A20760:53
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.
Of this kind also are Papistical oaths,1 by the Angels, Saints, and their relics; by their Idols, the Mass, Rood, and such like; for as they worship the Saints by invocation, oblations, pilgrimages, &c. so also by swearing by them, the which their practise is impious and vain; the impiety hereof is manifest, in that they rob God of his glory, and deify the creatures by ascribing unto them divine worship; the vanity of such oaths herein appeareth, in that they are idle and bootless, for in vain it is and to no purpose to invocate any to bear witness of our truth, and to punish falsehood, unless we acknowledge them present every where, the beholders of the most secret actions, yea even the searchers of the heart and reins, and almighty to patronise truth, and to inflict deserved punishments upon perjured persons: but all these are Gods proper and peculiar attributes, which are not communicable unto any Saint or Angel, for neither are they omnipresent, omniscient, nor omnipotent; and therefore it is idle and vain to invocate them by an oath, as witnesses of truth and revengers of falsehood.
Of this kinde also are Papisticall oathes,1 by the Angels, Saints, and their reliques; by their Idols, the Masse, Roode, and such like; for as they worship the Saints by inuocation, oblations, pilgrimages, &c. so also by swearing by them, the which their practise is impious and vaine; the impietie hereof is manifest, in that they rob God of his glorie, and deifie the creatures by ascribing vnto them diuine worship; the vanitie of such oathes herein appeareth, in that they are idle and bootlesse, for in vaine it is and to no purpose to inuocate any to beare witnesse of our truth, and to punish falshood, vnlesse we acknowledge them present euerie where, the beholders of the most secret actions, yea euen the searchers of the heart and reines, and almightie to patronise truth, and to inflict deserued punishments vpon periured persons: but all these are Gods proper and peculiar attributes, which are not communicable vnto anie Saint or Angell, for neither are they omnipresent, omniscient, nor omnipotent; and therefore it is idle and vaine to inuocate them by an oath, as witnesses of truth and reuengers of falshood.
- 1§. Sect. 7. Papistical oaths condemned as unlawful.