THE SACRA­ment Gen. 1. of matrimo­ny, being most an­cient, and fyrst af­ter that man was made, euen at the begynnynge of all thynges, was ordeyned and commanded of god, and was honowred, and hadde al­wayes in hyghe veneration and reuerence, with people of all nati­ons, sanctified and halowed with religion, establyshed by lawes, ad­urned with miracles and wōders. The whiche sacrament trewely is more excellente, then other myste­ries and lawes, in that it was or­deyned before them, ordeyned I say, not of the imagination and inuention [Page] of men, but of god, prynce of all, euen from the fyrste begyn­nynge of the worlde, before any synne, in the tyme of innocency, for the lauful offyce and propagation of mankynde. All other preceptes, commaundementes, and myste­ries, that after the fal of man cam forth for the reparation, safegard, remedy, correction, and punisshe­ment, were scasely admytted of a fewe, when this sacrament of ma­trimony, through all partes of the worlde, and by the consente of all men, was receiued and taken. And farther it was no lesse strengthned and maynteyned with the power of god, then it was by his good­nes and wysedome ordeyned. For god the maker of al thynges, wold this most holy bonde so to be knit with indissoluble glewe, and perseuer, [Page] that the husbande in his wife, and the wife in her husband, shuld alwayes bothe lyue and abyde, as a bone of bones, & fleshe of fleshe. For this was the fyrst commaun­dement of god, institutynge ma­trimony: The man shall forsake Gen. 2. his father and mother, and shall cleaue vnto his wife, and they shal be two in oone flesshe. Whiche thynge we rede not only in the old testamente, but the selfe same is confyrmed in the gospell, that by no diuersitie of maners, by no sa­cietie or lothsomnes, not for age, barennes, or syckenes, nor for pe­stilence, lepry, or any other conta­giouse disease, and briefely for no cryme of heresy, nor by any mans power, that sacrament at any time ought to be broken. When Christ commaundeth, that whom the al­myghtye [Page] power of god hath ones Matth. 16. Marc. 20. ioyned together, noo power shall presume to separate. Nor it can be laufull for any cause, the wyfe to forsake her husbonde, or the hus­bande his wyfe, bycause it is lau­full for no manne to departe from him selfe, nor no man to leaue him selfe. For she whiche is made of a mannes rybbe, of flesshe, the same fleshe, and the same bone of bones for an helpe vnto the man: God neuer wold her to be seperate from the man, but for fornication: whi­che one onely cause, God dyd ex­cepte. But if for any other cause the stronge bonde, and vnytie of matrimony be loused, yet the per­sones beinge separate, be and re­mayne manne and wyfe, nor they with whom they be coupled after theyr deuorse, can be excused from [Page] aduoutry. And therfore Christ ad­deth, sayinge: He that after his Matt. 16. wife is dimissed for aduoutry, ma­ryeth an other woman, commyt­teth aduoutry: and he that dothe mary her that is so letten go, is an aduoutrer. Nowe to what ende and vse this reuerende and moste worthy sacrament was cōmaun­ded, we wyll declare. It was or­deyned for an helpe, for propaga­tion, and to auoyde fornication.

