A20760:314
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.
So also he sinneth grievously against his own soul;1 for first he subjecteth these faculties of the soul, the reason and understanding, unto the base and inferior faculties, the filthy lusts and unclean affections; he utterly infatuateth the understanding, and besotteth the judgement, so that they altogether fail, not only in spiritual wisdom, but also in the use of natural reason and common sense. So the Prophet Hosea saith,2 that whoredom and drunkenness steal away the heart: Hos. 4.11. And the wise man affirmeth, that he that committeth whoredom with a woman, is destitute of understanding, 3or as the words signify, without an heart. Prou. 6.32. and 7.7. For they who have suffered their minds to be blindfolded ⟨p. 152⟩with the love of harlots, for the satisfying of their filthy lusts, run desperately, and as it were headlong into innumerable evils, having neither understanding to foresee them, nor will to prevent them: they consume their wealth in maintaining their harlots, and bring upon themselves unpitied poverty, and extreme want; they brand their name with the black mark of infamy and reproach, and lose their credit and reputation among all the virtuous and religious; they are deaf unto all admonition, and so blinded that they cannot discern the shameless behaviour, and impudent filthiness of their strumpets, but being besotted in their love, they are ready to judge their vices virtues, and to give unto them the preeminence of all excellency before all other. They become shameless in all their courses, thinking nothing so filthy which they may not utter, nothing so beastly which they may not act; they spend their strength, infect their bodies with odious diseases, shorten the natural course of life, and damn their own souls. All which mischievous evils they undergo to satisfy their unclean lusts, and to glut themselves with a momentany and beastly pleasure. And this was the cause why Venus, the Idol of lust, was among the Heathen called [Greek or Hebrew], a stealer of hearts; and Cupid was said to be blind, because they who are possessed with this filthy lust, lose the light of their understanding, and the use of reason. Hence also it is, that the sin of whoredom is in the Scriptures by a certain kind of eminency called folly, and the fornicators fools.