Exposition Upon Matthew 27(1), Matthew 5 · Verse 17 – Verse 18
Ye hauehave harde howe it was ſayd to them of olde tyme / commyt not adultery. But I ſay to you / that who ſo euer loketh on a wyfe luſtynge after her / hath cōmitted aduoutrye with her all redy in hys harte.
This commaundement commytte none adulterye had the phareſeys blynded and corrupte with theyr ſophyſtry and leuen / interpretynge the concupyſcence of the harte / lewde toyes / fylthye geſtures / vnclene wordes, clappynge, keſſynge and ſo forthe / not to be imputed for ſyn. But euen the acte and dede alone, thoughe Noyſes ſay in the texte / thou ſhal not couet thy neyghboures wyfe, &c. But Chryſt putteth to lyght and ſalt, and bryngeth the precept to hys true vnderſtandynge and naturall taſte agayne and condemneth the rote of ſynne, the concupyſcence and conſent of the harte. Before the worlde I am no murtherer tyll I hauehave kylled with myne hande. But before God I kyll, yf I hate, ye yf I louelove not, and of louelove kepe me both from doynge hurte, and alſo be redye and prepared to helpe at nede. Euen ſo the conſent of the harte with all other menes that folowe ther of / be as well aduoutrye before God / as the dede it ſelfe. Fynally I am an aduouterer before God / yf I ſo louelove not my neyghbour, that verye louelove forbyd me to couet hys wyfe,LoueLove is the fulfyllynge of the lawe LoueLove is the fulfyllynge of al cōmaundementes. And without louelove it is impoſſyble to abſtayne from ſynnyng agaynſt my neyghbour in any precept yf occaſyon be gyuen.
Carnall louelove wyl not ſuffer a mother to robbe her chylde / no it maketh her robbe her ſelfe / to make it ryche. A naturall father ſhall neuer luſt after hys ſonnes wyfe. No / he careth more for her chaſtyte then hys ſon doth hym ſelfe. Euen ſo wolde louelove to my neyghboure, kepe me frō ſynnynge agaynſte hym.
Aduoutry.Aduoutry is a damnable thynge in the ſyght of God, and moche meſchefe foloweth therof. Dauid to ſaue his honoure was dreuen to commytte greuous murther alſo. It is vnryght in the ſyght of God and man that thy chyld ſhuld be at another wannes coſt and be another mannes hayre. Neyther canſte thou or the mother hauehave lyghtly a quyet conſcyence to God / or a mery harte ſo longe as it is ſo. Moreouer what greater ſhame canſt thou do to thy neyghbour, or what greater dyſpleaſure? what yf it neuer be knowen nor come any chylde therof? The precyouſeſt gyfte that a man hath in this world of God, is the true harte of hys wyfe, to abyde by hym in welthe and wo, and to bere all fortunes with hym. Of that haſt thou robbed hym for after ſhe had once coupled her ſelfe to the ſhe ſhal not lyghtly louelove him any more ſo truly but haply hate hī and procure his deth. More ouer thou haſte vntaught her to feare God and haſt made her to ſyn agaynſt God. For to God promyſed ſhe and not to man only / for ye lawe of matrymony is Godes ordynaunce. For it is wrytten Ge. 39. when Puthyphars wyfe wold hauehave had Ioſeph to lye with her, he anſwered / howe could I do thys wykednes & ſyn agaynſt God, ye verely it is impoſſyble to ſyn agaīſt mā except thou ſyn againſt God firſt. Finally rede Cronycles and ſtoryes / and ſee what hath folowed of aduoutrye.
what ſhal we ſay, that ſome doctores hauehave dyſputed and douted, whether ſyngle fornycacyō ſhuld be ſyn… when it is condempned bothe by Chriſt & Moſes to, and Paule teſtefieth. 1. Cor. 6. that no fornycatoure or whore keper ſhall poſſeſſe the kyngdome of God. It is ryght that al men that hope in God, ſhulde brynge vppe theyr frute in the fere and knowledge of God, and not to leaue hys ſede where he careth not what come therof.
Wherfore if thy ryght eye offende the plucke it out and caſte it from the. For it is better for the that one of thy membres peryſhe / then that thy hole bodye ſhulde be caſte into hell. And euen ſo if thy ryght hande offende the / cut it of / and caſte it from the. For it is better for the / that one of thy members peryſhe / then that thy hole bodye ſhulde be caſte into hell.
Thys is not mente of the outwarde members For then we muſt cut of noſe, eares, hande and fote / ye we muſt procure to deſtroy the ſaynge herynge, ſmellynge, taſtynge and felynge, and ſo eueryevery man kyl him ſelfe. But it is a phraſe or ſpeache of the Ebrue tonge / and wyll that we cut of occaſyons / daunſynge / kyſſyng / ryotous eatynge / Fylthye,and drynkynge / and the luſte of the hart and fylthy ymagynacyons that moue a mā to concupyſcence. Let eueryevery man hauehave his wyfe thynke her the fayreſt and the beſt cōdicyoned and eueryevery woman her huſbande ſo to. For god hath bleſſed thy wyfe and made her without ſyn to the / A wyfe how good a thynge.whiche ought to ſeme a beautyful fayrnes, And al that ye ſuffer to gether / ye one with the other / is bleſſed alſo and made the verye Croſſe of Chryſte and pleſaunt in the ſyghte of God / why ſhulde ſhe then be lothe ſome to the becauſe of a lytle ſufferynge, that thou ſhuldeſt luſte after a nother / that ſhuld defyle thy ſoule and flee thy cōſcyence and make the ſuffer euerlaſtynglye?