Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)

Do ye not know that he, which cleaveth to an whore, is made one body with her? There shall be two in one flesh (saith he): but he that cleaveth to the lord, is one spirit. What Godly reasons doth the blessed apostle s. Paul bring forth here, to dissuade us from whoredom, and all uncleanness? Your members (sayeth he) are the Temple of the holy Ghost: which, whosoever doth defile, God will destroy him as (sayeth s. Paul. If we be the Temple of the holy Ghost, how unsittyng then is it, to drive that holy spirit from us, through whoredom, and in his place to set the wicked spirits of uncleanness and fornication, and to be joined, and do service to them? Ye are dearly bought (sayeth he) therefore glorify God in your bodies. Christ that innocent lamb of God,^{1 2}hath bought us, from the servitude of the devil, not with corruptible gold and silver, but with his most precious and dear heart blood. To what intent? That we should fall again unto our old uncleanness, and abominable living? Nay verily:³ But that we should serve him, all the days of our life, in holiness, and righteousness: that we should glorify him in our bodies, by purity and cleanness of life. He declareth also, that our bodies are the members of Christ. How unseemly a thing is it then, to cease to be incorporate and one with Christ, and through whoredom to be joined, and made all one with an whore? What greater dishonour, or injury can we do to Christ, then to take away from him, the members of his body, and to join them to whores, ⟨image 76⟩devils, and wicked spirits? And what more dishonour can we do to our selves, then through uncleanness, to lose so excellent a dignity and freedom, and to become bond slaves, and miserable captives, to the spirits of darkness? Let us therefore consider, first the glory of Christ, and then our state, our dignity and freedom, wherein God hath set us, by giving us his holy spirit, and let us valiantly defend the same, against Satan, and all his crafty assaults, that Christ may be honoured, and that we loose not our liberty, but still remain in one spirit with him.

Do ye not knowe that he, whiche cleueth to an whore, is made one body with her? There shalbee two in one fleshe (saith he): but he that cleueth to the lorde, is one spirite. What Godly reasons doth the blessed apostle s. Paule bryng furth here, to disswade vs from whoredom, and al vnclennesse? Your members (saieth he) are the Temple of the holy Ghoste: whiche, whosoeuer doth defile, God wil destroy him as (saieth s. Paule. If we be the Temple of the holy Ghoste, how vnsittyng then is it, to driue that holy spirite frō vs, through whoredome, and in his place to set the wicked spirites of vnclennesse and fornicacion, and to be ioyned, and do seruice to theim? Ye are derely bought (saieth he) therefore glorifie God in your bodies. Christ that innocent lambe of God,