White Salt, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
THat which doth exceed by way of eminence, doth ſuppoſe under it that which is exceeded. As ingenuity ſuperaddeth to juſtice: it is ſo much and ſomewhat more. As the rational ſoul doth include the others. And upon this account, as piety doth include righteouſneſs and temperance; ſo doth alſo goodneſs. And therefore thus have we reaſon not to paſs by the conſideration of this morality in the matter of it, if we did underſtaand goodneſs in that perfection. But we take it here as it doth diffuſe it ſelf over other virtues, and hath ſomewhat of its nature in them all. And therefore in this regard alſo, muſt we not baulk the conſideration both of temperance and of righteouſneſs. And becauſe others are more negligent of them, therefore we muſt not; if we would have our ſelves and others better. But thus certainly hath the Devill gulled and deluded the mindes of men which are not mortified, with a conceit, that if they exerciſe themſelves in outward holineſs of actions towards God, they need take no great care of any other obedience.
That which excelleth other things makes thoſe things inferiour to ſeem not to be at all; which is the ground of the Hebrew rule of underſtanding in Scripture many times a comparative in a negative; but it doth not make that which is excelled not to be at all: and therefore it is to be underſtood by a comparative. As for inſtance, I will have mercy, and not ſacrifice, ſaith God by the Prophet, Hoſ. 6.6. not that God did forbid ſacrifice; for that was yet a commanded ſervice of the Jewiſh Church; but he would have mercy rather then ſacrifice, as it is expounded in the following words, and the knowledge of God rather then, or more then burnt offerings.
And therefore thoſe who would be eſteemed ſuch as doe believe in God and Chriſt, ſhould not believe that it doth become them to ſeparate any virtue from piety: as if becauſe other virtues were ſuppoſed in piety, therefore they might be excluded. They are ſunk in the notion of piety: but they muſt appear in the ſubject. If they be not all to be found in the ſame Congregation, yet they are of the ſame Combination. If we take holineſs in ſuch a real abſtraction as to take away that which is anothers without any loſs of holineſs, we deceive two together, our neighbor, and our ſelves. And at length we ſhall have the worſt: for their loſs will be but of their goods, but we ſhall loſe our ſouls.
And he that will imagin he may glut and ſwill, and yet do well, if he be careful of the outward part of Religion, hath indeed, as we may ſpeak, his bellyful of godlineſs; (whoſe belly is his God) and yet none.
But are there any in all the world of Chriſtians that can have any ſuch imagination? One would think not: and yet thus we muſt interpret them by their converſation.
Therefore a ſober word or two we muſt put in for temperance: and a juſt admonition for righteouſneſs.
We will begin with temperance, that we may better underſtand the practiſe of righteouſneſs: for while we are under the command of this vice, we are not in capacity to be righteous. When we have taken too much, are we then fit to give every one his own? Indeed when we have taken too much of the creature, we are unrighteous unto God, & therefore ſhould ſeem to begin firſt with unrighteouſneſs: but we are even ſo, firſt, intemperate before we be unrighteous; and therefore ſhall begin with intemperance.
Whereof we can hardly ſpeak without exceſs, when we are to ſpeak of it. And yet we need not ſay much againſt them, for when they are to be blamed, they can ſay nothing for themſelves; but every word they ſpeak betrayeth the fault.
This is one of the vices betwixt which and Chriſtianity there appeareth to be an incompoſſibility. Temperance is one of the virtues, which in Chriſtians ſhould have no contrary. A Chriſtian is I know not how many fourms above it. He is deep in his Bible, and in practical Divinity, if not myſtical; whereas he that is learning temperance, cannot yet ſpeak his letters right. What? is their ſoul of uſe to them only for ſalt (as he ſaid) to keep their bodies from rotting? But what have they to keep their ſouls from rotting? not one grain of ſalt. Intemperance is that ſin which ſhould have no puniſhment preſcribed, like paricide, becauſe it ſhould be thought no body would commit it; and becauſe if it be committed, it makes its own puniſhment. Were there neither Scripture nor Religion, there is in Reaſon reaſon enough againſt intemperance of one or the other kinde; for both go into the paunch. And if I would make any part of me a God, it ſhould not be the Belly; becauſe that ſo eaſily paſſeth into the account of the Dunghil gods. And thus we ſhould be without doubt pious by the vice, and the more we took in, the more we ſhould magnifie the Divinity. God deliver me, ſaid the Arabian, from him that kils his King, and eats his God: and certainly he is not far from eating his god who hath his Divinity in his ſenſitive appetite; and puts his god in his belly; as the covetous man puts him in his pocket. He that is of this perſwaſion to have his god thus alwayes about him, and in him, is he not religious when he is hungry, and is he not Zealous when he is thirſty?
