God is named If he should not be named without deuotion and humiliation of the speaker and heâ—rers to sweare frequently and about trâ—fles by his holy name how great an irreuerence is it Christian men for reuerence sake do not ordinarily touch the Altar nor the booke of the Ghospell but vpon necessary Chrys ho. 1â— ad pop occâ—sion and that with some outward signe of worship and respect and how dare men sweare by the Maiesty of Almighty God or by the sanctity of our Sauiours precious Bloud and Woundes without vâ—gent cause and profound humiliation and honour 8. In the old law the name of God Eâ—od 28. was engrauen in a golden plate borne only vpon the forehead of the high Priest to notifie as S. Chrysostome teacheth that men must not bring in this diuine name by oath but with respect to religion charity and necessity Chrys ho. 12. in Matth. VVhereupon the same S. Chrysostome wondereth how man which is earth ashes and smoake dareth so ordinarily sweare by Almighty God and bring him as witnesse to euery humane affaire 9. Moreouer he noteth that the custome of swearing was first induced when men fell into idolatry when they had left and lost diuine faith and consequently their words wanted credit without oathes And therefore he inferreth thâ—â— where frequent custome of swearing is in vâ—e there is a manifest signe of infidelity and that there is no more reputation nor humane credit left amongst men According to which meaning the Prophet Zachary saw a flying Zach. â— booke in which was written the iudgement of damnation not only against forsworne persons but absolutely against swearers For notwithstanding this vice alone is inough to procure punishment yet it is neuer alone but accompayned with others 10. But yet there is an other further degree of idle and vaine swearing worse in quality and more opposite to religion then the former that is when a man aduisedly sweareth by God or by the humanity of Christ our Sauiour not caring whether the thing be true or false only by chaunce applying Gods eternall and immutable certaine truth to the vncertaine verity of the thing which he sweareth Which manner of swearing must needs be an hainous trespasse For if we consider on the one side the soueraigne dignity of diuine nature and the sacred quality of our Sauiours humanity of his body his soule his honourable and amiable wounds and on the other side heare a man hudle them out by oaths as it were casting dice to fal at their chaunce not caring what side fall vpward although the oath light on that side which is true yet notwithstanding the abuse impiety is passing great A man in his witts according to very manhood would not so hazard his owne credit as to cast it out without all respect in euery occasion to testifie as well falsehood as truth and much lesse should he vtter out of his mouth these sacred oathes to casuall auouchment of truth or falsehood 11. The holy Ghost affirmeth generally of all human actions He that loueth danger shall perish in the same That is Eccles â— he which will conuerâ—e neere the borders and occasions of sinnes shall at one time or other stumble into them or he which aduisedly doth frequent that which he thinketh or ought to thinke is naught probably shall perish in the end And this perill if it be generally probable in all other sinnes it is much more certaine where there is custome to sweare without pondering whether the thing sworne be true or otherwise 12. O monstruous boldnes and blindnes of impiety not only to name this maiesty and sanctity without due reuerence but to protest it in ordinary talke without premeditation or iudgement If the oath meet with truth no thankes to the swearer for he swore at all aduentures and committed the waight of diuine testimony to chaunce as one that cared not with what he met 13. Hereupon we may vnderstand what an euill thing is a custome of swearing by which some do aduisedly sweare by the Maiesty and Sanctity of God not being certaine whether there by verity or no in that which they sweare wherein custome is so far from lessening the fault that it rather much increaseth it For how can it be otherwise then to aggrauate sin when a man by his custome as it were by his owne hands tyeth himselfe in weighty chaines that incline him mightely vpon all occasions to sweare without iudgement of the truth For as long as Suar. lib. 3. de suramento c. 6. custome doth not take away free and aduised consent to sinne it doth not diminish but rather maketh greater the fault in respect of the precedent actes by which that habituall disposition to sinne was contracted Wherfore when a swearer looketh back vpon himselfe beholding the euill custome by which he is incited to sweare indifferently whether the matter be true or false he is obliged in conscience to restraine himselfe from swearing therby to diminish such a custome and as the meanes to auoyd periuries in the time to come For the same obligatioÌ„ which bindeth a man not to sinne doth also oblige him in what he may to auoyd and remoue the neerest causes and occasions of his sinne 14. Moreouer there