A20760:655
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 third means to vanquish anger,1 is for a while to bridle and restrain it from bursting out into present revenge. For if we resist it in the first encounter, we shall find the strength thereof much weakened, and this the wise Athenodorus knew well; who being to depart from Augustus, ⟨p. 75⟩was requested by him that he would leave behind him some good instruction, for the well governing of his Empire:2 to whom he gave this counsel, that he should do nothing in his anger, before he had numbered on his fingers the letters of the Greek Alphabet. An example hereof we have in Socrates, 3who finding his anger incensed against his servant, deferred to take correction, saying: I would beat thee if I were not angry. And also in Plato, who being provoked to anger by some notable fault committed by his servant, took a cudgel into his hands, and held it over him a good space, as if he would have stricken; And being asked of his friend Speusippus, what he meant by such kind of action. O (said he) Exigo poenas ab homine iracundo. 4I take punishment of one who is angry: meaning of himself, by bridling his affection. If then the heathen could thus defer and curb in their unruly passions: who had only the small glimpse of natures light, and heathen Philosophy to direct them; let us be ashamed to come behind them, seeing we have not only that, but also the bright sun shine of the word of God to guide us.
The third meanes to vanquish anger,1 is for a while to bridle and restraine it from bursting out into present reuenge. For if we resist it in the first encounter, we shall finde the strength thereof much weakened, and this the wise Athenodorus knew well; who being to depart from Augustus, ⟨p. 75⟩was requested by him that hee would leaue behinde him some good instruction, for the well gouerning of his Empire: