Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 16 – Section 18
§ 16
2 NEither are his diſeaſes and infirmities fewer then his deformities: His inward infirmities.for ſee but his body opened, and it will appeare like a ſtinking and rotten ſepulcher; for exceſſive and intemperate drinking hath brought upon him a world of diſeaſes and infirmities, becauſe this ſinne by little and little quencheth the naturall heate, and drownes the vitall ſpirits, whereby above all it impaires the health, debilitateth all the members, turning ſtrength into weakeneſſe; health, into irrecoverable ſickneſſe; it being the ſeminary of incurable diſeaſes, which ſhorten the life; the procurer of all infirmities, and acceleration of death; which is the reaſon that men are ordinarily now ſo ſhort lived, in reſpect of that they have beene heretofore.
Neither can there be any other cauſe alleaged, why men in this our age are ſo weake, diſeaſed, and ſhort lived, but our exceſſive drunkenneſſe and intemperance.
It is true indeed, that the world now waxing old, and, as it were, hoareheaded, cannot generate children of ſuch ſtrength and vigour as it did in time of youth and full ſtrength; and therefore wee muſt needs decline, as the world declineth: it is true alſo, that the mother earth is infeebled with much bearing, and hath her ſtrength much abated with ſo innumerable childbirths, and being now come to her cold melancholy age, cannot bring forth her fruits ſo full of vertue and ſtrength, and ſo fit for the nouriſhment of our bodies, as ſhee did in former times: but that there ſhould be ſuch a change, ſo ſuddaine and extraordinary, in the great difference of our health, ſtrength, and long life, betwixt this our age, and that which went next before it; can be imputed unto nothing more, then that now drunkenneſſe and intemperance is, after an extraordinary manner, increaſed; whereby the naturall and vitall heate of men is drowned, and extinguiſhed, before it be neare ſpent; like a candle caſt into the water, before it be halfe burned.
Indeed, drunkards pretend they drinke healthes, and for health. Yea, doubtleſſe they thinke wine another kinde of Panace, which is good for all diſeaſes; or ſome Moly, good againſt all ſorcery and miſchiefe. But to whom, ſaith Salomon, are all kinde of diſeaſes, infirmities, deformities, if not to Drunkards? Who can recount the hurts that by this meanes come to the whole body, eſpecially the head, ſtomack, liver, and the more noble parts? Who can recite the Crudities, Rhumes, Gowts, Dropſies, Aches, Impoſthums, Apoplexes, Inflammations, Plureſies, Conſumptions (for though he devours much, yet hee is the leaner every way) with the Falling-ſickneſſe, and innumerable other diſtempers hence enſuing? which Drunkards know better by experience, then I how to reckon up. To whom are pearle faces, Palſies, Headakes, if not to Drunkards? What ſo ſoone brings ſuddaine old age? What ſo much as ſwilling blowes up the cheekes with wind, fills the noſe and eyes with fier, loads the hands and legs with water; and, in ſhort, plagueth the whole man with diſeaſes of a Horſe, the belly of a Cowe, the head of an Aſſe &c. almoſt turning him into a very walking dunghill. Believe a man in his owne Art; The diſtempered body, the more it is filled, the more it is ſpilled, ſaith Hippocrates: and to this the Prophet ſets his ſeale, Hoſea: 7.5.
And indeed but for the throats indulgence; Paracelſus (for all his Mercury) had dyed a begger: which made Calliſthenes tell Alexander, that hee had rather feede upon graines with Diogenes, in his diſh; then carrouſe the juyce of grapes with him, in this ſtanding cup; for of all the gods, ſaid hee, I love not Aeſculapius.
In a word: though wine, being moderately taken, is phyſicall; yet, if it be taken immoderately, there is nothing more banefull, ſaith St. Auſtin: for by it the body is weakened, ſtrength decayed, the members diſſolved, the whole body diſtempered, and out of order; ſo that the Drunkard drawes death out of that which preſerves other mens lives.
That many have periſhed by this meanes we read, Eccl. 37.30.31. & if many then, ſurely many millions now: for in former ages it was as rare, as now it is common. For wee read that the Locrians would not permit their Magiſtrates to drinke wine; whereas now with us, the meaneſt (by their good wills) will drinke nothing elſ. We read alſo that the ancient Romans would not ſuffer their women to drinke wine; whereas many of ours are like Cleio, who was ſo practiſed in drinking, that ſhee durſt challeng all men whatſoever to trye maſteries who could drinke moſt, and overcome all. And laſtly, wee reade that they would never drinke wine before they were twenty yeares of age; whereas many of our children are halfe killed, before they are borne, with diſtempered drinkes: at leaſt, when they are borne, no day, no meale, muſt they be without ſipping downe wine, their over indulgent parents (who like Apes, many times kill their young with making much of them) will have it ſo: whereupon not a few become Drunkards and company keepers very betime, and before any would imagine; as St. Hierome telleth of one, that ſwore by her Iove ſhe was lewd or naught ſo early, that no one ſo much as dreamed of it.
In a word, wine and ſtrong drink hath drowned more men, then the ſea hath devoured; and more dye of ſurfeits, then by the ſword. Yea, as drunkenneſſe hath drowned more ſoules, then all the ſinnes of Sodome: ſo it hath drowned more bodies, then were drowned in the generall deluge of Noahs flood.