¶ The fyrst cause is taken, where god dydde institute this holy my­sterye vnder these wordes: It is Gen. 1. not good a man to be alone, let vs make for hym an helper lyke hym selfe. For man sythens he is a cre­ature mooste accompenable, then trewely and well shal vse the office and duety of a man, and shall pre­pare a trusty keper of his lyfe and [Page] goodes, when he entreth into the stedfaste and indissoluble felowe­shyp of matrimony. And therfore bothe to men that be somewhat a­ged yea and to those that be decrepite, and in whō there is no might of generation, no hope left of pro­pagation, it is neuerlesse laufull to mary, and (if a man may say it) often tymes nessary, wherby they maye passe forthe the later dayes of theyr lyfe, in the companye of theyr well be loued wyfe, with more ioye, suertye, and lesse care. Wherof Dauid, verye olde, with 3. Reg. 1. the Sunamite maide, is an example. For what felowshyp mought happen amonge men, more holye and pleasaunte? what more surer? what lesse careful, what more chast then the lyfe of manne and wyfe? when eyther of theym is the same [Page] that the other is, in one agreable mynde two bodyes, in two bodies one mynde and one consent. Only man and wyfe, one enuieth not an other, they alone loue eche other, out of measure, in as moche as eyther of them hole hangeth of the other, and hath quietnes and reste in the other, one fleshe, one minde, one concorde, one heuynesse gre­ueth them bothe, one myrth equal­ly reioyseth bothe, the verye same and euen lyke wyl is in both, theyr wynnynge is common to both, the same ryches, the same pouerte, like dignitie and worthynes, they be alwayes of one chaumbre, and at one table, they kepe company to­gether, nyght and day, in sleping, nor in wakynge they departe not the one frome the other: but theyr lyfe is conioyned in all actes, la­bours, [Page] ieoperdyes, and in euerye chaunce the one serueth the other, as longe as they lyue, they kepe company together to theyr lyues ende, they neuer departe without they dye, and the one beinge dead. the other canne scante lyue. Soo great is wedlockes loue, that v­neth deathe can set a sonder those, whom lyfe hath knytte together. Suche is the perseuerance of ma­trimony, suche is the vnitie, that one husband shuld haue one wife, and one wyfe one husebande. For one rybbe at the begynnynge was turned in to one wyfe. And there Gen. 2. shal be saith god, two in one fleshe. He sayth not, three or mo. And in Gen. 7. the arch of Noe god commaunded no mo women to be preserued then men, that for one man there shuld be but one wyfe. For where a man [Page] hath many wyues, or a womanne many husbandes: there the vnitie of matrimony faylethe. Therfore her alone that a man hath taken to his wyfe, the same let hym kepe without violation of kyndenesse, to the last ende of his lyfe in a per­fecte loue and continuall remem­brance. Let the father gyue place, the mother gyue place, the chyl­dren, the brothers and systers, let al the heape of frendes gyue place to the swete beneuolēce and entier loue of man and wife, and that for great skyl. For the father, mother, chyldren, brethern, systers, kyns­folke, be the frendes of nature, and workes of fortune: man and wyfe be the mistery of god. And the man had a wyfe, & the wyfe a husband, before father, mother, brother, or chyldren. And therfore it was commaunded Gea. 2. [Page] to the man, to leaue fa­ther and mother, systers, brethern, and chyldren, and cleaue to his wyfe, that aboue all other thyn­ges he shuld kepe to his liues end that thynge, whiche was fyrste of all gyuen vnto hym: nor that one of them shuld at any tyme be with out the other, of whome the one was not made without the other. Wherfore the chyldren to departe from theyr parentes, and the pa­rentes to leaue theyr chyldren, no lawe forbyddeth, sometyme neces­sitie compelleth, profyte styrreth, consideratiō moueth, the children often tymes be dymissed from au­ctoritie of theyr parentes, they ofte chalenge to them selfe lybertie by religion, often tymes in straunge countreys they get they lyuynge, & in other places seke theyr dwel­lynge: [Page] but the wyfe from her hus­bande, or the husbande from his wyfe, no lawe, no necessitie, no pro fyte, no consideration, no deuorse, no religion, no licence, no absence, dothe permytte to departe. For whiche of theym, that leaueth or neglecteth to kepe company toge­ther, the same as forsaken, and so­litary alone, must of necessitie lede a lyfe moste wretched, destitute of all gladnesse and helpe, bycause the helpe that was made for hym of god, and the companion of ioye and gladnes to hym gyuen, he ne­glectynge depyseth to take, or contemptuousiy is bolde to leaue and forsake.

