The Great Evil of Health Drinking, Discourse · Introduction
THE Introduction.
IF Health-drinking can be proved to be of a bad Original, as it is found to be of a pernicious Tendency, it can never become a wholeſom Practice, though it could be reduced to its prime Original; if we could cut off the Cuſtom from its old Root of Heatheniſm and Barbarity, and graft it upon better Reaſons. We plainly ſee in daily and dear experience, the Fruit to be deadly to very many, and good for none; many are the worſe, and none the better for it. Were it a Phyſical Potion for Health, none would drink it, but ſuch as value Health: but as very a Vanity as it is, being diſſolved in a pleaſing Liquor it is commended, and it is taken by Quarts and Pottles, by them that love the Liquor, better than the Health of Body and Soul. Health is the Inſcription and Title upon the Glaſs; but they that taſte it, find themſelves no better by it; and they that largely drink, are conſtantly the worſe. What tho? Can I think that Men will leave it, or thank me for their Information? Can it be expected, that Men will do by this, as by other things, if they be good for nothing, and if they do more hurt than good, throw them away? Or rather, is it not to be feared, that they who are as dry and open as a Spunge, to ſwallow down the Modes of Sin and Vanity, will be tenacious, and as hard as a Flint to retain them? As long as I ſee the Sacred Oracles disbelived, the Holy Commandments diſobeyed, known Sins committed, and known Duties negleced, and Things contrary to the Law of Grace and Nature commonly practiſed; no Man can expect, much leſs can I, that what is offered to the World with the beſt Affection and Intention, ſhall be kindly entertained of all, or received by them that ſtand in moſt need of Inſtruction and Correction. Phyſicians write of Diſeaſes and Remedies, not expecting that every Man that is diſeaſed will apply the Remedies, and wax better by them. Here are ſome Antidotes for the Infected, and Preſervatives for them that with much difficulty eſcape the Taint of an ill Converſation; if but ſome of either will but kindly take what is humbly propoſed, it will be a great Reward.
If I thought Healthing to be inoffenſive and harmleſs, I had rather a thouſand times, that the common Converſation ſhould be blameleſs, than that I ſhould blame it. And as I know it is hard rightly to reprove, ſo I know that the beſt prepared Reproofs are hard of digeſtion. And Men that are fond, if not proud, of a Virtue, that fits them for a general Converſation, are moſt difficultly gain'd to aſſent to any Limitations, and Reſtraint of the common Liberty, that is taken by ſome, if not moſt of every degree and quality. Dear Lovers of Pleaſures ſwell too big to be brought under the ſtrict Diſcipline of a good Converſation; and the growing Naughtineſs of the profuſely Vicious is ſuch, that they take not themſelves to be come to Age, until they get from under the Pedagogy of Divines, and deride Seriouſneſs, as much as Seriouſneſs doth lament their haſte and labour to undo themſelves. Some may demand ſome expreſs divine Prohibition of drinking Healths, as if then they would not tranſgreſs it. But this Demand implies a refuſal to yield to any thing that can be ſaid, and to be ruled by any thing but what cannot be produced. But when ſuch as they will conſcienciouſly obey what is plainly written in the Scriptures, they will not whet their Wits, to cut aſunder rational Connections and Conſequences from Divine Precepts, to open a broad Path for their Luſts, and diſorderly Walking.
I am not ſo fond of my own Apprehenſions and Reaſons, as to look for wonderful Effects from them; nor ſo dull, as not to foreſee what work ſome Men may make of what I write: Altho I am ſure, my Antidotes and Remedies are incomparably better than the moral Diſeaſe of Healthing, altho it had never killed its Thouſands. I ſhall not marvel, if this Diſcourſe be toſt up and down in ſport, or kick'd up and down in Anger and Diſdain: but I will ſtill marvel, why Men call'd Chriſtians, will make void God's Laws, and caſt them behind their Backs. I will ſtill marvel, why Men, endued with ſo noble and divine a Faculty as Reaſon is, and that Reaſon ſo finely ſet in many, with a ſparkling Wit, that both ſhines and cuts, ſhould practiſe that, for which no good Reaſon was ever produced or offered. And I will not only wonder, but I will lament, that Men capable of immortal Glory and Honour, do ſo debaſe themſelves, as to lay their Honour in Wet & Dirt, to turn their Throats into a Sink, and their Bellies into a Common-Shore Are not Men fallen out with their Maker, that deface his Image in themſelves and others by Intemperance? and are not ſatisfied with that Defacement, but proceed to deſtroy it, by cutting off their own and others Lives?
