A20760:204
Four treatises tending to dissuade all Christians from four no less heinous then common…Foure treatises tending to disswade all Christians from foure no lesse hainous then common…
Four treatises tending to dissuade all Christians from four no less heinous then common sins; namely, the abuses of swearing, drunkenness, whoredom, and bribery. Wherein the greatness and odiousness of these vices is discovered; and the means and remedies, which may either preserve, or wean men from them, are propounded. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of anger. By John Downame Bachelor in Divinity, and preacher of Gods word.Foure treatises tending to disswade all Christians from foure no lesse hainous then common sinnes; namely, the abuses of swearing, drunkennesse, whoredome, and briberie. Wherein the greatnes and odiousnesse of these vices is discouered; and the meanes and remedies, which may either preserue, or weane men from them, are propounded. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of anger. By Iohn Dovvname Batcheler in Diuinitie, and preacher of Gods word.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for William Welby, 1609
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.
CHAP. V. That the drunkard sinneth most grievously against himself.
CHAP. V. That the drunkard sinneth most grieuously against himselfe.
And thus you see how grievously the drunkard sinneth against his neighbours.1 But as he is bad to all others, so he is worst unto himself: for he that is addicted to this vice, draweth upon him innumerable evils, and these are either temporal or spiritual. The temporal evils respect the whole person, or more specially either the soul or the body. The evils which concern the whole person are divers. First, hereby he so disableth himself,2 that he is altogether unfit to perform the duties of his calling; for the most of his time he spendeth in idleness, and (as they call it) good fellowship; and that which remaineth cannot profitably be employed for any good use, seeing neque mens, neque pes officium faciet, all his parts are so disordered and disabled, that neither his mind nor any member of the body can do their duty. And therefore as he spendeth the after noons and the greatest part of the night in drinking, so he is fain to spend the morning in sleeping; in regard whereof the proverb is verified: Ebrius non vidit solem orientem: The drunkard seldom seeth the Sun rising. Yea he doth by his excessive drinking, not only bring upon himself a drowsy sleepiness, but also a senseless deadness, unto any good action. And as his belly is an unsatiable grave to bury his drink, so his drink is as it were a grave wherein he is buried; in regard whereof one truly saith,3 that ebriosus quum absorbet vinum, absorbetur à vino: Whilst the drunkard devoureth wine, he is devoured of wine, seeing nothing remaineth of a man but a senseless trunk and filthy carcass. Unto which also the Prophet Isaiah alludeth, chap. 28.7.4