The Sacred Diary, Section 25
SECT. XXV. Rules about Eating and Drinking.
IN Eating and Drinking beware of Exceſs, either in reference to the Quality, or Quantity of Meats and Drinks.
As to the Quality, or kinds of Meats and Drinks, be content with thoſe that are neceſſary and uſeful, for the preſervation of the Health and Strength of your Bodies, and do not inſatiably deſire thoſe Meats which do not befit your Calling. The Children of Iſrael in the Wilderneſs luſted after the Fleſh-pots, the Leeks, the Onyons, and Garlick of Egypt, ſaying, Now our Soul is dried away, and there is nothing at all beſides this Manna before our Eyes. Num. 11.4, 5, 6.See how contemptibly they ſpeak of that Manna, which God had in a miraculous way rained down from Heaven among them (which is called the Corn of Heaven, and Angels Food, Pſal. 78.24, 25.) but this was not good enough for their Palates, they muſt have more rare and choice Proviſion. Thus ſaith Tertullian, Primus populus primi Hominis reſculpſit crimen; pronior ventri, quam Deo deprehenſus. Tert. contra Pſychieos.The Men whom God owned as his firſt People, did (if it may be ſo rendred) re-print the Sin of our firſt Parents, and ſet it forth in a new Edition, complying more with their Bellies, than their God. The Lord ſatisfied their inordinate Appetite, but it was with the execution of Vengeance on them: For whilſt the Fleſh was between their Teeth, exe it was chewed, the Wrath of the Lord came upon them, and ſlew the fatteſt of them, and ſmote down the choſen Men of Iſrael, Pſal. 78.31.
Seneca tells us, That he is the Wiſeſt Man not who hath a faculty of making Rooms to feaſt in with the greateſt Artifice, and is skilful in adorning them with the moſt luxurious variety of Diſhes; but he who teacheth himſelf and others, that Men may have ſuch Proviſions as are neceſſary for them, Senec. Ep. 90.if they are content with the things quae Terra poſuit in ſummo, which the Earth doth with an open and ready hand afford unto them; ſuch as required but little Coſt or Toil to procure, or Art to dreſs them: Quae ſi audire humanum genus voluerit, tam ſupervacuum ſciet ſibi coquum eſſe quam militem. Which Doctrine (ſaith he) if Mankind would hearken and give good credit unto, a Cook would be as needleſs a thing in the World as a Souldier, who certainly would be a very uſeleſs and ſuperfluous Creature, if the World were as Wiſe, as Good, and Peaceable, as it ſhould be.
Solomon adviſeth us, not to be deſirous of Dainties, for they are a deceitful Meat, Prov. 23.3. Pythagorus enjoyn'd his followers to abſtain from all ſweet and coſtly Meats. Epictetus would have Men take ſo much care for the things of the Body, Meat, Drink, Clothing, &c. as is neceſſary to make it ſerviceable to the Soul; and (ſaith he) Whatſoever ſerveth for Oſtentation only, or Deliciouſneſs, he would have Men to abandon. Plutarch complained, That Men kept ſuch ado about ſeaſoning the Fleſh of living Creatures (which they killed for Food) with Oyl, Wine, and Hony, Plutar. Xeno. apud A heneum. lib. 3.with Syrian and Arabian Sauces and Spices, as if they meant to embalm them in order to an honourable Burial in their own Bodies. And Xenophon tells us, Such fare is longed for only by Wanton, Diſeaſed, Effeminate Perſons, and that they who eat their Meat moſt heartily, need no ſuch Sophiſtications.
