Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)

In what case then are those adulterers, which for the love of an whore, put away their true and lawful wife, against all law, right, reason, and conscience? O, damnable is the state wherein they stand. Swift destruction shall fall on them, if they repent not, and amend not: for God will not ever suffer holy wedlock, thus to be dishonoured, hated and despised. He will once punish this carnal and licentious manner of living, and cause, that his holy ordinance shall be had in reverence, and honour. For surely,¹ wedlock (as the Apostle sayeth) is honourable among all men, and the bed undefiled: But whoremongers and fornicators,² God will judge, […] is to say, punish and condemn. But to what purpose is this labour taken, to describe, and set forth the greatness of the sin of whoredom, and the incommodities that issue and flow out of it, seeing that breath and tongue shall sooner fail any man, then he shall, or may be able to set it out, according to the abomination and heinousness thereof? Notwithstanding this is spoken to the intent, that all men should flee whoredom, and live ⟨image 78⟩in the fear of God. God grant, that it may not be spoken in vain. Now will I declare unto you in order, with what grievous punishments, God in times pass, plagued adultery: and how certain worldly Princes also, did punish it, that ye may perceive, that whoredom and fornication be since, no less detestable in the sight of God, & of all good men, then I have hitherto uttered.³ In the first book of Moses we read, that when mankind began to be multiplied upon the earth, the men and women gave their minds so greatly to carnal delectation, and filthy pleasure, that they lived without all fear of God. God seeing this their beastly and abominable living, and perceiving that they amended not, but rather increased daily more and more, in their sinful and unclean manners, repented that he ever had made man:

In what case then are those adulterers, which for the loue of an whore, put awaye their true and lawfull wyfe, againste all lawe, ryght, reason, and conscience? O, dampnable is the state wherin thei stande. Swifte destruction shall fall on them, if they repent not, and amende not: for God wyll not euer suffer holy wedlocke, thus to be dishonoured, hated and despyced. He will once punishe this carnal and licencious maner of liuing, and cause, that his holy ordinaunce shalbe had in reuerence, and honoure. For surely,