Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 78 – Section 80
§ 78.
ANd to mend the matter, Least Sathan ſhould want of his due they drinke them upon their kneesleaſt Sathan ſhould want of his due reverence and adoration, or they abate of their pleaſure (for the more ſinfull any action, the more ſweete) theſe wine-worſhippers will be at it on their knees, eſpecially if they drinke a great mans health; and ſo make gods of others, beaſts of themſelves, ranke Idolatry.
I know it's no innovation, or new thing; The riſe and originall of health drinkingthe cuſtome is rather ancient, then warrantable; our Moderne drunkards have it but by tradition from their Elders, and they did it not without a preſident: for health-drinking upon their knees had it's riſe and pedegree, it's birth and originall, from Pagans, Infidells, and Idolaters, yea, from the Devill himſelfe, as St. Baſil and St. Baſil. ſer. de chriet. Auguſtin de temp. Serm. 231Auſtin witneſſe, who affirme that it is but a heatheniſh cuſtome, ſavouring onelyonly of Paganiſme and Gentiliſme; yea, that it was but the Devills drinke offering, or a part of that honour, worſhip, ſacrifice, and adoration which the Gentiles, Witches, Sorcerers, &c. gave to Beelzebub the prince of Devills, and thoſe other Devill-gods, to whoſe honour, name, and memory theſe adorations were firſt invented and conſecrated.
Neither can Sathan ſay, Examples of Gods vengance on health drinkers.but Chriſtendome hath alwayes afforded him men, who have yeelded him this homage: for ſome when they have bene pumpt dry in this caſe, and bleſt all their acquaintance, they have …ranke a health to the Devill, as Pope Iohn the twelfth, alias the thirteenth did. And was there not a Lincolne-ſhire man well knowne, that in his cups dranke a health to the Devill, who had no ſooner dranke it off, but he fell downe dead? yea, Auguſtine Lachimer reporteth, that in Germany the yeare 1549. there was three, who after they had taken in their cups, painted with a cole on the wall a loathly Devill, and then dranke freely unto him, talking to him, as if he had beene perſonally preſent; but the next morning they were all found ſtrangled and dead.
Yea, ſome have proceeded further, even to drinke a health to God himſelfe, and have ſped thereafter; as memorable, remarkable, and terrible is that tragicall and ſtrange example of Gods avenging judgment, upon two drunkards and health quaffers in Nekerſhofew, a Towne in Almaine, on the fourth day of Iuly, in the yeare 1580; who comming then and there into an Inne, called for bread and wine, which being brought, they diſliked the wine, for it's newneſſe, calling for ſome older, and better wine, which being brought in great abundance, they fell to ſwill and carouſe on to another, till they were both as drunke as ſwine; then one of them pouring forth wine, dranke a carouſe to his fellow, who pledging him, demanded to whom he ſhould drinke; quoth he, drinke thou unto God; he hearing this, drinkes a health or carouſe to him indeed; and then demands of his companion, which wine God ſhould pledge him in: upon which he takes the new wine into his hand, and filling the cup therewith, reacheth forth his arme as high as he could, as though God ſhould have pledged him in good earneſt, ſaying, God I would faine know what wine thou likeſt beſt, this wine is good enough, and too good for thee, if thou hadſt ſent better, thou ſhouldeſt have had better, but ſuch as it is, take it, pledge me quickly, and carouſe it off every ſwoup, as I have done to thee, or elſe thou doſt me wrong (the uſuall ſpeech and phraſe of our drunkards at this day) but no ſooner had he uttered theſe blaſphemous ſpeeches, but the Lord forthwith proceeds in judgements againſt him, cauſing his Arme, which he had ſtretched out, to ſtand ſtedfaſt and unmoveable, ſo that he could not pull it in; and benumming his whole body, ſo that he could not move it from the place, in which agony he remained a long time after (his countenance not changed) rowling his eyes to and fro in a fearefull manner, his breath and ſpeech being taken from him, ſo that he could not breath, nor ſpeake a word, and yet ſeemed to every one to be alive; after this the people (who flock thick & threefold, to ſee this wretched ſpectacle of Gods wrath and vengeance) aſſayed to remove him from the place, but they could not ſtirre him by any ſtrength; in the end they tyed Horſes to him to draw him thence; but they could not move him; then they aſſayed to burne him, but no fire would take hold on him: wherefore perſwading themſelves, that God had made him a ſpectacle, ſtanding preſident, or fixed statua of his wrath and vengeance to all drunkards and all future ages, they ſurceaſed their enterpriſes, wiſhing the will of the Lord to be done, and in this miſerable and dolefull manner (ſaith my Author, Mr. Stubs in his Anatomy of Abuſes) he ſtands to this very day, as a tragicall, dreadfull, and prodigious ſpectacle of Gods heauy diſpleaſure, wrath, and vengeance, againſt drunkards; the very ſight, nay, the very relation, or thought of which, ſhould ſtrike the hearts and ſoules of all, who are devoted unto this ſinne, with terror and amazement.