is yet a third degree of irreligious swearing when a man applyeth the name of God or the sacred humanity of Christ to matter although true and so esteemed by the swearer yet in it selfe vnlawfull as for example if one against the obligation of secresie should vpon his oath reueile that which he is bound not to disclose In which manner of swearing although the diuine Maiesty or the sacred humanity of Christ be not debased with attestation of vntruth yet are they iniured with an vnlawfull testimony and made an instrument of sinne 15. If the Princes image as hath beene said was forbidden by law vnder paine of death to be carried into any filthy or dishonest place much more care is to be taken that the holy name of God and of our Redeemer Christ Iesus be not brought I say not to witnesse things vncleane or loathsome to our senses but sinfull For this condition to be contaminated with sinne exceedeth all other materiall turpitude whatsoeuer as far as heauen is aboue earth and more as will manifestly appeare if we consider that nothing in this world how base or â—oule soeuer it may seeme is so opposite as the least sinne to the sanctity and purity of God and Christ our Sauiour In so much as it cannot be clensed or taken away by any other meanes force or industry in heauen or in earth but only by the participation of their purity and sanctity Therfore to make the same purity and sanctity solemne witnesses or instruments of sinne vpon any occasion is quite contrary to that religious reuerence and honour which we owe them a most abhominable trespasse 16. And in all manner of oathes it is to be noted that as
superfluities and in particular from that of apparell are deriued principally from two heades to wit from the perfection dignity of men and from that especiall loue and reuerence which our faith teacheth vs that we owe to Almighthy God Lucian in dial Cyn. 2. As concerning the former Lucian in the person of the Cynicall Philosopher noteth well that things of higher quality and excellency haue alwayes need of fewer supplements and external helpes to attaine their felicity Consider saith he that children need many thinges not necessary when they be elder sick folkes more then others in good health womeÌ„ more then men And to conclude euery inferiour and more imperfect creature needeth more helpes then the higher and more noble And hereupon commeth it saith he that the Gods as most perfect need nothing and therfore such men as need least come the Arist l. â— Magnor Moral neerest to them Whereupon it is an argument of naturall want when we haue recourse to multiplicity of externall helps as variety of apparel or the like to satisfie our selues of our selues or to coÌ„mend to others the perfection we haue or suppose to haue with desire to be honoured and respected 3. But we Christians instructed by faith discouer in our bodies other causes wherby our minds should be iustly alienated from pampering and trimming them vp with delicate and curious apparell For that all excesse in this kind is repugnant to the sublime end perfection of Christianity vpon which consideration the discourse following is to be grounded It was a conuenient naturall prouidence a iust persuasion Genes 3. of almighty God that our first parents after their woefull trespasse should by the vse of apparell rather afflict then adorne their sinfull bodies And therfore Ioseph l. 1. cap. â— Iren. lib. 3. cap. 37. they couered themselues with figge-leaues which as Iosephus noteth haue a fretting property fit as S. Irenaeus obserued to puÌ„ish their rebellious flesh By which they repeat three commodities first the memory of their passed sinne then wholsome feare holding back their willes and appetites from the like disloyalty by that chastisement and lastly the due execution of iustice reuenging by punishment in themselues what before they had transgressed And when it pleased almighty God vpon his commiseratioÌ„ to pardon their sinne he bestowed vpon them not curious or costly apparel but cloathed them as penitentes in skins of beastes and retayning the forme he only chaunged the acerbity of their habit into a softer and milder quality Why then should Christians which know from whence they come and haue not only contracted misery and sin from those our progenitours but also themselues waged warre against God Almighty contemned his authority violated his lawes and deserued punishment and death for many personall offences glorifie and beautify their bodies the instruments of their sinnes 4. O Repentance art thou drowned in wretchles security O Iustice doest thou lye buried in iniquity whilst flesh triumpheth in painted gay Apparell for whose misdemeanors teares were rather to be shed from a penitent heart and restraynt of all vnnecessary pleasures and mortification of all inordinate desires were to be vsed with firme purpose of amendment doe wee make so small account of that euer being Maeisty whom we haue offended or of our owne misdeeds so many and so greiuous as we dare contrary to the course held by our first parents to couer their