Four Treatises Dissuading from Four Heinous and Common Sins, Treatise 3 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. That the fornicator ſinneth moſt grieuouſlie againſt himſelfe.
ANd thus hauehave I ſhewed that the fornicator in manie reſpects ſinneth againſt his neighbour.§. Sect. 1. The fornicator ſinneth againſt his owne body, and that diuerſly. But as he ſinneth againſt others, ſo moſt hainouſlie againſt himſelfe, and that both againſt his ſeuerall parts, and alſo againſt his whole perſon. Hee ſinneth againſt his ſeuerall parts, both his bodie, and his ſoule; firſt againſt his owne bodie; for whereas eueryevery other ſinne that a man doth is without the bodie, 1. Cor. 6.18.he that committeth fornication, ſinneth againſt his owne bodie. As the Apoſtle ſaith, 1. Cor. 6.18. that is, other ſinnes for the prepetrating of their wickedneſſe, doe abuſe ſome outward obiect as their inſtrument; but the fornicator abuſeth his owne bodie to this purpoſe.
And thus the fornicator ſinneth againſt his owne body diuerſlie: firſt, by diſhonouring of it, for he maketh it being the member of Chriſt, to become the member of an harlot, and turneth the honourable Temple of the holy Ghoſt,Pro. 5.8.9. into a filthie brothell and vncleane ſtewes. Secondlie, by defiling of it;Mat. 15.19.20. Rom. 1.24. for as all other ſinnes doe pollute a man, ſo eſpecially the ſinne of whoredome, for it defileth not onelyonly the perſon who committeth it, but he being defiled like a filthie leper, infecteth the aire with his breath, and polluteth the whole land where hee dwelleth, as appeareth, Leuit. 18.25.27. And hence it is, that howſoeuer all other ſinnes defile and pollute vsus, yet theſe ſinnes of fornication and whoredome are by a certaine kind of eminencie called the ſinnes of vncleanneſſe and filthineſſe, becauſe they defile in a peculiar and extraordinarie manner; and are alſo particularly oppoſed to ſanctification and holines, as being the ſinnes wherby they are moſt ſtained and deſtroyed. So 1. Theſ. 4.3.1. Theſ. 4.3. This is the will of God, euen your ſanctification, and that ye ſhould abſtaine from fornication. 4. That euerie one of you ſhould know how to poſſeſſe his veſſell in holineſſe and honor, 5. and not in the luſt of concupiſcence. Where the Apoſtle ſheweth, that ſanctification and fornication; holineſſe and honor, and the luſts of concupiſcence, cannot poſſibly dwell together, as being contraries without meane, and enemies which are vtterly vnreconciliable. Thirdly it diſableth and weakeneth the bodie, turning health into ſicknes, and many lothſome and pernicious diſeaſes, and ſtrength into impotencie and languiſhing faintneſſe; for the flame of luſt deuoureth and ſpendeth the vitall moiſture, and the vnnaturall fire of burning concupiſcence, conſumeth and extinguiſheth the naturall heat, which is the nurſe of ſtrength, and fountaine of life. So the wiſe man who was moſt beſotted with this follie, ſaith, that he who is addicted to this ſinne of vncleanneſſe giueth his ſtrength vntounto women, Prou. 31.3,Pro. 31.3. Pro. 5.11. and that hereby hee conſumeth his fleſh and his bodie, Prou. 5.11. And in this reſpect our countriman Beda calleth it, Dulce venenum, importuna lues, pernicioſa potio, quae humanum corpus debilitat, & virilis animi robur eneruat: A ſweet poyſon, an vnſeaſonable conſumption, a pernicious potion, which diſableth mans body, and weakeneth the ſtrength of a manlie courage.
