Josephs Party-Colored Coat, Part 17 – Part 19
And another is drunken.
Quest.Is it credible that any of the Corinthians being about to receive the Sacrament, would be so farre overtaken, as to be drunken?
Answ.Surely not so drunken, as he, Prov. 23.35. They have stricken mee, said hee, and I was not sicke, they have beaten me, and I felt it not. They pronounced not Siboleth, for Shiboleth; so that it might have beene said to them, as it was to Saint Peter, Thy very language betrayeth thee. Sure their tongues, eyes, and feet, were loyall enough to preserve their Masters credit. So then by Drunken here, understand the highest flight, and pitch of mirth. And as hearbs hot in the fourth degree, are poyson; so Summa hilaritas, is Ima ebrietas, the highest staire of mirth, is the lowest step of drunkennesse.
There is a concealed Drunkennesse, Doctwhich no Informer can accuse, no witnesse can testifie, no earthly Iudge can punish; yet is it lyable to a censure in the Court of Heaven, and counted Drunkennesse in the eyes of God. And though others cannot perceive it in us, wee may take notice of it in our selves, especially if wee examine our selves. 1. By our unaptnesse to serve God in our generall, or particular callings. 2. By the quantity of the liquor wee have drunke. 3. By the company with whom wee drinke. For as some who of themselves, never take notice of their owne fast going, yet are sensible of it, when they heare some of their company, whose legs are not so long, and so strong, begin to complaine; so though of our selves we find no alteration in our owne temper; yet if any of our Companions in drinking, who started from the same place, and ran the same pace with us, begin to be tyred, let them bee our Monitours, that is high time, claudere jam rivos, to leave off our course, as being already drunkennesse before God.
VseLet us not walke to the utmost bounds of what we may, nor take so much liquor, as perchance we may justifie. It was permitted to the Iewes to beat a Malefactor with forty stripes, Deut. 25.3. yet they never exceeded nine and thirty, as appeares by their scourging Saint Paul, to whom no doubt, they used their greatest cruelty, 2 Cor. 11.27. Let us not stretch our Christian Liberty to the utmost; he that never will drinke lesse than he may, sometimes will drinke more than hee should.
Quest.But why is here mention of Drunkennesse onelyonly, and not of Gluttony, seeing probably at such great Feasts these twin-vices goe together?
Answ.The Apostle only instanceth in that sinne, which is most obvious, and appearing to sight: Gluttony is scarce discernable in him that is guilty of it; Quia per esum necessitati voluptas miscetur, quid necessitas petat, & quid voluptas suppetat, ignoratur, saith Gregory, *Moral. lib. 30. cap. 28 ante medium.Necessitie in eating, so incorporates it selfe with delight, that they are hardly to be distinguished. Besides, as thunder and lightning, though they come together, yet lightning first arriveth to our sight: So though probably at the Corinthians Feasts, Gluttony and Drunkennesse were both joyned together in the same person, yet Drunkennesse was soonest and easiest discerned.
VERSE 22. What have yee not houses to eate and drinke in, or despise yee the Church of God, and shame them that have not, what shall I say unto you? shall I prayse you in this? I prayse you not.
MVst you needs make the house of God the place of your feasting; If you be disposed to bee merry, have yee not houses wherein yee may doe it with more privacie, and lesse offence? or dispise you the Church of God? Doe you under-value the place set apart for Gods service, to convert it into an ordinary Banquetting-house. This is the exposition of all Greeke Writers, who expound it the Materiall Church; and their opinion is much favoured, by the Antithesis and opposition in the Text, betwixt Church and Houses. Hence it appeares, that these Love-feasts (which of late by the rich mens covetousnesse, were inclosed into a private courtesie, which at the first were a common Charity) were to their greater abuse, kept in the Church, or place of publike meeting.
Only duties pious, and publike are to be performed in the Church. Duties publike and not pious more befit a Guild-hall or Towne-house; duties pious, and not publike more become a Closet, Psalme 4.4. Commune with your heart in your Chamber, and be still, whilst duties publike, and pious beseeme a Church, as proper thereto.
Vse.Too blame those that turne the Church into a Counting-house, there to rate their neighbours, both to value their estates, and too often to revile their persons; others make it a Market-place, there to bargaine in; yea some turne it into a Kennell for their dogs, and a Mew for their Hawkes, which they bring with them. Surely if Christ drove out thence sheep and doves, the emblems of Innocencie, he would not have suffered these Patterns of cruelty, to have abide in his Temple.
But most Latine Writers expound these words; Or despise yee the Church of God, of the spirituall Church. The rich Corinthians in not inviting the poore, made Balkes of good ground, chaffe of good corne; yea, Refuse of Gods Elect.
Object.But not inviting the poore, was not despising them. A Free-will-offering is no debt. In gratuitis nulla est injustitia. Seeing therefore it had beene no sin in the Corinthians, wholly to have omitted their Feasts (as being not commanded by Gods Word) it could bee no offence to exclude any Guests at their pleasure.
This is true of civill and ordinary entertainements:Answ. But these being entitled Love-feasts, and Charity pretended the maine Motive of them, poore people were the most proper, should have beene the most principall Guests. Besides, if not Christianity, yet Civility; if not grace, good nature, might have moved them, whilst they gorged themselves, to have given something to the poore, which stood by. To let them look on hungry, was a despising of them in an high degree, a Scandalum Magnatum, censurable in the Star-chamber of Heaven: Thus to wrong their Peeres in Grace here, and glory hereafter.
Hee that despiseth the poore, Doct.despiseth the Church of God. Whereof they are a member inferiour to none in piety; (God hath chosen the poore of this world to be rich in faith, Iames 2.5.) Superiour to all in number. Now he that pincheth the little toe, paineth the whole body; the disgracing any member, is the despising the whole Church. Let us beware of affronting those in want, upbrayding their rags with our silkes; setting our meat before their eyes, only to raise their appetites. He that hath the things of this World, and seeth his Brother to want, how doth the love of God dwell in him?
And shame them that have not.
Not, that have not houses, though perchance but homely, and hired; but foreign, those that have not wealth, and substance to pay the shot, and goe to the cost to invite you againe.
What shall I say, shall I prayse you in this?
Doct.Pastours may, and must prayse their people wherein they doe well. Reasons.1. Hereby they shall peaceably possesse themselves of the good-wils of their people, which may much advance the power and efficacie of their preaching. 2. Men will more willingly digest a Reproofe for their faults, if praysed when they doe well. 3. Vertue being commended doth increase, and multiply; Creepers in goodnesse will goe, Goers run, Runners fly.
Vse 1.Those Ministers to bee blamed, which are ever blaming, often without cause, alwayes without measure; (whereas it is said of God, hee will not be alwayes chiding, Psame 103.9.) These Preachers use their reproofes so commonly, till their Physicke turnes naturall, and will not worke with their people.
Doe any desire to heare that which Themistocles counted the best Musicke; namely, themselves commended? On these conditions, wee Ministers will indent with them; Let them find matter, wee will find words; let them doe what is commendable, and blame us if we commend not what they doe. Such work for us would be Recreation; such employment, a pleasure, turning our most stammering tongue, into the pen of a ready Writer to: reprove is prest from us, as Wine from Grapes; but prayses would flow from our lips, as water from a Fountaine. But alas how can we build, when they afford us neither brick, nor straw? how can wee prayse what they doe, when they will not doe what is to bee praysed? if with Ahab they will doe what is evill, then with Micaiah, wee must alwayes prophesie evil unto them.