The Great Evil of Health Drinking, Discourse · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Shewing how the Queſtion of drinking Healths hath been ſtated and reſolved, with ſome Animadverſions upon it.
§. 1. THe famous Philoſopher and Divine, Mar. Trider. Wendelinus, Philoſophiae moralis lib. 1. cap. 16. propounds the Queſtion thus:
Quaeritur an per ſobrietatem liceat, in alterius ſalutem bibere? Whether it conſiſt not with Sobriety, to drink the Health (or to the Health) of another?
After he hath ſhewed it was the ancient Cuſtom of the Greeks, Romans, Germans, and Muſcovites, he reſolves the Queſtion in the Affirmative, but with a Limitation: It is lawful to drink to the Health of another; quatenus fieri id nullo ſobrietatis detrimento poteſt, as far as it may be done without the harm or detriment of Sobriety; for we may teſtify our Joy of anothers Health by this Sign, as well as by any other Sign. The ſence of this Queſtion, propounded in this form, is no more but this, That one may drink to anothers Helth, and be ſober. But as thus reſolved, it gives no countenance to the common practice of Healthers. And tho it may conſiſt with Sobriety, if it conſiſt not with another Grace, or Vertue, or Duty, or with Prayer to God, which is implied in it, or it ſignifies nothing, it may be unlawful.
But ſaith he, Quod ſi vero propinantis intentio ſit: But if it be the Intention of him that drinks, to overwhelm others, with Cups to the Health of others, and to thruſt them down, and dethrone them from the ſtate of a ſound Mind; and the Intention of the Pledger be to fulfil the deſire of him that drinks or begins to him, as it is in Germany and Muſcovy, we embrace and hold the Negative, for this manifeſt reaſon, becauſe we are all bound to ſtudy Sobriety. Luke 21.34. 1 Pet. 3.7. & 5.8. Cogitent hoc, ſaith he, Aulae & Aulici, &c. Let Princes Courts, and Courtiers think of this, who ſo drink the Healths of others, that they hazard and impair their own.
It may well be doubted, whether they who lead and follow in this Maze of Healthing, will thank this learned Man for determining in favour of them. Do they not venture, without asking Queſtions for Conſcienceſake? and make a common Treſpaſs and Path, where the Author of our Salvation hath raiſed a Wall, with a Caveat, Take beed leſt any of you be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkenneſs, &c.? Here's ſmall Thanks to be paid to Wendeline for his Reſolution, except he had taken away the Reſtriction.
§. 2. Our acute Schoolman, and conciſe Caſuiſt, Dr. Ames, is round and quick in dehorting from all the Rites and Sacraments of Bacchus: Abſtinendum eſt igitur, &c. Therefore we muſt abſtain, (even from this ground, if there were no other) from all thoſe Rites by which Drunkenneſs is wont artificially to be promoted: Of which kind are Adjurations of others, by great Names,i. e. Hëalths. or the Names of ſuch as are dear, to empty Cups; the ſending about of Cups to be taken off by all alike; the Abuſe of Lots, (as they uſe in ſome Places by Dice put into a Jug or cup, inſtead of a Rattle, or by a Mill affixed to a Jug or Pot) according to a fictitious Law (not written) and laying a neceſſity upon the Gueſts: And from all other the like Myſteries of Bacchus, and Manuductions to Exceſs of Drinking. Caſe Conſc. lib. 3. cap. 16.
§. 3. The deep-ſighted, ſearching, and skilful Guide of Souls, in all the paths of a holy and righteous Converſation, Mr. R. B. in his voluminous Treaſure of practical Doctrines, the Chriſtian Directory, puts the Caſe, and reſolves it thus:
Queſt. Is it not lawful to drink a Health ſometimes, when it would be ill taken to refuſe it, or to be uncovered while others drink it?
Anſw. Diſtinguiſh between drinking meaſurably, as you need it, and unmeaſurably, when you need it not. 2. Between the foreſeen Effects, and doing it ordinarily, or when it would do hurt, or extraordinarily, when it will more prevent hurt. And ſo I conclude;
1. It is unlawful to drink more than is good for your Health, by the provocation of other Men.
2. It is unlawful to do that which tempteth and encourageth others to drink too much. And ſo doth the Cuſtom of pledging Healths, eſpecially when it is taken for a Crime to deny it.
3.☞ The ordinary drinking and pledging of ſuch Healths is unlawful, becauſe it is the ſcandalous hardning of others in their Sin, unto their Ruine.
