Adultery .

WHen the Punishments , and Threats for this sinne , are mentioned , the Scriptures speake either in generall , and then the punishment is aggravated , first with certainty ; Whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent , Prov. 6. 29. ( or rather , unpunished , according to the use of the Hebrew word , Jer. 25. 29. and elsewhere , for he is not innocent already : ) secondly with severity ; for God telling the Jewes how severely he would deale with them , sayes , I will judge thee , as women that breake wedlocke , and shed blood are judged , Ezek. 38. 16. Or else speaks in particular , and then the punishments mentioned are first death * * Beza ( upon Matth. 19. 9 ) saith that this law was not executed in Christs time , because then Christ would not have spoken of putting away , I see not how it does necessarily follow , for doubtlesse the husband might put away his wife , and the law might put her to death too ; hee might do it ; though he need not do it , which is all that Christ would have in that place . both of the adulterer and of the adulteresse , by the law of God : This Law was expressed in generall termes , against married women . If a man be found lying by a woman married to an husband , then they shall both of them die , Deu. 22. 22. the Rabbines indeed say it is to be interpreted of * * It is said John 8. 5. Moses in the Law commanded us that such shold be stoned , which I know no need Grotius had to take such paines to reconcile with this opinion , for first t is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such ; and I hope , 〈◊〉 betrothed woman is such . And secondly , for ought that appeare the woman-taken in adultery was a betrothed woman , 〈◊〉 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adultery will beare it well enough , according his owne opinion upon Gal. 5. 19. strangling , and so they say of every other law for putting the offender to death where no mention is made by what kind of death , that it is to be meant of strangling ( which was the easiest kind of death in use among them ) because ( say they ) where the law for punishments doth not determine , we ought to give the most favourable exposition . which however is not so , if the verse of Ezekiel but now quoted be to be interpreted by the next save one ; for then it might be as well stoning , and running through with swords o● javelins , which manner of punishment i● there expressed ( viz. vers. 40. ) and with the latter whereof Zimri and Cozhi wer● punished by Phineas , Num. 25. 6. But agains● women who were but betrothd , it was specified by stoning . If a Damosell that is virgin be a a Grotius agreeing with the Jewes ( as he doth too often ) in the opinion above mentioned gives this reason why the betrothed womans punishment was greater , because ( saith he ) she was not in her husbands custodie : as stealing a sheep out of the field , is punished worse then stealing him out of the fold ; but hee might as well have given such reasons as these : first shee gave away her virginity , which her husband most esteemed : secondly , she brake her promise , viz in so doing : see Deut. 22. 13. to 18. thirdly , she wrought folly in her fathers house . Deut. 22 19. ( where the Scripture it selfe seemes to goe about to aggravate her fault . ) Fourthly , shee was not onely dishonest to her husband in her first love , but shee dishonoured also her first borne , ( whose honour and priviledge among the Jews was very great ) nay and God himself , to whom the first born belonged Num 8. 17. To conclude , you cannot say her punishment should be lesse , because she was not another mans wife for she is call'd a neighbours wife , Deut. 22. 24. and therefore is it said verse 22. married to an husband , as if the party were her husband before . See also for this purpose , Deut. 20. 7. ch. 28. 30. Ezek. 23. 3 , 8. betrothed unto an husband and a man find her in the city , and lie with her . Then yee shall bring them both out unto the gate of the city , and yee shall stone them with stones that they die . Deut. 22 , 23 , 24. and by burning with fire , If she were a Priests daughter . And the daughter of a Priest , if shee profane herselfe by playing the whore , shee profaneth her father , she shall be burnt with fire , Levit. 21 : 19. There is one , The later Jonathan . who ( herein a Para●phrast if in nothing else ) expoundeth it of hot Lead powred into her mouth , which indeed was practis'd in after times In imitation of Gods manner of punishing by fire , which ( they say ) was by burning the parts within , and not hurting the outer part of the body : as in that example of Nadab , and Abihu , and others .

The punishment of Adultery by death had been executed by God , before this Law was made , if the sin had been committed : as it seemes by what he said he would doe to Abimelech , If thou restore her not , knowe that thou shalt surely die , thou and all that are thine , Gen. 20. 7. Speaking of Sarah ; And by what he did to Pharaoh whose house he punisht with great plagues for detaining her in his house , though ( as it is probable ) he knew her not , and though he knew not that she was Abraham's wife . Gen. 12. 17. It seems those people hated Adultery more then a a The Septuagint ( in the old Roman edition though not in the Complutensis ) in translating the Commandements set down Adultery bef●re Murther , and so doe Marke , chap. 10. 19 Luke , chap. 18. 20. aud Paul Ro. 13. 9. Murder : For it is said that Abraham gave out that Sarah was his sister , lest otherwise they should have killed him , that so they might have the better liberty to enjoy her without adultery . It was executed upon the Shechemites when Simeon and Levi put all their male to the sword for Shechems lying with their sister Dinah , Gen. 34. And it was executed upon the Benjamites of Gibeah , for abusing the Levite's Concubine when he lodged there : for the Israelites slew of the Benjamites five and twenty thousand , and burnt the citty , Judg. cap. 8. & cap. 9. Judah being told that his daughter Tamar had plaid the harlot , gave sentence to have her burnt , before hee knew that it was with himselfe , Gen. 38. 24. See the punishment of Zedekiah aud Ahab for this , and other sins , Jer. 29 , 22. 23. It has been executed upon the child begotten in adultery , as upon the child begotten by David upon the wife of Vriah . b b The Jewes say these were the men that would have abus'd Susanna ; & that they were put to death by the King's command , & not by the Jews . The Gemara saies , that they suffered for enticing the King of Babylon's daughter this sinne Because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme , the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die . 2. Sam. 12. 14. Disgrace , and Infamy is the least evill that befalls such children . In Job cap. 31. 10. where he sayes , Let my wife grind unto another man , and let others bow downe upon her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint render the last words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Let my children be abased . It hath beene observed , that the posterity of Adulterers are usually short-lived , see Wisd. cap. 3. 16.

