A20760:214
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.
Secondly,1 as it deformeth the body; so also it disableth it, turning strength into weakness, and health into sickness. For as the earth it self with too much moisture is turned into bogs and quagmires; so also is the body thereby wholly corrupted, and (through the redundance of humours, the natural heat being extinguished) is brought unto grievous diseases, as dropsies, gouts, palsies, apoplexy, and such like. So that even in this respect the drunkard buyeth his beastly pleasure at a high rate:2 for, as one saith, Ebrietas unius horae hilaram insaniam, longi temporis taedio pensat: Drunkenness requiteth one hours merry madness, with a long and tedious time of sorrow and repentance. As therefore sobriety and temperance is the best nurse to preserve health and continue strength; so drunkenness, excess and surfeiting are the speediest means to overthrow them, and the readiest way which a ⟨p. 97⟩man can take to come with posting haste to immature age and unnatural weakness.
Secondly,1 as it deformeth the bodie; so also it disableth it, turning strength into weaknesse, and health into sicknesse. For as the earth it selfe with too much moisture is turned into bogges and quagmires; so also is the bodie thereby wholly corrupted, and (through the redundance of humours, the naturall heate being extinguished) is brought vnto grieuous diseases, as dropsies, gouts, palsies, apoplexie, and such like. So that euen in this respect the drunkard buyeth his beastly pleasure at a high rate:2 for, as one saith, Ebrietas vnius horae hilaram insaniam, longi temporis taedio pensat: Drunkennesse requiteth one houres merry madnesse, with a long and tedious time of sorrow and repentance. As therefore sobrietie and temperance is the best nurse to preserue health and continue strength; so drunkennesse, excesse and surfetting are the speediest meanes to ouerthrow thē, and the readiest way which a ⟨p. 97⟩