The fouleneífe of Adulterie. the third Sonday inLent. Ser.24.. feemed aleffe finnetoDauid than his adulteriewith Berfhe6a. AndSaint Chry- ff ome proouesthis out.. ofthat adof dbrahams, who intreatedSaraah togiue out, that the was hisfitter; for if it fhouldbe knowne thatfhe was his wife,ma- king lighter ofmurder than adulterie, they would not Ricke to kill him. Stefan- ma efteemed lefhe ofdeath, than the difhonour to her felfe and her houfe. Ho- merftories it of Plyffes, That when he was abfent from his wife Penelope,hecwas folicitedand earnettly layd at by Circesthe Sorcereffe, whopromifed to make him immortali : andhowbeit hee did verily beleeue that fire was ableto make good her word, yet didheleffe reckonof immortalitie, thanof committing adulterie. Salomonproues, That theeuing is a Ieffeoffence 3 formanymen fteale meerely out of purehunger, vt efurienttm implant animam , thattheir hungrie foulesmay be fatisfied.But the Adulterer bathno excufe at all ; the Theefemay make fatisfaétion ,Seddetfeptuptum, Hefhallreflorefeuenfold; the Law requires no more of him : but the Adulterer,withall that hee hath, is not able to make farisfaétion ; all the wealthand lands that a man hash, cannot ballance (bee they neuer foheauie) thewrong that is donebyanAdulterer. In aword, The finneof Adulterie is without all queftionofall other frnnes thegreateft. Stemma faculi reatus,Tertullian,callsit. SaintCyprian, Summum delirium. And yet the Scrip- ture confounds thefe two, and Riles Idolatrie, Adulterie : As in that of Holed, omnes ádtelterantur, yuaf clihanusfuecenfus,They haueall committedadulterie , they haue rnnne a whoringafterflrangegods, adoreall as hot as w omen. Saint Hierome vnderftanding here vpon this place,The Idolaters,&c. The thirdargument is, The harmewhich infuesvpon this finne : Clemens4- lexandrinus termes Adulterie, Peßemmaximam. rob, a firethat fweeps all away, makes hauocke and ruinebothofroot and tree, and euerie branch thereof; am- nia eradicansgermina, Rooting out all the Plants,euen to thechildren and nephews. Such adulterated Plants(faithWif<dome) though they take deepe rooting, and fpreadabroad their branches,yet (hall they not inioy any ftabilitie or firmneffe: The Roman Emperours made good proofehereof, for fuch asWere giuen to Adulteries, neuerfaw any fucceffionoftheir owne. The like did Herod, who robbedhis brother Abimileckof his wifé : and fo diuers others. Filj tuificut neuella olivarum, which are neuer ingraffed into any other Tree. And the Church, though the be fo cockering and indulgent a mother, doth disfauour themand reprooue them. The fourth & late is,Naturesdiflike therof,which thinks her felfe extreamly wronged and iniured thereby ; Which feemethmuch toaggrauatethe ualitie ofthe offence. Firft, In the men ; who perhaps though theydoenot come thereby to -bee infamous, yet theyarenot able withall that they haue, torecompence this fib foule anaffront ; fo faith Salomon. Alexander writing to his mother olympiad, Riles himfelfe theTonne of Jupiter ; but thereinhe exceedinglywronged his mo- ther,in makingher an Adultereffe, though it were by the greaten Deitie of Heauen. Secondly, Inthe beans, in whom thereis a refenemem ofthis wrong. In whichkind, Plinie,..Elian,and diuersotherHinorians tell nrange tales. But aboue all, God holds himfelfe therein 'greatly offended, efpecially this finne beingcommittedby Chrifians. Firft, BecaufeMatrimonie is a Mynerie, which reprefents the vnion of the marriage ofGod withhis Church. And forthis caufe Godcalls them both but one flefh; They areno meretwaine, but oneflefh, let not man thereforeputafunder that 419 Dan.,;. afee 7. Aduiterie dit aimed eues by Nature. Prou.S.; s.
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