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…

In consideration whereof,¹ I thought it my duty (being called to this function, and appointed by the Lord to be a watchman to tell the people of their sins) to speak and write against these filthy vices of whoredom and uncleanness; and that the rather, because sins of this kind, in these latter times are exceedingly increased in this our country. And howsoever the grand sinks and filthy sewers of the land, the common stews, which heretofore were to the shame of religion either licensed or tolerated, are now by the laudable care of our Magistrates taken away, so as our country is not so noisome through the confluence of the common filth, nor the uncleanness so great an eyesore, because it doth not as in former times lie open to public view; yet the filthiness of our people is not clean purged with the clear streams of true repentance; but rather the common sink is divided into many filthy channels which run securely into private houses, and make every corner noisome ⟨p. 130⟩and infectious, especially in the outparts and suburbs of our greatest cities. And though the common pest be eased and emptied of these persons infected with the contagious plague of uncleanness, yet the danger is never the less, seeing they are not cured of their diseases, but only removed and scattered in the garden houses; where they lie hid from those only which should reform or punish them, and not from those who may be infected or corrupted by them: yea in truth the peril is hereby accidentally increased, because the contagion is dispersed into many places; into which many of our people unwittingly resorting are infected at unawares, and fall into the secret ambushments of these filthy harlots when they least suspect any danger: and those who are ill disposed have no less free access to these places, then they formerly had to the common stews, and with less fear of shame, or note of infamy, because their haunt is now more secret and unsuspected. So that these unsavoury sinks are only stirred in, but not cleansed; and these corrupt humours in the body of our State, are only a little moved, but not removed and purged away.

In consideration whereof,¹ I thought it my dutie (being called to this function, and appointed by the Lord to bee a watchman to tell the people of their sinnes) to speake and write against these filthie vices of whoredome and vncleannes; and that the rather, because sinnes of this kind, in these latter times are exceedingly increased in this our countrie. And howsoeuer the grand sinckes and filthie sewers of the land, the common steues, which heretofore were to the shame of religion either licensed or tolerated, are now by the laudable care of our Magistrates taken away, so as our countrie is not so noysome through the confluence of the common filth, nor the vncleannesse so great an eyesore, because it doth not as in former times lie open to publike view; yet the filthinesse of our people is not cleane purged with the cleare streames of true repentance; but rather the common sincke is deuided into many filthie channels which runne securely into priuate houses, and make euerie corner noysom