Sermon Preached 14 February 1607, Part 16
The sixteenth Wounde.
VVE hauehave heard that a Wife is made equall to a concubine: but what is she be made worse then a Whore, an Adultresse, or a common strumpet? None dare say this, none dare vndertake this, but the Whore of Babylon: but shee dare. For this is her doctrine, that it is a lesse sinne for many men to lye with another mans wife, or a common whore; then it is to marry a wife of their owne 33The 16. wound; Some man had better lie with another mans wife, or keep a whor…, then marry a wife of his owne.. Marriage which God hath made so honorable, hath bin of long time disgraced in poperie; but not in this high measure (I speak of) abused, that I know, till these latter & more shamelesse times that the whore hath got her a brazen face.
In Luthers time, not yet a 100. yeeres agoe, liued one Albertus Pighius, one of the Popes Champions eAlbert Pighius scripsit in Lutherum… &c de ecclesia catholica bene meritus. Posse… appar. …ac. tom 1. lit. A., who for the defence of that hierarchy and maintenance of the cause, amongst other his bold & blasphemous assertions, teacheth this hoggish and hatefull doctrine;fPighius explicatio controuersiarum: contr…u. 15. de Caelib. et coniug Sacerdo… 215. edit. Parisi. 1549. Go to (saith he) suppose all that vowed continency, do not keep it so wel as they should: What thē? had they better marrie? Nay assuredly: for wee must resist the temptation by all meanes we can: but if sometime we be too remisse, and so by infirmity of the flesh do fall (into fornication or &c.) Certainlie this is a less sinne and more tolerable offēce, thē it is to marry; for this is wholly to cast off Gods yoke: not that wee allow fornication (in it selfe); but here we compare a slip or fall of infirmity to mariage, which in this case we account no better then a resolued, or deliberate, or continual Incest, vtterlie without all shame.
Heere is a piece of holy popery indeed: but it is pope-holy, that is, beastly and profane; so filthie that I had rather the particulars were considered of by a mans owne discretion, then deciphered by mee. But let vsus see if this be healed or no: For the Iesuites may say, this Pighius wrote so hoggishly in licentious times, and when we were in the egge and scarce hatched gFor the Iesuites order was established by Paul the 3. and this booke of Pighius published within 3 yeeres together, namely, about the yeare. 1540.; for had we then been in that power & place as now, we would hauehave restrained him.
But the truth is, that contrariwise this impious and filthy doctrine was obscurely & timorously broched by Pighius; but hath beene since bouldly and plainly blustered out by the Iesuites:34The 16. wound not healed… for this is still the doctrine of the Romish Church.: hee brought forth an imperfect heape, but they hauehave lickt it & brought it to forme & perfection. Costerus a Iesuite of greate name amongst themhVide Poss. appar. sac. tō. 1. lit. T. writing a book, fit to bee (as he calls it, & they esteem it) in eueryevery Catholicks hād, deliuereth this for sound and dogmatical doctrine. iCosterus, Enchiridion controuersiarū &c. cap. de coelibatupropos. …. p. 528.A Priest… if he commit fornication, or keep a whore at home, though he sinne grieuously, yet sinnes hee more grieuously if hee marry a wife.
This is one of his propositions or conclusions. But hee wrote this many yeeres agoe: is it not since healed? No, the booke hath indeed bin often printed, & with many alterations.kVide Posseuinum ibid.. But this stands in his last impression vntouched, as a doctrine for the Pope to glorie in: which I speake not at randon, but vponupon too good ground. For this doctrine, and the writer of it hauehave been often reprooued by our Diuines: but in stead of reformation, Costerus hath beene defended, and the doctrine iustified by other of his learned brethren. I will name but one example. Chamier a learned French Minister obiected it to the Iesuites at Turnoue; and it is at large defended by Ignatius Armandus, the principall of the Colledge there, for Catholick and good doctrine.lVide Epistolas Iesuiticas, part. 2. in epistola 1. Iesuitae Ignatii ad Chamierum. pag. 33. &c. The Epistles on both sides are in print to be seen. And if these be not of authority sufficient, let Bellarmine come to helpe them. Thus he teacheth: mBellarm. tō. 2. lib. 2. de Monachis, cap 30 pag. 545.That speech of the Apostle (They that cannot containe let them marrie: for it is better to marrie then to burn) cannot be rightly said of them that hauehave vowed: for both are naught, both to burn & to marry: yea it is worse of the two to marry, whatsoeuer the Protestant babble to the contrarie.
And a little after in the same Chapter: She that marrieth after a single vow, contracteth indeed a true Matrimonie, yet in some sort shee sinnes more then shee that playes the whore.
Thus this pope-holy doctrine is now brought to ripenes and perfection, by the diligence, deuotion, and modesty of the Iesuites. But they hauehave a reason for all this, so good and so strong, as they thinke, that thereby all is well healed: for, say they, fornication or whoring we do not simply allow to be better then mariage, but in respect that a man hath afore made a vow not to marry,nBellar. ibid Costerus ibid Ignatius ibid. therefore to marry after the vow, is to breake promise with God. A notable reason, if it bee well considered: for here by it is apparent that poperie teacheth her people to vow against mariage, but not against fornication; against wiues, but not against whores. Alas, alas, what doctrine is this, doth marriage breake their vow, and not fornication? God keepe a…l Christians from such vowes. But that this true I say, let Bellarmine iudge. oBellar… ibidShe that marrieth after a simple vow, in some sort sinneth more grieuously then shee that commits fornication, because (marke his reason) shee that marrieth makes her selfe vnable to keep her vow, which shee doth not that commits fornication.
Thus it is plaine: Poperie voweth against mariage, not against whoredome, adulterie nor fornication. And thus three great Iesuites hauehave made good what Pighius taught, and that more plainely and palpably then he did. And to make vp a messe of Iesuites, Posseuinus their grand Censor, comming to giuegive his censure of Pighius, pPosseuinus in Appar. sac. tom. 1. lit. A.findes many faults and errors in his bookes: but as for this he hath nothing to say against it, but passeth it ouer as good, holy, catholike Romish doctrine: therefore seeing (as Bellarmine said afore, say we what we can) they will not forsake, nor amend this doctrine, let them keepe it; and let it bee one of the sweete flowers of the Popes Garland.