Woe to Drunkards

S Eer, art thou also blind? Watch-man art thou also drunk, or asleep? Or hath a Spirit of slumber put out thine eyes? Up to thy Watch-Tower, what descriest thou▪ Ah Lord! what end or number is there of the vanities which mine eyes are weary of beholding▪ But what feest thou? I see men walking like the topps of trees shaken with the Wind; like Masts of Ships reeling on the tempestuous Seas. Drunkenness, I mean, that hateful Night-bird, which was wont to wait for the twilight, to seek nookes and corners, to avoid the houting and wonderment of Boys and Girls: Now as if it were some Eglet to dare the Sunlight, to fly abroad at high noon in every street, in open Markets and Fairs without fear or shame, without control, or punishment, to the disgrace of the Nation, the outfacing of Magistracy and Ministry, the utter undoing (without timely prevention) of health and wealth, Piety and Virtue, Town and Country, Church and Commonwealth. And doest thou like a dumb dog hold thy peace at these things, doest thou with Solomon's sluggard fold thine hands in thy bosom, and give thyself to ease and drousiness, while the envious man causeth the noysomest and basest of weeds to over-run the choicest Eden of God? Up and Arise, lift up thy voice, spare not, and cry aloud? What shall I cry? Crie woe and woe again unto the Crown of pride, the Drunkards of Ephraim. Take up a parable, and tell them how it stingeth like the Cockatrice, declare unto them the deadly poison of this odious sin. Shew them also the sovereign Antidote and Cure of it, in the cup that was drunk off by him, that was able to overcome it: Cause them to behold the brazen Serpent and be healed. And what though some of these deaf Adders will not be charmed not cured; yea, though few or none of this swinish heard of habitual drunkards, accustomed to wallow in their mire, yea, deeply and irrecoverably plunged by legions of Devils into the dead sea of their filthiness; what if not one of them will be washed and made clean, but turn again to their vomit, and trample the pearls of all admonition under feet; yea, turn again, and rend their reprouers with scoffs and scorns, making jests and songs on their Alebench: Yet may some young ones be deterred, and some novices reclaimed, some parents and Magistrates awakened to prevent and suppress the spreading of this gangrene: and God have his work in such as belong to his grace. And what is impossible to the work of his grace?

Go to them now ye Drunkards, listen not what I, or any ordinary hedge-priest (as you style us, but that most Wise and experienced royal Preacher) hath to say unto you. And because you are a dull and thick-eared generation, he first deals with you by way of question, a figure of force and impression. To whom is woe, &c. You use to say, Woe be to hypocrites. It's true, woe be to such and all other witting & willing sinners, but there are no kind of offenders on whom woe doth so palpably inevitably attend as to you drunkards. You promise yourselves mirth, pleasure, and jollity in your Cups, but for one drop of your mad mirth be sure of gallons and tunnes of woe, gall, wormwood and bitterness here and hereafter. Other sinners shall taste of the Cup, but you shall drink of the dregs of God's wrath and displeasure. To whom is strife. You talk of good fellowship & friendship, but wine is a rager and tumultuous makebate, and serts you a quarrelling, & meddling. When wit's out of the head and strength out of the body, it thrustes even Cowards and dastards vnfenced and unarmed into needles frayes and combats. And then to whom are wounds, broken heads, blue eyes, maimed limbs▪ You have a drunken by-word: Drunkards take no harm, but how many are the mishaps and untimely misfortunes that betyde such, which though they feel not in drink, they carry as marks and brands to their grave. You pretend you drink healths and for health, but to whom are all kind of diseases, infirmities, deformities, pearled faces, palsies, dropsies, headaches? If not to drunkards.

Upon these premises he forcibly infers his sober & serious advice. Look upon these woeful effects and evils of drunkenness, and look not upon the Wine, look upon the blew wounds, upon the red eyes it causeth, and look not on the red color when it sparkleth in the cup. If there were no worse then these, yet would no wise man be overtaken with Wine: as if he should say, What see you in the Cup or drink, that counteruaileth these dregs that lie in the bottom. Behold, this is the Sugar you are to look for, and the tang it leaves behind. Woe and alas, sorrow and strife, shame, poverty and diseases; these are enough to make it odious, but that which followeth withal, will make it hideous and fearful. For Solomon duly considering that he speaks to men past shame and grace, senseless of blows, and therefore much more of reasons and words insisteth not upon these petty woes; which they, bewitched and besotted with the love of Wine, will easily over-see and ouerleape: but sets before their eyes the direful end and fruit, the black and poisonful tail of this sin. In the end it stingeth like the Serpent, it biteth like the Cockatrice (or Adder ) saith our new Translation.

