The Drunkards Character, Section 2 – Section 7
§ 2.
YEa to prove them beasts in condition, Other sinners Beasts.though men in shape, were a taske so easie, that it would accrue small credit to an opponent, for each natuall man (so long as he remaines in his sinnes impen…tent) is a very beast in condition as Ieremy affirmes, Ier. 10. 14. and St. Peter, 2 Pet. 2. 12. Hee may be so proud as to scorne the comparison; but it is so, for the wisdome of Heaven puts it upon him, and that which the Prophet in this place wraps up in a short Metaphor, is in other places of Scripture, as it were, illustrated, and unfolded by a continued Allegory; the selfe same spirit making good that generall charge by many particular instances, as looke but in Gods Dictionary (who can give most congruous names to natures) and you shall find, Nero termed a Lyon, 2 Tim. 4. Herod, a Fox, Luk. 13. the Iewish false teachers, Dogs, Phil. 3. Davids persecutors, Bulls of Bason and Vnicornes, Psal. 22. the Egyptian enemies, Dragons, Psal. 74. the Scribes and Pharesies, Serpents and Vipers, Math. 23. the Babil…nian Monarch, a Lyon, with Eagles wings; the Percian, a Bearc; the Macedonian, a Leopard, Dan. 7. the enemies of the Church, wild Boares, Psal. 80. greedy Iudges, evening Wolves, Zeph. 3. Schismaticks, Foxes cubs, Canticl. 2. &c.
Or admit the Scriptures were silent herein, wee may evidently see men and women transformed into beasts of all kinds everyday, some into Epicurean Swine, others into barking Dogs, a third sort into cruell Tygers, &c. yea no wildernesse afords so many beasts as some great City: for each covetous Muckworme, is a blind Mole; every lust full person, a rancke Goate; the fraudulent man is a Fox; the busie body, a Squirrell, the Murmurer, a Frog; the Flatterer, a Spaniell; the Slanderer, an Aspe; the Oppressor, a Wolfe; the Persecutor, a Tyger; the Church Robber, a wild Boare; the Seducer a Serpent, yea a Devill; the Traitor, a Viper, &c. for the time and my breath would faile mee if I should reckon up all kinds of humane beasts, or beastiall men, beasts in the forme of men; yea its well if all these brutish conditions meete not in one man (especially a drunkard) as rivers in the Sea, for there is not one beastlike, or serpentine quality which every of their natures much more this sinne, would not admit if GOD restrained them not.
§ 3.
EVen such is the power of sinne, that it made God become man, Angells become Devills, Drunkards worse then Beasts.and men become beasts; but this sinne, this vile and odious sinne of drunkennesse, hath a more superlative power; for it makes a man worse then any beast which goes upon foure legs. Neither can I finde a sample for him amongst beasts, hee is such a beast that I know not with what beast to match him, such a beast that no other beast will keepe him company; the neerest to him is the Ierff, a beast in the north parts of Suetia, whose property (as Gesner, out of Olaus Magnus, relates it) is when he hath killed his prey, or found someCarkasse, to fal a devouring the same, and never leave feeding untill his belly be puft up, and strouteth like a bag-pipe, and then not being able to hold any more, he goeth presently betweene two narrow trees and straineth out backward what hee hath eaten, and so being made empty, returneth againe to the Carkasse, and filleth himselfe as before, and then straineth it out the second time, and so continueth filling and emptying himselfe untill he hath devoured all; which being consumed, he hunteth after more, and this is the course of his whole life. Now if the drunkard, whose whole life is little els but a vicissitude of devouring and von…itting, who spends all his time in drinking, and venting, and abominable spewing, so disgorging himselfe when he hath drunke his fil, thereby to be able to drinke the like quantity againe, had but this ill quality and not an hundred more and worse with it, I might well couple these two beasts together; for in this particular there cannot be devised a more expressive Hieroglyphique of his loathly condition: but alas, this is rather one of the drunkards vertues, for which he lookes to be applauded, and is so by all that keepe him company, so that this comparison falls short by much.
§ 4.
VVHerefore in my encounter with this Monster,wherein they equall Beasts. I will neither spend time, nor blot paper with shewing wherein they are equall with beasts; as that they are onelyonly led by sensuality, that their whole intendment is their bellies, that like hogs they thinke no garden so pleasant as the dunghill, no cleare streame comparable to the mire wherein they wallow, that seeming a heaven to them which to a sober and religious man is little better then an hell; yea, who thinks it not lesse labour to plow all day, then to pot it, that it is a taske almost invicible, to make them owne those words and behaviours when they are sober, which in their pots they were authors of, that notwithstanding drink hath often made them as sicke as ever was Sea-man, and exposed them to a thousand perills, yet they are never the wiser afterwards, that they have no more conscience nor feare of God, then beasts: yea, tell them of God, their hearts will make reply, as the Cyclops in the Tragedy did with his mouth, when Vlysses told him of God; I know no other God but my belly: that they are as improvident & without forefight of what will follow, as beasts; providing no refuge against the evill day, but thinke to beare off the judgments of God with head and shoulders, that like bruite beasts they will beleive nothing but what they are led to by sense, that they consider no more how time passeth away then a beast is able to tell the clocke; whereupon their departure is commonly so suddaine, that when they looke for a pleasant peale, behold, it is their passing bell, that they are no more ashamed of their deeds then beasts; yea lesse, for a very Dog, though he cannot blush, will goe away, as if he were ashamed, when he hath done a shrewd turne, and is taken in the manner; but Drunkards have a meretricious forehead, stupid, and steeled with impudence, shame-proofe, there is not so much blood of grace in their hearts as will serve to make halfe a blush in their cheekes.
