A20760:37
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.
This interpretation therefore is not to be received,1 but rather another which admitteth none of the former absurdities, ⟨p. 8⟩and better agreeth with the main drift and scope of Christ in this place. Now the drift of Christ was not to take away the use of an oath, and so to disannul a part of the law, against which in the beginning of his speech he protested, but to vindicate and free it from the corrupt glosses and false expositions of the Pharisees; who took away the spiritual understanding which is the chief life of law, and expounded the Commandments (like the Papists in these days) in a literal and gross sense only, namely, of the outward fact alone in the grossest kind. For example, that the sixth Commandment only forbiddeth actual killing; the seventh, actual uncleanness; and the third, perjury and false swearing by the name of God. For howsoever they had the name of God himself in some outward reverence, yet they taught that it was lawful to swear in their ordinary communication by the creatures, which did not immediately appertain to Gods worship and service, as the heavens, the earth, the altar, their head and such like; because the Commandment only forbiddeth to take the name of the Lord our God in vain. And secondly, they taught that if a man had sworn by these creatures, and did not keep his oath, yet he sinned not,2 because it is said, Levit. 19.12. Ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou defile the name of thy God. And this appeareth both in the 5.3 and 23. Chapters of Mat. where Christ laboureth to confute this false doctrine, and to reform these abuses. In the fifth Chapter, and verse 33. he propoundeth their doctrine; Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thy self, but shalt perform thine oaths to the Lord: but I say unto you, Swear not at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, &c. Where he showeth that they had in their doctrine condemned forswearing, and not vain swearing, and this false swearing by the name of God alone, and not by the creatures. So in the 23.4