The other drunken beaſt his companion, who had eſcaped the immediate hand of God, was, by the juſt and avenging hand of the People, hanged upon a Gibbet before the dore of the ſame houſe, for an example unto others.
Now conſider this all ye ryotous drunkards, who forget God, leaſt he tare you in peeces, and there be none to deliver.
§ 79.
BUt that it may appeare they are more zealous and charitable, Not more forward to drinke healthes then zealous and carefull that others pledge the ſame.then either to worſhip Sathan their god, or goe to Hell their owne place alone; and to prove that their hearts deſire is, that others alſo may be damned, as St. Paul's was, that Iſrael might be ſaved, Rom. 10.1 they are not more forward in drinking healthes, then they are carefull to ſee that others pledge them: for a health being once begun, they will looke to it preciſely, that every one preſent ſhall pledge the ſame, in the ſame manner and meaſure, be they thirſty, or not thirſty, willing, or not willing, able, or unable; for meaſuring other mens palates, bellyes, thirſts, conſciences, conſtitutions, and diſpoſitions by their owne, they will force them oftentimes to drinke, againſt their wills, their ſtomackes, their healthes, &c. For tell them you are not a thirſt, which is all the anſwer I can vouchſafe ſuch, or that it will not agree with your conſtitution, they will conclude you an arrant foole, and ill bred. Yea, in their judgements, Ahaſuerus was none of the wiſeſt, in appointing that none ſhould compell another to drinke. Or tell them that the Goths ordained upon pain of death, how none ſhould drink an health to another, nor be forced, further then their owne free wills induced them; O this was the baſeſt law that ever was enacted: and yet wiſe Plato decreed (for the avoiding of exceſſe) that no one ſhould ſo much as drink to another; and the Spartans law was, Ʋt bibat arbitrio pocula quiſque ſuo. Let each mans meaſure of drinke bee his pleaſure.
§ 80.
THeir manner is, 1 How they will intiſe.either to Intiſe or Enforce others to pledge them. Firſt, to intiſe and perſwade them, as let but a ſober and religious man fall into their company, as a purſe of money may fal into a ſtinking Privie, O how they will conſpire to provoke his unwilling appetite with drunken healths! and if they can (like that Babyloniſh Harlot) make him taſt poyſon in a golden cup, O then they will ſing, and rejoyce as in the diviſion of a ſpoyle, and bragg that they have drenched ſobriety, and blinded the light, and ever after bee a ſnuffing of this Taper, Pſal. 13.4.
Or if they cannot perſwade him, 2 How they wil inforcethey will hate, and revile him, perhaps ſtab him that will not pledge their healths, as if it were an offence not to bee forgiven; for now it is counted an injury not worthy alone of ill words, but alſo of wounds and ſtabbs, if a man will not for company grievouſly ſin againſt God, wrong his own body, deſtroy his ſoule, and wilfully le…p into hel fire: yea, they wil hate a man more for refuſing, or croſſing their healths then for abjuring his faith, his religion, or his God; and are more hot, more zealous, ſtoute, and reſolute, in the defence, or maintainance of a health, then in the cauſe or quarrel of their Countrey; and will rather adventure their blood in the field, upon the refuſal of, or quarrell about them, then for the chiefeſt article of their creed; whence it is they are ſo much moved and affected, that they are mighty impatient and angry with ſuch as croſſe them in this kinde: but nothing ſo with others, who hinder them in Gods ſervice, or thwart them in their greateſt good.