A20760:322
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.
And thus have I showed that the fornicator sinneth heinously, both in respect of God, his neighbour,1 and himself. Now I am further to prove, that as this sin of whoredom is in it self exceeding sinful, so also it is the cause of divers other grievous sins: for when the conscience is defiled with this polluting sin, it is made fit to admit and entertain the foulest vices, and most enormous crimes, and such a large breach being made therein, it is easily overflowed and drowned with a flood of wickedness. More especially, fornication is the cause of greater sins of the same kind, as for example ⟨p. 156⟩of adultery; for it is usually seen by common experience, that a young fornicator maketh an old adulterer, and he who in the prime of his age maketh no conscience of defiling his neighbours child, ripening in wickedness as he ripeneth in years, when he cometh to maturity will make no conscience of defiling his neighbours wife. So also it prepareth the way & maketh an easy entrance for incest, Sodomy, buggery, & all manner of abominable filthiness, which even corrupted nature is ashamed to own,2 and are not so much as to be named among Christians, but with hatred and detestation. And this cometh to pass partly through the just judgement of God, who for their former filthiness, giveth them up to a reprobate sense,3 and to the slavery of their own filthy affections and unnatural lusts, to run on in their sin with greediness to their utter perdition; and partly through the nature of sin which is in continual growth, and if it be not nipped in the bud or sprig, becometh in short time a tree of huge largeness; if it be not crushed and killed in the shell, it will like the Cockatrice grow to such a poisonous nature, that it will kill with the very look. The which as it is verified of all other, so especially of these sins of uncleanness. For after they are conceived by natural concupiscence, and borne with delight, and nursed with wantonness, at last being fed with curiosity as it were with their complete nourishment, they grow unto unnatural shapes, and in the end become hideous monsters most ugly and abominable in the sight of God and men.