The Golden Book of Christian Matrimony, Chapter 11
¶ The. xi. Chapter.
How shamefull & wycked a thyng aduoutry is, and howe it hath of olde tyme bene punyshed hytherto.
ANd lyke as whordome hath euer ben takē for an abhominacion, among all honest people in ye whole worlde, euē so hauehave they estemed aduoutry to be a thing much more shamefull & vtterly to be abhorred: in so much that all vertuous rulers, yea & that euen among the Hethē hauehave punyshed it wyth ye payne of death.Ho we God plaged ad…ontry before y• law c… wrytten.
Whā Abraham came wyth Sarai hys wyfe into Egypte, and the Egyptians thoughte that she had bene Abrahams sister, they toke her and brought her to the Courte vntounto kyng Pharao. But the Lord punyshed Pharao & all his house wythe great plages, bycause of Sarai, and yet committed he no hurt with her, and that he dyd was done of ignoraunce. For whan he vnderstode that she was Abrahams wyfe, he sent for hym, and sayd? Why hast thou dealt thus with me. Wherfore toldest thou not me, that she A goodly example.was thy wife? Why saydest thou vntounto me, that she was thy syster? There hast thou thy wyfe, take her, & go thy waye. And seyng it is thus it maye well be considred, ye God is much more dis pleased wt thē that wyllyngly cōmit aduoutry.
In the twentyest Chapter it is written that Marke this well: … once be ashamed ye wyllfull whoremongers.at Gerar, Abimelech ye kyng of the Philistines toke Abrahās wyfe, as Pharao had done before, and it appeared vntounto the kyng in a dreame, and was sayde vntounto hym: Beholde, thou arte but a dead man, because of the woman, whome thou haste taken, for she is another mans wyfe. And yet hadde Abimelech committed no actuall ded… wythe her, no more thē Pharao had done afore. Therfore sayde God also afterwarde: yf thou doest not delyuer her agayne vuto Abraham, be sure, that thou shalte dye the death, and so shall all that thyne is. Dyd not God wyth these wordes declare manifestly, what sentence and iudge ment he hath gyuē vpō aduouterers? Wherfore Iosephe, whan he was prouoked of hys Lordes wyffe to accōplysh her wyll, sayd: My Lord hath cōmitted all thynges vntounto me, sauyng the only, for thou arte hys maryed wyfe. Howe shoulde I then do so great hurte, and synne agenst God? Genesis. xxxix.
Iob saythe in the. xxxi. Chapter: yf my harte hathe lusted after my neyghbours wyfe, or yf I hauehave layed wayte at his dores, than let my wife be another mans harlotte, and let other men lye wyth her. Herewyth doth Iob knowledge it to be reason, that he be measured wyth suche measure as he hath gyuen vntounto other men. If he had broken his wedlocke, whyche thyng yet he dyd not, syth the punyshmēt of aduoutry is a meate that eueryevery man can not chewe, let eueryevery man consydre by hym selfe, howe lothe another ma… wolde be therof: & let hī not touch another mās wyfe, so shall his also not be medled wyth all. It followeth in Iob: For this is a wyckednesse & synne that belongeth to the Iudge, yea a fyre it is that consumethe all togyther, and plucketh vppe all a mās substaunce by the rootes. With the whiche wordes Iob dothe knowledge, that aduoutrye is suche a vice and wickednesse, as partaynethe to the Iudge, that is to saye, oughte by ryght to be greuously punyshed of th…m whiche be in autho rite (if they were not aduouterers thē selues) for it is a fyre that cōsinneth altogyther, both body honeste, and good: mynde, harte & welfare. And all this was exercysed & practised, afore the lawe was gyuen to the people of Israel by Moses.
And in the law doth God appoynt a certē pu The punysh mente of …duoutry in the law of God.nyshmēt for aduoutry amōg other trāsgressiōs …nd sayth. Leui. xx. Who so cōmitteth aduoutry with any mans wyfe, shall dye the death both y• manne and the woman, because he hathe broken wedlocke with his neyghbours wyfe. And Deut xxii. is the same lawe recited agen, & confirmed.
