Gods Holy Mind Touching Matters Moral, Tract 2 · Part 79
Now this Commandement being Negatiue: I will first shew what this Commandement forbids.
Quest. What doth this Commandement forbid?
Answ. In generall, all manner of vncleanes, and fleshly defilement: and all things that doe hurt or hinder chastity in man or woman.
Quest. What are the things that doe hurt or hinder chastity in man or woman?
Answ. They are either things inward in the heart, or outward things.
Quest. What are the inward things in the heart, that do hurt or hinder chastity in man or woman?
Answ. They are filthy imaginations, and vnchast thoughts, and inward lusts and motions of the heart to vncleannesse,Mate. 5.28. Coloss. 3.5. whereunto the heart doth giuegive consent: or purposes and desires of the heart to any act of vncleannes, and fleshly defilement.
Quest. When are inward lusts and motions of the heart to vncleannesse, whereunto the heart giues consent, most vile and odious?
Answ. When they are so violent and strong, as that they continually boyle and burne within, and giuegive a man or woman no rest,1 Cor. 7.9. but are euer stirring and prouoking them to the committing of some filthy act of vncleannesse: 1 Cor. 7 9 It is better to marry then to burne, (that is) to hauehave within a continuall feruencie of lusts, in the heart.Hosea 7.4. Coloss. 3.5.Coloss. 3.5. inordinate affection.
Quest. VVhat are the outward things that doe hurt or hinder chastity in man or woman?
Answ. They are either things going before the act of vncleannesse and fleshly pollution: or the act of vncleannesse and fleshly pollution it selfe.
Quest. What are the things that goe before the act of vncleannesse and fleshly pollution?
Answ. Either things farther of, as preparatiues and prouocations to it: or things nearer to it.
Quest. What are the preparatiues and prouocations to the act of vncleannesse?
Answ. They are either such things as stirre vp filthy lust, and make the body fit for vncleannes: or such things as helpe forward that fitnesse.
Quest. What are the things that stirre vp filthy lust, and make the body fit for vncleannes?
Answ. Foure especiall.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. Gluttony, or excesse in eating and pampering of the belly with meates:Ier. 5.8. Ezech. 16.49. Rom. 13.13. Hosea 7.6. as when men or women either eate ordinary meates immoderately, till they doe thereby glut themselues, or they vse delicates and curious dainty meates deliciously and vnseasonably, especially such as hauehave greatest force to encrease and to stirre vp filthy lust, purposely to encrease and to stirre it vp in themselues.
Quest. What is the second thing that stirrs vp filthy lust, and makes the body fit for vncleannesse?
Answ. This; Drunkennesse or excesse in drinking,Gen. 19.32.33.34.35. Prou. 23.30.31.33. as when men or women doe take into their bodies strong drinke, Ale, Beare, Wine, or compound water excessiuely till they doe thereby surcha…ge nature, and disorder the powers of reason, and inrage their naturall affections, and …pecially when th…y doe vse wines and strong drinkes, wantonly and vnseasonably, and of purpose to stirre vp filthy lust:…sai. 5.11. …om. 13.13. …phes. 5.18. after drunkennesse followes chambering and wantonnesse, omnis profusio et turpitudo.
Quest. What is the third thing that stirrs vp filthy lust, and makes the body fit for vncleanesse?
Answ. This; lustfull dreames comming from surfeiting and drunkennes. Hence come nocturnall pollutions spoken of, Deut. 23.10.
Quest. What is the fourth thing that stirrs vp filthy lust, and makes the body fit for vncleanesse?
Answ. This; Idlenesse, as when men or women spend their strength and time God giues them,2 Sam: 11.1.2. Ezech: 16.49. 1 Tim. 5.13. wherein they ought to be imployed in some honest labours of minde or body, in excessiue sleeping, and in sluggishnesse, in ease and in doing nothing; but following their sensuall pleasures.
