Thin fornkottion is excufed ds a venialt f nne. 133 orwidow,which, beingonceor feidome acted,is called for- nication; or beingcommonly pra&ifed,iscalled fcortation, or whore-hunting. Al which fins ofvncleannefí'ehaue beenfrom time to time 4 .Sett.3. amongft many either defended as lawful,or excufed as light Fornication andvenial! .TheHeathensheld it as a thing indifferent,or if lye lghf ¡rand vt- at all,yet but a flight fault:Non etagitìum,mibi crede, ado- nigh. lefcentulumfcortari,nequepotare: It is not, belecue ane(Caith Mitro apud one)any great fault ina young man to whore and drink, &c. Te c t uaia And hence it is that the Apoflles writing to the Heathen "35". l conuerts fotbid themfornication amongfI things indiffe- rent, notbecaufe it was fo in it felfe , but in their account & eflimation . And the Apoffle Paulwriting to the Corinthi- ans , who had formerly bce,ie exceedingly addiúed to this vice , thought it necetl'ary to vfe many waighty arguments, to prove the hainoulnetle ofthis finne,not onelyto ditfwade them from their former filthy praóilc, but alto to confute and conuince them oftheir olderror, which cuen after their eóuerfìon was not vtterly rooted out oftheir mindes,name- ly, that fornicationwas a thing lawful! and indifferent . And in thisgrotí«e error were alCo the whole fec`f of the Nicolai- tans, whomChritl hiinfelle confuteth in his Epiffle to the Angel of the ChurchofPergamus,Apoe.2. t 4.i 5. Apoc.a,r4.rg Neither doe the Pa ifís inour owne times come farre be- Sept. hinds them; for as they are chiclepatrons and maintainers Papif s th ofthe ç roffeti kindsof fpirituall whoredome and idolatry, grea:e(ìjam: fo arc they fpeciall fauourers and vpholdersofcorporal for- rers offornica- nication, excufing it asveniall in their doCaine , andappro. tiara. uing itas IawfulI in their praetife, in that theymaintaine the common (leaves amongU them,and doenot puniil: tholeat all who doe frequent them . Yea andnot only their grotíctt Duines ,hut their refined Cchoolemen; and elicit their holy Thomas herein flieweth himfelfe prophane and vi found: Çor Thom. guxx. howfoeuer inCome places hecondemneth fornication as a Sr4rn.t.z,quaft, mnrtall fìnne,yct elfewhcre he faith , that , Fornicatio non eft r 54.art.2. multumaggerenda,proptermaimmalum vitandum: Fornica. fSen`znt.rr di. . tionmutt not bee much aggrauated , for the auoidingót a 1 "Madan). greater cull!. And their eaution which in latter times is gi- -- S uen
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