confusion after they had sinned approued also by Almighty God set out these vile rebellious carcasses of ours spriugs of vices and armoryes of Sathans weapons for battaise against God and Nature with costly cloathes and ornaments of glory as though we had done such deeds as deserued triumph or were such as we might bragge of our selues If we be loath to entertaine the corrosiue fretting of the figge-leafe at least let vs as Sinners not depart farre from the first weeds of our mortality whereby other creatures despoyled of life serue to couer these bodies of ours worthily condemned to death 5. If we will make a review of what forme of apparell hath beene vsed in times past by godly persons recommended August Eâ—ar 1. in Psal 10â— in holy writ we may learne from them our ChristiaÌ„ duety in this behalfe at least to moderate our selues within decency and ciuility and not passe to the contrary extreme Esau his best apparell Genes 15. was made of the skinnes of goates breathing out the sweet smell of a plentifull field to signify the abondance of temporall goods by moderation and frugality in this kind The Man tell of Rachel may be a patterne of louely modesty Genes 24. in women wherwith she couered her face vpon the sight of her espouse teaching them not to make ostentation of counterfeit shadowes where they are rather to hide euen that which nature warranteth them to aâ—owe vnlesse with Dina desiring to see and be seene Genes 34. they meet with occasions as she did to loose the iewell of their integrity Moreouer it appeareth by holy scripture that Almighty God would haue the exteriour apparell of his chosen people such as they might therby seeme consecrated to his seruice and to vertue willing the Iewes to weare about the hemme of their garmentes the written wordes of Num. 15. Deut. 22. his holy law by which they might be knowne as Christians also ought to be by the modesty and decency of their attire different from that of Pagans professing in all their carriage a reuerence to almighty God firme purpose to keep his commandements and contempt of wordly vanity and disorderly pleasures as men that beleeue and hope for eternall felicity 6. The Prophets of Almighty God that in old time were most honoured 4. Reg. 1. Matth. 3. most in his fauour as Hieremy Helias Helizeus and S. Iohn Baptist wore passing rude and course apparell And for that this hard intreaty of the body was then thought to be pleasing to almighty God his people in their distresses and publike dangers and calamities desiring pardon of their sinnes and to diuert from them imminent punishment threatened by diuine iustice cloathed themselues euen delicate virgins in sackcloth and haire and thereby pleased the sight of God and his Angels who can better iudge of the quality and decency of apparell then foolish light headed young men and women 7. But now to enter into the kingdome of the Ghospell the coate of our Sauiour without welt or seame presenteth it selfe first to our sight a vesture that had no artificiall ornament or diuersity either of parts or of colours but as neere to nature as might be and a â—ipe of his virginity and modesty And yet he was our king and our God and is therfore an exprâ—sse iudgement and sentence against all manner of apparell in Christians that may any wise endanger Christianity or entice to sinne or vnlawfull liberty And as the garment of our Sauiour preacheth vnto vs most effectually all modesty and
causes become franticke where others of a more sober quality fall not there into but vpon greater occasions The drunkard sayth Seneca discloseth his secrets as new Seneca ep 83. working wine mouing from the bottome breaketh out of the barrell aboue And therfore the ancients painted Bacchus with a Treuet by him to signify that men giuen to drinke vtter all they know to al they meet as in old time in Citties at the head of three streets presented by the Treuet nouellers broached their newes to the people Wherfore according to prudence there is no friendship secret nor confidence to be reposed in the brest of a drunkard 15. Neither may we say that a drunkard in this consideration of Ciuility is subiect to this or that miscarriage but generally to all which are either rooted in his nature or may be habituated by vse So that drinke is not only of it selfe a matter of intemperance but once admitted into the breast with excesse what euill inclination or vice soeuer it findeth in nature or bad custome after it hath once maistered reason that kept the perturbations in awe it giueth tâ—em leaue and passage to rush out into all kinde of wickednesse So as nothing so much either increaseth or discouereth sinfull affections in a man as drunkenesse 16. VVhen wine hâ—th possessed the soule saith Seneca what euill lâ—y hid before now Senec. ep 83. appeareth Drunkenesse doth not make vices but discouereth them If one be proude drinke maketh him more insolent if he be enuious more outragious and hurtfull lustfull more lasciuious and the like in all other dispositions to wickednesse as if one should open the Goaile dore and giue all