If those that commit adultery escape death , à thousand to one that they escape these ensuing punishments , viz.

2. Retaliation , or being done to as they have done to others thus David was punished , Thus saith the Lord , behold I will raise up evill against thee out of thine own house , and I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy neighbour , And he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of the sun 2 Sam: 12. 11. this threat was fulfilled by one that was his neighbour with a witnesse ; for his owne sonne Absolom lay with his concubines upon the top of the house in the sight of all Israel , cap. 16. 22. Job even in the chapter of his justification , acknowledges it had bin justice for him , if he had been guilty of adultery , to be thus dealt withall , c. 31. 9 , 10. * * For in this sense the old Latin translation renders viz. Scortum alterius sit ux or mea . but Vatablus had rather have it meant of being made a slave . indeed grinding was an usuall imployment and punishment for slaves amongst most nations . See Isai 47 2. Let my wife grind , &c.

3. Continuall feare . They know not the light , for the morning is to them even as the shadow of death ; if one know them , they are in the terrours of the shadow of death . He is swift as the waters . Their portion is cursed in the earth : he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards , Job . 24. 17 , 18. He alwaies goes swiftly for fear of being overtaken , and he never goes in usuall wayes , for feare of being seen .

4. Disgrace . A wound , and dishonour shall he get , and his reproach shall not be wiped away , Prov. 6. 33.

5. Wasting of the body . It was Lemuels advise , Give not thy a a If that he not rather meant of the strength of a mans wealth or state . strength to women , nor thy wayes to b b Salomon knew this by his owne experience some say , these are his words , Lemuel being one of his eight names : but he had them from his mother Abiah the daughter of Zachariah . that which destroyeth Kings , Prov. 31. 3. In Job cap. 31. 12 that which we render a fire that burneth to destruction , the Septuagint render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a fire that burnes in all the members . The women under the law found experience of this punishment , if they had been guilty of the sinne and had drunke of the bitter * * Made of holy water and dust with the washing of the booke in which the curse was written : so that herein her end was as bitter as wormewood . Prov. 5. 4. water . It was given for triall in case of jealousie : & at the drinking therof the priest pronounced this curse . The Lord make thee a curse , and an oath amongst thy people , when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rott , and thy belly to swell , Num. 5. 31. Galvin sayes , by the thigh in this place is meant the power of child-bearing , because o● the contrary it is said , if she were not guilty , she should conceive seed , vers. 28. 50. Pareus upon Rev. cap. 19. 16. where it is said hee had on his thigh this name written King of Kings , saies hereby is shewed that Christs name should be propagated by a long posterity . Both cursing others unlawfully , & being cursed lawfully ( as by excommunication ) the Jews thought it had great effects upon mens bodies ; See the chapter of cursing the Cabbalists observe upon the word Cherem a curse , that the letters therof being one way transposed make it Rachem mercy , because if hee that is cursed do repent , it proves a mercy to him ; but being plac'd another way they make the word Ramach a dart , the letters of which word will stand for 248. which they say is the number of members in a mans body ; because ( say they ) if he doe not repent , the dart or the curse pierced thorow all his members : thorow all his members , say they , and I may adde , especially thorow his Liver by consumptions , &c. for so the Jewes expound that place in the Proverbs , c. 7. 23. he goes after her straightway till a dart strike thorow his liver , saying , that lust is chiefly lodged in the liver , and that it is Gods usuall manner in punishing offenders , to make them suffer most in those parts wherewith they have committed most sinne .

6. Wasting of the estate . It is a fire that consumeth to destruction , and would roote out all mine encrease , Job . 31. 12. See Whoredome .

7. Hell . But he knoweth not that the dead are there , and that her guests are in the depth of hell , Prov. 9. 18. Be not deceived , neither fornicators , nor Idolaters , nor adulterers &c. shall enter into the kingdome of heaven , ● Cor. 6. 9 , 10. See the threat against 〈◊〉 ( if it be not meant of spirituall adultery ) Rev. 2. 22. and Heb. 13 , 3. Tertullian in his booke de pudicitia , sayes that those Churches which admitted into Communion those who had fallen after baptisme , notwithstanding excepted adultery , murder , and Idolatry , and therefore complaines of Zepherinus the Bishop of Rome for admitting adulterers . But yet the Romish Church , excluded them till after long penance , and likewise if they fell the second time .

