Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n
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A15845
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The drunkard's character, or, A true drunkard with such sinnes as raigne in him viz. pride. Ignorance. Enmity. Atheisme. Idlenesse. Adultery. Murther. with many the like. Lively set forth in their colours. Together with Compleat armour against evill society. The which may serve also for a common-place-booke of the most usuall sinnes. By R. Iunius.
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Younge, Richard.
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1638
(1638)
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STC 26111; ESTC S120598
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366,817
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906
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Grape for as it was his first planting of Vines there so it was in all probability the first time hee had tryed and experimented the operation of wine And as for Lot he drank liberally with intent only to comfort himselfe and his daughters in regard of the losse of their mother and many other crosses lately sustained and was overtaken unawares Neither did any of these drinke with an intent to exceed measure and to bee drunke neither did they use it often the one only once the other but twice and that by the instigation of his ungracious daughters and so makes nothing or very little for the excuse of common drunkkards who like so many flyes live wholly by sucking But thou art not drunke with Wine no peradventure thou hast no wine to be drunk with yet if thou be overcome with strong drinke of what kinde soever it be thou wilt be found a trespasser against sobriety and consequently against God himself It is notwhat you call the thing that doth the hurt but what hurt it doth if it maketh either the head heauy or the heart outragious or the eyes to stare or the tongue to stammer or the feete to stagger or the stomacke to worke like yeast in a barrell thou canst not excuse it Indeed I have heard of a mad fellow that excused his taking of a purse who when one seeing him goe towards the place of execution said how now neighbour whether goe you what 's the matter answered nothing but mistaking a word I should have said to such an one good morrow I said deliver but as this would not save him from the Gallowes so no more will these poore excuses save thee from Gods heauy displeasure § 48. But thou hast yet to say for thou wilt excuse thy excessive drinking by others example and alledge that it is the usuall custome of the place and the common practice of the people among whom thou livest yea whom thou livest by and art daily conversant withall as for the most part that which is patronized by usualnesse slips into the opinion of lawfulnesse and hereupon thou art as thou supposest the rather to be borne withall if thou doe like other men seeing singularity would make thee odious and cause thee to be scorned and derided of all I answere indeed custome and example of the greatest number sayes much for it but that much is nothing for it is God's expresse charge Exod. 23. 2. thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe evill and St. Paul's everlasting rule Rom. 12. 2. fashion not your selves like unto this world Besides if custome of place or multitude of people could authorize any sinne then every sinne might stand upon it's justification yea no fancy so mad can fall into humane imagination that meets not with the example of some publique custome as I could easily prove if it were needefull yea I can hardly forbeare to make a list of their severalls for there is no countrey without some customes as strange to others as pleasing to themselves and use brings the fight of our judgements asleepe the barbarous Heathen are not more strange to us then wee are to them subjects have divers lustres whence the diversity of opinions is chiefly ingendred one nation vieweth a thing with one visage and thereon it stayes another with another To bee briefe if custome and example could authorize drunkennesse why could it not as well authorize that abominable sinne of Sodomy for Sodomy it selfe was once the common practice of a whole City and so for Turcisme Iudâ—isine paganisine and Popery for these take up nine parts of the world But tell me were it a good plea to commit a felony and say that others doe so or if never so many should leape into the Sea or cast themselves into the fire or breake their owne necks would this encourage any that are wise to do the like why then wilt thou leape into Hell and cast away thy soule because others do so Alasse although custome and community commendeth that which is good yet it mightily aggravateth that which is evill a good thing the more common it is the better it is but an evill thing the more Common the worser yea custome grounded neither upon reason nor Religion is the worst and most barbarous kinde of Tyranny a common fashion dissonant from Gods word is but a common sinne which often bringeth common and universall judgment and therefore thou canst not joyne with them in their sinnes and be disjoyned from them in their punishments But seeing there is no such authority given to sinne as by example and that this excuse is so common in every offenders mouth Others or every one doth so and so therefore why not I or every one is of this or that judgment and are you wiser then al considering that this is made a generall plea almost in all cases Do not such and such the like who are wiser and greater and better men then your selfe for I have ever noted that this one artlesse perswasion of Others doe so prevailes more with the world then all the places of reason I will answer it the more largely and fully and prove that example either of the greatest number or the greatest men or the greatest schollers yea the best and holiest men let custome and reason as it is now depraved together with good intentions be added thereunto are but uncertaine yea deceitfull guides to follow and that the best or all these will prove but a poore plea another day God having given us his Word which is a certaine and infallible guide to direct us and rule to walke by and square all our actions together with a strait command not to swerve therfrom either to the right or left hand First we ought not to follow the example of the greatest number for the greatest number goe the broad way to destruction and but a few the narrow way which leadeth unto life as our Saviour witnesseth Mat. 7. 13. 14. yea saith St. Iohn the whole world lieth in wickednesse the 1 â—oh 5. 19. whereas they whom Christ hath chosen out of it are but a little flocke Luk. 12. 32. the number of those whom Sa than shall deceive is as the sand of the Sea Rev. 20. 8. whereas they that beleeve the Gospell are few in number Isai. 53. 1. Rom. 10. 16. the one may be compared to a little flocke of Kids but the other like the Arromites fill the country for besides Turkes Iewes and Infidells Herefie hath one part Hypocrisie another Prophanesse a third Lukewarmnesse a a fourth c. 2 Cor. 4. 4. so that God hath the least part that owes all Lord thou hast but a few names in Sardy Re. 3. 4. And this the Scripture verifies of all ages there could not be found eight righteous persons in the old world for one was an impious Cham all Sodom afforded not ten Eliah speaking of the outward visible Church in his time