To feed upon variety of Diſhes, is very prejudicial to our Bodily Health. There is not ſo much harm proceeding from the ſubſtance in it ſelf of Meat, and quality of it, in ill Dreſſing and Preparing, as there is from the quantity, diſorder of Time and Place, unſeaſonable Uſe of it, Intemperance and overmuch taking it. That of Pliny is moſt true; Simple Diet is the beſt, heaping up of ſeveral Meats is pernitious, Homini cibus …utiliſſimus ſimplex, acervatio ciborum peſtifera, multos morbos multa fereula ferunt. Plin. lib. 11. cap. 52. Avicen. dec. 31. cap. 2.and Sauces worſe: Many Diſhes bring many Diſeaſes. And Avicen ſaith, That nothing is worſe than to feed on many Diſhes, or to protract the time of Meats longer than ordinary: From thence proceed our Infirmities, and 'tis the foundation of all Diſeaſes, which ariſe out of the repugnancy of groſs Humours. Thence (ſaith Fernelius) come Crudities, Fernel. path. lib. 1. ca. 14Wind, Oppilations, ſudden Death, and what not? As a Lamp is choaked with too much Oyl, or a little Fire with overmuch Wood, quite extinquiſhed; ſo is the natural heat with immoderate eating of variety of Meats, ſtrangled in the Body. Hippocrates himſelf tells us, That impure Bodies, the more they are nouriſhed, the more they are hurt; for the nouriſhment is putrified with vitious Humours.
2. As for the quantity of Meats, we ſhould be very ſparing and moderate. It was the complaint of Cardan in his time, Cardan, l. 2. de Com.Man alone (ſaith he) eats and drinks without Appetite, and uſeth all his Pleaſure without neceſſity, animae vitio; and thence come many Inconveniencies to him; for there is no Meat whatſoever, though otherwiſe wholeſome and good, but if unſeaſonably taken, or immoderately uſed, more than the Stomach will well bear, it will engender Crudity, and do much hurt. Therefore Crato adviſeth his Patient to eat but twice a Day, and that at his ſet Meals, by no means to eat without an Appetite, or upon a full Stomach, and to put ſeven Hours difference between Dinner and Supper. Which rule did we obſerve, it would be much better for our Healths than it is.
Temperance is a Bridle of Gold, as one calleth it, and he that will preſerve his Health, and avoid thoſe Inflations, Obſtructions, Crudities, Diſtentions, that proceed from full Feeding, muſt feed ſparingly, of one or two Diſhes at moſt, and have ventrem benè moratum, as Seneea calls it; for by overmuch eating, or feeding on variety of Meats, we choke up our ſelves, and ſtifle Nature. Hilberius writing the Life of Berengarius, Hilber. in vit. Barengar.ſaith of him,
—Cui non fuit unquam,
Ante ſitim potus, nec cibus ante famem.
That he never drank till he was athirſt, nor eat till he was hungry. But now it is otherwiſe, Men wear their Brains in their Bellies, and their Guts in their Heads; as Cornelius Agrippa taxed ſome in his time, who are ingenioſi ad gulam; if they are witty in any thing, it is to ſeek ways to pleaſe the Palat, and ſatisfie the Gut: And although eminent Danger, and deadly Diſeaſes be ready to ſeize upon them, Edunt ut vomunt, vomunt ut edant, they Eat that they may Vomit, and Vomit that they may Eat again; Eating till they are ready to burſt aſunder.
Temperance muſt continually be practiſed, no Time, never a day in the Year is allowed for Intemperance, Surfeiting, or Drunkenneſs. It muſt not only be ſhunned, when Men are full of Buſineſs, or the like, but at all Times, even at Feaſts, at Weddings, at Fairs, at the meeting of old Friends and Acquaintance, or the like, at ſuch times when many make account they may take liberty. Our Saviour alloweth thee not one hour in thy whole Life, for Surfeiting or Drunkenneſs, Luke 21.34. Take heed (ſaith he) leſt at any time, your Heart be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkenneſs. Now this Temperance in Meats and Drinks, is ſuch a ſober uſe of the Creatures, as doth not hinder, but further us in the Service of God, and in the neceſſary Duties of our Calling: Which agreeth with that general Rule of Saint Paul, 1 Cor. 10.31. Whether ye eat or drink, or whatſoever ye do, do all to the Glory of God. Theſe things therefore muſt be ſo uſed, as that they may fit you to glorifie God in your general and particular Callings. God's Glory muſt be the end of all, and all muſt be referred to it. Now if this Rule were both rightly underſtood, and duly obſerved, how would it guide you in the uſe of the Creatures, that you ſhould not abuſe them, nor defile your ſelves in the uſe of them. How ſhamefully do Men caſt off all due conſideration of this Rule, when partly by ſtupifying their Senſes, and clouding their Underſtandings, by letting looſe their Hearts to Carnal Contentments, they make themſelves unfit both for the Service of God, and for the Buſineſs of their lawful Callings. Such Men aim not at the Glory of God, but the pleaſing of other Mens vain humours with whom they converſe, the ſatisfying of their own carnal and ſinful Appetites, or the like, to the great Diſhonour of God, and taking his Name in vain.
