THE SEVENTH COMMANDEMENT

Thov shal not commit adulterie.

The end of this commaundement is, The preseruation of chastitie and wed-locke. Now when God nameth adulterie, hee doth not forbid that only, as being the most grosse vice of all those which are repugnaunt to chastity, but also al vices that are contrary to chastity, and such as are of neere affinity vnto them; likewise their causes, occasions, effects, antecedentes, consequents; and of the contrary he commandeth al things, which make for the preseruation of chastitie. The reasons are these. 1. By one special the rest, that are of neere affinity with that, are vnderstoode. So when adultery is forbidden, other speciall vices of lustes are condemned, and Adultery is mentioned, because it is reckoned amongest the grossest vices of lustes. 2. Where the cause is condemned, there also the effect is condemned, and so of the contrarie. So here are commaunded or forbidden, as wel the antecedentes, as the consequentes. 3. The end and scope of this commaundement is, the preseruing of chastity, and protecting of wedlocke among men. Whatsoeuer therefore maketh for the preseruing of chastity, and for the protecting of wedlocke, is commaunded in this Law: and the contrary is withall forbidden. The vertues of the seuenth commaundement are in number three, Chastitie, Shamefastnes, Temperancy.

Chastity is a vertue preseruiug cleannes of mind & body, agreeing with the will of God, and auoiding all lustes forbidden by God, all vnlawful companings, and inordinate copulation, & all the desires, occasions, causes and effects either in single life, or in wedlocke. Chastitie hath his first original from a¹ Greeke woord, which signifieth to adorne; because it is an ornament not onely of the whole man, but also of all the rest of the vertues. Wherefore that name was giuen by speciall regard and preeminence to this vertue, because it is one of those principall vertues that make the Image of god. Now there is a double chastitie, one of single life; an other of mariage. Chastitie of single life is a vertu, auoiding al lusts, remaining in a sole state without mariage,

Chastitie of marriage is to obserue in marriage the order instituted by the woonderful counsell of God. The causes of chastitie are, 1. The commaundement of GOD. 2. The preseruation of Gods Image. 3. A studie and desire to auoide the defacing of Gods image, and the coniunction that is betweene God and the Church. 4. Rewards and punishments. The extremities of chastitie are, All lustes, their causes, occasions, and effects: all vnlawfull coniunctions, all corrupt desires that violate and hurt the conscience also in marriage. For, by reason of the corruption of our nature, all sinnes are not taken away by marriage; as when the chiefe and principall ende of marriage is not respected.

Shamefastnes, is a vertue abhorring all filthinesse, ioined with a shame, griefe, & sadnes, either for some former vncleannes, or for feare of falling into any hereafter, and hauing a purpose and desire to flie not onely vncleannes it selfe, but also the occasions, and tokens, and signes of vncleannes. Shamefastnes is required vnto chastitie, as a furtheraunce and cause of chastitie; and also as an effect consequent, and signe thereof. The extremities or vices contrarie to shamefastnes are, 1. Shamelesnes or impudencie, which maketh light of vncleannes. 2. A rude and vplandish bashfulnes, or an vnciuil and peruerse bashfulnes, when a man is ashamed of that, whereof hee ought not to bee ashamed, as of a thing which is good and honest, and requireth not any bashfulnes to bee shewed therein.

Temperancie is a vertue obseruing the meane agreeable to nature, honestie, mediocritie, & order of persons, places, and times, according to the lawe and rule of nature, in things concerning the body, as in meat & drink. Temperancie is required vnto chastitie, as a cause without which wee cannot be chast. The extremities of temperancie are, Jntemperancie in meate & quaffings of drink: Likewise an hurtful tēperancie, or too great abstinence & hypocritical, not greeable to nature, such as is the abstinencie of Eremites.

Whereas all sorts of lusts are repugnant vnto chastitie, and to the drift and scope of this commaundement, the same are to bee noted and obserued. They may bee referred vnto three seuerall kindes: Of the first kinde are those which are contrarie to nature, and from the Diuel, namely, such as are euen against this our corrupt nature, not onely because they corrupt it, and bereaue it of that conformity with God, but also because this our corrupt nature abhorreth them: of this kind are those, which are recited by the Apostle, Rom. 1. as confounding of kindes and sexes, likewise the vnnatural abusage of woman-kind. These heinous sinnes and horrible trespasses are to bee punished by the magistrate with extraordinarie punishments. Incest hath for a great part, a repugnancie with this our nature, albeit there were examples of incests in our first parēts, because those were doone but of necessitie, and by dispensation from God himselfe. Therefore this was an exception from the generall rule.

Of the second kinde are those which proceed from this our corrupt nature, as fornications amongst those that are free frō marriage, adulteries betweene persons that are both married, companings of married persons with others that are vnmarried. If a married person haue companie with another married person, it is a double adulterie; for he violateth both his owne wedlocke, and the others. If a married man haue to doe with an vnmarried woman, it is simple adultery. Simple fornication is of those that are vnmarried. Magistrates are by duty bound seuerely to punish incestes & adulteries. For they are much more heinous than thefts & robberies. God appointeth death for adulteries. Nowe although God did not ordaine that simple-fornication also should be punished with death, yet when he saith after, Let there not be a whore among you, hee signifieth that it is to bee punished in his kinde. There are other things also, which are committed of this our corrupt nature with an euil conscience, as lustes and euill desires, vnto which we yeeld, or wherewith wee are delighted, neither endeuour to auoide them. Such vitious and lewd desires, and the like, although they bee not punished in the ciuill court, yet are they ioyned with an euill conscience, and are punished of God.

