The Anatomy of Abuses, Part 5
The horryble vice of Whordome in Ailgna.
Philo.
THE horryble vice of Whordome also is ther too too much frequēted,Whordome in Ailgna too too ri…e. to ye great dishonor of God, the prouoking of his iudgements against them, the staine and blemish of their profession, the euill example of all the world, any finally to their owne damnation for …uer, except they repente.
Spud.
I hauehave heard them reason, that mutuall coition betwixt man and woman, is not so offensiue before God.Vain and vngodly reasons p…etending that whordome is no …nne. For do not all Creatures (…ay they) as wel reptilia terrae, as volati…a Coeli, the creping things vponupon the earth, as the flying Creatures in the aire, and all other Creatures in generall both small & great ingender together? hath not nature and kynd ordained them so? & geuen them mēbers incidēt to that vse? & doth not ye Lord (say they) (as it were wt a stimule, or prick by his mandat, saing crescite & multiplicamini, & replete terrā, increase, multiplie, & fill the earth,) stirre thē vp to the same? Otherwyse the World wold become barren, and soone fall to decay: wherfore they conclude,Oh wicked Lybertynes. that whordome is a badge of louelove, a cognizāce of amitie, a tutch of …ustie youth, a frendlie daliance, a redintegration of louelove, and an ensigne of vertue, rather meritorious than dānable: these with the like be y• exceptiōs which I hauehave hard them many times to obiect, in defence of their carnal pollutions.
Philo.
Cursed be those mouths, that thus blaspheme the mightie God of Israell, and his sacred word▪ making the same clokes, to couer their sinne withall, worse are they than Lybertines who thinke all things lawfull, or Atheistes, who denie there is any God. The deuills themselues neuer sinned so horribly, nor erred so grossely, as these, (not Christians, but dogges) do, that make whordom a vertue, and meritorious: but because you shal sée their deceptiōs displayed & their dānable abuses, more plainly discouered, I will reduce you to ye first institutiō of this Godly ordenāce of matrimony. The Lord our God hauing created all things in Heauen,The first institution of matrimonie. earth, or Hell whatsoeuer, created of eueryevery sex, two, male & female of both kindes, and last of al other creatures, he made man after his own likenesse, & similitude, geuing him a womā,Gen. 2. Mat. 19 made of a ribbe of his own body,Marc. Luc. 16. to be his companion,1. Cor. 6. & comforter, & lincking them together in the honorable state ofEphe.5. venerable wedlocke, he blessed them both, saying, crescite, multiplicamini, & replete terrā. Increase, multiplie, & replenish ye earth: wherby it is more than apparent, that the Lorde, whose name is Iehouah, the mightie GOD of Israell, Mariage insti…uded for. 4 ca…ses.is the Author of Godly matrimony, instituting it in the tyme of mans inconcency in Paradice, and that as mée séemeth for foure causes. First, for the auoydaūce of whordom: Secondly, for the mutuall comforte, & consolatiō, that the one might hauehave of the other in all aduersities & calamities whatsoeuer: Thridly, for the procreation,All mutuall copulation, except mariage, is vnlawfull. and Godly propagation of Children in the feare of the Lord, that both the world might be increased therby, and the Lord also in them glorified. And fourthlie, to be a figure or type of our spirituall wedlocke betwixt Christ and his church both militant, and triumphante. This congression, and mutuall copulation of those that be thus ioyned together in the Godlye state of blessed matrimony▪ is pure virginitie, and allowable before God and man, as an action wherto the Lorde hath promised his blessing thorow his mercy, not… by our merite, ex opere operato, as some shame not to say. All other goinges together and coitions are damnable, pestiferous, and execrable▪ So, now you sée, that wheras the Lord saith, increase, multiplie, & fill the earth, he alludeth to those that are cheyned together in the Godly state of matrimonie and wedlock, and not otherwyse: For to those that go together after any other sorte, he hath denounced his curse and wrath for euermore▪ as his alsauing word beareth record. And wheras they say that all cr…atures vppon the Earth do ingender together,…ow all creatures do goe togither in their kind… ▪ I graunte it is true. But how? in suo genere, in their owne kinde. There is no creature créeping, on the earth, or flying in the aire, how irrationable soeuer that dooth degenerate as man dooth, but kéepethe the same state and order wherein they were made at the first, and so if man did, he should not commit abhominable whordom and filthie sinne as hée dooth. It is said of those that write de natura animalium, that (almost) all vnreasonable beasts and flying fowles after they hauehave once linked and vnited them selues togither to any one of the same kinde▪ and after they hauehave once espoused them selues the one to the other,The fidelitie of vnreasonable creatures in mariage one towards an other. wil neuer after ioyne them selues we any other, til the one be dissolued frō the other by death. And thus they kéepe the knot of matrimonie inuiolable to the end. And if any one chaunce to reuolte and go togither with any other during ye life of his first mate, at the rest of the same kind, assemble togither, as it were in a councel or parliament, and either kil or gréeuously punish the adulterer or adulteresse whether euer it be, which lawe I would God were amongst Christians established. By all which it may appéer how horrible a sinne whordome is in nature, that the very vnreasonable creatures doo abhorre it.
