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VVHat mervaile now, if greene in Age, and shallow in experience, I gave up my soule, into the black hands of errour? The causes of my closing with the Church of Rome, were three. First, a consi∣deration of the great sinnes of this King∣dome: and especially, of that open, scan∣dalous, and horrible sinne of Drunkennesse; which my soule hateth. And I weakly ar∣gued
from a blemish of manners, in particu∣lar persons, to a generall, and over-spread∣ing corruption of Faith. My thoughts re∣presented a drunkard to me, sometimes in this manner. What is a Drunkard, but a beast like a man, or, something lower then a beast? When he is in his fit, no sense will performe his fit office. Spectacles in all fi∣gures, appeare to him: hee thinks, hee sees more shapes, then God ever made. A cloud settles in his eyes; and the whole body be∣ing overflowne, they seeme to float in the floud. The earth seemes to him to nod, and hee nods againe to it; trees to walk in the fields; houses, to rise from their places, and leape into the Aire; as if they would tumble upon his head, and crush him to a Cake; and therefore, he makes hast to avoid the danger. The Sea seemes to rore in his cares, and the Guns to goe off; and he strives to rore as loud as they. The Beere begins to work; for, he foames at the mouth. Hee speaks, as if the greater part of his tongue were under water. His tongue labours upon his words: and the same word, often repeated, is a sentence. You may discover a foole, in every part of his face. Hee goes like — like what? nothing is vile enough, to suit in comparison with him; except I should say, like himselfe, or like another
drunken man. And at every slip, he is faine to throw his wandring hand upon any thing; to stay him with his body, and face upwards, as God made him. Ʋmbras saepe transiliunt sicut foveas, saith S. Ambrose: Comming to a shadow of a post, or other thing in his way, hee leapes, taking it for a ditch. Canes si viderint, leones arbitrantur, & fugiunt, sayes the same Father: if he sees a dogge, he thinks it to be a Lyon; and runs with all possible hast, till hee falls into a puddle; where hee lyes wallowing, and bathing his swinish body, like a hogge, in the mire. And after all this, being restored to himselfe, he forgets, because hee knew not perfectly, what hee was, and next day returnes againe to his vomit. And thus he reeles from the Inn, or Tavern, to his house, morning and evening, night and day; till, after all his reeling, not being able to goe, hee is carried out of his House, not into the Taverne, alas, hee cannot call for what hee wants; but into his Grave. Where being layd, and his mouth stopt with dirt, hee ceases to reele; till at last, hee shall reele, body and soule, into hell: where, notwith∣standing all his former plenty, & variety of drinks, hee shall never be so gracious, as to obtaine a small drop of water, to coole his tongue. Then if it be true, as it is very likely,
which many teach, that the devils in hell, shall mock the troubled imagination of the damned person, with the counterfeit imita∣tion of his sinnes, the devils will reele in all formes before him, to his eternall confusion. In vain doth S. Paul cry out to this wretch, Be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse: but be filled with the spirit. For, the same vessell cannot be filled with wine, and with the spirit, at the same time. In vaine doth hee tell him, that wee should live soberly, righte∣ously, and godly in this present world. Sobriè, saith S. Bernard, nobis, justè proximis, pie au∣tem Deo: Soberly, in our selves, righte∣ously or justly, towards our neighbours; and godly, towards God; alwayes remembring, that we are in this present world, and that it is but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the present point of Time, and but one instant, that we enjoy at once. And somtimes, in this manner, my thoughts shewed me a drunken man. Hee is a most deformed creature; one that lookes like the picture of a devill; one, who stands knock∣ing at hell-gate, and yet it is not able to speak a plaine word, and call for mercy; one that could stand and goe, but now, lyes all along in his owne filthinesse; one, that is loathed by the Court, and all the Citizens of Heaven; one, that for the time, doth not beleeve, that there is a God, or that Christ
died for the sinnes of the world; one, that may be lawfully thought, a man of little wit, and lesse grace; one, who is the Ow•• of all that see him, and the scorne, and abo∣mination, even of his drunken companions▪ one, who if he should then dye, would cer∣tainly be a companion of devils, in hell fit•• for ever; one, that is ready to commit adul∣tery, murder, treason; to stab or hang him∣selfe; to pull God out of Heaven, or, doe any thing that is not good. And if it be a firme ground, that, putting our selves into the occasions of such and such sins, we are as guilty of them, as if wee had committed them; although we did not formally, and explicitely intend them: how many great sins, hath one act of drunkennesse, to an∣swer for? Drunkennesse is most hatefull to God, because it putteth out the light of Reason, by which, man is distinguished from a beast, and all better lights with it, and throwes a man beneath Gods creation; and therefore, drunkennesse is more or lesse grievous, as it more or lesse impeacheth the light and sight of Reason. Natura paucis contenta, Nature is contented with a little; quam si superfluis urgere velis, saith Boetius, which if you shall urge, and load with su∣perfluous things, you will destroy. And one over-chargeth his stomack, and vainely
casteth away that, for want of which, or the like, another daily crieth in the streets with a lamentable voyce, Good Sir, for Gods sake, pitty these poore fatherlesse chil∣dren, ready to starve; one is hungry, and ano∣ther is drunken. And the great end of the Creator, was, to supply necessity, and the necessity of every creature. And Sobriety, and Temperance are faire vertues; which even the Glutton, and Drunkard doe praise, and magnifie. If wee turne aside into the Church-yard, wee shall finde it a dry time there. There are no merry meetings under ground; no musick, no dancing, no songs, no jesting company: Every body sleepes there, and therefore, there is no noise at all. Perhaps indeed, as men passe to the Church, or to their places in the Church, they point to such a Grave, and say; There lyes a drun∣kard, hee is sober enough now; but much against his will. And thus, his memory is as loathsome to all good people, and those who passe by his Grave to their devotions; as his rottennesse. These representations winned me to think, that the Practitioners in this Art of Beastilinesse, could not be of any Religion: because S. James bindeth Re∣ligion downe to practice. Pure Religion, and undefiled before God, and the Father, is this, To visit the fatherlesse and widowes in
their affliction, and to keepe himselfe unspotted from the world. But although I had learned in some sort, to compound, I had not yet learned to distinguish.
S. Ambr. lib. de Elia, & jejunio, cap. 16.
Idem, ibid.
Eph. 5. 18.
2 Tit. 12.
S. Bern. in Serm. sup. Ecce nos reliquimus omnia.
Boet.
1 Cor. 11. 21.
Iam. 1. 27.