A20760:367
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 they commit against their neighbour the most devilish deceit and notorious theft that can be imagined; for ⟨p. 182⟩they,1 like Satan himself, sow in his choicest ground such cursed weeds, that they are ashamed to reap, or own in the time of harvest; and graft into his best valued stock wild and wicked imps, which he carefully nourisheth as though they were his own handy-work, until their wicked and unnatural fruits discover them to be none of his. They cuckoo-like lay their filthy eggs in another's nest, making him to love, cherish, and nourish it, as if it were his own issue, till being grown to some bigness, it unnaturally seeketh to destroy the nurse,2 and utterly ruinateth his whole posterity. In a word, they thievishly thrust their own bastardly brood into another mans possessions, causing him to receive the portion of a child from him, who is not his father, and to share the inheritance among them who are not his brethren. And that which is worst of all, through this deceit they make the innocent party to cark and care, to spend his sweat, and to spare from his own back and belly, that in the end he may bestow the fruit of his labours, to maintain and provide for such an one, as is not only a stranger, but the issue of his mortal enemy, who above all men living hath most disgraced and abused him. And yet this is not the worst kind of theft which the adulterer useth; for he not only spoileth his neighbour of his common and ordinary goods, the which loss he might recompense with a proportionable satisfaction; but he also robbeth him of his chief treasure, and most esteemed jewel, the hart, love and affection of his wife, the which wrong he can never recompense though he should bestow upon him his whole estate, nor mitigate his raging jealousy, breathing nothing but revenge, if ever he come to the knowledge thereof, though he should enrich him with his gifts. For (as the Wise man saith) jealousy is the rage of a man, therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He cannot endure the sight of any ransom, neither will he be appeased though thou augment the gifts. 3Prou. 6.34. 35.