A20760:449
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.
CHAP. V. That the sin of bribing is exceeding hateful to the Church.
CHAP. V. That the sinne of bribing is excceding hatefull to the Church.
But as the sin of bribing is pernicious to the common-wealth;1 so likewise it is exceeding hurtful to the Church. For as Judas being possessed with greedy covetousness, cared not to betray our head Jesus Christ for a reward, saying unto the high Priests, What will you give me and I will betray him; so the greedy patrons of these days, intending only their own gain, stick not to betray the body of Christ, to wit, his Church into the hands of Jeroboam's Priests, made of the basest of the people, in the first place demanding with Judas, What will you give me; never regarding in the mean while how few their graces be, whom they present, so their gifts be many; nor how unfit they are to teach the people, so they are sufficient to bring large rewards, or at least to subscribe unto bonds, by which they exclude themselves from the greatest part of their living. Whereby it cometh to pass, that the people wanting instruction, are destroyed for want of knowledge, and remaining blinded with ignorance, are made an easy pray to be seduced and mislead into errors and heresies, by the Priests, Jesuits, Papists, ⟨p. 231⟩Brownists, Familists, and all other sectaries and wicked heretics. Of all which mischiefs the corrupt bribing, which is used in these days, is the principal cause; for if it were not for the gifts of the purse, the gifts of the mind would be respected and preferred. But let all such corrupt patrons know, that they are no better then sacrilegious thieves in the sight of God and men, who by robbing the Church of such livings, which are dedicated and consecrated unto God for holy uses, do make both themselves and their families liable to Gods heavy plagues and fearful judgements. For if Balthasar was cut off in Gods wrath for drinking in the vessels of the Temple, which his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar had unjustly brought into his treasury; then what shall become of them, who have not only the most part of their plate made of Church-metal; but also have sacrilegiously taken the bread which they eat, and the meat and drink which they continually feed upon,