Co[m]mon places of Scripture ordrely and after a co[m]pendious forme of teachyng set forth with no litle labour, to the gret profit and help of all such studentes in Gods worde as haue not had longe exercyse in the same, by the ryghte excellent clerke Eras. Sarcerius ; translated in to Englysh by Rychard Tauerner.

Of wedlocke. CA. LVI.

WEdlok is the laufull couple of mā & wife, ordeyned indissolubly to bring forth children, & to eschew fornicacion.

THAT matrimony is the couple of man and wife doubteth no man. This word (lauful) excludeth al gyle & fraud which may chaūce about {per}sons cōtra∣cting matrimony. Now the formar ef∣fect of matrimony, which is, y^• it is or∣deyned to the procreacion of yssue, pro¦ueth

the place of Gene. ca. i. Cressi••e et multiplicamini. Encrease, & be ye mul¦tiplied. The latter effect declareth Paul to the Corin. writynge: It is good for man not to touche a woman, neuerthe∣lesse to auoyde fornicaciō let euery mā haue his wyfe, and let euerye woman haue her husband. As touching the insti¦tution, god did institute wedlocke. Ge. ij. I added this terme (indissolubly) that is to saye, vndepartably or w^tout brea∣kyng, that a man shold not thinke that wedlocke ones lawfullye made can be vndone & broken, which thynge Chryst him self forbyddeth saying. That god cōioyned, let no mā separate. Howbeit where aduoutry cōmeth bitwene, there is no longer wedlocke. For the {pro}messe gyuen is broken, wherfore in such case it is lawful, according to the doctrine of Christ to seperate the persons whi∣che before were contracted in matry∣monye.

Causes of wedlocke be these: God the instituter, the cōsent of the parētes, or of such as supply their rowmes, & of y^• {per}sons cōtracting. Itē the lawes as wel natural as politique, the customes of y^• coūtrey. &c. For matrimony belongeth also to ciuil & politique thinges, wher∣fore

the lawes of nature, of prīces, the customes of the coūtrey may not be ne∣glected about matrimony.

Wedlok is of one kynde, y^t is to wi••e, the lawful couple of mā & wife, by the agrement of bothe.

THEFFECTES of wedlocke be these. To bring forth children. Gene. i. This effect although it proprely belon¦geth to wedlocke, yet it chaunceth not without the singuler blessing of god or gift of the lord, wherwith god rewar∣deth suche as feare him, accordinge to the prophete: Blessed are all they that feare the lord and walke in his wayes thy wyfe shall be as the frutefull vyne vpō y^• walles of thy house, thy children lyke the olyue braunches round aboute thy table: lo, thus shal the mā be blessed that feareth the lorde. To be a remedy agaynst fornicacion. To be a signe of gods wil towardes vs in y^t we knowe this kynd of lyfe please god, & therfore is decked with the promises of god, and w^t the worde. To be a token of the spi∣ritual wedlocke and felowship, which is bitwene the church and Christ, accor¦ding to Paul. This is a great mistery, but I speke bitwene Christ and the con¦gregacion.

Cōtraryes to matrimony be these. To say matrimonye is not thordinaūce of god, but mās inuēciō. To say matrimo¦ny is a sacramēt, iustifieng euen of the very worke selfe. To holde a man may haue by gods lawe mo wyues at ones thē one, cōtrary to the first ordinaūce of matrimony. Ge. 2. And they .ij. shall be one flesh. &c. Neither is there red any cōmaūdemēt in the old testamēt for the hauing of many wiues, although exem¦ples do testify y^t it was ī vre, & {per}chaūce also suffred at those times for increase of yssue or for other causes. But y^• newe testamēt doth vtterly forbyd the hauīg of many wiues, & that by thauctorite of Christ, who bringeth vs back agayn to the true instinct of nature, & right ordi¦nāce of god. To hold it a lauful matri¦mony y^• is cōtracted agaīst gods lawes of princes, vsages of the coūtrey, ••sent of y^• parētes, or of such as rep̄sent their rowme, against the cōsent of the cōtra¦ctours or whiche is cōtracted bitwene {per}sons impotēt vnhable & vnmete to the same. To hold y^• certeyn matrimonies cōtracted agaīst some of y^• causes afore said ought to be dissolued & brokē after they be made, & can not be vndone. To hold y^t it is lauful about matrimony to

vse al maner of gyle & fraud. To say y^• bare cōsent of the mā & wyfe ought to make matrimony. To say matrimony may be broken for any other causes thē for only aduoutry. To say sycknes or other chaunce of fortune, either {pro}spe∣rous or aduerse may breke matrimony ones laufully cōtracted. To hold y^t the infidelitie or vnfaithfulnes of eyther of the {per}sons in matrimony breketh ma¦trimony, cōtrary to the apostle. 1. Cor. 7. To say it were not better to marye then to burne in outwarde concupis∣scence & lustes. To exercise froward∣nes and vngentlenes in matrimony. To regarde matrimony slouth∣fully, or not to susteyn lo∣uingly suche thynges as pertayne vnto it. (?)

¶The ende of the common places of Erasmus Sarcerius.

••ELOS.

Notes

• Definicyon
• Probacyon••
• ••. Corin. vii.
• Mat. xix. a
• Causes.
• Partes
• Effectes of matr••monye.
• Psal. cxxvi••.
• i. Cor. vii. a
• Ephe. v. ••
• Contraryes
• Poligamie, that is, the ha¦uing of many wyues togy∣ther is for∣bydden.
• ☞
• Math. v. xix.
• Forbydding of wedlocke is the doctri∣ne of deuyls i. Corin. vii. ••