¶ The seconde cause of matrymo ny, we shewed to be for propaga­tion of chyldren, as it is red, where god blessed Adam and Eue, say­inge: [Page] Encrease, and multiply, and Gen. 1. replenyshe the earthe. Which bles­synge after the floudde, was euen freshe agayn renewed by the same wordes. The effect wherof is, that Gen. 9. man shulde render to nature, that he had borowed of her, and to the image of god, shulde brynge forth and nourysshe chyldren lyke hym selfe, and restore the comon felow­shyp of mankinde with a certayne successiō, and to kepe it perpetual. which blessinge he that dyd not re­garde, in the old lawe, was coun­ted of all men cursed and most vn­happy, as it is wrytten: Cursed is she, that hath not sede in Israell, and blessed is he, whose sede is in Syon. Whervpon Abraham for Gen. 13. 15. 18. the meryte of his fayth, was bles­sed in his generation, and Sara beinge then olde, and past chylde [Page] bearynge, dyd put awaye the ma­ledictiō of her barennes, with this blessing of generation. For in this sacrament it is not the meryte of nature, to conceyue chyldren, but the blessynge of almyghtye God, and a mistery far passynge the me­rytes of nature. Whiche thynge was not vnknowen to Jacob the Patriarch, the whiche when his wyfe Rachel thought that the ac­companienge with her husbande, was to gyue chyldren, said to him, Gyue me chyldren, or elles I am but deade, Jacob answered: Am Gen. 30. I then in goddes stede, which ke­peth the fruite of thy wombe from the? And Isaac made intercession Gen. 25. to god, for his wyfe, bycause she was bareyn, whiche harde his pe­tition, and made her to conceyue. For they knewe, that the frutes of [Page] matrimony were of god, not of nature. And of this the bastarde chil­dren be called naturall: but those that come of matrimony, be onely laufull. And therfore he is not ad­mitted to holy orders, whose mo­ther is not knytte to his father by laufull copulation in this mooste worthy sacrament of matrimony, for a bond of perpetual felowship. For a bastarde shall not enter into Deut. 14. the churche of god. Which bastard also is straytely prohybited, bothe by humayne lawes and constituti­ons of wyse men, to be the heyre of temporal landes and goodes. For they haue no laufull heyre, whiche by neglectynge and despising ma­trimony, at the wanton and enty­synge luste of the fleshe, vnlauful­ly take theyr congresse. And it is the common sentence and iudge­ment [Page] of lawiers, that he hathe an vncertayne father, and a naughty mother, whiche is not borne in matrimony. For he is base borne, and is the sonne of the people, yea ra­ther the sonne of no man, which is the chylde of a woman not lauful­ly maryed. But he is the true heir, and trewe sonne, whose mother, without the infamy of sinne, with­out the blame of kynsfolke, with­out the offence of god, to a certayn and well knowen father, with the dignite of matrimonye, and with fruite certayn is maried, and with out sclander abydeth by hym con­tynually. Therfore onely matry­mony maketh chyldren to be cer­tayne, & giueth vndoubtful heires it maketh honest the couplynge of nature, and for sinne it giueth me­ryte, it increaseth the stocke and [Page] out the consent of eyther of theym that is coupled, the other without synne, maye not intende to prayer, if therby it myght chance the other to be defrauded, or lacke the car­nall duetie. For (as the Apostle sayth) the woman hath not power 1. Cor. 7. of her body, but the man: and like wyse the man hath not power of his body, but the womanne. So great is the knotte of this bonde, that though for incontinency alonly it be taken, yet if one of the cou­ples afterward wold continually lyue continently, in no wyse it can be done, but with the others con­sent, yea and though bothe do consent, yet it can in no wyse be taken, that the matrimonye is dissolued. So he that for cause of bryngyng forth of chyldren maryeth, can not without synne put awaye his ba­ren [Page] wyfe, and mary an other, wher by he might haue chyldren. Which thyng also as wytnessen Ualerius Maximus, Plutarch, and Dio­nisius Halicarnasseus, was obserued and kept amōg the Romains after the Citie was buylded, fyue hundreth and twenty yeres, to the tyme of Spurius Carbilius, whi­che fyrste of all other preferrynge the desyre to haue chyldren, aboue his fidelitie in wedlocke, not with out his greate blame, forsoke his wyfe for barennesse. But nowe I wyll retourne.

¶ God the creator of all thynges, wolde this moste holy bonde to be so faste and indyssoluble, that for what cause so euer it was ones be­gonne, by no power or strength at any tyme it shoulde be dyssolued. He wolde it to be so generall, and [Page] throughout al the worlde, so pryn­ted in all mennes myndes, that no man shulde auoyde this moste ho­lyest mistery, without mooste gre­uous offence, excepte he wolde vt­terly forsake all humanytie. For he the fyrste auctor of wedlocke, & god before all matrymony (when he wold take on hym the nature of man) wolde his mother fyrste to mary. And though without mans sede he wold be borne of a virgin, yet he wold not be borne of her out of wedlocke, but of his mother maried, thoughe not defoyled with man. For he wolde not his mother to be vnmaryed, that by his mo­thers example, he myghte exhorte vs to the very same.