The Bodies of Men are ſmall Veſſels, richly laden with a great Treaſure, an immortal Soul, and many rich Gifts and Talents; they are put out in a Sea of Mercies, and favoured with a proſperous Wind, and commanded to keep a ſtraight Courſe to the Heavenly Canaan. But, to our great grief and amazement, we ſee ſome, and hear of others very often, ſplit, and ſunk into the bottomleſs Deep of Eternity, and ſeveral diſabled, and lie by to be carin'd. The Account of theſe unvaluable Loſſes is this in ſhort: The Owners and Poſſeſſors of theſe Veſſels would not learn the ſpiritual Art of this Navigation; and whereas others that ſafely arrive, do carefully obſerve the Card and Compaſs, obey Commands, take the Wind and Seaſon, prepare for Storms and Encounters, watch and pray; theſe Extravagants obſerve no Card, keep no Compaſs, neglect the Wind, caſt off their Commander, drink down their Pilot into a deep and dead Sleep, make frequent Viſits and Invitations, treat and drink high and often. The Plague of Sin and Vice did ſpread among them, they grew diſeaſed; ſome loved their Friends to death; and others quarrelled, fought, and killed their Companions. When we ſee and hear ſuch Miſcarriages as theſe, ſuch doleful Tidings and Reports of Deſtruction upon Deſtruction, ſhall we not adviſe, warn, and importune thoſe who have yet eſcaped the Wreck, and thoſe who have not yet put out to Sea, to take heed that they periſh not by the ſame means? Who is ſo inhumane, as not to be moved with, and grieve for the Corruption of Society, and the Deſtruction of Men? But which is the trueſt kindneſs, to ſtudy to prevent the Death of more, or to lament the doleful End of a vain Life of too many? The Loſs to the Living, who loſt their ſhare of Comfort and Happineſs, in the caſting away of theſe mad Adventurers, is not comparable to their own; and none can compute the Loſs, but they that ſuffer it, and feel it in Eternity. It is unſpeakable Folly, not to know the worth of that Treaſure they carry in them, until it is loſt in the bottom of another World; and that Men will not believe whither they are going, till they are gone for ever.
The River is full of ſuch miſcarrying Veſſels, and Healthing is the River's Mouth; at this they firſt ſet out, who never return to God, nor a ſound Mind, nor the Path of Life. I have ever obſerved, the greateſt Safety to be in keeping furtheſt off from it, either by keeping Company, or taking leave upon firm Land. It hath proved dangerous to go with Company as far as the River's Mouth; for when they are once got in, and gone one Mile in the way of Compliance, they have been towed on by the Ropes of Civility and Complement, or urged, and indeed compell'd by Importunity to go with them twain, or a great way further than they ſhould have done. And what if ſome know their own Strength? that they can ſwim with the Stream of this Cuſtom, and keep their Head above the danger of a Plunge? Yet with what quietneſs and eaſe of Spirit can they look upon their dear Friends and Companions, reeling, ſickning, falling, dying round about them! Who can deny Healthing to be the beginning and entrance into innumerable Evils, the beginning of many Woes and Sorrows, too big to be concealed, and too groſs to be excuſed? The Humor ſpreads more and more, and breaks out as the Diſeaſe, an evil Diſeaſe to the Morals of this Age; and the Humor is catching, becauſe it pretends to ſome Breeding and Civility; and it is the more taking among the Vulgar, becauſe it comes from the Univerſity, and Inns of Court, from the Cities, and great Mens Houſes. And altho ſome, who are of a harder Temperament of Virtue, do not lie by it, nor keep Chamber, nor walk upon Crutches for it; yet we know, the far greater Number of Healthers had preſerved much Purity in their Converſe, Sobriety in their Minds, Innocency in their Hands, Health in their Bodies, and their Breath in their Noſtrils, had they not drunk down theſe Potions.