Quest. What are the things that helpe forward the fitnesse of the body for vncleannesse?
Answ. Seauen especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This; any light, vaine, immodest, either setting out of the body, or carriage of the body; as by riotus, lasciuious,Ezech. 16.49. Pro. 7:10. 1 Tim: 2.9. 1 Pet. 3.3. 1 Cor. 11.14. 2 King. 9.30. Iere. 4.30. Isai. 3.16. to 24 garish, disguised, and new fangled attire; by long shag hayre, by platting, cutling, frizling, powdering, or colouring of the haire; by painting the face, by laying out the naked breasts, by stretching out the necke, by mincing or tinkling with the feete.
Quest. May not men or women seeing a fashion of attire vsed in a strange Countrey and not in vse in their owne Countrey, take it vp and vse it in their owne Countrey?
Answ. No, they may not: the Lord hath threatned to visite such as weare strange apparrell. Zephan. 1.8.Zephan. 1.8.
Quest. May not a man or a woman hauing some deformity in his or her body, labour to couer it?
Answ. Yes, they may; so as they set not a new forme or face, or a new habit on the body: for dissembling is vnlawfull aswell in deede as in word.
Obiection. Isaie prophesied naked, therefore it may seeme lawfull to lay out the bare breasts.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; that which the Prophet did, was done by the especiall commandement of God, and to a speciall end; and therefore is not to be imitated.
Quest. VVhat is the second thing that helpes forward the fitnesse of the body for vncleannesse?
Answ. This; the keeping company with lasciuious, wanton, and fleshly persons: and frequenting of lewd houses,Gen. 39.10. Psal. 50.18. Pro. 5.8. Pro. 7.7.8.9.10. &c. Ephes: 5, 5, 7 houses of filthinesse: when men or women ordinarily, without any warrant or calling, keepe company with filthy persons, and frequent lewd houses, especially at vnseasonable times.
Quest. VVhat is the third that helpes forward the fitnesse of the body for vncleannesse?
Ans. This; immodest, vnchast, ribald and filthy speaking, when men or women vtter rotten and filthy speeches,Ephes. 4.29. Ephes. 5.3.4. Coloss. 3.8. tell filthy tales, or sing songs, and sonnets, and ballads of louelove and lightnesse, and of abhominable filthinesse, rotten speeches.
Quest: What is the fourth thing that helpes forward the fitnesse of the body for vncleannesse?
Answ: This; reading of vnchast and filthy bookes; bookes of louelove matters and daliance, and filthinesse: 1 Corin 15.33.1 Cor. 15.33. duplicate page some render the words euill speakings, or euill communication, some euill conuersings: I take it, we may vnderstand the word thus, conuersing with others in their euill speakings, sayings or writings: and so reading of vile and filthy bookes, fitter to be burnt as these were. Act. 19.19.
Quest. What is the fift thing that helpes forward the fitnesse of the body for vncleannesse?
Answ. This; idle and curious looking of men on women, or of women on men; when men or women curiously looke on the beauty, feature, and proportion of the body one of another:2 Sam: 11.2. Iob. 31.1. 2 Pet: 2.14. thus did the sonnes of God behold the daughters of men, Gen. 6.2.Gen: 6.2. Thus Potiphars wife beheld Ioseph. Gen. 39.7.Gen: 39.7. Gen. 34.1.2.Gen. 34.1.2. Dinah went out to see the Daughters of the Land, and when Shechem saw her, he tooke her and lay with her, and defiled her?
Quest. May not a man looke on the beauty of a woman, or a woman looke on the beauty of a man, and sin not?
… King. 10.7.8Answ. Yes, they may; and they ought thereby to take occasion to glorifie God, as the Queene of Sheba by beholding Salomons person, and hearing his wisedome, did take occasion to glorifie God.
Quest. What is the sixt thing that helpes forward the fitnesse of the body for vncleannesse?