All Interpreters agree, that he means some most virulent Serpent, whose poison is present and deadly. All the Woes he hath mentioned before, were but as the sting of some Emmet, Waspe or Nettle, in comparison of this Cockatrice, which is even unto death; death speedy, death painful, and woeful death, and that as naturally and inevitably, as Opium procureth sleep, as Ellebore purgeth, or any Poison killeth.

Three forked is this sting, and threefold is the death it procureth to all that are stung therewith. The first is the death of grace, the second is of the body, the third is of soul and body eternal. All sin is the poison wherewithal the old Serpent and Red Dragon enuenoms the soul of man, but no sin (except it be that which is unto death) so mortal as this, which though not ever vnpardonably, yet for the most part is also irrecoverably, and inevitably unto death. Seest thou one bittē with any other Snake, there is hope & help. As the Father said of his son, when he had information of his gaming, of his prodigality, yea, of his whoring: but when he heard that he was poisoned with drunkenness, he gave him for dead, his case for desperate and forlorn. Age and experience often cures the other; but this encrcaseth with years, and parteth not till death. Whoring is a deep Ditch, yet some few shall a man see return & lay hold on the ways of life, one of a thousand, but scarce one Drunkard of ten thousand. One, Ambrose mentions, and one have I known, and but one of all that ever I knew or heard of. Often have I been asked, and often have I inquired, but never could meet with an instance, save one or two at the most. I speak of Drunkards, not of one drunken; of such who rarely & casually have Noah -like been surprised, over-taken at unawares. But if once a Custom, ever necessity. Wine takes away the heart, and spoils the brain, overthrows the faculties and Organes of repentance and resolution. And is it not just with God, that he who will put out his natural light, should have his spiritual extinguished? He that will deprive himself of reason, should loose also the Guide and Pilot of reason, God's Spirit and Grace: he that will wittingly and willingly make himself an habitation of unclean spirits, should not dispossess them at his own pleasure? Most aptly therefore is it translated by Tremellius, Haemorrhois, which Gesner confounds with the Dipsas, or thirsty Serpent, whose poison breedeth such thirst, drought, and inflamation, like that of Rats-bane, that they never leave drinking, till they burst and die withal. Would it not grieve and pity any Christian soul, to see a towardly hopeful young man well natured, well nurtured, stung with this Cockatrice, bewailing his own case, crying out against the baseness of the sin, inueighing against company, melting under the persuasions of friends; yea, protesting against all enticements, vow, covenant, and seriously indent with himself and his friends for the relinquishing of it: and yet if he meet with a companion that holds but up his finger, he follows him as a fool to the stocks, and as an Ox to the slaughter-house, having no power to withstand the temptation, but in he goes with him to the tippling house, not considering that the Chambers are the Chambers of death; and the guess, the guests of death; and there he continues as one bewitched or conjured in a spell out of which he returns not til he hath emptied his purse of money, his head of reason, & his heart of all his former seeming grace. There his eyes behold the strange woman, his heart speaketh perverse things, becoming heartles as one (saith Solomon ) in the heart of the sea, resolving to continue, and return to his vomit what ever it cost him, to make it his daily work. I was sick, and knew it not. I was struck and felt it not, when I awake I will seek it yet still. And why indeed (without a miracle) should any expect that one stung with this viper should shake it off, and ever recover of it again. Yea, so far are they from recovering themselves, that they infect and become contagious and pestilent to all they come near. The Dragon infusing his venom, & assimulating his elses to himself in no sin so much as in this, that it becomes as good as meat and drink to them, to spend their wit & money to compass alehouse after alehouse, yea town after town to transform others with their Circean Cups, till they have made them bruits and swine, worse then themselves. The Adulterer and Usurer desire to enjoy their sin alone, but the chiefest pastime of a drunkard is to heat and overcome others with wine that he may discover their nakedness and glory in their foil and folly▪ In a word, excess of wine, and the spirit of Grace are opposites, the former expelles the latter out of the heart, as smoke doth Bees out the Hive: and makes the man a mere slave and prey to Satan and his snares, when by this poison he hath put out his eyes and spoiled him of his strength, he useth him as the Philistines did Sampson, leads him on a string whither he pleaseth, like a very drudge, scorn and makesport to himself and his Impes; makes him grind in the mill of all kind of sins and vices. And that I take to be the reason why Drunkenness is not specially prohibited in any one of the ten Commandments because it is not the single breach of any one, but in effect the violation of all and everyone, it is no one sin, but all sins, because it is the Inlet and sluice to all other sins. The Devil having moistened, and steeped him in his liquor, shapes him like soft clay into what mould he pleaseth: having shaken off his rudder and Pilot, dashes his soul upon what rocks, sands, and Syrts he listeth, and that with as much ease as a man may push down his body with the least thrust of his hand or finger. He that in his right wits and sober mood seems religious, modest, chaste, courteous, secret, in his drunken fits swears, blasphemes, rages, strikes, talks, talks filthily, blab s all secrets, commits folly, knows no difference of persons or sexes, becomes wholly at Satan's command as a dead organ to be enacted at his will and pleasure. Oh that God would be pleased to open the eyes of some drunkard, to see what a dunghill and carrion his soul becomes, & how loathsome effects follow upon this spiritual death and sting of this Cockatrise which is the fountain of the other two following, temporal and eternal death?

