Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 20 – Section 21
§ 20.
NOw as drunkenneſſe is the cauſe of murther, Drunkenneſſe the cauſe of adultery.ſo it is no leſſe the cauſe of adultery: yea, as this ſinne is moſt ſhamefull in it ſelfe, ſo it maketh a man ſhameleſſe in committing any other ſin; whereof luſt is none of the laſt, nor none of the leaſt. Yea, ſaith Ambroſe, the firſt evill of drunkenneſſe, is danger of chaſtity; for Bacchus is but a pander to Venus: hereupon Romulus made a law, that if any woman were found drunke, ſhee ſhould dye for it; taking it for granted, that when once drunke, it was an eaſie matter to make her a whore.
The ſtomach is a Limbeck, wherein the ſpirit of luſt is diſtilled; meates are the ingredients, and wine the onelyonly fire that extracts it. For as the flame of mount Aetna is fed onelyonly by the vapours of the adjacent ſea: ſo this fire of luſt is both kindled and maintained by ſurfeiting and drunkenneſſe. When the belly is filled with drinke, then is the heart inflamed with luſt, and the eyes ſo filled with adultery, that they cannot but gaze upon ſtrange women, as Salomon ſhewes, Prov. 23.33. whereas love, ſaith Crates, is cured with hunger.
You know when the Iron is hot, the Smith can faſhion it to his pleaſure: and wine tempers the heart like wax, for the divels impreſſion: when a man is drunk, Sathan may ſtamp in his heart the fouleſt ſinne, but luſt will admit no denyall. Yea, drunkenneſſe inflames the ſoule, and fills that with luſts as hot as hell; high diet is adulteries nurſe. They roſe up in the morning like fed Horſes, ſaith the Prophet, (and what followes, every man neighed after his neighbours wife) Ier. 5.8. which is more then true with us, for drunkards like the Horſe and Mule which have no underſtanding, no ſhame, no conſcience, &c. eſpecially your brazen brain'd, and flinty foreheaded clownes, can no ſooner ſpie a woman, or maide, chaſt, or unchaſt, even in the open ſtreets, but they will fall to imbraceing and tempting her with ribaldry, ſcurrility, & turning every vvord ſhe ſpeakes to ſome laſcivious & obſcene ſenſe, vvhereof they are not a little proud, though it vvould make a vviſe and modeſt man, even ſpue to heare them. But to goe on.
When Lot is drunke, hee is eaſily drawne to commit incest with his owne daughters; not once perceiving when they lay downe, nor when they roſe up, Gen. 19.32. to 36. Rarò vidi continentem, quem non vidi abſtinentem, ſaith St. Auſtin, you ſhall rarely ſee a man continent, that is not abſtinent: and it's a true rule, for that heate which is taken at the Taverne, muſt be alaid at the brothelnouſe; the blood which is fired with Bacchus, muſt be cooled with Venus; and ſoe Sathan takes two Pigeons with one beane. And the Divell ſhould forget both his office and malice, if hee did not play the pander to Concupiſcence, this way for idleneſſe, makes way for looſe company; looſe company, makes way for wine; wine, makes way for luſt; and luſt makes worke for the Devill; Venus comes out of the froth of this Sea.
I will never believe that chaſtity ever ſlept in the Drunkards bed; for, although I cannot ſay that every whormonger is given to drunkenneſſe; yet I may truely ſay, that there are no Drunkards but are either given over, or greatly inclined to whoredome.
This ſinne fills the heart, and eye (both eyes) if not the whole life, with horrible filthineſſe, naturall, unnaturall, any: this is ſo cleare a truth, that darkneſſe it ſelfe ſaw and confeſt it; even a Poet of the Heathens could call eating and drinking the fuell that maintaines the fier of Luſt; for Luſt, ſaith hee, is quenched by abſtinence, kindled by exceſſe, and nothing ſooner kills this tetter then that faſting ſpittle of abſtinence; for how ſhould the wieke burne without tallow, or the lampe without oyle?
That Wine is an inducement to Luſt, David well knew, or elſe hee had ſpared thoſe ſuperfluous cups: but when hee would have forced Vriah to lye with his wife, that ſo ſhee might have a colour for her great belly, and the child might appeare legitimate, hee firſt made him drunke, 2 Sam. 11.13. Even as Ice is ingendered of water: ſo is Luſt of intemperance. The Drunkard is like a S… lamander ſtone, which fires at the ſight or every flame: yea, if hee but ſee a whore, and ſhee him, like the Weeſell and Baſiliske, they poyſon each other with their ſight, Pro. 7.
