[The flour of godly praiers] [most worthy to be vsed in these our daies for the sauegard, health, and comforte of all degrees, and estates / newlie made by Thomas Becon].

A prayer agaynste whoredome.

* 1.1HOwe greatly thou doste ab∣horre whoredom, fornicaciō and all vnclennes O Lord,* 1.2 y^e drownyng of the whole world, the destruccion of Sodome and Gomorre with water,* 1.3 fire & brim¦stone,* 1.4 from heuen, and such other like plages mencioned in the ho∣ly scriptures▪ do euidētly declare and shew.* 1.5 Thy cōmaundement is that we shulde cōmit none ad∣ultry.* 1.6 And in the common▪ weale of the Israelits thou cōmaūdest,* 1.7 that there shuld neither be whor∣monger nor whore. If any suche wer found, y^e thei shuld be stoned vnto deathe.* 1.8 For althoughe the l••ppes of an harlotte are to the folyshe a droppynge hony come, and her necke softer then oyl: yet at y^e last is she as bitter as worm∣wod, and as sharp as a swearde. Her feete go down vnto death, &

her steppes haste them into hell, and he y^e accompanieth him selfe with an whore,* 1.9 shal go doun vn∣to hel but he that goeth away frō her, shalbe saued.* 1.10 Yea he y^• main¦teineth an whore, shal come vnto beggery in this world, and after this life shal haue his part in the lake that burneth wyth fire and brymstone. O Lorde,* 1.11 thou haste called vs not vnto vnclēnes, but vnto holynes & purenes of lyfe,* 1.12 thou hast made vs one body and one spirit with the: how vnseme¦ly thē is it to take the mēbers of Christ,* 1.13 & to make thē the mēbers of an harlot? We therfore moste humbly besech the to make in vs a clene hert to renue a right spi∣rite within vs, & to turn away al voluptuousnesse from vs.* 1.14 Take from vs the lusts of the body, let not the desires of vnclēnes take hold vpon vs, and geue vs not o∣ouer

into an vnshamefaste and obstinate minde.* 1.15 Let not fornica¦ciō, adultery, nor any kind of vn∣clēnes be once named amōg vs. Let no fylthye communicaciōn procede out of your mouthes,* 1.16 but that which is good to edifie with al when nede is,* 1.17 that it may haue fauour with the hearers. And for asmuch as nether fornicatours, neyther whoremongers,* 1.18 nether weaklīgs, nether abusers of thē selfs with the mankinde, shal en¦herit the kingdome of God: grāt we hertely pray the that suche as be vnmaried, may kepe thē selfs pure and vndefiled after the exā¦ple of that godly yong man Io∣seph and bring with thē vnto ho∣norable wedlocke both their bo∣dyes and myndes chast & honest. Graunte also y^t the maryed men may beware and kepe thē selfes from all whoredome,* 1.19 and vse the

companye of no woman besides theyr wife. Again,* 1.20 graunt that al maried women may practyse the maners of that vertuous womā Susāna, & nether for flattering nor manacing words at anytime consent vnto vnclennes, but so kepe the bed vndefiled, that their mariage may be honorable, that God may blesse thē & theyr godly trauels, and make theym ioyfull Mothers of manye children. Fy∣nally graūt (O most merciful fa∣ther) y^t we may so auoid al vnclē∣nes, y^t we being pure both in bo∣dye & soule may deserue to se thy glorious face in thi heuēly kīgdō thorow Iesu christ our lord. Amē

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. xlvii.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. xix.
• * 1.3

  Exod, xx.
• * 1.4

  Deute. v.
• * 1.5

  Deu. xxiii.
• * 1.6

  Leuit. ••x.
• * 1.7

  Deut. xxii
• * 1.8

  Prou••r. v.
• * 1.9

  Prouer. ix.
• * 1.10

  Proue. x••x.
• * 1.11

  Apoca. xx i. Tess. iii••.
• * 1.12

  i. Corin. vi
• * 1.13

  Psalm. li.
• * 1.14

  Ecle. xxiii.
• * 1.15

  Ephesi. v.
• * 1.16

  Ephe. iiii.
• * 1.17

  i. Cor. vi.
• * 1.18

  Ephesi. v.
• * 1.19

  Gen. xxxix.
• * 1.20

  Tobi. iiii. Iob. ••iii.