And well may it be that some such as are altogether fearless and careless of the former death will yet tremble and be moved with that which I shall in the second place tell them. Among all other sins that are, none brings forth bodily death so frequently as this, none so ordinarily slays in the Act of sin as this. And what can be more horrible then to die in the act of a sin without the act of repentance? I pronounce no definitive sentence of damnation upon any particular so dying; but what door of hope or comfort is left to their friends behind of their salvation? The whoremaster he hopes to have a space and time to repent in age, though sometimes it pleaseth God that death strikes Cosby and Zimry napping, as the devil is said to slay one of the Popes in the instant of his adultery and carry him quick to hell. The swearer and blasphemer hath commonly space, though seldom grace, to repent and amend: and some rare examples stories afford, of some taken with oaths and blasphemies in their mouths. The thief and oppressor may live and repent and make restriction as Zacchaeus : though I have seen one slain right out with the timber he stole half an hour before; and heard of one that having stolen a sheep and laying it down upon a stone to rest him, was gran'd and hanged with the struggling of it about his neck. But these are extraordinary & rare cases. God sometimes practicing Marshall law and doing present execution, lest fools shall say in their heart, there were no God or Judgment: but conniuing and deferring the most, that men might expect a Judge coming, and a solemn day of Judgment to come. But this sin of Drunkenness is so odious to him, that he makes it self, Justice, Judge and Executioner, slaying the ungodly with misfortune, bringing them to untimely shameful ends in brutish and bestial manner often in their own vomit and ordure; sending them sottish, sleeping, and senseless to hell, not leaving them either time, or reason, or grace to repent, and cry so much as Lord have mercy on us. Were there (as in some Cities of Italy ) an Office kept, or a Record and Register by every Crowner in Shires & Counties, of such dismal events which God hath avenged this sin withal, what a Volume would it have made within these few years in this our Nation? How terrible a Theater of God's Judgments against Drunkards, such as might make their hearts to bleed and relent, if not their ears to tingle, to hear of a taste of some few such noted and remarkable examples of God's Justice, as have come within the compass of mine own notice and certain knowledge, I think I should offend to conceal them from the world, whom they may happily keep from being the like to others, themselves.

An Ale-wife in Kesgraue near to Ipswich, who would needs force three Seruingmen (that had been drinking in her house, and were taking their leaves) to stay and drink the three Outs first (that is, Wit out of the head, Money out of the purse, Ale out of the pot) as she was coming towards them with the pot in her hand, was suddenly taken speechless and sick, her tongue swollen in her mouth, never recovered speech, the third day after died. This Sir Anthony Felton the next Gentleman and Justice, with diverse others eye-witnesses of her in sickness related to me; whereupon I went to the house with two or three witnesses, inquired the truth of it.

