A20760:527
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.
And so much for the first part of my text,1 wherein just anger is commanded: now I am to speak of unjust anger forbidden in the words following, but sin not, that is, by falling into corrupt and unjust anger.2 Which vicious affection is not only here condemned, but also in other places of the Scripture, as in the 31. verse of this Chapter, Let all bitterness, 3and anger, and wrath, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all maliciousness. So Col. 3.8. Put ye away all these things, 4wrath, anger, maliciousness, &c. and in the 5. Chapter of the Galatians verse 20.21. it is reckoned among the works of the flesh, which who so follow shall not inherit the kingdom of God. It is forbidden also in the sixth commandment under the name of murder; both be cause it is the chief means and cause which moveth men thereunto, as also because it is the murder of the hart, and therefore murder in truth in Gods sight, who more respecteth the hart then the hands, for a man may be innocent before him, though his hands have slain his neighbour, if his hart have not consented thereunto, as appeareth in the old ⟨p. 23⟩law, where Cities of refuge were appointed for such by the Lords own commandment: but if the hart have consented and desired any way to violate the person of our neighbour (which unjust anger always affecteth) though our hands are free from the act, we are guilty of murder in the sight of God. And this our Saviour Christ teacheth us in the exposition of the sixth commandment,5 Mat. 5.22. Whosoever is angry with his brother unadvisedly is culpable of judgement. By these places it is evident that anger is forbidden & condemned as a great sin, and therefore it is to be avoided of us as a most dangerous enemy to our souls health.