I doubt not but the preaching of the Word hath so prevailed with many that even think religion a disparagement and that feare nothing more then to have a name that they feare God that they have some secret liking to the truth and power of godlinesse yea strong purposes in better times to owne it if they drop not into hell before those times come So these men owe God some good will but they dare not shew it because of this they would please him yet so as they might not displease others nor themselves with the young man in the Gospell they will follow Christ so Christ propound no other conditions then what they like off But all such carnall thoughts ought to strike saile and give place to that Oracle of our Saviour whosoever shall bee ashamed of me and my woâ—ds or deny me before or among this adulterous and sinfull generation him wâ—â—â— I deny and be ashamed of also before my Father and his holy Angels in heaven Matthew 10. 33. Marke 8. 38. We read that Câ—â—sar's young men were loth to fight and so have scarres only least the women should mislike them so our younge Christians for the most part are so afraid to displease the meretricious world that they feare nothing so much as to bee or seeme good hate nothing more then to bee fashioned according to the Word of God and so whereas shame of face was ordained for sinne now shame is turned from sinne to righteousnesse for they which are not ashamed of the greatest evill are ashamed of the least good and this bashfull Divell never leaves a great many so long as they live whereby with the rich man Luke 16. they never thinke of heaven till tormented in the flames of hell § 189. BUt is not this base blood that blushes at a vertuous action Is it not a shame to bee ashamed of things either good or not ill Is it not a sottish feare and cowardise that puls us backe from goodnesse much more that constraines us to evill certainly in any good action that must needs be bad that hinders it But to forbeare good is not all for oftentimes to congratulate the company are not many of us fain to force our selves to unworthinesse and evill actions when we runne exceedingly against the graine Yea even while we are doing them our hearts chide our hands and tongues for transgressing agreeable to that of S. Augustine who confesseth that he was much â—shamed of his shamefastnesse and tendernesse in this case and further that he often belyed himself with sinnes which he never committed least hee should bee unacceptable to his sinfull companions and no marvaile when even Peter denyed his Lord and cursed himselfe to get credit amongst a cursed crew Thus as if we cared more to be thought good then to bee so indeed we force indurance on our selves to omit good actions and commit evil both against conscience meerly out of feare least lewd men should laugh at us O childish cowardly and base Surely for a man to be scoft out of his goodnesse by those which are lewd is all one as if a man that seeth should blindfold himselfe or put out his eyes because some blind wretches revile and scoffe at him for seeing or as if one that is sound of limms should limpe or maime himselfe to please the cripple and avoid his taunts A wise man will not bee scoft out of his money nor a just man bee flouted out of his faith the taunts of Ishmael shall never make an Isaac out of love with his inheritance Indeed they that least can doe best cavill can but vertue scornes muddy censures and unstained honour to be suborned by vulgar breathes yea she is strongest when shee lives in the presse of many temptations for to doe wel where is neither danger nor solicitation to evill is a common thing but to do well where is both perill and opposition is the peculiar office of a man of vertue for vertue as Metellus speakes rejecteth facility to be her companion Yea he that hath truly learned Christ had rather live hated of all men for goodnesse then beloved of all for vice rather please one good man then content a thousand bad ones his single authority being sufficient to countervaile the disdaine of a whole Parish And indeed how little is that man hurt whom malice condemnes on earth and God commends in heaven let the world accuse us so God doth acquit us it matters not for alasse their words are but like a boyes squib that flashes and cracks and stinks but is nothing and they that hang their faith on such mens lips doe but like Ixion embrace a cloud instead of Iuno and well may he claime a Boat-swanes place in Barkley's Ship of fooles that will sell his soule for a few good words from wicked mens tongues What is it to mee how others thinke me when I know my intent is good and my wayes warrantable a good conscience cares for no witnesses that is alone as a thousand § 190. BEsides of necessity wee must bee evill spoken of by some A man shall be sure to be backt and have abbettors either in good or evill and by some shouldered in both there was never any to whom some Belialists tooke not exceptions it is not possible to please or displease all seeing some are as deeply in love with vice as others are with vertue and the applause of ignorant and evill men hath ever beene vilipended by the wise and vertuous Phocion had not suspected his speech had not the common people applauded it Antisthenes mistrusted some ill in himselfe for the vulgar commendations Much more reason have we that are Christians when wee find that spirituall things are mostly represented unto vicious men false and cleane contrary to what they are indeed as corporall things in a glasse wherein those that are on the right hand seeme to be on the left and those againe which are on the left hand seeme to be on the right as it fared with Saint Paul who speaking of his unregenerate estate saith I also thought verily in my selfe that I ought to do many contrary things against the Name of Iesus Act 26. 9. That vicious drunkards and indeed all naturall men judge by contraries think and call good evill and evâ—ll good white black and black white commend what God in his word condemns and condemne what he commends I might prove by an hundred testimonies and examples out of Scripture but these may serve First touching things as if they wore their braines in their bellies and their guts in their heads they highly esteeme what is abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16. 15. and what God highly esteemes is abomination to them Pro. 13. 19. Secondly that which is called wisdome in Gods booke they account foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1. 18. 20. 23. and 2. 14. and 4. 10. Luk. 6. 27. to 36. or madnesse Acts 26. 24. Wisd. 5. 4. and