A20760:432
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 because it is not enough to say that they are diseased,1 unless we also point at the sore; or to accuse them of bribing, unless we also show wherein their taking rewards is to be condemned; we are further to know, that in this regard they principally offend, first, when they take gifts for the defending of an unjust cause, themselves knowing before they take it in hand, that it is of this nature and quality. A common practise amongst many lawyers of these times, who care not how bad the cause be, so the fee be good, nor how empty the courts be of justice, so that their chests hereby may be filled with riches. But herein they grievously sin against the Judge, whom by their pernicious eloquence, colourable glosses, and false suggestions, they labour to blind, that they may seduce and mislead him out of the path of justice, into the by-ways of error and unrighteousness. They sin against the adverse party, joining their helping hands with such thieves, as would rob them of their right, and spoil them of their just possessions. They sin against their own client, either by taking his money to do him no good, his cause being apparently evil; or when it is more hidden and intricate, by strengthening him in evil, countenancing him in his bad course, and by selling unto him for his fees an unjust bargain, which he hath no more right to buy, then the other to sell, which one day will be a clog to his mind, and a corrosive to his conscience. And lastly, they sin against their own souls, both by scraping out the sign of one who is an inheritor of Gods kingdom, and by taking upon them a mark of reprobation and damnation, namely, the ⟨p. 219⟩receiving of a reward against the innocent: as it is, Psal. 15.5.2 and whilst they call good evil, and evil good, wrong right, and right wrong, justify the wicked for a reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him, they make themselves subject to a double woe denounced against them:3 Esa 5.20.23.
But because it is not enough to say that they are diseased,