A20760:403
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.
But as people offend in this kind divers ways,1 so especially those vain and wanton women, who not content with that natural complexion which God hath given them, paint their faces with adulterate beauty, and lay open their naked breasts to public view: the which if they be virgins, they should not in their maiden-like modesty so much as by chance discover without blushing; if wives, they should reserve them for their husbands peculiar delight, as the wise man speaketh.2 Both which as by their immodesty and audacious impudency they corrupt their own hearts with pride and wantonness, so also they inveigle others with carnal love and fleshly lust, making them adore with their chief devotions, a painted idol, and a living image. Whereby as they work their destruction (without repentance) if they be caught in their nets, which they have spread for them; so do they by this outward decking deform and defile their own souls, and bring upon themselves sin and condemnation, though others should not be entangled in their snares. For as Hierom saith, Si vir vel mulier se ornaverit, & multus hominū ad se provocarit, & si nullum inde sequetur damnur, judicium tamen patietur aeternum; quia venenum attulit, sifuisset qui biberit: If any wantonly dock themselves, to provoke others in a wanton manner to gaze upon them, though no hurt follow upon it, yet they shall be liable to eternal judgement, because they prepared a poison, if there had been any who would have tasted of it.3 So Augustine exclameth against the madness of those who transform their natural shape into a base picture, affirming it to be a fault which in some respects matcheth whoredom, for (saith he) Ibipudicitia, hîc natura adulteratur: In that chastity,4 in this nature itself is adulterated. Another saith, that women who paint themselves, offer violence and wrong against God himself, when as they take upon them to transform and ⟨p. 204⟩mend that which he hath formed; not knowing that that which is borne is the work of God, but that which is changed and transformed the work of the devil. But concerning this point, I have written more largely in my lectures upon Hosea; and therefore I will here pass it over, referring the reader unto that place.