A20760:269
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.
AS when the great body of the Common-wealth is throughly purged from the noisome dregs of sin,1 wherewith it is oppressed and surcharged, it sucketh plentifully, and as it were with a good appetite, Gods liberal gifts and blessings like wholesome food, the which it distributeth to all the particular members thereof, for their nourishment and preservation: so contrariwise when these gross humours of iniquity and corruption do superabound, and are not purged either by the repentance of the offenders, or the due execution of judgement, and inflicting of deserved punishment upon those who stubbornly persist in their wickedness; it hath no power or faculty to receive Gods benefits, or to communicate them unto the people for their sustenance and relief. Yea rather it waxing every day more sick, partly with the intolerable weight of sin, and partly being deprived of the comfortable beams of Gods love and favour; like a sick body overburdened with crude and corrupted humours it seeketh to ease it self; and because the ⟨p. 129⟩people will by no means be cleansed from their sin, the country laboureth to cleanse it self, both of it and them, and spueth out all his inhabitants, that together with them it may be disburdened of their corruptions.
AS when the great bodie of the Common-wealth is throughlie purged from the noisome dregs of sinne,1 wherewith it is oppressed and surcharged, it sucketh plentifully, and as it were with a good appetite, Gods liberall gifts and blessings like wholesome food, the which it distributeth to all the particular members thereof, for their nourishment and preseruation: so contrariwise when these grosse humours of iniquitie and corruption do superabound, and are not purged either by the repentance of the offenders, or the due execution of iudgement, and inflicting of deserued punishment vpon those who stubbornly persist in their wickednesse; it hath no power or facultie to receiue Gods benefits, or to communicate them vnto the people for their sustenance and reliefe. Yea rather it waxing euery day more sicke, partly with the intolerable waight of sinne, and partly being depriued of the comfortable beames of Gods loue and fauour; like a sicke bodie ouerburthened with crude and corrupted humours it seeketh to ease it selfe; and because the