A Warning to Drunkards, Title page – Dedication
A WARNING TO DRUNKARDS, Delivered in ſeveral SERMONS To a Congregation in COLCHESTER.
Upon The Occaſion of a ſad Providence towards a Young Man, dying in the Act of Drunkenneſs.
By that Reverend, Faithful, and painful Servant and Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt, Mr. Owen Stockton, lately deceaſed.
LONDON, Printed by J. R. for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the Bible and 3 Crowns at the lower end of Cheapſide. 1682.
To the Worſhipful Ralph Cr…eild, Eſq; and Nathaniel Lawrence, Eſq; Aldermen of Colcheſter, and Juſtices of the Peace for the County of Eſſex.
Gentlemen,
YOƲ may believe it is no pleaſure to me to complain of the Immorality of a degenerate age: and the vaſt conqueſts which prevailing vice like a potent Tyrant hath of late years made, I ſay, not over the Religion, but the very reaſon of Humane Nature, and the Dependencies thereof. Which as it is not to be mentioned by good men without lamentation, ſo cannot be diſſembled or excuſed without participation. Prophane ſwearing, unclean whoredom, and beaſtly Drunkenneſs, with other too manifeſt, are not only abounding, but as the Prophet ſpeaketh mighty ſins amongſt us; ſtrengthned as well by the quality, as the number of the guilty. It is a prodigious mode of eſtimation for men to value themſelves, or be valued by others according to the meaſure of their intemperate exceſs. Etiam viri fortis accipit nomen, qui tamen tanto nequior, quanto ſub poculo invictior. They are the mighty who can drink moſt wine, and the men of ſtrength who can mingle ſtrong Drink, as if they envyed that Royal Heathen Name, and were ambitious of the Honour of his Inſcription upon his Tomb, foreign. I have been able to drink abundantly, and to bear it ſtrongly. In the pride of which ſtrength ſome will have the confidence to glory, even while a paralytick trembling, (no weak evidence of their great atchievements in their Bacchanalia) hath diſabled their hands to ſerve their mouth, and monſtrous ſwellings have miſhaped their Bodies into ſuch unweldie burdens that ſome are tempted to ask, Homines hi an utres verius aeſtimandi? Whither they be not rather Barrels, than Bodies of men.
Fallen Nature, even in Heathens have retained ſome principles of reſtraint from impudence and exceſs of vice. The Spartanes thought it an effectual preſervative of their Children from intemperate drinking to preſent to their view their drunken Vaſſals (for, as drunk as a Beggar hath been the Proverb) that beholding their loathſome vomit, and ridiculous behaviour they might the more abhorr ſuch gratifying of inordinate appetite, which debaſeth the honour of a man into the ſhame of a beaſt. And the very Turks after a fit of Drunkenneſs, will lie day and night crying, and praying to Mahomet for interceſſion. But the very Remnants of Conſcience and ſhame ſeem utterly extinct among ſome Chriſtians of this generation. Surely the days of the Apoſtles were modeſt, when they that were drunk, were drunk in the night: but now St. Peter's argument is too weak to refel the accuſation, for theſe men may be drunk at the third hour of the day. And ſome do ſo declare their ſin as Sodom, and hide it not, Drinking and Singing, Roaring and Revelling, Reeling and Staggering in the open Sun, as if they would confute St. Paul, and demonſtrate Rioting and Drunkenneſs to be no works of Darkneſs.