The Heathen people who know not God, so much lothe this sti…king sinne of whordome, that some burne them quick, some hang them on gibbets, some cut off their heds, some their armes,How much the Heathen hauehave detested whordome. legs and hands, some put out their eyes, some burne them in the face, some cut of their noses, some one parte of their bodye, some another, and some with one kind of torture, and some with another: but none leaueth them vnpunished:Sundery punishments of whordome amongst the Heathen. so that we are set to schoole to learn our first rudiments (like yung Nouices or Children scarce crept out of the shel,) how to punish whordome, euen by the vnreasonable creatures and by the heathen people who are ignorant of the deuine goodnes.
God be merciful vntounto vsus.
Spud.
I pray you rehearse some places out of the woord of God, wherin this cursed vice of whordome is forbidden, for my better instruction.
Philo.
Our Sauiour Christe in the eight of Iohn speaking to the woman,Testimonies out of the woord of god wherin whordome is forbid, whom the malicion… Iewes had apprehended in adulterie, bad her go her way and sin no more. If it had not béen a moste greeuous sin, he would neuer hauehave bid her to sin therin no more.
In the fift of Mathew he saith, who so lusteth after a woman in his hart, hath committed the fact alredy, and therfore is guiltie of death for the same.Mat. 5. To the Pharises, asking him whether a man might not put away his wife for any occasion? Christe answered, for no cause, saue for whordome onelyonly, inferring that whordome is so hainous a sinne, as for the perpetration therof it shalbe lawful for a man to sequester him self from his owne wife and the wife from her owne husband.Mat. 19. The Apostle Paul sayth,Mat. 10. know you not that your bodyes are the members of Christe, Luc. 16.shall I then take the members of Christe (saith he) and make them the members of an whore?1. Cor. …. God forbid, knowe yée not that he who coupleth him self with a harlot is become one body wt her? flée fornication (saith he) therfore, for eueryevery sinne that a man committeth is without the body, but who committeth fornication sinneth against his owne body. And in an…other place: knowe you not, that your Bodyes are the temples of the holy ghost, which dwelleth within you? And who so destroyeth the Temple of God, him shall God destory.
In an other place, he saith: be not deceiued, for neither Whoremonger, Adulterer, Fornicator, incestuous person nor such like shall euer enter into the kingdome of heauen. Again, Coni…gium honorabile est inter omnes. Mariage is honorable amongst all men, and the bed vndefiled, but whooremongers and adulterers God shall iudge. In the Reuelation of Saint Iohn it is said, that they who were not defiled with women, doo waite vponupon the Lamb, whether soeuer he goeth. The Apostle Paul willeth vsus to be so far from fornication, that it be not once named amongst vsus, as becommeth Saints, with infinit such places, which for bréefnes I omit, re…erring you in the olde Testament to these and such like places, namely, the 20. of Exodus. 20. of Leuiticus. De…tronomie 22. Deutro. 27. 2. Reg. 11. Leuit. 18. Exodus. 22. Num 5. Eccle. 9. Pro. 33. Pro. 7. verse. 24.
Spud.
As you hauehave now prooued by inuincible testimonies of holy Scripture, that whordome is forbidden by the Lord: so I pray you shew mée the gréeuousnes thereof by some seuere & rare examples of Gods iust iudgement executed vppon the same from the begining.Genesis 7. 8.
Philo.
