpent, & can translate himselfe into y ^e likenes of an Angel of light: he spared not Christ, but tempted him immediatly after bap­tisme, [Page]& therfore he will not cease to as­saile vs, we had need therfore to be so­ber & watchful, and to pray continually w ^t the disciples for the increase of our faith, because faith is y ^e mean, by wch we must resist, & though his power be in y ^e scriptures coūted great, yet this singu­lar comfort we haue in the same scrip­tures reuealed vnto vs, y ^t he is but a co­ward, & playeth y ^e part of a tyrant, who when he hath gotten any people vnder him in slauerie and boudage, doth mise­rably torment thē. But if we resist him (the diuill I meane) and set our selues against him he wil flée far frō vs, for his tyranie is exercised only vpon the chil­dren of vnbeliefe: as for the faithfull, he is not able to touch thē, w ^tout gods suf­ferance and appointmēt: he cold not en­terinto a few sooine, til Christ gaue him leaue. He could not touch the body and goods of Iob, til God suffered him: his power is not increased, nor the strēgth and arme of our Lord any whit at al a­bated. It remaineth then y ^t we set our selues in conflict & skirmish against the diuil, we shrinke not, for then we lie opē to be wounded. The Apostle hath in the [Page] Ephesians described Panopleian, that is to say, complet harnesse of a christiā, he appointeth euery one to haue their loynes girded about w ^t veritie, hauing on the breastplate of righteousnes, their feete shod w ^t the preparation of the gos­pell of peace, y ^t shield of faith, y ^t helmet of saluation, & the sword of the spirite. Marke how y ^e Apostle armeth a christiā souldier in the fore parts, & appointeth him in harnes for his backe to defend y ^t w ^tall: by which y ^e spirtt of God teacheth vs, w ^t what valiant courage we should be indued, when we come to skirmish w ^t the diuill: we may not in any case turne our backs to him, for then we lie opē, & easily receiue his woūds, but resist him by faith, as I said before, & he will flee far frō vs. The Lord indue vs w ^t force and strength of his spirit frō aboue, to w ^tstand Sathan, & all his wicked tēp­tations, & imprint these things in our hearts which we haue heard, to the a­mendment of our sinfull liues and con­uersation, to the glory of his name tho­row Iesus Christ, to whom with y ^e ho­ly Ghost, be al honor and glory for euer and euer, Amen. Let vs pray.