¶ Therfore what so euer they be that regarde not this mooste aun­cient and moste holy ordinaunce, [Page] as dispisers of goddes and mans lawes, shall be iuged to perpetual fyre, euen lyke the drye and baren trees. And therfore in the old law, they that in theyr rype age, did not mary a wyfe, were put forth of the temples, theyr offerynges were re­iected, they were counted not wor­thy to receyue herytages and be­questes, vnworthy of goddes and mannes helpe, whiche despysynge goddes and mannes lawes, refu­sed to take the helpe ordeyned for them of god, and stablyshed by the lawes of man. Neuerthelesse two kyndes of menne maye be excepte from contracting matrimony, whiche for weakenes of nature, be vt­terly not apt for it, as they that be colde of nature, bewyched and en­chaunted, madde personnes, chil­dren, feble persons, and suche as [Page] be gelded, and those whiche being moued with the spirit of god haue chosen perpetuall chastytie. For this sort, religion dischargeth frō the bonde of matrimony: and the other sorte, by naturall impedy­ment, is excused. But who so euer be not of one of those two kyndes, let them well knowe, that they are so bounden to contracte matrimo­ny, that if they leaue it, or not re­garde it (except they be greatly re­pentant) they are vnworthy of the kyngedome of god. yet for al that, no manne shulde be compelled by force, to contracte matrimony. For in as moche as this bond is made by onely consent of loue, it oughte specially to be free, for loue it selfe, is at no mannes commandement. For the gyftes of ryche menne bye not loue, no dignitie, nor yet nobi­litie [Page] counteruayleth loue, no thret­nynges or vyolence of great men of power, can compell loue, which god him selfe doth not constraine, but from the begynnynge created it free. And there is no loue so ve­hement, and so stedfast as betwene the husband and the wyfe. There is nothynge of greatter force, then the tender loue of the wife, the whiche no disloyaltie corrupteth, noo misfortune causeth to slyde, noo strang acquaintāce withdraweth, no age, no processe of tyme consu­meth. And therfore by the coman­dement Gen. 2. Matth. 19. of god, the loue of the wife shoulde be preferred before father and mother, childrē, brothers and syhers, kynsfolke, alyaunce, and all other thynges. Wherfore they moste greuously offende, what so euer they be, parentes, nere kyns­folke, [Page] tutours, and gardians, whi­che (hauinge no respecte to the cō ­tinuall beneuolence of the lyfe, to the procreation of chyldren, nor to chastitie, but throughe couetous­nesse and ambition that they haue to worldly dignitie nobilytie, pa­wer, ryches, and suche lyke) be­yonde all due obedience to paren­tes by goddes commmandemente (by a certain tiranny) restrain and make bonde (whiche to this sacra­ment oughte to be gyuen) the free consent of their sonnes and dough ters, and compel them to be mari­ed to suche as they hate, withoute any consideration of age, loue, cō ­dition, maners, and specyally of goddes commaundemente. And hereof at lengeth do ryse betwene man and wyfe, fornication, adul­tery, debate, raylinge wordes, continuall [Page] anger, perpetual strife dis­corde, hatred, diuorces, and other infinite mischiefes. And also other whyle poysonynge, slaugher, and violent murther ensueth: that it maye be sene, that it was not god but the dyuell, that coupled suche Tobi. 6. personnes to gether.

¶ Furthermore in many places, certayne worldly prynces and lor­des of christēdome, the enemyes of god, blasphemers of Jesu Christ, defilers of holy thynges, presumptuousely takynge vpon them that perteyneth to god, at theyr volun­tary wyl, yea and somtime at their expresse commaundement, compel theyr subiectes to mary. purcha­synge moreouer to theyr cofers the dymes of dowryes, not without abominable sacrilege, and so for­bearing the aduouterers, they pu­nyshe [Page] them that mary, which wic­ked rulers at the laste the ryghtu­ouse Matt. 21. iudge wyll destroye.

¶ There is also an other no lesse damnable custome, whiche hath taken place among many nations to speake commonly euyll of them that mary the second time. yea and moreouer they cōdemne them that mary agayne in a certayne somme of money, and the same they ley vp for a knotte of good company, to make mery with, and they make Joseph the husbande of the moste blessed vyrgin Mary, the patrone of this so wicked sclander against goddes misterye. But the dyuell hath found these felowshyps and brotherhed, and the anger of god, hath delyuered them into a repro­ued sence, that they reioysynge at Roma. 1. adultery, horedome, and fornica­tions, [Page] shulde rayle vppon seconde mariages, as who sayth the grace of god is voyde in such mariages, mockinge that sacrament, to whi­che all honour, reuerence, and ly­bertie, is gyuen. But this damna­ble fasciō must be taken away and plucked cleane out of the dommy­ons of Fraunce: for trewely the rulers therof can not in any poynte do more seruice to god, & profit the chrysten common welthe, then to do this, that is to saye, that good thynges maye be taught, and euel thynges maye be banysshed, not onely that perteine to the common societie of men, but also to goddes religion.

