A20760:539
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.
The fourth internal cause of unjust anger,1 is nice luxuriousness or luxurious niceness; which commonly being the fault of women, or at least a womanish fault, is especially to be seen in domestical matters. For if you come into the house of one who is nice and curious, you shall easily perceive how soon they are incited to great anger upon little cause. If the decking and adorning of their house be not fully answerable to their minds, if their costly cates be not so daintily cooked, that they may delight their curious-learned taste and cloyed appetite, if a spot or wrinkle be upon their garments, or but a glass broken, if their nice ears be offended with the least displeasing noise, though it be but by some chance, they are so enraged with anger, that the house will scarce hold them, or at least not contain their clamorous voices. These curious folks are not only offended with injuries,2 but also with shadows and appearances. Nam ubi animum simul & corpus voluptates corrupère nihil tolerabile ⟨p. 29⟩videtur non quia dura sed quia molles patiuntur, for when voluptuous pleasures have corrupted both mind and body, nothing seemeth tolerable; not that the things which they suffer are grievous, but because they that suffer them are nicely effeminate. And like as they who are tormented with the gout, are angry if a man come but towards them, & cry out if they be but touched: so but a show of injury moveth these voluptuous wantons to choler and anger, and the least injury offered in truth inciteth them to rage and fury. Whereas others who have not their minds effeminated with this luxurious curiosity, they can easily pass over such trifling imperfections,3 and repel anger in far more violent assaults. If any think these toys too small to undergo a public censure, I would have such know that the lesser the occasion is which provoketh to anger, the greater is their sin who are so easily provoked, and the rather they deserve a sharp reprehension, for that anger which is incited by every light and trifling cause, then if it were weighty and of some importance:
The fourth internall cause of vniust anger,