Of the third kind are corrupt inclinations, vnto which yet good men doe not yeeld, but with-stand them, and take away from them all occasions, and their conscience is not troubled, because God is inuocated and called vpon, and the grace of resistance is desired, and there is remaining in their hearts a testimonie of the remission of their sinnes. And for a remedie for these sinnes, after the fall was mariage appointed. Therefore against these inclinations is it to be said, It is better to marrie, than to burne. But yet S. Paul neuerthelesse by those wordes doth not allowe such mariages as are vntimely, hurtfull to the cōmon wealth, entred into before a lawfull age, or vnhonest, that is, against good orders and manners.

The special Questions of Marriage.

1 What Marriage is.
2 What are the causes of the institution of Marriage.
3 Whether it be a thing indifferent.
4 What are the duties of married persons.
5 What things are contrarie to Marriage.

1 WHAT MARRIAGE IS

Marriage is a lawfull & indissoluble coniunction of one man and one woman, instituted by God, that we might know him to be chast, and to detest all lust: that also we might therein chastly serue the Lord, and that especially it might be a meanes whereby mankind might be multiplied, and God gather thence afterwardes vnto himselfe a Church; Lastlie, that it might bee a societie and fellowship of labours, cares, and praier. That marriage may bee a lawfull coniunction, these thinges are thereto required: 1 That matrimonie bee contracted by the consent of both parties. 2 That there be adioined also the consent of others, whose consent is required, as namelie Parents, or those who are in the place of Parents. 3 That honest conditions be obserued. 4 That there be no errour committed in the persons. 5 That Matrimonie be contracted betweene such persons as are not forbidden by Gods Lawe, as betweene them, vnto whome the degrees of consanguinitie may be no hinderance. The degree of consanguinity is the distance of kinsfolke in discent. Concerning those degrees this rule is to be obserued: How manie persons there are from the stock so manie degrees there are. Now the stocke is the person from whome the rest are deriued. The Line is either of ascendents, or descendents, or collaterals. The Ascendents are all the ancestors and progenitors. The Descendents are all the posterity or progenie. The Line of Collaterals is either equall, or vnequall; It is Equall, when there is equall distance from the common stocke. Vnequal, when the distance is vnequall. Those prohibitions of degrees of consanguinitie from marriage, which are expressed and set downe, Leuit. 18. are Morall, 1 Because the Gentiles are saide to be cast out for these abominations. But the Gentiles had no ceremoniall Lawe. 2 Paul doth most sharplie reprooue him, who married his fathers wife. 1. Cor. 5. Iohn Baptist saith vnto Herod, Mar. 6.18. It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy brothers wife. From the end, because the end, that is, the prohibition of incest in reuerence of Bloud was made vniuersall, perpetuall, and morall. 4 Jt is the Law of nature. 5 The coniunction shal be lawfull, or the marriage lawfull, if such persons be ioined in matrimonie, as are fit to be ioined. 6 If this coniunction be in the Lord, that is, that a beleeuer marrie not with an vnbeleeuer, but with a beleeuer, and that religiouslie in the feare of God. 7 If Matrimonie be contracted between two persons. For they shall be two in one fleshe. Obiection. The Fathers had moe wiues. Aunswere. We must iudge not according to examples, but according to Lawes.

2 What are the causes of marriage

The author of marriage is God himselfe. For marriage is no inuention of Man, but instituted by God in Paradise. Now the causes for which mariage was instituted are, as we may learne out of the definition of marriage, 1 The meanes of multiplieng mankind. 2 The gathering of the Church. 3 The image and resemblance of the coniunction between God & the Church. 4 That loose and wandering lusts might be auoided. 5 That there might bee a societie and fellowshippe of labours and praier. That fellowship is more neere and strait, and therefore sendeth out more ardent and earnest praiers: because we doe more ardently and earnestly helpe them, by our praiers, vnto whom wee are ioined in labour and affection. As, the Parents pray more earnestly for the children, than the children for their Parents; because loue doth descend, not ascend.

3 Whether marriage be a thing indifferent

Marriage is a thing indifferent vnto them, who haue the gift of continencie. But whosoeuer are not endewed with this gift of continencie, vnto all them marriage is not a thing indifferent, but commanded vnto them as necessary from God himselfe. And as marriage is a thing indifferent to all those that are endued with the gift of continencie, so the same is graunted vnto all persons that are fitte and meete for it. But when a iust and lawfull time of contracting marriage is not obserued, then is that thing a cause of many euils and troubles in ciuill and Ecclesiasticall affaires. But notwithstanding whosoeuer haue once lawfully and in the Lord contracted Matrimony, it is neuer permitted or lawfull for them to dissolue or loose the bond of Matrimony once contracted, except it be for adulterie.

4 What are the duties of married persons

The duties of married persons, are, 1 Mutuall Loue, 2 Spousall faith & troth, as each to loue the other only, continually and constantly. 3 Communitie of goods, and a Sympathie or fellow-feeling in euils and calamities. 4 The bringing foorth, and bringing vp of children. 5 Bearing with infirmities, with a desire to cure them. The proper duety of the husband is, 1 To nourish his wise, and children. 2 To gouerne them. 3 To defend them. The proper duety of the wife is, 1 To be a helper vnto her husband in maintaining and preseruing their houshold substance. 2 To obey and reuerence her husband. When these thinges are neglected, they grieuouslie trespasse against the lawful vse of marriage.

5 What thinges are contrarie to matrimonie

Vnto matrimonie are contrarie, fornications, adulteries, incests, vnlawful copulation, abuses of marriage, & diuorces not in case of adulterie. But the person that is forsaken, or is solicited to admit a forsaking, doth not cause the diuorce, but the other.