If it bee objected that a Drunkard can sometimes speake; I answere, that is no more then a beast hath done, even a silly Asse, Num. 22. 28.
These and many the like I will passe over, and only shew you wherein they be worse then beasts.
§ 5.
IN which,Why so tart. let none thinke mee over tart, or my comparisons too homely; for they must not looke to live like beasts, yea, worse then beasts, and be slattered as if they were men: what, shall wee walke in the spirit of falsehood, and prophesie of wine and strong drinke? no, this were to bee a beast for company: if men thinke scorne thus to be compared, let them forbeare to deserve such comparisons. What saith St. Chrysostome, shall I thinke thee to be a man when thou hast all the qualities of a beast; kickest like an Asse; neighest after women, like a Horse; ragest in lust, like a Bull; ravenest like a Beare, stingest like a Scorpion, rakest like a Wolfe, as subtill as a Fox, as impudent and shamelesse as a Dog? thou hast nothing in thee to induce mee to thinke so, seeing there is a greater similitude betweene thee and a beast, in the disposition of thy minde, then dissimilitude in the composition of thy body: as for thy shape, that affrights mee more when I see a beast in the likenesse of a man.
But I speake not so much to them as of them, for these beasts rarely reade bookes, especially tending to piety: I speake to the sober, as unto men of understanding, and let them judge what I say.
§ 6.
Drunkards inferiour to beasts in five particulars. viz.
1 In swilling to excesse, whereas beasts keepe within the bounds of moderation.
2 I… cosing the prerogative of their creation, wheras beasts keepe theirs.
3 In depriving themselves of sense and motion, wherein beasts excell plants and stones.
4 In that they subvert reason, & prove cruell to themselves, yea, ofttimes become their owne executioners.
5 In transforming themselves into the condition of cvill Angells, whose whole delight is to sin and make others sinne, and whose portion is in the burning lake.
1 First, it is not so bad to be a Beast, asBeasts know when they have enough for a man (who hath more noble endowments) to live like a beast, which is the Drunkards case, who in their practise resemble beasts, saving that beasts are therin better then they: as for example, beasts, whether Horses, Oxen, or any other brutish creature (as knowing when they have enough, when once they have drank sufficient to quench their thirst, and to satisfie nature) have so much reason and good manners in them as to forbeare to drinke any more then they neede; yea, they cannot be forced by any violence to drinke againe; which shewes that excesse is a most unnaturall and abominable sin: whereas the drunkard drinks double and treble, yea, ten times more then hee needs, and not onelyonly satisfies nature, but also gluts and oppresseth it with superfluity, even unto surfeit.
Yea, this even one of their owne Poets have confest; who, when his wife askt him whether hee were not ashamed to lye drunke in the streets like a beast; replyed, thou lyest like a whore, for if I were a beast I would not be drunke. I marvell how a Drunkard could give so good a reason.
Neither is this all, for as beasts know when they have enough, these brutish Animals are so far from having command over their affections, from putting a knife to their throate when they have taken enough, as Salomon adviseth, Pro. 23. 2. that they will be ready to sheath it in the Drawers belly, if hee shall but offer to set bounds to their throats; at least they will unblesse themselves, when meanes, and time, and company, will not permit another Sacrifice to their Bacchus (their belly) so that to say the truth, and give beasts their due in this particular, it is a wrong to beasts, to call drunkennesse their sinne, for generally they are sober, and these so much worse then beasts, as they ought to be better.
§ 7.
2 DRunkards are worse then beasts,Beasts remaine the same they were crealed, but Drunkards shame their creation. in that beasts remaine the same they were created; whereas Drunkards subvert natures institution, cease to bee what God made them, reasonable creatures, and suffer themselves to be transformed by drinke into swine, as Elpenor, one of Vlysses companions was turned by Circe into a Hog, so sha…ing their creation: and whereas other sinnes deprive a man of Gods Image, this deprives him of mans, leaving him neither the use of reason nor speech, without which (but for the name and dimensions of a man) he is no better then a beast, as the Foole said of his Coulestaffe, when he rid upon it into the water; as good no horse but for the name of a horse: yea, the Drunkards soule is made a slave to his sense, and whilst this rebells, she that worst may must hold the Candle.
Now a man having lost the use of his soule, is worse then a beast which keeps the use of his instinct; yea, a man that hath lost his senses, is therein worse then a beast that hath them, as sure as a living Dog is better then a dead Lyon: wherefore in this regard also the Drunkard should have a name inferiour to that of beast, and not be reputed so good.