The greatnesse of this sinne , and the odiousnesse of it in the sight of God , may be further gathered out of the Scriptures , first by the names that are given , either to the sinner as of a dog ( as they usually expound it Deut. 23. 18. not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) and of an a a When Ishbosheth accused Abner of lying with his fathers concubine , he replyed , Am I a dog . Sam. 3. 8. oven heated by the baker b b If the meaning be not of spiritual adultery . Hos. 7. 4. or to the sinn● it selfe , as uncleannesse , Numb. 5. 19. Abomination Ezek. 22. 11. Neighing c c Like horses . it is a saying in one of the Jewish Writers , he that lyeth with another mans wife , his soule entreth into a camell . Buxtorf . in Floril . which yet agrees not with the opinion of the Pharisees , who held transmigration onely of good mens soules ▪ Joseph . de bello lib. 2. cap. 12. Jerem. 5. 8. and cap. 13. 27. Secondly , by the use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies onely sinfull , to expresse adulterous or whorish , as if such a one were more sinfull then others . So Luk. 7. 37. ( according to Beza . ) by that place it appears that the Jewes accounted an idolatrous person ( any sinner , it cannot be , for then they must touch no body ) such an uncleane thing , that they made it religion so much as to be touched by him : for the Pharisees concluded Christ to be no Prophet , because then he would have knowne that she was an adulteresse that washed his feete and not have sufferd her to have touched him . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , adulterous and sinfull stand like words of the same sence in Mark. cap. 8. 38.

3. Thirdly , by the use that is made of the name of adultery viz: for aggravation , to expresse the greatnesse of other abominable sins , as if it were greater then they , thus it is applied to forsaking God ( who vouchsafeth to be a husband to his Church ) especially in the commission of Idolatry , Ezek. 16 , 32 , 36. and elsewhere . And to loving the world , Jam. 4. 4. Yee adulterers and & adulteresses , know ye not that the friendship , ( or love of the world ) is enmity with ( or hating of ) God : Certainly the Apostle being to reprove such a base and unworthy sin as that , if he could have thought of worse names then adulterers & adulteresses hee would have been sure to have used them , So our Saviour calling the Jews an adulterous generation seemeth to have taken it for the worst terme that he could have given them Mat. 19. 39. & cap. 16. 4 ; but especially Mark. 8 , 38. for there he seems to speak more angrily using the demonstrative , This : This * * Which we commonly use when we speak in anger , as when we say , this same naughty fellow , or the like . adulterous aud sinfull generation . There is no sinner so likely to be punished as an adulterer ( with another mans wife , especially because he seldome hath repentance to prevent it , and none so likely to be severely punished , because he hath no excuse to mitigate it ; and therefore Chrysostome compares the adulterer to a Pilot that casts away a ship in the haven , and the unmarried fornicator to him that casts her away abroad in the brunt of the weather , where it is hard to avoid it .

First , this sinne is the most secret sinne to men ( committed by the body ) and such as they who commit it not onely never thinke they shall suffer , but thinke they shall never suffer for ( because the hand of man can seldome reach them ) & therefore is it the more likely to be discovered by God , Matth. 6. 4. 6. David prayes that God would cleanse him from secret faults . Ps. 19. 12. and more sure to be openly punished . The most secret goodnesse , and the most secret wickednesse , have usually the most publike , and the greatest reward .

Secondly , it is a sinne that is soonest forgotten by men , See Prov. 30. 19. 20. because it leaves no footsteps behind it , and therefore it is the surer to be remembred by God . Under the Law the Sacrifice which was offered for the woman suspected of adultery was called mincha ziccaro● , an offering of memoriall , because it was not offered to put away the sinne , but to find it out , and to bring it to mind , if it were committed , Num. 5. 15.

Lastly , this sinne is a most pleasing sinne to men , and therefore also the more likely to be punished ; because usually such sins as are most pleasing to us , are most displeasing to God : as on the other side , such things as are most displeasing to God , a● through the cunning of the Divell , mad● most pleasing to us . I say the sins that a●● most pleasing are most dangerous , and th● sins that are most dangerous the Divel● makes most pleasing . he is like a cunning fisher : he will put the best bait upon the be●● hook Sweetest things , turne soonest to bitternesse , and yet stoln waters none * * Prov. 9. ●9 . so sweet Beware therefore of believing thine enemy the Divell : his good news is still too goo● to be true . Mistrust him alwaies , but especially then when he comes with * * Timeo Danos & dona fere●tes . gifts . Thi● thou knowest , that he would have thee do nothing but what shall doe thee hurt , an● consequently , that what he is most earne● to have thee doe , that will doe thee mo● hurt . Therefore as he encreases his tentations , so doe thou thy suspicion ; and b● Gods assistance thou shalt be able to wors● him . I have been the longer upon this si● because I see it is thought upon so slightly committed so greedily , and lamented so sparingly .