A17183:924
Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)
Fifty godly and learned sermons divided into five decades, containing the chief and principal points of Christian religion, written in three several tomes or sections, by Henry Bullinger minister of the church of Tigure in Switzerland. Whereunto is adjoined a triple or three-fold table very fruitful and necessary. Translated out of Latin into English by H.I. student in divinity.Fiftie godlie and learned sermons diuided into fiue decades, conteyning the chiefe and principall pointes of Christian religion, written in three seuerall tomes or sections, by Henrie Bullinger minister of the churche of Tigure in Swicerlande. Whereunto is adioyned a triple or three-folde table verie fruitefull and necessarie. Translated out of Latine into English by H.I. student in diuinitie.
London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralph Newberrie, 1577London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralphe Newberrie, 1577
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Continency in meat and drink is not the loathing of wine and victuals, 1but the moderate using of them, to supply our necessity, and not to cloy us with gluttony.
Continencie in meate and drincke is not the loathinge of wyne and victualls, 1but the moderate vsinge of them, to supplie oure necessitie, and not to cloye vs with gluttonie.
- 1Continency in meat & drink.Continēcy in meate & drinke.
God in the Scripture doeth condemn gluttony, surfeitings, riotous afterbanquettes, and drunkenness, which he forbiddeth most of all. For of drunkenness do spring endless miseries, and innumerable mischiefs, grievous diseases, poverty, and pinching beggary. Solomon saith: Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath strife? Who hath brawling? who hath wounds without a cause? who hath read eyes? ⟨p. 240⟩even they that follow the wine, and seek excess thereof. Look not thou upon the wine how read it is, and what a colour it giveth in the glass: It goeth down sweetly, but at the last it byteth like a serpent, and poisoneth like an adder. I will not rehearse all which I could allege out of heathen writers, against surfeiting and drunkenness. Solomon alone in that one sentence containeth a great 1deal of matter. Moreover, he that heareth not Christ, whom is it likely that he will give ear unto, in all the world? Now Christ in the Gospel by the parable of the rich glutton, doth marvellous evidently, set forth the woeful end of insatiable paunches. In the same Gospel also he taketh occasion to touch the surfeitings and drunkenness of our age, I mean the age which is immediately before the Judgment day, where he saith: As it happened in the days of Noah and Lot, they did eat and drink even until the day that Noah entered into the ark and that Lot departed from among the Sodomites: and then incontinently the deluge came, and fire & brimstone poured down from heaven, and destroyed them all. Again he addeth: Take heed to your selves least at any time your hearts be overcome with surfeiting and drunkenness, & cares of this life, and so that day come upon you at unawares. For as a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, at all times praying, that ye may escape all these things and stand before the son of man. And I would to God that all men would not write this golden, heavenly, and divine admonition of our Saviour in their halls, and dining parlours only, but in their several hearts also. For since drunkenness hath in these our days so good entertainment with all degrees, estates, kinds and ages, we do daily feel the woeful miseries, that God doth threaten to drunkards in the 5. and 28. cap. of Isaiah's Prophecy.