The Drunkards Character, Section 103 – Section 104
§ 103.
1 FIrst, the word of God witnesseth the same,The same prooved by Scripture. as looke but, Rev. 13. and you shall find it foretold by the Holy -Ghost, that so many should be killed, as would not worship, and give honour to the Image of the Be…st, that man of sin, that man of pride, that opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called god, or that is worshipped, 2 Thes. 2. 4. and our Saviour foretelleth, that we shall not onelyonly be hated of all men and Nations for his names sake, but be killed and put to death, Mat. 24. 9.
Yea, he affirmeth expressely, that we should not onelyonly receive this hard measure from strangers and enemies onelyonly, but from our deerest and neerest friends; that the Brother should betray the Brother to death, the Father the Sonne, and that children should rise up against their Parents, and cause them to dye, even for his names sake, Mat…. 10. 21. 22. meaning, when they are not restrained by godly Kings, and their wholesome Lawes.
Neither doe we want examples to make good these testimonies, for by whom was upright Abel persecuted and slaine, but by his owne Brother Caine▪ Who scoffed at righteous N…ah, but his owne Sonne Cha…m? By whom was that vertuous and religious Lady Barbara put to death, for embracing the Christian faith, but by her owne Father Dioscorus? And lastly, by whom was our Saviour Christ betrayed, but by his owne Disciple ludas?
2. But to goe on;2 By experience of former ages. experience, as well as the Scripture, proves it. In the time of the tenne persecutions, it was no more, then sacrifice, or dye. In the time of Queene Mary, the Martyrs must either deny their faith, disclaime their pure Religion and service of God, worship that bloody whore of Rome, according to her damnable traditions, or be chained to a stake and burnt; either part with their faithes, or part with their lives; if they would not obey them, rather then God, they had a Law, by which men ought to dye.
Yea, at this present, although we (blessed be God, and our Gracious Protector for it) endure little, but the lash of evill tongues, which is the most favourable persecution, yet in Spaine, and other places, our brethren doe groane under a mercilesse Inquisition. Oh the quintessence of cruelty that they have wrung out unto them! the rehearsall whereof would make a mans eares to tingle, and his heart to tremble. For as in the time of the ten persecutions, it would cost a man his life, to professe himselfe a Christian, the Heathen Emperors making it death by their Edicts; and as in the time of Queene Mary, if one profest himselfe a Protestant, he was sure to be burnt: so in Spaine, at this day, some have beene burnt, and others put into an agony of seven yeares continuance, which is worse, for having a Testament about them in the English tongue, or a Bible in their house, or declaring their faith some other way. And can any doubt, but drunkards would deale as cruelly with us, if they might be permitted?
It is easie to guesse how cruell their hands would be, in case the Law restrained them not, who even draw blood with their tongues: as how will drunkards shoot their shafts up to the feathers, in the disgrace of such as will not humor them, and never give over, so long as they have an Arrow in their Quiver; to heare them would even make a man think they were generated out of the Dragons tooth, as Orpian is said to be made by Pallas.
