Babington - Houston-Packer Collection BV4655 .B23 1615

.Comrncind, upon the Commandements. 7 Or the whele Church of Rome fo like of, and fo dirginith the finne of fornication? That at this day in Venice it is counted good pollicie when there bee foure or flue Afcams brethren of one famrlte, one , timely to marrie , and all the refl to welter with as little Schoole sale in open leacherie,as Swine doe here in the common myre. Can this fpiriee that guideth them be the fpirit of God , when it condemnech not the a& , w hereof God condetnneth all occatiions and allurements ? No,no,the Lorde glue vs eyes, and then haue we markes fufli cient to bewray them by. Q.Lieff. Thus then may we feerrhat we are f r6iddenin rhisLawt rbw Iprayyouaddeforite thing of the things we are Commanded inthe fame. d, fir. For this matter your booke anfwereth well,that as we are forbidden in it all vncleannefle, and all inticements CO the fame : fo on the other fide we are coalman - ded to keepe our Bodies and Soules chafle,pureand as temples orate holie Ghoft, oJc ifthc gift of chafluie bee not glum vs, than to vfe the lawfull remedie appointed for vs by God , which is mariage. Concerning therefore chaflitie- we are to knowe, that very greatly the Scripturelayeth downeGods liking ofit,and with many words exhorteth vs vnco it. This is the will of god ( faieth the Apoflle ) euen yourfanïtrfica_ tion, and that you !bona a6ff tame from fornication , that merle one ofyou fhonld(nowehow topo/fefetheir vefels in honour and holmes, and not in the lufi of concupifcence, euen aef the genrils,which knowe not God. And in another place, Seeing (faith he) that we haste thefesorinthq,a prom3fes dearely befoxed, let cis doll-Sour felues from allfilthines of the fief), andfßirite,and Qrowevp onto all bolinefein the feareofGod. And again the fame Apoflle befeecheth the 1.Thet,5 ,x3, Godofpeace to fsnitt fte them throughout,that their whole(psrite,and bodìe,and foule may bee kept blameleffetill the day ofthe Lorde lefus Chrifi. Many fuck as thefe are there , all which our vn-erring papifts take and expound of tingle life , and will haue them fo many teflimonies ofthe fame to excel) mariage. But their bolde (peaking is noteuet foundeproouing,and thereforewe flay to beleeùe them. uell. In other matters indeede we base goedcaufe to refufe them,bat in this (glue met !tone to ffieaks ests I thinks , tiering readie to frame if Terre ) mec thinke we are net to mpe fomuch of their fpeech. For,furelie it cannot bedenied, that theEngle life is farce about. tbé maried.The Scripturesyou knowe haue manyfpeeibes to tbis ende. 11nfw. Well then , Ihr your better fatisfa5lion it will not beantiffe,ifWehlittle confider the courfe of this errout. And firfl I pray you marke,that during all the time of the olde Tefiament they dare not nor duo not ray, that lingle life paired mariage in excellencie,but contrarie, to bte frutefull and (toted of children was a ble fing,and to be othcrwife was a reproch veto them. Therefore this perfeêtion and ekcellencie of fingle life, they iet it to be but isowe indie time ofthe Gofpell. Where let vs alfo begin,and going with them,feewhether it be fo or_no.We confider then and fce,that as the Lorde is holy himfelfe and pure , and therefore bath euer liked and loued all holineffe in his children,and by name this cleanneffe of bodie and miede, which we fpeake of: fo on the other fide, Sachan being impure and filthie,hath euer fought and laboured to worke the like in vs , and by name to drawe vs to impuritie offlefli and Nine ofminde in this behalfe.The Lorde bath had euer his meanes toworke the one: Sultan hath had his again to breed the other. The Lordeby hit word and Spirite,and what elfeitpleafed him to vie : Sultan by fundriealfoverie forcible waies wrought the contrarie.Some he fo mightiìit hardened,and flrangel), ouercame,that euen conk temning the Lorde and his threates, and ftnothcring what in their òwne confciences Want bffee- at any time they found contrarie to it, g aue thcmfelues oueras it had been brute and ling' one 'fauagebeaftesto all lul & vncleannefie without remorfe .Of there fake the Apo fllemeauesof'Sa- to the Ephefians raying : That they being pallfeelinggane themfelues to all wantostneffe to phef,4,tg. work oncleanneff euen with #dinc.,v. here the werde he vfech is very fignificat. And againc to the Romaines he faith,that God gone themop to their hearts Infies vista vnclea- Rom.26. neffë , todefle their owne bodies betwextthemfelues yeaheegane them op to vile options. For the women changedthe natuin l or into that which is againfi nature. Then lheweth he the mean es and way,wherehy all this was wrought in them. For aman would thinke that cues reafon and nature fhould keepe vs from fuch pollution, They regarded not Vert 28. 11 2 (faieth

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