the malefactors leaue to run out of prison And so I remember a story worthy to be noted of a discreet Father which had an vntoward Sonne in one of our Vniuersityes and hearing that he was giuen to play said he could remedy the matter by keeping him short of money After he heard that he haunted euill company which also he neglected saying that time would cure the follies of youth But when he vnderstood that he was become also a drunkard as one vice draweth on another then quoth he it is time to take him from the Vniuersity for he will neuer be good for any thing 17. According to this what help can any ciuill community receaue or expect from drunkards that are so disloyall in all matters of importance and so lauish and vnbridled in the restraint of all corrupt qualities and affections and prone to put in execution in all times places and occasions without controlement whatsoeuer folly and frenzy may suggest But in particuler choler cruelty which attend alwayes on drunkennesse make it barbarous vnsupportable in any commonwealth For anger and cruelty is occasioned by drunkennesse not only during the time that the man is drunke but being often stirred vp by frequent vse it becometh so customary and habituall that vpon euery light occasion it breaketh out like a flame out of brimstone or guÌ„powder Which distemper though it be dangerous and to be condemned in all yet especially and aboue all in Princes and Seneca ep 83. Magistrats by the examples of Alexander who being drunke at a banquet killed Clitus his decrest friend and of Antony that gaue sentence of death when he was hoaâ—e in wine which after he had cause to repent In which respect Solon Rhodig in lib. 28. c. 32. enacted a law to the Athenians that their king should be punished by death if he were conuicted to haue beene drunke which was executed in Zeno the Emperour as Zonaras recordeth who being Tom. 3. Annal. drunke was buryed aliue by his wife 18. Next to Magistrates the vice of drunkennesse though foule in all is most detestable pernicious in women in respect of their progeny for from intemperate parents descend naturally vicious and disorderly children And perhaps from this proceeded the ruine of great Monarchies next to the punishment of Gods iustice that as they were raysed by valiant men begotten and brought vp in temperance so they were lost by effeminate cowards bred in riot and excesse of meate and drinke Plato in his common wealth forbiddeth wine to women with child And the Romans enacted many seuere lawes to debarre women from wine and the vse therof was infamous amongst them And the custome for kinsfolkes to salute their kinswomen is sayd to haue beene introduced for a tryall to find if they smelled of wine And at this day the Persians and Turkes want not their necessary prouisions in this case to keep their women temperate and chaste And if we consider not only the seruice but the security of the common wealth seeing that drunkennesse depriueth men both of iudgement and true fortitude which are the keyes and supporters of a ciuill estate whatsoeuer externall Enemy shall endeauour to make a prey of a people where it raigneth may be greatly aduantaged by this vice 19. But heere one may aske me what remedy for thirst if drink be forbidden I answere that drinke is not forbidden nor disswaded but the excesse and immoderate vse of drinke nor thirst is alwayes to be remedied with drinke as we see in a dropsie which causeth vehement and continuall thirst and yet is so farre off to be quenched or the disease to be cured by drinking as the only way to be rid of both the cause the effect is to abstaine from drinke In like manner he that was drunke ouernight is commonly thirsty in the morning as aboue hath byn said And if he will quench this thirst proceeding from surfet by powring drinke vpon drinke he shal be thirsty all his life Naturall thirst caused by the operation of naturall heat that dryeth vp naturall moysture is to be refreshed by drinke But accidentall thirst that proceedeth from the corruption of meate or drinke in the stomack is by abstinence to be remoued and by little and little will diminish of it selfe if you giue nature leaue time to disgest the excrements which like a dunghill breath out those hoate putrified vapours that infect the throat and the mouth 20. And amongst many other punishments of drunkards it is no small one to be continnally tormented with thirst as the contrary to be rid of this misery as temperate men be me thinks should be sufficient to persuade any man to be temperate though there were no other reward for vertue nor punishmeÌ„t for vice but in this life But because this is the least which passeth with time and that the torments which shall neuer haue end are much more to be feared and eschewed I will conclude this matter with an example or two out of approued authors to this purpose P. Martin del Rio. to 2. disq mag pa. 1. 4. 7. In Flanders it happened of late yeares that three companions much giuen to drinking and consequently to other vices hauing tripled till it was late in the night one of