¶ Thou therfore, who soo euer thou arte, that wyll take a wyfe, let loue be the cause, not substance of goodes, chose a wyfe, not a gar [Page] ment, let thy wyfe be maryed vnto the, not her dowrye. With this mynde almighty god beinge ther­to called (whiche alone gyueth a trewe wyfe) and the consent of the parentes also required, and dewe obedieuce shewed vnto them, al co uetousnesse, desyre of honour, en­uy, and feare, sette a parte, with a temperate deliberation in thy selfe with consent, free and feruent, but reasonable and chast loue, so take thy wyfe, commytted and gyuen to the for euer by the hand of god, for thy continuall felowshyp, not to seruice and bondage. Whome thou oughteste to rule with thy wisedome, with all fauour and re­uerence. And let not her be subiect vnto the, but let her be with the in all trust and counsayle, & let her be in thy house, not as a drudge, but [Page] as maistresse of the house, in thy householde not as a mayden, but a mother, & a brynger vp of those children that thou shalt begette of her, whiche shall be lordes of thy goodes, and represent thy name, to such as shal come after the. And so thou canste not chose but haue a good wyfe, and good chyldren, for an euyll wyfe neuer happeneth but to an euyl husband. For with­out a wyfe, the name can not con­tinue, nor the progeny endure, nor the stock increace, nor a family be, nother a father of housholde na­med, nor a house called, nor a com­mon welthe stand, nor any impire endure. This thynge the buylder of the Romayne impire ryght well dyd knowe, whiche (when he lac­ked wiues for his subiectes) made a sharpe and fierse battayle with [Page] the Sabinis, that denyed theyr doughters. For he knew very wel, that his impire coulde not conty­nue, if wyues shuld be awaye. For seing that a citie standeth of hou­ses, and the common welth of pry­uate thynges, and of rulynge of a housholde, and family, the disey­plyne to gouerne a common welth is ordeyned: howe shall he rule a citie, that hath not lerned to rule a house? howe shall he gouerne a common welthe, that neuer knewe his priuate and familiar busines? Nereof Socrates testified, that he lerned morall philosophy more of wyues, then naturall philosophy, of Anaxagoras and Archelaus. For trewely matrimony gyueth a gret erercise to moral philosophy. For it hath a certayne householde common welth annexed, in ruling [Page] the whiche a man maye sone lerne and haue experyence of wisedome, temperaunce, loue to god and his kynne, and all other vertues, by which in louyng his wyfe, in brin­gynge vp his children, in gouer­nynge his famyly, in sauynge his goodes, in ruling his littel house, in procreatynge and enlargynge his stocke, he may leade a life most happy. Furthermore to see before a mannes eyes, his well beloued wife, and by chyldren and succes­sion, to haue his family and name extended, is great gladnes and fe­licitie, it is the swete consolation of trauayle. He that wanteth a wyfe, hath noo house, bycause he hath not setled a house, yea and if he haue, he taryeth in it as a stran­ger in his mne. He that hath not a wyfe, though he be neuer so riche, [Page] hath almoste nothyng that is his, bycause he hath nothing safe from deceytes, nor he hath not to whom he myghte leaue, nor to whom he myghte truste. He that hath not a wyse, lacketh a famylye, lacketh his nye kynred, and without hope of succession is alwayes left alone and forsaken. His seruantes steale from hym, his felowes bribe from hym, his neighbours despise him, his frendes regarde hym not, his nye kinred begile him, his bastard chyldren if he haue any, be shame and rebuke to hym, and wytnesse of his iniquitie, nor he can leaue vnto thē his ryches, nor the name of his famyly, but as he taryeth in lyfe without maryage, soo beinge dead, his perisheth without name, nor in this lif he deserueth to haue any beneuolence orloue, which is [Page] greatest comforte to man. But as a forsaker of mans nature, worthy of all calamitie, is moste vnfortu­nate counted of all men, and most worthy to be forsaken. And hereof Lycurgus made a lawe, that who at conuenient tyme did not regard to mary, they in the sommer tyme shoulde be kepte backe from open plaies and sportes, frō al pastime, and mery syghtes: and in the win­ter, shuld be led bare round about the market place, and vexed with mockes and scornes, abhored and cried out apon of all men, so that they shulde confesse that they dyd ryghtuousely suffer, bycause