Four Treatises Dissuading from Four Heinous and Common Sins, Treatise 3 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. That the fornicator grieuouſlie ſinneth againſt his neighbours.
ANd thus hauehave I ſhewed that the fornicator grieuouſlie ſinneth againſt God.§. Sect. 1. The fornicator ſinneth grieuouſly againſt the perſon vvhom be defileth. In the next place I will ſhew, that he alſo hainouſlie offendeth againſt men, and that both his neighbour and himſelfe. Againſt his neighbour hee offendeth, whether we reſpect particular perſons, or whole ſocieties. He ſinneth againſt particular perſons; as firſt againſt the partie with whom the follie or filthines is committed, by drawing her together with himſelfe, into the ſame ſinne and condemnation; for this pernicious miſchiefe accompanieth this ſin, as being almoſt peculiar vntounto it, that whereas other ſinnes, as Idolatrie, blaſphemie, prophanation of the Sabbath, murther, theft, falſe witnes bearing, euill concupiſcence, and ſuch like, may be committed alone; this ſinne of whoredome doth alwaies draw in a couple into the ſame wickedneſſe, the fornicator and his harlot, for two at once are defiled, two killed as it were with one blow, and two fall together into the ſame ſinne and condemnation; ſo that almoſt no ſinne more inricheth the dominions of the Prince of darkenes with a numerous multitude of helliſh ſubiects, then this of whoredome, in that they who liue in this ſinne doe, not goe ſingle, but by couples into hell.§. Sect. 2. Fornicaion in ſome reſpects more hainous then either theſt or murther.
Whereby it appeareth, that howſoeuer this ſinne is but lightly eſteemed, and turned into a ieſt amongſt wicked men, yet in this and ſome other reſpects, it is worſe and more pernicious to our neighbour, then either theft or murther, and oftentimes more vncomfortable to our owne conſciences: it exceedeth theſe euen in theft; for the thiefe onelyonly ſtrippeth the bodie, but the fornicator ſpoileth the ſoule of his chiefe ornaments, puritie, and chaſtitie; the thiefe taketh away momentanie riches, which oftentimes doe the owner little good, and ſometimes much hurt, when as they through abuſe become the mammon of iniquitie, and furtherances in ſinne; but the fornicator robbeth his neighbour of Gods graces, a good conſcience, cleannes of heart, puritie of body and ſoule, and finally of the aſſurance of his ſaluation. And ſo alſo he exceedeth the murtherer, euen in the act of murthering; for the murtherer inflicteth deepe wounds in the bodie, the which ſometimes may be cured and healed by earthly meanes; but the fornicator grieuouſlie woundeth both his owne ſoule, and the ſoule of his neighbour, which no worldly thing can cure, but onelyonly the ſoueraigne balme of Chriſt Ieſus his precious blood: the murtherer whē he hath done his worſt, doth only kil the body, & in the meane time he who is killed being a faithfull Chriſtian, is neuer the worſe, becauſe this temporarie death is but a paſſage into life eternall; but the fornicator deſtroyeth the bodie and ſoule of his neighbour eternally, by drawing him into ſinne, the wages whereof is euerlaſting death, vnleſſe it bee preuented by hartie and vnfained repentance;Rom. 6.23. yea and which is more horrible and vnnaturall, he with the ſame blow alſo murthereth himſelfe. The murtherer inflicteth onelyonly the euill of puniſhment, the which poyſon the Lord ſo tempereth with his gifts and graces, that it becommeth a wholeſome medicine to cure his ſeruants of their ſpirituall diſeaſes; but the fornicator inflicteth the euill of ſinne, which without repentance is accompanied with eternall condemnation.
And in this reſpect alſo this ſinne of whoredome is moſt vncomfortable,§. Sect. 3. The ſinne of vvhoredome moſt vncomfortable. and deſtitute of all peace of conſcience; for whereas they who commit other ſinnes, ſinning alone may alſo repent alone, and vponupon the aſſurance of their true conuerſion, may recouer their former peace of conſcience being by Gods gratious promiſes aſcertained of his fauour; the fornicator euen after himſelfe hath repented of his ſinne, can not but be exceedingly troubled and turmoiled in his mind, when as his conſcience ſhall tell him, that by his luſt and vncleannes he hath brought others through his wicked fellowſhip into the ſame ſinne and condemnation, in which ſtate they ſtill remaine without repentance; or at leaſt hee their companion in wickedneſſe is not aſſured that they alſo accompanie him in his true conuerſion.
But as the fornicatour ſinneth againſt his copartner in vncleannes,§ Sect. 4. The fornicator ſinneth againſt the parents and friends of the partie defiled. ſo alſo againſt others; as namely againſt his owne and his companions parents and neere friends, firſt, becauſe this filthineſſe cauſeth a tainter in the blood, and with the ſtaine thereof bringeth ſome blemiſh vponupon their name, though they be innocent of the fault. The which ſo much incenſed Iacobs ſonnes for the deflouring of their ſiſter, becauſe the ſhame thereof redounded not only to her ſelfe, but to her father and friends; for ſo it is ſaid, that they were grieued and very angrie, becauſe this villanie was committed in Iſrael, Gen. 34.7.and becauſe Sichem had lien with Iacobs daughter. And this was the cauſe why the high Prieſts daughter playing the harlot, was by the law of God to be burnt with fire, becauſe by her whoredome ſhe had polluted her father: as it is Leuit. 21.9.Leuit. 21.9. And ſecondly, in that hereby robbing their children or friends of grace, vertue, and that chiefe ornament of chaſtitie, they alſo depriue their hearts of all true ioy and ſound comfort, which they otherwiſe might hauehave had of them, when as being priuie to their ſinne they cannot looke vponupon them without ſhame and bluſhing; nor acknowledge them for their owne vntounto others, leſt they may ſeeme to hauehave ſome intereſt in their faults.
So alſo they ſinne grieuouſly againſt their owne children begotten in fornication, and that before they are borne,§ Sect. 5. The fornicator ſinneth againſt his owne children begotten in fornication. and afterwards: for they ingraine them in the deepe die of their ſinne, which wil neuer be waſhed out, although it may be couered with their vertues, and brand them with the infamous marke of baſtardie, before they breathe the aire. They make the poore infant beare the puniſhment of their ſinne, euen whileſt it ſelfe is borne in the mothers bellie, and before it hath any name giuen it, they intitle it to the infamous ſurname of a baſe baſtard. They alſo rob it of their owne louelove, not for any faultines in the childe, but for the guilt of their owne ſinne; in which reſpect whileſt it is in the wombe, the mother wiſheth that it may bee a falſe conception and abortiue; and the father, that it may neuer liue to ſee the Sunne. When it is borne, they are readie to thinke, that when it crieth it proclaimeth their ſinne, and when it beginneth to ſpeake they bluſh for ſhame, when they heare themſelues called vponupon by the ſweete names of father and mother, becauſe thereby their ſinne is called to remembrance. And as they do communicate to their poore children the ſhame and puniſhment of their faults, ſo alſo their ſinnes and corruptions themſelues; for they poiſon them in the bud, and the fountaine of generation being defiled with filthie. luſt and vncleannes, polluteth alſo the ſtreames which iſſue from it: ſo that it is no rare thing to ſee ſuch children reſemble their parents in their vnchaſt manners, more then in their face and countenance. All which iniuries they recompenſe, by ſhewing themſelues more iniurious; for as they hated them in the birth, ſo they neglect them commonly in their growth; and make amends for their ſinfull generation, with giuing vntounto them looſe and prophane education; whereby they grow in their corruptions, faſter then in the ſtature of their bodie. And yet this is not halfe the miſchiefe which they do vntounto them; for beſides all this, as much as in them lieth they exclude them out of the couenant of grace, and blot them out of the number of Gods people and family, the which the Lord will hauehave procreated and increaſed with a holie ſeede,Matth. 2.15. whereas they remaine polluted being the children of fornication, and vncleane ſeede of vncleane parents.1. Cor. 7.14. And if at all they bee admitted into the outward couenant, and receiue the ſeales thereof, it is not for their parents ſake, if they continue in their ſinne; but becauſe they are borne and brought vp in the boſome of their ſpiritual mother the Church, which imparteth vntounto them ſome title and intereſt vntounto her holineſſe. A notable place wee hauehave to this purpoſe in the booke of Wiſedome,Wiſd. 3 16.17. where many of theſe euils are expreſſed: Chap. 3.16. The children of whoremongers ſhall not be partakers of holy things, and the ſeed of the wicked bed ſhall be rooted out. 17. And though they liue long, yet ſhall they be nothing regarded, and their laſt age ſhall be without honour. 18. If they die haſtily, they hauehave no hope, nor comfort in the day of triall. 19. For horrible is the end of the wicked generation. To conclude, they vtterly diſable them to the vttermoſt of their power, from all preferment both in the Church and common wealth; for by the law of God it was enacted that a baſtard ſhould not enter into the congregation of the Lord to beare any office therein, vntounto the tenth generation;Deut. 23.2. and both diuine and humane lawes eſteeme and repute them as abiects in the familie, who may not diuide the inheritance among their brethren, becauſe they are not knowne children of their father, but are accounted the children of the countrie. And theſe are the manifold euils which vncleane whoremongers bring vponupon their children, in which they continue till the filthineſſe of generation bee cleanſed in the new lauer of regeneration, vntill the beautie of grace hath couered the deformitie of nature, and the glorious title of the children of God hath taken away the blemiſh of the children of fornication, and giuen them aſſured intereſt vntounto all Gods benefits, and to the heauenly inheritance of the holy Saints: the which howſoeuer it is ſomewhat rare, yet ſometimes it commeth to paſſe when the Lord will magnifie the greatneſſe of his merciemercy, power and goodneſſe, by the vnworthineſſe and miſerable condition of the perſon whom he aduanceth.