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Treatise Against Drunkennesse (1665)Home |
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A TREATISE Described To which are added, two short Fairthfully Translated --Crimen placuisse putavit. LONDON: Printed for Charles Brown, Bookseller AN ADVERTISEMENT. Supposing that some casting their Eye on this ensuing Treatise, may be impatient before they peruse it, to understand what I mean, so daringly to appear in publick upon this Subject, I hold my self obliged to offer this short Defense of my self; viz. That it is the undoubted Right, as well as Duty, of every good Subject to Arm, when the King takes the Field against the Common Enemy. Allmight God therefore having, amongst many other Divine Resolutions, and Hieroical Motions, put into the heart of our Dread Sovereign, to make War against the Beast, (as the Scripture speaks, Revel. 19.19.) or rather Beasts of Luxury and Drunkenness, so far invading and wasting this Nation; as I accounted it safe under so great Protection, so likewise seasonable under so wise a Conduct, to shoot this my Bolt (as the Saying is) at them also; and that foreseeing how apt many will be to make tha Saying complete, by calling it A Fools, and soon shot. For as the World was never more witty to Madnessse, in despising all Checks contradicting its humour, than now; so, on the other side, it was never more wise in studying Self-security, and keeping out of harms way, by offending no Man or Party, any ways able to retaliat. And who indeed is so low and weake, who may not meet with an opportunity so to doe, in some degree: But if all Men were so wise, this Land would have a great many more Philosophers (such as they may be) than good Christians, good Subjects, or good Men: no private security or felicity being durable, where the Publick is shaken or corrupted by such Vices, which the practicers of, themselves, in their lucid Intervals and most retired Thoughts doe condemn in themselves. And therefore this undertaking of mine being fenced so well with the best Authority in Heaven and on Earth, and justified by so powerfull a Witnesse in those Brests which otherwise may dislike this Design, why should I destrust God, or call in question the Ingenuity and Candour of my Reader so far, as to despond or dispair of desired event? to induce the better to wch end, I have endevour'd to fortifie my weak Interest in Mens Consciences by the accession of the wight and worth of that Holy and Learned Father, St. Augustine, in his two Sermons De Tempore on the like occasion, punctually Translated, and joyned hereunto. Which if any man shall endeavour to weaken, by calling in question the Genuinesse of those Sermons, I shall not here enter into dispute about them, and further than by affirming, that many of them are undoubtedly his; and nothing appears disproving these to be truly St. Augustines: And if they were not, yet must be of some grave and zealous Father, more to be valued and listened to, than any Authority can possibly be brought to the contrary: which having advised my Reader of, I refer him for a further account of my present Undertaking, to what immediately follow: besseeching God Almighty to give that successe to it, which rather the Merits of the Cause, than the manner of the Plea, may reasonably claim. The Contents. Section I. The General Occasions and Design of this ensuing Treatise. Pag.1. Sect. II. Of the Nature and Kindes of Drunkennesse. p.10. Sect. III. The common Excuses used by Drunkards, considered. p.29. Sect IV. The Word of God expresly declaring against Drunkennesse. p.52 Sect. V. Of the several evil Enormities and Ominousnesses, and Absurdities of Drunkennesse in any Nation. pag. 64. Sect. VI. The several Inconveniences and Mischiefs publick and private of Intemperate Drinking, touched. p.79. Sect. VII. Some general Causes of the prevailing Sin of Drunkenness recited. P. 106. Sect. VIII. An eighth reason of the increase of Drunkennesse, Drinking of Healths. p. 118. The Twoo hundred and one and thirtieth Sermon of St. Augustine, De Tempore, Of Shunning Drunkennesse. p. 159 The Second Sermon of St. Augustine : of avoiding Drunkennesse. p. 179.
A Treatise against Drunkennesse. Section I. The Generall occasions and design of this ensuing Treatise. I am not ingnorant or unsensible of the great and many prejudices I, and this naked Discourse may be subject unto, encountring so grand an Enemy and over-grown Monster as the vice of Drunkennesse is in this present Age, if not in this Nation: and therefore could as politickly and contentedly, as wiser and greater, and learneder Heads, have rested quietly in safe silence, under the protection of privacy and inoffensivenesse to all men; or venturing abroad, at least concealed my name, as on some other occasion I have, thereby avoiding the sharp and severe Censures of divers, who of no base extraction, fortune, order, Civil or Ecclesiastical, have either directly or obliquely given too much countenance and creadit to the prevailing Vice; especially by the use of Healths, not always but to frequently tending to, and ending in a very evil Event, against which I direct my feeble Forces. For as it is observed by Tully to vehemently accusing Clodius, a very leud Fellow indeed, but having many and great Friends in Rome, these took his fervour so itll, that they combinging togehter procured his Banishment; so might I fear, by this my plainnesse and freedom of Speech, to fall under the heavy revenge of such, who, though they cannot deny Drunkennesse is a notorious Sin, and now prevails, have such a kindnesse for it in a corner, that they may take an occasion therefrom to condemn the severe Adversay to it, as thier pleasure prompts them, And I am not so daring (as bold as I am) to bid difiance (as some Writers in a good cause have done) to any man, professing my self to fear and vbalue the displeasure and eenmity of any man; yet not so far as to divert me wholly from this seasonable design, as I judge, or to be asham'd to set to my name, or shew my face, left I might seem also to distrust the wisdom at last, if not the justness of my undertaking: From which I aim not at any thing so much as the Glory of God, the good of Religion, and the Nation even in its Civil Capacity, and the stopping the mouths of the Enemies to all thes who clamour too loudly, though not altogether unjustly against the commonnesse of this Sin, strengthening themselves by such weaknesse or wickednese of others. And I fear I may make bold here to use the words of the Apostle, Not many wise after the flesh, not many noble, not many mighty, have escaped teir Animadversion ins this kinde: God Grant they may, at least hereafter, be all convicted of slander that so judge. And that they ma so, I have under taken this short and simple Labour: having in truth not only a general detestation and lamentation of the Vice, but some singular provocations known to such as understand my Circumstances, not hindden to many. However, I declare uprightly, there is nothing of revenge at all in the case, but purest and greatest Charity, of betaking my self to this more publick course, to reclaim some at least, who cannot have the benefit of that vulgar saying to mitigate their offence, He is no bodies Foe but his own: For in truth, no man is Virtuous or Vitious to himself alone, but influences others by bettering or tainting them; so that to endeavour to obviate this evil warring against all capacities: And to professe enmity to it, is (rightly understood to declare himself a Friend to all sorts of Persons: unlesse that may be said now to be fulfilled, which I am unwilling so much as to think, which * [Apothegm. Patrem. cap. 17.] Antony the Great (as he is called) Father of solitary and sequestred living from the World, |
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