The whole world was destroyed wt water,Punishments of whordom in all Ages. not any liuing thing left vponupon the erth, (saue in ye Ark of Noath) for the sin of whordō incest & brothelry vsed in those daies. Sodoma and Gomorra two famous Cities were consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen for the like sin of whordom adulterie and fornication.Genesis. 19. The citie of ye Sichemits, Genesis. 24.man, woman and childe weare put to the edge of the swoord, for the rauishing of Dina the daughter of Iacob. The Lord also tolde Abimelech, that if he did not let go vntouched Sara, Abraham his wife,Genesis. 20. bothe he and all his housholde should dye the death, notwithstanding he did it ignorauntly.Ge. 26. The very same hapned to Isaac also.Ge. 18. Iudas vnderstanding that his daughter in law was impregnate and great with childe, and not knowing by whom, comm…nded that she should be burned without any further delay.2. Reg. 16. Was not Absalon, king Dauid his sonne plagued all his life for going into his Fathers Concubines? And did not Achitophel who gaue councel so to do hang himself? Was not Ruben the first borne sonne of Iacob, Ge. 29.accursed for going vp to his Fathers bed, and lost he not his birth-right, his dignitie and primacie ouer his Bretheren for the same? Were there not abooue thréescore and fiue thousand men slain for the adulterie doon with one Leuits wife?Iudi. 20. Was not king Dauid punished all y• daies of his life for his adultery doon with Bersabe, Vrias his wife?2. Reg 13. 12. Was not his sōne Amon, for lying with Thamar, slain? Was not Salomon béeing peruerted with hethen women cast out of the fauour of GOD,1. Reg. 1…. notwithstanding, being otherwise, the wisest Prince in all the world? Did not Achab at the perswasions of Iesabel, 3. Reg. 2….his cursed wife, falling to Idolatrie and woorshiping of Idolles and deuils, suffer moste cruel punishment in this life all his dayes, besides what he suffereth now God onelyonly knoweth. Were not the Israelite, Nume. 25.and Madianitish woman both slain by that woorthy man Phinees, who ran them both thorow the priuy members with his Iauelin or swoord?Iud. 16. Was not Sampson brought to a miserable end, his eyes beeing bothe put out, and he made to be a laughing stock to all men, thorow his too much fauouring of wantō women?…. 22. Was not king Pharao wunderfully plagued for but intending euil in his hart towards Sara Abraham his wife? Did not the Lord slay (with a moste gréeuous mortalitie) foure & twentie thousand of ye Israelites in one day, for whordome and adulterie with the women of the Moabites and Madianits?
By these and such like fearful Examples of the iustice of God powred vponupon these whoremongers & adultrers, we may learn to know the gréeuousnes of the same, and the punishment due to all whoremongers and fornicatours either in this life, or in the World to come, or els in both: for if the Lord deferre the punishment of whordome in this life, hée reseruet… it for the world to come, suffering the wicked to wallow in their sinne, and to fil vp the measure of iniquitie, that their damnation may be iust. And if the Lord l…ft not sin vnpunished, no, not in his most déer Saints, what he wil doo in them who dayly crucifie him a new, let the world iudge?
Spud.
Now am I fully perswaded by your inuincible reasons, that there is no sin greater before the face of God, then whordome, wherfore, God graūt that all his may auoid it.
Philo.
You hauehave said true, for there is no sinne (almost) comparable vntounto it, for besides that, it bringeth euerlasting damnation to all that liue therin to the end, without repentāce, it also bringethWhat …ui whordome bringeth to mans body in th…s life. these inconueniences, with many mo, vidilicet, it dimmeth the sight, it impaireth the hearing, it infirmeth ye sinewes, it weakneth the ioynts, it exhausteth the marow, consumeth the moisture and supplemēt of the body, it riueleth the face, appalleth the coūtenance, it dulleth ye spirits, it hurteth the memorie, it weakneth y• whole body, it bringeth it into a consūption, it bringeth vlcerations, scab, scurf, blain, botch, pocks & biles, it maketh hoare haires, & bald pates: it induceth olde age, & in fin…, bringeth death before nature vrge it, malady enforce it, or age require it.
Sp.
Séeing y• whordome bringeth such soure sauce with it, namely, death euerlasting after this life, and so many discōmodities besides in this life, I wunder that men▪ dare cōmit the same so securely as they doo now a dayes?
Philo.