What St. Auguſtine wrote of Apuleius, De Civitat Dei, l. 8. c. 14.that the Title of his Book was, De Deo Socratis, but in his Book and Diſputation it ſelf he calls him Daemon; may be ſaid by experience of this. As the God of Socrates, in the Title of the Book, proved to be a Daemon in the Book it ſelf: ſo it is your Health in the Preface and Introduction of drinking; but it proves Sickneſs, Debauchery, Blows, Wounds, Death; O that I could ſtop here, and not ſay, Damnation too, in the courſe and progreſs of it!
Is not a Health now become a Signal of a Battel, in which many loſe their precious Lives baſely and inhumanely; others their Senſes, their Clothes, their Modeſty; and they who eſcape with their Lives, loſe themſelves for the time? Is not this the Belt, that makes the Union of many in Sin and Wickedneſs too great and ſtraight? And is not this the Sword, that makes the Rupture and Diſunion almoſt inourable? Is not this ſometimes the Symbol, and the Colours, the Colours of a Party? and ſometimes the Defiance, and the Challenge? Is it not upon this, as upon a prophane Sacrament, that Men in effect vow and ſwear a Confederacy, or an Enmity? Is it not unſafe running into this Dilemma? If you drink, you are gone; if you refuſe, you are in danger of being ſped. I am ſure this Cup is not the Cup of Bleſſing, 'tis not the Cup of the Lord. It puts many a Soul out of all preparation for death; but now who dares come within the Liſts, but he that is near End, one way or other, be he never ſo unprepared for it? The old Form, which became a Proverb, Aut bibe, aut abi, Do as we do, or be gone, was ſafe and civil, in compariſon with the Forms of our young Maſters, who ſwear you ſhall drink, or ſwear they'll run you through, they'll ſee through you, they'll pin you to the Wall, or faſten you to the Ground. Theſe can ſacrifice to your Health, and ſend you to Hell; damn themſelves, and you too. It is dangerous to drink, and it is deadly to refuſe. O the Patience of God, and the Provocations of this kind of Murderers! Do they not believe, that if they are ſo bold with Death, Death will make much more bold with them? Is it a Glory to them, that they have the ability to do ſo great a Miſchief? Was it to Alexander's Honour to kill Clytus, that had ſaved his Life, in a drunken Frenzy? What! they would be Alexanders alſo! who by being drunk, loſt the Glory which he had gotten when he was ſober, and merited the Title of Mad-Man, as well as Great, for his being a ſucceſsful Murderer or Executioner. The ſtill and private Sot, that bibs by himſelf, that lives and dies almoſt every day; that lives a Sot, and dies an Infidel; that preſumes indeed there will be a Reſurrection out of his Sleep, but ſo lives, as if there would be no Judgment, nor Reſurrection from the Dead to it; even this quiet Bibber is a vertuous and ſober Man, compared with theſe growing Alexanders.
Surely it is high time to make ſome enquiry into this Diſeaſe which kills ſo faſt, and to make what diſcovery we can. And tho we cannot reform, let us not by a ſtupid or timerous ſilence ſeem to allow, but rather reprove the Enormity, diſcover the Sin and Danger which is not diſcerned, and juſtify the refuſal of drinking Healths. It is a Ceremony deeply ſtained and polluted with groſs Debauchery, and at beſt but an empty Formality, and in ſome 'tis a common and crying Sin. And if Blood cry for Vengeance, and a ſudden premature Deſtruction, by drinking Men into Diſeaſes and the Grave, be a ſecret Murder, it concerns all that do, or do not believe a Judgment to come, to abſtain from it, and all that can, to reform and forbid it. And if but ſome one or few ſhall receive any ſatisfaction and benefit by it, he that endeavoureth it ſhall never repent his Pains, tho he may be ſure to be paid off by ſome with contempt and deriſion.
And notwithſtanding all manner of diſcouragements, I do, in obſervance of the many awaking Calls of divine Providence, apply my ſelf to this Subject; wiſhing, for the Argument, and the patient Reader's ſake, that my Reaſon were but equal to my Antipathy againſt Healthing, which is daily encreaſed by my fervent Love to the World, and by a Sorrow for the many Sins and bitter Sorrows which begin with this kind of Complement. And I have but one Requeſt to the Reader, that he will anſwer my Affection to him with its like; and then we ſhall agree in Affection, tho my Reaſon ſtand not right in his Eye.