Two servants of a Brewer in Ipswich, drinking for a rump of a Turkey, struggling in their drink for it, fell into a scalding Caldron backwards: whereof the one died presently, the other lingringly, and painfully since my coming to Ipswich.

Anno 1619. A Miller in Bromeswell, coming home drunk from Woodbridge (as he oft did) would needs go and swim in the Milpond: his wife and servants knowing he could not swim, disuaded him, once by entreaty got him out of the water, but in he would needs go again, and there was drowned. I was at the house to inquire of this, and found it to be true.

In Barnewel near to Cambridge one at the Sign of the Plough, a lusty young man, with two of his Neighbors, and one Woman in their company, agreed to drink a barrel of strong Bear; they drunk up the vessel, three of them died within 24 hours, the fourth hardly escaped after great sickness. This I have under a Justice of Peace his hand near dwelling, besides the common fame.

A Butcher in Haslingfeild hearing the Minister inveigh against Drunkenness, being at his Cups in the Alehouse fell a jesting and scoffing at the Minister and his Sermons. As he was drinking, the drink or something in the Cup quackled him, stuck so in his throat that he could neither get it up nor down, but strangled him presently.

At Tillingham in Dengy hundred in Essex, three young men meeting to drink strong waters fell by degrees to half pints: one fell dead in the room, & the other prevented by company coming in, escaped not without much sickness.

At Bungey in Norfolk three coming out of an Ale-house in a very dark evening, swore, they thought it was not darker in Hell it self: one of them fell off the Bridge into the water, and was drowned; the second fell off his Horse, the third sleeping on the ground by the Rivers side, was frozen to death. This have I often heard, but have no certain ground for the truth of it.

A Bailiff of Hadly upon the Lord's day being drunk at Melford, would needs get upon his mare to ride through the street, affirming (as the report goes) that his Mare would carry him to the devil; his Mare casts him off, and broke his neck instantly. Reported by sundry sufficient witnesses.

Company drinking in an Ale-house at Harwich in the night, over against one Master Russels, and by him out of his Window once or twice willed to depart, at length he came down and took one of them, and made as if he would carry him to prison, who drawing his Knife fled from him, and was three days after taken out of the sea with the Knife in his hand. Related to me by Master Russell himself, Major of the Town.

At Tenby in Pembrokeshire a Drunkard being exceeding drunk, broke himself all to pieces of an high and steep rock in a most fearful manner, and yet the occasion and circumstances of his fall so ridiculous, as I think not fit to relate, lest in so serious a judgment, I should move laughter to the Reader.

A Glasier in Chauncery Lane in London, noted formerly for profession, fell to a common course of drinking, whereof being oft by his wife and many Christian friends admonished, yet presuming much of God's mercy to himself, continued therein, till upon a time having surcharged his stomach with drink, he fell a vommiting, broke A Veyne, lay two days in extreme pain of body & distress of mind, till in the end recovering a little comfort, he died: both these examples related to me by a Gentleman of worth upon his own knowledge.

Four sundry instances of drunkards wallowing and tumbling in their drink, slain by Carts, I forbear to mention, because such examples are so common and ordinary.

A Yeomans Son in Northhamptonshire being drunk at Wellingborough on a Market day, would needs ride his Horse in a bravery over the plowed lands, fell from his Horse, and brake his neck: reported to me by a Kinsman of his own.

A Knight notoriously given to Drunkenness, carrying sometime payles of drink into the open field to make people drunk withal, being upon a time drinking with company, a woman comes in, delivers him a Ring, with this posy, Drink and Dye, saying to him, This is for you; which he took and wore, and within a week after came to his end by drinking: reported by sundry, and justified by a Minister dwelling within a mile of the place.

Two examples have I known of children that murdered their own Mothers in drink, and one notorious drunkard that attempted to kill his Father; of which being hindered, he fired his Barn, and was afterward executed one of these formerly in print.