Nether was aduoutry so sore punished amōg How aduou try was punished amōg the hethen. Lex Lepre ianorum.the people of Israel onelyonly, but also the Heithen vsed mortall executious therof. Thys wyll I nowe declare oute of the histories & credible wri ters. Whā any of the Lepre…ās were taken in ad uoutry, they were bounden, & caryed thre dayes thorowe the cite, & afterwarde (as longe as they lyued) were they despised, & with shame & cōfusion, reputed as parsonnes desolate of all honeste. Among the Lo…rēsiaus dyd Zalēcius forbyd ad Lex Zalen ci. A good ensā ple for noble men.uoutry vnderunder a great punyshment. The transgressours caused he to hauehave both ther eies thrust oute. And whan his owne sonne was taken in aduoutrye, he badde them put oute hys one eye as Iudges & the tother dyd he hymselfe put oute as a father. In the dayes of our forefathers, the noble Germaynes (afore they came to Christen Germani,faythe the punyshmente of a woman that brake wedlocke, stode in the power and aucthorite of her husband. And at the lest he myght strype her oute of her clothes, thrust h…r out of his house, & beat her openly with roddes in the Citie or tow ne, euen before her frendes. &c. as Cornelius Tacitus makethe mencion, who also wrytethe these wordes: Among thē ther was none y• laugh ed at ye mysdede: & to defyle or be defyled, was na med among thē to be asmuch, as not to do accor ding to y• course, maner & custome of the world.
Marke now well in how much better case they stode, then we, whiche laughe at all synne & vyce: yee all abhominacion, as fightinge, warrynge, whorehuntynge, wedlok breakinge, masking mōmyng, to much drynking, excesse ineatinge, & all vnclennesse do we excuse with these wordes. It is y• maner & comen course so to do now in the world. Opilius Ma…rinius the emperour Lex opil…of Rome, vsed to punishe aduouterers with fyre For thē whō he found in aduoutrye, caused he to be bownd and to be burnte together quycke. This doth Iulius Copitolinus wryte of him. And amonge the Romaynes was ther a Lex Iulia,comen law (called lex Iulia), whiche wolde, that execuciō shuld be done vpō aduoutrers, with the swerd the same law stod in strēgth in s. Hieroms tyme, who wryteth, that a certayne yongeman and a maried wyfe, were iudged and put to execucion with the swearde because of aduoutry. And the same law (called lex Iulia, de stup … adult, dyd the Christen Emperours receaue, & of Iustinyan it is appoynted, lib, iiii. Tit. xo…i. de publicis iudiciis.
This allegacion concernyng the punishment of aduoutry I am sure wyll many menne maruayle Why aduou trye was so sore punishedat, and esteme it sore & vntollerable. But yf they wolde considre the matter ryght, settyng affeccion and euell custome asyde, and wold pō der well what aduoutry were, and what followethe it, they shoulde not wonder so sore at …he punyshment. Aduoutry is a destrucciō and hye what aduou try is.dishonour of the ordinaunce of God, a wyckednesse growen out of the dyuell and ydlenesse of the fleshe, a shamefull vnfaythfulnes, a wylfull truce breaking and periury. And that this is so, maye eueryevery man considre by the Chapters goynge afore. Wedlocke is the ordinaunce of god, Wedlocke.in the which both ye parties ought so to be knyt the one vntounto the other, that they be not deuided, Paule sayth also, that aduoutry is a worcke of the flesh. Notwythstandyng, manifest it is that maried parsonnes at theyr entraūce do make a perpetuall couenaunt, and there callynge vponupon God, & takyng hym to recorde before ye whole cō gregacion, they promyse trouth and sayth wyth Marke and take hede.mouth & hand the one to the other: &c. Nowe yf it be but a smale trespasse to dissemble, to breake to destroye & to tread vnderunder foote all this to for sweare trouth geuē before god & the church & no thynge to regarde honoste and fayth, thē must I nedes cōfesse, that the punyshment of aduoutry was to rygorous in the olde tyme. But yf it be a …ust thing, ernestly to punishe vnfaythfull per …ury, the despysing and contemnyng of god and all honestie, then is also the punishment of adnoutrye right equall and not to sore.
Item, Yf the losse of a good thinge shoulde be valued after the estimacion of the owner, then (as touching this life, ther is no greater dāmage, then a man to lose his owne body. Now is it certaine, that both the parties maried, are but one body, and that (as Paul saieth) the husband hath no power of his owne body, but the wife, nether hath the wife power of hir awne body, but the husband. Wherfore who so committeth aduoutry, the same taketh awaye, stealeth and robbethe the other of hys awne body, euen hys pryncypall and best good. Or what honest personne had not rather fynd a thefe stealynge his treasure & rather to suffre the losse of ye goodes thē to fynd an aduouterer by his maried spouse, and to reape dishonoure in her.
