The Drunkards Character, Section 177
§ 177.
SEcondly,16 Abstaine from drunken co…pany, for all depends upon t…. if thou vvouldst reclaime thy selfe from this vice, have a speciall care to refraine the company of this drunken Route, Pro. 23. 20. 1 cor. 5 11. who not only make a sport of drunkennesse, but delight also to make others drunke: I say (as Christ said) beware of men, Math. 10. 17. for he that goes into wicked company, will come wicked out, at least worse then he went in. It is rare, if wee denie not Christ, with Peter, in Caiaphas his house: with Salomon, it is hard having the Egyptian, without her Idolls: whereupon, the Fuller, in the Fable, would not have the Colliar to live in his house, least what he had made white the other should smut and collow: yea, be as wary, and as wise as a Serpent, to keepe out and get out of their company, but as innocent as a Dove, if it be po…ible, while thou art in it, and canst not choose; remembring alwayes, that they are but the Devills deputies, yea, humane Devills, as once our Saviour called Peter (being instrumentall to Sathan) sathan himselfe, get thee behind me, Sathan, Matth. 16. 23. they that will have his trade, must have his name too. Now by thy observing, or not observing this Rule, it will appeare, whether there be any hope of thy reclaiming, for all depends upon this; yea, could the most habituated, incorrigible, cauterized drunkard, that is even dead in this sinne, but for sake his ill company, I should not once doubt of his recovery; for doe but drive away these uncleane birds from the carkasle, a million to a mite the Lord hath breathed into his nosthrills againe the breath of life, and he is become a living soule.
Thirdly and lastly,17 abstaine from drunken places. abstaine from drunken places, which are even the nurseries of all ryot, excesse, and idlenesse, making our land another Sodom, and furnishing yearely our Jayles and Gallouses (farre be it from me, to blame a good calling, to accuse the innocent in that calling, I know the Lord hath many in the world in these houses, but) sure I am, too many of them are even the dens and shops, yea, thrones of Sathan, very sinkes of sinne, which, like so many common-shores, or receptacles, refuse not to welcome and encourage any in the most lothsome pollutions they are able to invent, and put in ctise,Ad…onition to sellers of drinke, Churchwardens, Constables &c. who (if there were any hope of prevailing) would be minded of their wickednesse,Ad…nition to sellers of drinke, Churchwardens, Constables &c. in entertaining into their houses, encouraging and complying with these traitors against God, and of their danger in suffering so much impiety to rest within their gates: for if one sinne of theft or of perjury, is enough to …ot the rasters, to grind the stones, to levell the walls and roof of any house with the ground, Zac. 5. 4. what are the oathes, the lyes, the thefts the whoredomes, the murthers, the numberless and namelesse abominations, that are committed there. But should I speake to these▪ I should but speed as Paul at Ephesus, I should be cryed downe, with, great is Diana, after some one Demetrius had told the rest of this occupation, Sir…, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth; surely, if feare of having their Signes pulled downe, their Licences called in, &c. cannot prevaile, it little boo…es me to speake.
Only to you Church-wardens, Constables, and other Officers, that love the Lord, the Church, the State, your selves, and people, helpe the Lord, the King, and his lawes against this mighty sinne; Present it, indite it, smite it, every one shoote at it, as a common enemy, doe what you can to suppresse and prevent it.
Tell me not, he is a friend, a Gentleman, such an ones kinsman that offends; for he is better, and greater, and nearer to you that is offended; learn to feare, to love, and obey your Maker and Saviour, your gracious Protector; yea, learne this Normane distinction, when William the first censured one that was both Bishop of Baieux and Earle of Kent, his Apologie to the plaintife popeling was, that he did not meddle with the Bishop, but the Earle: doe you the like, let the Gentleman escape, but stocke the drunkard; meddle not with your friend and kinsman, but for all that, pay the drunkard; or if you doe not to your power, you shall have Ahab's wages, his faults shall be beaten upon your backes, 1 King. 20. 42.
But most of all are they to be desired, who are within the commission of peace, in God's name, whose servants they professe themselves to be, to remember him, themselves▪ their countrey, their oathes; & to bend their strength & power against this many headed monster, that they will purge the country, much more their own houses, of this pernicious and viperous brood: yea, if there be any love of God, any hatred of sin, any zeale, any courage, any conscience of an oath, away with drunkennesse out of your houses, Towns, Liberties, balk none, beare with none that offend: say they be poore, in whose houses the sinne is practised; it is better one or two should loose their gaine, than Towns of men should loose their wits, their wealths, their soules. Oh beloved, did you heare, and see, and smell, and know what is done in some one Tavern, or Ale house in the Land; you would wonder that the earth could beare the house, or the Sunne endure to looke upon it. But alasse! how many of these houses bee there, in some one Towne! how many of these Townes, in some one Shiere: and so upward!
You often complaine of bastardies, Sheep-stealers, robbers, quarrellers, and the like: will you be eased of these diseases? believe it, these gather into the Alehouse, as the humours doe into the stomack, against an Ague-fit; take them ther, drive them thence with some strong Physick, and you heale our Land, at once of infinite distempers.