Labour therefore to ſhun and abhor Intemperance and Drunkenneſs, as that which will abaſe you below the Beaſts that periſh; and which as one (who in his time was eminent above the moſt in his Kingdom, for Wit and Parts) ſaith, will make a Man Contemptible, and deſpiſed of all Wiſe and Worthy Men. Take heed therefore (ſaith he) that ſuch a cureleſs Canker poſſeſs not thy Youth, nor ſuch a beaſtly infection thy old Age, for then ſhall all thy Life be but as the life of a Beaſt; and after thy Death thou ſhalt only leave a ſhameful Infamy to thy Poſterity, who ſhall ſtudy to forget that ſuch an one was their Father. Thus he, and much more for the diſgracing of that Sin. Abridg your ſelves therefore of ſome of your lawful Delights: For ſuppoſe it be lawful to deſire after the moſt pleaſant Food, and to feed on variety of Diſhes at your Tables, yet may ye do better to deny your ſelves ſome lawful Contentments, than always to go to the utmoſt bounds of your lawful Liberty, or to do all that is not ſimply unlawful. You ſhall not readily fall in things unlawful, if you warily reſtrain your ſelves ſometimes in things lawful. If one be addicted to Intemperance in Eating, he ſhall with more facility overcome this Vice, if he abſtain from thoſe Meats that are moſt pleaſing to his Palat; even ſuch as are lawful for him to feed upon, and if he abſtain from them at ſuch times as he may lawfully uſe them. This is one of the moſt forcible remedies to overcome this Vice, that any Man can uſe.
Begin all your Refections with Prayer, and feed your Minds with holy Meditations whilſt ye are eating and drinking, As of eating Bread in the Kingdom of Heaven, of labouring for the Meat that endureth to everlaſting Life, of feeding on God by his promiſes by Faith; then doth God prepare a Table for you, when ye thus Eat and Drink to his Glory. To this purpoſe ſome of the Ancients uſed to have a Chapter read out of the Bible, whilſt they were Feaſting, and feeding at their Tables. Tertullian tells us, what were the Banquets of the Primitive Chriſtians. Our Feaſts (ſaith he) expreſs what they are in their Names. They are called foreign (Charities) becauſe they are Inſtituted for relief of the Poor: Our Table reſembleth an Altar, and our Supper a Sacrifice: We mind not the Expence, Tertul. in Apolog.to ſpend in the name of Piety is gain. Our Table hath nothing ſavouring of Baſeneſs, Senſuality, or Immodeſty; we feed by Meaſure; we drink according to the rules of Temperance; we ſatiate our ſelves as much as is neceſſary for thoſe who muſt riſe at Midnight, to offer up their Prayers unto God: We ſpeak and converſe as in the Preſence of God; our Hands being waſhed, and Candles lighted, every one repeateth what he knoweth out of holy Scripture, and from his own invention, to the Praiſe of God. Prayer, as it began the Banquet, ſo it concludes it: From the Table we go unto the exerciſe of Modeſty and Decency; you would ſay, if you beheld us, that we were not at a Supper, but at a Lecture of Holineſs.