A20760:293
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.
Secondly,1 the fornicator sinneth grievously against God by resisting his revealed and known will; for the Lords will is, that being sanctified we should abstain from fornication, and that every one should know how to possess his vessel in ⟨p. 140⟩holiness and honour, and not in the lust of concupiscence, as the Gentiles which know not God: 2as appeareth, 1. Thes. 4.3.4.5. It is the will of God that we should be prepared as pure brides for his Son Christ,3 not having any spot or wrinkle, holy and without blame. Yea, so far off should we be from defiling of our bodies,4 by committing these sins of uncleanness, that he would not have us so much as to defile our tongues by once naming of them, with the least approbation or delight. Whosoever therefore perpetrate and commit these works of darkness, they contumaciously resist the will of God; the which their rebellion is so much the more intolerable, because they disobey the Lord to obey their own filthy lusts, and rebel against their supreme Sovereign, to pleasure and gratify their slavish, base and brutish affections.
Secondly,1 the fornicatour sinneth grieuously against God by resisting his reuealed and knowne will; for the Lords will is, that being sanctified we should abstaine from fornication, and that euery one should know how to possesse his vessell in ⟨p. 140⟩holinesse and honour, and not in the lust of concupiscence, as the Gentiles which know not God: 2as appeareth,