Both these vyces therfore theft and aduoutrye, Aduoutry … theft compa red y• one toward y• other by Salomō.doth Salomon in the si…te of the Prouerbes laye vponupon the balaunce the one agaynste the other, and sheweth how that aduoutrye is the sorer and more tedyous, sayenge: A thefe is not vtterly despysed, that whan he is hongrye, stealeth to fede himselfe, for whan he is taken, he must restore seuen tymes asmuche, or els all his substaūce. But he that is so farre out of reason as to breake wedloke with another mans wife, both eyther destroye him selfe, or els getteth him selfe strypes and shame, which shame maye neuer be wyped out. For the wrath of gelousye and of the husband (yf he hauehave tyme to reuenge) wyll not be intreated: he wyll not be persuaded with prayer, yee though thou geuest him rewardes he wyll not receaue them. This comparison doth eueryevery man vnderstond. For though a mās good be stolen, yet yf it be restored him agayne without hurt, he wilbe intreated, for as much as it was done (happelye (thorow pouerte. But yf a mā take his wife in aduoutry, he will not be pa cified. For it is a very beestly and wicked thing.
More ouer, yf a man take a thefe with the de mayner yet hath he no power to auenge him sel fe & to slaye ye thefe: But yf a man fynde an ad uoutrer at the dede doyng, he maye be auenged. And though he do wound, slea or kyll the aduoutrer & the aduoutresse: yet shal he not be punished for the death of them. Out of all whiche wordes eueryevery mā may planely vnderstōd what vyce is most greuous before god & before all indifferent iudges. Before these wordes also, saieth Salomon: Maye a man take fyre in his bosome, and his clothes not be brent? Or cā one go vponupon whotecoles, and his fete not be hurte▪ euen so, who so euer goeth into hys neyghbours wyfe, and toucheth her, can not remayne vndefi led. Wherby he declareth furthermore the daunger and greatnesse of this vice, threatenyng thē that thyncke (lyke fooles) to kepe theyr aduoutry Whoredome shall come to lyght.secrete, and that they shal neuer be taken and pu nysshed.
It seruethe to our purpose, that thorowe aduoutry, Alteracions and aliena…i ons of heretages.great enheritaunces are altered, and the ryght heyres disher…ted For oft tymes it fortuneth, that an aduoutresse hath children by an ad uoutrer, & then must the sayd chyldren enherite all the substaunce of theyr pretenced father, as lawfull chyldren, which yet are vnlawfull, wher by the father leseth his honour, hys kynred, hys body & goodes. His wyfe, which is hys owne body, hath the aduouterer defyled, & the vnlawfull childrē take ye goodes awaye. If this be not great wrong and wyckednes, then wote not I what a mā maye affirme to be vicious inough: therfore Aduoutry in womenne is moost to be abhorred.though aduoutry be horrible both in men & women, yet in womē it is moost hurtfull & detestable. For besydes that the aduoutresse alter…th the inheritaūce (as I sayd before) and with false pro mises & shamefull disceate, withdraweth & stealeth it from the ryght heyres, she ladeth fyrst her honest poore husbande wyth great shame, great trauayle, laboure, sorowe and payne, in that he …is fayne to bryng vp those aduouterous chyldrē which are not his awne.
Moreouer, she dishonoureth her father, her mother & kynred: Her chyldren (euen those that are lawefull must be ashamed of her, & be doubted of in the worlde, whether they be lawefully begotten or no. Th…rfore whan they speake of theyr mother, or heare her named, they are abasshed and ashamed. Aduoutresses also make theyr husbandes to be despised and of no reputacion, although they be vertuous & honest men. They are the occasion, that folkes come ofte togyther, whyche are nye of kynred. These & suche lyke in What a sea of euylles en sue outof ad uoutry.,numerable cōfusions, shame, hurte, dishonoure & fylthynesse, folowe out of abhominable aduoutry. I passe ouer nowe the murthers, poysonynges, …, māslaughters, battayls, & warres, that hauehave ensewed after aduoutrye, & destroyed both countreyes & people. This dyd the aunciēt & noble men of olde, pondre and considre, & therfore ryghteously & of iust occasions appoynted they the punyshment of deathe for aduouterers.
Yet wyll we heare howe aduouterers excuse The defence which adulterers vse.theyr owne vice, & pondre howe reasonably they go to worke. They saye: Though God hauehave for bydden aduoutry vnderunder the payne of deathe, yet is the same punyshment not executed, perfourmed or practised. For in no place appearethe it, that aduoutrers were put to death. For Dauid was an aduoutrer, & yet receaued he no punyshment therfore, yea the Lord Christ hymselfe dyd abrogate & dissolue y• punyshment of aduoutry, for asmuche as he commaunded not the woman (taken in aduoutry) to be put to deathe, but b…d her go her waye. For whan no man had condē ned her, he also let her go. Ioan. viii.