At a Tavern in Breadstreet in London certain Gentlemen drinking healths to their Lord's, on whom, they had dependence, one desperate wretch steps to the Tables end, lays hold one a pottlepot full of Canarie Sack, swears a deep oath; What will none here drink an health to my noble Lord and Master: and so setting the Pottle pot to his mouth, drinks it of to the bottom, was not able to rise up, or to speak when he had done, but fell into a deep snoaring sleep, and being removed, laid aside, and covered by one of the servants of the house, attending the time of the drinking, was within the space of two hours irrecoverably dead: witnessed at the time of the printing hereof by the same servant that stood by him in the Act, and helped to remove him.

In Dengy Hundred, near to Maldon, about the beginning of his Majesty's reign, there fell out an extraordinary judgment upon five or six that plotted a solemn drinking at one of their houses, laid in Bear for the once, drunk healths in a strange manner, and died thereof within a few weeks, some sooner, and some later: witnessed to me by one that was with one of them on his death-bed to demand a debt, and often spoken of by Master Heydon, late Preacher of Mauldon, in the hearing of many: the particular circumstances were exceeding remarkable; but having not sufficient proof for the particulars I will not report them.

One of Aylesham in Norfolk, a notorious Drunkard drowned in a shallow Brooke of water with his horse by him.

Whilest this was at the Press, a man 85 years old, or thereabout, in Suffolk, overtaken with Wine (though never in all his life before, as he himself said a little before his fall, seeming to bewail his present condition▪ and others that knew him so say of him) yet going down a pair of stairs, (against the persuasion of a woman sitting by him in his chamber) fell, and was so dangerously hurt, as he died soon after, not being able to speak from the time of his fall to his death.

The names of the parties thus punished, I forbear for the kindreds sake yet living.

If conscionable Ministers of all places of the land would give notice of such Judgments, as come within the compass of their certain knowledge, it might be a great mean to suppress this sin, which reigns everywhere to the scandal of our Nation, and high displeasure of Almighty God.

These may suffice for a taste of God's Judgments. Easie were it to abound in sundry particular casualties and fearful examples of this nature. Drunkard, that which hath befallen any one of these, may befall thee, if thou wilt dally▪ with this Cockatrice, what ever leagues thou makest with Death, and dispensations thou givest thyself from the like. Some of these were young, some were rich, some thought themselves as wife as thou; none of them ever looked for such ignominious ends, more then thou whoever thou art: if thou hatest such ends, God give thee grace to decline such courses.

If thou beest yet insensate with wine, void of wit and fear, I know not what further to mind thee of, but of that third, & worst sting of all the rest, which will ever be gnawing, and never dying which if thou wilt not fear here, sure thou art to feel there, when the Red Dragon hath gotten thee into his den, and shall fill thy soul with the gall of Scorpions, where thou shalt yell and howl for a drop of water to cool thy tongue withal, and shalt be denied so small a refreshing, and have no other liquor to allay thy thirst, but that which the lake of Brimstone shall afford thee. And that worthily, for that thou wouldest incur the wrath of the Lamb for so base and sordid a sin as drunkenness, of which thou mayest think as venially and slightly as thou wilt. But Paul that knew the danger of it, gives thee fair warning, and bids thee not deceive thyself, expressly and by name mentioning it among the mortal sins, excluding from the Kingdom of heaven. And the Prophet Isaiah tells thee, that for it Hell hath enlarged it self, opened it mouth wide, and without measure; and therefore shall the multitude and their pomp and the iollyest among them descend into it. Consider this you that are strong to pour in drink, that love to drink sorrow and care away: And be you well assured, that there you shall drink enough for all, having for every drop of your former bousings, vials, yea whole seas of God's wrath never to be exhaust.

