The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 2 · Chapter 8 · Commandment 7
The seuenth Commaundement.
Thou shalte not committe adulterie.
The ende of the commaundement is, that, bycause God loueth charitie and cleannesse, therfore all vncleannesse oughte to departe farre awaye from vsus. The summe therefore shall be, that we be defyled wyth no vncleannesse or lustfull intemperance of the fleshe: Wherevnto aunswereth the affyrmatiue commaundemente, yt we chastely & continently ordre all the partes of oure lyfe. Butte fornication hee forbiddeth by name, to whyche all vnchaste luste tendeth, that the fylthynesse of that whyche is more grosse and sensible, for somuche as it also defyleth the body, hee myghte brynge vsus to abhorre all fylthye luste. Syth manne was created in thys estate, not to liue a solitarie lyfe, butte to vse a helper ioyned vntounto hym: and sins that by the curse of synne he is driuen the more to this necessitie, the Lorde hathe in this behalfe prouyded helpe for him so muche as was sufficient, when he ordeined marryage, when he sanctified with his blessing ye feloweship begonne by his authoritie. Whereby foloweth, that all other feloweship of manne and woman oute of mariage, is accursed before hym, and that the felowship of mariage it selfe, was ordeined for remedie of necessitie, that wee shoulde not runne oute into vnbrydled luste. Therfore lette vsus not flatter oure selues, sith we heare that man can not be coupled with womā out of mariage, without the curse of God.
Nowe for as muche as by the condition of nature, and by luste more enkyndled syns the fall of manne, wee are become doubtely subiecte to desire of companie of women, excepte it bee those whome God of hys singular grace hathe exempted from it: let euerye man loke well what is geuen vntounto hym. Uirginitie, I graunt, is a vertue not to be despised: butte syth it is to some denied, and to some graunted but for a time, let them that are troubled with incontinence and striuinge wyth it, canne not gette the vpper hande, resorte to the helpe of mariage, that so they maye keepe chastitie in the degree of their vocation. For they that can not conceiue thys woorde, if they do not succoure their owne intemperance wyth the remedie that is offered and graunted them, thei stryue agaynste God and resyste his ordinaunce. And let no man carpe against mee (as many do at this daie) that being ayded with the helpe of God, hee canne do all thynges.Psal. xx.i & xiiij. For the helpe of God is presente onelyonly wyth those, that walke in his waies, that in their vocation from whiche thei do all wythdrawe them selues, whyche forsakynge the helpes of God, do trauaile to ouercome and master their necessities wyth vayne rashe boldenesse. The Lorde affyrmeth that continence is a singular gyfte of God, and of that sorte that are not geuen generally, nor vniuersally to the whole bodye of the Churche, but to a fewe membres thereof. For fyrste hee sayth, that there is a certaine kynde of menne, that hauehave gelded them selues for the kyngedome of Heauen, that is, that thei myght the more loosely and freely applye them selues to the affayres of the heauenly kyngedome. But, that no man shoulde thinke that suche geldinge is in the power of manne, hee shewed a little before, that all men are not able to receiue it, butte they to whome it is peculiarlye geuen from heauen,Mat. xix.xij. Cor. vij.vij wherevpon he concludeth: He that canne take it, let him take it. Butte Paule yet affyrmeth it more playnely, where hee wryteth, that euerye manne hathe hys propre gyfte of God, one thus, and an other thus.