To that I aunswere: God in hys lawe hath once expressed, howe he estemeth aduoutry, and how he wyl hauehave it punyshed. Nowe yf mē hauehave not done Gods cōmaundement & accordinge to the same, then is it neuer the better: yet endureth the lawe of God vnmoueable and sure. Neuerthelesse Death was the punyshement of aduoutry.they of the olde tyme dyd punysh aduoutry wyth the payne of death, as it is sufficiently proued afore oute of the stories. The obiection therfore that aduouterers make, is but vayne. Nowe thoughe all sentēces & iudgemētes ye hauehave bene executed and practised because of aduoutry stonde not in holye scripture, it is no maruayle. For the Byble is not a register of vnthriftes & of suche, as for theyr wyck…dnes hauehave bene putte to execu…ion. Or is it not euident ynough vntounto you, howe it was lyke to hauehave gone wythe Susanna? The aduoutry of dauidDauid committed aduoutrye once in his lyfe, which drewe hym also and brought him into great murther, so that he caused not onelyonly his faythfull seruaunt Uria, but other noble mē lykewyse to be slayne. Beholde what occasion aduoutry gyueth? What cometh of it? Trueth it is, he was not stonned to deathe. But what chaunsed vntounto hym? Euen as he had dishonoured another mannes chylde, so sawe he shame vponupon hys owne chyldren whyle he lyued & that with great wretchednesse. For Amnon defloured Thamar hys owne naturall syster. And they both were Dauids chyldren. Yea Absolom dyd miserably slaye Amnon his brother, for cō mittyng that wyckednesse wyth his syster Tha mar. Not longe after, dyd the same Absalō driue his owne naturall father Dauid out of his Realme, & shamefully laye with his fathers wifes. Wherevpon there followethe an horrible great slaughter, in the whyche Absalom was slayne, wyth many thousandes moo of the comon people Nowe lette eueryevery man ponder w…ll by hymselfe, whether it be not a lesse thyng, once to meddle, and so to hauehave execuciō & dye: then to abyde the death of so many, and that so longe, wythe suche misery and sorowe. Therfore was Dauid sorer punyshed, than if he had bene but once stoned vn to deathe. And lette eueryevery man learne hereby, that no mā can escape the hand of God, althoughe the worlde laye no hande vponupon hym, God punysheth neuerthelesse, yea & that muche sorer, whan he doth not here, but differreth it into another worlde.
Wher as they make Christ ye Lorde a maynt…yned of aduouterers, it is playne and euident The aduoutresse broght before christshame. Christ neuer gauelibertye vntounto synne. For he sayth: I am not come to breake the lawe but to fulfyl it. Paule also sayth: To the righte ous is ther no law giuen, but vntounto the vnrighte ous and disobedient, to whoremongers, to periure… personnes, to lyers and blasphemers. And to the Galathians he saythe: Walke ye in the spirite, so are ye not vnderunder the lawe. Therfore for asmuche as aduouterers do walke in ye flesh and not in the spirite, they are vnderunder the law, ne ther hath the Lorde taken the lawe and punyshe ment from them.
Moreouer, as touching the story. Ioh. viii. we must considre that the Lord sayd vntounto the wife: woman, hath no man cōdemned the: And whan she had sayd, no man, he answered: Nether do I condemne the. For wyth this answere layed he before her the sentence of the Iudges. And for as muche as he was not come now to gyue sentence as a Iudge, but to saue, he wolde not condemne her, and so medled nether wyth the lawe nor the acte. The Lord was come nowe to hauehave mercy vponupon synners, and to call them to repentaunce. Therfore sayd he also vntounto this womā: duplicate page duplicate page Go thy waye, and synne no more. And wythe Repentaūce.these wordes doth the Lorde warne all suche as are tangled wyth aduoutry, to cease from hensforth and to amende. God happely maye hauehave mercy vponupon them, & take from them the shame, dishonour, payne and punyshment, whiche they hauehave greatly deserued. For God hath no delyte in the destruccion of a poore synner, but wyl rather that they cōuerte & lyue. But yfye wyl not turne, yf ye wyll nedes be styffenecked and styll set forth youre shamelles foreheades, then verely doth God watche ouer youer wyckednes, & saith Hieremy. v. In the desyre of vnclenly lust, they are becomel yke olde stallādes: eueryevery one neyeth at his neyghboures wyfe: Shulde not I punysh this? Wherfore ye aduouterers, looke for none other, but God wyll plage you for shamelesse actes of wickednes & whoredome. For abhominacion, vice, periury, and shameful matters are they, that ye go about wythall.