In briefe (for I might be endlesse in the prosecution of this) take one example, 3 By the experience of our Saviour, who suffered twenty two wayes o…ely for his goodness….which might serve insteed of all that hath beene spoken. What was the reason our Saviour Christ the Master himselfe was envied? Math. 26, 15? contemned? Math. 12. 24. and 13. 55? rejoyced at in his misery and distresse? Math. 27. 29. hated? Iohn, 7. 7. murmured against? Luk. 15. 2. had his Doctrine withstood and contraried? Luk. 5. 21. Math. 9. 34. his actions misconstrued? Math. 11. 19. tales carried of him? Math. 12. 14. devilish counsell given to Pilate and the people against him? Math. 27. 20. scoft at? Math. 27. 42. nick-named? Math. 13. 55. rayled on? Luk. 23. 39. slandered? Math. 28. 13. which slander is beleeved amongst the Iewes unto this day, ver. 15. cursed? Gal. 3. 13. threatned? Iohn, 11. 53. undermined in talke, that they might accuse him? Math. 22. 15. why did they use disdainefull gestures before him? Math. 27. 29. 39. combine together, and lay devilish plots to destroy him? Math. 12. 14. take him Prisoner? Math. 26. 57. smite him? Luk. 22. 64. hurt and wound him? Mat. 27. 29. Iohn, 19. 34. and lastly, put him to death, even that cursed death of the Crosse? Math. 27. 35. Not for any evill they found in him; for their owne words are, he hath done all things well, Mark. 7. 37. He hath done, such was his power; all things, such was his wisdome; well, such was his goodnesse; and yet crucified, and abused every way, he must be; it was onelyonly indeed for his zeale, purity, and holinesse, and because his life and practice was cleane contrary to theirs, his Doctrine too powerfull and pure for such carnall hearts to embrace, or endure; so that it's plaine, and all men may see, who are not dead in sense, how it would fare with us, might our enemies, Drunkards, Swearers, &c. have their wills.
§ 104.
VVHen Politicians Rhetorick once failed,But they cannot doe as they would thoug… their punishment shall be the same as if they did it. Carters Logicke should doe the feate; their Arguments should be all Steele, and Iron, they would speake Daggers points, as Ioab discoursed with Amasa in the fift rib; or as Zedekia disputed with the Prophet, a word and a blow, yea, a blow without a word; for he smote him first, and spake to him afterwards.
Every wicked man, especially a drunkard, is like Iulius the second, who threw St. Peter's keyes into the River Tiber, protesting, that thence forth he would use and helpe himselfe with St. Peter's sword; if reason should faile, and rayling would doe no good, they would come to Plow-mans Logick, Gun-powder arguments, open violence, they would take up swords to strike, or stones to cast at us.
But our comfort is, they cannot do as they would, though their punishment shall bee never the lesse. For as the will to doe God acceptable service, is accepted, as if it were service indeed: so the intent and offer of wrong, shall be judged for wrong in that Court of Justice; good and evill thoughts and desires, in Gods account, are good and evill workes; and hee which in good, accepts the will for the deed; condemnes the will for the deed, in evill: now these men in their hearts, and Gods account, are murtherers, and for murtherers they shall be arraigned at the great day of accounts; for they would kill us, if they durst, they doe kill, so farre as they can.
It were no living for godly men, if their enemies hands were allowed to bee as bloody as their hearts; if they were not stinted by a divine and supreame power: but for our comfort as men and divels are under the restraint of the Almighty; so blessed bee God, and blessed bee our Gracious Soveraigne (the very breath of our nosthrills) feare of authority swayes thousands, who are not guilty of a conscience.
Alasse! if lewd men should not feare the Magistrate, more then they feare God, or the Devill, there were no living among them.
Besides, how often are they curbed by a Divine hand? How often doe the Angells (those ministring Spirits, sent forth for the good of the Elect) resist their Actions, even in those sinnes which their hearts stand to. It is no thanke to lewd men that their wickednesse is not prosperous: whence is it that the world is not over-runne with evill, but from this, that men cannot be so evill, as they would?
It is with these men, as it was with Zoilus, that common slanderer, who being demanded why he spake evill of such, and such answered, because I cannot do them evill, or else like another Parisian Vigils, we should feele their swords, before we heard their alarums.
Wicked men have courage above their strength, and their dareing is above their skill; they have courage to attempt much more then their ability is to performe; not like David, who did as much as he undertooke, in killing Golish. When the Devills hands are bound, he vomits a stood of reproaches with his tongue, Rev. 12. 15. The Master keepes the Mastive chain'd up from hurting his friends, yet sets him on the theise, if he see cause: so God doth by Sathan, it is not that Mastives fault, that he tares not all in peeces; wherefore we may be glad we scape so as we doe, as a Iustice, upon the Bench, told a condemned person at the Barre, who sued to him for mercy.