Now then, I appeal from yourselves in drink, to yourselves in your sober fits. Reason a little the case, and tell me calmly, would you for your own, or any man pleasure to gratify friend or companion, if thou knew there had been a Toad in the Wine-pot (as twice I have known happened 〈◊〉 the death of drinkers) or did you think that some Caesar Borgia, or Brasutus had tempered the cup; 〈◊〉 did you see but a Spider in the glass, would you, or durst you carouse it off? And are you so simple to fear the poison that can kill the body, and not that which killeth the soul and body ever, yea forever and ever, and if it were possible for more then forever, for evermore? Oh thou vain fellow, what tellest thou me of friendship, or good-fellowship, wilt thou account him thy friend, or good fellow, that draws thee into his company, that he may poison thee? and never thinks he hath given thee right entertainment, or shown thee kindness enough, till he hath killed thy soul with his kindness, and with Beer made thy body a carcass fit for the Beer, a laughing and loathing-stock, not to Boys and Girls alone, but to men and Angels. Why rather sayest thou not to such, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Belial, ye poisonful generation of Vipers, that hunt for the precious life of a man? Oh but there are few good Wits, or great Spirits now a days, but will Pot it a little for company. What hear I? Oh base and low spirited times, if that were true! If we were fallen into such Lees of Time foretold of by Seneca, in which all were so drowned in the dregs of vices, that it should be virtue and honor to bear most drink. But thanks be to God, who hath reserved many thousands of men, and without all comparison more witty and valorous, then such Pot-wits, and Spirits of the Buttery, who never bared their knees to drink health, nor even needed to whet their wits with wine, or arm their courage with Pot- 〈◊〉 . And if it were so, yet if no such wits or Spirits shall ever enter into heaven without repentance, let my Spirit never come and enter into their Paradise; ever abhor to partake of their brutish pleasures, lest I partake of their endless woes. If young Cyrus could refuse to drink wine, and tell A stiages he thought it to be poison, for he saw it metamorphose men into beasts and carcases: what would he have said, if he had known that which we may know, that the wine of Drunkards is the wine of Sodom and Gomorrah, their grapes, the grapes of gall, their clusters, the clusters of bitterness, the juice of Dragons, and the venom of Asps. In which words, Moses is a full Commentary upon Solomon, largely expressing that he speaks here more briefly, It stings like the Serpent, and bites like the Cockatrice: To the which I may not unfitly add that of Paul's, and think I ought to write of such with more passion and compassion, then he did of the Christians in his time, which sure were not such monsters as ours in the shapes of Christians, Whose God is their belly (whom they serve with drink offerings) whose glory is their shame, and whose end is damnation.

What then, take we pleasure in thundering out Hell against Drunkards? is there nothing but death and damnation to Drunkards? Nothing else to them, so continuing, so dying. But what is there no help nor hope, no Amulet, Antidote or Triacle, are there no presidents found of recovery. Ambrose I remember, tells of one, that having been aspectacle of Drunkenness, proved after his conversion a pattern of sobriety. And I myself must confess, that one have I known yet living, who having drunk out his bodily eyes, had his spiritual eyes opened, proved diligent in hearing and practicing. Though the pit be deep, mierie and narrow, like that Dungeon into which Jeremiah was put, yet if it please God to let down the Cords of his divine mercy, and cause the party to lay hold thereon, its possible they may escape the snares of death. There is evē for the most debauched Drunkard that ever was, a sovereign medicine, a rich treacle of force enough to cure and recover his disease, to obtain his pardon, and to furnish him with strength to overcome this deadly poison, fatal to the most. And though we may well say of it as men out of experience do of quartane agues, that it is the disgrace of all mortal Physic, of all reproofs, counsels and admonitions Yet is there a salve for this sore, there came one from heaven that trode, the Winepress of his Fathers fierceness, drunk of a cup tempered with all the bitterness of God's wrath and the devils malice, that he might heal even such as have drunk deepest of the sweet cup of sin. And let all such know, that in all the former discovery of this poison, I have only aimed to cause them feel their sting, and that they might with earnest eyes behold the Brasen Serpent, and seriously repair to him for mercy and grace, who is perfectly able to eiect even this kind, which so rarely and hardly is thrown out where once he gets possession. This seed of the Woman is able to bruise this Serpents head. Oh that they would listen to the gracious offers of Christ! If once there be wrought in thy soul a spiritual thirst after mercy, as the thirsty land hath after rain, a longing appetite after the water that comes out of the Rock, after the blood that was shed for thee; then let him that is a thirst come, let him drink of the water of life without any money; of which if thou hast took but one true and thorough draught, thou wilt never long after thy old puddle waters of sin anymore. Easie will it be for thee after thou hast tasted of the Bread and Wine in thy Fathers house ever to loath the husks and swill thou wert wont to follow after with greediness. The Lord Christ will bring thee into his mothers house, cause thee to drink of his spiced wine, of the new wine of the Pomegramate: Yea, he will bring thee into his cellar, spread his Banner of love over thee, stay thee with flagons, fill thee with his love, till thou beest sick and overcome with the sweetness of his consolations. In other drink there is excess, but here can be no danger. The devil hath his invitation, Come, let us drink ; and Christ hath his inebriamini, Be ye filled with the spirit. Here is a fountain set open, and proclamation made. And if it were possible for the brutishest Drunkard in the world to know, who it is that offereth, and what kind of water he offereth, he would ask, and God would give it frankly without money, he should drink liberally, be satisfied, and out of his belly should sally springs of the water of life, quenching and extinguishing all his inordinate longings after stolen waters of sin and death.

All this while, little hope have I to work upon many Drunkards, especially by a Sermon read (on less life and force in God's ordinance, and in it own nature, then preached), my first drift is, to stir-up the spirits of Parents and Masters, who in all places complain of this evil, robbing them of good servants, and dutiful children, by all care and industry to prevent it in their domestical education, by carrying a watchful and restraining hand over them. Parents, if you love either soul or body, thrift or piety, look to keep them from this infection. Lay all the bars of your authority, cautions, threats and charges for the avoiding of this epidemical pestilence. If any of them be bitten of this Cockatrice, sleep not, rest not, till you have cured them of it, if you love their health, husbandry, grace, their present or future lives. Dead are they while they live, if they live in this sin. Mothers, lay about you as Bathsheba, with all entreaties; What my son, my son of my loves and delights, Wine is not for you, &c.

My next hope is, to arouse and awaken the vigilancy of all faithful Pastors and Teachers. I speak not to such Stars as this Dragon hath swept down from heaven with it tail: for of such the Prophets, the Fathers of the Primitive, yea, all ages complain of. I hate and abhor to mention this abomination: to alter the Proverb, As drunk as a Beggar, to a Gentleman, is odious; but to a Man of God, to an Angel, how harsh and hellish a sound is it in a Christians ears. I speak therefore to sober Watchmen, Watch, and be sober, and labor to keep your Charges sober and watchful, that they may be so found of him that comes like a thief in the night. Two means have you of great virtue for the quelling of this Serpent, zealous preaching and praying against it. Its an old received Antidote, that man's spittle, especially fasting spittle, is mortal to Serpents. Saint Donatus is famous in story for spitting upon a Dragon that kept an high way, and devoured many passengers. This have I made good observation of, that where God hath raised up zealous Preachers, in such towns this Serpent hath no nestling, no stabling or denning. If this will not do, Augustine enforceth another, which I conceive God's and Mans laws allow us upon the reason he gives: If Paul (saith he) forbid to eat with such our common bread in our own private houses, how much more the Lord's body in Church assemblies: if in our times this were strictly observed, the Serpent would soon languish and vanish. In the time of an Epidemical disease, such as the Sweating or Neezing sickness, a wise Physician would leave the study of all other diseases to find out the cure of the present raging evil. If Chrysostom were now alive, the bent of all his Homilies, or at least one part of them should be spent to cry down drunkenness, as he did swearing in Antioch: never desisting to reprove it, till (if not the fear of God, yet his importunity, made them weary of the sin.

