The Drunkards Character, Section 203
§ 203.
OB.The agreement of wicked men not worthy the name of peace. But I heare none boast so much of peace, as the ungodly; nor none taxed so with contention, as the religious.
Answ. Boast of it they may, but it is apparent that the way of peace they have not so much as knowne: indeed, they have some kind of agreement among themselves; and so have Serpents, and Beares, and Wolves: it is a rare thing, to see one Wolfe devoure, or fight with another: yea, they have made a covenant with death, and are at agreement with Hell, I say, 28. 15 and yet: as there is no peace to the wicked, Isa. 57. 21. so there is no peace among the wicked; for every combination in evil, is rebellion, & not peace; rather a consp…racy, then a concord; like the agreement of Absolom and Achitophel, combining together against David; or of Herod and Pil…te, conspiring against Christ; or of the f…lse Apostles, plotting against Paul, so meeting in malice to doe mischiefe: but a goldy dissention is better then such a wicked peace.
Neither can any wonder, that wicked men doe so cons…ire in evill, that there is such unanimity in the broachers & abbetters of it; if he but take notice of those Devills, which being many in substance, were yet one in name, action, habitation, even a whole Legion in one man, Marke, 5. 9. all the praise of concord is in the subject; if that be holy, the consent is angelicall; if sinnefull, devilish; true peace is to have peace with God, warre with our lusts, Ro. 5. 1. and 7. 22. 23. peace with vertue, warre with vice: whereas they have peace and are at league with their sinnes, but are at warre with God, and good men all at once: but a just warre is a thousand times better, then such an ill conditioned peace; yea, it no way deserves the name of peace, except we be at enmity with the Serpent, at unity within our selves: we ought so to be at peace with men, as that we doe not warre with God and his graces: peace must be followed with holinesse, Heb. 12. 14. wherefore Zachary joyneth faith, peace, and truth together, Zach. 8. 16. and St. Paul, peace and righteousnesse, peace and edification, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. 14. 17. 19. 20. &c. Thus the Scripture sets us our bounds for peace, which we may not passe; and shewes that ungodly men are not guilty of this grace; that they doe but talke of peace, not practise it.
But suppose we could enjoy peace in their company;A d…unkard ca… never love him that is sober and religiou…. yet we can never expect to have their loves: for drunkards only love drunkards, and one wicked man another; but care not a rush for any that are good: being like Phalaris the Tyrant, who would never grant any request, except it were to a dissolute woman, but such he never denied. Likenesse we know is the cause of love, and love the cause of likenesse; whereas the beleiver and the unbeleiver are altogether unlike; the one being crucifi…d and dead to the world, Gal. 6. 14. but made alive in Christ, 1 Cor. 15. 22. The other being spiritually dead, even while they are alive. 1 Tim. 5. 6.
We seldome see different dispositions entirely loving: for hence growes the height of friendship, when two similary soules doe blend in their commixions. And hence it is, that two friends are said to come into Vulcan's shop, to beg this boone of him: that he would either bea…e them on his Anvile, or melt them in his Fornace both into one, the which he granted. I'ts likenesse that makes the true love knot of friendship; when we finde another of our owne disposition, it appeares the same soule in a divided body. Nature that makes us love our selves, makes us, with the same reason, love those that ar… like us. A friend is a more sacred name, then a Brother, Pro. 18. 24. For what availes it to have the bodies from the same originall, when the soules within them differ?
And yet some (Rehoboam- like) passing over the religious, will joyne themselves with ungodly persons; like as some put away honest wives, and goe to harlots: wherein they deale as wisely, as if a man should cast away his fleshy leg, and set on another of Wood.
Causa patroci…io non bona pejor erit.
Or,A wicked man… love mercenary inconstant and not worth the having. admit thou shouldst enjoy a wicked mans love; it is but mercenary, base, and inconstant, and so not worth the having. Indeed, there was never such abject and servile prostitutions of presentations, as life, soule, devotion, adoration, servant, slave, &c. as there is now amongst our drunkards and rorers, and what love they expresse to one, they professe to all; every one they know, or salute, is their friend: but friendship so distracted, like as the River Ganges was by Cyrus, into 365. brookes, both looses her name and nature: a lover of so many, never loves any.