Yea, ſuch credit and power hath Debauchery obtained, that it lifts up it ſelf above controul, and is impatient to be touched, and ready to turn again, and rent the wiſeſt reprover. And who ſo is reſolved to poſſeſs his Veſſel in ſobriety, and Honour, doth tantum non forfit his reputation, and is in danger to be written among the ſuſpected by thoſe whoſe God is Bacchus, whoſe Temple the Tavern, whoſe Altar the Table, whoſe Prieſt the Vintner, whoſe Offering Wine and ſtrong Drink, and whoſe Heaven is ſenſual. Who have arrived to that degree of Atheiſm, as to fortifie their Luſts againſt their Conſcience with the vaineſt flattery, and ſelf deluding conceit, that their great pretences of loyalty and zeal for King and Church ſhall ſanctifie the groſſeſt violations of the Laws of Morality, both ſacred and civil. Nay, vice will ſcarce acknowledge it ſelf to violate, but even claims a right, and calls it ſelf by the name of Vertue. According to the Moraliſt's Character of the worſt times. Habebitur ebrietati honor, et plurimum meri cepiſſe victus erit, ſaith Seneca. Offering exceſs, of Wine is become an Inſtance of Noble and Generous Entertainment, and a part of anſwerable civility to accept it. Gueſts are ſcarce made welcome, if not made Drunk. Such an obliging bond is courting, courteſie and complement, ſuch force in great examples, ſuch arguments applyed of Honour and Loyalty, Such colour, motion, and ſparkling in the glaſs to provoke, that he muſt be a Nazarite, or a Rechabite that hath the courage to withſtand the power of ſo great temptation. He that will be ſober, is uncivil, and it is an high affront, deſerving no leſs than a ſtab, to boggle at life and Soul-deſtroying Healths, or to refuſe to be drowned for Company. Thus doth the pride of debauchery magnifie it ſelf, Hectoring virtue out of its due honour, and arrogating an unjuſt Glory to its own ſhame.
What the iſſue of this great evil will be, is the fear of the Good, viz. leaſt for the Vomit and filth whereof all Tables are full, the Land alſo in juſt retribution ſpue out her Inhabitants. That ſo many Judgments by which Heaven hath contended with a ſinful Nation ſhould not only prove it incorrigible, but leave it declining into worſe, is no weak indication of a deſperate diſeaſe. He that hath denovnced Wo to the Drunkards, is faithful to keep and Almighty to execute his word. Whereof he hath in his righteous providence made many ſad and woful Inſtances. As in too many other places ſo particularly in your Colcheſter. He hath not left himſelf without witneſs, by a very quick and remarkable judgment upon a young Drunkard, twice dead, dying dead drunk. The Report whereof at leaſt came not ſhort of your ſpecial notice. May I have leave to ſpeak it. God ſometimes bleſt your Town with the happy Miniſtry of his laborious and faithful Servant, Mr. Owen Stockton, whoſe due Character is elſewhere read, whoſe Head, Heart, Tongue, and Pen conſtantly travelled for the Salvation of precious, yet periſhing Souls. At this warning and amazing ſtroke, as formerly at the deſtroying Peſtilence among you, which exerciſed the labour of his Pen to a conſiderable Vo ume, which yet never ſaw the light, His Spirit like St. Paul's was ſtirred in him, to improve the advantage of ſo ſevere a Providence, by joyning to it the Word of God committed to his truſt, hoping that the Sword of the Spirit being therewith ſharpned, might be the more effectual and mighty through God againſt this fleſhly Luſt which warreth againſt the Soul, and hath made more havock of the Sons of men, than ever Saul did of the Saints of God. In which honourable and pious ingagement with this deadly ſin. He convicts it as the common Enemy of the Bodies and Souls of men, declareth open war againſt it, defieth, and caſteth dirt upon the face of its glory, armeth and incourageth the aſſailing hoſt of Christians to oppoſe it, diſchargeth againſt it the thundering Canon, laden with the vengeance of Almighty juſtice, purſueth it to its higher Mountains, raiſeth batteries against its ſtrongeſt holds, diſcovereth and defeateth all its ſubtil ſtratagems, and confuteth all its pretences. Having performed his work according to his great ability, and delivered his zealous Soul to a particular Congregation viva voce, he deſigned with ſome enlargement for general uſe to commit it to the Preſs, But before he had put to it ultimam manum, God put to his Life ultimam lineam. Which Providence I am not prone to interpret, as a voice from Heaven ſaying to him, let the Drunkard alone, thou ſhalt be dumb, and ſhalt not be a reproover. He that is filthy, let him be filthy ſtill, but will rather hope, God ſo ordered that it ſhould be his dying Pen, that it might be the more affecting.