It is so little feared in Ailgna, that vntill eueryevery one hath two or thrée Bastardes a péece, they estéeme him no man, (for that, they call a mans déede) insomuch as eueryevery s…uruie boy of twelue,…. sixtéen or twenty yéeres of age wil make no conscience of it, to hauehave two or thrée, peraduenture half a dosen seuerall women with childe at once, and this exploite béeing doon, he showes them a faire pair of héeles, and away goeth he, Euro volociu…, as quick as a B…e (as they say) into some strange place where he is not knowen where, how he liueth, let the wise iudge, for coelum non animum mut … qui trans mare currunt, though they ch…u…ge their place of abode,Whormongers …unagates. yet their naughtie dispositions they retaine stil.
Then hauing estraunged them selues thus for a small space, they returne againe, not to their pristine cursed life I dare say, but vntounto their cuntrey, and then no man may say, black is their eye, but all is wel, & they as good christians as those that suffer them vnpunished.
Spud.
The state and condition of that Cuntrey is most miserable if it be true you report, it weare much better that euerye one had his lawful wife, and eueryevery woman her lawful husband, as the Apostle commaundeth, then thus to bedrowned in the filthie sin of whordome.
Philo.
That is the only salue and soueraine remedy, which the lord ordained against whordome,M…riage, an antidotarie against Whordome. that those who hauehave not the gift of continencis might mary, and so kéep their vessels vndefiled to the Lord. But notwithstāding, in Ailgna there is ouer great libertye permitted therin: for litle infants,Maring of infants in swadling cloths. in swadling clowts, are often maried by their ambicious Parents and frends, when they know neither good nor …uill, and this is the origene of much wickednesse, & directlie against the word of God, and examples of the primityue age. And besydes this, you shall hauehave eueryevery sawcy boy,EueryEvery Boy snatcheth vp a Woman to wyfe.. of x.xiiij. xvi. or xx. yeres of age, to catch vp a woman & marie her, without any feare of God at all, or respect had, either to her religion, wisdom, integritie of lyfe, or any other vertue, or which is more, without any respecte how they maye lyue together with sufficient maintenance for their callings and estat. No no, it maketh no matter for these things, so he hauehave his pretie pussie to huggle withall, it forceth not, for that is the only thing he desireth. Than build they vp a cotage, though but of elder poals, in eueryevery lane end, almost, wher they lyue as beggers al their life. This filleth the land with such store of poore people, that in short tyme (except some caution be prouided to preuent the same) it is like to growe to great pouertie and scarsnes, which GOD forbid.
Sp.
I cānot sée how this geare shold be holpē?A restraint of mariage.
Ph.
What if a restraint were made, y• none (except vppon speciall and vrgente causes) should marie before they come to xx. or xxiiij. yéeres, or at ye least, before they be .xiiij. or xviij yeeres old, would not this make fewer beggers, than now there are?
Sp.
But if this were established, thā should we hauehave moe Bastards, and of the two, I had rather we had many legittimats, than many illegittimates.
Philo.
The occasion of begetting of many… Bastards were soone cut of,How whordome may be suppressed. if the punishment which either God his lawe doth allowe, or els which good pollicy doth constitute, were aggrauated, and executed vppon the Offenders.
For the punishment appointed for whordom now is so light,The punishment for whordome ouer remisse. that they estéeme not of it, thei feare it not, they make but a iest of it. For what great thing is it, to go ij. or thrée dayes in a white shéete before the congregation, and that somtymes not past an howre or two in a day, hauing their vsnall garmēts vnderneth, as commonly they hauehave? This impunitie (i… respecte of condigne punishement, which that vice requireth) doth rather animate and imbolden them to the acte, than feare them from it. In so much, as I hauehave heard so…e miscreants impudently say, that he is but a …east, that for such white lyuered punishment would abstaine from suche gallant pastyme: but certen it is, that they who thinke it suche sweet meate here, shall find the sawce sowre and stiptick enough in Hell.
Spud.
What punishment would you hauehave inflicted vppon such as commit this horrible kinde of sinne?
Philo.
I would wish that the Man or Woman who are certenlye knowen without all scruple or doubte,What kind of punishmēt whordome ought to hauehave. to hauehave committed the horryble fact of whordome, adulterie, incest, or fornication, eyther should drinke a full draught of Moyses cuppe, that is, …ast of present death▪ or els, if y• be thought too seuere (for in euill, men will be more mercifull, than the Author of merciemercy him selfe, but in goodnesse, fare well mercy,) than wold GOD they might be cauterized, and seared with a hote yron on the chéeke, forehead, or some other parte of their bodye that might be séene, to the end the honest and chast Christians might be discerned from the adulterous Children of Sathan: But (alas) this vice (with the rest) wanteth such due punishement, as GOD his Word doth commaunde to be executed ther vppon.