Ans. This; the looking on lasciuious, filthy and vnseemly pictures,Nomb. 25:1.2.3. Ezech: 23.14. Ephes. 5.3.4. and the beholding of filthinesse, louelove matters, and light behauiour of men and women, represented and set out, not only by speech, but by gesture and by conuaiances and deuices in Stage Playes and Comedies. The Israelites were brought to fornication by the sight of the filthy Idoll Baall Peor.
Quest. What is the seauenth thing that helpes forward the fitnesse of the body for vncleannesse?
Answ. This; immodest and wanton dancing, mixt dancing of men and women together,Exod. 32.6. Iob. 21.11.12. Mar. 6.21.22. in number and measure artificially: especially after solemne feasts, and at merry meetings, with many wanton and lasciuious gestures accompanying the same. Exod. 22.6. The people sate downe to eate and drinke foreign and they rose vp to play. (that is) as the best interpreters say, to dance wantonly after they had eaten and drunken, Iob. 21.11.12. Mar. 6.21.22. after the banquet Herod made the daughter of Herodias come skipping and dancing in, to please Herod, wherewith his amorous and lustfull eye was entangled, and Iohn Baptists head begged.
Quest. What are the things going before the act of vncleanness and fleshly pollution, nearer to it then preparatiues or prouocations vntounto it?
Answ. They are three things especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This; vsing and wearing of apparrell not fit for the sexe,Deut. 22:5. Iob 24.15. Gen. 38.15. as when men put on and goe in womens apparell; or women put on and goe in mens apparell, that they may not bee knowne, but may more easily come to commit filthinesse.
Quest. What is the second thing going before the act of vncleannesse, and nearer to it then preparatiues or prouocations?
Answ. This; wanton kissing, and imbracing, and vnchast touching and dalliance:Gen. 39.12. Pro. 7.13. Deut. 25.11.12 when men or women do wantonly kisse or embrace one another, or doe vnchastly touch or dallie one with another.
Quest. VVhat is the third thing going before the act of vncleannesse and fleshly pollution, and nearer to it then preparatiues or prouocations?
Answ. This; mouing, intising, and perswading to the very act of vncleannesse and fleshly pollution,Gen. 39.7.10 12 Pro. 7.13 to 21 as Iosephs Mistress did, she was not ashamed to moue him with her own mouth to lye with her.
Quest. What are the acts of vncleannesse and fleshly pollution that hurt or hinder chastity in men or women?
Answ. They are either with ones selfe or with others.
Quest. How is chastity hurt or hindered in man or woman with themselues?
Answ. By effeminate wantonnesse,Gen. 38▪9. 1 Cor. 6.9. and by doing as Onan did: when men or women abuse their owne bodyes, and by any way or meanes doe prouoke and procure themselues to doe as Onan did. Gen. 38.9. The Apostle calls them that so doe, effeminate persons or wantons. 1 Cor. 6.9.
Quest. How is chastity hurt or hindered in man or woman with others?
Answ. Either with one other, or with many others.
Quest. How is chastity hurt or hindered in man or woman with one other alone?
Answ. Thus; either by married persons, man and wife betweene themselues, or by others that are not marryed one to another.
Quest. How is chastity hurt or hindered by married persons, man and wife betweene themselues?
Answ. Either in respect of their enterance into marriage, or in regard of their after proceeding and vse of it.
Q. How is chastity hurt or hindred by married persons, man & wife betweene thēselues, in respect of their enterance into marryage?
Answ. Thus; when they company together and hauehave secret society one with another as man & wife, & yet are either such as entred into that state and condition,Exod. 22.16.17. Deut: 7.3. Iere. 29.6. 1 Cor: 7.38. Leuit. 18.6. to 18. Leuit. 20.19 20.21. Mar: 6.18. 1 Cor. 5.10. without the due consent of their parents, neither hauing it at the time of their entrance, nor hauing gotten it afterwards; or they are such as ought not to hauehave married together, being within the degrees of Consanguinity or Affinity, forbidden in the Word of God.