4. But if we fall among ſuch furious Beaſts, as would ſtab a Man, if he would not drink a Health, it is lawful to do it to ſave ones Life, as it is to give a Thief my Purſe, becauſe it is not a thing ſimply evil in it ſelf, to drink that Cup, but by Accident, which a greater Accident may preponderate.
5. Therefore any other Accident, beſide the loſing of your Life, which will really preponderate the hurtful Accident, may make it lawful: As poſſibly in ſome Caſes and Companies, the Offence given by denying it, may be ſuch as will do more hurt far than yielding would do; (as if a malignant Company would lay ones Loyalty to the King upon it.)
6. Chriſtian Prudence therefore (without carnal compliance) muſt be always the preſent Decider of the Caſe, by comparing the good and evil Effects.
7. To be bare, when others lay the Honour of the King or Superiors upon it, is a Ceremony, that on the aforeſaid reaſon may be complied with.
8. When to avoid a greater Evil, we may extraordinarily be put to any ſuch Ceremony, it is meet that we join ſuch Words, (where we have liberty) as may prevent the Scandal, or hardning any Perſon in Sin.
9. And it is our Duty to avoid the Company that will put us upon ſuch Inconveniencies, as far as our Calling will allow.
Chriſt. Direct. Tom. 1. cap. 8. fol. 388.
§. 4. Upon the Reſolution of the Caſe ſo ſtated, by this eminent Servant of Chriſt, I will be bold to make ſome Obſervations.
I obſerve three Things in the Caſe.
1. Is it lawful ſometimes to drink a Health? By this the common Practice is ſhut out of the queſtion, as an unlawful Cuſtom, as he plainly ſpeaks.
2. When it will be ill taken to refuſe, and then when a Man cannot without danger put it by; intimating, that a Man ſhould do what he can to avoid it. And if a Man muſt do what he can to avoid it, it is clearly a thing unlawful to urge it, and worſe to take the refuſal ill. The Suppoſition in the Caſe is this; That a ſober Man may fall into ſuch Company, that are ſo unreaſonable and uncivil, as to take it ill that any ſhould refuſe to do as they would have him.
3. The Ceremony of being uncovered when Healths are drunk, is another part of the Caſe, and intimates, That a ſober Man may well ſcruple to conform ſo far.
4. If it be unlawful to drink more than will do a Man good, by the invitation or urgency of another; then it is manifeſtly unlawful to call upon, or urge a Man to drink; and he that urgeth another, is not a fit Judg of the Harm, but he that knows his own Neceſſity and Strength.
5. Drinking and pledging Healths, in a cuſtomary way, is to tempt and encourage to Exceſs, and ſo it's a ſinful and ſcandalous thing, hardning of Men to their Ruine.
6. And here ariſeth another Caſe: What if a Man fall among thoſe furious Beaſts, that will ſtab a Man if he will not drink a Health? what's to be done in ſuch a caſe? It is not ſimply evil in it ſelf to drink that Cup, ſaith Mr. B. but by Accident, which a greater Accident may preponderate. Where note, that ſuch Perſons that ſtand upon thoſe Terms, have put off Civility and Manhood, and are to be avoided like furious Beaſts. Yet here, I conceive, ſome Things are to be thought of in ſuch a caſe.
(1.) A Man, in caſe of danger to his Life, may drink that Cup, which they that require it call a Health, tho not in the ſame Notion and Formality in which it was urged and impoſed.
(2.) But what if the Cup be unlawful in it ſelf? What if a Proteſtant fall into the Company of furious Papiſts? or if a ſober Perſon fall into the Company of raging Hectors? And he be required to drink to the coming in of Popery, or to the Confuſion and Damnation of all Whigs, or of ſuch as are hated, by any other Name? what ſhall a Man do in ſuch a Caſe? Or what if I be required to drink to the deſtruction of one, whom I am bound to love and honour? The Cup, with ſuch an Inſcription or Title, is flatly unlawful. Or what if I be required to drink to the Proſperity, Succeſs, long Life of an Enemy to God, Religion, and my Country? Such Cups, under thoſe Titles, are to be abhorred, as ſinful. And many ſuch have been drunk in our days, full of the Poyſon of deadly Hatred. For ought I ſee, by theſe Reſolutions of enquiring Men into the Rules of Practice, the moſt innocent is dangerous and ſcandalous.
Here's enough to direct ſober Men, that deſire to walk by a Rule; yet the Queſtion is capable of Enlargement, and I ſhall preſent what I have found out upon enquiry.