The Golden Book of Christian Matrimony, To the reader
¶ The Author to the Christen Readers.
AMonge other greuous synnes & shameles blasphemies which in this last euell & perelous tyme hauehave sore encreased, (halas therfore) & preuayled vn to a great nōber. Thys is not ye lest, I meane aduoutry with shameles whoredome, & all manner of vnclennes in vayne wor des and vnchaste workes. All this nowe cōmeth Uices hauehave l…st theyr … mes.bycause yt suche vyces beare no more theyr owne right names, & therfore doth no man esteme thē as they are in them selues, and in the syghte of God. The bloudye murtherer (I nede not here to speke of a rougher name) is called a good bold man of his handes, The vserer is named a good honest man. To be droncken, is to be mery. To …ommit whoredome, is called as muche as …o ex ercyse the worke of man, and to do as yong folkes that can not lyfte them selues vp vntounto heauen. Many there be, y• boast them selues of adul try, yea many make but a iest, mockage & sporte therof. To caste oute vnclenly wordes, …nd to synge vayne songes ofrybaudrye, is called good pastyme, yea in many places (the more pitie) it is come so farre, y• these & such lyke vices are coū ted no synne, neither is there any thyng rekened for synne in a maner, saue only to talke of God and hys trueth
For no mā is despised, reproued & resisted for To talke of god and hys worde i…coū ted a greate offence.quarellynge, vsury, whoredome, swearynge, lyenge, dronckennes, glotonny, vayne songes, wor des, talkynges and gestures. But yf ony man speake of God, and reproue suche conuersacion for a vayne and vngodly lyuyng, or do synge of God, or meddle wyth suche songes as are made of … gracious worke of the holy Gospel, agaynst falshode, hypocrisy, ydolatry and vice. He maye not be suffered, he shall soone be despysed as one that slaundereth honest folkes, & medleth withe newe straunge thynges. Wherfore seyng y• such Whoredome nowe a dayes is shameles & comon.vices hauehave loste theyr owne ryghte names? and shame is become honeste, we hauehave thys fruyte therof, that the vnclennes of shamefull whoredome and aduoutry, is nowe become altogither common & shameles in the worlde. For thoughe some nowe onelyonly of an euell custome, some thorowe the ignoraunce of Gods worde, resorte after vngrarious cōpany and folysh pastyme, yet for the moost parte do they followe whoredome and aduoutrye in ydelnes, euen of a shamefull wycked purpose.
They also that lyue in wedlocke, & committ … Wycked lyuers in wedlocke.neyther whoredome nor aduoutrye lyue yet so miserable in other poyntes, that thorowe theyr …ersacion nyther God is praysed, nor them selues set in quietnes of conscience, neyther are other men edified therby. Hereof spryngeth nowe an horrible blasphemy in the whole congregacion of all esta…es and lyues. For the chyldrē that are brought vp in suche abhominacions, & hauehave sene nothynge but vyce (whan they also come to mariage and common offices, lyue as they hauehave learned, sene, and are accustomed, euen fleshely, shamefully, vaynely, rudely, vnfrendely, vnmanerly, vnchristenly, and plant none other thynge saue only that whiche they hauehave of them selues. This commethe also, bycause that wedlocke is not kepte as it ought to be, and because it procedeth euell, euen wythout God, and agaynste the lawe of equite.
Many knowe not who dyd institute and or Errours aboute Matrimony.dayne holy wedlocke, nor what wedlocke is, nether for what intente it oughte to be embraced. Many hauehave respecte onelyonly vntounto goodes, y• they maye be rytche, or come into great frendeshyp & make an hand. Many take wedlocke vponupon them as another common custome, because that after the course of the worlde, they wyll do as other fo…es.
Truethe it is, that in many places there is earnest preachyng agaynst suche abhominacion and vyce, but the worde of preachyng prospereth not on eueryevery syde For al dominions, cities, coū trees Why thys boke was compyled.and people wyll not gyue place to the hole some doctrine of the Gospell. For asmuche also as that which is wrytten, endureth longer and goethe further than it that is spoken, therfore hauehave I gatheredde this booke concernyng holye wedloke, and sent it oute in wrytyng: specially to the confusiō, diminys…hyng and wastynge of al the forsayd vnclennes: to the honoure, prayse, commendacion and plantyng of true clennesse, for the good instruccion of symple marryed peo ple: to the intente also that wedlocke maye well proceade and be kepte, & that nothynge be done amysse, thorowe ignoraunce or euel custome, or for faulte of doctrine. To the intente also that all vertue and honeste maye preuayle, and that men maye walke soberly accordynge to the com maundement of the Lorde. For this is y• wyll & commaundement of the Lorde (as Paule sayth) euen that we shoulde be holy, that we should refrayne i. Thes ii ii.from whoredome and vnclennes, yt eueryevery one of vsus, know, how to kepe his vessel in ho lynes and honour, not in the luste of concupiscence, as do the heithē, whiche knowe not God. For this intent is all our enterpryse, y• true chastite & clenlynesse maye be described vntounto eueryevery man, & that fylthy condicions may be auoyded God graunt his grace therto.
Amen.