Quest. May cosen germans, brothers children, or sisters children marry together or no?
Answ. The marriage of cosen germans is not expresly forbidden in the Word of God, yet in sundry respects being inconuenient and inexpedient, it ought not to be done according to the saying of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 10.23. All things are lawfull for me, but all things are not expedient.
Quest. May a man after his wife is dead, marry her sister or no?
Obiection. 1 Answ. No, hee may not; for as a woman may not marrie with two brothers, one after another, Leuit. 18.16. Leuit. 20.21. so a man may not marry with two sisters, there the same proportion holds both wayes.
Leuit. 18.18. The Lord doth not there forbid a man to marry two sisters, one after another; but to marry them both together, and therefore after a wife is dead, a man may marrie her sister.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; that place is thus to be read, thou shalt not take a woman to her sister; that is one woman to another, and it is not to be vnderstood of marrying two sisters together; but of hauing of two wi…es or women together, and so it proues not that after the wife is dead, a man may marry her sister.
Obiection. 2 Deut. 25.5. The Lord commanded that a man dying without Issue, his brother should take his wife and raise vp seede to him: and therefore it seemes lawfull for a woman to marry two brothers, and so for a man to marry two sisters,
Quest. How is this to be answered
Answ. Thus; those words are a speciall exception of that law, Leuit. 18.16. & are peculiarly directed to the Israelites, and did giuegive them only that libertie for a time, for the continuance and preseruation of their Tribes and Families distinct one from another till the comming of the Messiah: and that priuiledge must not be extended to any other sort of men whatsoeuer.
Obiection The prohibitions Leuit. 18. are Mosaicall and ceremoniall, and therefore do not bind vsus now vnderunder the New Testament.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; Those prohibitions are grounded on the law of Nature, for God did cast the Canaanites out of the Land, who had only the law of Nature to guide them, and were not bound to the ceremoniall Law of Moses, because they were therein defiled,Ezech. 22.10. Mar. 6.18. 1 Cor. 5.1. Leuit. 18.24.25. therefore they are morall; and so they are accounted both by the Prophets, and also in the New Testament.
Quest. How is chastity hurt or hindered by married persons, man and wife betweene themselues, in regard of their after proceeding and vse of marriage?
Answ. Two wayes.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This; when they vse the marriage bed intemperately and immoderately, not for procreation, or for yeelding due debt one to another, or for the auoyding of fornication; but meerely for the satisfying of their vnbridled pleasures: for as a man may be a drunkard by taking into his body his owne strong drinke excessively, and a glutton by excessiue deuouring of his owne meate: so may one bee filthy & vncleane by the immoderate vse of the Marriage bed. 1 Thes. 4.4.5. not to doe any thing vnbeseeming honestie and temperance of Marriage. Heb. 13.4. Marriage (being vsed as it ought) is honourable amongst all.
Quest. What is the second way by which chastitie is hurt or hindered by married persons, man and wife betweene themselues in regard of the vsed of their marriage?
Answ. This; when they company together and vse the marriage bed vnseasonably.
Quest. How doe married persons companie together and vse their marriage bed vnseasonably?
Answ. Two wayes
Quest. What is the first of those?
Gen. 18.11. Leuit. 18.19. Leuit. 20.18. Ezech. 18.6. Ezech. 22.10.Answ. This; if they company together and know each other whilst it is with the woman after the manner of women: as Gene. 18.11. when God and nature req…ire that they should forbeare the marriage bed, and keepe themselues asund…r.
Quest. What is the second way by which married persons company together and vse their marriage bed vnseasonably?
Answ. This; if they company tog…ther and know each other in the time of publike humiliation; in the time of a solemne fast vsed in regard of some grieuous calamity,2 Sam. 11.11. Ioel. 2.16. Zach. 12.12. 1 Cor. 7.5. either imminent and like to fall on the Church or common Wealth, or already on it: when they ought to giuegive themselues by mutuall consent, to fasting and prayer.
