A20760:615
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. VII. The remedies of unjust Anger.
CHAP. VII. The remedyes of vniust Anger.
The remedies against anger are of two sorts: first,1 those which cure anger in our selves; secondly, those which cure it in others; and they both are of two kinds: first, such as prevent anger and preserve us from falling into it: secondly, such as free us from it after it hath taken place. For anger is a disease of the mind: as therefore wise Physicians think it the better & safer course to preserve health and prevent sickness, then to remove the disease after it ⟨p. 60⟩hath taken possession of the body;2 so the best course in ministering spiritual Physic, is to preserve the soul from vice, rather then to purge it away after it hath infected it; for Vitia facilius repelluntur, quam expelluntur, Vices are more easily kept from entrance, then thrust out after they are entered: for as the common proverb is, there are but twelve points in the law, and possession is as good as eleven of them. If therefore anger have gotten possession, we shall hardly dispossess it: It is our souls mortal enemy; as therefore we first seek to keep the enemy from entering the frontiers of our country, but if he be entered, as soon as we can to expel him, so we must first endeavour to repel anger by stopping the passages of our harts, that it may have no entrance, but if it have taken place, quickly to expel and remove it. For if we suffer it to fortify it self, it will grow so strong and violent, that we shall be unable to dislodge it. And as in a siege of a City the Citizens provide all things necessary for their defence before the assault, that the enemy when he approacheth the walls, may not take them unprovided; so if we will repel anger when it cometh, we are to fortify and arm our selves against it before it comes: for if it take us unprovided, it will easily make entrance, and more easily overcome us.