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A85945
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Theiopharmakon. A divine potion to preserve spirituall health, by the cure of unnaturall health-drinking. Or An exercise wherein the evill of health-drinking is by clear and solid arguments convinced. Written for the satisfaction, and published by the direction of a godly Parliament-man. / By Jo: Geree, M.A. and pastor of St. Faiths in London.
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Geree, John, 1601?-1649.
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1648
(1648)
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Wing G600; Thomason E434_15; ESTC R206230
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7,475
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12
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in the nature of it not in the abuse of it onely And if at the best it be thus many wayes and in such a degree evill How abominable is it in the ordinary practise of the roaring crew where all the evill circumstances and consequents of it are raised to the height Yet even this hath round some advocates I will onely take notice of such pleaes as to my reason seem most specious and apply a brief Answer to them First some say why not aswell drink to the health of a friend as remember a friend in drinking to him Ans The reason of difference is apparant for by drinking to him I do renew the remembrance of him and manifest thereby some respect to him But my drinking to the health of another is no way in no degree conducible to his health But it may be replyed under the name health we intend onely respect and custom hath made healthing a signe of respect An A signe it may be made but a corrupt one for how can drinking such a measure be a good signe of respect The respect is in the remembrance and that is done by mentioning him not by the measure If the measure thou drinkest beare respect to thy friend then it must be in doing somthing more then thou are willing or then thou doest to gratifie thy self and so the respect shall be grounded in excesse which is sin besides why wilt thou ingage others to thy respect or thy measure when thou knowest not whether they can bear the one or the other But suppose it be but a little glasse or cup that it 's likely will hurt no body An But therein thou breakest the law and rule of the measure of drinking which is strength and satisfaction not thy humour 2. There be some bodies and braines too that will be hurt with least exceeding Modicum non nocet si non sumatur A little hurts not if it be let alone is indeed a truth Besides dost not thou know that little theeves let in greater and little thefts make way for greater so do little Healths besides the evill that is in them countenance greater and make way for greater and therefore keep the soles of thy feet out of the water of sin for it 's bitter water But suppose I force none is there any evill in it then A. There be divers degrees of forcing The commands expectation frowns yea even the example of some men that is such as are of eminencie either for place or grace is in a kinde a compulsion What else is the purport of that charge of St. Paul against St. Peter Gal. 2.14 Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as the Jews Cogi dicit istos apud quos erat tantum authoritatis Petri pondus ut quicquid ageret praescribere caeteris videretur saith Beza on the place Paul saith those were compelled with whom the authority of Peter was of such weight that his actions were as prescriptions to the rest And usually if men do not compell to pledge when they begin healths yet they frown or take it not so well at those that pledge not and that casts them upon a temptation to wrong either health or conscience But if men should leave it absolutely free then it looseth the nature of an Health and yet cannot escape censure because it hath the appearance of evil and gives countenance to the evil of healthing It is indeed to healthing like a minced oath to a bloody oath as Slud c. and so is not without poyson in it But some may say I will not begin Healths but may I not pledge them especially if I know the measure is not above my strength or need A. If healthing be in it self evil as I have proved then must thou have no hand in it remember that down-right charge Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darknesse but rather reprove them Ephes 5.12 Besides though thou dost not begin the Health yet by pledging thou dost keep it up and thereby ingagest those that come after thee to the like practise whose need or strength of body or brain if it be not answerable to thine thou occasionest their excesse or hurt in health or wits and therefore this plea will not hold But what if the Health be to a Superior it may