Quest. How is chastity hurt or hindered in man or woman one with another alone by such as are not married one to another?
Answ. Two wayes.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This; when such as are not married one to another, doe commit some act of vncleannesse and fleshly defilement one with another, which is vnnatural & against nature.
Quest. How do such as are not married one to another commit some act of vncleannesse and fleshly defilement one with another, which is vnnaturall and against nature?
Answ. Thr…e wayes,
Quest. Which is the first of those?
Leuit. 18.22. Leuit. 2….13. Rom. 1.26.27. 1 Cor. 6.9. 1 Tim. 1.10.Answ. This; by Sodomitrie, or by committing the sinne of Sodome, which is vncleannesse and defilement of the body committ…d betweene them that are of one and the s…me sexe; as by man with man, or by woman with woman.
Quest. Why is this sinne called Sodomitrie, or the sinne of Sodome?
Answ. Because the Sodomites are the first wee read off to hauehave committed this sinne,Ge…. 19.4.5.6.7 and they were outragious in the committing of it.
Quest. How doth this sin appeare to be a great & grieuous sin?
Answ. Both b…cause the light of nature condemnes it, and because it is commonly a punishment of other foule sins; and because also it is a sinne, which they commit whom God hath giuen vp to a reprobate sense Rom 1.26.27.Rom. 1.26.27.
Quest. What is the second way by which such as are not married one with another, commit the act of vncleannes & fleshly defilement one with another, which is vnnaturall & against nature?
Answ. This; by beastiality which is vncleannesse and defilement of the body, committed by man or woman with a bruite beast, forbidden Leuit. 18.23.Leuit. 18.23. and condemned to death, Leuit. 20.15.16.Leuit. 20.15.16
Q. What is the third way by which such as are not married one with another, commit some act of vncleanness & fleshly defilement one with another, which is vnnaturall and against nature?
Answ. This; by vncleannesse and fleshly defilement of the body, committed by man or woman with the Deuill; as Witches doe, by their owne confession: for the Deuil may appeare in a bodily shape, and may sometimes (the Lord suffering him) vse the body of a man or woman as hee vsed the body of the Serpent: Gen. 3.1.Gen. 3.1. and so may hauehave company with those, who either hauehave familiarity with him, or giuegive themselues much to filthinesse.
Q. What is the second way by which chastity is hurt or hindred, with one other alone, by such as are not married one to another?
Answ. This; when such as are not married one to another, doe commit some act of vncleannesse and fleshly defilement one with another which is naturall, and according to the course of nature corrupted.
Quest. How doe such as are not married one to another, commit some act of vncleannesse and fleshly defilement one with another which is naturall, and according to the course of nature corrupted?
Answ. Two wayes.Gen. 19.33. to 37. Gen 35.2…. Gen 49.4. Gen. …8.18. 2 Sam. 13.14. Ezech. 22.11 Mar. 6.18. 1 Cor. 5.1.
Quest. Which is the first of those?
Answ. This; by committing the sinne of Incest, which is vncleannesse and defilement of the body, committed betweene man and woman that are neere in bloud & of kindred one to another, either by consanguinity or affinitie.
Quest. What is the second way by which such as are not married one to another, doe commit some act of vncleannesse and fleshly defilement one with another which is naturall, and according to the course of nature corrupted?
Answ. This; by vncleannesse and defilement of the body, committed betweene man and woman, that are not neere in blood, nor of kindred one to another, either by consanguinitie or affinitie.
Qu…st. How is that done?
Answ. Two waies.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Gen. 34.2. 1. Cor. 6.9.18. 1 Cor. 10.8. Coloss. 3.5. Heb. 13.4.Answ. This; by fornication, which is vncleannesse and fleshly defilement of the body committed betweene man and woman being both single and vnmarried persons.