A20760:71
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 as they use their impious swearing in a devilish bravery to grace themselves,1 and to gain credit to all their assertions; so also oftentimes in a dastardly cunning to hide their cowardice: for it is not seldom seen that the veriest hen-hearted gulls, are most rife in ruffenlie oaths, to strike an awful terror in the hearts of their hearers, and to work in them a conceit, that they are such desperate hacksters, as may not without extreme danger be gainsaid, much less withstood; there being no likelihood that men can escape their desperate fury, seeing in their audacious hardiness they are ready to provoke God himself, and offer a kind of devilish violence against his powerful majesty by their hellish blasphemies. Whereas it will plainly appear if these ruffians be unmasked by the least trial, and this outward skin of lion-like fury be pulled from these ⟨p. 21⟩Asses, that they are only valiant in bearing blows, and only resolute and desperate in provoking Gods wrath by their bloody oaths, and in wilful leaping into the fire of hell.
And as they vse their impious swearing in a diuellish brauerie to grace themselues,1 and to gaine credit to all their assertiōs; so also oftentimes in a dastardly cūning to hide their cowardize: for it is not seldome seene that the veriest henhearted gulls, are most rife in ruffenlie oathes, to strike an awefull terror in the hearts of their hearers, and to worke in them a conceite, that they are such desperate hacksters, as may not without extreame danger be gainesaid, much lesse withstood; there being no likelihoode that men can escape their desperate furie, seeing in their audacious hardines they are readie to prouoke God himselfe, and offer a kind of diuellish violence against his powerfull maiestie by their hellish blasphemies. Whereas it will plainely appeare if these ruffians bee vnmasked by the least triall, and this outward skinne of lion-like furie be pulled from these ⟨p. 21⟩Asses, that they are onely valiant in bearing blowes, and onely resolute and desperate in prouoking Gods wrath by their bloodie oathes, and in wilfull leaping into the fire of hell.