Four Treatises Dissuading from Four Heinous and Common Sins, Treatise 3 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. What fornication is, and of the ſmall account which worldlings make of it.
THe which that we may the rather do,§. Sect. 1. The maine ſcope of this treatiſe. I thought good to intreate of theſe ſinnes of vncleannes, and to ſhew both the hainouſnes of them, together with the manifold euils which they bring vponupon thoſe who are defiled with them, to the end that hereby I may moue all men in a iuſt deteſtation of this wickedneſſe, either to abſtaine from, or to leaue and forſake it: and the meanes alſo whereby thoſe who hauehave ſo good a purpoſe, may be furthered and helped in this their holy and Chriſtian reſolution.
Now howſoeuer this ſinne of vncleanneſſe is a monſter which hath many heads, and an euill tree which ſpreadeth foorth it ſelfe into many particular branches of wickedneſſe, yet my purpoſe is but to ſpeake of two of the chiefe, which are the vniuerſall poiſons of the laud, and moſt common corruptions of the times, the ſinne of fornication, which is committed betweene ſingle perſons, and the ſinne of adulterie, betweene maried folkes, at leaſt on the one partie.
Concerning the former:§. Sect. 2. What we vnderſtand by whoredome in this treatiſe. Fornication is that act of vncleannes which is committed betweene a ſingle man with a ſingle woman. Where I doe not take fornication in his ſtrict and proper ſignification, in which it ſignifieth only whoredome, or that vncleannes which is committed with a ſtrumpet or common harlot; but in this diſcourſe I vnderſtand it largely and generally for all kind of filthineſſe which is committed betweene ſingle or vnmaried perſons; whether it bee the deflouring of virgins which is called ſtuprum, or the ordinarie abuſe of the ſame concubine, which is termed concubinatus, or the defiling of the bodie with a harlot, either maid or widow, which being once or ſeldome acted, is called fornication; or being commonly practiſed, is called ſcortation, or whore-hunting.
All which ſins of vncleannes hauehave been from time to time amongſt many either defended as lawfull,§. Sect. 3. Fornication excuſed as light and veniall. Mitio a pud Terentium in Adelph. or excuſed as light and veniall. The Heathens held it as a thing indifferent, or if at all, yet but a ſlight fault: Non eſt flagitium, mihi crede, adoleſcentulum ſcortaeri, neque potare: It is not, beleeue me (ſaith one) any great fault in a young man to whore and drink, &c. And hence it is that the Apoſtles writing to the Heathen conuerts forbid them fornication amongſt things indifferent,Act. 15.20 not becauſe it was ſo in it ſelfe, but in their account and eſtimation. And the Apoſtle Paul writing to the Corinthians, who had formerly been exceedingly addicted to this vice, thought it neceſſarie to vſe many waightie arguments,1. Cor. 6. to proue the hainouſnes of this ſinne, not onelyonly to diſſwade them from their former filthie practiſe, but alſo to confute and conuince them of their old error, which euen after their conuerſion was not vtterly rooted out of their mindes, namely, that fornication was a thing lawfull and indifferent. And in this groſſe error were alſo the whole ſect of the Nicolaitans, whom Chriſt himſelfe confuteth in his epiſtle to the Angell of the Church of Pergamus, Apoc. 2.14.15.Apoc. 2.14.15 §. Sect. 4. Papiſts the greateſt fauourers of fornication.
Neither doe the Papiſts in our owne times come farre behinde them; for as they are chiefe patrons and maintainers of the groſſeſt kinds of ſpirituall whoredome and idolatrie, ſo are they ſpeciall fauourers and vpholders of corporall fornication, excuſing it as veniall in their doctrine, and approuing it as lawfull in their practiſe, in that they maintaine the common ſtewes amongſt them, and doe not puniſh thoſe at all who doe frequent them. Yea and not only their groſſeſt Diuines, but their refined ſchoolemen; yea euen their holie Thomas herein ſheweth himſelfe prophane and vnſound:Thom. Aquin. Sum. 2.2. quaeſt. 164. art. 2.4. Sentent. diſtinct. 32. quaeſt. 2. Ancillam. for howſoeuer in ſome places hee condemneth fornication as a mortall ſinne, yet elſewhere hee ſaith, that, Fornicatio non eſt multum aggerenda, propter maius malum vitandum: Fornication muſt not bee much aggrauated, for the auoiding of a greater euill. And their caution which in latter times is giuen to their holy ſhauelings: Si non caſté, tamen cautè: If ye cannot liue chaſtly, yet commit your whoredome warily, is ſo ſtale and common, that it ſtinketh and annoieth all Chriſtendome.
And this is that cup of carnall fornications,§. Sect. 5. The extenuating and tollerating of fornication amongst the Papiſts much increaſeth the Popes kingdome. wherewith the great whore of Babylon allureth the Kings and inhabitants of the earth to drinke alſo of the cup of her ſpirituall whoredome, and as it were the great drag-net, whereby ſhe catcheth and captiueth more in her idolatries and ſuperſtitions, then by almoſt any other meanes whatſoeuer. For eueryevery carnall man is ready and willing to imbrace that religion which fauoureth his ſinne, and tolerateth his wickedneſſe, ſuffering him quietly to reſt in it without trouble of minde or perplexitie of conſcience. And therefore when graceleſſe men being giuen ouer to their vncleane luſts, doe reſolue to liue in their filthie whoredomes; and whileſt they profeſſe our religion cannot ſo doe, with any peace of conſcience or quiet of mind, becauſe we teach according to Gods truth, that this ſinne of whoredome is hainous in Gods ſight, that hee who liueth in ſinne is the ſeruant of ſinne and child of death; that only he who leaueth and forſaketh his ſinne findeth merciemercy; and that there can bee no true repentance, and conſequently no pardon but where there is an vnfained hatred of ſinne, a ſubduing and mortifying of the corruption, and a riſing againe to newnes of life: hence it is that they giuegive ouer the profeſſion of our religion, as giuing vntounto them no comfort whileſt they continue in their wickedneſſe; and being reſolued to runne on in their courſe of vncleannes, they adioyne themſelues to the Church of Rome, where this ſin of whoredome findeth fauour and countenance both by their doctrine and practiſe; and themſelues ſome ſecuritie and comfort euen whileſt they liue in their wickednes. For there no more is required of them in their repentance, but that they confeſſe their filthineſſe to a more filthie prieſt, and ſhew for the preſent ſome contrition whileſt they are in the habit of penitents, and make ſome ſlight ſatisfaction at their ghoſtly fathers appointment, whom ſelfe-guiltines wil not ſuffer to be ouer ſeuere towards others; as either to faſt from fleſh certaine daies, or to goe on pilgrimage to the ſhrine of ſome Saint, or to whip their bodies ſo much as their deuotion moueth them: or if they will take a more compendious courſe, they may buy ſome indulgence or pardon from their holy father the Pope, whereby they may hauehave plenarie remiſſion of all their ſinnes; and ſo hauing payed all their old ſcore of wickednes, they may now againe begin a new reckoning, and with a quiet conſcience goe from the Church to the ſtewes, from their ghoſtly father to their harlot; hauing the ſame meanes for their diſcharge when as againe they are run in debt. Wherein they in liuelie manner reſemble the holie harlot deſcribed in the Prouerbs,Pro. 7.14. who by her deuotions maketh vntounto her ſelfe a cleere paſſage vntounto her fornications, and hauing offred her peace oblations, and paid her vowes, taketh occaſion againe to renew her whoredomes, and maketh her deuotion an exordium vntounto her inciting oration whereby ſhe perſwadeth vntounto luſt: or the adulterous woman, who hauing eaten her fill, and ſatisfied her appetite with the pleaſures of ſinne, wipeth her mouth, and ſaith, I hauehave not committed iniquitie.Pro. 30.20.
And as this is the caſe of the popiſh crew;§. Sect. 6. Fornication too lightly puniſhed among vsus. ſo we may ſay for our ſelues, that this ſinne of fornication and vncleannes is not ſo diſcountenanced and ſuppreſſed as it ought: for howſoeuer the doctrine of our Church is pure and ſound, ſhewing the hainouſnes of this ſinne,1. Cor. 6.9.10. and proouing out of the word of God, that they who liue in it can neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen; yet too too many are polluted with this wickednes, and our lawes are too milde and remiſſe in puniſhing ſo hainous ſins, and the execution of theſe lawes too much neglected, perſonall puniſhments being turned into purſe penalties, whereby theſe ſinnes which are accounted veniall amongſt the Papiſts, are become venall amongſt vsus.
And therefore ſeeing the ſword of iuſtice, is not vnſheathed by the magiſtrates as it ought, for the ſuppreſſing of this ſinne, nor the offenders who ſhould thereby either bee reformed or cut off, ſcarce beaten with the ſcabberd: it behooneth Gods Miniſters with ſo much the greater care and diligence, to draw out the ſword of the ſpirit, and therewith to giuegive theſe ſinnes of vncleannes a mortall wound in the conſciences of men; that ſo at leaſt they may be reclaimed from this wickednes by a iuſt hatred of their ſinne, who are not reſtrained for feare of puniſhment; and may bee mooued to preſerue their bodies in puritie and chaſtitie, when as they behold the vglines of this vice, euen whileſt they finde themſelues moſt priuiledged from the danger of humane lawes.