be to the King and it may be my loyalty may be questioned if I refuse A. If Healthing be in genere malorum a work of darknes as I have shewed then surely we may look on it as on the Idolatrous worship which the Papists perform to deceased Saints wherein they greatly dishonour them And were they sensible of it they would take it most ill and were they capable of grief nothing would geieve them more then to think that they were made stales to rob God of his due honour See St August deâ—emp seim 231.232 so it is a great dishonour to King Parliament c. that their names should be made use of to the occasioning or countenancing of evil and dishonouring God by drawing on excesse 2. None can question our loyalty justly to any power on earth for any thing which we refuse out of inlightened conscience to the supreme power in heaven 3. We have other wayes to expresse our loyalty to wit hearty prayers for and conscientious subjection to those that are in authority But I shall be singular none else refuseth A. Whether is it better to be involved in the generall corruption of the world or with Nâ—ah to find grace in the eyes of God and walk with him Gen. 6.8 9.11 But I shall be scoft and giered at A. Whether is worse that men scoffe or God curse if thou sin God cursest whether is better the praise of men or the praise of God Sure didst thou consider Heb 11.26 Matt. 5.11 12. or 1 Pet. 4.14 and many other such places scoffs would not move thee But I shall be counted uncivill ill bred and be cast out of society A. Whethers worse to be counted uncivill or to be ungodly or whether is any breeding better then that Ephes 6.4 which is in the nurture and admonition of the Lord which wil teach us to avoid all sin And if thou be counted unworthy society comfort thy self with this Those that men cast out unjustly * Ioh. 9 35. Christ will find And those that men do so reject God doth most prize and while men count them not worthy of the world God counts the world not worthy of them Hebr. 11.38 Of whom the world was not worthy Etâ—amsi ad hoc verâ—etur ut tibi duâ—â—etur aut bâ—bas 〈…〉 Aug 〈…〉 Temp. 2 32. But what if I be in danger if I refuse A. In that case thou must not destroy thy soul to save thy body and sin destroys the soul Excellently Augustine on this very point Although it were come to this that it be said to thee either drink 〈◊〉 dye it were better thy sober body were slain then that thy soul should dye by arm kennesse Put withall this is for the most part as Augustine further inlarges his answer a false fear for when mens heat is over they will 〈◊〉 thy resolution and care to keep a good conscience Cast thy self therâ—fore on God trust in him and keâ—p in his way and he will keep thee as the apple of his eye To him be glory forever FINIS
least worth and lay an injunction upon all to drink his measure and in his gesture is malapert sawcinesse and infringing just liberty and so usurpation and all usurpation is a breach of the fifth Commandment Arg 5 Every voluntary action which alwayes indangers and often causes great inconveniences in society is unlawfull But Health-drinking alwayes indangers and often causeth great inconveniences to societies Therefore it is unlawfull The major is clear For it 's a rule in Divinity That Commandment that prohibits a sin prohibits all the occasions leading to that sin And it s an over-ruled case by the Apostle that liberty in things indifferent may be prejudg'd by inconveniences 1 Cor. 8.13 The minor may be proved thus Healths alwayes indangers among strangers and often causeth quarrels For if the Health be to a man that deserves no good wishes neither out of our relations nor his own qualification or be such an one that any of the company hates or scorns to honour as many times he is and most commonly may be among strangers then usually quarrelling or brawling follows Again if there be any whose heads by weaknesse or bodies by unhealthinesse and obnoxiousnesse to distemper or though it should be lawfull yet their consciences through weaknesse scruple it All of these are cast upon a temptation of distempering their heads whence what evill may not follow or indangering their health against the eight Commandment or disquieting and wounding conscience which is both sin and misery Rom. 14. ult Prov. 14.14 And in all these evils the Health-drinker will be an accessary The last of which the Apostle expresseth terribly Rom. 14.15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat is there not the same reason of drink now walkest thou not charitably Destroy not him with thy meat nor with thy drink for whom Christ dyed Arg. 6 That which is found in experience an apparant cause of great wast of good creatures and the overflowing of the gâ—â—evous sin of drunkennesse that undoubtedly is to be abandoned Christian society But