One Devill is ready to helpe another in miſchiefe: hee that tarrieth long at the wine, ſaith Salomon, his eyes ſhall looke upon ſtrange women, and his heart ſhall ſpeake lewd things, Proverbs. 23.33. and St. Paul witneſſeth, that the fruits of gluttony and drunkenneſſe, are chambering and wantonneſſe, Rom. 13.13.
Yea, as drunkenneſſe is the onelyonly buſineſſe of loyterers: ſo lewd love is the onelyonly buſineſſe of Drunkards; for while they are awake they thinke and ſpeake of it, and when they are aſleepe (even when other mens thoughts lye at Anchor) they nothing but dreame of it; and what is it a Drunkard loves halfe ſo well as a whore?
Yea, Wine ſo inflames the Drunkard with Luſt; that were his power equall to his deſire, were his dreames and wiſhes all true, hee would not leave a Virgin in the world; might but his acts anſwer the number of his deſires, nature could ſcarce ſupply him with ſeverall objects; or could his wiſhes, take effect, Popery might have many Nuns, it ſhould have no maids.
Now what decayes health, and ſtrength, and conſequently ſhortens a mans dayes more then whoredome? when ſo many dye of the Pox, a diſeaſe which ſlayes thouſands, though they will not be known of it; for, becauſe of the whoriſh woman, a man is brought to a morſell of bread, Pro. 6.26. yea, ſhee cauſeth many to fall downe wounded, and all the ſtrong men are ſlaine by her, her houſe is the way unto the grave, which leadeth downe to the chamber of death, Pro. 7.26.27.
And ſo much of the drunkards body.
§ 21.
SEcondly, if wee dive deeper into him, Drunkennes Beaſtiates the ſoule.and ſearch into his ſoule: what one ſinne more mangles and defaces Gods Image, and mans beauty, then this? how doth it damme up the head and ſpirits with mud? how doth it infatuate the underſtanding, blind the judgement, pervert the will, and corrupt all the affections? how doth it intrap the deſires, ſurpriſe the thoughts and bring all the powers and faculties of the ſoule out of order? which occaſioneth one to ſay, where drunkenneſſe raignes as King, there reaſon is baniſhed as an exile, the underſtanding is dulled, counſell wandereth, and judgement is overthrowne. And with this accordeth Seneca, who defines drunkenneſſe to be a voluntary madneſſe, or a temporary forfeiture of the wits: yea, the Holy Ghoſt affirmes, that the exceſſe of wine makes men mad, fooliſh, and outragious, Pro. 20.1. for being worſe then the ſting of an Aſpe, it poyſoneth the very ſoule, and reaſon of man.
Yea, wee finde this and a great deale more by experience: for many a man drinkes himſelfe out of his wits, and out of his wealth, and out of his credit, and out of all grace and favour, both with God and good men.
Neither is the Scripture leſſe expreſſe: for Salomon calls wine a mocker, and tells us that ſtrong drinke is raging. And Hoſea affirmes, that wine takes away the heart, Chap. 4.11. And wee reade elſewhere, that wine makes men forget God, and his lawes, Pro. 31.5. Yea, utterly to fall away from God, and to be incapable of returning, for it is commonlie accompanied with hardneſſe of heart, and final impenitence, Eſa. 5.11.12. and 56.12. Pro. 23.35.
For admoniſh ſuch as are bewitched and beſotted with the love of wine, you ſpeak to men ſenſeles, paſt ſhame, and paſt grace. Tell them of ſome better imployment, they will ſay as once Florus (an idle fellow) was wont, I would not be Caeſar, alwayes marching in armor: to whom Caeſar replyed, and I would not be Florus, alwayes drinking in a Taverne. Yea, being wrapt in wine, and warme cloathes, they ſo like their condition, that they would not change upon any termes, no, not to be glorified Saints in Heaven: as thoſe ſwine, and other brutiſh creatures, which Circe transformed, would by no meanes be perſwaded to become men againe, though they were put to their choice by the ſaid goddeſſe (or ſorcereſſe rather) upon the earneſt requeſt of Vlyſſes. You ſhall never perſwade a Drunkard, that the water of life is the beſt wine. In a word, by long cuſtome they turne delight into neceſſity, and bring upon themſelves ſuch an inſatiable thirſt, that they will as willinglie leave to live, as leave their exceſſive drinking: in regard whereof, St. Auſtin, compares drunkenneſſe to the pit of Hell, into which when a man is once fallen, there is no redemption.
Yea, this vice doth not onelyonly rob men of reaſon, but alſo of common ſenſe; ſo as they can neither prevent future danger, nor feele preſent ſmart.
But of this enough: having already proved them as much worſe then beaſts, as beaſts are better then Devills. Beſides, I ſhall occaſionallie treate more of the ſoules Character, in ſundry particulars which follow.