The glutton hath his ſacrificing knife alſo. Every knife to him is ſuch; his trencher is his Altar; his Sacrifices, meat-offerings of all ſorts; and his Sacrifices are ſalted: but he hath alſo his Sacrifices of fiſh. The nidor of the meat is his Incenſe. He is his own Prieſt; but his Cook is his Levite, and the heat of his ſtomach is the fire that conſumeth his bnrnt-offerings. The drunkard hath his drink-offerings, and extendeth his religion beyond reaſon: The Pſalmiſt ſaid he would take the cup of ſalvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord: but he taketh the cup of damnation, and in effect calleth upon the name of the Devil. Indeed we do not read that any Devils entred into Horſes; but we read they entred into Swine. The Glutton is like the Horſe; the Drunkard, like the Swine: the latter as full as it can tumble; and the former as full as cannot go but ſtumble. Oh! how truly is it ſaid, That it is better to be a beaſt, then to be thus like a beaſt! Were we baptized into the Chriſtian Faith by clean water, that we ſhould immerſe and dabble our ſouls in the pollution of unclean liquor? Or do they tranſubſtantiate the bloud of Chriſt in the other Sacrament into the bloud of the Grape? The Hebrews expreſs a Cup and an Owle by the ſame word: and theſe drunkards by their cups are buzled like Owls; and can ſee nothing clearly. Rabbì Eleazer the Jew ſaid a man might be known by theſe three things, foreign; which others expreſs by a like adnomination in the Latin, Oculo, loculo, poculo. By their immoderacy in cups they diſcover their ſecrets and their ſhame: by their ſparkling eyes they diſcover their fell paſſionateneſs: and by the ſparing of their purſe they do diſcover their miſerable covetouſneſs and baſeneſs. I would they were more ſparing in their cups, more free in their purſes, and more ſober in their paſsions: If they were not ſo diſſolute in their pots, they might have more money to give unto thoſe who are fain to drink water while they drink wine; and might be more able to bear an injury, if they had not drunk more then they can bear.
The Lacedaemonians when they had taken the Hilots, beſides other ſordid ſervices they put them to, were wont in their Feaſts to make ſome of theſe fearfully drunk, that they might ſhew unto their youth the loathſomeneſs and abominableneſs of this vice. Their end was better then their means; to demonſtrate to their eye the filthineſs of this ſin. But hereby they ſignified their abhorrency of this intemperance, which they would ſcare and fright their young men from, by ſuch an abuſe of their moſt forlorn Captives. Bleſſed God! what do we then, if we make others, or our ſelves, the ſervants of Chriſt, to wallow in the ordure and uncleanneſs of this moſt unreaſonable iniquity; and not as they, to make others more to loath this tranſgreſſion, but by our example to make them like us?
In the fear of God think upon that formidable text, Hab. 2.15, 16. Woe be to him that maketh his neighbor drunk, that putteſt thy bottle to him, and makeſt him drunken alſo, that thou mayſt look on their nakedneſs, or privities. Thou art filled with ſhame for glory: drink thou alſo, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: The cup of the Lords right hand ſhall be turned to thee, & ſhameful ſpewing ſhall be on thy glory. That text is by ſome thought, as Iſidore Clarius notes, to be expounded, in the letter of Nebuchadonoſor, who made other Kings, who were captives to him, drunk, that he might mock and deride them. Thou that delighteſt in the overthrow of others by the power of wine, conſider what bitterneſs thou ſhalt have in ſuch a cup of vengeance, when fearful ſpewing ſhall be on thy glory. The word is very Emphatical; as being a compound; whereof there are but few in the holy language: yet there is one for thee foreign ſhameful ſpewing, or a double ſhame, as ſome would have it to be rendred, on thy glory. Their reckoning is like to be much inflamed, and they may expect a double retribution of ſhame and vengeance for not being temperate, and for their unreaſonable devouring of thoſe creatures which were not made nor given to that purpoſe.
