A20760:216
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.
It is true also that the mother earth is enfeebled with much bearing, and hath her strength much abated with so innumerable child-births, and being now come to her cold melancholy age, cannot bring forth her fruits so full of virtue and strength, and so fit for the nourishment of our bodies, as she did in former times; but that there should be such a change so sudden and so extraordinary, and that there should be such great difference in health, and strength, and long life, between this our age, and that which went next before; it can be imputed unto nothing more then this, that now drunkenness and intemperance is after an extraordinary manner increased, whereby the natural and vital heat of men is drowned and extinguished, before it be near spent, like a candle cast into the water, before it be half burned. If then we think it a fearful sin for a man to murder himself, and by laying violent hands on his own person to shorten his life; then let us not esteem drunkenness as a small offence, seeing it produceth the same effects, though by other means and instruments, and bringeth our bodies to the same untimely death, although it be by a divers way.
It is true also that the mother earth is infeebled with much bearing, and hath her strength much abated with so innumerable child-birthes, and being now come to her cold melancholie age, cannot bring forth her fruites so full of vertue and strength, and so fit for the nourishment of our bodies, as shee did in former times; but that there should be such a change so suddaine and so extraordinarie, and that there should be such great difference in health, and strength, and long life, betweene this our age, and that which went next before; it can be imputed vnto nothing more then this, that now drunkennesse and intemperance is after an extraordinarie manner increased, whereby the naturall and vitall heate of men is drowned and extinguished, before it bee neere spent, like a candle cast into the water, before it bee halfe burned. If then wee thinke it a fearefull sinne for a man to murther himselfe, and by laying violent hands on his owne person to shorten his life; then let vs not esteeme drunkennesse as a small offence, seeing it produceth the same effects, though by other meanes and instruments, and bringeth our bodies to the same vntimely death, although it bee by a diuers way.