The Magistrates wincke at it, or els as looking thorowe their fingers, they see it, and will not sée it.
And therfore, the Lorde is forced too take the sword into his owne hands, and to execute punishment him selfe, because the Magistrates will not.
For better proof wherof marke this strange & fearful iudgment of god shewed vponupon two adulterous persōs there, euen ye last day in effect, y• remēbrāce wherof is yet gréen in their heds.
There was a man whose name was W. Ratsurb, being certenly knowen to be a notorious vserer (and yet pretending alway a singular zeale to religion, so that he wold seldom tymes go without a byble about him, but sée the iudgements of God vponupon them that will take his word in their mouthes, and yet lyue cleane contrarie, making the word of God a cloke to couer their sinne and naughtynesse withall) who vppon occasion of busines visiting Lewedirb a place appointed for the correctiō of such that be wicked lyuers, saw there a famous whore, but a very proper Woman, whō (as is said) he knew not, but whether he did, or not, certē it is, that he procured her delyuery from thence, bayled her, & hauing put away his owne wife before, kept her in his chamber, vsing her at his pleasure. Whylest these two mēbers of ye deuil were playing the vile Sodomits together in his chamber, & hauing a litle pan of coles before them wherin was a very litle fire, it pleased GOD euen in his wrath, to strike these two persons dead in a moment. The Woman falling ouer the pan of coles, was burned that all her bowels gushed out, the man was founde lying by, his cloths in some partes being scorched and burned, & some partes of his body also. But which is most wonderfull, his arme was burned to the very boone, his shirte sleeue, and dublet, not once perished, nor tutched with the fire. Wherby may be thought & not without great probabilitie of truth, that it was euē the fire of God his wrath from Heauen, and not any natural fire from the earth. And in this wonderfull, & fearfull maner weare these cupple founde: which God graunt may be a documēt to all ye heare or read the same, to avoyde the like offence, and to all Magistrates, an Example to see the same punished with more seueritie, to the glorie of God, and their owne discharge.
But so farre are some, from suffering condigne punishment for this horrible sinne, that they get good maintenance with practising the same. For shall you not hauehave some, yea many thousands, that liue vppō nothing els, and yet go clothed Gentlewomenlike, both in their silks and otherwyse, with their fingers clogged with rings, their wrists with bracelets, & Iewels, and their purses full of gold and siluer? And here of they make no conscience, so their Husbands know it not. Or if they doo, some are such peasants, and such maycocks, that either they will not, or (which is truer) they dare not reproue them for it. But & if the Husband once reproue them for their misdemeanour, than they cōspire his death, by some meane or other. And all this commeth to passe, because the punishment therof is no extremer, as it ought to be. And some both Gentlemen and others (wherof some I know) are so nusled herein, that hauing put awaye their owne wyues, do kéepe whores openly, without any great punishment for it, and hauing be…ne conuented before the magistery, and there béene deposed vppon a booke to put away their whores, hauehave put them foorth at one doore, and taken them in at the other.
And thus they dally in their othes with the Lord, and stoppe the course of the lawe, with rubrum argentum, wherof they hauehave store to bestowe vppō such wickednesse, but hauehave not a mite to giuegive towards any good purpose.
Wherfore, in the name of GOD, let all men that hauehave put away their honest wyues be forced to take them again, and abandon all whores, or els to taste of the law. And let all whores, be cut of with the sword of right iudgement. For, as long as this immunitie and impunitie is permitted amongest vsus, let vsus neuer looke to please GOD, but rather pro…oke his heuie iudgements against vsus. And the reason is, for that there is not sinne in all the World, but these whores, and whoremaisters will willingly attempt, and atcheiue, for the inioying of their whordome?
And Hell, destruction, and death euerlasting is the guerdon therof, and yet men cannot be aware of it. The Lord remooue it from all his Children, and present them blameles before his tribunall seate, without spotte, or wrincle at that great day of the Lord.
Spud.
What memorable thing els hauehave you séen there frequented▪ For séeing you hauehave begun, in parte, I pray you describe the whole?