Why sailing navies stopped at three gun decks

If sailing ships remained in use longer, would navies have adopted four-deckers?

Probably not as a normal type, because the fourth deck created excessive topweight and stability problems.

Adding another full deck appears to offer a straightforward way to mount more guns. The extra structure, artillery, ammunition, and crew all sit higher in the ship, however. That topweight reduces stability and makes behavior in heavy weather harder to control. Three decks therefore represented a practical limit where more height stopped producing a well-balanced ship of the line.