So alſo hee ſinneth grieuouſlie againſt his owne ſoule;§. Sect. 2. The fornicator ſinneth againſt his ſoule. for firſt he ſubiecteth theſe faculties of the ſoule, the reaſon and vnderſtanding, vntounto the baſe and inferior faculties, the filthie luſts and vncleane affections; he vtterly infatuateth the vnderſtanding, and beſotteth the iudgement, ſo that they altogether faile, not onelyonly in ſpirituall wiſedome, but alſo in the vſe of naturall reaſon and common ſenſe. So the Prophet Hoſea ſaith,Hoſ. 4 11. that whoredome and drunkenneſſe ſteale away the heart: Hoſ. 4.11. And the wiſe man affirmeth, that hee that committeth whoredome with a woman, is deſtitute of vnderſtanding, Pro. 6.32. and 7.7.or as the words ſignifie, without an heart. Prou. 6.32. and 7.7. For they who hauehave ſuffred their minds to bee blindfolded with the louelove of harlots, for the ſatisfying of their filthie luſts, runne deſperately, and as it were headlong into innumerable euils, hauing neither vnderſtanding to foreſee them, nor will to preuent them: they conſume their wealth in maintaining their harlots, and bring vponupon themſelues vnpitied pouertie, and extreme want; they brand their name with the blacke marke of infamie and reproch, and loſe their credit and reputation among all the vertuous and religious; they are deafe vntounto all admonition, and ſo blinded that they cannot diſcerne the ſhameleſſe behauiour, and impudent filthines of their ſtrumpets, but being beſotted in their louelove, they are readie to iudge their vices vertues, and to giuegive vntounto them the preheminence of all excellencie before all other. They become ſhameleſſe in all their courſes, thinking nothing ſo filthie which they may not vtter, nothing ſo beaſtly which they may not act; they ſpend their ſtrength, infect their bodies with odious diſeaſes, ſhorten the naturall courſe of life, and damne their owne ſoules. All which miſchieuous euils they vndergoe to ſatisfie their vncleane luſts, and to glut themſelues with a momentanie and beaſtly pleaſure. And this was the cauſe why Venus, the Idol of luſt, was among the Heathen called foreign, a ſtealer of hearts; and Cupid was ſaid to bee blind, becauſe they who are poſſeſſed with this filthie luſt, loſe the light of their vnderſtanding, and the vſe of reaſon. Hence alſo it is, that the ſin of whoredome is in the Scriptures by a certaine kinde of eminencie called follie, and the fornicators fooles. So Sichem whē he defloured Iacobs daughter, is ſaid to hauehave committed follie in Iſrael;Gen. 34.7. and Thamar diſſwading Ammon from a rape, ſaith, that thereby he ſhould become as one of the fooles in Iſrael. So the wiſe man rangeth the young fornicator in the rancke of fooles,2. Sam. 13.13. Prou. 7.7. I ſaw among the fooles a young man. &c. and leſt the title of follie ſhould not ſufficiently expreſſe his ſottiſhnes, he compareth him to an oxe led to the ſlaughter, verſ. 22.therby implying that he was not onelyonly a foole, but euen brutiſh in his folly.
And as the fornicator ſinneth againſt his owne ſoule, by beſotting and infatuating his vnderſtanding; ſo alſo by deſtroying it; for as the wiſe man ſaith, hee that committeth whoredome with a woman, hee is deſtitute of vnderſtanding: hee that doth it, deſtroyeth his owne ſoule. Pro. 6.32.Pro. 6.32.
But as the fornicator ſinneth againſt his ſeuerall parts;§. Sect. 3. The fornicator ſtaineth his name with reproch and infamie. Pro. 6.33. ſo alſo againſt his whole perſon, and that both in reſpect of this life, and alſo the life to come. In reſpect of this life he ſinneth againſt himſelfe, by ſtaining his good name with reproch and infamie: for he that committeth theſe ſinnes of vncleannes, ſhall finde a wound and diſhonor, and his reproch ſhall neuer be put away, as the wiſe man hath told vsus, who approoued it for true, not onelyonly by his doctrine, but alſo by his owne example; for the excellence of his wiſdom hath not to this day taken away the blemiſh of this follie, in his exceſſiue multiplying his wiues & concubines. The which alſo is continually verified in the experience of other men, who hauehave defiled themſelues with this vice; for howſoeuer the wound may be curable if they truly repent, and powre into it the precious balme of Chriſts blood; yet a ſcarre will euer remaine in their name and reputation; though God in his infinite merciemercy, after true conuerſion, caſteth their ſins behind his backe and will not remember them, yet are they ſeldome forgotten amongſt men.
