A20760:280
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.
All which sins of uncleanness have been from time to time amongst many either defended as lawful,1 or excused as light and venial. The Heathens held it as a thing indifferent, or if at all, yet but a slight fault: Non est flagitium, mihi crede, adolescentulum scortaeri, neque potare: It is not, believe me (saith one) any great fault in a young man to whore and drink, &c. And hence it is that the Apostles writing to the Heathen converts forbid them fornication amongst things indifferent,2 not because it was so in it self, but in their account and estimation. And the Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians, who had formerly been exceedingly addicted to this vice, thought it necessary to use many weighty arguments,3 to prove the heinousness of this sin, not only to dissuade them from their former filthy practise, but also to confute and convince them of their old error, which even after their conversion was not utterly rooted out of their minds, namely, that fornication was a thing lawful and indifferent. And in this gross error were also the whole sect of the Nicolaitans, whom Christ himself confuteth in his epistle to the Angel of the Church of Pergamus, Apoc. 2.14.15.4
All which sins of vncleannes haue been from time to time amongst many either defended as lawfull,1 or excused as light and veniall. The Heathens held it as a thing indifferent, or if at all, yet but a slight fault: Non est flagitium, mihi crede, adolescentulum scortaeri, neque potare: It is not, beleeue me (saith one) any great fault in a young man to whore and drink, &c. And hence it is that the Apostles writing to the Heathen conuerts forbid them fornication amongst things indifferent,2 not because it was so in it selfe, but in their account and estimation. And the Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians, who had formerly been exceedingly addicted to this vice, thought it necessarie to vse many waightie arguments,