they despised relygyon, obeyed not the lawes, offended agaynste nature, and as moch as was in them, cau­sed that neyther common welthe, impire, nor religion coulde stande, [Page] bycause they had not endeuoured them selues, to begette those, by whom these thinges shuld be meinteined and vpholden. Plato in his lawes ordeyned, he that maryed not a wyfe shulde be put backe frō al common office and honour, and shoulde be ouerate with common charges more greuous then other citizens were. And Augustus Ce­sar made a lawe, that yonge men shulde mary wyues, and increase the people of Rome. whiche lawe many other afterward confirmed, And more ouer granted to be free from common offyce a yere. and li­mitted out of the comon treasure a rewarde to hym that maryed a wyfe a newe. Aduoutries euerye where in the old time always were greuously punysshed with mooste sharpe lawes, bycause that matri­mony [Page] being ones violate, there is not onely wrong done to man, but to god hym self. And hereof in the Leuiti. 20. Deut. 22. Exod. 22. olde lawe, who so euer with brea­kyng matrimony, had committed aduoutry, was aduidged to be stoned to deathe. But he that toke a­way other mennes goodes, and so commytted theft, was punished in foure double and fyue double as moche. For this man vnlaufullye toke awaye mennes goodes, and worldly thynges, the other besides the offence and hurt of his neygh­bour yea being miuriouse to god, doth dishonest the godly thinges. The Romayne lawes condemne to deathe aduoutrers, and permit also vnto the husband without a­ny opē iugement and without pu­nishment to sle thaduoutrer takē, which lyberty is not gyuen to hym [Page] that hath his father slayne. Also for a man to slee his owne wyfe, it is punished with sharper deathe, then to slee father or mother, and worthely. For nature maketh fa­ther and mother, a wyfe is the mi­stery of god. & I thinke that he can not be with sufficient punishment vexed, which was so hardy to slee his helpe, comforte, and succour, and his companion to lyue with, gyuen to hym by god. For he is cruell vpon the gyfte of god, wic­ked agaynste the holy, a defyler of nature, and miurious to god. And therfore also the lawes canon for­beade hym the felowshyp and company of men, shut hym forth of the churche, forbeade and take awaye from hym seconde maryages, de­nye vnto hym the holy sacrament, iudgynge hym vnworthye of the [Page] foode of god, whiche was not a­shamed to offend god, with so ou­tragious a trespas and mischiefe. But nowe I can not tell by what negligence, and lyttell regarding of iustice & god, the sleers of their wyues, and aduouterers, escape nowe almoste al punishment, and Roma. 1. Matt. 15. theues yea for a lyttel faute be hā ­ged vp with ropes, except bycause our iudges be gyuen into repro­ued sense and vnderstandynge, to make the commaundement of god voyde, for the traditions of man. But nowe lette vs conclude, and make an ende.

¶ Thou therfore who so euer, if thou wylte be a man, if thou wylt not cleane do away man from the, if thou wylt occupie the duetye of manhod before other thynges, if thou wylt be the lawfull sonne of [Page] god, if thou wylt be naturall and louyng to thy countrey, to thy fa­mily, to the common welth if thou wylt possede and enioye the erthe, and deserue heuen, it is necessarye that thou entre the laufull bonde of matrimony, that thou chose for continuance a companion to lyue with, that maye not be separate, that thou encreace mankinde, and as the sonne & image of god, thou procreate chyldren lyke thy selfe. and that thou wyselye and vertu­ousely nouryshe bring vp and go­uerne them for the behoufe of the common welthe, mayntenance of thy countrey, and the reuerence of god, whiche gaue them vnto the. He that dothe these thynges, he is a man, he that is a manne, must of necessitie do these thynges, except he wyll brynge forthe by his na­ture [Page] so hyndered, some thyng lesse then a mā, and not worthy of man hode, or elles by clymynge ouer mannes power, wyll chose some thynge greatter then man can do, that is perpetually to kepe a cha­stitie angelicall. But who so euer is not of one of these two thinges, and as a negligent person, dothe not regarde trewe matrimony, or violate the same, with cloked for­nication, or put awaye frome hym his companion of lyfe, or slee her, kepe noo company with hym, that he maye be troden downe as reproued of god, and a stranger frō the felowshyp of Christen people.