Serious Address to those who Unnecessarily Frequent the Tavern, Appendix
APPENDIX. THERE has fallen into our hands a private Letter of the late Reverend Dr. Increaſe Mather's, upon the Subject of the foregoing Pages, written to one of his Neighbours: A Copy of which we think fit to annex; and by it, He being dead, yet ſpeaketh. 'Tis as follows:
Brother —
ALTHO' I am fuller of Buſineſs than I have been (to my knowledge) ever ſince my coming to Boſton, yet out of reſpect to my Word, and my Love to You, I ſend you the following ſhort Anſwer, to the Queſtion, upon which you deſired my Apprehenſions.
QUESTION,
WHETHER it be Lawful for a Church-Member among us, to be frequently in Taverns?
ANSWER,
In the following PROPOSITIONS,
I. It is not Lawful for a Church-Member to be in Taverns oftner than Neceſſity calleth for it.
And this is evident,
1. Becauſe we are to Abſtain from all Appearance of Evil, 1 Theſ. V. 22. Jude 23. Now, This has an Appearance of Evil. It looks ſomething like being a Pot-Companion.
2. Becauſe we muſt avoid all Temptations to Sin. Where any Evil is forbidden, it is required that the Temptations leading to that Evil, ſhould be ſhunned. Therefore the Rule that forbids Drunkenneſs, does alſo prohibit being unneceſſarily where there is much Drink a going, that may be a Temptation to Exceſs. Gen. XXXIX. 10. Prov. V. 8.
3. Becauſe we muſt, as much as may be, avoid the giving of Occaſion unto others to Sin. Yea, a Chriſtian ſhould abridge himſelf of his lawful Liberty, if it prove an Occaſion for others to Sin againſt GOD. And therefore the Apoſtle forbids Eating in an Idols Temple: Not but that it was in it ſelf Lawful to Eat there, or in any other Place; becauſe no Places under the Goſpel are either Holy or Profane, as under the Law: but becauſe ſome would by that means be occaſioned to commit Idolatry, and be hardned in Sin, 1 Cor. VIII. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
II. For Church-Members to Chuſe to tranſact their Civil, Affairs in the Tavern ▪ when they might as well do it at their own Houſes, is an Evil in the Sight of GOD.
For,
1. They occaſion others to Sin againſt GOD. The more Carnal ſort of People will ſay, Such and ſuch are often in Taverns, for all they make a Profeſſion of Religion, and are Members of Churche. Thus the way of Truth is evil ſpoken of. And tho' Godly Perſons may go into the Tavern for lawful Ends, to diſpatch their lawful Affairs, yet the Ungodly will from thence take Advantage to follow Taverns for unlawful Ends, even to Drink and be Drunken there. Now, a Chriſtian ſhould be very Tender of page missing ſo much as an Occaſion of Diſhonour to page missing of wrong to the Souls of any. 2 Sam. page missing XXII. 22. Rom. XIV. 13. Gal. page missing 14. 1 Joh. II. 10.
Yea, page missing page missinguld endeavour to walk ſo as to cut off all page missing, of Evil-ſpeaking, or Evil-thinking, or Evil-doing, from them that are ſo Wicked as to ſeek Occaſion. 2 Cor. XI. 12.
2. When Men do thus unneceſſarily frequent Taverns, it page missing be Juſt with GOD, to leave them to fall into page missing If a Man wilfully forſake GOD in never ſo ſmall page missing page missingtter, he may well fear that GOD will forſake him. 2 Chron. XV. 2. Pſal. LXXXI. 11, 12.
3. III IT is not unlawful for a Church-Member to go into the Tavern, when the Buſineſs of his Civil Calling does neceſſarily Call him thereunto.
And this is evident,
1. Becauſe a Tavern is not in it ſelf an unlawful Place. We read of Inns in the Scripture; and of Good Men that when called thereunto, have gone into them. Gen. XLII. 27. Exod. IV. 24. Luk. II. 7.
2. Becauſe the Duties of a Man's General, and of his Particular Calling, may ſtand well together. A Man's General Calling, as he is a Chriſtian, does not Nullify, but rather Confirm his Particular Calling, and makes it ſanctified unto him. *** 1 Cor. VII. 20. — V. 10.
IV. If a Church-Member be Neceſſitated to be in the Tavern, he ought to carry himſelf Circumſpectly there.
The Reaſon is,
1. Becauſe he is in more danger of ſinning there, than at other times; by means of divers Temptations that are before him.
2. Becauſe by a Circumſpect apage missing page missing page missingarriage, others may be drawn to glorify page missing page missingewiſe. Matth. V. 16. 1 Pet. II. 12.— Ipage missing page missing
Thus I have given you a page missing to your Enquiry. The Lord be witpage missing page missing page missingnd guide you into all ways of well-pleaſing before Him! I am,
Your loving Fripage missing Increaſe Mather.
End of the text · Thomas Foxcroft, Serious Address to those who Unnecessarily Frequent the Tavern (1726)