Health-drinking is a great waster and drawer on of drunkennesse The major is cleer All uselesse waste should be prevented that frugality we learn from our Saviour even when creatures were multiplied miraculously Joh. 6.12 and all causes of drunkennesse removed He that would no evill do must avoid what longs thereto saith our Proverbe We are to prevent sins not to occasion them Ephes 5.11 We must have no fellowship with unfruitfull works of darknesse but reprove them Now sure drunkennesse is one of the unfruitfull works of darknesse and how can a man reprove it and set on foot or keep on foot healthing which draws it on as with cart-ropes to use the Prophets phrase or how can such quit themselves from all communion with it that promote a custome that is so direct a cause of it Now that drinking Healths doth cause needlesse waste of good creatures is apparent for what a great quantitie of wine and strong drink do such full measures consume especially in great companies and this generally wasted It being usually burthensome not refreshing to the company And what is such a shooing-horn to drunkennesse as this Health-drinking The great masters of excesse when the sober minded would with-draw what device have they to hold them on till they be inflamed and subject to a wo Isa 5.11 but by beginning an Health and that upon pain of a quarrell or unkindnesse at least they must not deny to pledge Arg 7 That custome which is condemned in Scripture and the contrary commended must needs be sinfull and unlawfull But compelling others to drink more then they have a mind to which is practised in Health-drinking is condemned in Scripture and the contrary commended Therefore Health-drinking is unlawfull The major is clear because the Scriptures hold forth to us what is that good and acceptable will of the Lord. The minor is proved by Hab. 2.15 Wo unto him that giveth his neighbour drink that puttest thy bottles to him and makest him drunk also Which words whether they be taken properly or figuratively they prove the evill of compelling to drink for if they be taken metaphorically yet the metaphor is drawn from compelling to drink which unlesse it be vitious the metaphor wouâ—d be frigid and non-significant and though all compulsion in Health-drinking be not to drunkennesse or intoxication yet it is to â—xcesse which is a step to it and so a step to sin which is over-shoes though not over-boots as our English Proverbe speaks And as compulsion to drink is condemned so is the contrary practice commended in Scripture Esther 1.8 And the drinking was according to the law none might compell for the King had appâ—inted all the Officers of his house that they should do according to every mans pleasure Which whether it were out of love of sobriety or to prevent broils in so great a meeting the holy Ghost registers it with approbation Arg 8 Such customs as are Heathenish and unsutable to Christians are to be abandoned Christians society but such a custom is health-drinking Therefore it s to be abandoned as sinfull The major may be cleared from that Mat 6.32 For after all these do the Gentiles seeke wherein is coucht an argument of dissalowance so 1 Thes 4.5 and Eph. 5.3 4. Christians should do nothing which are not convenient for them or misbecoming Saints The minor may thus be made good It was the custome of heathens to drink to their Emperours health they knew no better but Christians have the Spirit of a Zech 12.10 prayer and are b 1 Tim 2.1 2 taught to pray for their Governours and friends and their prayers ye know will promote health of others not their drinking and therefore drinking to the health of great ones is heathenish not becoming Christians which are Saints Besides Christianity teaches sobriety and mortification 1 Thes 5.8 Let us who are of the day be sober So Titus 2.12 And therefore carowsing whole cups is a thing unseemly for them Arg. 9 That custom that is no wayes necessary hath been declaimed against by the ancient Fathers reverened on all sides for piety and learning is to be abandoned the society of Christians as scandalous and so unlawfull But the custom of Health drinking drinking ad Equales calices that is all that same meaâ—ure hath been declaimed against by the ancient fathers Therefore to be abandoned as unlawfull The major few will question the minor is apparant in the writings of the Fathers but I need not trouble my self nor you with quotations since ye may see it abundantly done already by Master Bolton in his Direction for walking with God pa. 201 202 203 204 205. and in Master Prinns Health-sicknesse Thus Sit I have I hope made good the indictment against Health drinking proving it many wayes culpable enough to be ejected Chriâ—â—ian society And yet I have taken healthing at the best whereby the evils cleaving to it are evident to be in