Such Anakims and Zanzummims, as the spiritual sword will not work upon, I turn them over to the Secular Arm, with a signification of the dangerous and contagious spreading of this poison in the veins and bowels of the Common-wealth. In the Church and Christ his name also, entreating them to carry a more vigilant eye over the dens and burrowes of this Cockatrice, Superfluous, Blind, and Clandestine Ale-houses, I mean the very pest-houses of the Nation; which I could wish had all for their sign, a picture of some hideous serpent, or a pair of them, as the best hieroglyphick of the Genius of the place, to warn passengers to shun and avoid the danger of them. Who sees and knows not that someone needles Alehouse in a Country Town, undoes all the rest of the houses in it, eating up the thrift and fruit of their labors; the ill manner of sundry places being, there to meet in someone night of the week, and spend what they have gathered, and spared all the days of the same before, to the prejudice of their poor wives and children at home; and upon the Lord's day (after evening Prayers) there to quench and drown all the good lessons they have heard that day at Church. If this go on, what shall become of us in time? If woe be to single drunkards, is not a National woe to be feared & expected of a Nation ouerrun with drunkenness? Had we no other sin reigning but this (which cannot reign alone) will not God justly spew us out of his mouth for this alone? We read of whole Countries wasted, dispeopled by Serpents. Pliny tells us of the Amyclae, Lycophron, of Salamis, Herodotus of the Neuri, utterly depopulate and made inhabitable by them. Verily if this Cockatrise multiply and get head amongst us a while longer, as they have of late begun, where shall the people have sober servants to till their lands, or children to hold and enjoy them. They speak of drayning Fens, but if this evil be not stopped, we shall all shortly be drowned with it. I wish the Magistracy, Gentry, and Yeomanry would take it to serious consideration, how to deal with this Serpent, before he grow too strong and fierce for them. It is past the egg already, and much at that pass, of which Augustine complains of in his time, that he scarce knew what remedy to advise, but thought, it required the meeting of a general Council. The best course I think of, is, if the great persons would first begin through reformation in their own families, banish the spirits of their Buttries, abandon that foolish and vicious custom, as Ambrose and Basil calls it, of drinking healths, and making that a sacrifice to God for the health of others, which is rather a sacrifice to the devil, and a Bane of their own, I remember well Sigismund the Emperors grave answer, wherein there concurred excellent wisdom & wit seldom meeting in one saying) which he gave before the Council of Constance, to such as proposed a reformation of the Church to begin with the Franciscans, & Minorites. You will never do any good (saith he) unless you begin with the Moiorites first. Sure til it be out of fashió & grace in gentlemens tables, butteries, and cellars, hardly shall you persuade the countryman to lay it down, who as in fashions so in vices will ever be the Ape of the Gentry.

If this help not, I shall then conclude it to be such an evil as is only by Sovereign power, & the Kings hand curable. And verily next under the word of God which is omnipotent, how potent and wonderworking is the word of a King? when both meet as the Sun, & some good star in a benign conjunction, what enemy shall stand before the sword of God & Gideon? what vice so predomināt which these subdue not. If the Lyon roar, what beast of the forest shall not tremble and hide their head? Have we not a noble experiment hereof, yet fresh in our memory, and worthy never to die in the timely & speedy suppression of that impudent abomination of women's Mannish habit, threatening the confusion of sexes, and ruin of modesty? The same Royal hand, and care the Church and Commonwealth implores for the vanquishing of this poison, no less pernicious, more spreading, and prevailing. Take us these little Foxes was wont to be the suit of the Church, for they gnabble our Grapes, and hurt our tender branches: but now it is become more serious: Take us these Serpents, lest they destroy our Vines, Vinedressers, Vineyards and all. This hath ever been Royal game. How famous in the story of Diodorus Siculus, is the Royal munificence of Ptolomey King of Egypt, for provision of Nets, and maintenance of Huntsmen, for the taking and destroying of Serpents, noxious and noisome to his country. The like of Philip in Aristotle, and of Attilius Regulus in Aulus Gellius. The Emblem mentioned at large by Plutarch, engraven on Hercules shield, what is it but a Symbole of the divine honor due to Princes following their Herculean labors, in subduing the like Hydraes, too mighty for any inferior person to take in hand. It is their honor to tread upon Basiliskes, and trample Dragons under their feet. Solomon thinks it not unworthy his Pen to discover their danger.

A royal and eloquent Oration is happily and worthily preserved in the large volume of ancient writings, with this title, Oratio magnifici et pacifici Edgari Regis habita ad Dunstanum Archiep. Episcopos &c. The main scope whereof is, to excite the Clergies care & devotion for the suppressing of this vice for the common good. Vndertakers of difficult plots promise themselves speed and effect, if once they interest the King, and make him a party. And what more generally beneficial can be devised or proposed then this, with more honor and less charge to be effected, if it shall please his Majesty but to make trial of the strength of his temporal & spiritual arms. For the effecting of it, if this help not, what have we else remaining, but wishes & prayers to cast out this kind withal. God help us. To him I commend the success of these labors, & the vanquishing of this Cockatrice.