A20760:240
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. VIII. The causes why drunkards continue in their sin.
And yet such is the folly of voluptuous men,1 that howsoever all these evils do accompany this vice of drunkenness both temporal and eternal, yet they will not be reclaimed from it; the which folly is so much the greater, ⟨p. 112⟩in that they wilfully incur all these mischiefs, for the nourishing of a sin, that hath not in it so much as any respect of worldly good; for it is not accompanied with honour and credit, but with shame and reproach; it doth not bring with it profit and riches, but loss and poverty; neither can there be any pleasure in the vice it self: for what more delight can a man take to drink when he doth not thirst, then to eat when he is not hungry? to continue still carousing when already he hath drunk too much, then presently after a great feast to fall to eating again upon a surfeited and full stomach? but only that by long custom they have brought themselves to an habit, and turned superfluity into necessity: so that as those who load themselves with clothes, are apt to take cold if they leave off any one garment, though the one half were sufficient to preserve their bodies in natural heat and strength, if they were so accustomed; so these drunkards by long use have brought upon themselves such a necessity of drinking, that their dropsy desire is never satisfied, nor their insatiable thirst quenched, unless they be continually bibbing.
ANd yet such is the follie of voluptuous men,1 that howsoeuer all these euils do accompanie this vice of drunkennesse both temporall and eternall, yet they will not be reclaimed from it; the which follie is so much the greater, ⟨p. 112⟩in that they wilfully incurre all these mischiefes, for the nourishing of a sinne, that hath not in it so much as any respect of worldly good; for it is not accompanied with honour and credit, but with shame and reproch; it doth not bring with it profit and riches, but losse and pouertie; neither can there be any pleasure in the vice it selfe: for what more delight can a man take to drinke when hee doth not thirst, then to eate when he is not hungrie? to continue still carousing when alreadie he hath drunke too much, then presently after a great feast to fall to eating againe vpon a surfetted and full stomacke? but onely that by long custome they haue brought themselues to an habite, and turned superfluitie into necessitie: so that as those who loade themselues with clothes, are apt to take cold if they leaue off any one garment, though the one halfe were sufficient to preserue their bodies in naturall heate and strength, if they were so accustomed; so these drunkards by long vse haue brought vpon themselues such a necessitie of drinking, that their dropsie desire is neuer satisfied, nor their insatiable thirst quenched, vnlesse they be continually bibbing.