Such as he left it, worthy of the Preſs beyond my commendation, is here Publiſhed, and humbly preſented Gentlemen to your hands. I am aware how much I preſume thus to approach you, for which I am concerned to make my Apology. I am not ignorant what Honourable Reſpects the Reverend Author deſervedly had for your Worſhips, and what reciprocal Reſpects obliged him thereunto: which I am bound to believe he would gladly have expreſſed, and acknowledged by ſome more publick Teſtimony. Be pleaſed then to underſtand and accept this as a poſthumous offering, which a leſſer hand, though not with leſs Reſpects, humbly maketh to you as in his Name.
The Relation, affection and compaſſion which he had towards Colcheſter, and the Souls therein alwayes excited the vehemency of his deſires, ſharpened the edge of his juſt actions, directed the aim of his endeavours, and intended the fervour of his Prayers on its behalf, that ſome happy fruit of the travail of his Soul, and particularly of this, might there be found. In complyance wherewith, conſidering the Character you bear in your Town, I have preſumed to prefix your worthy Names to this ſmall Volume, which being an Orphan doth more earneſtly crave your Patronage, and is ambitious of the favour and influence of your recommendation to the concerned Reader.
The dreadful providence towards the young man, who was made an open ſpectacle of God's Righteous Judgment, (the occaſion of the following ſheets) ſpeaking more eſpecially to Colcheſter, becauſe in it, did naturally prompt me to betake my ſelf to the advantage of ſome more eminent names among you, through which to revive the memory of ſo loud a warning, if happily, ſome at leaſt who have been long inſtances of Patience, might with the greater intention legere exemplum juſtitiae ne fiant.
I muſt not forbear to add, that by Royal favour and truſt, you fill honourable ſeats of Authority, extended to a large Province in the Civil Government. Now ſuch is the pride and frowardneſs, the obſtinacy and contradiction of the ſin complained of, ſo strengthned by corruption within, and temptation without, that the beſt inſtructed Miniſtry cannot prevail againſt it, but is forced to confeſs the weakneſs of its moſt powerful arguments and paſſionate perſwaſions, and therefore cryeth to you, as the woman in Holy Writ, in another caſe, help O Magiſtrate, ye alſo are the Miniſters of God, into whoſe hands God hath put the Sword of Juſtice, not to be born in vain. Your own great examples of Sobriety ſhall ſtrengthen your hands in exerting your juſt Authority, to reſtrain the intemperance of licentious appetites. Wherein you are beyond doubt aſſured, there is no colour of diſloyalty to Prince, no Non-conformity to Church, no violation of Oaths, no breach of Truſt, none to be offended but the guilty, who ought not to be pleaſed. God and the King, Law Sacred and Civil, Conſcience and Honour call upon you, and warrant you to apply your politick remedies to this Inſatiable Dropſie, which if Ʋniverſally practiſed by the State-Phyſitians, would no doubt as effectually cure, as the policy of the antient Gaules maintained the moderation of their dayes, who were wont to fine thoſe who through intemperance out grew their girdles.
But here I reform my Pen, leaſt I ſeem to teach you your Office, while I only implore your aid, and aggravate my preſumption, while I labour to excuſe it. As the publication of what the Reverend Author hath ſo induſtriouſly, and with the Evidence and Authority of Holy Scripture, as well as ſtrength of argument ſo convincingly written, is a Teſtimony of my full conſent with him, in repreſenting this unmanly and ungodly exceſs, as matter of juſt indignation and abhorrence to the reaſon and ingenuity of men, and Religion of Chriſtians: So this Dedication and Preſenting thereof to your hands, deſires to be underſtood as a Teſtimony of that true Honour and Reverence for your Perſons, Virtues and Offices, (the Dignity whereof can never be leſſened by diſgracing an inglorious vice,) which he juſtly hath, who is
Gentlemen, Your Worſhip's moſt humble Servant John Fairfax. Barking. Feb. 25. 1681.
Iſa. 28.1.
Wo to the Crown of Pride, to the Drunkards of Ephraim.