Or, admit a drunkard doe love thee: either he loves thee for his owne sake, because he hath some pleasure, or profit, or credit by thee, (as prosperity procureth friends, no lesse then adversity proveth them) which is, with Craterus, to love the King, rather, then with Ephaestion, to love Alexander: now I doe not hold him wo…thy thankes, that professeth me kindnesse for his owne ends.
Or secondly, he loves only thy body or naturall parts, which is but the worst peece of thee; and love to the body, is but the body of love; the soule of love, is the love of the soule.
Neither doth he truly love, that loves the body more then …he mind and soule, or common gifts before saving graces; this love as it is never long liv'd, so it is of… but feigned; as you shall have drunkards and dissembling polititians salute one another, with God save you, at their meeting; and wish one another hanged, …t their parting; Italian-like, they will be glorious and complementall in their in vitations, but if you accept of their offer, they will hate you for it ever after. A drinking friendship, is but a drunken friendship: and beleeve it, thou wilt find those friends firmest, that thy vertue… purchase thee: these will love thee, when thy wealth is gone: whereas those that be wonne without desert, will also be lost without a cause: you need but be an Arbitrator betweene two such friends to make them both your enemies: things that differ in their end, will surely part in their way: now thy end, is to gaine him; his end, to make a gaine of thee: for let the passage of profit be stopt, his love is likewise at a stand: have you deserved never so well from him, the deniall of one favour, nay, an health, shall drowne the memory of many fore-performed ones: which is all one, as if for the abortion of one child, a man should kill all the former issue: whereas the good mans thankes for old favours, lives even in the blowes of injurie: or can you not feede these vermine as you have done, away they goe, like a Sunne Diall, you shall be no longer regarded, then you are shined on by prosperity: yea, Rats runne not faster away from an house on fire; nor lice from a dead body, then they from poverty: and if ever it be your misery to stand in need of them, looke for no other requitall, then Iob had of his carnall friends, whom he compares to a deceitful Brooke, which in winter is hard frozen with cold, in Summer dried up with heate; betweene winter and Summer passing away, alwayes deceitfull, never of use, Iob. 6. 14. to 19.
Yea, a man may say of such friends, as a learned Antiquary said of Rum…ey Marsh, bad in Winter, hurt…ull in Summer, never good: nay, this comparison falls short, for thou hast sped well, if such friends prove not dangerously hurtfull, as well as helpelesse. Have I not knowne some of them resemble the Snake, which when a kind Husbandman had taken out of the cold, and cherished in his bosome, and she had recovered her lively heate, and was growne lusty, singled out him ungratefully to trie her first sting upon? or a Promotour, that in Lent eates flesh at your table, and yet is the first that accuseth thee to the Magistrate. If Ziba be waxed great under Mephibosheth, he will give him a lift for all he hath. A promoted Begger hath not seldome renounced his advancer.
And what else can be looked for from them? They cannot make conscience of civill duties, who make none of divine. If a man have cast off his God, he will easily cast off his friend. They that have broken their faith with him, will keepe no faith with us. When Religion is once gone, humanity will not stay long after.
I take leave of this point, with a caution. Reveale to such men no secrets; for he that now loves thee dearely, may come to hate thee deadly: nor beleeve a word that they say; for they are like Antigonus, who never denied any sute, that was asked; but withall, never performed any thing that he granted; for what they promise when they are drunke, they forget when they are sober; or like Saul, who being perswaded of David's worth and loyalty, sweares, as the Lord liveth he shall not die, 1 Sam. 19. 6. yet within foure verses, for all his oath, he da…ts a Speare at him, intending to naile him to the vvall; & in the next verse, he sends messengers to his house to kill him; or like the Councell of Constance, vvho made promise to Iohn Husse of a conduct and safe returne; yet, like forsworne persecuters, put him to death.