The Drunkards Character, Section 41
§ 41.
AS touching memory, they have hardly any at all;2. That drunkards have shall…w memori…s. for the abundance of wine hath drowned and mudded that noble recorder. The drunkard first speakes he knowes not what, nor after can he remember what that was he spake; it is the funerall of all a mans good parts. A drunkards mind and stomack are alike, neither can retaine what they receive; deep drinkers have shallow memories. Have you not heard of one drunkard, that sought all the Innes in the Towne for his Horse, when indeed he came thether on foote? of another, that was halfe perswaded by the Chamberlain, that he came thether without his breeches, having laid them over night under his mat, for the more safety of his purse▪ and I can witnes that one of no meane parts, being invited to a buriall, puld out his key in the Church (being halfe a sleepe, halfe awake) and knockt on the pew crying, Drawer, what is to p…y▪
By all which it appeares, that drunkennesse deprives men both of wit and memory, and yet madly wee persue this vice as the kindler of them: but no wonder, when the forbidden Tree which promised our first parents knowledge, took their knowledge from them, the same divell having a hand in both.
I might proceed to his knowledge in the best things,As drunkards are purblind to worldly wisdome, so th…y are st…rk blind t… heavenly and shew you, that whereas some are like the Moone at full, have all their light towards earth, none towards heaven; other, like the Moone at wane, or change, have all their light to heaven-wards, none to the earth; drunkards are like the Moon in Eclips, having no light in it selfe, net her towards earth, nor towards heaven.
Though they are apt to thinke themselves Giants for wit, and Eagles for light and judgement, even in Divinity also, which makes them so put themselves forward, as how often have I seene a case o… leather stuft with wind, as he in Marcellus D…natus thought himself a very beefe-brain'd fellow, that hath had onelyonly impudence enough to shew himselfe a foole, thrust into discourses of religion, thinking to get esteeme; when all that he hath purchased thereby, hath beene onelyonly the hisse of the wise, and a just deri…ion from the abler judgements: not unlike that Germane Clown, who undertooke to be very ready in the ten Commandements, but being ask'd by the Minister, which was the first? he answered, thou shalt not eat.
If you doubt of it, doe but aske the drunkard a reason of his faith; and you shall see hee can no more tell you, th…n the winde can tell, which last blew off my hat. Or onelyonly heare him relate what the Minister spake, for seldome but hee stumbles at, and mistakes his words; for as when S. Augustine justified free will against the Manichees, the ignorant would take him for a Pelagian; and when he denied free-will to the Pelagians, they would take him for a Manichee, when he was neither, but disputed against both the extreames, the one utterly denying it, the other too highly extolling it: so when the Minister teacheth, that it is impossible for a man to bee justif…ed by his workes, bee they never so glorions and exact performaces, these brutish drunkards wil cry out, he condemneth good works; If he shew them the necessity of living well, they'll thinke hee excludeth faith from justifying; let him prove it a dead faith which is without good workes, and those good workes but shining sins which are without faith, and shew that both faith and workes are equally necessary to salvation, and they will understand hee meanes them both as meritorious causes, whereas he acknowledgeth neither; but faith as an instrument, good workes as a necessary concomitant, God alone the efficient, and Christ alone the meritorious cause of salvation: for know this, that good workes cannot justifie us before the severe Tribunall of Almighty God, our workes deserve nothing, it is onelyonly in Christ, that they are accepted; and onelyonly for Christ, that they are rewarded: Neither is it faith which properly saves us, but the righteousnesse of Christ, whereon it is grounded; by grace yee are saved through faith, Ephesians 2. 8. It is the God of truth that speakes it, and woe unto him that shall make God a lyer; by grace effectually, through faith instrumentally; we are not justified for the onelyonly act and quality of believing, it is the justice of Jesus that justifies us, which faith apprehends: it was the brazen Serpent that healed, not the eye that looked on it; yet without a look…g eye, there was no helpe to the wounded party by the promised vertue. It is true, our Adversaries oppose this doctrine both with Pens and Tongues, violently in the Schooles, invectively in the Pulpets; but come they once to their death-beds, to argue it betweene God and their owne soules; then grace, and grace alone; mercy, and onelyonly mercy; Iesus, and none but Iesus; this their great Belweather is driven to confesse▪ yea, saith another, give us this faith, and then let our enemies doe their worst, the Devill tempt, the world afflict, sinne menace, death afright, yet faith will vanquish all, through the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ.
Againe let a Minister speak against affectation of learning in Sermons, they will say, he condemnes learning; let him tell such as live and allow themselves in drunkennesse, adultery, swearing, deceiving, &c. that they are in a damnable condition, and in a reprobate sense, they will say, he calls them r…probates, and judgeth them damned: in all which they resemble the Sadd ces, who tooke occasion to deny the Resurrection, from that wholsome doctrine taught, that we should neither serve God for reward, nor feare of punishment, but meerely out of obedience and love: or the Iewes, who when Christ spake of the Temple of his body, understood him to meane the materiall Temple, and thereupon tooke great exceptions
Yea, we have a world of such amongst us, who seeme (Malchus like) to have their right eares cut off, they heare so sinis…erly. And rather then not carpe, if the Minister but use a similitude, for ornament and illustration sake, borrowed from nature or history, they will say, he affirmes the matter thereof possitively to be true: like as that simple fellow thought Pontius Pilate must needs be a Saint, because his name was put in the Creede. And so much to prove that the Drunkard hath neither wit nor memory.