There was wont to be a Sea betwixt us and thoſe ſots, and we were on this ſide; they who were beyond meaſure were beyond Sea: but now we have learned to pledge them in kinde, and we follow it, as if we would overtake them, or be overtaken.
Chriſtian, think upon thy Maſter. Hath thy Maker Chriſt taught thee no better leſſons? Aſſoon as he came into the world, he taught thee ſobriety; for he would not go into the Inne, but was born in the out-houſe of the Inne. There was no room for Chriſt in the Inne: it is like where there is wont to be ſuch had company, there's no room for Chriſt. To be ſure, they are not like to be gathered together there in his Name; and it may be we may phanſie that this might give hint to the ancient Fathers of their prohibitive Canon, that Clergy men ſhould not enter into drinking houſes, becauſe they ſpecially ſhould be like their Maſter, and he was without.
Chriſt, once upon an extraordinary occaſion, turned water into wine, to ſhew his Divinity: but how often doſt thou turn thy wine into ſwill, to ſhew thy beſtiality? Did he redeem thee with the bloud of his ſoul, as we may ſpeak, that thou ſhouldſt captivate thy ſelf to ſin by the bloud of the grape?
Doſt thou conſider how thou doſt commit a ſin, which as ſoon as thou haſt committed it, thou canſt not repent of? Other ſins, as ſoon as we have done them, we may bewail and repent of: but this drunkenneſs will not let us ſoon be delivered or diſcharged of the Commiſſion. Repentance is the vomit of the ſoul, which clears it: but the other vomit will come up ſooner then this; becauſe by the fumes of the wine the apprehenſion is bound, and not able freely to exerciſe it ſelf in actions reaſonable, much leſs ſpiritual. Neither head, nor eye, nor foot perform their office in him, but here he lies and wallows in his mire, or ſtaggers and reels; as if the ground were not reſolved to bear him with his load of vice and drink.
Enough, enough, drunken Chriſtian; if it be not a contradiction, as indeed it is. Alas! too much it is. Doſt thou thus anſwer thy Saviours thirſt upon the Croſs, with the luſtful thirſt of forbidden exceſs? Did he pour out of his wounded ſide bloud and water, that thou ſhouldſt fill thy ſides with wine or drink?
Get thee home, as ſoon as thou canſt go, and weep out thy ſuperfluities in tears; and let thy amendment be as dry and ſolid, as thy forrow fluent and ſoaked. And if thou haſt any ſuperfluities of eſtate, thou canſt not be long and far from better occaſions for the improvement of then, them to run out.
But if thou art reſolved to drink deep into hell, let thoſe diſeaſes thou doſt brew in thy body by the ſwaſh and heat of drink, make thee ſenſible of a vengeance behinde. And think what ſpeed thou makeſt by thy vice to have thy puniſhment. Thou canſt not excuſe thy ſelf the ſecond time, as Theodoret in his queſtions did Noah for his drunkenneſs, that he did not know then the power of that wine; for thou haſt been often vanquiſhed, and lien under the ſtrength of it: but me thinks thou mayſt conſider that every time thou goeſt upon ſcore with death, and thou knoweſt not how ſpeedily thou wilt be lay'd up. Take heed betimes of thoſe ſins which make thee miſerable ipſo facto; and preſently, for ever. But we leave them to God, who can only reduce and order theſe beaſtsmen; the flying creatures, light headed men: the Serpents; thoſe that are deceivers: the Lyons; thoſe that are fierce and angry: the Swine; thoſe that wallow and tumble in their pudly pleaſure: the Wolves; thoſe that are ravenous; as Clem. Alexandrinus moralizeth them.
So much difference, he ſays, there is betwixt thoſe who are men, and thoſe who are like beaſts.
How comely is a man, ſaid the Poet, while he is indeed a man!