§ 17.
VVHy, but ſaith the Tipler, Wine, An objection anſwered.if not received to ſurfeite, refreſheth the ſpirits and cheares the heart, as is well knowne; I finde it, I feele it, I perceive it doth me good, and I will believe mine own eyes, and taſt, before Hippoc…ates, or ten Salomons. Salomon anſwers in effect thus much, Prov. 23.29. to 35. Bee not deceived with ſhewes and ſhadowes; a man may be drunke, though his eyes be not out; and may be deceived, though his eyes be in too. All is not gold that gliſters, all is not paid that is promiſed: wine promiſeth much for the preſent, but it will deceive thee in the end: it promiſeth health, but it payes ſickneſſe; it promiſeth comfort, but thou ſhalt find ſorrow; it promiſeth helpe, but thou ſhalt receive hurt; it is a poyſoned potion, a flattering, but cruell Hyaena: much like that double headed ſerpent Amphisbaena, or one of thoſe Locuſts, Apoc. 9.10. that carries a ſting in the taile, though the face bee ſmiling and flattering. Not that wine in it ſelfe (which is a good creature of God) is any way evill, or the uſe of it unlawfull. Lycurgus was out, when he deſtroyed all the Vines to prevent drunkenneſſe; he had done farre better, if he had made more Wells, that ſo the heat of the wine might have beene alayed with the coldneſſe of the water. For though God will not allow us to be drunk with wine, yet he doth not forbid us to drinke wine: uſe a little wine for thy ſtomacks ſake, and thine often infirmites, ſayes Paul to Timothy, 1 Tim. 5. And give ſtrong drink to him that is ready to periſh, and wine to them that have griefe of heart, are the words of the Holy Ghoſt, Prov. 31.6. But a little proofe will ſerve the turne to perſwade men that wine is lawfull; all the matter is, how to have them uſe it lawfully.
Aud thus the drunkard is injurious to his body. Firſt, by deforming it. Secondly, by weakning and diſabling it, whereby his life is lingringly, and by little and little conſumed. But this is not all, for
§ 18.
THirdly, The Drunkard his own executioner.as if he ſcorned to goe to his grave in peace, he ſtrives to doe execution upon himſelfe; either by drinking untill his skinne and guts crack againe, as how many have drunk themſelves dead; how many have even burſt themſelves with drinking, and ſo dyed, as it were with the weapon in their belly, being taken away in Gods juſt wrath? &c. Or ſecondly, by a frequent expoſing himſelfe to divers miſerable accidents, yea fearefull and lamentable miſhaps; for, as if the proverbe (A drunken man never takes harme) were good Scripture, hee careth not what way he goeth in the darke, what falls he taketh, how he knocks, breakes, and maymes himſelfe, whereby he often batters his face, bruiſeth his body, breaks his armes, leggs, and many times his neck; what bridges hee paſſeth over, whereby ſometimes he falleth into the water, and is drowned; what hedges he lyes under, where even Snakes have beene known to creepe down drunkards throats into their bellies, as they have layen aſleepe in the fields: all which the Philoſopher conſidering, he compared one drunk to a running Coach, without a Coachman to guide it.
Or thirdly, A coward pot-valiant will kil and flay.by running into quarrels when hee is drunke: as what elſe but the pot breeds ſo many brawles, quarrels, debates, duels, ſtabbs, murthers, with ſuch like dangerous and bitter fruits; for while the wine workes, they reſemble thoſe fiſhes, which love to be in violent ſtreams and flood-gates, but doe dye in ſtill waters: which the Egyptians obſerving, made them abhorre all wine, for as Plutarch reports, they did never uſe any (untill the time of Pſammeticus) ſo much as in their ſacrifices or drinke offerings; upon conceit, that it was the blood of thoſe Gyants, which, they had heard, did once make warre againſt God. And S. Auguſtine affirmes, that the Manichees could not abide it, as being the gall (as they fooliſhly thought) of the prince of darkneſſe.
Yea, who will ſooner kill and ſlay then cowards, when once they are pot valiant? I have knowne ere now a very Dametas, guilty of no little courage, and ſuſpected of true valour: as who will not thinke him both a valiant and excellent Pilot, that dares brave a whole fleet out of a ſimple Cockboate.
I deny not but ſuch an ones diſcourſe may ſometimes ſound big, and yet meane nothing: cowards being moſt forward, both in giving charge with the tongue, and recoyling backe with the foot: yea, you ſhall ſee a man looke like the foure windes in painting, as if hee would blow away the enemy; and yet, at the very firſt onſet, ſuffer feare and trembling to dreſſe themſelves in his face apparently: and commonly where is leaſt heart, there is moſt tongue; ſwelling words being like the report of a great Ordnance, which doth only blaze, and cracke, and ſmoake, and ſtinke, and vaniſh. And lightly if wee note ſuch an one, hee ſeldome unbuttons his tumored breaſt, but when hee findes none to oppoſe the bigneſſe of his lookes and tongue, but this holds not alwaies for ſure I am, many do that in a Tavern, which they repent at Tyborne; and nothing more common, then for drunkards to kiſſe when they meet, and kill when they part.