Whereas we are by open declaration admonyshed, that it is not in eueryevery mannes power to keepe chastitie in single lyfe, althoughe wyth studie and trauayle he indeuoure neuer so muche vntounto it, and that it ys a peculiar grace, whiche God geueth but to certaine men, that he may hauehave them the more ready to his worke: do wee not striue against God and nature whiche he hathe institute, if we doe not applye the kinde of oure lyfe to the proportion of oure power? Here the Lorde forbyddeth fornication, therefore hee requyreth cleannesse and Chastitie of vsus. To keepe the same there is butte one way, that eueryevery manne measure him selfe by his owne measure. Neyther let a manne despise mariage as a thinge vnprofitable or superfluous for hym, nor otherwise desyre syngle life, vnlesse he be able to liue without a wife. And therin also let him not prouide onelyonly for the quiet and commoditie of the fleshe, but onelyonly that beynge loosed from this bonde, he maye be the more in readinesse and prepared to all dueties of Godlynesse. And for asmuche as this benefite is geuen to many but for a time, let eueryevery man so longe absteyne frō mariage as he shalbe meete to liue to kepe single estate. If strength faile him to tame his luste, let hym learne that the Lorde hathe nowe layed vponupon him a necessitie to marry. i. Cor. vii… ij. & ix.Thys the Apostle sheweth when he commaundeth that to auoyde fornication eueryevery man hauehave his owne wife, and eueryevery woman hauehave her owne husbande, that he that can not liue continently, shoulde marry in the Lorde. Fyrste he declareth, that the moste parte of men are subiect to the vice of incontinence: and then of those that be subiecte vntounto it, he excepteth none, but commaundeth all to that onelyonly remedie, wherewith vnchastitie is resisted. Therefore if they that bee incontinent do neglect to helpe their infirmitie by thys meane, thei sinne euen in this that thei obey not the commaundement of the Apostle. Neyther let hym flatter hymselfe that toucheth not a woman as thoughe hee coulde not bee rebuked to vnchastitie, while in the meane season hys minde burneth inwardly with luste. For Paule defineth chastitie to be a cleannesse of the mynde,j. Cor. vi. xxiiii. ioyned wyth chastitie of the bodye. A woman vnmarried (saythe hee) thynketh vponupon those thynges that are of the Lorde, for asmuche as shee is holy bothe in bodie and in spirite. Therefore when hee byngeth a reason to confirme that former commaundement, he dothe not onelyonly saie, that it is better for a man to take a wyfe, than to defile hym selfe with companie of a harlote, but hee sayth, that it is better to marry than to burne.
Nowe yf maryed folkes do confesse that their felowship together is blessed of the Lorde, they are thereby admonished not to defile it with intemperate and dissolute luste. For thoughe the honestie of mariage do couer the fylthienesse of incontinence, yet it oughte not fourthwyth to be a prouocation thereof. Wherefore let not maried folkes thynke, that all thynges are lawefull vntounto them, but let eueryevery housband hauehave his owne wyfe soberly, and lykewyse the wyfe her housebande, and so doinge, lette them committe nothynge vnbeseeminge the honestie and temperance of mariage. For so oughte mariage made in the Lorde to be restrained to measure and modestie, and not to ouerflowe into eueryevery kynde of extreeme lasciuiousnesse.Am. lib. dc phil. Thys, awantonnesse Ambrose rereproued wyth a sayeng very sore in deede, but not vnfyte for it, when he calleth the housbande, the adulterer of hys owne wyfe, whyche in bse of wedlocke hath no care of shamefastnesse or honestie. Laste of all, let vsus consider what lawemaker doth here condemne fornication, euen he whyche syth of hys owne right he oughte to possesse vsus wholly, requyreth purenesse of the soule, spirite and bodie. Therefore when hee forbyddeth to committe fornication, hee also forbiddeth with wanton attyre of bodie, wyth vncleanly gestures, and with fylthy talke to laye wayte to trappe an others chastite. For that sayinge is not withoute good reasō, which Archelaus spake to a yongmā aboue measure wantonly an deintely clothed, that it made no matter in what parte he wer filthilye vnchaste: if wee hauehave regarde vntounto God that abhorreth all filthinesse in what so euer parte either of oure soule or bodie it appeareth. And to put thee oute of doute, remembre that the Lorde here commendeth chastitie. If the Lord require chastitie▪ of vsus, then he condemneth all that euer is agaynste it. Therefore if thou couet to shewe obedience, neither let thy mynde burne inwardly wyth euell luste, nor lette thine eyes runne wantonly into corrupte affections, nor let thy bodye be trimmed vp for alluremente, nor lette thy tongue with filthy talke entise thy mynde to lyke thoughtes, nor lette thy gluttonous belly enflame thee with intemperance. For all these vices are, as it were, certayne blottes, wherewyth the purenesse of chastitie ys be spotted.