A20760:89
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.
Fifthly,1 because it is an horrible abuse of our tongue, when as the Lord having given this excellent member, for the setting forth of his glory, we abuse it to his dishonour, by blaspheming our Creator, and make that which should be the trumpet of Gods praise, the trumpet of Satan, to proclaim war against heaven, and an open defiance against God and all goodness. Whereby we justly deserve (seeing we thus abuse this excellent faculty of speech, which the Lord hath privileged us with, above all the rest of his creatures, to the dishonour of the giver; and whereas the heavens declare the glory of God and the earth showeth his handy work, and all the rest of the creatures in their several kinds do with their dumb eloquence magnify and praise their Creator, we contrariwise disgrace him with hellish blasphemies and impious oaths:) we deserve, I say, that the Lord should strike us with present dumbness, and cast us out as he did Nebuchadnezzar, from the society of men, amongst the brute and savage beasts, till with him we have learned to ⟨p. 31⟩speak to Gods glory, and to magnify the mercy of our Creator.
Fiftly,1 because it is an horrible abuse of our tongue, when as the Lord hauing giuen this excellent member, for the setting forth of his glorie, we abuse it to his dishonor, by blaspheming our Creator, and make that which should bee the trumpet of Gods praise, the trumpet of Satan, to proclame warre against heauen, and an open defiance against God and all goodnesse. Whereby we iustly deserue (seeing we thus abuse this excellent facultie of speech, which the Lord hath priuiledged vs with, aboue all the rest of his creatures, to the dishonor of the giuer; and wheras the heauens declare the glorie of God and the earth sheweth his handie worke, and all the rest of the creatures in their seuerall kinds doe with their dumbe eloquence magnifie and praise their Creator, we contrariwise disgrace him with hellish blasphemies and impious oathes:) we deserue, I say, that the Lord should strike vs with present dumbnes, and cast vs out as hee did Nebucadnezer, from the societie of men, amongst the brute and sauage beasts, till with him we haue learned to ⟨p. 31⟩