Secondly,§. Sect. 4. Fornicators transforme themſelues into beaſts. whereas the Lord in their creation hath made them in his owne image, they by this ſinne transforme themſelues into the ſimilitude of beaſts; for of all other ſinnes, the ſinne of vncleannes is moſt ſenſuall and brutiſh; in which reſpect the fornicator in the Scriptures is compared to the brute creatures.Pro. 7.22. So the wiſe man likeneth the fooliſh young man miſled by the harlot, vntounto an oxe led to the ſlaughter, and to a bird haſting to the ſnare.Ier. 5.8. The Prophet Ieremie compareth them to pampred horſes, neying after their neighbours wife. Deut. 23.18.And in the law the whore and the dogge are coupled together, as fitly reſembling one another in their qualities and conditions. Yea in truth they are far more filthie in this kind then the beaſts themſelues; for they hauehave no other law to containe them, but their owne nature and ſenſuall appetite; and therefore they doe but their kind, and that for the moſt part moderately, in their due times and ſeaſons; whereas the fornicator hauing the law of God to reſtraine him, doth neuertheleſſe not onelyonly ſatisfie, but alſo glut nature, and wholly imployeth his wit and reaſon to ſtrengthen him in his filthines by art, when the power and abilities of nature faile him.
In reſpect of the life to come the fornicator ſinneth againſt himſelfe;§. Sect. 5. VVhoredome maketh a man vnexcuſable. firſt, becauſe of all other ſinnes, the ſinne of whoredome maketh him moſt vnexcuſable, when in the great day of the Lord he ſhall be called to a reckoning: for where as other ſinnes may hauehave ſome colour of excuſe, drawne either from vnauoidable neceſſitie, or want of conuenient meanes to ſhun them; the fornicator can hauehave no ſuch pretence, becauſe the Lord hath offred vntounto him a remedie to preuent this ſin, namely, lawfull mariage, whereby he may bee preſerued from it;1. Cor. 7.2. according to that, 1. Cor. 7.2. To auoide fornication let euerie man hauehave his wife, and let euerie woman hauehave her own huſbād. In which reſpect he is like vntounto a thiefe which liueth by the common ſpoile, not for want, but when as hee may hauehave ſufficient maintenance at his owne command by lawfull meanes; not for any vrgent neceſſitie, but for vaine and fooliſh curioſitie:Prou. 9.17. becauſe ſtollen waters are ſweet, and the bread which is gotten guilefully hath a pleaſant taſte. Neither let any man here obiect his pouertie and want of meanes to maintaine a wife, and ſuch a charge as vſually accompanieth mariage; for ſeeing we cannot liue nor mooue, but by Gods bleſſing, we may more hopefully expect it, when we liue according to his holy ordinance, then when wee continue in ſinne, and prouoke his wrath by the common breach of his commandements. But though hereby we ſhould be brought into penurie; yet better it is to want wealth then a good conſcience, and to liue in a poore eſtate in this life which is ſhort and momentarie,Luk. 16. hauing the aſſurance of Gods fauour, and hope of future glorie, then to hauehave the rich gluttons plentie here, to beſtow vponupon our carnall luſts, and afterwards to bee tortured in the euerlaſting torments of hell fire.
Secondly,§. Sect. 6. The fornicator excludeth himſelfe out of the ioies of heauen; and caſteth himſelfe into hell. the fornicator liuing in his ſin without repentance, excludeth himſelfe out of the ioyes of heauen, and plungeth body and ſoule headlong into helliſh torments. Concerning the former it is ſaid, that noaApoc. 22.27. and vncleane thing ſhall euer enter into the ioyes of the new Ieruſalem, and much leſſe theſe who are defiled with the moſt polluting ſins of fornication and vncleannes; thatb22.15. whoremongers ſhal be excluded out of theſe eternall ioyes, and hauehave no part in this heauenlyc1. Cor. 6.9. Gal. 5.19.21. Epheſ. 5 5. inheritance prepared for the Saints, as appeareth by manifold teſtimonies of holy Scripture. And for the other, the Scriptures plainly teſtifie that whoremongers hold the direct courſe which leadeth into hell and euerlaſting condemnation;Prou. 2.18. and 7.27. and 9.18. ſo the wiſe man ſaith that the harlots houſe tendeth to death, and that her gueſts are in the depth of hell. And the holy Ghoſt plainely telleth vsus, that amongſt many other hainous ſinners, the whoremonger ſhall hauehave his part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone, which is the ſecond death: Apoc. 21.8.Apoc. 21.8. Now what deſperate follie is this for a brutiſh pleaſure which is vaine and momentany, to hazard the loſſe of the eternall ioyes of Gods kingdome? And for the quenching of their burning and beaſtly luſt, to kindle not onelyonly the flame of Gods wrath, but alſo the dreadful fire of hell, wherein they ſhall eternally bee tormented both in ſoule and bodie?