Sermons upon Deuteronomy

namely that men be not content to foster their lusts, and to foade themselves with vain flatteries, but they do also cast themselves to the spoil like mad men, and become drunken to bereave themselves of discretion; yea they become very beasts, to the intent they may have no more feeling of their evil; they cast away all shame, to become like unto brute beasts: they have no grief of conscience, and they proceed so far as to blear out their tongues against all manner of admonitions that be given them. When men come to that point, it is a right adding of drunkenness unto thirst. But now let us learn, that when our Lord showeth us our faults, it is to the end, that every of us should enforce and strain himself to correct his wicked lusts, and beware that we maintain them not. But above all things let us take heed that we tempt not GOD, nor make war upon him openly, nor proceed to add drunkenness unto thirst, that is to say, that we add not beastly distemperance to our own wicked inclination. It is too much that we should be allured by our desires, and lusts; but to become so drunken and beastly in them, as to have no consideration at all of them; and to be sopped in our naughtiness that we fall to seeking of monstrous things after the manner of drunkards: Alas, whereto tendeth it? Is it not an utter defacing of GODS image in us, as much as we can? And yet is it too much seen in the world; for they that flatter themselves in common vices, do fall in the end into so heinous and great enormities, as it seemeth, that they would confound heaven & earth together. ⟨p. 1037⟩When a man hath a long while made none account of God, and is become drunken in his filthiness; what will he do after he is so besotted? He will pass the bounds even of natural honesty, in so much that the very beasts do hold their lusts in order: but man, not knowing at all what he is, transfigureth himself: and that is it that Saint Paul meaneth in saying, that when men have despised GOD, they fall into many concupiscences,¹ and they must needs forget §10themselves, and throw themselves headlong into so shameful enormities, as a man cannot tell how to work them greater reproach than they do to themselves.

namely that men bee not content to foster their lustes, and to foade themselues with vaine flatteries, but they do also cast themselues to the spoyle lyke madde men, and become drunken to bereaue themselues of discretion; yea they become verie beastes, to the intent they may haue no more feeling of their euill; they cast away all shame, to become like vnto brute beastes: they haue no griefe of conscience, and they proceede so farre as to bleare out their tongues against all manner of admonitions that bee giuen them. When men come to that poynt, it is a right adding of drunkennesse vnto thirst. But nowe let vs learne, that when our Lorde sheweth vs our faultes, it is to the ende, that euerie of vs shoulde enforce and straine himselfe to correct his wicked lustes, and beware that we maintaine them not. But aboue all thinges let vs take heede that wee tempt not GOD, ne make warre vppon him openly, ne proceede to adde drunkennesse vnto thirst, that is to say, that wee adde not beastly distemperance to our owne wicked inclination. It is too much that wee should bee allured by our desires, and lustes; but to become so drunken and beastly in them, as to haue no consideration at all of them; and to bee saped in our naughtinesse that we fall to seeking of monstrous thinges after the manner of drunkardes: Alas, whereto tendeth it? Is it not an vtter defacing of GODS image in vs, as much as wee can? And yet is it too much seene in the worlde; for they that flatter themselues in common vices, doe fall in the ende into so haynous and great enormities, as it seemeth, that they would confound heauen & earth together.